Diplomacy

China’s G2 reality and Hormuz’s new normal

As the world increasingly sees China and the US as a de facto G2, experts debate China’s global role while warning of a new normal in the Strait of Hormuz. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Edwin Ong highlights key takeaways from the eighth Singapore-China Forum.

Edwin Ong

07 Jul 2026

What China really wants from global governance

Behind China’s new global governance white paper lies a broader ambition: to reshape international rules and institutions to reflect Beijing’s growing power and influence, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

07 Jul 2026

Law alone won’t save the South China Sea

A decade after the 2016 arbitration, the South China Sea remains contested. In Malaysian academic Ngeow Chow Bing’s view, lasting stability will depend not only on international law, but also on sustained diplomacy, crisis management and practical cooperation.

Ngeow Chow Bing

07 Jul 2026

America at 250: Independent no more?

As the US marks 250 years of independence, US academic Ma Haiyun examines whether America has drifted from the founding ideal of political autonomy towards foreign influence and proxy wars.

Ma Haiyun

03 Jul 2026

Can India still trust Trump’s America?

India’s fear that the US is moving closer to China has it seeking to be more self-sufficient in defence and making its own approaches to China. Indian researcher Rishi Gupta explains.

Rishi Gupta

03 Jul 2026

Trump’s China thaw will hit a Washington wall

Try as US President Trump might to build a stronger bridge to China in the name of deal-making, bipartisan consensus in Congress against the China threat will likely keep him in check, says US academic Robert Sutter.

Robert Sutter

02 Jul 2026

Why ASEAN is engaging Putin while the G7 looks away

The Kazan summit highlighted Russia’s emergence as a useful partner for ASEAN and exposed the limits of Western efforts to isolate Moscow in an increasingly multipolar international order. Researcher Ronny P Sasmita examines the situation.

Ronny P Sasmita

30 Jun 2026

Latin America: Can US hard power stop China’s long game?

The view that China is reeling from the US’s efforts to restore its preeminence in the western hemisphere is premature and misses Beijing’s broader game at play, says ISEAS researcher Lye Liang Fook.

Lye Liang Fook

29 Jun 2026

Undersea cables: The new US-China frontline

From trade wars to the seabed, Washington and Beijing are locked in a high-stakes struggle for control over global undersea cables and leadership of the future digital order. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei looks into the matter.

Sim Tze Wei

24 Jun 2026

Are China-Philippines tensions sinking the South China Sea Code of Conduct?

Recent remarks by the Philippines suggesting that China may be a stumbling block to the conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) drew a harsh response from the latter. Why are these tensions resurfacing now, and what real impact does it have on the negotiations on the COC? Researcher Chau Do gives her take.

Chau Do

23 Jun 2026

A tungsten mine exposes Myanmar’s China-Russia balancing act

Russia’s recent entry into tungsten mining in Myanmar reveals a three-way resource-security triangle: China controls much of the flow, Russia seeks a stake, while Myanmar’s military government is using access to resources as leverage. Academic Hao Nan gives his assessment.

Hao Nan

22 Jun 2026

How Trump’s Iran war boosted Beijing

China’s diplomacy in the Middle East has seen highs and lows, most recently garnering some success in the Iran war, after troughs during the post-7 October 2023 period and initial highs when the US withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. Chinese academic Fan Hongda explains.

Fan Hongda

18 Jun 2026