Politics
Bringing together the leaders of China, Russia and the US during the APEC summit in November is one thing, but getting them to the same negotiating table is another. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei takes a look at how Shenzhen could become host to high-stakes diplomacy.
Sim Tze Wei
05 Oct 2026
Politics
Popular at home, friction abroad: The limits of Japan PM Takaichi’s appeal
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s leadership style has won over the public, but navigating relations with China and building trust with world leaders remains her toughest test. Japanese academic Shin Kawashima analyses the first year of her premiership.
Shin Kawashima
05 Oct 2026
Politics
How Trump’s new Greenland deal locks China out
Trump’s Greenland deal falls short of full control, but it cements a crucial shift: turning informal curbs on Chinese and foreign economic influence into formal security policy. Academic Marc Jacobsen analyses the changes that entails.
Marc Jacobsen
05 Oct 2026
Politics
What ‘road warrior’ Xi’s overseas trips reveal about his health
There has been speculation about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s health following his overseas trips. Examining TV footage of Xi’s gait and walking posture in India and the US, Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai offers some observations about possible correlations to the state of the leader’s health.
Wen-Hsuan Tsai
02 Oct 2026
Politics
Prof Daniel A. Bell: Ancient Chinese thoughts asked questions that still matter today
Professor Daniel A. Bell has spent decades studying China, its political system and philosophies. In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao video producer Audrey Jiajia Li, he shares his views about leadership, anti-corruption and Confucian principles.
Audrey Jiajia Li
01 Oct 2026
Politics
Why putting Chinese officials on speed dial won’t solve grassroots grievances
Chinese grassroots officials are handing out their mobile numbers for greater accessibility, but critics warn that the practice is little more than a fleeting PR stunt. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui finds out more.
Zhang Guanghui
01 Oct 2026
Politics
Neither exclude nor dominate: The new rules of China-US engagement
Xi Jinping’s US visit points to a new reality: neither China nor the US can exclude, dominate or remake the other. Coexistence is unavoidable, so keeping the rivalry stable will require both sides to manage their differences and learn restraint. Academic Zheng Wang gives his analysis.
Zheng Wang
30 Sep 2026
Politics
[Video] Trump and Xi meet again: What changed and what didn’t
This year’s historic Trump-Xi state visits delivered memes and pageantry, though Xi’s trip to Washington was shadowed by protests and Trump’s media ban. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina and Lingming Lu compare the two summits to see what changed and what didn’t.
Yi Jina, Lu Lingming
29 Sep 2026
Politics
How China’s ethnic unity law targets Taiwanese identity
China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law goes beyond domestic ethnic policy, bringing cross-strait exchanges, media, education and online activity into a broader political narrative aimed at shaping Taiwanese identity and advancing unification, argues academic Chang Chun-Yen.
Chang Chun-Yen
29 Sep 2026
Politics
US-China relations: No war, no peace, but a rivalry kept in check
The Washington summit did not end US-China rivalry, but pointed to a new model for managing it: fierce competition within clearer guardrails, selective economic interdependence and sustained dialogue to prevent confrontation from spiralling into conflict. Academic Tan Kong Yam explains.
Tan Kong Yam
29 Sep 2026
Politics
What kind of superpower will China be?
Chinese President Xi Jinping received the red-carpet treatment in Washington. Whether or not this means that China is increasingly seen as the US’s equal, it is becoming harder for China to avoid the term “superpower”. As it navigates this role, interesting is the way it is extending its socialist legal system as a semi-permeable membrane for selective globalisation. Academic Frank N. Pieke explains.
Frank N. Pieke
29 Sep 2026
