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US-China relations
North Korea nuclear crisis
South China Sea
Chinese Premier Li Qiang opens the annual session of the National People’s Congress by delivering the government’s work report. Photo: AFP
Two Sessions 2026

Takeaways from Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s government work report

Li raises the curtain on the annual session of the National People’s Congress with a series of targets for the economy.

US, Israel war on Iran

US Senate rejects bid to curb Trump’s Iran war powers despite growing concerns

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Belt and Road Initiative

Panama out, but study says China investing US$23.9 billion in world’s seaports

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US-China relations

Khamenei’s fall exposes China’s military AI lag versus US: Beijing adviser

Zheng Yongnian cites precision strikes on Iran and earlier Venezuela raid to warn about risks posed by deep AI integration in US military.

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Plumes of smoke rise in Iranian capital Tehran following US-Israeli missile strikes on March 1. Photo: AFP
Plumes of smoke rise in Iranian capital Tehran following US-Israeli missile strikes on March 1. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

China in the crosshairs as EU launches sweeping plans to save industrial future

Proposals reveal EU anxiety over competing with Chinese products, security fears linked to Chinese investments and urgency to act.

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Two Sessions 2026

China vows to boost economy ahead of ‘two sessions’ and Trump visit

Beijing sees self-reliant tech growth as vital to innovation, spokesman for top legislature says, noting country will safeguard ‘red lines’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

China caught between Iran and Gulf states as Tehran strikes across Middle East

In 2023, China mediated a peace deal between Riyadh and Tehran, but the ties are being tested as Iran targets sites in Saudi Arabia.

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China has deep economic relations with GCC states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. UAE capital Abu Dhabi is pictured. Photo: AFP
China has deep economic relations with GCC states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. UAE capital Abu Dhabi is pictured. Photo: AFP
China-Asean relations

Singapore and China have ‘common interests’ in safeguarding global order: envoy

In Beijing, Peter Tan Hai Chuan says two countries built ties based on sovereign equality and respect, not just cultural or ethnic links.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump slams European allies, praises China and continues to justify Iran attack

US president blasted Spain for denying access to its military bases for his bombing campaign, but boasts of ‘good relationship with China’.

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US-China relations

US and China trade chiefs to meet mid-March before Trump-Xi summit

The planned Paris talks suggest a meeting between the two countries’ leaders will go ahead despite American strikes against Iran.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shakes hands with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Geneva, Switzerland, in May 2025. Photo: Reuters
China-Middle East relations

China urges Israel to end war in Iran as regional tensions escalate

Beijing says US-Israeli strikes were in bad faith and calls for an immediate halt, a return to talks and opposition to unilateral action.

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Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran on Tuesday following air strikes by Israel and the US. Photo: WANA via Reuters
Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran on Tuesday following air strikes by Israel and the US. Photo: WANA via Reuters
China-Middle East relations

How will China adjust Israel ties as US-led strikes on Iran reshape Middle East?

Beijing is unlikely to abandon ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the region despite killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, analysts say.

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China-EU relations

EU strips AI, chips and quantum from industrial plan aimed at countering China

Leaked draft shows biotechnology and robotics are other cutting-edge sectors to be cut from Industrial Accelerator Act ahead of unveiling.

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Two Sessions 2026

Will Iran feature in foreign policy talks at China’s ‘two sessions’?

The focus is on economics and the five-year plan but the turmoil could prompt a rethink in some areas, analysts say.

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The Iran crisis is most likely to be discussed with other conflicts such as the Ukraine war rather than be singled out for special mention at this year’s “two sessions”. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

China and France agree to help de-escalate US-Israeli conflict with Iran

The world must not return to the law of the jungle, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang tells France’s Jean-Noel Barrot.

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France says it was neither informed of nor involved in the military operations against Iran. Photo: AFP
France says it was neither informed of nor involved in the military operations against Iran. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Understanding China’s cautious stance on Iran following US-Israel strikes

Beijing’s strong but restrained reaction aligns with a long-standing strategy of diplomatic backing without direct military engagement.

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China-Latin America relations

Ousted president, China-linked crime, Panama: 7 Latin America relations reads

From friction over the Panama Canal to steel dumping and crime, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in February 2026.

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US-China trade war

Trump’s 2026 trade agenda sharpens push for ‘managed’ US-China ties

US Trade Representative report touts deficit drop, pledges tougher Section 301 enforcement ahead of Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi.

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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer arrives for the State of the Union address last week in Washington. Photo: Reuters
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer arrives for the State of the Union address last week in Washington. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says Iran war could last a month or longer as conflict widens

Trump administration says the ‘hardest hits are yet to come’ for Iran, as Tehran and its allies hit back across the region.

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US-China relations

Will Iran attack derail Trump’s high-stakes China visit to meet Xi Jinping?

China has condemned killing of Iranian leader as a grave violation of sovereignty and called US incitement of regime change ‘unacceptable’.

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Mainland China

Trump’s Iran attack, EU ‘too slow’: 7 global relations reads

From Europe’s US-China balance to Canada’s economic plans, seven highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in February 2026.

Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Israel and the US launched strikes on the country on Saturday. Photo: WANA via Reuters
South China Sea

South China Sea expert warns 2026 code of conduct is ‘simply not achievable’

The agreement ‘cannot be successfully negotiated’ while rival claimant Philippines holds Asean chair, Chinese analyst Wu Shicun says.

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The Chinese coastguard recovers Philippine fishing nets near a disputed area of the South China Sea. Photo: Xinhua
The Chinese coastguard recovers Philippine fishing nets near a disputed area of the South China Sea. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

3 US troops killed in Iran war, Trump warns more could come

The US president vows to ‘avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Why China’s ties with Iran will endure despite death of Khamenei

Killing of Iranian supreme leader has sparked turmoil and triggered talk about an ideological shift to the West.

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China-EU relations

Is Europe, the world’s geopolitical punching bag, ready to hit back?

The EU could land a range of economic blows if it wants to be more than a lightweight, researchers say.

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Europe might have trade punches it can land on the US and China but is it prepared to use them? Photo: Reuters
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