SPH unveils China-focused English e-magazine ThinkChina

THE ongoing tensions between the US and China are not just about trade, but about global influence and China's place in the new international order, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean said.

Speaking at the launch of a China-focused English-language e-magazine ThinkChina (www.thinkchina.sg), Mr Teo said: "China's complexity makes it a challenging country to define and report on... What we read can also be shaped by the ideological starting positions of the writers and what the writers wish will happen."

To that end, he said Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao and ThinkChina, which are both published by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), are well-positioned to bridge this gap.

ThinkChina curates and translates China-related content from Zaobao, SPH's flagship Chinese newspaper which has been covering the growth and development of China for decades, focusing on analysis and commentary targeted at businessmen, academics and students with a keen interest in China.

It will also feature exclusive contributions from China experts in various fields such as politics, economics, business and culture.

Eminent scholar and historian Wang Gungwu from the National University of Singapore set the tone of the launch with a guest lecture delving into the meaning of revolution and reform in the context of China.

Earlier, in an opening speech, Lee Huay Leng, head of SPH's Chinese Media Group, noted that a tradition among Zaobao's China-based correspondents is to portray China from the unique perspective of a Chinese newspaper from Singapore.

Ms Lee said: "We want to give English language readers a sense of the China that we know.

"Zaobao hopes to break the language and culture barrier, provide our perspectives, and contribute to the understanding of China among English language users in Singapore and the world," she said.