Dialogue

Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to China comes as the two countries mark 30 years of a strategic partnership and 25 years of a good neighborliness. What is the current state of China-Russia economic and trade cooperation? Where are the new opportunities for growth? How could closer China-Russia ties give fresh momentum to BRICS and broader Global South cooperation?

The recent meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump has put the world's most consequential bilateral relationship back at the center of global attention. As the two sides set a new tone of building a relationship of constructive and strategic stability, how will they expand cooperation and manage their differences to stabilize their ties? What challenges...

China and the United States appear poised to open a new chapter in their relationship following in-depth exchanges between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump. A new vision is emerging: building a relationship based on constructive strategic stability. What’s the significance of such a new framework? How can the two powers expand cooperation while setting boundaries fo...

Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. What does that mean in practical terms? How could this important concept shape what is arguably the world's most consequential bilateral relationship? And what challenges could stand in the way of achieving "constructive strate...

The Taiwan legislature has approved a record high 24-billion-U.S.-dollar arms procurement bill, sparking intense debate across the island. Critics are questioning the scale of spending and the lack of transparency. Who will benefit from such massive spending? Can these weapons truly make Taiwan safer? Where is the Taiwan question heading next?

China and the U.S., the world's two most consequential powers, are moving in very different directions. China is doubling down on self-reliance, while the U.S. continues to preserve global dominance. But despite mounting tensions, the two sides also appear to be managing competition carefully and perhaps uneasily. Can this uneasy balance last? How can Beijing and Washington avoid confrontation? Ca...

The 48th ASEAN summit has focused heavily on three urgent issues, oil, food and migrant workers. Regional anxieties have deepened following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran alongside sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on ASEAN economies, such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. How serious is the energy crisis in the ASEAN region? What do these converging issues mean...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing. The meeting came one day after the U.S. suspended its efforts to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. What can China's diplomacy achieve at this moment? Is Washington moving toward a deal with Tehran, or simply changing tactics after military operations have paused? And can the re...

As China continues to develop, a growing number of Western scholars and policy makers are calling for a reassessment of how the country is understood, urging a move beyond long held stereotypes and ideological bias. At the same time, we are seeing a steady stream of Western leaders visiting China. What's driving this shift? Is the West beginning to rethink its approach to China? How resilient is C...

The Japanese government has convened the first meeting of an expert panel to begin revising three of its most important security documents - the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program. The move marks the latest step in Japan’s accelerating defense shift, following months of rising military spending, expanded security cooperation, and changes to i...

Europe is finding itself in a growing strategic bind: still reliant on the US for security, yet struggling to manage its economic relationship with China amid mounting transatlantic pressure. From Washington's "good versus bad" NATO framing, to Brussels' sanctioning Chinese entities and Beijing's swift response, these are not isolated developments, but signs of deeper structural tensions. Has Euro...

In recent talks with leaders from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against a return to a "law of the jungle," where the strong dominate the weak. He emphasized that the rule of law must not be "applied selectively" based on convenience. This raises important questions: Are we still operating within a law-based international system, or are we drifting toward a "law of t...

For the first time in nearly a decade, a senior U.S. delegation has visited Havana—reviving direct contact between two long-time adversaries at a moment of deep crisis for Cuba. The island is grappling with widespread power outages, fuel shortages, and a contracting economy, amid the long-standing U.S. embargo and its recent tightening grip on Cuba's energy lifeline. What is driving this renewed e...

Japan has approved a sweeping legal overhaul, lifting a decades-old ban on exporting lethal weapons. The move comes as Tokyo accelerates its military buildup, with changes that many see as eroding the constraints of its postwar pacifist constitution and raising concerns about the regional security order in Asia. Meanwhile, 126 Japanese lawmakers have visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class...

With the two-week ceasefire about to expire, all eyes are on whether the U.S. and Iran will return to the negotiating table—or drift further apart. Washington has announced a team led by Vice President JD Vance, but Tehran has yet to confirm its participation, and no U.S. delegation has departed. President Donald Trump has said the ceasefire will end "Wednesday evening, Washington time." At the sa...

Beijing has hosted a remarkable series of high-level visitors from Thailand, Spain, the UAE, Vietnam and Russia. These visits come as global energy shock is intensifying, geopolitical tensions remain high, supply chains are under strain, and many countries are searching for more stable partners and broader diplomatic options. What do these visits reveal about China’s role in an increasingly unsett...

The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its global growth outlook, warning that the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran threatens to hike inflation with the possibility of a global recession. For many developing economies, especially across the Global South, the situation is even more urgent with higher energy costs, weaker currencies, and less room to respond to the crisis. How deep is the econom...

The Chinese mainland has unveiled a new package of 10 measures to boost cross-Strait exchange, such as expanding direct flights, allowing more Taiwan TV dramas into the mainland market, and facilitating the sale of agricultural products from Taiwan. These policies were announced immediately after a high-level visit to the mainland by Kuomintang Chair Cheng Li-wun, the first such engagement in a de...

For the first time in 10 years, leaders of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese Kuomintang Party, or KMT, have met in Beijing. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said the meeting is of great significance for developing relations between the two parties and across the Taiwan Strait. Cheng Li-wun, Chairwoman of the KMT, presented the dialogue as a historical responsi...

Japan has approved its largest-ever budget for 2026, with defense spending surpassing 60 billion U.S. dollars and reaching the 2% of GDP threshold ahead of schedule. Tokyo has revised its key security policies, and is moving to lift long-standing restrictions on lethal weapons exports. Given Japan's history, such shifts are closely watched. What is the long-term objective behind Japan's evolving m...

Just hours before a U.S. deadline for major strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, Washington and Tehran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. Under the deal, Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. and Israel will suspend military operations. Both sides will halt attacks for two weeks as negotiations move forward. U.S. President Trump has described the move a...

A new deadline is fast approaching in the Iran war as U.S. President Donald Trump warns Tehran it must reopen the Strait of Hormuz by April 7 at 8 pm Washington time or face sweeping military strikes. At the same time, Tehran has delivered a 10-point response to an earlier proposal signaling little willingness for a temporary ceasefire and instead calling for a broader, more comprehensive deal to...

The war on Iran is sending shockwaves through the global economy, but nowhere are the effects more immediate and severe than in Asia. Governments across the region are scrambling to secure supplies, while businesses and households face rising costs. In some countries, shortages have already sparked panic buying and even social unrest. This is not just a temporary crisis—it could reshape growth, in...

U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered his first national address on the war against Iran, claiming major victories but also raising more questions than answers. He claimed that the war is near completion, but warned of intensifying strikes in the coming weeks. While saying the U.S. doesn't need Iran's oil, he has previously floated the idea of "taking it." Trump has even suggested that countri...

China's 2026 "Two Sessions" have emphasized steady growth, deeper opening up, and a focus on innovation-driven development. From continued capital inflows into Hong Kong to the expansion of a New Quality Productive Forces, China is positioning itself as a stabilizing force and a driver of global growth. What lies behind China's economic resilience? Can higher standard opening up succeed in today's...