Mao Zedong

Is Taiwan’s autonomy on the table at the Trump-Xi Beijing summit?

With US President Trump’s visit to China coming up, Taiwan is left especially vulnerable, fearing it will be used in the game of smoke and mirrors between the US and China. With the Democratic Progressive Party putting all its eggs in the US’s basket, Taiwan’s strategic autonomy is all but lost, says US academic Zhiqun Zhu.

Zhiqun Zhu

07 May 2026

[Photos] The Shandong ‘model’: A trailblazer in China’s history [Eye on Shandong series]

Shandong often played the role of a trailblazer, in more ways than one. The province was a central part of major turning points in Chinese history, and for historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao, the place holds fond memories of his first books published in mainland China.

Hsu Chung-mao

26 Sep 2025

[Photos] How Sichuan rose from a famine unbeknownst to the world to become a ‘Land of Abundance’ [Eye on Sichuan series]

From the Three Kingdoms and Xinhai revolution, to the establishment of communism in China and the Great Famine, Sichuan played significant roles in key parts of China’s history. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao shares photos of those turbulent times.

Hsu Chung-mao

29 May 2025

Is Donald Trump the spiritual heir to Mao Zedong?

While Trump’s policies and political style may be provocative and extreme, they lack the totalising, transformative ambitions of Mao’s Cultural Revolution. The term “American Cultural Revolution” is meaningful only in a metaphorical sense, asserts columnist Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

14 May 2025

In the shadow of giants: Europe’s fate in a US-Russia world

As the world continues to seek a resolution to the war in Ukraine, it seems that Mao Zedong’s categorisation of the “Three Worlds” still applies today, albeit under different names, with some countries wielding the power while others struggle to survive. US academic Wu Guo gives his take on the current global situation.

Wu Guo

14 Mar 2025

[Photos] Cambodia: A war-torn country that became China’s firm ally in Southeast Asia

Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao shares the photographs he took during a trip to Vietnam-occupied Cambodia, giving us a glimpse of a country in turmoil while recovering from the terror of the Khmer Rouge.

Hsu Chung-mao

06 Dec 2024

[Photo story] The Cultural Revolution: A Taiwanese reflects

In Chinese history, the Cultural Revolution was a period of major impact. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao gives us a glimpse into the tumultuous period.

Hsu Chung-mao

21 Jun 2024

[Photo story] The first decade of 'new China': In the name of idealism

The first ten years of "new China" as established by the Chinese Communist Party were a time of initial progress and improvement, only to be followed by the problems of communism. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao gives us a look into the idealism and difficulties of the time.

Hsu Chung-mao

19 Apr 2024

Why China's population policies always veer towards the extreme

China's population policies have had a tendency to veer towards the extreme since the era of Mao, says commentator Yu Shiyu. A delayed response to adjusting the one-child policy, which has resulted in a declining population and is expected to have an adverse economic impact, demonstrates the inefficiency of an authoritarian system in self-correcting. Its decision making could also swing between extremes as it is based on subjective top-level thinking.

Yu Shiyu

27 Sep 2023

Lin Liyun: The legendary interpreter for Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai [Photo story]

Lin Liyun was born in Taiwan, grew up in Japan, and eventually found herself in the company of none other than Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, as she interpreted for them at various events and occasions. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao gathered Lin's oral history, and now sets out her fascinating story.

Hsu Chung-mao

23 Jun 2023

Why is China struggling with identity politics both within and outside the nation?

Currently, deglobalisation and efforts to decouple from China benefit no one. Not only that, identity politics, with ideology at its core, fuels Western nations' foolish ways of achieving a pyrrhic victory. To deal with this, the CCP's utmost priority is to avoid being constrained by others' definitions and to present a new image of socialism with Chinese characteristics. But is China ready to do this?

Lance Gore

11 May 2023

Chinese commentator: Macron wants to be different, but does he understand China and the world?

French President Emmanuel Macron has integrated de Gaulle's anti-US sentiments and Mao's spirit of daring to fight against a major power into his comments during his recent China trip, says Chinese commentator Jin Jian Guo. However, a deeper analysis shows that Macron does not truly understand these various actors on the global stage, including China.

Jin Jian Guo

25 Apr 2023