Foreign Policy
Politics
A new foreign minister, but who really calls the shots in Indonesia?
The appointment of a career diplomat has raised hopes of a return to Indonesia’s traditional foreign policy, with renewed emphasis on ASEAN. But Prabowo’s handling of China and the South China Sea raises questions about whether the country can change course while the president remains firmly in charge. ISEAS academic Leo Suryadinata gives his take.
Leo Suryadinata
14 Oct 2026
Politics
Shifting tides: Why global approval is swinging from US to China
China is surging past the US in global approval ratings from Latin America to Southeast Asia. Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu explains why Beijing’s popularity stems less from shared ideological values and more from growing dissatisfaction with US foreign policy.
Yang Danxu
07 Oct 2026
Politics
[Video] Trump and Xi meet again: What changed and what didn’t
This year’s historic Trump-Xi state visits delivered memes and pageantry, though Xi’s trip to Washington was shadowed by protests and Trump’s media ban. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina and Lingming Lu compare the two summits to see what changed and what didn’t.
Yi Jina, Lu Lingming
29 Sep 2026
Politics
Trump-Xi summit: Grand optics, unresolved rivalry
The Trump-Xi summit delivered grand ceremony and a few practical gains, while playing to the domestic audiences of both leaders. But issues such as AI, trade and Taiwan remain unresolved, underscoring the deep rivalry between the US and China. Joseph Chinyong Liow, Dean and Wang Gungwu Professor in East Asian Affairs, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS, shares his analysis.
Joseph Chinyong Liow
28 Sep 2026
Politics
Trump-Xi summit: Red carpet and bombers reveal new era of managed rivalry
Donald Trump’s lavish welcome for Xi Jinping blends pageantry with military force, but behind the red carpet lies Beijing’s push for managed rivalry. Lianhe Zaobao’s Han Yong Hong shares her views on the high-stakes summit.
Han Yong Hong
25 Sep 2026
Politics
Trump-Xi summit: The ‘China threat’ and America’s real war
American commentary is resurrecting the “China threat” narrative ahead of Xi’s visit. US academic Ma Haiyun takes a look at US foreign policy towards China and Israel, revealing a stark asymmetry in how US’s foreign entanglements are managed and judged.
Ma Haiyun
24 Sep 2026
Politics
Bilahari Kausikan: On international law and foreign policy
Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan sounds the reminder that abiding by international law is a choice countries make in their own national interest, and that serving the latter is the only consistency in countries’ foreign policy, in a speech delivered at the Law Society of Singapore’s Public International Law Conference on 3 September 2026. This is an edited version of the transcript.
Bilahari Kausikan
18 Sep 2026
Politics
Why Xi is looking far beyond Washington
Xi Jinping’s diplomatic sprint ahead of his next meeting with Donald Trump sends a clear message: managing ties with Washington matters, but China’s world extends far beyond the US. Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu finds out.
Yang Danxu
02 Sep 2026
Politics
Bilahari Kausikan: How to think about foreign policy and geopolitics
Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan rues the general lack of understanding about foreign policy and geopolitics. On Ukraine, US-China relations and the wars in the Middle East, he offers some rubrics to fall back on in a speech delivered at the Humanity Matters Charity Conference at the Institute of Lifelong Learning in July. This is an edited version of the transcript.
Bilahari Kausikan
28 Aug 2026
Politics
Iran misread what China meant by ‘strategic partner’
Iranians have long considered how China would act in a crisis involving the US and Israel. It got its answer in the recent Iran war, where it has had to lower its expectations and extract practical gains from China, observes Iranian analyst Mohammad Khatibi.
Mohammad Khatibi
11 Aug 2026
Politics
The new AI blocs: Are China’s WAICO and America’s Pax Silica splitting the tech world?
China’s WAICO and the US-led Pax Silica represent two competing approaches to AI governance. As both gain traction, the question is whether they will create rival technological spheres or coexist within a shared global framework, says academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
24 Jul 2026
