NATO

How Turkey arms China’s rivals without angering Beijing

Just as it balanced its role supplying combat drones to Ukraine while deepening trade relations with Russia, Turkey is playing a similar game by advancing arms sales in the Indo-Pacific while staying out of China’s way. Italian commentator Emanuele Scimia gives his analysis.

Emanuele Scimia

29 Jun 2026

Middle power or not, Singapore must step up

In a fractured world of coercion and conflict, Singapore’s rise in investor confidence reflects more than economics. Middle power or not, it must step up to defend rules and stability, says commentator Giam Meng Tuck.

Giam Meng Tuck

07 May 2026

Unravelled: How the Iran war triggers a global realignment

Beyond immediate economic chaos and regional instability, the US-Israeli conflict with Iran is catalysing a historic global realignment. From a fractured Middle East and a widening transatlantic rift to China’s burgeoning influence over energy and diplomacy, the war is forcing allies and rivals alike to redraw the map of 21st-century power, observes US commentator Ian Bremmer.

Ian Bremmer

06 May 2026

Cold reality: China’s Arctic push stalls in Finland

The era of Finland as China’s “Arctic gateway” has given way to a narrow, de-risked partnership. Academic Monique Taylor observes that amid NATO commitments and a fractured geopolitical landscape, Helsinki is trading grand strategic ambitions for pragmatic, low-risk cooperation in trade and green technology. 

Monique Taylor

04 May 2026

Should South Korea build the nuclear bomb?

As North Korea advances its nuclear arsenal, Seoul faces a stark choice: develop its own bomb, rely on US deterrence or adopt a nuclear-threshold strategy to safeguard the peninsula. South Korean academic Jaeho Hwang weighs the options.

Jaeho Hwang

10 Mar 2026

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

Wanting Greenland: When the strong stop pretending

The US’s desire to have Greenland is deeply unpopular, whether in the US or in Greenland, observes Danish academic Erik Baark. Ultimately, US President Trump’s disregard for international law, treaties or organisations lays bare the US’s reversion to gunboat diplomacy, ushering in a new era of geopolitics of the mighty.

Erik Baark

23 Jan 2026

[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

Why Putin won’t end the war

While the rest of the world urges an end to the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unyielding in continuing the offensive. Commentator Jin Jian Guo looks into the reasons for Putin’s refusal to back down.

Jin Jian Guo

24 Dec 2025

Greater China-Russia strategic alignment links two ‘battlefields’ of Eurasia

Although the Russia-Ukraine war and Taiwan Strait situations are different, strategic alignment between China and Russia on issues involving Japan and the “one China” principle during critical moments means there is room for linkages and even mutual restraint between the two “battlefields” in Eurasia, observes Lianhe Zaobao’s associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei. 

Sim Tze Wei

04 Dec 2025

China: The powerful outsider missing from Russia-Ukraine talks

China is notably absent from high-profile Russia-Ukraine negotiations, yet its influence on the conflict’s outcome is undeniable. What explains this paradox of power from the sidelines? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Sim Tze Wei notes the intriguing position of China in current world affairs.

Sim Tze Wei

21 Aug 2025

Japanese academic: Is Taiwan still a strategic bargaining chip under Trump 2.0?

Within the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term as US president, he has ruffled feathers and caused consternation with his various announcements and comments. Japanese academic Momma Rira looks at Trump’s moves and what they mean for the world, and in particular Taiwan, given its unique position.

Momma Rira

14 Apr 2025