Foreign policy

People crossing the street in front of the Paramount Global headquarters in Times Square, New York City, 8 August 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/AFP)

The global south and global north: Where does Singapore belong?

Former journalist Goh Choon Kang notes the gap between the global north and global south, with more affluent countries not delivering on promises and commitments made to less developed countries. Is there hope of reconciling the strong and the weak?
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet poses for pictures, as he attends an event to meet with garment workers on his first public appearance since taking office, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 29 August 2023. (Cindy Liu/Reuters)

Cambodia’s foreign policy under new Prime Minister Hun Manet

Hun Manet, son of Hun Sen, has been named Cambodia’s new prime minister in August. While Cambodia has maintained a close relationship with China during Hun Sen’s rule, how will its new leader negotiate the nation’s foreign relations amid great power rivalry? Cambodian commentator Rim Sokvy says even if the new leadership wants to align more with the West, and improve the transparency and accountability of the nation's bureaucratic system, the current state of domestic politics could hold it back from doing so.
This handout image provided by the UAE Ministry Of Presidential Affairs shows UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (R) standing by as Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signs the guest book during an official reception at Qasr al-Watan in Abu Dhabi on 17 July 2023. (Hamad Al-Kaabi/UAE's Ministry of Presidential Affairs/AFP)

Japan's diplomatic strategy in Asia: Maintaining uniqueness despite growing security concerns

While Japan wants to be "unique" in its diplomacy, these days it seems that it is less flexible than it used to be as global attention shifts to security. Will Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's recent visit to the Middle East restore some confidence?
Singapore flags seen adorning the rooftop carpark of People's Park Complex in Chinatown, Singapore, 28 July 2023. (SPH Media)

Singapore ambassador to the US responds to Washington Post: Singapore media will not choose sides

In response to the Washington Post’s recent article that accused Lianhe Zaobao for echoing Beijing’s propaganda, Singapore ambassador to the US Lui Tuck Yew argues that Singapore’s media, along with the country’s foreign policy, will not choose sides between the US and China.
Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee Wang Yi (left) attends a Friends of BRICS (a grouping of the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) meeting in Johannesburg on 24 July 2023. (Elmond Jiyane/GCIS/AFP)

Will China’s measured stance continue under reappointed Foreign Minister Wang Yi?

Former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who had a meteoric rise and just as swift a fall, was thought to have adopted a more measured tone in China’s foreign policy. Are fears of a return to wolf warrior diplomacy under Wang Yi unfounded? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Edwin Ong assesses the situation.
Members of the EU Parliament vote during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Starsbourg, France, 13 June 2023. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

One Union, many voices: The EU’s fragmented approach to China

Europe’s disunity may be working to its disfavour, says Italian academic Alessandro Albana. While Brussels and some EU member states emphasise “de-risking”, there are other factors to think about, such as Europe’s long-term economic relations with China and the possibility that China can play a role in bringing an end to the Ukraine war.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on 19 June 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool/AFP)

Blinken’s China trip exceeded expectations

Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu notes that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s China visit achieved intangible but important small steps in steering the US-China relationship out of high-escalation waters and bringing it back to the improved situation after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President’s Xi Jinping’s meeting in Bali last year.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Bejing, China, 18 June 2023. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

Blinken’s trip to China is not a wasted one

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing was arranged through mutual agreement rather than an invitation from China, and it remains to be seen what will come out of it. Will there be any consensus reached, and what does this mean for future China-US relations?
US President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference following the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on 21 May 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

Is Biden's promise of a US-China thaw believable?

China and the US probably both know that they need each other, which is why over the past few months, amid the hostilities, they have been testing each other’s limits and adjusting their strategies, and maintaining the tussling without cracking.