Politics

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos (centre) with Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong (right) at Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi on 30 January 2024. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP)

Marcos’s visit to Vietnam: When Manila’s pivot meets Hanoi’s pragmatism

Vietnam and the Philippines have agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation in the South China Sea. Digging deeper, however, the two countries are taking distinct approaches in countering the Chinese coercion in the maritime area.
This handout picture provided by the Russian defence corporation Rostec on 24 November 2023 shows a Sukhoi Su-35S fighter jet at the grounds of an aviation firm in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. (Handout/Russian defence corporation Rostec/AFP)

Will Vietnam turn to Russia or America for its new jet fighter?

Vietnam needs to upgrade its ageing fighter fleet. But it faces a list of less than optimal options. Will it go for Russian-made or US-made planes, in consideration of its current diplomatic ties with each?
People walk past a Taiwanese flag in New Taipei City on 13 January 2024. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Survey on US and Taiwan experts: William Lai’s presidency will see a turbulent Taiwan Strait

Commentator Gu Erde looks into a recent survey on China experts from the US and Taiwan, which reveals, among other things, that the Taiwan experts perceive a lower military threat from China than the US experts, but a higher proportion of the US experts is confident that the US would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan in a conflict.
People walk at Ximending shopping district in Taipei on 10 January 2024. (Alastair Pike/AFP)

William Lai could still pursue 'radical Taiwan independence'

Commentator Qi Dongtao notes that even with pro-independence William Lai as Taiwan’s president-elect, he may not be as aggressive as might be expected, as the US might have counselled moderation, while Beijing’s possible reactions would also be taken into consideration. However, that does not mean that the Taiwan Strait will be peaceful.
Pedestrians crossing the road in front of office and commercial buildings in the central business district of China's capital Beijing, on 9 December 2023. (SPH Media)

Fighting 'little emperors': China must not rely on public opinion to rein in power

Public opinion has continued to sway judicial justice in China since ancient times, according to EAI senior research fellow Lance Gore, and this reflects the lack of rule of law in the country and the problems with an authoritarian regime. He discusses why China has not been able to modernise its governance system and the possible reforms to right the wrongs.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu (centre) leaves his inauguration ceremony in Male on 17 November 2023. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP)

Ripples in Maldives-India relations: The China factor

Mohamed Muizzu, the newly elected president of the Maldives, seems to be pivoting away from India and moving closer to other sources of support, such as the Arab countries and China. With a wary eye on China's ambitions in the Indian Ocean, India is expected to push back strongly.
The flags of the US and China fly from a lamppost in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Boston, Massachusetts, US, on 1 November 2021. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

How the weakening of major powers affects the world

Chinese academic Xiang Lanxin believes that over the past few years, not only have the relationships between the major powers deteriorated, but these powers are also becoming weaker in different ways. How will such changes impact the world and the powers?
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan (left) in Davos on 16 January  2024 and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) in Brazil on 19 January 2024. (Fabrice Coffrini and Sergio Lima/AFP)

A possible easing of China-US relations this year?

The recent meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan ended on a good note as both sides reported relatively positive assessments. This has created the conditions for the two sides to take the next step to continue to communicate across different fields and between two countries’ leaders in the following months. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan tells us more.
Houthi fighters brandish their weapons as they rally during an anti-Israel and anti-US rally in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, Yemen, on 22 January 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)

[Big read] Global anxiety as Houthis hold Red Sea in chokehold

As the Red Sea crisis goes on, with the Houthis targeting this key shipping route due to various geopolitical factors, logistics companies have to think of alternatives to move goods around the world.