China-US relations

Classes at National Chengchi University's Chinese Language Center operate in smaller sizes conducive to a higher level of engagement between teachers and students. (Photo: Woon Wei Jong)

Taiwan gains ground as destination to learn Mandarin

A record number of foreign students are choosing to study Mandarin in Taiwan, breaking pre-pandemic records. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Woon Wei Jong looks at the appeal of Taiwan as a Mandarin-learning hub and the impact on its international standing.
US President George W. Bush attends the 2001 APEC summit held in Beijing and poses for a photo with Chinese President Jiang Zemin wearing traditional Chinese clothing.

[Photo story] Fifty years of China-US relations [Part 2]

In the second of a two-part feature, historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao looks at issues with democracy and freedom in China and the US, noting that neither is superior to the other but a product of their respective histories.
This photo taken on 2 February 2024 shows the head of Product Management and Operations of Wantalk, an artificial intelligence chatbot created by Chinese tech company Baidu, scrolling through virtual character profiles on her phone, at the Baidu headquarters in Beijing, China. (Jade Gao/AFP)

With Sora, is China’s AI falling further behind?

Technology expert Yin Ruizhi takes us through the latest development in generative AI technology: Sora, OpenAI’s new video creation software. How will this change the landscape, and how far will China fall behind in the AI race?
A shot of the Tianlong-2 rocket launched by Space Pioneer in April 2023. (Photo provided by Space Pioneer)

[Big read] Can China have its own SpaceX?

Amid China-US competition, one area of interest is the commercial aerospace industry, where China is preparing to develop its own capabilities. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Wong Siew Fong explores the issue.
Shiyu or Lion Islet, which is part of Kinmen County, one of Taiwan's offshore islands, is seen with China's Xiamen in the background, in Kinmen, Taiwan, on 18 December 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Likelihood of crises in Taiwan Strait rises as ‘grey areas’ disappear

US academic Zhu Zhiqun observes that the ambiguity and grey areas created through tacit understanding among Beijing, Taipei and Washington have long helped sustain the Taiwan Strait peace and prosperity. Once these grey areas fall apart, the fragile stability in the Taiwan Strait could be broken, leading to crises.
TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken on 22 August 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Will TikTok survive the latest attack from the US?

Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that the US’s latest moves against TikTok are getting a response from TikTok as well as its users. Will TikTok survive the latest onslaught and will the Chinese government back the company?
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast of the Far East Region, Russia, on 13 September 2023. (KCNA via Reuters)

China staying on the sidelines of growing Russia–North Korea ties

Cambodian research fellow Bunly Ek observes that China continues to play a wait-and-see approach on forming a trio with Russia and North Korea. China is well aware that it can achieve its objectives by staying close with each of the countries bilaterally, and a high-profile trio would only put itself in the firing range of the West and its other neighbours.
A pedestrian rides an escalator in Pudong's Lujiazui Financial District in Shanghai, China, on 29 January 2024. (Raul Ariano/Bloomberg)

Will following the US bring peace and prosperity to China?

Many in the Chinese world have unquestionably accepted the idea that friendly relations with the US will guarantee a country’s prosperity. However, academic Jianyong Yue notes that despite the honeymoon period between China and the US in the 1980s, China was still not endowed preferential treatment. Meanwhile, many countries have seen immense development even without the help of the US.
A supporter of Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump holds a sign outside Forrest Fire BBQ restaurant ahead of a campaign event of Republican presidential candidate and former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in Hilton Head, South Carolina, US, on 1 February 2024. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

China does not want Donald Trump to come back

Commentator Jin Jian Guo notes that among those running to be the next US president, former President Donald Trump is China’s least favoured to enter the White House, as he is likely to bring back the harsh measures he imposed against China during his previous term.