World Order
Politics
Bilahari Kausikan: How to think about foreign policy and geopolitics
Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan rues the general lack of understanding about foreign policy and geopolitics. On Ukraine, US-China relations and the wars in the Middle East, he offers some rubrics to fall back on in a speech delivered at the Humanity Matters Charity Conference at the Institute of Lifelong Learning in July. This is an edited version of the transcript.
Bilahari Kausikan
28 Aug 2026
Politics
[Video] Bilahari Kausikan: How to navigate the new world order
Bilahari Kausikan, in an interview with ThinkChina editor Chow Yian Ping, examines how US-China rivalry is reshaping the global order, why China’s “China dream” narrative of national rejuvenation remains powerful but limiting, and how a more fluid, multipolar Asia will test the nimbleness of smaller states such as Singapore.
Chow Yian Ping
12 Aug 2026
Politics
Why China and the US need each other to compete
Far from heading towards complete decoupling, China and the US remain locked in a relationship where mutual dependence underpins both competition and cooperation, reshaping the future global order, notes academic Tan Kong Yam.
Tan Kong Yam
06 Aug 2026
Politics
China’s G2 reality and Hormuz’s new normal
As the world increasingly sees China and the US as a de facto G2, experts debate China’s global role while warning of a new normal in the Strait of Hormuz. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Edwin Ong highlights key takeaways from the eighth Singapore-China Forum.
Edwin Ong
07 Jul 2026
Politics
Why ASEAN is engaging Putin while the G7 looks away
The Kazan summit highlighted Russia’s emergence as a useful partner for ASEAN and exposed the limits of Western efforts to isolate Moscow in an increasingly multipolar international order. Researcher Ronny P Sasmita examines the situation.
Ronny P Sasmita
30 Jun 2026
Technology
Who rules space may shape the world below: The US-China battle for orbit
Space is no longer simply a frontier of exploration. It is the newest arena of US-China rivalry — and a contest spanning military power, technological leadership, economic influence and alliances that could shape the global order for decades to come, argues researcher Tahir Mahmood Azad.
Tahir Mahmood Azad
16 Jun 2026
Politics
Trump and Putin’s visits confirm Beijing as the new global pivot
China’s recent hosting of both the US and Russian presidents shows that while it is not yet replacing the US as the strongest among the three powers, there is a definite shift in the balance, and China is dealing with both on its own terms. Academic Alexander Korolev explains.
Alexander Korolev
26 May 2026
Politics
Why China must reject Trump’s ‘G2’ narrative
China’s embrace of multilateralism and rejection of a US-led “G2” order reflects Beijing’s belief that only broader global cooperation can counterbalance American pressure and reshape an increasingly fractured world order. Academic Gu Bin gives his take.
Gu Bin
20 May 2026
Politics
Trump–Xi summit delivers a triple win
While the US has unsuccessfully sought to suppress China, the latter has responded calmly and effectively to signal that it is not to be taken for granted. The latest meeting between the US and Chinese leaders may mark a new chapter of greater stability, both bilaterally and globally. Academic Gu Qingyang gives his analysis.
Gu Qingyang
18 May 2026
Politics
Why Southeast Asia wants a boring Trump-Xi summit
Southeast Asia is hoping the Trump-Xi meeting delivers something rare: stability. Despite Trump’s unpredictability, ASEAN sees calmer US-China ties as vital while diversifying beyond both powers, says ISEAS researcher Stephen Olson.
Stephen Olson
12 May 2026
