On ReflectionHow China is using its Global Times attack dog to intimidate Singapore

It is tempting to want to ignore the Global Times. The Chinese tabloid publishes content that is rude, crass and often skinny on facts.

But in the crowded and cutthroat scene of China’s media, it stands out for its success and popularity, built on the back of nationalistic coverage that at times borders on warmongering.

Sometimes, it reads like a daily newspaper edited by a bunch of Chinese Donald Trumps.

Yet, its value rests precisely in its loutish ways. It offers the outside world a glimpse of what the Chinese government is actually thinking, but unable or unwilling to say, at least not in such insulting ways.