Politics

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.
People walk past a monument to Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin and a coat of arms of the Soviet Union in a park in Moscow, Russia, 8 August 2023. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

What US and China can learn from the Sino-Soviet Cold War

The most common analogy for the US-China rivalry is the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, but Malaysian academic Ngeow Chow Bing thinks that the Sino-Soviet rivalry in the 1960s could also offer a lesson or two for the US and China, especially in staying ideologically flexible and maintaining communication between competing nations.
This handout image provided by the UAE Ministry Of Presidential Affairs shows UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (R) standing by as Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signs the guest book during an official reception at Qasr al-Watan in Abu Dhabi on 17 July 2023. (Hamad Al-Kaabi/UAE's Ministry of Presidential Affairs/AFP)

Japan's diplomatic strategy in Asia: Maintaining uniqueness despite growing security concerns

While Japan wants to be "unique" in its diplomacy, these days it seems that it is less flexible than it used to be as global attention shifts to security. Will Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's recent visit to the Middle East restore some confidence?
In this photograph taken on 21 July 2023, a yellow-painted building is pictured at the commercial hub of Pettah in Colombo. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP)

India, France and Japan join hands to counter China’s influence in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s recent high-level diplomatic engagements with India, France and Japan highlighted the island nation’s importance in the ongoing great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region. After obtaining an IMF bailout with the assistance of these nations and dealing with the fallout of the pro-China Rajapaksa family, is the new Sri Lankan administration adopting a more Western and India-oriented vision?
A sailor walks on the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan, a US Navy Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, during a port visit in Danang, Vietnam, on 26 June 2023. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP)

Looking in the wrong direction: US Navy's superior strike capability does not ensure victory

Although the US Navy’s aircraft carrier fleet dwarfs that of China in quantity, quality and combat experience, the closer the US fleet gets to the Chinese coast the more vulnerable it becomes.
Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je on stage at a celebration of the party’s fourth anniversary at the Taichung International Exhibition Center, Taiwan, 6 August 2023. (CNS)

Can Ko Wen-je shake up Taiwan's political scene with his 'one-man party'?

As Taiwan’s presidential election approaches, Democratic Progressive Party candidate William Lai is firmly in the lead. However, Taiwan People’s Party candidate Ko Wen-je is also in a solid second place. Academic Lu Xi opines that if Ko survives the election and TPP becomes a key minority in the Taiwanese Legislative Yuan, Ko's influence will gain greater ground in the coming years as young voters' support continues to grow.
Chinese paramilitary police walk on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river in the Huangpu district in Shanghai, China, on 15 June 2023. (Hector Retamal/AFP)

Can China maintain a hard line against the US?

In this key period of China’s rise, it can either choose to adopt a hard line or to cool down. History tells us that the hard line is likely to prevail, but China should be aware that this may lead to one overestimating its own strength, challenging the existing hegemon too soon, and ultimately meeting failure. The crucial question is whether the hard line is backed by wisdom. What China is going to do with the strength it has gained remains a puzzle to most countries, and this is the root of the perception of the Chinese threat.
Security officers stand guard inside the Great Hall of the People ahead of the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China, on 11 March 2023. (Greg Baker/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)

China's never-ending battle against corruption

The recent spate of reports about investigations into senior Chinese officials — especially in the military — have prompted questions about what is happening in China. Given the lack of transparency in the Chinese government, it is hard to come to any firm conclusion about what these “fallen tigers” have done, but it is easy to see that corruption is still a major problem in the highly centralised system.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gestures as he addresses a summer press conference on domestic policy and diplomacy in Berlin, Germany, on 14 July 2023. (Tobias Schwarz/AFP)

Germany’s new China strategy: A drastic change

Germany’s newly unveiled “Strategy on China” echoed much of EU language in highlighting risks concerning competitiveness, supply chain resilience, national security and values in its recalibrated approach to China. While a de-risking strategy carries difficult trade-offs, there seems to be a broad consensus on the goals Germany wants to achieve.