Crime
Politics
Can Trump survive a fourth political assassination attempt?
Reflecting on the assassination attempts against US President Trump, commentator Deng Yuwen argues that institutions once seen as sources of public confidence have weakened, while repeated gunfire in symbolic spaces of power shows external hatred increasingly penetrating the system’s boundaries. This is especially dangerous when the US president becomes a highly symbolic figure embodying political conflict.
Deng Yuwen
28 Apr 2026
Economy
China captures Prince Group associate tied to US$24 billion crypto network
The arrest of a senior associate of alleged crime boss Chen Zhi exposes the hidden machinery behind Prince Group’s empire, as China’s widening crackdown pulls back the curtain on a vast Southeast Asian network of scams, gambling and illicit finance.
Caixin Global
10 Apr 2026
Politics
Why alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi was sent to China, not the US
Despite facing criminal charges in the US, Prince Group founder and chairman Chen Zhi was deported to China. His case sheds light on Cambodia’s geopolitical calculations — and why Beijing’s pull outweighed Washington’s claims. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu looks at the implications.
Liu Liu
12 Jan 2026
Society
‘Hanger war’ and more: Chinese merchants fight over logistics turf in Prato, Italy
In the city of Prato in Tuscany, Italy, incidents of crime involving the Chinese mafia are on the rise, not least in the the textile industry where feuds such as a “hanger war” among Chinese manufacturers have taken place. While the key fight is in the logistics arena, the overall atmosphere of tension has local officials on the alert. Italian academic Alessandro Albana surveys the situation.
Alessandro Albana
05 Dec 2025
Economy
How scammers are tarnishing Singapore’s incorruptible image
Singapore’s spotless reputation as a disciplined financial hub faces a reckoning as luxury property, philanthropy, and family offices become tools for global scam syndicates — testing how incorruptible the city-state truly is, says former journalist Goh Choon Kang.
Goh Choon Kang
11 Nov 2025
Society
Scam meals and broken hearts: The hidden cost of love in Hong Kong
A recent luxury dining scam in Hong Kong — where a man ditched a woman with a hefty bill — highlights a bigger story: a striking gender imbalance that is shaking up relationships and sparking unexpected twists in the city’s social scene. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing examines the issue.
Tai Hing Shing
22 Sep 2025
Society
No escape: How secret cameras haunt women’s lives in China
The persistent problem of covert filming highlights the broader challenges Chinese women face in defending their rights amid inadequate legal protections and lax platform oversight. In the face of such widespread violations, many victims are left with little recourse but to remain silent — and are instead forced to learn how to protect themselves. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks into the matter.
China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao
13 Aug 2025
Politics
Beyond the blame game: Why US-China scientific cooperation on fentanyl is crucial
China should continue to demonstrate to the rest of the world that the “control of [illicit] drugs is essential to the future of humanity”, as reiterated in the preface of its white paper just published. Doing that entails continuous cooperation with all countries, the US included, says Chinese academic Zha Daojiong.
Zha Daojiong
03 Apr 2025
Society
The drug war: Why tariffs aren’t the answer for America
As drugs continue to ravage the world, governments are struggling to stem the constant influx of drugs and manage widespread addiction. The US, for instance, is in the throes of a deadly fentanyl crisis. Former journalist Goh Choon Kang tells us more about how various countries around the world are addressing the worsening drug issue.
Goh Choon Kang
02 Apr 2025
Economy
How cryptocurrency is used to move billions of RMB in and out of China
Cryptocurrencies have lowered the barriers to running an underground currency exchange as they eliminate the need for large reserves of both local and foreign currencies. But their decentralised nature and degree of anonymity offered to users have also complicated supervision and law enforcement efforts.
Caixin Global
28 Feb 2025