Politics

(From left to right) Newly-elected Chinese state councilor Qin Gang, state councilor and secretary-general of the State Council Wu Zhenglong, state councilor Li Shangfu, China's Vice Premiers Zhang Guoqing, Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Liu Guozhong, Chinese state councilors Wang Xiaohong and Shen Yiqin swear an oath after they were elected during the fifth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 12 March 2023. (Noel Celis/AFP)

China’s new State Council and the president’s men

Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan looks at the new Chinese government installed over the weekend, noting the gradual weakening of power of the State Council, just as many of President Xi’s close aides are appointed to the executive body. What might this mean for China’s leadership in the future?
A screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking during the closing session of the First Session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on 13 March 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

China's entry into the Middle East: Beginning of China-US full-scale confrontation

A clear theme throughout China’s Two Sessions this year has been its resistance to the US’s attempts at suppression and containment. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that while China’s rhetoric against the US has gotten stronger, it has actively shown itself to be a major global player, even in the Middle East.
Qin Gang, China's foreign minister, during a press conference in Beijing, China, on 7 March 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

When Beijing no longer minces its words about the US

No longer are Chinese officials mincing their words when it comes to the rivalry between the two countries. The recent press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang showed as much, as he directly criticised US actions to contain and suppress China. Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu takes us through the current state of China-US relations.
A Ukrainian soldier of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade "Edelweiss" fires a French MO-120-RT61 mortar towards Russian positions at a front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on 4 March 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP)

US strategists are rethinking the way they see China and Russia

Researcher Wei Da observes that amid increasing US-China tensions and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, US strategists are rethinking the way they see China and Russia. This revised worldview keenly shapes their calculations of various flashpoints, not least the Ukraine war and the Taiwan issue.
A worker adjusts an ASEAN flag at a meeting hall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 28 October 2021. (Lim Huey Teng/Reuters)

Why is China’s Global Development Initiative well received in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asian countries appear to have unanimously supported China’s Global Development Initiative in the hope that it will contribute towards addressing their development deficits and that China will up its economic game more broadly in the region. But a closer examination shows that other considerations continue to worry them.
A pigeon flies in front of the Kremlin's Spasskaya tower (left) and Saint Basil's cathedral (centre) in Moscow on 1 March 2023. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP)

Russia could decline into a failed state

Chinese academic Zhang Tiankan believes that while Russia looks and acts tough like a major power, it is in fact not as powerful as it thinks, or wants others to think. It has a long way to go before having the same influence as other world powers.
Rescuers work at a site of a residential building heavily damaged by a recent Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, 4 March 2023. (Stringer/Reuters)

Chinese academic: Lessons for China from the Russia-Ukraine war

Russia’s failure in winning its war in Ukraine has been largely due to its weak soft power as well as the poor performance of its weaponry, which had initially given the country false confidence in its ability to gain a quick victory. Chinese academic Deng Qingbo tells us what China can learn from Russia’s mistakes in this respect.
A "For Sale" sign displayed in front of a home on 22 February 2023 in Miami, Florida, US. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP)

Woe to Chinese property buyers in the US: China-US tensions trickling to grassroots

US academic Wu Guo reasons that the recent furore ignited by a draft Texas bill proposing to restrict Chinese buyers from buying property shows that US-China mistrust and jousting has seeped into local communities.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers the government work report on 5 March 2023 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. (CNS)

Li Keqiang’s departure means political leaders of Xi’s generation have all but retired

Li Keqiang delivered his last government work report on 5 March in his capacity as Chinese premier, a role he had held for a decade. With his departure from the scene comes the retreat of fellow CYL faction cadres, and the retirement of the political leaders of Xi’s generation. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan has the details.