Peter Ong

Peter Ong

Associate Editor, Lianhe Zaobao

Peter Ong is an associate editor of Lianhe Zaobao.

How should we approach youths who participate in seminars discussing wars, oppression and fake news? (SPH Media)

Should our youths be concerned with 'other people’s politics'?

While there are fears that the support of political causes of other countries could lead to societal tensions and public disorder, Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong says that we should not be too critical of youths that participate in seminars discussing wars and oppression, want to learn from one another, speak up on the internet and even parade on the streets. While their fight may be futile and their means not necessarily reasonable, it is oftentimes their sense of justice, sincerity and the fearless display of their youthfulness that should be valued.
The God of Wealth at Waterloo Street in Singapore (left); Taylor Swift at her Eras Tour in California, 7 August 2023. (Screen shot from Washington Post; Michael Tran/AFP)

Why can't God of Wealth and Taylor Swift exist side by side: Reflecting on Washington Post's article on Lianhe Zaobao

A recent piece in the Washington Post claims that Lianhe Zaobao is a pro-China mouthpiece that lacks its own stand. Lianhe Zaobao’s associate editor Peter Ong examines the paper’s editorial considerations and responds to the Post’s comments.
Reporters, journalists and cameramen wait outside the Duomo cathedral in Milan on 14 June 2023 ahead of the state funeral for Italy's former prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi. (Piero Cruciatti/AFP)

Can we still trust the media amid falling media credibility?

Do people still read, watch and listen to the news today? Second, is the media, especially the traditional media, still credible? Answering these questions will lead us to the answer as to whether it matters if journalists will be replaced with the dawn of generative AI.
Crowds of people cross the street at Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest intersections in the world, in the Shibuya district of Tokyo on 5 April 2023. (Richard A. Brooks/AFP)

Globalisation's end could mean the end of good times

Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong assesses that the world is moving away from globalisation as friction between countries have led to the need for self-sufficiency and “friendshoring”. Modern history has shown the ills of such moves, but then again, isn’t the worst human failing that of forgetting history?
A woman walks along a street with two children in Beijing, China, on 3 February 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

It's not just China: Asia faces a shrinking population

Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong looks into why Asian countries are facing a declining population, especially those that have witnessed successful economic transformation. What social conditions have led to the staggeringly low birth rates? And is migration a solution?
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an exhibition marking the anniversary of a historical parade in 1941, when Soviet soldiers marched towards the front lines during World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, 8 November 2022. (Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin/Sputnik via Reuters)

The world is no longer safe from a nuclear war

Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong remarks that the likelihood of a nuclear war has suddenly increased manyfold since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Besides Russia, the US has also become the main actor that could initiate the use of nuclear weapons. He shares his thoughts on these major powers’ historic and present-day views of nuclear weapons. Are they willing to risk it all?
Children play with sand near a Taiwan Navy supply ship at a beach on Nangan island of the Matsu Islands in Taiwan, 16 August 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Why Chinese Singaporeans will be torn if war breaks out over the Taiwan Strait

Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong observes that members of the Chinese community in Singapore hold diverse views on reunification and other issues, and have varying levels of emotional ties to the mainland and Taiwan. If war breaks out, it will not be distant like the war in Ukraine, but stir up different feelings in the Chinese community. Remaining objective would be hard but necessary.