Zaobao launches free online English magazine on China

A free online publication by Lianhe Zaobao will make its reporting on China available to English readers.

Launched yesterday, Think-China will have select articles from Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) flagship Chinese-language newspaper translated into English, and include the contributions of scholars from the National University of Singapore's East Asian Institute. It will also feature in-depth commentaries and analyses from invited China experts across various fields, including politics, economics, business and culture.

About 70 per cent of the content will be selected from Zaobao, with the rest from external contributors. Updated daily, the e-magazine will also include a weekly newsletter of highlights that readers can sign up for.

ThinkChina is a continuation of efforts that started with Zaobao's revamp 16 years ago to increase its focus on China's current affairs, said Ms Lee Huay Leng, head of SPH's Chinese Media Group. Zaobao reorganised all of its China coverage into Zaobao China, which became a dedicated second section of the newspaper.

"Sixteen years on, China's presence and influence in this region and the world have strengthened and deepened, and it is even more important today to have a deeper and broader understanding of China," Ms Lee said at the launch.

More than 130 people from schools, business associations and embassies attended the event at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who was the guest of honour, said China's complexity, size and diversity make it a challenging country to define and report on. "The information and analysis we receive about it are often incomplete, and even contradictory. What we read can also be shaped by the ideological starting points of the writers, and what the writers wish will happen," said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security. "In Singapore, we cannot afford that. We have to take the world as it is and face that reality."

Mr Teo added: "Discerning consumers look for news and analysis that are informed, accurate and trustworthy, without a hidden agenda or vested interests... They want reports that cut to the core of the issue, that can help provide them a framework to understand key global developments in a deep, incisive and accessible way.

"Upholding the highest standards of journalism - veracity, timeliness, outreach and insight - remains the strongest value proposition for our local media like Zaobao to maintain your competitive advantage and relevance amidst the ongoing media revolution."

He noted that Zaobao has established a reputation of being a keen observer of China, but from a distinctly Singapore perspective that allows it to avoid viewing developments from an ideological viewpoint. "This is what differentiates Singapore media from your counterparts in Greater China and the Western world - you are an 'insider' with an 'outsider's perspective'," he said.

Ms Lee agreed, noting that this has been a tradition which generations of Zaobao's foreign correspondents have observed.

"We immerse ourselves in the happenings and developments of China, yet we maintain our independence and distance, never losing sight of who we are," she said.