Politics

The new Hong Kong administration led by Chief Executive John Lee has made notable progress in its one month of office, from controlling the spread of malaria to addressing emergencies that have caught the Hong Kong public’s concern. Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing believes that the new government has been responsive, but it remains to be seen how it can implement effective policies to address long-standing issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the housing crisis.

Commentator William He notes the disturbing nature of extreme nationalism in China, citing numerous examples of how perverse Chinese “patriotism” can be. He attributes this phenomenon to long-term brainwashing by the Chinese Communist Party, where Chinese people are taught from a young age what to think and say about other countries and their own.

China’s intensified efforts to engage with regional think tanks have not produced the results it has hoped for, mainly because Beijing seems to care more about imposing its own views than a true meeting of the minds.

ISEAS researcher David Arase says that following Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China has sought to bully the island with a series of import bans and a de facto blockade. China's moves seem to follow the pattern of Russian bluster and military mobilisation preceding its invasion of Ukraine, which might then lead to armed conflict that would destabilise and divide Southeast Asia.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited and left Taiwan safely. While she spent 19 hours in Taiwan with seemingly little consequences to herself and the US for now, it is Taiwan that has to bear the brunt of Beijing’s wrath. Did Pelosi's visit accomplish anything? In the case of mainland China, its people are expectedly mad about Beijing's mild actions towards the US, but the current situation could be to Beijing's advantage.

Amid the furore following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, US academic Zhu Zhiqun answers five questions on everyone's minds about the visit — Does the US Congress follow its own version of China policy? Why has Beijing responded so vehemently? Who is changing the Taiwan Strait status quo? What does the Pelosi trip mean for China-US relations? And what did Taiwan gain from Pelosi’s visit?

Amid the tense situation arising from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the Chinese public have made loud cries against China’s seemingly disappointing response. Academic Zhang Chengxin assesses what led to such sentiments and how they can be abated.

ISEAS academic Leo Suryadinata gives a profile of Anies Baswedan, former education and culture minister of Indonesia, current Jakarta governor, and potential presidential candidate. Will he run, and if he does, what is his platform likely to be?

Despite repeated warnings from Beijing, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has landed in Taiwan. Her act has triggered strong reactions from Chinese netizens, raising Chinese national sentiment to a new high. Beijing has strongly condemned the visit, sent jet fighters over the Taiwan Strait and said that it would conduct live-fire exercises around the island. It has also announced economic sanctions on Taiwan, and warned of more "long-term, resolute and steadily advancing actions”. Zaobao's Beijing correspondent Yang Danxu examines the situation.