Global South

Are China and Indonesia model Global South partners?

China and Indonesia are partnering to reshape the world order as key members of the Global South amid a deteriorating Western liberal order and weakened US leadership. However, ISEAS researcher Lye Liang Fook notes that their differing national interests would limit the relationship.

Lye Liang Fook

07 Oct 2026

China’s second Belt and Road may be built on AI

Al lies at the heart of China’s second Belt and Road. The Global South provides users, workloads, scale and revenues that flow through the Chinese AI stack and help finance its next climb up the technology ladder. Researcher Hao Nan explains.

Hao Nan

05 Oct 2026

Xi Jinping’s tech diplomacy meets harsh realities of BRICS

BRICS is gaining cohesion, but internal divisions remain. As it seeks a bigger global role, China is using AI cooperation to expand its network of partners, promote its standards and gain an edge over the US. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Edwin Ong reports.

Edwin Ong

14 Sep 2026

‘Eastern NATO’? China’s real SCO strategy

With growing influence over Russia and Iran, China has greater geopolitical leverage and room to steer the SCO into a bloc that presents an alternative to the Western-dominated order, says academic Alessandro Arduino.

Alessandro Arduino

03 Sep 2026

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

China has led nearly 300 green initiatives. Is it a climate leader?

A new study reveals China has led 291 environmental initiatives since 2000. However, with questions remaining over their real-world impact, can Beijing truly lead as the US retreats from global climate governance? Lianhe Zaobao’s China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.

Lim Zhan Ting

01 Sep 2026

Globalisation 2.0: China exports industrial capacity, not just goods

Under Globalisation 2.0, the key question is about who can help countries build the capacity to produce, innovate and upgrade, says academic Gu Qingyang.

Gu Qingyang

25 Aug 2026

Why China and the US need each other to compete

Far from heading towards complete decoupling, China and the US remain locked in a relationship where mutual dependence underpins both competition and cooperation, reshaping the future global order, notes academic Tan Kong Yam.

Tan Kong Yam

06 Aug 2026

[Big read] Why Chinese gamers pay African youths to play for them

Chinese-run studios across Africa employ young workers to grind the game — do repetitive tasks to gain in-game currency — turning play into digital labour and exposing the opportunities and tensions behind the business. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.

Lim Zhan Ting

29 Jul 2026

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

From rule-taker to rule-maker: China’s AI challenge to US dominance

The China-US AI rivalry is no longer just about building the most powerful models. It is a contest to shape AI ecosystems, define global rules and gain influence over how the technology develops worldwide. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei reports.

Sim Tze Wei

20 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