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A TV screen shows an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang during a news programme at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul on June 21, 2024. Photo: AP
North Korea

Opinion | North Korea’s deepening military alliance with Russia should worry China

While China presents a united front with North Korea and Russia, the latter two growing closer puts Beijing’s own interests and influence at risk.

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Asean

Opinion | Could Asean help jump-start US-China trade negotiations?

United States

Macroscope | IMF’s tariff warnings may be too little, too late

Diplomacy

Opinion | A world on edge is headed for a geopolitical reckoning – in May

Lasting changes could arise from the Trump vs Xi diplomatic chess, EU’s emerging strategy and political flux in Seoul, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
United States

Opinion | Trump’s bullying raises the prospect of a US gone rogue

The US president’s chaotic approach is not restricted to trade and could throw the rules-based international order into crisis.

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Australia

Opinion | Trump tariff shock should jolt Australia into standing on its own

Breaking away from its long-time ally will be painful for Canberra, but Washington has already taken the first irreversible step.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | As US retreats, Asian powers can reshape world order to meet their needs

Global South countries, tired of bearing the costs of globalisation, are asserting their economic visions.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

Opinion | As Xi Jinping visits Malaysia, lessons from the Ming dynasty could be useful

Trump’s trade war and his imperialistic rhetoric should prompt the Global South to unite in favour of an approach that prioritises engagement.

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Asia housing and property

The View | Asian real estate in a Trumpian age: buy Japan and India, avoid China?

While China might be fertile ground for experienced investors, Japan and India have more of the stability and fundamentals markets demand.

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Japan

Opinion | Will Trump’s economic tsunami undermine the US-Japan security partnership?

Tariff shocks have eroded the tentative confidence that the alliance was on a strong footing under Trump’s second administration.

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US President Donald Trump meets Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House in Washington, US, on February 7. Photo: Reuters
Diplomacy

Opinion | How China can help Bangladesh escape India’s foreign policy grip

The 15 years of Hasina government saw Bangladesh draw closer to India but for the next stage of greater regional integration, it needs China.

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A train is pictured during a trial run along the newly-constructed Belt and Road Initiative rail line via the China-built Padma Bridge in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on September 7, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
A train is pictured during a trial run along the newly-constructed Belt and Road Initiative rail line via the China-built Padma Bridge in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on September 7, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
Vietnam

Asian Angle | The ‘Tariff Man’ cometh: Vietnam’s misplaced faith in Trump 2.0

Hanoi was once confident in navigating a second Trump term. Now it faces the harsh reality of his trade policies eating into economic growth.

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Asean

My Take | Is Trump’s tariff reprieve a false dawn for small Asian nations?

Trump’s tariff pause offers Asian nations a glimmer of hope, but uncertainty looms, as trade talks could squeeze low-income economies further.

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India

Opinion | How India’s diplomatic gamble with the US failed to pay off

The Trump administration has not spared India from tariff war escalations, and New Delhi is struggling to hedge beyond the US.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a photo call during the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia on October 23, 2024. Photo: AFP
China economy

Opinion | Trump’s targeting of China will only spur its economic recovery

Trump’s policies are repelling nations and academics, helping China deepen trading ties and attract talent even as the US heads towards recession.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-India relations

Opinion | Void left by US aid cuts could be vital test for China-India detente

As the world struggles to send aid to Myanmar, New Delhi and Beijing have a chance to emerge as leaders in humanitarian relief.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Does Trump have what it takes to solve North Korean nuclear impasse?

To get Pyongyang to denuclearise, the US must learn from past negotiation mistakes and make Kim Jong-un an offer he can’t refuse.

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Asia housing and property

The View | Why Asian real estate is safe from Trump’s tariff blitz

Trump’s tariffs will inevitably dampen sentiment towards Asian real estate, but domestic demand will act as a shock absorber.

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People walk along Shibuya Crossing during snowfall in Tokyo on March 4. Japan’s safe-haven credentials, the boom in overseas tourism amid the plunge in the yen and growing confidence in reflation help explain why Tokyo was the best-performing commercial property investment market among the leading cities in Asia for the last three years. Photo: AFP
People walk along Shibuya Crossing during snowfall in Tokyo on March 4. Japan’s safe-haven credentials, the boom in overseas tourism amid the plunge in the yen and growing confidence in reflation help explain why Tokyo was the best-performing commercial property investment market among the leading cities in Asia for the last three years. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Macroscope | Trump could end up making Asia, not America, great again

The US’ presence in Asia is entrenched but the prospect of a Europe-East Asia economic alliance is one card both regions could play.

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Indonesia

Asian Angle | Can Indonesia’s Batam hold its own against Johor-Singapore SEZ?

Batam has struggled to attract investment, stymied by local-level dysfunctions and a lack of connections to major Indonesian cities.

Women and gender

Being Chinese | I identify as a Chinese auntie, cheapskate and busybody. Anyone else?

I revel in low prices and awkward questions. I’m finding that being a Chinese auntie overseas also means being part of an Asian sisterhood.

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A woman finds a use for a bus stop railing while running an errand in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, on October 20. Photo: Eugene Lee
Asean

Opinion | 3 ways Asean can survive Trump’s tariff war – and 4 ways China can help

Amid escalating global trade tensions, Southeast Asian nations must stick together and diversify their options to mitigate external shocks.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
United States

Outside In | Real threat posed by Trump’s tariffs worse than a global recession

The US president cannot be allowed to replace world’s hard-won multilateral compromise and cooperation with bullying bilateralism.

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Japan

My Take | Will Trump’s tariffs push Japan and South Korea closer to China?

Despite recent US efforts to strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances, Washington’s tariffs may drive Tokyo and Seoul towards closer economic ties with China.

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The Philippines

Opinion | Why the Philippines can’t count on the US’ strategic love

The Trump administration has offered reassurances to Manila, but mixed signals and global tariffs mean there are still reasons to be wary.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Open Questions series

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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