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Beijing unleashes confidence campaign to reassure markets

Chinese authorities are using commentaries to reshape the country’s economic narrative, manage expectations and rebuild market confidence ahead of key political events. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks with academics to analyse the matter.

Sim Tze Wei

25 Aug 2026

Japan and Taiwan’s strategic convergence in the Indo-Pacific

Japan’s updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy and Taiwan’s expanding diplomatic vision are helping to foster an increasingly aligned approach while avoiding unnecessary confrontation with China. Japanese academic Madoka Fukuda tells us more.

Madoka Fukuda

04 Aug 2026

Not just about China: New Japan-India synergies

Japan’s approach to India used to be tinted by its relations with China, hence the phrase “hot politics, cool economics”. Not anymore, as Trump 2.0 policies and energy security worries now mean greater scope for working with India, says Japanese academic Toru Ito.

Toru Ito

20 Jul 2026

Too fast to censor: How online rage is turning on China’s elites

From singer Han Hong to China’s ambassador to India, recent online backlashes reveal how China’s attention economy can turn public frustration into viral outrage before regulators are able to respond. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong tells us more.

Han Yong Hong

10 Jul 2026

Why Japan is fast-tracking its defence overhaul

As Tokyo revises its landmark Three Security Documents, the real story lies beyond nuclear policy. Japan is reshaping its defence strategy to confront China’s rise, shifting US expectations and new forms of warfare. Japanese academic Shin Kawashima gives his analysis.

Shin Kawashima

06 Jul 2026

Top tigers fall in Xi’s endless purge

A fresh wave of high-level investigations suggests Beijing’s anti-corruption drive is no longer a periodic campaign but an enduring mechanism for strengthening party discipline and political control. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong analyses China’s efforts.

Han Yong Hong

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

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

‘We’re not that wealthy’: Beijing’s answer to China Shock 2.0

As trade tensions flare, China’s leadership is fiercely defending Chinese enterprises and rejecting the Western narrative of China as a threat. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong takes a look at the key takeaways of Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s speech during the Summer Davos forum.

Han Yong Hong

26 Jun 2026

Xi’s missing smile: What AI reveals about his meetings with Trump and Putin

Using a combination of state media news footage, artificial intelligence and a facial coding system, Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai finds that body language speaks volumes when he compares Chinese President Xi Jinping’s facial expressions in the Xi-Trump meetings of May 2026 and November 2017, and the Xi-Putin meeting of May 2026.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

08 Jun 2026

Did Japan just ‘downgrade’ China in its Diplomatic Bluebook?

Japan’s latest Diplomatic Bluebook describes China as “an important neighbouring country”, when it used to be “one of Japan’s most important bilateral relations”, prompting backlash from China. Academic Shin Kawashima says there is no need to read too much into the change in phrasing.

Shin Kawashima

03 Jun 2026

[Video] Hegseth at Shangri-La Dialogue: Toning down US rhetoric

At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth seemed to tone down criticisms of China. Does this mean a more pragmatic, prudent approach going forward? Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Edwin Ong speaks to experts for their take.

Edwin Ong

02 Jun 2026