Hot War
Politics
Bilahari Kausikan: The Korean Peninsula and the future of East Asian geopolitics
Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan believes that a momentous strategic shift is underway on the Korean Peninsula, impacting the East Asian geopolitical landscape. The rise of a nuclear-armed North Korea and a transactional US alliance system are forcing a structural reset. An independent nuclear path for South Korea and Japan may be next.
Bilahari Kausikan
16 Oct 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
Technology
From DJI to drone killers: China’s cheap air defence revolution
Just as it found its niche in drones, China is leading the way in the global move towards developing cheaper air defences like 3D-printed interceptors. Indian researcher Adya Madhavan shares her observations.
Adya Madhavan
09 Sep 2026
Technology
Could the PLA’s robot soldiers be used against Taiwan?
China is developing humanoid robots that could enter the battlefield within a decade. While Taiwan is a potential scenario, experts say the PLA’s push reflects a broader drive to prepare for the warfare of the future. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Edwin Ong finds out more.
Edwin Ong
09 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
Aircraft carriers cannot erase Asian civilisational memory
Military superiority can destroy infrastructure, but it cannot erase a people’s past. Historian Wu Guo takes a look at how centuries of collective identity have formed an unbreakable shield against American intervention.
Wu Guo
10 Jul 2026
Politics
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
Politics
Why bombs don’t break Iran
The domestic issues and fragile regime in Iran would have led one to believe that an attack by the US would result in a quick defeat. Commentator Tao Ray offers a perspective on why Iran remains resilient: not because of its military strength or strategy, but the strong sense of “us versus them”.
Tao Ray
26 May 2026
Politics
Iran war: The unnecessary war that strengthened Iran
In this unnecessary war with Iran, the US now has no choice but to negotiate and make compromises. Iran may even emerge with its regional standing strengthened. To go into the US-China summit with the best hand, President Trump needs to settle the Iranian question quickly. Academic Fan Hongda explains.
Fan Hongda
08 May 2026
Technology
[Big read] Nuclear power plants: Energy security or wartime risk?
Following major nuclear disasters including Chernobyl and Fukushima, safety measures have been ramped up on nuclear facilities, but mostly for accident scenarios during peacetime, and without internationally binding commitments. With energy needs increasing yet geopolitical tensions rising and nuclear power plants sited in potential conflict zones, what concrete steps can governments take to mitigate the risks? Lianhe Zaobao’s associate foreign editor So Geok Lan finds out more.
So Geok Lan
07 May 2026