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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Middle East

Opinion | How Mecca defence pact changes China’s calculations in the Middle East

Defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan presents a complex strategic calculus for Beijing, demanding a masterclass in balance.

Artificial intelligence

Macroscope | Could China be a hedge against risk of AI investment boom going bust?

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Environment

Opinion | The race for critical minerals is clearing the path for deep-sea mining

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Technology

Opinion | US does its robotics industry no favours by fencing it off from China

By banning Chinese humanoid robots, Washington is trying to buy its industry time, but the lack of competition is not a strength.

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A robot made by Chinese company AgiBot dances at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 7. Photo: Xinhua
A robot made by Chinese company AgiBot dances at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 7. Photo: Xinhua
Artificial intelligence

Outside In | Why Asia need not match West’s fear over data centre buildout

The spread of data centres in Asia does not seem to have sparked the kind of protests it has in the West, but good policies are needed to ensure that remains the case.

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Chinese history

As I see it | The world that made Confucius – and the China he made

China’s most enduring philosophical tradition didn’t merely revere the past; it drew upon history to construct the future.

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Fifa World Cup

Opinion | Why underdogs like Alexandra Eala, Cabo Verde, Dear You fascinate us

Money still shapes the balance of power, but every so often a team, player or film will rise up to challenge the status quo and inspire us.

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Alexandra Eala of the Philippines holds the championship trophy after winning the women’s singles final against Jessica Pegula of the United States at the Mubadala DC Open at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Centre in Washington on August 3. Photo: AFP
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines holds the championship trophy after winning the women’s singles final against Jessica Pegula of the United States at the Mubadala DC Open at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Centre in Washington on August 3. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

Macroscope | US efforts to prop up the yen risk doing more harm than good

Reversing the yen’s long-term decline ultimately rests on Japan’s ability to take its real interest rates out of negative territory – without triggering market panic.

US-China trade war

Opinion | Chinese and Western firms are teaming up even as governments fight

To survive trade restrictions and regulatory barriers, companies on both sides are turning to joint ventures.

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Britain

As I see it | How ‘evil’ was the British Empire? Centuries of theft and destruction

From Indian colonisation to the opium trade, an empire of avarice and brutality was powered by the East India Company.

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A lithograph by James Henry Lynch, originally drawn by Michael Angelo Hayes, depicts the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot, at the storming of the forts of Amoy on August 26, 1841, during the First Opium War. Image: Getty Images
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | The AI order will have 3 tracks, not 2

Between American-secured diffusion and Chinese developmental multilateralism, middle powers have space to make their presence felt.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance, in Geneva on July 6. Photo: AFP
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance, in Geneva on July 6. Photo: AFP
Asian diaspora

Opinion | Why global migration data should recognise subgroups like the Teochew

Until our data systems see past broad labels like Asian or Chinese, and recognise subgroups, our picture of global migration is incomplete.

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Technology

Opinion | Can we govern AI in a fragmented world before it’s too late?

While the US, EU and China offer different approaches, all recognise that AI is too powerful and pervasive to be treated as ordinary tech.

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Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Why global AI exuberance is about to hit ‘nasty’ reality

The era of unprecedented expansion is giving way to a volatile period where tech firms’ soaring ambitions feel the squeeze.

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A man walks past an electronic screen showing the SK Hynix stock price outside a foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on July 31. Photo: AFP
Japan

Macroscope | Takaichi’s embrace of industrial policy won’t make Japan great again

Governments trying to pick winners is a futile pursuit in a fragmented world that needs a coordinated global development strategy.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) gestures as US President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of US Navy personnel on board the US Navy’s USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 28, 2025. Photo: AFP
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) gestures as US President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of US Navy personnel on board the US Navy’s USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 28, 2025. Photo: AFP
United States

As I see it | Despite immense power, the US delivers neither butter nor bullets

While Americans know they can’t get the welfare benefits they need, their leaders must realise their military can’t give them world domination.

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China trade

Opinion | China’s exports feed the Global South’s industrial engines

Far from stifling development, China’s export portfolio indicates a positive-sum diffusion of industrial growth.

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China economy

Opinion | Can the West really decouple from China?

Instead of trying to ‘catch up’, Western economies should focus on boosting resilience in key sectors without disrupting global supply chains.

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A worker responsible for electrode technology development near a mixing container for battery production at a factory in Bavaria, Germany, on October 26, 2023. Photo: dpa
A worker responsible for electrode technology development near a mixing container for battery production at a factory in Bavaria, Germany, on October 26, 2023. Photo: dpa
United Nations

Opinion | Can the gigacities of tomorrow keep human connection alive?

We have learned to accommodate more people in larger metropolises while losing the ability to bring those people together into families.

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | China should lean into its defining AI advantage – accessibility

Chinese systems need not top every benchmark before becoming major suppliers of the world’s artificial intelligence infrastructure.

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United States

As I see it | America declares international law for thee but not for me

While the US is seeking to dismantle the International Criminal Court, it has signed a statement upholding the Hague tribunal’s South China Sea ruling.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the 33rd Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, on July 23. Photo: AFP
Technology

Opinion | Hugging Face attack: Chinese rescue shows value of open AI governance

Closed models aren’t inherently safer. As AI capabilities outpace governance, nations must cooperate to manage growing risks.

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OpenAI admitted its latest flagship models – including GPT-5.6 Sol and an unreleased, “even more capable” system – recently breached Hugging Face’s infrastructure after escaping its testing sandbox. Photo: Reuters
OpenAI admitted its latest flagship models – including GPT-5.6 Sol and an unreleased, “even more capable” system – recently breached Hugging Face’s infrastructure after escaping its testing sandbox. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

Opinion | With rapid Ebola aid, China shows itself a reliable partner of Africa

Public health now sits beside trade, infrastructure and digital connectivity as a core part of Africa-China ties.

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India

Opinion | How China and the US are sidelining India in its own neighbourhood

India is being denied the uncontested dominance it once held. The task ahead is not to restore the old hierarchy but to find a new path.

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North Korea

Opinion | America’s North Korea strategy needs a dose of reality

Washington’s dogged insistence on denuclearisation first has led to a prolonged deadlock that has only widened Pyongyang’s options.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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