Political Reform

Tung Chee-hwa: Misunderstood visionary or failed leader?

Hong Kong’s first chief executive endured the Asian financial crisis, SARS and mass protests before stepping down amid deep public discontent. Two decades on, some of the reforms and economic strategies he championed are being viewed in a different light, says Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing.

Tai Hing Shing

10 Sep 2026

Xi invokes Jiang Zemin’s legacy to chart China’s ‘new journey’

Marking the centenary of Jiang Zemin’s birth, Xi Jinping praised the former leader’s legacy of reform, opening up and crisis management while placing it firmly within the current Xi-era framework of Communist Party leadership, national security and reunification. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han tells us more.

Miao Zong-Han

18 Aug 2026

Zhu Rongji’s death triggers China’s ‘superpolitics’

The close proximity in timing of the death of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, the commemoration of former President Jiang Zemin’s 100th birth anniversary and the upcoming fifth plenum may give Zhongnanhai some cause for worry, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

13 Aug 2026

Can Abenomics save Japan — or doom its next leader?

Japan’s economy faces mounting challenges as inflation rises and competitiveness declines. Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi is pushing to revive Abenomics policies, but with doubts over her leadership and the plan’s past shortcomings, economic recovery remains uncertain. Academic Zhang Yun examines the issue.

Zhang Yun

15 Oct 2025

Has Xi Jinping lost power?

Recent CCP “reforms” or regulatory adjustments do not signal a weakening of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s authority, but rather a strategic move to institutionalise power and ensure smoother governance beyond his tenure. In fact, these moves underscore the high level of prestige that President Xi still commands within the party, says academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

06 Aug 2025

Harvard’s training ground for global leaders — why did China’s participation end?

Most leaders from developing countries take pride in having attended the Harvard Kennedy School. However, the situation in China is different, remarks commentator Qinglian He.

Qinglian He

19 Jun 2025

The real winner of the tariff war

As the US seeks a “total reset” of China-US trade relations, China is at the critical juncture of industrial upgrading and economic transformation, with the success of its modernisation hanging in the balance, says academic Jianyong Yue.

Jianyong Yue

27 May 2025

Trump: America’s reforming hero?

US President Donald Trump’s radical policies — including his latest “Liberation Day” tariffs — are detoxifying the US, argues conservative Hong Kong commentator Chip Tsao, who tells us why he supports Trump’s tariffs and actions.

Chip Tsao

09 Apr 2025

[Video] Professor Yasheng Huang: Trump’s America is in chaos, but is China’s world in order?

Professor Yasheng Huang, Professor of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School, speaks with ThinkChina editor Chow Yian Ping in a wide-ranging interview, covering topics including global instability, the results of the US elections and China’s political system. The following is an edited transcript of part one of the interview. Part two of this interview will be published after the inaugural ThinkChina Forum.

Chow Yian Ping

14 Mar 2025

North Korea’s only hope: reform and opening up

North Korea desperately needs to modernise and open up, argues South Korean academic Kang Jun-young. According to Kang, Kim Jong Un should take a leaf out of China’s book and introduce political and economic reforms, or learn from Vietnam’s open-door approach. Only then will North Korea be able to achieve economic development and maintain power. 

Kang Jun-young

02 Jan 2025

Old leader, but new chapter in US politics 

The recent US presidential election was a choice between old and new, with voters opting for a familiar leader in Trump while hoping for fresh change, says US academic Fei-Ling Wang.

Fei-Ling Wang

14 Nov 2024

China’s Communist Party faces tall order at third plenum

While rebuilding the Leninist model enjoys strong party support and legitimacy, the Chinese Communist Party must confront various issues and challenges amid national and global contexts and current trends. Failing to address these issues could hinder China’s emergence and national rejuvenation, says EAI senior research fellow Lance Gore.

Lance Gore

10 Jul 2024