The US leads the West in tearing down the world order
Great powers have never willingly submitted to rules; they recognise them only when the rules serve their own interests. This also means that the international order led and designed by the US is one that only Americans themselves have the power to shatter, observes Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei.
![[Big read] The first shot Taiwan hopes never to fire](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/3ef68ffe04571115d09f1b952621810673c2a2e13ef3bf3f7e9e9537ee9e6ab6?w=800)
![[Big read] The world recarved under the Donroe Doctrine](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/4c2e00844e432d90c32d57805d633cbf8dacdd9e13199ee3012a4c42c7fa9932?w=800)
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In the years after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power in mainland China, the Kuomintang (KMT) launched an extensive political purge in Taiwan that became known as the White Terror. The KMT hunted down and executed dissenters, including CCP spies, in an attempt to consolidate power. Today, the stories of the White Terror’s victims are slowly emerging. Taiwanese historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao, who played a significant role in uncovering these forgotten experiences, tells us more about the dark chapter of Taiwan’s history.
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Takaichi’s gamble: Can an early election secure Japan’s future?
Despite the risks, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has decided to hold a snap general election. Academic Zhang Yun observes that external factors are a major consideration for Takaichi’s risk-taking, in particular Japan’s relations with China.
The Greenland myth: Why invasion talk misleads
The current conversation about “occupying Greenland” is an imprecise framing of the issue. The more consequential contest is about alliance governance, early warning and sensing, long-horizon Arctic connectivity, and the rules that shape future resource development, says US academic Hong Nong.
Caution and calculus: How India sees China in 2026
As India heads into 2026, it balances diplomacy and vigilance with China. Past strategic moves have fostered a trust deficit, making Delhi cautious even as both nations seek engagement and regional influence, says Indian academic Rishi Gupta.
Will China’s US$1.2 trillion trade surplus overwhelm global trade?
China’s exports are booming like never before. With a US$1.2 trillion surplus, the world wonders: can global trade absorb it, or is a reckoning on the horizon? Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chen Jing contemplates what China could do next.
The global polytunity
When everything seems to crumble all at once, it could be an opportunity for renewal, rather than collapse, says Professor Yuen Yuen Ang.
big read![[Big read] The rise and fall of China’s independent bookstores](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/4323dc9e476572a235403dc6e377d8241307ce6718de13d9f29bc5d08e886f09?w=800)
[Big read] The rise and fall of China’s independent bookstores
Built by idealists and sustained by belief, independent bookstores became places to gather and breathe in China. As the tide turns, their owners face the hardest question: how long to keep the lights on. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui speaks to academics and those in the industry to find out more.
Don’t turn to China in every crisis
From Iran to Venezuela, everyone expects China to act. But Beijing moves with a single aim: safeguard its own long-term plans, stepping in overseas only when stakes hit home, says academic Hao Nan.
![[Video] Why young Chinese are losing faith in the pension system](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/d405209fcafa86af0d90690ce62889cd06cd3211387c099a08a247626977b962?w=800)
[Video] Why young Chinese are losing faith in the pension system
China’s social security system covers more than a billion people, yet many young workers hesitate to pay in. Wide payout gaps, ageing pressures and low wages are eroding trust in pensions meant to secure their future. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.
How resource nationalism is redrawing the global mineral playbook
In global politics, resource-rich countries are seeking to convert mineral wealth into security guarantees, diplomatic leverage and strategic influence — a symptom of a resurgent wave of resource nationalism.
No children, no regrets? Inside China’s first generation of childless ageing
As China’s first DINKs (“Dual Income, No Kids”) grow old, their lives are thrust into the spotlight. From a retired state-owned enterprise worker who says money and health are enough, to others who refuse to speak, their stories reveal pride, pain and unease beneath the debate, reports Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu.
Japanese expert: China won’t replicate US Maduro raid
Japanese professor Shin Kawashima notes that the US raid in Venezuela is no precedent for Taiwan, and Beijing is unlikely to replicate such military actions despite regional tensions.
When doctors earn 3,000 RMB: China’s healthcare pay squeeze
After years of training, some Chinese doctors now earn as little as 3,000 RMB a month. Pay cuts, rising pressure, and bleak prospects are forcing many to rethink a once-secure profession. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang finds out more.
China has too many incinerators. Southeast Asia has the trash
China built a vast waste-to-energy industry — then ran short of trash. As incinerators sit idle at home, Chinese firms are heading to Southeast Asia, pitching modern plants as a fix for looming landfill crises. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting reports.
If China moves on Taiwan, Asia moves with it
US planners are preparing for a multi-theatre fight that would stretch China’s forces across land, sea and alliances — turning a Taiwan war into a regional one. Italian commentator Emanuele Scimia explains.
Under Washington’s shadow: Canada’s China dilemma
Canada seeks to thaw relations with China after years of friction, yet US tariffs, threats and strategic pressure cast a long shadow. Yang Danxu, Lianhe Zaobao’s China news editor, unpacks the complex dynamics.
No one has a plan for Iran
With protests engulfing Iran, the US considers its next move, China holds back and the population has no clear path forward. Could this unrest quietly reshape the regime? Academic Alessandro Arduino analyses the issue.
Why China’s young people are choosing to leave
Amid the gloomy employment prospects and unpleasant work environment in China, many youths are seeking opportunities overseas. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang finds out that even with narrowing migration pathways and expected hardships abroad, Chinese youths are determined to leave.
How agriculture anchors Vietnam-China ties
While Vietnam-China agricultural trade has shown great potential, buttressed by regional economic frameworks, issues such as regulatory frictions, trade imbalances and geopolitical risks may get in the way. Researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May explains.