Rule Of Law

Tit for tat: Beijing builds legal arsenal against Western sanctions and jurisdiction

US warning to Chinese banks over Iran-linked transactions triggered a swift response from Beijing, which rolled out new regulations to counter sanctions and extraterritorial legal pressure. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei examines this tit-for-tat escalation now extending into the legal sphere.

Sim Tze Wei

The tyranny of too much democracy: Confucius’s answer

Democracy today has lost some of its shine, with issues such as the rise of right-wing populist parties worrying some. But part of the problem lies in the conflation of two distinct ideas — liberalism and democracy. If the balance between liberalism and democracy needs to be restored, might a Confucian mixed regime be a possible alternative? Chinese academic Tongdong Bai contemplates the question.

Tongdong Bai

Strategic patience: How China navigates the Iran war

As Iran faces continued US-Israel bombardment, it is clear that President Donald Trump has no intention of easing the pressure. Amid the crisis, China is exercising strategic patience — diversifying energy ties and strengthening its Eurasian influence — turning regional turbulence into a potential long-term advantage while the US pursues rapid action. Researcher Eka Khorbaladze explains the likely impact and China’s role in the unfolding situation.

Eka Khorbaladze

The limits of courts against shameless power

The Supreme Court’s ruling on US President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” is not proof that American democracy is alive and well and that the system will self-correct. Instead, it shows that usual guardrails like Congress and the fourth estate have been breached, leaving the Court the last line of defence but a shaky one at that. Does that leave American democracy forever damaged under Trump? Commentator Deng Yuwen weighs in.

Deng Yuwen

The Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship comes at a perilous time

As the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship kicks off, all eyes are on its approach to three major issues: the South China Sea dispute, the situation in Myanmar and the volatile peace along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Manila-based analyst Don McLain Gill gives his assessment.

Don McLain Gill

Four ways the US could take Greenland — and what it means for China and Russia

Greenland’s attributes as an elevated platform for early warning, space tracking and North Atlantic control explain the naked truth behind the US’s desire to get Greenland. Out of the possible scenarios that this could happen, academic Hao Nan thinks that expanded access under Danish sovereignty, i.e. the Okinawa Model, is the most realistic option.

Hao Nan

When Washington tests the Fed, it tests the dollar

In the face of US President Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell, major central bankers around the world showed their solidarity. This is out of their own interest to see the dollar-centric system preserved and a warning not to engage in self-sabotage. Academic Hao Nan explains.

Hao Nan

From Caracas to Cambodia: How far will Washington go?

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sent shockwaves throughout the world, not least in terms of global rules and what is accepted behaviour. So what can Southeast Asia learn from the US’s recent actions in Venezuela? ISEAS researchers Hoang Thi Ha and Aries A Arugay ponder the question.

Hoang Thi Ha

Japanese expert: China won’t replicate US Maduro raid

Japanese professor Shin Kawashima notes that the US raid in Venezuela is no precedent for Taiwan, and Beijing is unlikely to replicate such military actions despite regional tensions.

Shin Kawashima

Trump’s Maduro raid leaves Xi with no easy options

The capture of Venezuela’s president exposes Beijing’s intelligence failure and forces Xi Jinping to choose between confrontation, restraint or strategic retreat in the western hemisphere. RSIS senior fellow Drew Thompson examines US actions and China’s reading of the situation.

Drew Thompson

Trump unbound: The US unravels the world order it built

US President Donald Trump has recently been making a lot of moves that go against the accepted rules of international relations. US commentator Ian Bremmer analyses the effects of Trump’s unreined actions.

Ian Bremmer

Inside Xi Jinping’s push to reshape global governance

China’s recently unveiled Global Governance Initiative (GGI) differs from earlier calls to reform the global order in terms of the scope and drive for change. Beijing now seeks a leading role on the world stage either with the US playing a diminished role or without the US. But global reception to the GGI hinges on Beijing matching its words with action.

Lye Liang Fook