Politics

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York City, US, 24 September 2022. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

China's FM Wang Yi paves way for Xi with diplomatic blitz

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been busy meeting with key political figures while attending the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Will this help to smooth relations between China and the world, especially the US? Or will it be seen as just another PR effort before the upcoming 20th Party Congress? Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan tells us more.
Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto gestures while attending the Gerindra Party leaders national meeting, in Bogor, Indonesia, 12 August 2022. (Willy Kurniawan/Reuters)

Prabowo Subianto: Indonesia’s controversial presidential candidate

Prabowo has been in Indonesia’s political scene for decades and his chequered past has not deterred him from multiple runs for vice-president and president. Given his support from the conservative and radical Muslims, with a potential running mate that can boost his standing, will Prabowo finally make his mark as Indonesia’s president in the 2024 elections? ISEAS academic Leo Suryadinata gives a profile of this controversial figure.
From left: (top row) Former senior Chinese officials Fu Zhenghua, and Wang Like; (bottom row) Gong Daoan, Deng Huilin, and Liu Xinyun. (Internet)

CCP removes political factions and corrupt officials ahead of 20th Party Congress

Corrupt officials linked to former Vice-Minister of Public Security Sun Lijun have recently been meted harsh sentences, among which include life imprisonment and removal of personal assets. Is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sending out a message, with just weeks left before the commencement of the 20th Party Congress? Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong tells us more about the CCP’s crackdown on “political factions”.
In this handout image courtesy of the US Navy taken on 27 August 2021, the AI Arleigh-burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) transits the Taiwan Strait during a routine transit. (US Navy/AFP)

China and the US showing restraint over Taiwan issue

Recent developments over the Taiwan Strait have strained the already-tense China-US relations, with Biden repeating the commitment to support Taiwan militarily while claiming no change to the "one China" policy, and China showing comparatively measured responses. How will both sides continue to tread the line? Zaobao correspondent Edwin Ong tells us more.
This handout image taken on 9 August 2022 and released by the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on 10 August 2022 shows a PLA fighter jet taking part in a military drill in an undisclosed location. (Handout/Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army/AFP)

Prominent PLA elites in 'the cosmos club': Countdown to the 20th Party Congress

Li Cheng, director of the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution, notes that well-educated and professionally capable military technocrats are prominently represented in the PLA leadership, and this trend is set to continue after the 20th Party Congress. What contributions will this new corps of military technocrats make as Xi Jinping heads into a likely third term?
Chinese soldiers walk near the entrance of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, on 20 September 2022. (Noel Celis/AFP)

CCP raises the bar for officials' performance ahead of 20th Party Congress

With just weeks left before the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s 20th Party Congress, officials are now faced with stricter performance requirements to curb laziness, incompetence and other characteristics that have been deemed “unfitting” for a leading cadre. Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu tells us more about how the new regulations would impact officials and the CCP leadership.
Tanks take part in a live-fire military exercise in Pingtung county, southern Taiwan, on 7 September 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Japanese academic: What Japan will do in a Taiwan emergency

How will Japan respond in a Taiwan emergency? Japanese academic Rira Momma examines the imperatives in the event that China attempts to change the current international order with military power.
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (centre) attends the opening ceremony of an extraordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament, at the National Diet building in Tokyo on 3 August 2022. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP)

The delicate balance of Japan-China relations and Japan-Taiwan relations

As the situation in the Taiwan Strait develops, Japan needs to navigate relations with mainland China and Taiwan, while also keeping in mind the role of the US as well as its own interests. Japanese academic Sahashi Ryo examines Japan's options and how it will acquit itself. He notes that Japan is now firmly in an age where the Japan-China and Japan-US relationships must always be considered together.
Visitors near a screen displaying an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, China, 3 September 2022. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

[Future of China] Xi Jinping and the world: Retrospect and prospect

As the 20th Party Congress approaches, US academic Robert S. Ross assesses China’s foreign policy record over the last ten years and weighs up China’s foreign policy priorities in the likely third term of President Xi Jinping’s leadership. This is the last in a five-part series of articles on the future of China.