Europe

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.
Qin Gang, China's foreign minister, during a press conference in Beijing, China, on 7 March 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

When Beijing no longer minces its words about the US

No longer are Chinese officials mincing their words when it comes to the rivalry between the two countries. The recent press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang showed as much, as he directly criticised US actions to contain and suppress China. Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu takes us through the current state of China-US relations.
A local resident walks past a building destroyed by shelling, in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on 13 February 2023. (Sergey Bobok/AFP)

Is China’s peace plan without merit?

Despite China’s proposal for peace talks amid the Russia-Ukraine war, the US continues to be wary of China's intentions. Nonetheless, Russia, Ukraine and Europe have expressed support for China’s proposal to varying degrees, which signals positive progress. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that eventually, peace talks will take place.
Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Lim Jock Hoi pose for pictures before a meeting with Southeast Asian foreign ministers at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, 27 October 2022. (Galih Pradipta/Pool via Reuters)

George Yeo: ASEAN’s advantage in an emerging multipolar world

Delivering the keynote address of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Regional Outlook Forum 2023, Singapore’s former Foreign Minister George Yeo spoke about the ways that ASEAN’s weakness is also a strength in the transition to a multipolar world.
People walk near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, 10 November 2022. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

Not too far, not too close: The French way of handling China

French academic Philippe Le Corre notes that France and China’s fairly close relationship seems to have eroded in recent years, mainly due to market access issues and the gaping trade deficit. While President Macron’s visit in 2023 could change the situation, France currently has no clear advantage over other powers in dealing with China.
Italian Prime Minister and leader of Brothers of Italy party Giorgia Meloni gestures as she attends an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the foundation of Brothers of Italy party in Rome, Italy, 17 December 2022. (Remo Casilli/Reuters)

Italy’s right-wing government can't make up its mind about China?

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her party seem to be adopting a see-saw position on China, notes Italian academic Alessandro Albana. In contrast to voicing strong criticisms in the run-up to the elections, the new right-wing government seems to be engaging China, not least with PM Meloni striking a rapport with China’s President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit in Bali. Do economic imperatives trump election rhetoric after all?
Wang Yi (left), director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Qin Gang, China's new foreign minister. (CNS)

China’s new team of diplomats set the agenda for 2023

China’s new diplomatic team is now in place with director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the helm, says Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan. How will China make its mark in the international arena in the new year?
Employees work on the assembly line during a construction completion event of SAIC Volkswagen MEB electric vehicle plant in Shanghai, China, 8 November 2019. (Aly Song/File Photo/Reuters)

Will Europe pour more money into China?

This year’s dramatic geopolitical changes have significantly altered the calculus for foreign investment in China as large European enterprises are increasingly taking the lead and Japanese businesses are retreating in manufacturing and advancing in services. American companies, on the other hand, are frozen as the US government imposes tough sanctions on China’s tech sector and as manufacturers weigh strategic moves back to the US.
Nadine Hwang, who led a storied life, was known as the 'Chinese Joan of Arc'.

The story of Nadine Hwang: The ‘Chinese Joan of Arc’

Photo collector Zou Dehuai tells the story of Nadine Hwang, a half-Chinese woman who was a rare breed in every sense of the term. Her dramatic life took her from Madrid to China and the salons of Paris, to a concentration camp in Germany, and eventually to Belgium. Amid the tragedy of war, she found love, and through it all, lived life with great spirit.