Xi Jinping

People make their way around Times Square on 7 June 2023 in New York City, US. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images/AFP)

China and US: Who is the ticking time bomb?

US President Joe Biden raised hackles with his recent comment about China being a “ticking time bomb”, alongside observations about its economy and unemployment rate. Former journalist Goh Choon Kang examines the question of who is more likely to be a time bomb, and highlights that it serves no purpose for the US and China to be pointing fingers at each other.
People are seen below a giant screen showing news footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking virtually to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, which was being held in India, at a shopping mall in Beijing, China, on 4 July 2023. (Greg Baker/AFP)

Politics takes precedence over economy in Xi’s Chinese-style modernisation

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech in February criticising the West was recently quoted in a Chinese Communist Party publication, and Lianhe Zaobao journalist Edwin Ong notes that the renewed attention could be intended to strengthen the political consensus among officials and citizens. Meanwhile, Xi’s emphasis on treading a different path from Western modernisation could come at the expense of its economy.
Chinese honour guards prepare for the arrival of China’s Premier Li Qiang and Mongolia's Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene ahead of a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 28 June 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

China's abrupt leadership changes reveal Xi's grip on power

Taiwan academic Tsai Wen-Hsuan looks at the recent removal and disappearances of senior Chinese officials and discusses if these events reflect a shift in political dynamics among China’s high-ups and if President Xi Jinping’s power has been challenged.
In this handout file photo taken and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 21 June 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his arrival at Pyongyang international airport in Pyongyang. (KCNA via KNS/AFP)

A China-North Korea summit may be good for the world

It appears that China and North Korea are in a renewed honeymoon phase, with a possible China-North Korea summit on the cards. This may not necessarily be all bad, says Japanese academic Atsuhito Isozaki.
Red flags fly over Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on 12 March 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

Chinese ambassador to Singapore: In a tumultuous world, what should we do?

Chinese ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan explains China’s stand on building global security, premised on its recent position papers on the Global Security Initiative and the Ukraine crisis.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, alongside Chinese Vice Premiers Ding Xuexiang and He Lifeng, attends a news conference following the closing session of the National People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, 13 March 13, 2023. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang's new government will be faithful executors of CCP's grand plans

Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu looks at the first press conference by new Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and notes how he has defined the role of the new government as an "implementation team", which will faithfully uphold the authority of the CCP Central Committee and implement the plans of the 20th Party Congress.
(From left to right) Newly-elected Chinese state councilor Qin Gang, state councilor and secretary-general of the State Council Wu Zhenglong, state councilor Li Shangfu, China's Vice Premiers Zhang Guoqing, Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Liu Guozhong, Chinese state councilors Wang Xiaohong and Shen Yiqin swear an oath after they were elected during the fifth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 12 March 2023. (Noel Celis/AFP)

China’s new State Council and the president’s men

Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan looks at the new Chinese government installed over the weekend, noting the gradual weakening of power of the State Council, just as many of President Xi’s close aides are appointed to the executive body. What might this mean for China’s leadership in the future?
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers the government work report on 5 March 2023 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. (CNS)

Li Keqiang’s departure means political leaders of Xi’s generation have all but retired

Li Keqiang delivered his last government work report on 5 March in his capacity as Chinese premier, a role he had held for a decade. With his departure from the scene comes the retreat of fellow CYL faction cadres, and the retirement of the political leaders of Xi’s generation. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan has the details.
A woman walks past a billboard showing Chinese President Xi Jinping with a slogan which reads "Remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind" in Beijing on 28 February 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

Possible reforms to security agencies expose CCP's anxiety over external and internal risks

The 20th Party Congress set the direction for the Chinese Communist Party, but it is the upcoming Two Sessions that measures will be discussed and put into action. The highlight is the likely reforms to national security agencies, as well as finance and other sectors.