Technology

Winning the AI race without an OpenAI

Countries don’t need to build the next OpenAI to lead in AI. The real advantage lies in embedding AI across the economy, institutions and public services faster than everyone else, argue researchers Laurence Liew and Willie Shi.

Laurence Liew, Willie Jianzheng Shi

02 Jul 2026

‘We’re not that wealthy’: Beijing’s answer to China Shock 2.0

As trade tensions flare, China’s leadership is fiercely defending Chinese enterprises and rejecting the Western narrative of China as a threat. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong takes a look at the key takeaways of Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s speech during the Summer Davos forum.

Han Yong Hong

26 Jun 2026

High-tech farming cannot rescue China’s smallholders

China has grand plans for innovation-driven productivity in the agricultural sector, but how will these initiatives trickle down to the regions and the large proportion of smallholder farmers? Researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May discusses the issue.

Genevieve Donnellon-May

26 Jun 2026

How AI is rewiring white-collar work in China

AI was supposed to boost productivity. Instead, for many Chinese workers, it has meant layoffs, lower pay and shrinking job security as companies reshape work around doing more with less.

Caixin Global

26 Jun 2026

From SpaceX to Meta: The geopolitics of who gets to invest

While SpaceX underwriters barred orders from investors in mainland China and Hong Kong leading up to its IPO, the Chinese government blocked Meta’s acquisition of Manus. Law experts Tan Chong Huat and Amanda Chen analyse the implications of such moves.

Tan Chong Huat, Amanda Chen

25 Jun 2026

How Taiwan overtook China as Singapore’s top trading partner

Fuelled by the global AI boom and a complementary chip ecosystem, total trade between Singapore and Taiwan surged in 2025, unseating mainland China from the top spot. Lianhe Zaobao senior business correspondent Lewis Ong Yong Huat speaks with economists to find out more.

Lewis Ong Yong Huat

24 Jun 2026

Beyond Elon Musk: Who benefits from the trillionaire era?

As SpaceX propels Elon Musk into the history books as the first trillionaire, academic Ruay-Shiung Chang posits that the ultimate test for the modern economy is whether tech prosperity can be shared, or if inequality will skyrocket. 

Ruay-Shiung Chang

24 Jun 2026

Undersea cables: The new US-China frontline

From trade wars to the seabed, Washington and Beijing are locked in a high-stakes struggle for control over global undersea cables and leadership of the future digital order. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei looks into the matter.

Sim Tze Wei

24 Jun 2026

When employees leave, their AI clones carry on working

Companies are racing to turn workers’ skills and know-how into AI-powered digital employees. But as the technology advances, more workers are fighting to stop their expertise from being extracted — and used against them.

Caixin Global

19 Jun 2026

Has China hit the limits of chip self-reliance?

China is producing more chips than ever, but because its exports remain cheap compared to high-end imports, Beijing still depends heavily on foreign semiconductor technology. Economist Min-Hua Chiang shares her findings.

Min-Hua Chiang

16 Jun 2026

What SpaceX’s IPO means for China

While the SpaceX IPO may spur greater Chinese investment in AI-related high technology, it could also lead to side effects like speculative bubbles. Meanwhile, with national security politics overriding commercial pragmatism, China may increasingly be at a disadvantage. EAI senior research fellow Bo Chen analyses the situation.

Bo Chen

15 Jun 2026

How Japan’s FOIP is reinforcing ASEAN’s strategic autonomy

The concept of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) was first proposed in 2016 by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and now it has been updated under the Sanae Takaichi administration. Japanese academic Sukegawa Seiya notes that the FOIP is a channel for promoting regional cooperation with ASEAN, while respecting its autonomy.

Sukegawa Seiya

12 Jun 2026