Mineral And Metal Resources
Politics
Why Britain nationalised British Steel despite Chinese outrage
The UK’s nationalisation of British Steel has drawn sharp criticism from China, but the dispute goes beyond one company. It reflects a broader shift in which national security increasingly outweighs market logic in shaping global investment decisions, says Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu.
Yang Danxu
22 Jul 2026
Politics
[Big read] How China weaponised its rare earth monopoly
Rare earths are only part of the story. Over three decades, China has transformed export controls from a regulatory measure into a powerful geopolitical tool, reshaping global supply chains and strategic competition. Lianhe Zaobao Associate China News Editor Chen Jing explores how experts see Beijing’s strategy evolving.
Chen Jing
21 Jul 2026
Politics
A tungsten mine exposes Myanmar’s China-Russia balancing act
Russia’s recent entry into tungsten mining in Myanmar reveals a three-way resource-security triangle: China controls much of the flow, Russia seeks a stake, while Myanmar’s military government is using access to resources as leverage. Academic Hao Nan gives his assessment.
Hao Nan
22 Jun 2026
Society
Midas touch of Lin Xiang Xiong: Mining gold with one hand, creating art with the other
From scavenging for food in China to helming a gold mining empire in Malaysia, Lin Xiang Xiong’s life is a masterclass in resilience. The gold miner-cum-artist speaks with Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chew Boon Leong about how his accidental foray into gold mining has fuelled his true calling: a global crusade for peace through art.
Chew Boon Leong
28 May 2026
Politics
Japan, China and the race for Africa’s critical minerals
As Japan expands its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision across Africa, competition with China is increasingly centred on critical minerals, supply chains and strategic infrastructure. Japanese academic Mitsugi Endo analyses the implications.
Mitsugi Endo
25 May 2026
Politics
How the Iran war is stretching America thin against China
A prolonged Iran war is draining US munitions, critical minerals and industrial capacity, and weakening the country’s defence base and military presence in Asia as rivalry with China intensifies, observes academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
20 Mar 2026
Politics
How Israel’s Somaliland gambit helps Taiwan box in China
China worries that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state would set a precedent for Taiwan. It is also concerned about the greater transfer of security know-how and regional contacts to Taiwan via the Taiwan-Israel-Somaliland entente. Italian commentator Emanuele Scimia explains.
Emanuele Scimia
02 Mar 2026
Economy
Indonesia’s nickel hub: Beyond state control?
Morowali, a key centre of Indonesia’s nickel processing industry, is becoming a “para-sovereign” space where formal sovereignty is intact yet practical authority is shared, fragmented or captured by private actors, says researcher Ronny P Sasmita.
Ronny P Sasmita
20 Feb 2026
Economy
Precious metal volatility puts the ‘safe haven’ trade on trial
As gold and silver swung from record highs to sharp sell-offs in a matter of weeks, investors were forced to confront an uncomfortable truth — can precious metals still be relied upon as a safe haven in turbulent times?
Caixin Global
13 Feb 2026
Politics
The side war against a not-yet-ready China
Avoiding a direct clash with Beijing, US President Donald Trump is exploiting China’s unfinished rise — pressuring its energy suppliers, trade partners and allies to constrain its growth before it can defend its global interests, says Italian commentator Emanuele Scimia.
Emanuele Scimia
04 Feb 2026
Politics
[Big read] The world recarved under the Donroe Doctrine
US President Donald Trump’s revival of hemispheric dominance and the dramatic Venezuela intervention signal a rupture in global norms, as global powers weigh their next moves and NATO faces uncertainty. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhou Yifei reports.
Zhou Yifei
21 Jan 2026