International Relations

Neither exclude nor dominate: The new rules of China-US engagement

Xi Jinping’s US visit points to a new reality: neither China nor the US can exclude, dominate or remake the other. Coexistence is unavoidable, so keeping the rivalry stable will require both sides to manage their differences and learn restraint. Academic Zheng Wang gives his analysis.

Zheng Wang

30 Sep 2026

US-China relations: No war, no peace, but a rivalry kept in check

The Washington summit did not end US-China rivalry, but pointed to a new model for managing it: fierce competition within clearer guardrails, selective economic interdependence and sustained dialogue to prevent confrontation from spiralling into conflict. Academic Tan Kong Yam explains.

Tan Kong Yam

29 Sep 2026

What kind of superpower will China be?

Chinese President Xi Jinping received the red-carpet treatment in Washington. Whether or not this means that China is increasingly seen as the US’s equal, it is becoming harder for China to avoid the term “superpower”. As it navigates this role, interesting is the way it is extending its socialist legal system as a semi-permeable membrane for selective globalisation. Academic Frank N. Pieke explains.

Frank N. Pieke

29 Sep 2026

Trump-Xi summit: Sometimes buying time is a win

Professor Yasheng Huang comments that the recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping can be considered a success because it kicks the can down the road.

Yasheng Huang

28 Sep 2026

Vivian Balakrishnan: Upholding the rule of law in a fragmenting world

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan made the case for enduring multilateralism while delivering Singapore’s national statement at the General Debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York on 26 September. He spoke about complying with international law and the norms of multilateralism; reforming existing institutions where needed; and collectively formulating new rules and institutions for new technologies, including possibly establishing a UN Framework Convention on AI Safeguards. This is an edited version of the transcript.

Vivian Balakrishnan

28 Sep 2026

What is the worst acceptable outcome for Trump and Xi?

Ahead of their high-stakes Washington summit, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping face a tenuous truce: while tactical deals on trade procurement and AI safety offer temporary fixes, core rifts over Taiwan, tech dominance and rare earths remain fundamentally unresolved. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks to academics to find out.

Sim Tze Wei

23 Sep 2026

[Big read] The deadly climate blind spots fracturing China’s illusion of control

Extreme weather in China is growing more frequent and destructive, exposing weaknesses in how vital information travels to the top and the public. Can warnings and the truth arrive in time? Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui finds out.

Zhang Guanghui

23 Sep 2026

Can Trump-Xi personal diplomacy keep rivalry in check?

Strategic competition between China and the US is here to stay, but frequent engagement between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump could help keep rivalry from sliding into confrontation, while opening new avenues for cooperation on trade, technology and AI. Chinese academic Zhu Feng analyses what is in store.

Zhu Feng

23 Sep 2026

Chan Chun Sing: Winning the world requires example, not force

Speaking at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing urged nations to build trust, embrace interdependence, and lead by the “power of example” to ensure global stability. This is an edited transcript of his speech.

Chan Chun Sing

21 Sep 2026

Trump-Xi summit: What can the US and China actually agree on?

US and Chinese officials meet in New York to tackle a range of issues, including trade and AI, laying the groundwork for concrete deliverables for the expected Trump-Xi summit in Washington DC. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu tells us more.

Liu Liu

21 Sep 2026

[Big read] Will Canada’s tit-for-tat bet against the US pay off?

Canada is taking the defensive against US tariffs with tit-for-tat moves. Lianhe Zaobao associate foreign editor Poh Hwee Hoon speaks with academics to find out if the middle power can come out of this trade war in one piece.

Poh Hwee Hoon

21 Sep 2026

Bilahari Kausikan: On international law and foreign policy

Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan sounds the reminder that abiding by international law is a choice countries make in their own national interest, and that serving the latter is the only consistency in countries’ foreign policy, in a speech delivered at the Law Society of Singapore’s Public International Law Conference on 3 September 2026. This is an edited version of the transcript.

Bilahari Kausikan

18 Sep 2026