China

China • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 31, 2020 • 11 min read

Belt and Road Onboard China’s Belt and Road Express: Does Laos stand to benefit?

By Alexi Demetriadi • Jul 31, 2020
The first piece of track on Kunming-Vientiane railway was laid in April as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. But with the project steaming ahead, does Laos stand to actually see any benefits from the project, or is it merely in Beijing's interest?

China • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 30, 2020 • 2 min read

Corruption China denies harbouring Malaysian alleged 1MDB mastermind

By Agence France-Presse • Jul 30, 2020
China has denied that it is harbouring Jho Lo, the Malaysian financier and alleged mastermind behind the 1MDB plot, the same week former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was convicted for corruption for his part in the scandal

China • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 23, 2020 • 3 min read

Hong Kong Will Hong Kong become like tightly-ruled but stable Singapore?

By Sam Reeves and Martin Abbugao/AFP • Jul 23, 2020
Limited democracy but high living standards and stability form a trade-off that most Singaporeans seem willing to live with – and some now suggest rival Asian finance hub Hong Kong can emulate the model as China tightens control

China • Jul 08, 2020 • 5 min read

Survive and prosper: Huawei’s quest for self-reliance

Publicly Huawei has expressed that their priority remains survival following severe restrictions placed on the Chinese giant by the US leadership. But a pivot towards recruiting Taiwanese talent reveals their greater ambition – prospering through self-reliance
By Mark Manantan • Jul 08, 2020

China • Jul 01, 2020 • 7 min read

The balancing act: How Vietnam should manage the superpowers

For decades, Vietnam has been a geopolitically significant theatre of competition for the superpowers. Today, leaders in Hanoi must navigate and leverage the competing interests of China, the US and Russia to protect its citizens, national integrity and economy
By Alex Shykov • Jul 01, 2020

China • May 06, 2020 • 6 min read
Opinion

Singapore, ASEAN and non-alignment in the South China Sea: Time to choose

The South China Sea territorial dispute has pitted Southeast Asian nations against China in a heated standoff for decades. Singaporean defence analyst Andy Wong argues that the city-state should lead ASEAN in aligning with the US on the issue, warding off Beijing's growing influence
By Andy Wong • May 06, 2020

China • Apr 23, 2020 • 13 min read
Mekong river

‘Us’ vs ‘them’: The politics dictating the rise and fall of the Mekong

Dams, economic interests and political power are just some of the factors contributing to the over-exploitation of the mighty Mekong. With several competing transnational bodies established to oversee its development, will any of them halt the river’s decline?
By Andrew Haffner • Apr 23, 2020

China • Jan 23, 2020 • 12 min read
Chinese investment

Restoring Sihanoukville

Foreign investors rode a hot streak in Sihanoukville until the gambling game collapsed last summer. Now, with the boomtown at risk of going bust and the city decaying around them, long-term residents, local businesses and construction workers are picking up the pieces
By Andrew Haffner • Jan 23, 2020

China • Nov 11, 2019 • 17 min read
Fall of the Berlin Wall

The People’s PLC

From our print archive: 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the death rattle of communism in Europe, we take a look back at China's socialism with capitalist characteristics – and how it has influenced governments across Southeast Asia
By Paul Brisby • Nov 11, 2019

China • Oct 10, 2019 • 10 min read
Geopolitics

Public enemies

Long accused by its critics of serving as a Vietnamese puppet, Cambodia's government now stands condemned of trying to serve two masters
By Paul Millar • Oct 10, 2019

China • Oct 02, 2019 • 6 min read
Protesting China

Vietnam’s vanguard

China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea are bitterly resented by Vietnamese citizens – but their protests depend more on the ruling regime than on people power
By Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet • Oct 02, 2019