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US-China relations
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China’s top legislators and political advisers have gathered in Beijing for the annual “two sessions” meetings. Photo: AP
Two Sessions 2026

China’s 15th 5-year plan maps bold push for AI, fusion and frontier science

Beijing’s sweeping 2026-2030 plan lays out blueprint for navigating a complex and turbulent international environment.

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Two Sessions 2026

Why China’s new 5-year plan targets stronger policing of disputed waters

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Two Sessions 2026

China targets lowest growth range in 35 years as pressures rise

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Two Sessions 2026

China boosts diplomatic budget by 9.3% as US leaves ‘fiscal void’

Growth rate in foreign affairs spending this year to outpace that of military budget as Beijing consolidates global influence, analysts say.

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Guests attending a China-Africa cooperation summit are greeted by children on their way to a banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 4, 2024. Photo: Xinhua
Guests attending a China-Africa cooperation summit are greeted by children on their way to a banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 4, 2024. Photo: Xinhua
China-Middle East relations

Iran thanks Chinese public after US-Israeli air strikes prompt wave of sympathy

Embassy in Beijing says Iran sincerely grateful to ‘the civilised and righteous Chinese people’ but financial aid not needed for now.

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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.

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US, Israel war on Iran

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

The bipartisan resolution, which failed by 52-47 votes, was aimed at stifling Donald Trump’s authority to continue military strikes on Iran.

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Democrat senator Tim Kaine, one of the lawmakers who introduced the Senate resolution, claimed US President Donald Trump had dragged the US into “unnecessary forever wars”. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Democrat senator Tim Kaine, one of the lawmakers who introduced the Senate resolution, claimed US President Donald Trump had dragged the US into “unnecessary forever wars”. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
China trade

Despite loss of Panama Canal, China investing US$23.9b in global seaports: study

Beijing funds 363 ports outside the Panama Canal to safeguard against East-West decoupling and US bid to curb China’s supply chain influence.

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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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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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Half the batteries and inverters used in the EU are made in China, as are 94 per cent of solar panels, a dependence officials describe as unsustainable. Photo: AFP
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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Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, addresses a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, addresses a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
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-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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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump meet in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
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
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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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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While China is directly referred to only twice in 93 pages of legislation and annexes, the act is seen as a crucial prong of Brussels’ efforts to de-risk from the Asian giant. Photo: Shutterstock
While China is directly referred to only twice in 93 pages of legislation and annexes, the act is seen as a crucial prong of Brussels’ efforts to de-risk from the Asian giant. Photo: Shutterstock
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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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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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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A man with an Iranian flag surveys the damaged facade of Gandhi Hospital, which was hit on Sunday during the US-Israel strikes. Photo: AP
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.

In February, Peru ousted President Jose Jeri over alleged secret meetings with a Chinese firm. Photo: AFP
In February, Peru ousted President Jose Jeri over alleged secret meetings with a Chinese firm. Photo: AFP
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, 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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US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping when he travels to Beijing later this month, the first such visit by an American leader since his own trip in 2017. Photo: AP
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