Politics
The concept of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) was first proposed in 2016 by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and now it has been updated under the Sanae Takaichi administration. Japanese academic Sukegawa Seiya notes that the FOIP is a channel for promoting regional cooperation with ASEAN, while respecting its autonomy.
Sukegawa Seiya
12 Jun 2026
Politics
China sidelines denuclearisation to strengthen ties with North Korea
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Pyongyang visit signals a pragmatic shift in Beijing’s policy, tacitly accepting a nuclear-armed North Korea to counter shifting regional alliances. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong tells us more.
Han Yong Hong
12 Jun 2026
Politics
‘Neo-militarism’: Why Beijing sees Japan reviving a prewar trajectory
China’s charge of Japan’s so-called “neo-militarism” is not about arsenal comparisons — it is a decades-old fear, now updated, that Japan is quietly restoring the prewar state that 1945 was supposed to dismantle, say Chinese academics Shao Jingkai and Wang Guangtao.
Shao Jingkai, Wang Guangtao
12 Jun 2026
Politics
Xi in Pyongyang: Opening Asia’s frozen northeast frontier
The clearest signal delivered at Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Pyongyang visit was all in the map, says academic Hao Nan. A northern Northeast Asian corridor linking China’s northeast to the Tumen River, North Korea’s Rason, Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan, is now more possible than ever.
Hao Nan
10 Jun 2026
Politics
Min Aung Hlaing in India: Hedging between giants, seeking legitimacy
India’s recent welcome of Myanmar’s leader Min Aung Hlaing was a combination of practical engagement and political hedging under “multi-alignment”. Deft or not, volatility in its backyard makes India’s moves uncertain and in constant need of adjustment. Academic Obja Borah Hazarika analyses the issue.
Obja Borah Hazarika
10 Jun 2026
Politics
Is China giving up on denuclearising North Korea?
On his first visit to North Korea in seven years, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of strategic cooperation, without mentioning denuclearisation, which used to be part of the conversation. Is the topic now off the table, or merely put aside for the time being? Journalist Kang Gwiyoung finds out more.
Kang Gwiyoung
09 Jun 2026
Politics
The Middle Corridor: Where Turkey’s rise meets China’s ambitions
At a time of geopolitical uncertainty when Central Asian countries are hedging their bets and China’s Belt and Road Initiative itself is evolving, Turkey is rising as a power that can cultivate deeper relations with Central Asia and dominate Eurasian transit flows through the Middle Corridor. Academic Alessandro Arduino looks at the issue.
Alessandro Arduino
09 Jun 2026
Politics
Why the Philippines and Japan are preparing for a Taiwan contingency
As China’s maritime posture seems to be getting more muscular and the US’s intentions in the Indo-Pacific become less clear, the Philippines and Japan are seeking stronger security relations to safeguard all eventualities. Manila-based analyst Don McLain Gill explains.
Don McLain Gill
08 Jun 2026
Politics
China’s new red line: Sanctioning foreign lawmakers over Taiwan visits
Following a visit to Taiwan, four New Zealand MPs have been banned from entering mainland China for one year. Is this truly justified as Beijing feels, or is it an overreaction that signals greater confidence on China’s part? Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei tells us more.
Sim Tze Wei
08 Jun 2026
Politics
Xi’s missing smile: What AI reveals about his meetings with Trump and Putin
Using a combination of state media news footage, artificial intelligence and a facial coding system, Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai finds that body language speaks volumes when he compares Chinese President Xi Jinping’s facial expressions in the Xi-Trump meetings of May 2026 and November 2017, and the Xi-Putin meeting of May 2026.
Wen-Hsuan Tsai
08 Jun 2026
Politics
Japan and Philippines harden stance against China amid US-China detente
As Washington softens its tone on Beijing, Japan and the Philippines are tightening defence ties to counter China, forging a potent middle-power coalition in Asian waters. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong tells us more.
Han Yong Hong
05 Jun 2026
Politics
Confucian new tianxia order: Humaneness to restrain nationalism and save globalisation
As the world makes radical swings between nationalism and cosmopolitanism, is there a third way — a Confucian world order ruled by a humaneness-based hierarchy? Academic Tongdong Bai ponders the question.
Tongdong Bai
05 Jun 2026
Politics
Bilahari Kausikan: Uneasy and fragile China-US truce will not hold forever
Retired Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan warns that the current China-US trade truce is fragile, the US-China summit has not brought substantive changes to the US’s Taiwan policy and the Iran war will not end well. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Edwin Ong notes key points from a fireside chat at the Nomura Investment Forum Asia in Singapore.
Edwin Ong
04 Jun 2026