Xi Jinping, then China’s vice-president, is welcomed by then-governor of Iowa Terry Branstad in the governor's office in Des Moines, in February 2012. Branstad, who has cultivated a decades-long relationship with China and with Xi, has nonetheless defended tough new policies as the Trump administration’s ambassador to China. Photo: Reuters
Opinion
Opinion
What China has in common with Australia, Taiwan and the US: local and national priorities don’t always align
- The Victorian state government recently took flak for its belt and road deal, which is at odds with Canberra’s position. But local leaders – in countries taking Chinese money, and in China itself – often prioritise provincial economic needs
Xi Jinping, then China’s vice-president, is welcomed by then-governor of Iowa Terry Branstad in the governor's office in Des Moines, in February 2012. Branstad, who has cultivated a decades-long relationship with China and with Xi, has nonetheless defended tough new policies as the Trump administration’s ambassador to China. Photo: Reuters
Opinion
SCMP Columnist
Sino File
The China-Russia challenge to the US-led West has hit a BRICS wall
- With economic woes hitting all members of the bloc bar India, some are questioning its relevance
- Even among members, Beijing and Moscow’s attempts to switch focus to geopolitics is sowing division