US-Europe Relations
Politics
Cold reality: China’s Arctic push stalls in Finland
The era of Finland as China’s “Arctic gateway” has given way to a narrow, de-risked partnership. Academic Monique Taylor observes that amid NATO commitments and a fractured geopolitical landscape, Helsinki is trading grand strategic ambitions for pragmatic, low-risk cooperation in trade and green technology.
Monique Taylor
04 May 2026
Politics
Buying time: Germany between a changed US and rising China
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visits to China and the US reflected Germany’s considerations of navigating the two superpowers, while maintaining Germany’s own interests in terms of economy and international relations. Japanese academic Yuichi Morii gives his analysis.
Yuichi Morii
17 Mar 2026
Politics
Wanting Greenland: When the strong stop pretending
The US’s desire to have Greenland is deeply unpopular, whether in the US or in Greenland, observes Danish academic Erik Baark. Ultimately, US President Trump’s disregard for international law, treaties or organisations lays bare the US’s reversion to gunboat diplomacy, ushering in a new era of geopolitics of the mighty.
Erik Baark
23 Jan 2026
Politics
Trump’s summits: Where power spoke louder than peace
Multiple talks for peace in Ukraine were held over the past week, with Trump firmly in the driving seat and European leaders looking largely ineffective. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes the impact of the talks on other countries, including China.
Han Yong Hong
22 Aug 2025
Politics
US-China tariff truce: Quiet compromises set the stage for a long trade war
China and the US quietly made key compromises during the Stockholm talks and agreed to extend their trade truce for 90 days. But will this lead to real progress or just more stalled rhetoric? Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong gives her take.
Han Yong Hong
01 Aug 2025
Politics
Band-Aids on a broken system: The futility of Trump’s economic measures
Limited by systemic constraints, Trump’s short-term economic policies expose fundamental flaws in the American political and economic system, revealing its inability to address deep-seated structural problems, says former journalist Goh Choon Kang.
Goh Choon Kang
23 Apr 2025
Politics
Trump’s tariffs: A catalyst for EU-China cooperation?
Rebalancing ties between Moscow and Kyiv can burnish China’s credentials as a neutral broker in the eyes of the European bloc and, accordingly, pave the way for a reset of the Sino-European relationship amid Trump’s tariffs, says Italian commentator Emanuele Scimia.
Emanuele Scimia
11 Apr 2025
Politics
Taiwan on its own? US rethinks global security and China strategy
How will US President Donald Trump’s isolationist and protectionist outlook impact Europe and other parts of the world that have been relying heavily on the US for support? Commentator Qi Dongtao tells us more about Trump’s global vision and how it will impact the world order and reshape spheres of influence, including mainland China and Taiwan.
Qi Dongtao
17 Mar 2025
Politics
China in Ukraine? A surprising twist in global peacekeeping
Following the ceasefire agreement on the war in Ukraine, one possibility is that China might send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. But how likely is that, and how would it be arranged? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Sim Tze Wei finds out more.
Sim Tze Wei
13 Mar 2025
Politics
Can the Western bloc survive Trump’s transactional politics?
UK academic Zeno Leoni believes that the Western bloc is not going to fragment in two blocs just yet, but it is going to be less driven by values and based on “transactional” principles, leaving Europe with much strategising to do.
Zeno Leoni
13 Mar 2025