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A woman walks past the National Covid Memorial Wall in London, Britain, on November 20. Photo: EPA
Diplomacy

Outside In | Six years on, are we better prepared for the next pandemic?

Preparedness plans remain a work in progress while health budgets have been sliced by urgent demands and US withdrawal weakens global coordination.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Mark 2025. It’s the year China became a peer power to America

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Technology

Opinion | Why AI chatbots are unlikely to bring about human extinction

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European Union

Opinion | A complicated new EU-China showdown is quietly taking shape

For now, both sides still need each other and there is nowhere else to turn. But behind this reliance, irritation and paranoia are rising.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
United States

Opinion | For Trump, the only communists to really dislike are those at home

The limited discussion of China in the new US national security document indicates that the US president’s focus is on domestic challenges to his authority.

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Artificial intelligence

Opinion | China still needs Nvidia’s advanced AI chips – but for how long?

Beijing seems determined to take up the challenge of building most parts of the AI supply chain domestically.

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European Union

Opinion | As Doha Forum made clear, Europe is losing its seat at the table

Consumed by Ukraine, the EU has effectively retreated from global engagement. An urgent foreign policy recalibration is needed.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani speaks on the first day of the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum in Qatar on December 6. Photo: Reuters
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani speaks on the first day of the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum in Qatar on December 6. Photo: Reuters
European Union

As I see it | Russia will end the European Union, not the other way around

The end of history is more history, as Hegel might have said, with the postmodern unified EU potentially reverting back to rival modern states.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | Why China-France ties are blossoming in an era of global uncertainty

As Paris pursues strategic autonomy and Beijing seeks national rejuvenation, both powers are poised to reimagine a new global order.

Banking & finance

Macroscope | As global spending needs grow and debt rises, business as usual won’t suffice

The increase in government debt means that nations must look elsewhere for funds required to meet socioeconomic needs.

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People walk near screens showing stock exchange and economic data in Shanghai, on April 14. Photo: EPA-EFE
Chinese overseas

Being Chinese | The 30-word identity pitch of an overseas Chinese

To some, “Are you Chinese?” is a question about nationality. To others, it’s about ethnicity. To cover all bases, I’ve crafted a 30-word answer.

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A visitor views relics from China’s Bronze Age at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco in 2024. Photo: Xinhua
A visitor views relics from China’s Bronze Age at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco in 2024. Photo: Xinhua
War and conflict

As I see it | Would the world be safer if the military were in charge of the US?

Capricious political leaders like Donald Trump and his defence chief may be more dangerous than responsible and battle-tested generals.

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United States

Outside In | It’s an expensive Christmas for Americans thanks to Trump’s tariffs

It’s been years since the US president extolled the virtues of trade wars: how much longer before he recognises tariffs harm the US economy?

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Behind Russia’s show of strength in India lies a fragile partnership

Despite Russia’s display of defiance and India’s quest for autonomy, US policy shifts are pushing both into uncharted geopolitical territory.

Illustration: Craig Stephens
Australia

Opinion | Australia’s social media ban offers a path between excess and inaction

For policymakers elsewhere, Canberra’s approach to children’s social media use isn’t a model to copy but one to learn from.

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A child tries to unlock a social media site after receiving an age verification message at her home in Sydney on December 10. Photo: AFP
A child tries to unlock a social media site after receiving an age verification message at her home in Sydney on December 10. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

Opinion | How France and China offer an alternative to zero-sum diplomacy

As the countries stake their relationship on sustainability and hi-tech cooperation, they are building a new template for bilateral ties.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | As UK-China ties warm, Hong Kong can be a natural bridge

China’s innovation and influence present exciting opportunities for both nations, and Hong Kong plays a unique role in this equation.

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China technology

Opinion | Why the Global South is embracing Chinese AI

The US champions AI as an autonomous agent, a content creator. China exports a vision of AI as a digital nervous system for the real economy.

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The Chinese approach, forged in the fires of domestic industrial competition, views AI as “relational infrastructure”: a connective tissue for physical systems. It is designed to get its hands dirty, such as in mining, ports and factories. Photo: Adobe Stock
The Chinese approach, forged in the fires of domestic industrial competition, views AI as “relational infrastructure”: a connective tissue for physical systems. It is designed to get its hands dirty, such as in mining, ports and factories. Photo: Adobe Stock
China-EU relations

As I see it | How Nexperia became a casualty of the US-China trade war

Unless the two superpowers reach a long-term solution to trade tensions, smaller companies and economies will get caught in the crossfire.

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European Union

Opinion | How to preserve Europe’s liberty in the Trump 2.0 era

If Europe truly values liberty, it must build the means to defend it and start finally seeing the world as it is, not as it remembers it.

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Africa

Opinion | How China can help Africa build human capital

To truly harness their potential, countries across the continent seeking to industrialise must develop education and infrastructure in tandem.

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A woman walks her daughter to school in Eikenhof, South Africa, on August 24, 2020. Photo: Reuters
China-EU relations

Opinion | In reaching out to China, European states can’t keep acting alone

The idea of an autonomous bloc engaging Beijing from a position of strength and independence collapses when its toothless leaders visit.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Why 2026 will be the year AI hype collides with reality

The reckoning ahead for the AI bubble promises to reprice expectations, force economic trade-offs and call out circular deals.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | How China can ensure Tazara rail deal in Africa is a win-win

The Chinese-funded rail upgrade benefits Tanzania and Zambia while securing China a trade corridor and access to critical African minerals.

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Climate change

Opinion | Fashion industry must tailor climate plans to Asian suppliers’ reality

Efforts to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions in the fashion industry will not work if they rest on a Western design paired with Eastern sacrifice.

A worker holds a piece of clothing at a factory in Depok, Indonesia, on April 25, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/ADI WEDA
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