Military
Society
[Video] How Japanese drama Vivant sparked an online China-Japan proxy war
Japanese spy drama Vivant shows Chinese agents torturing Japanese captives in ways that seem to mirror Japan’s wartime atrocities. Fierce rebukes from the Chinese government and state media have sparked a full-blown online war. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina looks at how politics and drama became entwined amid strained China-Japan ties.
Yi Jina
13 Nov 2026
History
[Photos] How forgotten wartime photos reshaped China’s history of resistance against Japan
For decades, the Chinese Communist Party and Kuomintang (KMT) gave competing accounts of who led China’s resistance against Japan. In 2005, Taiwanese historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao’s rare wartime photographs helped bring the KMT’s long-overlooked contributions into the spotlight.
Hsu Chung-mao
13 Nov 2026
Politics
Will China’s military shake-up undermine its combat readiness?
China’s low-key naval deployments may signal a shift in the PLA’s focus from blockading Taiwan to preventing foreign military intervention. Yet top-brass purges raise doubts over the PLA’s true combat readiness. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miaw Zong-Han tells us more.
Miaw Zong-Han
11 Nov 2026
Politics
Why Xi purges his hand-picked officials
The latest personnel changes during China’s fifth plenum, aimed at officials promoted under Chinese President Xi Jinping, point to a governing logic built on fear, loyalty and the constant search for enemies, as Xi tightens his grip ahead of the 21st Party Congress in 2027. Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai gives his analysis.
Wen-Hsuan Tsai
03 Nov 2026
Politics
Missing cadres, absent slogans: Decoding China’s fifth plenum
China’s fifth plenum offered few clues about succession, but its low attendance, continuing military vacancies and conspicuous omission of familiar political slogans reveal much about the state of Xi Jinping’s party and the challenges ahead of the 21st Party Congress in 2027. EAI researcher Zhou Na gives her analysis.
Zhou Na
02 Nov 2026
Politics
[Big read] China’s fifth plenum: What ongoing purges reveal about Xi Jinping’s power layout
From purged top generals to bypassed central cadres, China’s personnel arrangements are at their most chaotic in years. What can the upcoming fifth plenum tell us about its future leadership pipeline? Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han speaks to analysts to find out more.
Miaw Zong-Han
20 Oct 2026
Politics
Are China and Russia building an Eastern NATO?
Russia’s Tsentr-2026 exercise shows that countries in Eurasia are building military networks with Russia and China, creating greater room for manoeuvre — but only if they steer clear of the perception of bloc politics. Analyst Hao Nan explains.
Hao Nan
20 Oct 2026
Politics
How Trump’s new Greenland deal locks China out
Trump’s Greenland deal falls short of full control, but it cements a crucial shift: turning informal curbs on Chinese and foreign economic influence into formal security policy. Academic Marc Jacobsen analyses the changes that entails.
Marc Jacobsen
05 Oct 2026
Politics
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
Politics
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