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Macroscope
A South Korean protester wears a mask of US President Donald Trump during a protest against Trump’s request to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz, in front of the US embassy in Seoul on March 16. Photo: AFP
United States

Opinion | Thanks to Trump, the gloves are off. There may be no new global order

With the UN, IMF and World Bank mired in old power structures, universities could be the platform to shape how the global future unfolds.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | China unsurprisingly puts its own interests first. Can Europe do the same?

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China economy

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

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Asean

Opinion | Why China’s warning over military blocs is finding listeners in Asia

For regional governments, strategy is about preserving options. China has read this instinct carefully and given it a diplomatic vocabulary.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Australia’s interest rate rise signals growing hawkish stance in Asia

Reserve Bank of Australia is less an outlier than a harbinger of global monetary trends in the wake of war-induced supply shocks.

The Philippines

Opinion | US allies in Asia are looking to build middle-power coalitions

Faced with the US’ unreliability and China’s ascent, countries such as the Philippines are creating new networks of partnerships.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | As power flows through submarine cables, law of the sea must evolve

The global commons of the seabed is in effect being governed by private actors with the capital and tech to build and maintain cable systems.

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An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on January 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up Nato patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. Photo: AP
An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on January 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up Nato patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | How China-Gulf ties can turn energy vulnerability into sustainability

Hormuz tensions are a reminder to start building a better, more sustainable energy order before the next crisis hits; Hong Kong can help.

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War and conflict

As I see it | Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu, everyone now wants to go nuclear

After waging a war on the pretext of stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the US and Israel have ignited a new arms race.

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US-China relations

Opinion | America builds AI, China uses it. That gap may decide the future

The US still leads in AI development but lags in large-scale deployment behind China, which is rapidly becoming the leader in implementation.

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Employees work with a robot at the Qingdao Humanoid Robot Data and Training Centre in Shandong province, on March 23. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

Opinion | How US tech hegemony is locking out the Global South

The world deserves better than a monopoly that builds walls and hobbles development.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-EU relations

Opinion | ‘Made in Europe’ law sets stage for an economic showdown with China

The proposed legislation is seen as discriminatory to China and could also hurt Chinese interests in non-EU European states.

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Banking & finance

Macroscope | Mini-crises sparked by the Iran war may add up to a big collapse

From energy, inflation and trade to slowing global growth and investment uncertainty, these mini-crises have the makings of a massive crisis.

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Asian diaspora

Being Chinese | 3 months in China became 10 years. Here’s why I stayed

My three-month China stint grew to 10 years, as predictability disappeared from my work around UK-China, EU-China and US-China relations.

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Chinese traffic police officers walk by a US flag on an embassy car outside a hotel in Shanghai on July 30, 2019, as officials from both sides met for talks aimed at ending a tariff war. Photo: AP
United States

Opinion | Why US may regret pushing allies towards greater defence autonomy

The challenge for US policymakers in the aftermath of Trump’s presidency may be to restore US importance among like-minded countries.

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US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walk inside after Netanyahu arrives at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida on December 29, 2025. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walk inside after Netanyahu arrives at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida on December 29, 2025. Photo: AFP
China economy

Outside In | China’s manufacturing rise is here to stay. The West must recalibrate

The changes are structural and protectionism will only weaken long-term growth.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Why governments beyond Hong Kong are wary of prediction markets

Lack of oversight allows prediction platforms to recast weighty issues as wagers and take bets from those exploiting privileged information.

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Crime in Hong Kong

Opinion | My finance expertise was no defence against online scammers

Perpetrators of online fraud are enabled by new technology and connectivity, meaning everyone must be on their guard.

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Cambodian authorities display equipment at an alleged online scam operation at a condominium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 11. Photo: EPA
Cambodian authorities display equipment at an alleged online scam operation at a condominium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 11. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Why an era of managed Hormuz disruption wouldn’t bode well for Asia

As the Gulf moves from war to managed disruption, the risk may become more enduring for markets, governments and companies.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | US-Iran ceasefire can’t paper over fires in the Strait of Hormuz

The US blockade is war by another name and must end. Two other things must change for the Iran ceasefire to become genuine diplomacy.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | Facing US and Chinese pressure, the EU must forge its own strategy

To remain competitive, Brussels must leverage its market power to engage Beijing – while aligning with Washington on its own terms.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

Opinion | Without diplomacy, deterrence in Asia is a path to escalation

The danger is that every state insists it is acting defensively while collectively building the habits and infrastructure of confrontation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Reopen Strait of Hormuz by reframing Iran’s tolls as reconstruction

The deeper issue is whether post-war reconstruction and security in the Gulf will be handled through negotiation or recurring coercion.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have returned strategic focus to the idea of Eurasia as central to the global power contest, challenging the viability of the Indo-Pacific pivot.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | Middle East shipping crisis elevates China-Europe railway’s profile

Geopolitical strife has taken the China-Europe railway from an alternative to an essential part of continental connectivity.

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A China-Europe goods train departs from Tongjiang, Heilongjiang province, on December 9, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
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