Politics

Inside the US$50 billion rise of Moonshot AI

China’s Moonshot AI’s impressive open-weight Kimi K3 model sent shockwaves through the tech world in the last few months, triggering geopolitical rhetoric, a US$50 billion valuation explosion and a cut-throat price war.

Caixin Global

18 Sep 2026

BRICS must implement what it proposes

As long as BRICS cannot find a way to set implementation rules for its proposals, it can only target low-hanging fruit such as collaboration in health and food security, says ISAS academic Amitendu Palit.

Amitendu Palit

17 Sep 2026

Small wins in an ‘infinite game’: The limits of Xi-Trump talks

Xi and Trump may meet again, but a breakthrough looks elusive. Taiwan, AI and tariffs expose deepening divides, leaving the two powers to manage tensions rather than resolve their rivalry. Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu examines the issue.

Yang Danxu

16 Sep 2026

The limits of Takaichi’s ‘Japan is back’

Armed with a commanding electoral mandate, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wants to revitalise Japan’s economy, rebuild its technological edge, strengthen its military and take a tougher line on China. But multiple challenges are exposing the risks of trying to pursue all these ambitions at once, notes academic Tan Kong Yam.

Tan Kong Yam

16 Sep 2026

When politics divides, can content creators bring China and Japan together?

Chinese and Japanese content creators are crossing the political divide one video at a time — challenging stereotypes and keeping the people of both sides connected, even as their influence can only go so far. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Lee Chan Hui tells us more.

Lee Chan Hui

16 Sep 2026

Time to ‘pace’ AI development?

Even as US tech leaders warn of losing control over AI, China makes the point that AI risks should not slow development down. This is an example of other factors that could decide the US-China AI race, more than technology alone, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

15 Sep 2026

Who was the most consequential emperor in Chinese history?

Hint: it is someone you have probably never heard of, who might have played a role in China’s AI takeoff, says Professor Yasheng Huang.

Yasheng Huang

15 Sep 2026

BRICS is built on economic grievance, not geopolitics

The wrong question to ask about BRICS is its geopolitical coherence. Instead, the right one is how far it has pursued its reform agenda and utilised its own tools, says Indian researcher Anushka Saxena.

Anushka Saxena

14 Sep 2026

The quiet rise of China’s soft power among Vietnam’s youth

Young Vietnamese are increasingly drawn to Chinese culture and opportunity, even as long-standing sensitivities endure, note ISEAS academics Hoang Thi Ha and Pham Thi Phuong Thao.

Hoang Thi Ha, Pham Thi Phuong Thao

11 Sep 2026

As gold goes digital, Hong Kong vies for London’s crown

As geopolitical shifts challenge London’s dominance of physical bullion, tokenised gold is reshaping how the commodity is stored, traded and used — with Hong Kong moving fast to capture the next phase of the market.

Caixin Global

11 Sep 2026

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

Trump’s ultra-rich cabinet: How rich is too rich for public office?

Reports highlighting the extraordinary wealth of Trump and his senior officials have renewed scrutiny of the relationship between public office and personal fortune — and the perennial question of whether wealth helps or hinders those entrusted with serving the public, notes academic Chen Liujun.

Chen Liujun

10 Sep 2026