Politics

An online survey by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows that Southeast Asian opinion leaders are split down the middle when it comes to strategic alignment with the US or China. But who says it has to be one or the other? With US involvement in the region on a lower ebb and wariness of China on the rise, players such as Japan and the EU are increasingly looked upon as attractive and reliable alternatives.

While Beijing has been relatively restrained in commenting on the Taiwan election, Chinese state media has been criticising the US for backing the Democratic Progressive Party in opposing the mainland. Zaobao journalist Edwin Ong speaks to Sun Zhe, co-director of the China Initiative at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, who opines that Chinese state media was raising reasonable doubt on behalf of the state.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew may have passed on, but his views survive. What might he have thought about the current China-US trade war? Zhu Ying looks at Mr Lee’s comments about China and the US for some clues.

On Saturday, Taiwan voted in its presidential election, with incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party returned to office with a resounding 57% of votes, defeating the Kuomintang’s Han Kuo-yu. Ng Soon Kiat analyses the results and what it means for Taiwan politics.

With Luo Huining taking over as the director of mainland China’s liaison office in Hong Kong, will there be a change in Beijing’s handling of Hong Kong? Freelance writer and China think tank analyst Zheng Weibin is cautiously optimistic. He says the Sham Chun River, after all, is not as wide as the Taiwan Strait.

Putting a political veteran in charge of the central government’s representative office in Hong Kong heralds a new approach in China’s dealings with Hong Kong.

Lance Gore, senior research fellow of the East Asian Institute, warns that a new cold war awaits China and the US if they continue to talk over each other. How can the two giants see each other in a better light? How can China improve its rule of law and governance practices?

​​The 2020 Taiwan presidential elections can be said to be one of the most elusive ones yet. Incumbent Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen’s opinion poll ratings may be miles ahead of the Kuomintang’s presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, but the latter’s overwhelming support at rallies suggest that he is still very much in the game. Only the ballots cast on 11 January 2020 will determine if Tsai or Han will emerge victorious.

The New Year speeches given by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen and Chinese president Xi Jinping betrayed an atmosphere of cold hostility. Taiwan has made certain moves that have not gone down well with mainland China, seemingly with the support of the US, while the image of the CCP in Taiwan is not at its best. Han Yong Hong asks: “How will China respond?”