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World Opinion

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My Take
Macroscope
Illustration: Craig Stephens
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | How America’s Iran miscalculation hands China a strategic advantage

A preventive war waged without allied consensus risks undermining Washington’s legal and moral standing – strengthening Beijing’s hand.

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US, Israel war on Iran

As I see it | Iran war exposes the risks of being a US ally

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War and conflict

Opinion | Iran strikes are a wake-up call to regulate military AI

Technology

Opinion | Journalists must confront the real risks of AI: fabricated facts

We don’t trust journalists because they type sentences; we trust journalists because they verify the truth.

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Avoiding AI in news production does not prevent AI-shaped information from reaching the public. Readers encounter such information through search engines, automated summaries and conversational interfaces. Photo: dpa
Avoiding AI in news production does not prevent AI-shaped information from reaching the public. Readers encounter such information through search engines, automated summaries and conversational interfaces. Photo: dpa
War and conflict

Opinion | Superpower contest puts Iran, Panama, Venezuela and Greenland on one map

When one crisis touches canal access, another hits crude and a third touches the Strait of Hormuz, it is hard to call these a coincidence.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | How Europe and China can rise above paralysis and mistrust

Together, Brussels and Beijing can reshape global power into a balance where Europe matters and China gains legitimacy as a responsible power.

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Banking & finance

Macroscope | How global debt is sowing the seeds of financial collapse

Markets have so far shrugged off wars and trade conflicts, but the rapid rise of already massive debt should alarm investors.

People with smartphones walk through the business district of Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2022. Debt stocks have reached new highs across both advanced and emerging economies. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
People with smartphones walk through the business district of Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2022. Debt stocks have reached new highs across both advanced and emerging economies. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
United States

As I see it | Why Melania Trump’s UN speech is an affront to decency

From her husband’s wars that harm children abroad to her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Trump is far from an authority on children’s interests.

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China-Middle East relations

Opinion | US-Iran conflict puts China’s pragmatism to the test

For Beijing, the danger is less about losing Iran as a partner than losing stability in the energy-rich Middle East.

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China economy

Opinion | China’s energy transition proves a boon in the Iran crisis

China is expected to face no significant disruption but as the ‘two sessions’ open in Beijing, energy security is staying a top focus.

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Fire and smoke rise from the Fujairah oil industry zone, caused by debris from an intercepted drone, according to the Fujairah media office, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on March 4, as Iran launched retaliatory attacks across the region. Photo: EPA
United States

Opinion | Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu don’t deserve to be caught in culture wars

The issue is not that one chose to represent China and another the US but that both have been dragged into culture wars not of their making.

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US gold medallist Alysa Liu celebrates victory with her national flag in Milan, Italy, on February 19. Photo: Reuters
US gold medallist Alysa Liu celebrates victory with her national flag in Milan, Italy, on February 19. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Are investors spooked by Iran violence? Market response suggests not

Renewed fighting in the Middle East bodes ill for the global economy, but it is not yet enough to counterbalance other short-term factors.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Macroscope | Why even bullish investors can’t ignore the Iran war

Investors have grown used to brushing off geopolitical threats, but turmoil in the Middle East poses a greater risk to the global economy.

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US-China relations

Opinion | China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once

Far from freeing up resources to focus on China, Trump’s administration finds itself fighting fires on several fronts, sapping its resources.

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Security forces fire tear gas to disperse a protest against US and Israeli attacks on Iran, at a bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone where the US embassy is located, in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 2. Photo: AP
Asean

Opinion | Fatigue is rewriting the US-China soft power contest, starting in Asean

At a time when no one has bandwidth left, soft power is being won by being the partner that feels usable, steady and low-risk.

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People pick up Labubu toys at a Pop Mart store in Siam Square in Bangkok on May 8, 2025. Photo: AFP
People pick up Labubu toys at a Pop Mart store in Siam Square in Bangkok on May 8, 2025. Photo: AFP
United States

As I see it | Under Trump, the US has unleashed its own wolf warriors

Chinese diplomats need to project a measured and calming presence on the international stage to contend effectively with American blowhards.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | US war on Iran isn’t likely to go as planned

US war planners have overlooked viewing their adversary through realpolitik in the past. They now face a far more organised opponent.

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Artificial intelligence

Opinion | How the US ceded the robotics economy to China

Chinese gains in robotics show that nations wishing to compete must go beyond financial engineering to master their physical realities.

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Robots perform martial arts during China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala 2026 on February 16. Photo: CCTV
Robots perform martial arts during China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala 2026 on February 16. Photo: CCTV
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Attack on Iran normalises global descent into the ‘law of the jungle’

By waging war under the logic of pre-emptive defence, the US and Israel are hollowing out the foundations of international law.

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Two Sessions 2026

Opinion | Now is the time for China to show it’s serious about opening up

The ‘two sessions’ is Beijing’s chance to demonstrate reliability as nations reassess their ties with China and the US in an increasingly fragmented global order.

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Artificial intelligence

Opinion | As AI agents advance, Hong Kong should shape the rules now

By leveraging the Hong Kong-Shenzhen innovation hub as a cross-border testing ground, the city can set the standard for responsible AI governance.

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A girl plays with a robot during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference at the Shanghai World Expo and Convention Centre in Shanghai on July 28, 2025. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | Why China steers clear of the West’s transactional diplomacy

Strains in transatlantic ties show the limits of quid pro quo diplomacy – and the appeal of Beijing’s relationship-first approach.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Munich Security Conference on February 14 in Munich, southern Germany. Photo: Pool / AFP
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Munich Security Conference on February 14 in Munich, southern Germany. Photo: Pool / AFP
War and conflict

Opinion | US-Israeli strike on Iran signals new phase of global escalation

This is deterrence fatigue: escalation thresholds weakened by repeated testing and retaliation. The risk is not only war but systemic strain.

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Taiwan

As I see it | Taipei must break free of its abusive relationship with Washington

US President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz is not Taiwan’s fault, but the self-ruled island must come to see that Washington is unreliable.

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United States

Opinion | Trump’s State of the Union report underlines shift to ‘world minus one’

In his address to Congress, Trump emphasised that America ‘is back’. However, the US’ financial position tells a different story, one with global implications.

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US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington on February 24. Photo: The New York Times via AP
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