Security

[Big read] Big Pharma bets billions on China biotech — will Washington pull the plug?

Western drugmakers are pouring billions into China’s fast-growing biotech sector, but the US’s push to scrutinise outbound investment could put one of the few thriving areas of US-China cooperation at risk. Lianhe Zaobao’s senior foreign correspondent Pang Kia Nian finds out more.

Pang Kia Nian

25 Sep 2026

How US curbs could split the robot world 

US restrictions on foreign-made advanced robotic devices are unlikely to hurt China in the long term, but a greater concern is the fragmentation of the global robotics industry into competing technological ecosystems, say researcher Songruowen Ma and analyst Tony Zhao.

Songruowen Ma, Tony Zhao

22 Sep 2026

China’s catch-all border laws: A deterrent or cause for unnecessary anxiety?

China’s new border rules aim to deter cross-border crimes. But vague wording and stricter border checks are sparking widespread anxiety among everyday travellers. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Chen Jing explains the ambiguity fuelling public concern.

Chen Jing

22 Sep 2026

Chan Chun Sing: Winning the world requires example, not force

Speaking at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing urged nations to build trust, embrace interdependence, and lead by the “power of example” to ensure global stability. This is an edited transcript of his speech.

Chan Chun Sing

21 Sep 2026

[Big read] Will Canada’s tit-for-tat bet against the US pay off?

Canada is taking the defensive against US tariffs with tit-for-tat moves. Lianhe Zaobao associate foreign editor Poh Hwee Hoon speaks with academics to find out if the middle power can come out of this trade war in one piece.

Poh Hwee Hoon

21 Sep 2026

Why Luckin Coffee struggles to cross the Taiwan Strait

Mainland Chinese brand Luckin Coffee’s attempted entry into Taiwan has become entangled in questions over mainland investment, its proposed local agency arrangement and even national security. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lai Oi Lai finds out more.

Lai Oi Lai

21 Sep 2026

How ZTE changed Xi Jinping’s vision for China’s tech future

The 2018 ZTE crisis exposed China’s vulnerability to US technology controls. For Xi Jinping, it became a defining lesson in why technological self-reliance, strategic resilience and control over critical technologies matter. Professor Tan Kong Yam analyses its lasting impact.

Tan Kong Yam

10 Sep 2026

China’s Pacific ambitions go beyond isolating Taiwan

China’s objectives in strengthening ties with the Pacific island countries have gone beyond restricting Taiwan’s international space to more strategic considerations such as blunting US military power in the Indo-Pacific and projecting its own influence and power beyond the second island chain, observes ISEAS researcher Lye Liang Fook.

Lye Liang Fook

04 Sep 2026

[Big read] China’s AI catch-up is forcing Silicon Valley to cut prices

China’s AI catch-up is challenging US dominance as cheaper, open-weight models spread. As both sides compete for the frontier and mass market, the lines between their AI ecosystems are hardening. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Sha finds out.

Liu Sha

25 Aug 2026

The Mecca agreement’s implications for China

​The Mecca pact among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey calls for NATO-like collective defence, but a more realistic outcome could be greater mediation roles for each of the parties and gains for China, a close partner of all three. Academic Alessandro Arduino explains.

Alessandro Arduino

21 Aug 2026

Fudan targeted as universities become casualties of the tech war

Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have been placed on a US national security list, while China has targeted a European university. The moves signal a new era in which academic research is increasingly treated as a security risk. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei reports.

Sim Tze Wei

18 Aug 2026

The Taiwan Strait needs circuit breakers, not just deterrence

Military and coast guard encounters are becoming more frequent in the Western Pacific and around Taiwan, raising the risk that a limited incident could spiral into wider conflict. Deterrence alone is not enough; the region needs safeguards to contain escalation and create off-ramps, says researcher Hao Nan.

Hao Nan

17 Aug 2026