Global South

The West’s industrial policy double standard

For decades, industrial policy was discouraged in developing economies, even as China’s state-led model reshaped global supply chains. Now, with the US and Europe embracing massive interventions, the old orthodoxy looks less like principle than self-interest. Academic Guanie Lim examines how the discourse on industrial policy has shifted.

Guanie Lim

Seoul’s Global South turn: A blueprint for a fractured world

As US-China tensions fracture the globe, South Korea is carving out a third way. By acting as a “bridge of trust”, South Korea aims to turn solidarity with the Global South into a vital survival strategy, opines South Korean academic Kang Jun-young.

Kang Jun-young

China holds the cards: Fertiliser, fuel and the Middle East crisis

As the war in the Middle East continues, China finds itself at an advantage in terms of fertilisers and fuels, and it is up to China to decide what to do with these trump cards. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei looks at the factors at play.

Sim Tze Wei

What does the Iran crisis mean for the global economy?

The turmoil stirred up by the Iran crisis is causing havoc in the global economy. But despite the US’s best efforts to deny China’s access to key energy supplies, Beijing seems to be coping with the crisis better than expected, not only because of its stockpile reserves, but also because of its quiet diplomacy. Resilience over raw force appears to be winning as the conflict drags on, observes Alicia García Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis.

Alicia García Herrero

Shocks to shields: How India fortifies itself against a turbulent world

Hedging comes at a cost, but it is a price India may have to pay as it gets constricted by US transactionalism, two-front security pressure, Pakistan’s strategic rehabilitation and China’s institutional penetration of South Asia. Academic Hao Nan analyses the situation. 

Hao Nan

China’s diplomatic blitz in Trump’s backyard — who will dominate the western hemisphere?

The high frequency of foreign dignitaries from Asia, Europe and South America visiting China at the start of 2026 indicates a strong focus and urgency behind Beijing’s effort to draw US allies closer and counter America’s efforts to restore preeminence in the western hemisphere, observes ISEAS researcher Lye Liang Fook.

Lye Liang Fook

China’s ‘new multilateralism’: A rival to the US-led order?

China is asserting itself in global governance through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and alternative multilateral initiatives, combining consultation, soft laws and high standards to challenge the US-led order, says Chinese academic Gu Bin.

Gu Bin

Hainan is where China tests its next opening model

Hainan Free Trade Port is China’s testbed for a new opening model — centred on institutions, ecosystem-building and two-way cooperation. Rather than sidelining Singapore, this points to a broader and more integrated regional economic architecture. Academic Gu Qingyang shares his views.

Gu Qingyang

The global polytunity

When everything seems to crumble all at once, it could be an opportunity for renewal, rather than collapse, says Professor Yuen Yuen Ang.

Yuen Yuen Ang

Trump’s Maduro raid leaves Xi with no easy options

The capture of Venezuela’s president exposes Beijing’s intelligence failure and forces Xi Jinping to choose between confrontation, restraint or strategic retreat in the western hemisphere. RSIS senior fellow Drew Thompson examines US actions and China’s reading of the situation.

Drew Thompson

Has Venezuela become a test of US power — and China’s resolve?

Washington’s pressure on Venezuela goes beyond toppling Maduro. By seizing tankers and enforcing blockades, the US is asserting hemispheric dominance, confronting China’s influence, and sending warning signals that Beijing is studying closely, says Lianhe Zaobao’s associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei.

Sim Tze Wei

G2 is back — but the world isn’t built for two anymore

Trump’s revival of the “G2” idea highlights Washington’s search for leverage amid deep domestic challenges. But in a multipolar world, China-US cooperation can only work through inclusive coordination — not a return to two-power dominance, says academic Gu Qingyang.

Gu Qingyang