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A woman walks past anti-US graffiti painted on the wall of Tehran University in Iran, on April 25. The war has pushed up inflation and added to the financial burden of already highly indebted countries. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Why bond yields are going up everywhere

Unlike stock markets, bond markets are signalling a more cognisant and mature appreciation of the state of government finances.

Asean

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

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Middle East

Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

US-China relations

Opinion | TV coverage of Trump’s visit showed Americans how ordinary Chinese live

If the Xi-Trump summit gave Americans a clearer picture of contemporary China, that may prove to be one of its more enduring achievements.

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People walk past a TV screen broadcasting US President Donald Trump’s visit, in Beijing, China, on May 14. Photo; EPA
People walk past a TV screen broadcasting US President Donald Trump’s visit, in Beijing, China, on May 14. Photo; EPA
Diplomacy

Opinion | Heroics will only turn middle power dreams into nightmares

Successful middle powers do not defy systemic pressures but recognise structural change early enough to avoid becoming trapped.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | 3 paths to stability in a conflict-ridden world

History moves in cycles, and today’s turbulence will settle into a new order. Will the US reassert dominance, China emerge as the leader, or will we see a world with two centres?

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Stocks

Macroscope | Why commodities could be the next big thing in markets

Investors’ desire for firms with ‘heavy assets, low obsolescence’ has turned the spotlight on commodities, a sector starved of capital.

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The Jeffrey Energy Centre coal-fired power plant is seen at sunset near Emmett, Kansas, on January 3. Investors’ appetite for asset-heavy alternatives to tech stocks has helped the energy sector perform nearly as well as tech in the past year. Photo: AP
The Jeffrey Energy Centre coal-fired power plant is seen at sunset near Emmett, Kansas, on January 3. Investors’ appetite for asset-heavy alternatives to tech stocks has helped the energy sector perform nearly as well as tech in the past year. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s weaving of a web of ties makes it a diplomatic superpower

For China, cooperation doesn’t follow from pre-existing interests; it’s what shapes ties. And this relational web is increasingly visible.

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US-China tech war

Opinion | Why America’s AI firms are hedging when it comes to China

Anthropic and other US AI firms pushing to tighten controls on China while wooing China-adjacent markets shows they’re hedging their bets.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | The 4 trilateral frameworks defining northeast Asia future

As great-power bargaining between the US, China and Russia collides with three regional triangles, finding a balance will be key to managing competition.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
United States

As I see it | Trump makes everything worse but he didn’t start it

Essays from over a decade ago show that America’s institutional decay and populist revolt predate the current US president’s rise to power.

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US President Donald Trump delivers a speech about the economy at Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, New York, the US, on May 22. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump delivers a speech about the economy at Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, New York, the US, on May 22. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

The View | In Beijing, the US and China tiptoed around tech and critical minerals

Summit addressed the top and bottom layers – geopolitical framing and trade mechanics – but left the strategic middle layer largely implicit.

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US-China relations

Opinion | How the US and China can ensure their board of trade is effective

Both sides need to learn from past failures, agree on a mandate and appoint officials with the clout to push decisions.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Trump, Putin summits show an Eastward power shift

Beijing is signalling confidence and shaping the tempo of the China-US-Russia triangle – in which it is central.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

Opinion | Serbia can help build bridges between Europe and China

Serbia’s experience proves that cooperation with China brings concrete benefits to ordinary people, workers and families.

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The steel mill in the Serbian town of Smederevo, seen on April 4, 2019, was revitalised with the help of Chinese investment. Photo: AFP
The steel mill in the Serbian town of Smederevo, seen on April 4, 2019, was revitalised with the help of Chinese investment. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong

Opinion | In a fractured world, Hong Kong must seize its Apec moment

The city will host the finance ministers’ meeting in October. It could seize the day and deepen cooperation with like-minded cities.

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Banking & finance

Macroscope | Can Europe and Asia break the grip of US bond markets?

Too much money is chasing too few investment opportunities. Unified bond markets in Europe and Asia could offer safe options for savings to flow into.

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Stocks

Opinion | Investors in AI-driven bubble risk forgetting painful lessons

AI-driven stock market hype is not independent of what is happening in the rest of the economy.

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A man walks past a digital stock display in Tokyo on May 7. Photo: EPA
A man walks past a digital stock display in Tokyo on May 7. Photo: EPA
War and conflict

As I see it | How China wins by avoiding war

Trump, Putin and Netanyahu have all gone to war to prove how strong and powerful they are. The results should give any strongman pause.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Xi-Trump summit a triumph for China

The future of the relationship is likely to be unscripted and messy at times, even full of friction, yet somehow maintaining a rhythm.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Boeing went to China to sell planes. Beijing is buying something else

China’s demand for passenger jets is genuine – but so is its aim to build a commercially credible aviation industry.

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US President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One on May 13 at Beijing Capital International Airport. Photo: AP
War and conflict

Opinion | Not even a quick end to Iran war can save AI stock bubble now

Rising prices are draining the liquidity from financial markets, including bonds. The AI stock bubble is ripe for bursting.

Vessels at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on May 4. Photo: ISNA/AFP
Vessels at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on May 4. Photo: ISNA/AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | What Putin, Trump summits say about China’s role in world affairs

Beijing’s desire for systemic stability guides its relations with Moscow and Washington, making it central to global mediation.

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US-China relations

Opinion | US and China must talk to manage dangers of AI contest in a nuclear age

The coexistence of the nuclear age with the AI age is a cocktail for unprecedented existential danger. Engagement, not decoupling, is needed.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Despite summit pledges, don’t expect US-China trade to improve

The near-term trajectory of China-US economic ties rests on several key timelines, any of which could trigger new tensions.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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