Politics

How geopolitics rewired China’s economy

Looking beyond the numbers of China’s published half-year economic data, it is clear that structural changes in China’s economy are taking place, which will have broader effects in the longer term, says academic Gu Qingyang.

Gu Qingyang

15 Jul 2026

[Big read] One Taiwan, two speeds: The winners and losers of the AI boom

Taiwan’s AI boom is driving record growth and stock market highs, but beneath the prosperity, widening inequality and geopolitical risks threaten its long-term advantage. Lianhe Zaobao Taipei correspondent Lai Oi Lai speaks with experts and people on the ground to find out.

Lai Oi Lai

15 Jul 2026

A decade on, 14 nations reaffirm a South China Sea ruling China rejects

A 14-nation statement reaffirming the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling has drawn a sharp rebuke from Beijing, underscoring how the decade-old award remains a focal point of strategic rivalry even as a new dispute over the Batanes Islands emerges. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu speaks to academics for an analysis.

Liu Liu

13 Jul 2026

Fukuyama: A superpower at war with itself

Political scientist Francis Fukuyama tells Lianhe Zaobao video producer Audrey Jiajia Li that America on its 250th anniversary is divided and polarised as never before, but there is still hope if it can believe in itself again.

Audrey Jiajia Li

13 Jul 2026

What China’s submarine missile test reveals about its nuclear strategy

China’s submarine launch shows that Beijing intends to remove strategic vulnerability before accepting strategic constraint. But showing its ability for a second-strike capability does not guarantee stability in Asia, says academic Hao Nan.  

Hao Nan

09 Jul 2026

Purged generals, flying missiles: China’s military paradox

As sweeping anti-corruption investigations continue to shake the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing has responded not with words but with high-profile missile tests, seeking to demonstrate that its strategic nuclear deterrent remains intact despite the ongoing purge. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei explains.

Sim Tze Wei

09 Jul 2026

America’s 250-year strategy meets China’s rise

For 250 years, US grand strategy has been built on preventing any rival from dominating Europe or Asia. China’s rise has ended America’s uncontested primacy in East Asia, forcing Washington to rethink how it can preserve its security and influence. US academic Robert S. Ross gives his assessment.

Robert S. Ross

08 Jul 2026

Million-dollar overseas degrees, entry-level Chinese salaries

For decades, studying abroad was seen as a ticket to opportunity. Now, more Chinese graduates are returning home — only to find that foreign credentials carry less weight than before. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu examines the issue.

Liu Liu

08 Jul 2026

China’s G2 reality and Hormuz’s new normal

As the world increasingly sees China and the US as a de facto G2, experts debate China’s global role while warning of a new normal in the Strait of Hormuz. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Edwin Ong highlights key takeaways from the eighth Singapore-China Forum.

Edwin Ong

07 Jul 2026

What China really wants from global governance

Behind China’s new global governance white paper lies a broader ambition: to reshape international rules and institutions to reflect Beijing’s growing power and influence, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

07 Jul 2026

Law alone won’t save the South China Sea

A decade after the 2016 arbitration, the South China Sea remains contested. In Malaysian academic Ngeow Chow Bing’s view, lasting stability will depend not only on international law, but also on sustained diplomacy, crisis management and practical cooperation.

Ngeow Chow Bing

07 Jul 2026

How China’s quantum race threatens nuclear deterrence

China’s rapid advances in quantum technology are reshaping military competition and challenging the foundations of nuclear deterrence, forcing the US and its allies to confront a new era of strategic instability, says researcher Tahir Mahmood Azad.

Tahir Mahmood Azad

06 Jul 2026