Security
Politics
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
Politics
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
Politics
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
Politics
Iran misread what China meant by ‘strategic partner’
Iranians have long considered how China would act in a crisis involving the US and Israel. It got its answer in the recent Iran war, where it has had to lower its expectations and extract practical gains from China, observes Iranian analyst Mohammad Khatibi.
Mohammad Khatibi
11 Aug 2026
Society
Passports surrendered: Inside China’s expanding web of exit controls
China’s new regulations have reignited concerns over who may be prevented from leaving the country. While Beijing says the measures are aimed at safeguarding national security, broad discretionary powers and vague definitions could create greater uncertainty for travellers, says Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu.
Yang Danxu
05 Aug 2026
Politics
Japan and Taiwan’s strategic convergence in the Indo-Pacific
Japan’s updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy and Taiwan’s expanding diplomatic vision are helping to foster an increasingly aligned approach while avoiding unnecessary confrontation with China. Japanese academic Madoka Fukuda tells us more.
Madoka Fukuda
04 Aug 2026
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
Technology
How China split Silicon Valley over AI
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang’s push for open-weight AI has generated fierce debate in Silicon Valley. Behind the divide lies China’s rapid AI advance, reshaping competition, security concerns and Washington’s AI strategy. Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu gives an analysis.
Yang Danxu
29 Jul 2026
Technology
China’s real space race is not against SpaceX
China’s recovery of a Long March 10B orbital-class rocket booster shows it is starting to achieve reusability. Once it can launch satellites at lower cost and replicate it, it can control the orbital economy, observes technopreneur Akhmad Hanan.
Akhmad Hanan
22 Jul 2026
Politics
Why Britain nationalised British Steel despite Chinese outrage
The UK’s nationalisation of British Steel has drawn sharp criticism from China, but the dispute goes beyond one company. It reflects a broader shift in which national security increasingly outweighs market logic in shaping global investment decisions, says Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu.
Yang Danxu
22 Jul 2026