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Trump and Putin’s visits confirm Beijing as the new global pivot

China’s recent hosting of both the US and Russian presidents shows that while it is not yet replacing the US as the strongest among the three powers, there is a definite shift in the balance, and China is dealing with both on its own terms. Academic Alexander Korolev explains.

Alexander Korolev

Japan, China and the race for Africa’s critical minerals

As Japan expands its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision across Africa, competition with China is increasingly centred on critical minerals, supply chains and strategic infrastructure. Japanese academic Mitsugi Endo analyses the implications.

Mitsugi Endo

Why China must reject Trump’s ‘G2’ narrative

China’s embrace of multilateralism and rejection of a US-led “G2” order reflects Beijing’s belief that only broader global cooperation can counterbalance American pressure and reshape an increasingly fractured world order. Academic Gu Bin gives his take.

Gu Bin

Trump-Xi summit leaves Taiwan independence camp on edge

Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is reeling after US President Donald Trump, following his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, bluntly warned against any push for independence. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Chuang Hui Liang notes that this signals a potential shift in US policy, forcing Taipei to urgently redefine its cross-strait strategy.

Chuang Hui Liang

High ceremony, low expectations as Trump meets Xi in Beijing

Trump meets Xi in Beijing for a carefully choreographed summit dominated by trade, Taiwan and geopolitical tensions. Despite high ceremony and tightly managed optics, expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited on both sides. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei and journalist Meng Dandan break down what to expect.

Sim Tze Wei

China delivers its harshest military corruption sentences in years

China’s crackdown on corruption among high-level officials has recently meted out one of its most severe punishments for two former military leaders. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong takes a look at the downfall of the top brass over the years.

Han Yong Hong

[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

China’s quiet harvest: As America fights, Asia turns to Beijing

China is looking more attractive to Asia to fill the shortfalls created by disruptions in the Middle East, from fertiliser supply to energy security. Might this be an opening for Beijing to achieve greater political leverage? US academic John Calabrese examines the situation.

John Calabrese

China’s quiet brokerage: Can Beijing make the US-Iran truce stick?

After the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war ends, even if there is a negotiated agreement, the war may not be be over. Lasting peace in the region would mean stabilising Israel-Iran relations and letting countries like China play a bigger role. Chinese academic Fan Hongda shares his assessment.

Fan Hongda

Takaichi: Moderate in Japan, hawk abroad?

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seen as cautious and moderate in Japan, prioritising budgets and legal debates. Yet in China and overseas, her rhetoric is often framed as provocative, stoking tensions. Academic Shin Kawashima looks into the discrepancies.

Shin Kawashima

[Big read] How China builds influence, one parliament at a time

Beijing is paying for parliaments and palaces from West Africa to beyond. The buildings look like gifts, but they quietly anchor China inside the everyday spaces where power is performed. Are there really no strings attached? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.

Lim Zhan Ting

Beyond China: Japan’s unseen diplomacy under Takaichi

With Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi winning a huge victory in the latest snap election, what does this mean for Japan’s relations with other countries and regions, including South Korea, India and Southeast Asia? Japanese academic Shin Kawashima gives his take.

Shin Kawashima