China’s Iran war strategy, Trump’s Hormuz ask: 7 global relations reads
From a China-Israel call on Iran to an unlikely nuclear deal, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in March 2026
1. Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi plans to flip the script on Beijing
Allies of exiled Iranian royal Reza Pahlavi signalled a potential reset in Tehran’s ties with China and Russia, as the 65-year-old increasingly positioned himself as a central figure in Iran’s political future – a claim that contrasted with Washington’s more cautious stance.
2. Why China’s Iran war strategy is working – and may even be an opportunity
Beijing’s long-standing geopolitical playbook could see China emerge favourably from the Iran war, said economists, analysts and former US officials, as the conflict entered its fourth week with little end in sight and the US barrelling ahead.
3. EU’s flagship Africa project under fire over ties to Chinese state-owned firms
EU lawmakers demanded to know whether the more than US$2.3 billion in European funds that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has poured into the Lobito Corridor is being funnelled towards Chinese state-owned companies.