Zoher Abdoolcarim

A Chinese soldier holds the national flag prior to its raising as the British military march, at right, during the handover ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on July 1, 1997. The event marked the end of 156 years of British colonial rule over the territory.

Hong Kong 20th Anniversary: A Photographic Timeline of Highs and Lows

Hong Kong’s first 20 years as part of China has been a roller coaster ride:...

Hong Kong’s first 20 years as part of China has been a roller coaster ride: tumultuous and jarring

Tsang Yok-sing, a likely candidate in 2017 elections for Hong Kong's top office, talks to TIME on Aug. 3, 2016, in the library of the China Club in Hong Kong

Q&A: Meet the Political Peacemaker Who Could Be Taking Hong Kong's Top Job

The outgoing president of the Hong Kong legislature is seen as a moderate p...

The outgoing president of the Hong Kong legislature is seen as a moderate politician and has indicated his willingness to stand in the Chief Executive elections in 2017

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at his office in Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 22, 2015

Mahathir Mohamad on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak: 'He Should Step Down'

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks to TIME about the s...

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks to TIME about the scandal that has transfixed a nation, as well as about Islam, China — and how he stays so healthy

Ma, left, and Xi made history when they met in Singapore Nov. 7.

Presidential Summits Alone Won’t Be Enough For China To Win Over A Wary Taiwan

The handshake lasted 82 seconds, almost awkwardly long, and the smiles were...

The handshake lasted 82 seconds, almost awkwardly long, and the smiles were stretched for the cameras too. On Nov. 7, on the neutral ground of Singapore, Xi Jinping, President of China and general secretary of...

Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan's President, left, and Xi Jinping, China's President, shake hands during a photo session ahead of their meeting in Singapore on Nov. 7, 2015

It's Going to Take a Lot More Than a Historic Handshake to Fix China's Relations With Taiwan

Chinese President Xi Jinping may want a unified China, but he also has to r...

Chinese President Xi Jinping may want a unified China, but he also has to respect the desire of Taiwan's 23 million people to control their own destiny

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addresses the nation about the passing of his father, Singapore's founder Lee Kuan Yew, during a live broadcast on Monday, March 23, 2015, in Singapore

Exclusive: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Speaks Candidly with TIME

On Aug. 9, 1965, Singapore became an independent state. A half-century of u...

On Aug. 9, 1965, Singapore became an independent state. A half-century of unparalleled prosperity later, this Asian trading hub faces very different challenges

Lee Hsien Loong

Singapore's Prime Minister spoke with TIME a few weeks before the Southeast...

Singapore's Prime Minister spoke with TIME a few weeks before the Southeast Asian city-state's 50th anniversary