https://www.scmp.com/rss/10271/feed A former diplomat, Shi Jiangtao has worked as a China reporter at the Post for more than a decade. He's interested in political, social and environmental development in China. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao China will work with Australian businesses on jet fuel shipments in an important “first step” in alleviating supply crunches, according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. The agreement came on Wednesday as part of Wong’s talks in Beijing with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “Inputs China supplies to Australia, including jet fuel, support the Australian resources sector, which in turn helps to maintain the flow of commodities that are so important in the bilateral trading relationship,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:16:19 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao While China has begun to put pressure on Iran to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, its statements have been carefully worded, experts say, showing how the prolonged conflict is testing Beijing’s relationship with Tehran. President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week that China wanted an “immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” and explicitly demanded that the waterway “ remain open to normal passage”, without naming Iran or the US. Speaking at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351707/chinas-calls-open-hormuz-show-limits-its-ties-iran-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351707/chinas-calls-open-hormuz-show-limits-its-ties-iran-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Orange Wang Shi Jiangtao,Orange Wang Two months after US and Israeli strikes began, their war on Iran has settled into a costly stalemate. The fighting has paused under a fragile Pakistan-brokered ceasefire, but the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, direct talks have collapsed and neither side shows signs of yielding. Last weekend, Washington’s envoys cancelled their planned trip to the Pakistani capital for further talks after Tehran declared it would not join negotiations until the US Navy ended its blockade of Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351608/2-months-iran-war-who-holds-upper-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351608/2-months-iran-war-who-holds-upper-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:08:06 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Just weeks before US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing next month, China is sending two giant pandas to Atlanta in what observers describe as a “goodwill gesture” amid persistent tensions that range from trade to broader security issues. The China Wildlife Conservation Association said on Friday that male panda Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang would travel to the US under a 10-year conservation agreement signed with Zoo Atlanta last year. Chinese state media, including the Global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351294/lead-trumps-beijing-visit-china-announces-2-pandas-are-headed-us-zoo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351294/lead-trumps-beijing-visit-china-announces-2-pandas-are-headed-us-zoo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:12:48 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Amid escalating turmoil in the Middle East and mounting global uncertainty, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China and Russia to elevate their strategic partnership to new heights by deepening “all-round cooperation” and reinvigorating the authority of the United Nations. During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on Wednesday, he cast the growing bilateral relationship as a stabilising force in a volatile world, rooted in history, driven by strategic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350167/strong-china-russia-relations-are-stabilising-force-turbulent-landscape-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350167/strong-china-russia-relations-are-stabilising-force-turbulent-landscape-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:01:36 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Chinese President Xi Jinping ‌called for a more robust, resilient and dynamic ‌strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, as Beijing intensified what observers have described as its “quiet but pragmatic” diplomacy during the Iran crisis. In a meeting with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu ‌Dhabi, Xi unveiled a four-point proposal to safeguard Middle East stability, stressing the importance of national sovereignty, the international rule... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350081/xi-jinpings-meeting-abu-dhabi-crown-prince-highlights-gulf-turn-towards-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350081/xi-jinpings-meeting-abu-dhabi-crown-prince-highlights-gulf-turn-towards-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Friday that relations with Beijing had been elevated to new heights. He was speaking at a meeting in Pyongyang with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where both sides pledged to deepen strategic coordination and “practical cooperation”. Wang’s two-day visit to North Korea is his first since 2019. At the meeting he conveyed greetings from President Xi Jinping, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua. Wang also said the meeting at the Workers’ Party of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349693/china-north-korea-thaw-gathers-pace-kim-jong-un-says-ties-have-reached-new-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349693/china-north-korea-thaw-gathers-pace-kim-jong-un-says-ties-have-reached-new-level?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:19:43 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Shi Jiangtao,Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan The Islamabad talks scheduled to begin on Saturday will represent the first direct US-Iran negotiations since the Pentagon launched Operation Epic Fury six weeks ago. Vice-President J.D. Vance will lead the US team, which will include Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to the White House. The Iranian delegation is expected to be led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Observers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349683/who-are-araghchi-and-ghalibaf-iranian-duo-set-lead-us-ceasefire-talks-islamabad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349683/who-are-araghchi-and-ghalibaf-iranian-duo-set-lead-us-ceasefire-talks-islamabad?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:04:16 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao A temporary but fragile ceasefire is in place after US President Donald Trump pulled back from the brink of a wider Iran war. For Beijing, as it prepares for Trump’s high-stakes visit planned for next month, the key question is what the Iran crisis reveals about Trump’s governing style, and whether it has left him emboldened or simply more unpredictable and volatile. The episode is the latest example of what Chinese observers call Trump’s “split” style: abrupt swings between conciliatory talk of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349519/how-can-beijing-prepare-trumps-drunken-boxing-style-his-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349519/how-can-beijing-prepare-trumps-drunken-boxing-style-his-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China and Australia should intensify exchanges on energy security amid complex global geopolitics, Canberra said on Tuesday as spillover from the US-Israel war against Iran continued to endanger the world economy. In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed the importance of energy security “in light of the current global challenges” and agreed to increase government-to-government communication to support regional energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:27:41 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As US President Donald Trump’s Tuesday deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz approached, Pakistan put forward a fresh proposal for an immediate ceasefire on Monday, offering what one analyst described as “a critical opportunity” for talks. The plan was brokered through overnight contacts between Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, US officials including Vice-President J.D. Vance and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Reuters. It called for an immediate halt to hostilities... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349189/pakistans-peace-plan-critical-opportunity-us-iran-talks-ahead-trump-deadline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349189/pakistans-peace-plan-critical-opportunity-us-iran-talks-ahead-trump-deadline?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:20:54 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao By issuing a joint five-point plan on the Iran crisis on Tuesday, China and Pakistan have laid out what Chinese analysts described as a “feasible path” towards a ceasefire and renewed diplomacy. At the same time, the move quietly signalled an early effort to shape the post-war Middle East order in a region where the long-standing US-dominated security framework was already facing growing strain and uncertainty, the observers said. In recent weeks, regional powers have emerged as mediators to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348700/what-does-china-pakistan-plan-iran-crisis-mean-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348700/what-does-china-pakistan-plan-iran-crisis-mean-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan China said on Tuesday it would enhance “strategic coordination” with Pakistan on the Iran crisis to promote dialogue and help end the conflict as Islamabad’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Dar to discuss ways to de-escalate regional tensions and to formally launch a joint five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East. Key points of the plan include a call for an immediate ceasefire, a halt to attacks on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:05:51 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao For decades, the US security umbrella was the bedrock underpinning the Gulf states’ prosperity and stability. Today, Iranian missiles and drones have paralysed the Strait of Hormuz and hit civilian airports, ports, hotels and refineries across every Gulf country, despite thousands of American troops and advanced interceptors on the ground. The armed conflict has forced the region to confront a stark new reality. A Chinese scholar argued that the US-Israel war on Iran and ensuing Hormuz crisis... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347189/severely-damaged-how-us-israel-war-iran-decoupling-gulf-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347189/severely-damaged-how-us-israel-war-iran-decoupling-gulf-security?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Trump’s threat to postpone his Beijing trip unless China helps break Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has fused two crises Beijing had sought to keep apart: the unravelling of Middle East stability and the fragile thaw in US–China relations. China, the world’s largest buyer of Gulf oil, is now being forced to weigh its economic reliance on stable energy routes against its tradition of non‑interference in diplomacy, according to observers. While Beijing is eager to host Trump for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346792/china-under-pressure-trump-ties-high-stakes-summit-strait-hormuz-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346792/china-under-pressure-trump-ties-high-stakes-summit-strait-hormuz-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao With the Strait of Hormuz effectively weaponised as part of the Iran crisis, Beijing should move beyond rigid non-intervention to take targeted action to defend its massive interests abroad, according to a leading Chinese government adviser. In an interview published on Monday, Zheng Yongnian called for a more assertive “intervention 2.0” while avoiding US-style hegemonic overreach or “strong-arm” tactics. He argued that China’s commitment to “absolute non-intervention” was becoming increasingly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346396/new-age-disorder-it-time-china-rethink-non-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346396/new-age-disorder-it-time-china-rethink-non-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As US President Donald Trump prepares for his first China trip in nearly a decade, Chinese scholars see an opportunity to steer ties away from confrontation and towards a managed coexistence. Speakers at a seminar hosted by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World last week were cautiously optimistic about prospects for the relationship. That was despite Washington’s strategic pullback, heightened sensitivities over the Taiwan Strait, and intensifying conflict in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Chinese analysts expect Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, to continue and possibly harden his assassinated father’s policies towards the US and Israel. The appointment of the 56-year-old cleric could signal a sense of continuity inside Iran, as well as stabilise ties between Beijing and Tehran, the analysts added. Iran’s Assembly of Experts confirmed on Monday that the younger Khamenei would succeed the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the supreme leader – a post holding the final say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346134/why-china-sees-stability-hardliner-mojtaba-khameneis-rise-lead-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346134/why-china-sees-stability-hardliner-mojtaba-khameneis-rise-lead-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:15:51 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait remain Beijing’s foremost external security concern for 2026, fuelled by uncertainties surrounding the US midterm elections and the growing involvement of Japan, according to a prominent Chinese think tank. In its latest annual forecast of China’s external security risks, the Centre for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University framed this year as a pivotal moment in the profound reshaping of China’s outer defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:14:11 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China’s top diplomat has cast his country as “an irreplaceable mainstay” amid global upheaval, rejecting any suggestion of a US-China G2 duopoly for global co-leadership as a replay of disastrous great-power rivalries. Instead, against the backdrop of the escalating Iran conflict and Washington’s renewed trade wars, Wang Yi renewed Beijing’s call for a post-hegemonic order anchored in the United Nations, advocating an “equal and orderly multipolar world” that transcended bloc confrontation and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345895/whats-wrong-g2-wang-yi-lays-out-chinas-case-against-great-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345895/whats-wrong-g2-wang-yi-lays-out-chinas-case-against-great-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:59:15 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China must speed up military applications of AI and deepen civil-military fusion to narrow its strategic gap with the United States, a leading Chinese political scientist and adviser to Beijing has said. Citing US-Israeli precision strikes that eliminated Iran’s supreme leader, Zheng Yongnian warned that China risked repeating historical mistakes if it limited artificial intelligence (AI) mostly to civilian or entertainment uses and failed to convert frontier technologies into decisive hard... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345408/khameneis-fall-exposes-chinas-military-ai-lag-versus-us-beijing-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345408/khameneis-fall-exposes-chinas-military-ai-lag-versus-us-beijing-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Holly Chik,Jane Cai,Shi Jiangtao,Meredith Chen,Amber Wang Holly Chik,Jane Cai,Shi Jiangtao,Meredith Chen,Amber Wang This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The US-Israel joint military campaign against Iran, now on day 3, has widened rapidly, with Iranian retaliatory missile and drone waves hitting Israel, American bases and Gulf states. Casualties include at least 555 people in Iran, four US service members killed, at least nine Israeli civilians dead, three in the United Arab Emirates and dozens in Lebanon.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345089/iran-strikes-day-3-markets-open-sharp-sell-futures-and-asian-shares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345089/iran-strikes-day-3-markets-open-sharp-sell-futures-and-asian-shares?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:39:58 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China’s engagement with traditional US allies amid the turmoil of Donald Trump’s presidency may be a sign that it is moving away from its customary diplomatic approach in favour of a “wedge strategy” that some observers believe may help reshape global dynamics. They point to the ways US partners are trying to keep as many doors open as possible – to insure themselves against both an erratic Washington and increasingly assertive Beijing. At Davos last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342717/traditional-us-allies-hedge-their-bets-will-china-be-one-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342717/traditional-us-allies-hedge-their-bets-will-china-be-one-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan In the deepening shadow of US-China rivalry, India’s back-to-back trade pacts with the United States and the European Union mark a major tilt towards stronger economic ties with the West. While critical details – especially the scope of any reduction in Russian energy imports under the vague US agreement – remain unclear, experts predict the twin deals will give India leverage in its relationship with China and may slow the fragile thaw between New Delhi and Beijing. Meanwhile, New Delhi is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao Turkey remains committed to becoming a full member of the Brics bloc, positioning itself as a bridge between Asia and Europe despite widening transatlantic rifts, according to the new Turkish ambassador to China. Ankara, meanwhile, would continue to work with Beijing to deepen trade ties, promote high-level visits, expand cultural and academic exchanges and build political trust through dialogue on security, counterterrorism and other sensitive issues, the envoy told the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342362/nato-member-turkey-reaffirms-brics-ambitions-amid-transatlantic-rifts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342362/nato-member-turkey-reaffirms-brics-ambitions-amid-transatlantic-rifts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:01:39 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China carried out naval and air patrols around Scarborough Shoal on Saturday – just days after joint US-Philippine drills nearby – underscoring tensions in the disputed South China Sea waters. The PLA Southern Theatre Command issued a statement on the “combat readiness patrols” near the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Island. They were aimed at countering “infringement and provocative actions by individual countries”, it said, in a thinly veiled reference to the United States and rival... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341949/chinese-military-patrols-scarborough-shoal-5-days-after-us-philippine-drills-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341949/chinese-military-patrols-scarborough-shoal-5-days-after-us-philippine-drills-area?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:35:22 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao In an era of ruptured global order, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s much-anticipated visit to China, scheduled for later this week, marks the culmination of London’s “re-engagement” strategy with Beijing, prioritising trade and growth amid escalating geopolitical risks, according to observers. The Chinese foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that Starmer would visit Beijing and Shanghai between January 28 and 31. Starmer’s government had expressed its desire for a stable and strategic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341324/keir-starmers-china-trip-test-labours-push-reset-bilateral-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341324/keir-starmers-china-trip-test-labours-push-reset-bilateral-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The Chinese navy and coastguard said on Friday that they rescued 17 Filipino crew members from a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship that had capsized near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. According to the China Coast Guard (CCG), the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre in Sansha, Hainan province, received a distress report at around 1.30am on Friday. The vessel appeared to be in trouble about 55 nautical miles northwest of Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China. The centre sent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340950/chinese-coastguard-rescues-filipino-sailors-near-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340950/chinese-coastguard-rescues-filipino-sailors-near-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:44:46 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao US President Donald Trump’s accelerated push to seize Greenland has transformed a once-quirky idea into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, with observers warning it could deal a near-fatal blow to the post-war transatlantic order. Trump initially did not rule out the use of America’s military to control the autonomous Danish territory but backed down at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, saying that he “won’t use force”. He also called off tariffs against European countries over their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao It took the United States less than three hours to stun the world with its abduction of the sitting leader of a sovereign state, but the strategic ramifications of that dramatic operation are likely to reverberate for decades. In laying bare the limits of China’s economic-centric diplomacy towards third countries in its competition with the US, the Venezuela crisis has delivered a stark reminder that spheres of influence continue to shape global politics in this new era of great power... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340144/counting-chinas-wins-and-losses-among-swing-nations-new-era-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340144/counting-chinas-wins-and-losses-among-swing-nations-new-era-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Washington’s further retreat from multilateral institutions has dealt “a heavy blow” to an already fractured global governance system, presenting both opportunities and challenges for Beijing, according to analysts. Observers said US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from 66 international organisations would have lasting consequences for American leadership around the world, accentuating power gaps in critical areas such as climate and security. On Thursday, Chinese foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339220/china-warns-law-jungle-us-exits-global-bodies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339220/china-warns-law-jungle-us-exits-global-bodies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Ji Siqi,Shi Jiangtao,Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings Ji Siqi,Shi Jiangtao,Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings As a diplomatic row sees Japanese company executives put visits to China on hold, Beijing is preparing to roll out the red carpet for South Korean business leaders accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit starting Sunday. The contrasting receptions highlight how geopolitics is reshaping corporate ties in East Asia. Analysts expect continued friction between Beijing and Tokyo in 2026 to accelerate Japanese efforts to de-risk from the Chinese market. Conversely, Beijing’s warming... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338540/chinas-diplomatic-divide-red-carpet-south-korea-cold-shoulder-japanese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338540/chinas-diplomatic-divide-red-carpet-south-korea-cold-shoulder-japanese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao A group of about 200 prominent Japanese business leaders has reportedly postponed their annual visit to mainland China, the first such deferral in more than a decade, amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan. The postponement, first reported by Bloomberg and Kyodo, is widely seen by observers as a worrying sign of fraying corporate diplomacy – long regarded as a stabilising channel in the countries’ complicated relationship. It comes amid Beijing’s intensified efforts to rally a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338421/200-prominent-japanese-business-leaders-postpone-annual-china-trip-amid-bilateral-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338421/200-prominent-japanese-business-leaders-postpone-annual-china-trip-amid-bilateral-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 11:30:25 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Beijing adopted sweeping revisions to its decades-old Civil Aviation Law on Saturday, formally bringing uncrewed aircraft such as drones under the national legal framework for the first time and signaling state support for the country’s rapidly growing low-altitude economy. The revisions, which will come into effect on July 1, were approved by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee and are a critical step in closing long-standing gaps in safety regulation. They will also guide... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337897/china-puts-drone-rules-law-low-altitude-economy-takes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337897/china-puts-drone-rules-law-low-altitude-economy-takes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 11:12:39 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao President Donald Trump’s reluctance to authorise direct military intervention in Venezuela underscored the US dilemma of how to reassert dominance in its traditional sphere while managing escalation risks in multipolar rivalry with China and Russia, observers said. But they cautioned against seeing US hesitation as weakness, noting intensified sanctions, naval blockades and diplomatic pressure from Washington, alongside a recalibrated strategy to sustain influence without overcommitment against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337845/trumps-military-restraint-venezuela-power-play-eye-china-or-weakness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337845/trumps-military-restraint-venezuela-power-play-eye-china-or-weakness?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:00:18 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The conviction of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in a high-profile Hong Kong trial has drawn sharp reactions in London, casting uncertainty over thawing Sino-British ties before Keir Starmer visits China. Although the outcome of Lai’s 156-day national security trial was widely expected, observers say it poses a significant test for the Labour government’s balancing act on China, which could narrow the space for engagement even if its immediate impact on bilateral relations is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:25 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Chile’s election of an ultraconservative leader has created another vocal ally for US President Donald Trump in a lithium-rich region where China has emerged as the dominant economic partner, positioning the South American country at the centre of an intensifying superpower rivalry. In what was probably Chile’s sharpest rightward shift since the end of its military dictatorship in 1990, Jose Antonio Kast, a right-wing former lawmaker who campaigned on Trump-style hardline positions on crime and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336564/chiles-sharp-shift-right-puts-it-centre-china-us-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336564/chiles-sharp-shift-right-puts-it-centre-china-us-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:00:11 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao It has been a turbulent year for the fraught US-China relationship. In a new series, we look back at the events of 2025, starting with the geopolitical struggle between the two rival superpowers. In a year marked by domestic crises and global turmoil, Washington and Beijing are set to end 2025 with a fragile truce after they stepped back from the brink of full-blown tariff warfare – but deeper antagonisms remain. The downward spiral of rhetoric and retaliation started with US President Donald... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336495/why-relative-stability-us-china-ties-unlikely-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336495/why-relative-stability-us-china-ties-unlikely-last?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:00:13 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The world has not slid into a simple US–China bipolar order but become “two superpowers and many strong powers”, veteran Peking University scholar Wang Jisi has warned, pointing to a relationship plagued by structural confrontation, deep misunderstandings and rising risks of conflict. In a wide-ranging virtual conversation last Friday at the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World (CCCW), Wang voiced concerns about America’s inward turn under US President Donald... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336407/beyond-bipolar-why-china-us-rivalry-defies-cold-war-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336407/beyond-bipolar-why-china-us-rivalry-defies-cold-war-model?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:00:22 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Zhou Bo is a retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army and a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy. His military career included roles in the Ministry of National Defence’s Foreign Affairs Office and as a defence attaché. Zhou is the author of the recent book Should the World Fear China? This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. With the independence-leaning Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334626/taiwan-complicated-issue-way-out-simple-ex-pla-colonel-zhou-bo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334626/taiwan-complicated-issue-way-out-simple-ex-pla-colonel-zhou-bo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:00:28 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Authorities in mainland China have launched a nationwide campaign to eliminate fire hazards in high-rise buildings, days after Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades tore through a residential complex – claiming at least 128 lives. The Work Safety Committee of the State Council, China’s cabinet, announced the sweeping drive in a notice on Saturday, according to state media. The notice pledged to “identify and rectify” fire risks across high-rise residential and public-use buildings, from tower... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334624/beijing-launches-nationwide-fire-safety-drive-wake-deadly-hong-kong-inferno?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334624/beijing-launches-nationwide-fire-safety-drive-wake-deadly-hong-kong-inferno?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 12:00:59 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Zhou Bo is a retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army and a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy. His military career included roles in the Ministry of National Defence’s Foreign Affairs Office and as a defence attaché. Zhou is the author of the recent book Should the World Fear China? SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. This article will be available to regular SCMP subscribers next... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334347/ex-pla-colonel-taiwan-question-ukraine-war-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334347/ex-pla-colonel-taiwan-question-ukraine-war-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao While Beijing has remained largely offstage during US President Donald Trump’s latest push to end the war in Ukraine, China still sees significant stakes in how any peace deal could reshape its strategic environment – from the global balance of power to post-war reconstruction opportunities, according to observers. A Trump-brokered peace plan to end the nearly four-year war, first reported last week, remains fluid, but the proposed settlement has reportedly been reduced to 19 points after the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334264/offstage-peace-talks-china-eyes-ukraine-rebuilding-strategic-entry-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334264/offstage-peace-talks-china-eyes-ukraine-rebuilding-strategic-entry-point?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:00:10 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. Here, Shi Jiangtao looks at how the relationship has been affected by Trump 2.0 and accompanying ups and downs of US-China ties, and global conflicts. In an era defined by intensifying US-China rivalry, the European Union often finds itself pulled in opposite directions by the competing giants,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331751/can-eu-walk-strategic-autonomy-tightrope-china-us-tug-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331751/can-eu-walk-strategic-autonomy-tightrope-china-us-tug-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Taiwan’s participation in next year’s Apec summit in Shenzhen as a regional economy will depend on its adherence to the one-China principle, Beijing said on Wednesday, amid growing cross-strait tensions. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was responding at a briefing to a Reuters question about Taipei’s claim that Beijing had imposed “numerous conditions” on its attendance at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. “Participating in Apec as a regional economy under the one-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331657/taiwan-can-join-apec-summit-if-it-sticks-one-china-principle-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331657/taiwan-can-join-apec-summit-if-it-sticks-one-china-principle-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:18:57 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Beijing has officially resumed group tours to Canada, just days after the first meeting between their top leaders in eight years, signalling a further thaw in bilateral ties after years of tensions. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning made the announcement on Monday, ending a prolonged Covid-19-era freeze that left Canada off China’s outbound tour lists, even as group travel resumed to more than 130 other destinations. Mao said the decision was taken after “comprehensive” consideration... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331364/china-gives-green-light-group-travel-canada-after-xi-carney-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331364/china-gives-green-light-group-travel-canada-after-xi-carney-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The first in-person summit between Chinese and American leaders since US President Donald Trump’s return to office marked a symbolic reset in the balance of power between the two rivals, yielding a time-bound agreement to pause escalation in their intensifying trade conflict. From freezing new tariffs and rare earth export controls to resuming key US agricultural exports and pledging cooperation on Ukraine, both sides achieved tactical de-escalation in the Thursday meeting, allowing each to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330960/xi-trump-summit-yields-wins-both-china-and-us-despite-lack-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330960/xi-trump-summit-yields-wins-both-china-and-us-despite-lack-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:37:21 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China’s ambitious five-year strategic blueprint has revealed the country’s plan to become a global sea power, with pledges to secure its maritime periphery while countering American sanctions and other perceived external security threats. The aspirations were outlined in a broad policy document for the country’s 15th five-year plan adopted at the Communist Party’s fourth plenum in Beijing last week and released by state news agency Xinhua on Tuesday. While stressing “Chinese-style modernisation”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330802/china-eyes-rise-global-sea-power-while-countering-us-five-year-plan-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330802/china-eyes-rise-global-sea-power-while-countering-us-five-year-plan-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:00:29 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Japan’s new administration to take a constructive “first step” in engaging with Beijing and to properly address sensitive issues such as Taiwan and wartime history. Wang made the remarks during a phone call with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday – the first high-level diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Tokyo since Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister a week ago. Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330654/china-urges-japans-new-administration-take-solid-first-step-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330654/china-urges-japans-new-administration-take-solid-first-step-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:24:26 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said “a multipolar world is emerging”, positioning Beijing’s latest vision for global governance as a unifying and stabilising framework at a time of increasing turbulence and Washington-driven unilateralism. Speaking in Beijing on Monday, Wang also called for “an end to politicising economic and trade issues, artificially fragmenting global markets, and frequently provoking trade and tariff battles”, a thinly veiled jab at US President Donald Trump. His remarks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330512/chinas-top-diplomat-wang-yi-hails-multipolar-world-ahead-trump-xi-talks-apec?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330512/chinas-top-diplomat-wang-yi-hails-multipolar-world-ahead-trump-xi-talks-apec?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 14:00:35 +0000