Climate
Economy
‘China is beautiful’: What Trump saw — and what Beijing is building
In the wake of Trump’s recent visit to China, his comment on China’s beauty prompts a look at the Beautiful China initiative, referring to its efforts aimed at preserving and improving China’s ecological assets. EAI deputy director Chen Gang explores the issue.
Chen Gang
22 May 2026
Economy
China leads Northeast Asia’s nuclear buildout
Is Northeast Asia’s nuclear revival a response to the Iran war crisis, or the result of deeper forces already reshaping the region’s energy future? Australian researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May ponders the question.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
16 Apr 2026
Economy
Transition under constraint: China’s energy strategy in an era of geopolitical risk
China reaffirmed that it would increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions per unit of GDP under its 15th Five-Year Plan. Achieving this would require a carefully managed transition. Australian researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May assesses how China is striking a delicate balance between decarbonisation, economic growth and energy security.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
07 Apr 2026
Economy
Trump is mistaken: China is a wind power giant
Contrary to US President Trump’s Davos comments on Chinese wind farms, China’s wind power is a central pillar of its energy transition, with wind farms dotted around the country’s northern and northwestern regions, and in recent times, along its southeastern coastlines too. But these efforts are not without its challenges, such as an entrenched top-down approach and the difficulty of turning wind capacity into efficiently used, reliably transmitted clean power. EAI deputy director Chen Gang shares his insights.
Chen Gang
12 Feb 2026
Economy
How gutter oil became a prized fuel for international airlines
Once scorned as a public health hazard, China’s notorious “gutter oil” or used cooking oil (UCO) has been recast as one of the world’s most sought‑after feedstocks for sustainable aviation fuel — fetching prices higher than conventional jet fuel as airlines rush to cut carbon and meet global mandates.
Caixin Global
06 Feb 2026
Politics
The polytunity of the post-2025 world order
In a multipolar world where neither the US nor China is the single hegemon, strides in AI and reconfigured globalisation will dominate global transformation. To best harness change, people need a new mindset, says Professor Yuen Yuen Ang.
Yuen Yuen Ang
29 Jan 2026
Economy
From lender to partner: China’s BRI 2.0 is harder for the West to contain
China’s Belt and Road has evolved. No longer just a lender, Beijing now co-builds green and digital industrial ecosystems with host countries and private firms, creating influence that is subtler, more durable, and harder for the West to challenge. US academic John Calabrese highlights examples from the Middle East & North Africa region, including Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.
John Calabrese
16 Dec 2025
Economy
Green fortress: How China is forging the energy security of the future against the US
From Gobi desert solar farms to coastal nuclear reactors, China is quietly building the energy grid of the future. Self-sufficient, AI-ready and strategically insulated, it is turning climate goals into a “green fortress” the US struggles to match, says academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
21 Nov 2025
Economy
Beijing’s green vow: Enough to save the planet — or just hot air?
Can China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases and a global leader in clean energy, deliver on its first economy-wide climate pledge without undermining its economic, industrial and energy priorities? Genevieve Donnellon-May ponders the question.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
09 Oct 2025
Society
From drought to downpour: Climate change sounds alarm bells in northeast China
Recent weather phenomena in China have brought attention to climate change, most lately in northeast China. What are the impacts of extreme weather? Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.
Lim Zhan Ting
21 Aug 2025
Society
Beijing’s flood came for the elderly first
Heavy rains in Beijing have left at least 44 people dead, most of them elderly and infirm. Despite official reports of evacuations, residents in Miyun district said they woke up to knee-high waters and had to leave on their own. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chen Jing assesses what more can be done.
Chen Jing
04 Aug 2025