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President Donald Trump with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at a dinner event in Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 29. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | Seoul holds the key to US-North Korea denuclearisation talks

South Korea is taking steps to cool tensions – from moving to opening joint military drills to consultations to easing up on immediate denuclearisation demands.

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US-China relations

Opinion | US and China must get serious about AI risk

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Belarus

Opinion | Can Belarus balance relations with Russia, China and the US?

Ukraine war

Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

For hubs of transit trade from Armenia to the UAE, economic self-interest is best served by having sanctions on Russia in place indefinitely.

A “Give peace a chance” mural depicting musician John Lennon overlooks anti-drone nets along a road in the city of Izyum in Ukraine on December 12. Photo: EPA
A “Give peace a chance” mural depicting musician John Lennon overlooks anti-drone nets along a road in the city of Izyum in Ukraine on December 12. Photo: EPA
Technology

Opinion | Forget the US dollar. Watch water and energy resources instead

In our increasingly hi-tech-based economy and financial systems, energy and water resources will be macroeconomically critical.

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Education

Opinion | As UK universities lose prestige, Asian institutions stand to benefit

The decline of Britain’s universities and the challenges facing Western academia in general stem from education no longer being treated as a national investment.

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United States

Opinion | How Trump is hastening the end of American hegemony

Although the US economy is growing and inflation remains low, the uncertainty sowed by the president’s policies will have sobering long-term consequences.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Japan

Macroscope | Japan’s economic security push heralds rising protectionism in Asia

The emphasis on securing supply chains and stockpiling critical resources is no substitute for free and open trade and investment.

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Taiwan

Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West

Mutual economic destruction or worse for China and the West should be enough to deter everyone from internationalising the Taiwan question.

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

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

China not only forced a trade war backdown, it displayed its hi-tech military might from the waters off Australia to the skies near Japan.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Technology

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

Stories of chatbots behaving in surprising ways are fuelling the rise of ‘AI doomers’ who warn of the risk of human extinction. This extreme view is misguided.

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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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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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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: Reuters
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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An employee works at a semiconductor wafer workshop in Chongqing on August 24, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
An employee works at a semiconductor wafer workshop in Chongqing on August 24, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping visit the Unesco-listed Dujiangyan site in Sichuan province on December 5. Given that Chinese presidents rarely take foreign leaders to the provinces, Macron’s visit to southwestern China is clearly a special gesture. Photo: Pool/Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping visit the Unesco-listed Dujiangyan site in Sichuan province on December 5. Given that Chinese presidents rarely take foreign leaders to the provinces, Macron’s visit to southwestern China is clearly a special gesture. Photo: Pool/Reuters
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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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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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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US President Donald Trump speaks alongside his defence secretary Pete Hegseth in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 2. Photo: AFP
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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People walk by shop windows decorated for Christmas in New York on December 5. Photo: dpa
People walk by shop windows decorated for Christmas in New York on December 5. Photo: dpa
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.

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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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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French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan gaze at the Dujiangyan irrigation system, a Unesco World Heritage site in Sichuan province on December 5. Photo: Reuters
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