World Archives - The Singapore Post

Trump hands Beijing agift: nervous Asian allies

9Feb

By Nectar GanNo Comments

Trump hands Beijing agift: nervous Asian allies

In his oft-cited address at this year’s Davos confab, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned of nothing less than “a rupture in the world order”, where even the “pleasant fiction” of a rules-based international order has succumbed to a “harsh reality” of power politics. In his thinly veiled criticism of US President Donald Trump, who has threatened closest neighbours and allies with tariffs and even military assault, the Canadian leader warned that America’s partners have the option to “diversify to hedge against uncertainty” in American foreign policy. Having just visited China weeks earlier, where the two sides explored a new partnership after years of acrimonious relationship, the Canadian leader clearly signalled that key Western nations see the Asi

India’s trade options with Russia-China-USA are high-stakes politics

9Feb

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

India’s trade options with Russia-China-USA are high-stakes politics

In 2026, American economist Jeffrey Sachs warned India against falling for “America’s tricks” amid rising US tariff pressures, advising, “Don’t close the options with China. Don’t close the options with Russia… Don’t let the United States say, ‘Well, you’re with us, you’re against them, Sachs noted that the US may attempt to “weaken” India as it grows successful, urging independence. Based on the most recent developments as of February 2026, the situation regarding a US-India trade deal is moving from a phase of “intent” to an interim agreement that addresses specific trade tensions. Still a comprehensive Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) is still some distance from being finalized. The fine print on the final agreement could feel and be different from what is actually being discusse

Vietnam’s ‘balancing act’ with the US, China and Europe

7Feb

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Vietnam’s ‘balancing act’ with the US, China and Europe

Vietnam has been preparing a “second US Invasion plan” more than 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War, drawn up in the event of an American “war of aggression”, according to an internal military report leaked in a humanitarian report. “There’s a consensus here across the government and across different ministries,” Ben Swanton, co-director of Project88 and the report’s author, told The Associated Press. “This isn’t just some kind of a fringe element or paranoid element within the party or within the government.” ‘Unease’ towards Washington Despite America’s “belligerent nature” there is “little risk of a war”, but it is important that Vietnam stays “vigilant to prevent the US and its allies from ‘creating a pretext’ to launch an invasion of our country”, accordi

Political division in the US surged from 2008 onward, study suggests

4Feb

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Political division in the US surged from 2008 onward, study suggests

Divisions within the US population on social and political issues have increased by 64% since 1988, with almost all this coming after 2008, according to a study tracking polarization from the end of the Reagan era to the dawn of Trump's second term. How US polarization surged after 2008 The University of Cambridge's Political Psychology Lab analyzed opinions on a wide range of issues—from abortion and equality to traditional values—over almost four decades, and found polarization almost flatlined during the nineties and noughties. However, starting in 2008—the year of the financial crisis, Obama taking office, and the launch of Apple's App Store and iPhone 3G—divisions across the board steadily rose, research published in the journal Royal Society Open Science shows

Critics of Keir Starmer’s trip to China are missing these two important points

3Feb

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Critics of Keir Starmer’s trip to China are missing these two important points

When I spoke to a European journalist about British prime minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China at the end of January, they laughed about the controversy it had caused: “I mean, when most other leaders go to China, it’s taken as something they should do, rather than having to justify.” In the last few months, France, Canada, and soon South Korea and Germany, will all see high-level visits to Beijing without generating the levels of heat and discussion the British one has. It is true that Britain has a very specific relationship with China which never makes for easy partnership. In the so-called narrative of “national humiliation” promoted by the Chinese government – covering the period over the 19th and 20th century when the country was partially colonised and, at times,

Trump launched a tech war with China that he fails to win

22Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Trump launched a tech war with China that he fails to win

US President Donald Trump’s tech war with China has shifted global power politics, targeting chips, AI, and data dominance. Beijing excels in the Artificial Intelligence race with advanced AI tools scaling up the tech war along with speed and innovation. It was processed that Trump’s tech war against China is inevitable as cooperation in science and technology has been an integral part of American life. Although America always exercised tight technology exports over China, hoping to spur China’s political development in their desired direction. As time passed, US-China relations became increasingly tense, the Trump administration continued to launch tech war against China, which impacted the bilateral relations between the two states which affected the futu

Singapore’s Parliament Shake-Up: Opposition Leader Stripped of Role

17Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Singapore’s Parliament Shake-Up: Opposition Leader Stripped of Role

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong removed Pritam Singh from his role as Leader of the Opposition after Singh was convicted of lying to parliament. The decision, following a parliamentary vote on Singh's suitability, was made to uphold the rule of law and maintain the integrity of parliament. In a significant political development, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has stripped Pritam Singh of his position as Leader of the Opposition. This action follows Singh's conviction for lying to parliament, coupled with a deliberative vote in the house questioning his suitability to remain in the role. Local media, including CNA, reported that Wong emphasized the necessity of this decision to preserve the rule of law, as well as to protect the dignity and integrity of parliam...

U.S. Approves Nvidia AI Chip Exports to China

14Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

U.S. Approves Nvidia AI Chip Exports to China

The U.S. has approved the export of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China. New regulations require third-party testing to confirm chip capabilities before shipment. Nvidia must ensure ample supply in the U.S., and Chinese buyers are required to implement 'sufficient security procedures.' On Tuesday, the Trump administration approved the export of Nvidia's H200, the second most powerful AI chip, to China. This move marks a significant step for tech exports between the two countries. As per the regulations, these AI chips will undergo third-party testing to validate their technical capabilities before being shipped. This ensures that the technology meets specific standards and provides a layer of oversight. Nvidia is obligated to confirm that there is an adequate supply of these chip

From black jails to Capitol Hill: Survivor warns of Beijing’s expanding assault on US religious freedom

13Jan

By Nectar GanNo Comments

From black jails to Capitol Hill: Survivor warns of Beijing’s expanding assault on US religious freedom

On the eve of her wedding, Zhang Wanxia’s life took a dramatic turn. Her fiancé, Yin Xinxiao, was suddenly detained and interrogated by police for hours—his only “crime” was practising Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline rooted in traditional Chinese meditation and moral teachings. The incident foreshadowed what lay ahead for Zhang: years of state persecution, torture, and forced labour under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The crackdown on Falun Gong officially began on July 20, 1999, when Chinese authorities banned the practice nationwide. Over the past 26 years, human rights groups, independent investigators, and international media have documented systematic repression, including arbitrary detention, torture, forced labour, and ideological “reeducation.” Zha

Democracy Is a Mental Habit That We’re Breaking. Time to Relearn.

3Jan

By Nectar GanNo Comments

Democracy Is a Mental Habit That We’re Breaking. Time to Relearn.

Long after Trump is gone, the damage will remain. Each of us needs to find a path back. At the close of 2025, many progressive commentators were seizing on any glimmer of hope that America’s march toward authoritarianism might be slowing to a crawl. On Dec. 26, the New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg proclaimed that “Trump Is Getting Weaker, and the Resistance Is Getting Stronger.” Goldberg quoted Leah Greenberg, a founder of the resistance group Indivisible, who said that while Donald Trump “has been able to do extraordinary damage that will have generational effects, he has not successfully consolidated power. That has been staved off, and it has been staved off not, frankly, due to the efforts of pretty much anyone in elite institutions or political leadership but due