Renewables
Politics
Has China really ‘won’ in the Iran war?
The Iran war has boosted China’s leverage in the energy sector and deepened its commercial presence in the Gulf. But states in the region want China to be a more proactive stakeholder, a role Beijing may not be ready to take on, says researcher Jing Lin.
Jing Lin
30 Jul 2026
Politics
China may be the biggest winner from UAE’s OPEC exit
The true drivers of the UAE’s decision to exit OPEC hinge on the shifting alliances of the Arabian peninsula, centred on the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, says Middle East Institute-NUS fellow Jing Lin. China stands to benefit, not only in oil supplies but in wider aims like the internationalisation of the RMB — but only if it plays its cards right in balancing between the two regional heavyweights.
Jing Lin
13 May 2026
Economy
China leads Northeast Asia’s nuclear buildout
Is Northeast Asia’s nuclear revival a response to the Iran war crisis, or the result of deeper forces already reshaping the region’s energy future? Australian researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May ponders the question.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
16 Apr 2026
Economy
Trump is mistaken: China is a wind power giant
Contrary to US President Trump’s Davos comments on Chinese wind farms, China’s wind power is a central pillar of its energy transition, with wind farms dotted around the country’s northern and northwestern regions, and in recent times, along its southeastern coastlines too. But these efforts are not without its challenges, such as an entrenched top-down approach and the difficulty of turning wind capacity into efficiently used, reliably transmitted clean power. EAI deputy director Chen Gang shares his insights.
Chen Gang
12 Feb 2026
Economy
How ‘China Inc.’ is discovering its new world in Brazil
Chinese companies are turning Brazil into their new frontier, from electric vehicles and digital platforms to mining and energy, and navigating local challenges as they chart a daring new chapter in global expansion.
Caixin Global
05 Jan 2026
Politics
When Chinese mining meets weak governance in Africa — who pays?
The Lubumbashi dam collapse exposes the human and environmental toll of Chinese mining in Africa. Weak oversight leaves communities and forests at risk — a warning spotlighted at COP30. Researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May unpacks the stakes.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
08 Dec 2025
Economy
Green fortress: How China is forging the energy security of the future against the US
From Gobi desert solar farms to coastal nuclear reactors, China is quietly building the energy grid of the future. Self-sufficient, AI-ready and strategically insulated, it is turning climate goals into a “green fortress” the US struggles to match, says academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
21 Nov 2025
Society
From drought to downpour: Climate change sounds alarm bells in northeast China
Recent weather phenomena in China have brought attention to climate change, most lately in northeast China. What are the impacts of extreme weather? Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.
Lim Zhan Ting
21 Aug 2025
Economy
The Tibet mega-dam: Powering AI, reshaping South Asia
China’s Tibet mega-dam project (the Yarlung Zangbo mega-dam project) is more than a hydropower play — it is a strategic bid to green-power AI, secure energy dominance and reshape South Asia’s fragile geopolitical balance, says academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
05 Aug 2025