United Nations
Politics
Vivian Balakrishnan: Upholding the rule of law in a fragmenting world
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan made the case for enduring multilateralism while delivering Singapore’s national statement at the General Debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York on 26 September. He spoke about complying with international law and the norms of multilateralism; reforming existing institutions where needed; and collectively formulating new rules and institutions for new technologies, including possibly establishing a UN Framework Convention on AI Safeguards. This is an edited version of the transcript.
Vivian Balakrishnan
28 Sep 2026
Politics
A fairer map? Why the US said no
A recent UN resolution backing the Equal Earth projection highlights how global mapmaking is as much about political power and ideological perception as it is about geographic accuracy and digital technology. Academic Zhang Tiankan gives his take on the matter.
Zhang Tiankan
18 Sep 2026
Politics
Bilahari Kausikan: On international law and foreign policy
Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan sounds the reminder that abiding by international law is a choice countries make in their own national interest, and that serving the latter is the only consistency in countries’ foreign policy, in a speech delivered at the Law Society of Singapore’s Public International Law Conference on 3 September 2026. This is an edited version of the transcript.
Bilahari Kausikan
18 Sep 2026
Politics
The new AI blocs: Are China’s WAICO and America’s Pax Silica splitting the tech world?
China’s WAICO and the US-led Pax Silica represent two competing approaches to AI governance. As both gain traction, the question is whether they will create rival technological spheres or coexist within a shared global framework, says academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
24 Jul 2026
Economy
The West’s industrial policy double standard
For decades, industrial policy was discouraged in developing economies, even as China’s state-led model reshaped global supply chains. Now, with the US and Europe embracing massive interventions, the old orthodoxy looks less like principle than self-interest. Academic Guanie Lim examines how the discourse on industrial policy has shifted.
Guanie Lim
27 Apr 2026
Politics
The Board of Peace: A pay-to-play world order?
Boardroom politics may replace global diplomacy with US President Trump’s new Board of Peace. In this architecture, peace is only a privilege for those who can pay for a seat at the chairman’s table. Commentator Imran Khalid shares his views.
Imran Khalid
11 Feb 2026
Politics
Replacing the UN? Trump goes too far
US President Donald Trump’s mafia-style intimidation, extortion and coercion are finally forcing countries to act, with traditional allies leading the revolt. Former journalist Goh Choon Kang explains why Trump’s Board of Peace has hit a dead end before it even takes off.
Goh Choon Kang
03 Feb 2026
Politics
Who won the Taiwan call game? How the three leaders took what they wanted
Takaichi, Trump and Xi each walked away with political wins, shaping narratives to their advantage. The US holds influence over Japan’s choices, while China quietly advances its legal and strategic positioning. Lianhe Zaobao’s associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei gives an analysis.
Sim Tze Wei
26 Nov 2025
Politics
America’s new partner in Damascus — and China’s strategic setback
The restoration of US–Syria relations proves to be an obstacle for China’s influence in the eastern Mediterranean, as the new Syrian government is less receptive to China. Academic Ma Haiyun says that for China, the loss of Assad and the unresolved Uighur presence in Syria reveal the limits of its Middle Eastern diplomacy.
Ma Haiyun
14 Nov 2025
Economy
Beijing’s green vow: Enough to save the planet — or just hot air?
Can China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases and a global leader in clean energy, deliver on its first economy-wide climate pledge without undermining its economic, industrial and energy priorities? Genevieve Donnellon-May ponders the question.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
09 Oct 2025
Politics
How Qatar’s strike shattered illusions and ended Gulf complacency
After Israel’s strike in Qatar, the veil has been lifted that the Gulf states and their close alignment with the US would leave them unscathed. In the aftermath, the Gulf states are thinking hard about how to keep the American superstructure, but wire in alternative circuits so no single partner can pull the plug, says academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
30 Sep 2025