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US President Donald Trump (right) enjoys a light moment during the swearing-in ceremony for US Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on May 22. Photo: Reuters
United States

Macroscope | Investors expecting a US interest rate rise could be in for a surprise

Rising bond yields are doing some of the Fed’s work, as are investor fears over the US central bank’s independence under Kevin Warsh.

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | China-UK cooperation vital in ensuring the AI era puts people first

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China-EU relations

Opinion | EU threat of trade war against China is a strategic farce

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Japan

As I see it | Forget Weimar, it’s Japan’s Taisho period we need to talk about

As analysts warn about the far-right’s gains in Germany, we must also reckon with the historical events that prompted Japanese militarism.

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Protesters hold lights and a placard shaped like the number nine, referring to Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, which renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces, during a rally against militarism, in Tokyo, Japan, on May 29. Photo: Reuters
Protesters hold lights and a placard shaped like the number nine, referring to Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, which renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces, during a rally against militarism, in Tokyo, Japan, on May 29. Photo: Reuters
China-EU relations

Opinion | China’s EV giants are breathing new life into Europe’s ailing car industry

From Chery in Britain to SAIC in Spain, Chinese carmakers are investing in new plants and revitalising old ones as they localise production.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | As the Quad loses its anchor, China has a chance to act

As the relevance of anti-China groupings such as the Quad and Aukus fades, Beijing and its neighbours have more room for dialogue.

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United States

Opinion | US’ 250th anniversary celebrations will put its decline on display

US President Donald Trump’s plans for the country’s 250th anniversary don’t seem to project what makes the American experiment worth honouring.

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People walk past the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall on June 6, in Washington, as the Trump administration has repaints and cleans it ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary next month. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
People walk past the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall on June 6, in Washington, as the Trump administration has repaints and cleans it ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary next month. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | As AI upends humanity, we must focus on what makes us human

The case for an education in the humanities has never been stronger as the lines dividing what humans and AI can do become increasingly blurred.

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India

Opinion | As Asia’s strategic landscape evolves, what is the Quad’s purpose?

Countries like India can’t afford to let ties with China be defined by a grouping focused on reacting to one power and lacking a broader positive vision.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Norman Bethune’s story still holds lessons for China-Canada relations

The Canadian doctor, hailed a hero in China, was driven by personal conviction; there are others today, tilling the soil of Sino-Canadian friendship.

A sculpture of Norman Bethune, a Canadian surgeon and communist, at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing on August 31, 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee
Japan

Macroscope | The problem with Japan’s bid to strengthen energy security, supply chains

By competing rather than dovetailing with the Belt and Road Initiative, the joint project with the World Bank reflects increasing regional fragmentation.

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World Bank president Ajay Banga and Japanese finance Minister Satsuki Katayama in Tokyo on June 1. Photo: Kyodo
World Bank president Ajay Banga and Japanese finance Minister Satsuki Katayama in Tokyo on June 1. Photo: Kyodo
US-China relations

Opinion | What does a ‘strong, quiet, clear’ US mean for China and Asia?

The US defence secretary’s speech at an annual defence forum had fewer China attacks, no mention of Taiwan and a nebulous vow to be ‘strong, quiet, clear’.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Energy now a focus of US-China contest of the century

As China and the US race towards energy dominance, attention to climate resilience and resource security can ensure positive outcomes for all.

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Diplomacy

As I see it | Trump is turning allies and partners into friends of China

Dealing with Beijing offers countries such as Canada and India more leverage with the US in addition to economic benefits.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) shakes hands with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney after signing various memorandums of understanding in New Delhi, India, on March 2. Photo: AP
China-EU relations

Outside In | Europe blaming China for trade imbalance ignores its own policy failures

How are Beijing’s successful industrial policies any different from those used by Europe, the US or the ‘Asian tigers’ in the past?

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Employees assemble Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.7 electric vehicles on a production line at the company’s manufacturing plant in Emden, northern Germany, on February 24. Photo: dpa
Employees assemble Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.7 electric vehicles on a production line at the company’s manufacturing plant in Emden, northern Germany, on February 24. Photo: dpa
Britain

Opinion | UK could take a leaf out of Hong Kong’s supply-side economics

Too much government interference, whether through subsidies or regulatory pressure, stifles the very growth that can better society.

China-Latin America relations

Opinion | China’s economic inroads in Latin America are hitting political walls

China’s economic gains in the Americas are real, but Donald Trump’s return to the White House shows that political success is another story.

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War and conflict

Opinion | Asia has to learn the lessons of war while it still can

The time to learn is before the fire reaches the house. Every war forces us to ask: if this logic came to our region, what would we do?

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | How cooperating with the US on economic security could backfire

The conflict in the Middle East and the ensuing turmoil are testing the conventional concept of economic security.

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China society

As I see it | How adversity has guided the path of Chinese civilisation through the ages

Recent findings by archaeologists suggest the push for innovative solutions is often borne out of the struggle to overcome severe challenges.

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Asean

Opinion | Will the US’ Pax Silica deliver for the Philippines?

The Pax Silica plan to make the Philippines a vital node in a US-led tech supply chain is built on seemingly speculative promises and risks riling China.

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US President Donald Trump meets Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in the Oval Office at the White House on July 22, 2025, in Washington. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
US-China relations

Opinion | US quietly plays the long game on energy dominance against China

Behind the Trump administration’s detente with Beijing lies a strategy to redirect global energy flows and disrupt Chinese competitiveness.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Technology

Opinion | For SpaceX, global dominance may not be written in the stars

Space is not an ordinary, commercial, open market but a strategic domain tied directly to sovereignty, security and industrial policy.

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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.

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Asean

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

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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