Journalism

[Video] Hsu Chung-mao: Why I am both Taiwanese and Chinese

Taiwanese historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao had a front-row seat to history as a war journalist, and became part of it himself when he was injured during the 1989 Tiananmen incident. Decades spent collecting and colourising rare photographs have shaped how he sees the past — and why he sees himself as both Taiwanese and Chinese. In a conversation with ThinkChina’s Charlene Chow, he reflects on history, identity and the twists of fate that have shaped his journey.

Charlene Chow

19 Jun 2026

[Photos] Witnessing history as a Taiwan reporter: Singapore in the 1980s and 1990s

How does a young Taiwanese reporter end up chasing history and love in Singapore? Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao takes a look back at the political engineering and leaders that shaped an era in Singapore, along with his personal ties to the country.

Hsu Chung-mao

29 May 2026

When tech writes the story, do we still need the press?

Newsrooms in China are increasingly feeling the squeeze with the advent of AI-generated content (AIGC). This not only calls into question job functions, but the overwhelming influence of deep tech and tech giants, and an erosion of the agenda-setting role of the media. Chinese media commentator Ni Tao discusses the issue.

Ni Tao

13 Mar 2026

[Photos] An assassination and an unexpected child: A Taiwanese journalist in the Philippines

From the assassination of senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr to the story of a woman named Gloria, who gave birth to a child with a Taiwanese fisherman on a remote island, former Taiwanese journalist and historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao recalls two defining moments from his time covering the Philippines. Through his lens, he reflects on how legends emerge from both significant and humble lives, revealing the intricate tapestry of geopolitics, history and human warmth that connects them all.

Hsu Chung-mao

04 Jul 2025

Are you brainwashed in the cognitive war of news reporting?

News reporting today seems to be inherently biased, says Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong. Journalists and readers need to be wary of being caught in an echo chamber.

Peter Ong

20 Jun 2024

War correspondents: Risking their lives for truth

Commentator Chip Tsao notes how the war correspondents in China decades ago reported the truth about the Sino-Japanese War, and the difference it made in the eventual outcome. Would the truth be similarly reported today?

Chip Tsao

08 Nov 2023

Singapore ambassador to the US responds to Washington Post: Singapore media will not choose sides

In response to the Washington Post's recent article that accused Lianhe Zaobao for echoing Beijing's propaganda, Singapore ambassador to the US Lui Tuck Yew argues that Singapore's media, along with the country's foreign policy, will not choose sides between the US and China.

Chua Thiam Seng

07 Aug 2023

Lianhe Zaobao's response to The Washington Post's article

On 24 July, The Washington Post published a feature article titled "In Singapore, Loud Echoes of Beijing's Positions Generate Anxiety", in which some comments were made about Lianhe Zaobao. Here is Lianhe Zaobao's response to the article.

Lianhe Zaobao

26 Jul 2023

Navigating China-US competition: A Singapore Chinese-language paper's experience

Former Zaobao editor Lim Jim Koon observes that zaobao.com was recently lumped in with "local media" of China in one of the Japanese media reports. Intentionally or not, this is one of the ways that Singapore's leading Chinese-language newspaper has sometimes been cast as pro-China or anti-China to suit the narratives of others. As China-US tensions intensify in the new Year of the Rabbit, the paper, and perhaps Singapore too, must brace itself for labels being cast on it, and keep vigilant in staying the course and guarding its own interests.

Lim Jim Koon

14 Jan 2023

When a news media company becomes radically politicised: Jimmy Lai and the Apple Daily saga

The high-profile trial of Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai has been postponed, with some voices asserting that media freedom has not been respected. From his close observation of Apple Daily in his years as Zaobao's editor, Lim Jim Koon takes a clear-eyed look at Apple Daily. He says that having crossed the baseline of news media organisations and broken the law, it can no longer justify its actions with media freedom.

Lim Jim Koon

05 Jan 2023

My memories of Jiang Zemin: Editor-in-chief, Chinese Media Group

From her time on the political desk then as Zaobao's Hong Kong correspondent and Beijing correspondent, Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Chinese Media Group, recalls her impressions of the late former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Jiang represented the ideas and workings of an era in Chinese politics, and played a great role in shaping China's domestic policies and international diplomacy.

Lee Huay Leng

15 Dec 2022

Jiang Zemin: The Chinese leader whose achievements outweighed the shortcomings

US academic Zhu Zhiqun gives an assessment of the late former President Jiang Zemin's policies during his time leading China throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s.

Zhiqun Zhu

01 Dec 2022