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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-EU relations

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

As Beijing seeks to influence Europe, Brussels must shape on its own competitiveness agenda and policy aims for engaging with China.

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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

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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.

A pedestrian walks past a petrol station with fuel prices on display in Williamstown, Australia, on March 26. Photo: AFP
A pedestrian walks past a petrol station with fuel prices on display in Williamstown, Australia, on March 26. Photo: AFP
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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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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A man walks beneath solar panels at the Al Dhafra solar power project south of Abu Dhabi in 2023. Photo: AFP
A man walks beneath solar panels at the Al Dhafra solar power project south of Abu Dhabi in 2023. Photo: AFP
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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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
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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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on April 13. Photo: Reuters
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on April 13. Photo: Reuters
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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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
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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Robots work on production lines at a mould and stamping company in Fuzhou, in China’s eastern Fujian province, on April 16. Photo: AFP
Robots work on production lines at a mould and stamping company in Fuzhou, in China’s eastern Fujian province, on April 16. Photo: AFP
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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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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
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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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
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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The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca is seen during seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz on April 24. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca is seen during seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz on April 24. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
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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China economy

Opinion | For the US dollar, a subtler shift than a ‘petroyuan’ order is underfoot

Talk of a dollar collapse or ‘petroyuan’ order arriving amid the Iran war misses the mark. The larger shift is subtler and no less consequential.

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China’s President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in Beijing on April 14. Photo: cnsphoto via Reuters
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