China-India Relations

Can India-Taiwan ties withstand backlash over Indian migrant workers?

While Taiwan looks for ways to diversify its labour pool with Indian workers high on that list, civil society and the opposition have come in with scaremongering tactics that may jeopardise Taiwan’s steady relations with India. Academic Ghulam Ali weighs in on the issue. 

Ghulam Ali

06 May 2026

Shocks to shields: How India fortifies itself against a turbulent world

Hedging comes at a cost, but it is a price India may have to pay as it gets constricted by US transactionalism, two-front security pressure, Pakistan’s strategic rehabilitation and China’s institutional penetration of South Asia. Academic Hao Nan analyses the situation. 

Hao Nan

02 Mar 2026

Can India move beyond faltering US ties?

Amid a US-China detente, India finds itself in a serious pursuit of “multipolarity” in the international system. But this still needs to be underpinned by strong defence relations with the US. Indian analyst Rahul Jaybhay explores the issue.

Rahul Jaybhay

09 Feb 2026

Caution and calculus: How India sees China in 2026

As India heads into 2026, it balances diplomacy and vigilance with China. Past strategic moves have fostered a trust deficit, making Delhi cautious even as both nations seek engagement and regional influence, says Indian academic Rishi Gupta.

Rishi Gupta

20 Jan 2026

Left out of G2: India watches Washington and Beijing

An emerging US-India alliance, invigorated during the Biden administration, now hangs in the balance as Trump tellingly left Delhi out of his Asia tour. Indian researcher Rishi Gupta gives his take on the state of US-India relations.

Rishi Gupta

24 Nov 2025

India courts the Taliban — but has China taken the lead?

Delhi welcomed Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister in a high-profile visit, signalling cautious outreach, but China’s early engagement, Belt and Road projects, and strategic timing pose a pressing question: has China already won the race in Kabul? Academic Rishi Gupta explores India’s diplomatic approach and timing.

Rishi Gupta

04 Nov 2025

India-China flights may resume, but trust won’t take off so easily 

Even as flights resume and trade recovers, deep distrust — shaped by border clashes and regional rivalries — continues to define India’s relationship with China. Indian analyst Rishi Gupta explores the issue.

Rishi Gupta

14 Oct 2025

The ‘one China’ policy India never wrote down

By keeping its Taiwan stance vague, New Delhi holds leverage over Beijing — and room to manoeuvre with Washington, says Indian researcher Anushka Saxena.

Anushka Saxena

11 Sep 2025

Tianjin Declaration: China’s blueprint for a post-Western world?

At the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tianjin, China positioned the bloc as a vehicle for fairer global governance and multipolar cooperation. While unity was the message, the path forward reveals both shared ambitions and the realities of diverse interests. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.

Lim Zhan Ting

02 Sep 2025

ThinkCartoon (29 August)

Heng Kim Song has been the freelance editorial cartoonist for Lianhe Zaobao since 1984. His cartoons are also featured in many major international publications including The New York Times, Asahi Shimbun, JoongAng Ilbo, South China Morning Post and Yazhou Zhoukan. His many awards include the Top Award in United Nations ESCAP’s Cartoon Competition and the Grafica Internazionale Award presented by Italian Museum of Political Satire and Caricature. Heng has also participated in many international exhibitions and events, including the World Economic Forum Annual Meetings held in Davos, Switzerland.

Heng Kim Song

29 Aug 2025

Why China and India won’t join hands against the US

PM Modi’s China visit for the SCO summit, though not a formal bilateral trip, signals India’s intent to ease tensions with China — possibly to gain strategic leverage amid rising US tariff pressure and maintain a balanced foreign policy stance. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan looks into the matter.

Yu Zeyuan

27 Aug 2025

How China is shaping India without confronting it

Amid China and India’s seeming rapprochement, China’s structural penetration into South Asia has become increasingly visible this year. Beijing is no longer nibbling at the region’s edges, but laying a wedge, says academic Hao Nan.

Hao Nan

21 Aug 2025