Taiwan

ThinkCartoon (20 May 2026)

Heng Kim Song has been the freelance editorial cartoonist for Lianhe Zaobao since 1984. His cartoons are also featured in many major international publications including The New York Times, Asahi Shimbun, JoongAng Ilbo, South China Morning Post and Yazhou Zhoukan. His many awards include the Top Award in United Nations ESCAP’s Cartoon Competition and the Grafica Internazionale Award presented by Italian Museum of Political Satire and Caricature. Heng has also participated in many international exhibitions and events, including the World Economic Forum Annual Meetings held in Davos, Switzerland.

Heng Kim Song

Trump-Xi summit leaves Taiwan independence camp on edge

Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is reeling after US President Donald Trump, following his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, bluntly warned against any push for independence. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Chuang Hui Liang notes that this signals a potential shift in US policy, forcing Taipei to urgently redefine its cross-strait strategy.

Chuang Hui Liang

Trump-Xi summit delivers deals — and exposes fault lines

At the US-China Summit in Beijing, while China focused on pushing a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability”, the US looked to advance business deals and kept the Taiwan card close to its chest. While both sides want some kind of stability, it is anyone’s guess when the house of cards would topple. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong weighs in on the issue.

Han Yong Hong

Trump in Beijing: Why even limited success is remarkable

Pomp and pageantry aside, the US-China summit focused on business and trade deliverables, with upbeat atmospherics masking deeper tensions. US academic Zhiqun Zhu explains why even limited progress is notable in a relationship defined by rivalry, mistrust and deep structural tensions.

Zhiqun Zhu

[Big read] Banned or not, Taiwanese keep heading to mainland China anyway

Despite restrictions on group tours, Taiwanese continue travelling to mainland China in growing numbers, driven by demand, rising costs at home and expanding unofficial travel channels. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Chuang Hui Liang reports from Taipei.

Chuang Hui Liang

Xi raises stakes over Taiwan, warns US of ‘clash or even conflict’

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned visiting US President Donald Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could trigger a “clash or even conflict”, as Beijing raised the stakes in US-China ties. Analysts said the wording signals heightened urgency in Beijing’s Taiwan stance. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han reports.

Miao Zong-Han

Xi and Trump set for a second-best outcome in Beijing

As Trump makes his way to meet Xi in Beijing, the friction between the two countries will be difficult to resolve, and observers believe that the talks are unlikely to produce any major breakthroughs. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei finds out from academics that stability and guardrails for bilateral relations is the least one might expect for a positive outcome of the summit.

Sim Tze Wei

Lai Ching-te’s Japan-era tribute clouds Trump-Xi summit

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s visit to honour Japanese-era engineer Yoichi Hatta at Wushantou Reservoir has triggered political backlash at home and criticism from Beijing, coming just days before the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, where Taiwan tensions loom. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks into the matter.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

High ceremony, low expectations as Trump meets Xi in Beijing

Trump meets Xi in Beijing for a carefully choreographed summit dominated by trade, Taiwan and geopolitical tensions. Despite high ceremony and tightly managed optics, expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited on both sides. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei and journalist Meng Dandan break down what to expect.

Sim Tze Wei

The politics of mainland spouses in Taiwan

China-born politician Li Chen-hsiu was recently expelled from Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan and the Taiwan People’s Party, highlighting the plight of mainland spouses in Taiwan. The existing legal framework provides ambiguity and thus some flexibility, but the status quo is changing under a government that increasingly defines Taiwan in opposition to China. Malaysian academic Ngeow Chow Bing explores the implications of this development.

Ngeow Chow Bing

Ahead of Xi-Trump talks: Middle East, trade, Taiwan loom large ​

While the battle for the Strait of Hormuz takes centre stage, it is merely a pawn in the intensifying China-US rivalry. The upcoming Xi-Trump summit looms as a decisive arena where the Taiwan issue, energy security, trade sanctions and the AI race will clash. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei tells us more.

Sim Tze Wei

Is Taiwan’s autonomy on the table at the Trump-Xi Beijing summit?

With US President Trump’s visit to China coming up, Taiwan is left especially vulnerable, fearing it will be used in the game of smoke and mirrors between the US and China. With the Democratic Progressive Party putting all its eggs in the US’s basket, Taiwan’s strategic autonomy is all but lost, says US academic Zhiqun Zhu.

Zhiqun Zhu