Politics

Liu Jianchao and Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of the Chinese Media Group, SPH Media, at the FutureChina Dialogue at Shangri-la Singapore on 27 March 2024. (SPH Media)

China’s Liu Jianchao shows his tact in communicating with the outside world

In a dialogue hosted by Business China, Lianhe Zaobao and ThinkChina this week in Singapore, senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao showed his skill and eloquence in responding to tricky questions about China. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu gives us the highlights of the session.
TikTok offices in Culver City, California, US, on 20 March 2024. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg)

The countdown begins: TikTok navigates uncertain future amid US ban bill

A legislation passed on 13 March by the US House of Representatives which is currently pending in the Senate would force TikTok's parent company to sell it within 180 days or face a nationwide ban. Is there still room for manoeuvre and can TikTok turn the situation around?
Liu Jianchao speaks at a session during the FutureChina Dialogue at Shangri-la Singapore, on 27 March 2024. (SPH Media)

Chinese Minister Liu Jianchao: Asia’s choice matters

Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Liu Jianchao made a keynote speech at the FutureChina Dialogue 2024 on 27 March co-organised by Business China Singapore, Lianhe Zaobao and ThinkChina. He spoke about Asia’s role amid turbulence and the realignments of relationships among major countries of the world, and China’s role in engaging with the region and working together to build better lives for their peoples. This is an edited transcript of his speech.
Anti-landing barricades are seen on the beach with China's Xiamen in the background in Kinmen, Taiwan, on 18 December 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

From Kinmen to the South China Sea: Weaponising narratives

In cases like the Kinmen capsizing incident and in its dealings with the Philippines, China uses its own interpretation of history and international law to launch a narrative where it is the aggrieved party, says Philippine academic Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby. She cautions that crafting a narrative requires anchoring it in strategy instead of being knee-jerk reactions that can lead nations down paths best avoided.
A view of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, China, on 12 March 2024. (Paul Yeung/Bloomberg)

[Big read] As the use of Mandarin becomes more common, Hong Kong faces identity crisis

Under British colonial rule, Hong Kong developed its own flavour and culture, a unique blend of East and West. However, since its handover to Beijing, some would say Hong Kong has gradually become more and more like mainland China, not least in terms of how Mandarin seems to be more widely used in everyday life, especially with the influx of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing reports.
Pedestrians are reflected on a curved mirror next to Japan’s national flag in a shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, on 19 March 2024. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Japan’s perception of China continues to deteriorate

Japanese academic Shin Kawashima notes that public opinion in Japan towards China is getting worse, with "unfriendly" sentiments at a record high. However, the younger generation views China more positively, and tends to see China-Japan relations as "important". What impact will these sentiments have on Japan's foreign policy towards China?
A member of the People's Liberation Army in front of a portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong at Tiananmen Square ahead of the closing of the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing, China, on 11 March 2024. (Bloomberg)

China’s reform and opening up needs a breakthrough

Commentator Wei Da says that the rise and fall of civilisations across history have demonstrated that the management of the government’s power, the protection of individual property rights and the independent judicial system are the indispensable trinity of modern civilisation. Will China be able to learn these lessons amid its reform and opening up?
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) shakes hands with Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ahead of the family photo during the 50th ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne on 5 March 2024. (William West/AFP)

Philippines-Australia strategic partnership in an era of geopolitical realignment

The recent visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to Australia demonstrates the resolve of the Philippines to solidify its strategic partnerships with like-minded states in the Indo-Pacific region.
People watch a video about China’s military advancements at the Military Museum in Beijing, China, on 3 March 2024. (Greg Baker/AFP)

PLA upgrades armaments in race against US military

Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that to catch up to the US in terms of military might, China has been investing heavily in modernising its armaments, particularly in the areas of aircraft carriers and stealth aircraft technology. Not only that, the PLA also wants to develop its own unique “trump card”.