Military

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

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

The limits of Takaichi’s ‘Japan is back’

Armed with a commanding electoral mandate, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wants to revitalise Japan’s economy, rebuild its technological edge, strengthen its military and take a tougher line on China. But multiple challenges are exposing the risks of trying to pursue all these ambitions at once, notes academic Tan Kong Yam.

Tan Kong Yam

16 Sep 2026

From DJI to drone killers: China’s cheap air defence revolution

Just as it found its niche in drones, China is leading the way in the global move towards developing cheaper air defences like 3D-printed interceptors. Indian researcher Adya Madhavan shares her observations.

Adya Madhavan

09 Sep 2026

Could the PLA’s robot soldiers be used against Taiwan?

China is developing humanoid robots that could enter the battlefield within a decade. While Taiwan is a potential scenario, experts say the PLA’s push reflects a broader drive to prepare for the warfare of the future. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Edwin Ong finds out more.

Edwin Ong

09 Sep 2026

China’s Pacific ambitions go beyond isolating Taiwan

China’s objectives in strengthening ties with the Pacific island countries have gone beyond restricting Taiwan’s international space to more strategic considerations such as blunting US military power in the Indo-Pacific and projecting its own influence and power beyond the second island chain, observes ISEAS researcher Lye Liang Fook.

Lye Liang Fook

04 Sep 2026

Japan tests China’s willingness to revive people-to-people exchanges

A series of planned visits to China by Japanese business groups and politicians has raised hopes that bilateral exchanges may be resuming despite prolonged tensions. Even so, this may not pave the way for a broader normalisation of relations, says Japanese academic Shin Kawashima.

Shin Kawashima

24 Aug 2026

The Mecca agreement’s implications for China

​The Mecca pact among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey calls for NATO-like collective defence, but a more realistic outcome could be greater mediation roles for each of the parties and gains for China, a close partner of all three. Academic Alessandro Arduino explains.

Alessandro Arduino

21 Aug 2026

What Beijing really means by a ‘strategic partnership’ with Iran

Iran pegs China a certain way in its foreign policy, making it hard for Beijing to meet Tehran’s expectations. China will always proceed with caution, so long as it sees Iran mired by sanctions, economic weakness and regional confrontation, says Chinese academic Fan Hongda.

Fan Hongda

19 Aug 2026

Fudan targeted as universities become casualties of the tech war

Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have been placed on a US national security list, while China has targeted a European university. The moves signal a new era in which academic research is increasingly treated as a security risk. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei reports.

Sim Tze Wei

18 Aug 2026

The Taiwan Strait needs circuit breakers, not just deterrence

Military and coast guard encounters are becoming more frequent in the Western Pacific and around Taiwan, raising the risk that a limited incident could spiral into wider conflict. Deterrence alone is not enough; the region needs safeguards to contain escalation and create off-ramps, says researcher Hao Nan.

Hao Nan

17 Aug 2026

[Big read] China’s multidimensional squeeze: ‘Governing’ Taiwan before reunification

Beijing is widening its Taiwan strategy, using diplomacy, law, maritime pressure and integration to gradually create conditions for reunification. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han speaks with experts to find out.

Miao Zong-Han

12 Aug 2026