Chinese Communist Party

China delivers its harshest military corruption sentences in years

China’s crackdown on corruption among high-level officials has recently meted out one of its most severe punishments for two former military leaders. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong takes a look at the downfall of the top brass over the years.

Han Yong Hong

[Big read] China’s rural officials are performing for attention online, with Xi’s blessing

China’s village officials are turning to livestreams, dances and short-form videos to sell rural products and boost local economies, citing President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on e-commerce to justify the shift, though it sits uneasily with expectations that officials keep a low profile. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui reports.

Zhang Guanghui

Bamboo diplomacy no more? Vietnam’s growing comfort with China

Amid the complex dynamics of China-Vietnam relations, the balancing act between strategic autonomy and economic dependence is becoming increasingly precarious. Academic Alexander L. Vuving explains why. 

Alexander L. Vuving

From exception to rule: Top scientists reshape China’s party leadership

Academicians from China’s top scientific bodies, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), are increasingly entering the CCP’s leadership, reshaping elite governance and driving the country’s rapid, innovation-led technological rise, observe academic Li Cheng and pre-doctoral fellow Zhao Xiuye of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World in Hong Kong.

Li Cheng

Xi-Cheng meeting and the limits of peace in the Taiwan Strait

For the Taiwanese people, the question has never been whether Beijing would talk about peace, but whether its governance record is strong enough to convince people that such promises would be honoured institutionally. Taiwan-based Malaysian columnist Ngo Jian Nam assesses what would make for a successful cross-strait peace agreement.

Ngo Jian Nam

Xi’s message on Taiwan: Confidence on a different level

China’s announcement of establishing and promoting cross-strait communications and exchanges following the meeting with the Kuomintang leader portrays China as pursuing peace. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Chuang Hui Liang notes aside from promoting cross-strait peace, China’s move could give it more leverage against the US.

Chuang Hui Liang

Cheng Li-wun’s politics of quoting Xi Jinping

KMT chair Cheng Li-wun held a press conference where she recounted some of what transpired during her closed-door meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei gives her impressions of the session.

Sim Tze Wei

Cheng Li-wun and the ‘Taiwanised’ KMT: A story Taiwan may not buy

Kuomintang chair Cheng Li-wun’s visit to mainland China and her Sun Yat-sen mausoleum speech mark an attempt to reframe the KMT as a “Taiwanised” party, but the narrative faces scepticism at home as elections loom. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong examines the concept.

Han Yong Hong

Cheng Li-wun’s China visit: A test of the KMT itself

Observers are carefully watching the potential meeting between the leaders of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party not only for its impact on cross-strait relations, but also the implications for the KMT’s internal power structure. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han takes a look at the significance of this meeting.

Miao Zong-Han

China’s 21st Party Congress set for major leadership overhaul

Analysing with data the likely extent of leadership renewal at the 21st Party Congress in 2027, academic Li Cheng and research assistant Du Lang of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World in Hong Kong find that except for General Secretary Xi Jinping, a massive shakeup is expected, and the longstanding practice of age limits will still play a big factor.

Li Cheng

Xi’s purge rolls on: Two Sessions test loyalty and ‘correct’ ambition

A slew of investigations and dismissals of high-level party officials, slower growth targets across provinces, and an emphasis on cultivating a “correct view of political achievements” are just some of the issues leading up to the highly anticipated Two Sessions this week. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong takes a look at what we can expect from the meeting.

Han Yong Hong

[Video] George Yeo: America’s deep pain — and why China won’t colonise

George Yeo, in an interview with ThinkChina editor Chow Yian Ping, explores America’s deep social pain, China’s struggle with corruption rooted in Confucian ties, and why change is hard. He also weighs the risk of war in the Taiwan Strait and Singapore’s future in a fast-shifting world order. This is the first episode of ThinkChina Conversations, a series of in-depth interviews with experts on China.

Chow Yian Ping