https://www.scmp.com/rss/246096/feed Brics (an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) refers to an association of 10 leading emerging markets. The other member states are Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com David Dodwell David Dodwell Most readers of foreign news pages this weekend will be assuming that US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has been dominating everyone’s attention. But across Asia, Trump, with his massive business entourage, was not the only act in town this week. At least two other major sets of meetings should not be overlooked. First, in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosting foreign ministers from the 10 Brics economies and a growing community... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang In recent years, the Brics grouping has attracted attention as it adds members and positions itself as the voice of the Global South. At a Brics forum held in Beijing last month, officials discussed expanding trade within the grouping. Such initiatives reflect both an impulse to reduce exposure to external shocks linked to the US dollar and a long-term ambition to reshape global finance. These gatherings are as much about signalling intent as delivering substance. Brics wants to be seen as a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353220/what-brics-lacks-unity-it-makes-flexibility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353220/what-brics-lacks-unity-it-makes-flexibility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to rally support for Tehran’s war against the US during the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, amid a fragile ceasefire with its adversary. India, which holds the Brics chair this year, is hosting the gathering from the expanded bloc that now includes Iran and the United Arab Emirates – countries at odds over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353511/irans-anti-american-rhetoric-tests-indias-balancing-act-brics-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353511/irans-anti-american-rhetoric-tests-indias-balancing-act-brics-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 05:20:23 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong With the war in the Middle East entering its third month, questions have surfaced over its geopolitical ramifications in the region and beyond. An entity that has drawn particular scrutiny is Brics. The 10-member grouping is defined less by a clear set of common values and more by contingently overlapping interests. It does not and cannot speak with one voice on the conflict. Two Brics members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are at loggerheads: Tehran has launched missile and drone... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Brics’ inability to speak with one voice on the Middle East conflict has become a stern test of India’s leadership of the bloc, exposing the challenge of building consensus among its 10 members with divergent interests and concerns. The bloc could not agree on a common position on the war at a meeting of Brics officials to discuss Middle East and North Africa issues in New Delhi last week. Brics has long sought to present itself as a voice for the Global South as frustrations with the US-led... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352055/iran-war-tests-indias-brics-leadership-political-relevance-questions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352055/iran-war-tests-indias-brics-leadership-political-relevance-questions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:49:38 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Brics nations are assessing whether a digital payments framework linking their currencies could lessen the impact of Western sanctions, tariffs and US dollar volatility without destabilising the Washington-led global financial system. Under the plan proposed by India’s central bank, Brics is looking to allow cross-border transactions to be settled in local currencies. Its feasibility depends on how far the bloc’s members can lessen their reliance on Western-controlled payment channels without... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351860/brics-push-intra-currency-payments-immunity-against-western-clout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351860/brics-push-intra-currency-payments-immunity-against-western-clout?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Ambuj Sahu Ambuj Sahu In April 2020, as the world struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic and soldiers from India and China moved towards a large-scale border stand-off, New Delhi amended its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to require prior government approval for all investments from countries sharing a land border with India – a measure directed at China. Nearly six years on, India has changed its FDI policy again. It is a significant move for India-China relations. During the pandemic, the FDI regulation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong By the second half of the 21st century, the Sino-Indian relationship will become the world’s most significant geopolitical relationship, dislodging even the complex China-US cooperative rivalry. By 2050, the world’s three largest economies are likely to comprise some combination of China, India and the United States. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts this exact order – with the US having the highest per capita income but the smallest population. Both Asian powerhouses enjoy significant theoretical... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow China condemned it. Russia condemned it. Brazil condemned it. Brics, as a bloc, has said nothing. More than a week after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered the worst regional crisis in years, the grouping that positions itself as the collective voice of the Global South has yet to issue a single joint statement. The silence is not an oversight. It is the sound of a bloc whose expansion has outpaced its ability to speak as one, analysts... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346065/why-has-us-israeli-war-iran-left-brics-speechless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346065/why-has-us-israeli-war-iran-left-brics-speechless?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:03:55 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Professor Pan Guang has spent decades focused on Jewish studies, the Middle East and its ties with China. Among his many roles, Pan is founding director of a research centre on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Amid recent events in Iran, how do you assess the impact on China? Will China’s “petroyuan” settlement encounter problems, and what of the risks to the Belt and Road... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3345551/iran-wars-impact-china-limited-mideast-scholar-pan-guang-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3345551/iran-wars-impact-china-limited-mideast-scholar-pan-guang-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:37:36 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Brazil’s dismissal of the idea of a Brics currency suggests that the bloc may continue to pursue less politically fraught monetary cooperation that stops short of challenging the US dollar’s dominance, such as swaps and seamless payment systems, according to analysts. During Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s recent trip to India, Lula sought to play down speculation that the 10-member grouping of developing nations was drafting plans for a shared currency. In an interview with an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344501/why-brics-cant-do-away-us-dollar-even-currency-cooperation-rises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344501/why-brics-cant-do-away-us-dollar-even-currency-cooperation-rises?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and Brazil are stepping up efforts to boost trade cooperation among developing economies and regional blocs as a hedge against mounting global trade uncertainty, after signing agreements in New Delhi ranging from rare earths to digital infrastructure. The deals were sealed during Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s five-day visit to India, which ended on Sunday, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In January, India assumed the rotating chair of the Brics... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:06:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Africa’s top regional body is hosting its annual summit in Ethiopia this weekend to discuss the future of the continent of some 1.4 billion people, as the organisation faces widespread discontent. Set up to “promote the unity and solidarity of the African States,” analysts say the African Union faces a legitimacy crisis among youth for failing to meet their expectations. Meanwhile, several African countries battle military coups, disputed elections and protests inspired by economic hardship... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343583/african-union-youth-anger-mounts-over-corruption-lack-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343583/african-union-youth-anger-mounts-over-corruption-lack-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:54:30 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Senior diplomats from China and India met in New Delhi on Tuesday for what Beijing described as a new round of strategic dialogue, emphasising the need to view each other as partners rather than competitors amid shifting global dynamics. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri hosted China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who was in the country for the Brics Sherpa Meeting from February 8 to 10. The two sides’ readouts of the meeting, however, revealed a persistent gap in how the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:16:30 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The United States has appeared “more threatening” over the past year, while perceptions of China have improved markedly in parts of the Western world, according to a global risk survey released on Monday. The same report, released in the lead-up to the Munich Security Conference (MSC) this week, also accused Beijing of “increasingly threatening regional stability” in the Indo-Pacific, while warning that President Donald Trump’s “vacillating” China policy was causing a “crisis of confidence”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343087/trumps-vacillating-china-policy-leads-allies-crisis-confidence-security-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343087/trumps-vacillating-china-policy-leads-allies-crisis-confidence-security-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:00:15 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji When India sealed a landmark free-trade pact with the European Union last month, Brussels’ top bureaucrat saw more than an economic deal taking shape. “India has risen and Europe is truly glad about it,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared. “Because when India succeeds, the world is more stable, more prosperous and more secure.” Her words were more than just a diplomatic nicety; they reflected a growing consensus in European capitals that India has become an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342704/indias-trade-blitz-seeks-keep-sinking-global-order-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342704/indias-trade-blitz-seeks-keep-sinking-global-order-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:12 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar For the India-China-US triangle, the new US-India trade deal, announced with Trumpian flourish on social media on Monday, has potentially significant economic, geopolitical and strategic implications. US President Donald Trump’s post, which came after a phone call with Narendra Modi, said the Indian prime minister had committed to “BUY AMERICAN”, including over US$500 billion of US products. It also said Modi had “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342263/why-new-us-india-trade-agreement-big-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342263/why-new-us-india-trade-agreement-big-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng This year started with a bang – from the United States’ intervention in Venezuela and the investigation opened against US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to US President Donald Trump’s renewed claims on Greenland and the potential for US action following instability in Iran. Amid these crises, gold prices are now over US$5,500 per ounce, up over 27 per cent from the price on January 1. This comes after the price of gold jumped by 65 per cent in 2025 after soaring by 27 per cent in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341788/us-dollar-weakens-all-glitters-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341788/us-dollar-weakens-all-glitters-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has placed “resilience” at the heart of its foreign policy this year, pitching it as a way to keep the country from being buffeted by intensifying rivalry among the world’s major powers. But analysts say the concept, though rhetorically appealing, lacks clear objectives and a long-term strategy – running the risk of Jakarta’s diplomacy becoming more transactional and drifting away from its stated values of non-alignment, multilateralism and respect for international law. In his annual... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan,Jevans Nyabiage Cao Jiaxuan,Jevans Nyabiage Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise. However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance. The “Will for Peace 2026” drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on January 9... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340269/did-china-russia-iran-joint-naval-drills-south-africa-mark-notable-brics-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340269/did-china-russia-iran-joint-naval-drills-south-africa-mark-notable-brics-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 02:00:13 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A week-long naval exercise off the South African coast involving the navies of China, Russia and the UAE has stirred debate over whether the primary purpose of Brics is evolving in the emerging post-Western global order. The exercise, held from January 9 to 16 under the banner “Will for Peace 2026”, was described by host nation South Africa as a routine maritime safety and interoperability operation. Officials said the drills aimed to improve coordination in protecting shipping routes and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340195/will-peace-drills-brics-tests-waters-military-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340195/will-peace-drills-brics-tests-waters-military-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen,Vanessa Cai Zhao Ziwen,Vanessa Cai As the US considers taking military action over a crackdown on unrest in Iran, there has been no official response from either the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or Brics. Iran is a member of the two Beijing-backed forums for the Global South, and analysts said remaining silent on the situation could be damaging for them. But according to one expert, the Iran crisis could also lead to an expansion of security and strategic cooperation within the two blocs. US President Donald Trump has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339910/could-iran-crisis-push-global-south-blocs-deepen-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339910/could-iran-crisis-push-global-south-blocs-deepen-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:00:20 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China will lead a joint naval exercise with Brics nations in South African waters next week – the bloc’s first such defence cooperation that is likely to raise alarm bells in Washington. The South African National Defence Force on Wednesday said the exercise – dubbed Will for Peace 2026 – would bring together “navies from Brics Plus countries for an intensive programme of joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills and maritime protection serials” from January 9 to 16. It said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338479/china-lead-joint-naval-drills-brics-nations-south-african-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338479/china-lead-joint-naval-drills-brics-nations-south-african-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 06:00:22 +0000 Anand Mathai Anand Mathai Indonesia’s 2025 unfolded as a year of collision and contrast – President Prabowo Subianto asserting his authority, mass protests erupting in the streets, global diplomacy expanding outwards, climate disaster striking at home and a viral moment that turned aura farming into the country’s top cultural export of the year. Prabowo takes charge Prabowo entered his first full year in office with a strong mandate and an unusually high level of public goodwill. Over 2025, he moved quickly to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337718/indonesia-2025-year-collision-and-contrast-prabowo-takes-charge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337718/indonesia-2025-year-collision-and-contrast-prabowo-takes-charge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:16 +0000 Peiman Salehi Peiman Salehi For much of the modern era, power was easy to recognise. It belonged to the states that could win wars decisively, enforce sanctions effectively and impose political outcomes far beyond their borders. That definition no longer works. The world is moving towards what scholars have described as a form of “distributed multipolarity”, a landscape in which no single actor – not the United States, not China, not Russia – can fully shape events in the way great powers once expected. Tools once seen as... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335006/welcome-world-where-wars-dont-end-and-sanctions-dont-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335006/welcome-world-where-wars-dont-end-and-sanctions-dont-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Elina Noor Elina Noor The dust has yet to settle despite the conclusion of the 47th Asean Summit under Malaysia, which remains the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the remainder of the year. There are two main takeaways from the Kuala Lumpur meetings. First, by most objective measures, Malaysia has successfully pulled off not only the summit but its year-long chairmanship, steering several initiatives long in the making past the finish line. One of the most consequential is the formal admission... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334072/its-year-under-malaysia-asean-tried-set-systemic-reform-motion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334072/its-year-under-malaysia-asean-tried-set-systemic-reform-motion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US formally warned South Africa against pushing for a joint statement at this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg that the Trump administration is boycotting, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The diplomatic stand-off is particularly awkward given it’s the first time the continent is hosting a G20 and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is passing the baton to US President Donald Trump at the end of this year. Tensions between the two men came to a head at an Oval... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333574/trump-administration-warns-south-africa-not-issue-g20-statement-citing-policy-differences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333574/trump-administration-warns-south-africa-not-issue-g20-statement-citing-policy-differences?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:14:53 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva kicked off the Cop30 climate summit on Thursday, urging leaders to turn promises into action while highlighting his country’s work within the Brics group to reaffirm the importance of climate finance, capacity building and technology transfer in global cooperation. The meeting comes amid the notable absence by the United States. President Donald Trump, who ordered the country’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in January, declined an invitation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3331840/brazils-lula-opens-cop30-demanding-courage-and-cash-save-planet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3331840/brazils-lula-opens-cop30-demanding-courage-and-cash-save-planet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 18:17:48 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang ahead of this year’s Cop30 climate talks, urging Beijing to help fund green technology and investment projects. Beijing has been trying to maintain a prominent role in global efforts to fight climate change. A source familiar with the discussions said the talks had been “brief and cordial”, with the Brazilian president using the occasion to thank Beijing for its diplomatic support in hosting the event and to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331730/brazil-pushes-china-stronger-climate-commitments-run-cop30?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331730/brazil-pushes-china-stronger-climate-commitments-run-cop30?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 06:00:19 +0000 Michael Vatikiotis Michael Vatikiotis In a world where the tools of formal diplomacy have been cast aside in favour of interest-driven deal-making, interactions between states have assumed new and more flexible forms. Once dominated by elaborate formality and often generating empty positions and declarations, states are turning to more informal mechanisms that grant space for private diplomacy and create new opportunities for stability and peace, even if they do little to reinforce international law. This shift in modality partly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3331123/diplomacy-age-populism-fast-fickle-and-unbound-rules-old?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3331123/diplomacy-age-populism-fast-fickle-and-unbound-rules-old?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao The now-delayed meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, could have been a turning point towards peace in Ukraine. Instead, it has revealed a deeper fault line. However, it is one that can be overcome. Even the Kremlin’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, believes that the parties are close to an end to the war. The global community should offer an off-ramp and seek a middle ground amenable to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330630/only-multipolar-coalition-can-secure-ukraine-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330630/only-multipolar-coalition-can-secure-ukraine-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:30:13 +0000 Meng Wenting,Zhang Chi (張馳) Meng Wenting,Zhang Chi (張馳) The International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) was inaugurated at its headquarters in Wan Chai on Monday, bringing the new China-led mechanism into operation to fill the void in dispute resolution. With 37 signatories, the organisation is attracting Western interest, particularly from Switzerland. The IOMed is just one among several bodies announced by or established in China this year. They include the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, Unesco’s International... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330086/china-supporting-multilateralism-one-institution-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330086/china-supporting-multilateralism-one-institution-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism in international relations, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war. In this interview,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330088/john-mearsheimer-taiwan-us-china-rivalry-trump-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330088/john-mearsheimer-taiwan-us-china-rivalry-trump-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:47:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar As Prabowo Subianto marks his first year as Indonesia’s president, the former general is grappling with the challenge of turning his populist campaign promises into lasting policy. While early initiatives such as free meals for children have drawn praise, concerns over civil liberties, economic sluggishness and foreign policy decisions threaten to overshadow his administration’s achievements. Prabowo, who was sworn in on October 20 last year, campaigned on a platform of ambitious social... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329824/pledges-policy-indonesias-prabowo-marks-1-year-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329824/pledges-policy-indonesias-prabowo-marks-1-year-office?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:04:38 +0000 Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin US President Donald Trump has returned to a trademark policy in announcing a new round of trade confrontation that clearly echoes the conflict he launched in his first term. Officially, the trade war began on January 22, 2018, when he imposed a 30 per cent import tariff on solar panels. While such measures are usually justified by noble intentions – protecting domestic industries and reviving local manufacturing – in reality, trade wars are often driven by the desire to seize foreign markets and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328864/given-its-rare-earth-vulnerability-us-cannot-risk-all-out-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328864/given-its-rare-earth-vulnerability-us-cannot-risk-all-out-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s plan to join the Brics-led New Development Bank (NDB) and fulfil a payment requirement for membership has spurred a debate on whether the move is feasible given the country’s strained finances to fund President Prabowo Subianto’s priority projects. Earlier this year, Prabowo announced that Indonesia was planning to join the NDB “to boost the national development transformation” after he met the bank’s chairwoman, Dilma Rousseff, in Jakarta. “The Indonesian government has decided to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3329132/will-indonesias-plan-join-brics-bank-lead-heavier-debt-burden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3329132/will-indonesias-plan-join-brics-bank-lead-heavier-debt-burden?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:45:32 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian In a fast and furious year of devastating wars and high-stakes diplomacy, the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a potential harbinger of a new global order. In his first visit to China in seven years, Modi agreed with Xi that Asia’s two powers should be “partners” rather than “rivals”, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. Modi stressed that “their differences should not turn into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Chris Ogden Chris Ogden With the old global order in a heightened state of flux, driven by US President Donald Trump’s attacks on free trade, international organisations and human rights, small states like New Zealand are having to adjust their foreign policies and hedge their bets. As long-term economic and diplomatic power shifts towards Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific, alternative multilateral groups are now growing in importance. Foremost among these is the grouping known as Brics, a maturing – and potentially... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3328581/why-new-zealand-joining-brics-makes-sense-trumps-america-first-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3328581/why-new-zealand-joining-brics-makes-sense-trumps-america-first-era?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The ruling party of North Korea is approaching its 80th official anniversary amid an unprecedented rise in the country’s international stature. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s presence alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at China’s Victory Day parade early last month was more than ceremonial; it was a strategic declaration. Kim carried himself with the assurance of a man who has successfully recalibrated his nation’s place in the world. This confidence,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328231/can-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-forge-legacy-goes-beyond-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328231/can-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-forge-legacy-goes-beyond-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Kashif Hasan Khan Kashif Hasan Khan The United States’ use of its currency as a foreign policy tool has jolted much of the Global South. Sanctions, financial restrictions and US dominance over the Swift system have shown just how much the US dollar can be used as political leverage. For many emerging economies, the US is no longer their main trade and investment partner, yet its currency still underpins their transactions. This disconnect has imbued with fresh urgency the efforts of the Brics grouping to explore alternative... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328191/brics-slowly-surely-chipping-away-us-dollar-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328191/brics-slowly-surely-chipping-away-us-dollar-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Taiwan has reversed its semiconductor export controls on South Africa just two days after it announced them in protest over Pretoria’s push to relocate Taipei’s representative office. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on Thursday that following discussions with the foreign ministry, it had decided to suspend its first unilateral chip curbs on a foreign government. The export controls unveiled on Tuesday were set to come into effect in late November and would have required prior... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327044/taipei-backtracks-south-africa-chip-controls-tussle-over-representative-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327044/taipei-backtracks-south-africa-chip-controls-tussle-over-representative-office?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 12:00:47 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India and China, recently seen moving towards rapprochement after years of strained ties, held separate meetings with Global South countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, highlighting a quiet rivalry for leadership of the developing world. The world’s two most-populous countries had been expected to present a united front as global trade and multilateralism face increasing headwinds under US President Donald Trump’s second term. Instead, their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:11:23 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As Washington continues to retreat from its traditional leadership role in the post-war international order, particularly under the “America first” doctrine, Beijing has stepped in with a calculated response to the widening vacuum in global governance, unveiling what observers call a “master plan” for reform. China’s newly unveiled Global Governance Initiative (GGI), launched this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, represents its most comprehensive and structured... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:00:16 +0000 Abishur Prakash Abishur Prakash Earlier this month, Anthropic, the American artificial intelligence company, entered the US-China fight. It barred companies from using its AI services if they were more than 50 per cent owned by Chinese entities. This was a double punch – China’s access to American technology hit another obstacle, and the global business world was prodded again to reject Chinese investment. Just a few months ago, Anthropic’s move would have knocked the wind out of China. But the recent Shanghai Cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 22:30:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow In a move analysts see as both a survival strategy and a calculated signal of dissatisfaction with Asean, Laos has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a dialogue partner. The decision was confirmed on September 1 during the SCO summit in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, where Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith thanked the Eurasian bloc’s 10 member states for their unanimous support. Laos was “ready to participate in the promotion of peace and stability in the region and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325371/laos-embraces-china-russia-led-sco-amid-frustration-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325371/laos-embraces-china-russia-led-sco-amid-frustration-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to India on Thursday pushed back on fears that New Delhi was drifting towards China, pledging to draw India closer to the US, open its markets to American goods and end Russian oil purchases, while telling senators that India and China had little in common and were unlikely to forge closer ties. “While we might have our moments of hiccups right now, we are on the track of resolving that. Our relationship with the Indian government … is much... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325259/just-hiccups-trumps-india-nominee-pledges-pull-new-delhi-away-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325259/just-hiccups-trumps-india-nominee-pledges-pull-new-delhi-away-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 21:11:08 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The recent military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of victory against the Japanese invasion was a stunning display of precision and power. Rows of soldiers moved with robotic synchrony and new weapons systems – hypersonic missiles, stealth aircraft and autonomous drones – rolled past Tiananmen Square, signalling China’s arrival as a military peer to the United States. The presence of leaders from across the Global South, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324883/eu-and-china-beijing-parade-was-missed-chance-build-bridges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324883/eu-and-china-beijing-parade-was-missed-chance-build-bridges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:30:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Brics emergency summit at which Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech was convened by Brazil to coordinate resistance to growing pressures from US President Donald Trump’s trade war. It did not turn into a forum for an open clash with the United States, as anticipated by some. But it would be a mistake to discount the importance of such meetings to a growing trading bloc in consolidating long-term resilience. Xi set the tone for the virtual summit, as he did at the recent Shanghai... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3324913/brics-looking-resilience-not-open-clash-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3324913/brics-looking-resilience-not-open-clash-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 23:15:14 +0000 Igor Patrick,Khushboo Razdan Igor Patrick,Khushboo Razdan Members of the Brics nations logged into a virtual summit on Monday, convened by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, intending to take a defiant stand against US President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war. Instead, the quickly assembled outing became an exercise in caution, as the bloc’s heavyweights, Brazil and India, sought to steer clear of further enraging the “America-first” leader. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a founding Brics leader, skipped the meeting, sending... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3324806/brics-virtual-rally-falters-members-appear-leery-exacerbating-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3324806/brics-virtual-rally-falters-members-appear-leery-exacerbating-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 21:33:43 +0000 Holly Chik,Laura Zhou Holly Chik,Laura Zhou Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a unified response to trade challenges posed by the United States, emphasising the need to build an open global economy and resist all forms of protectionism as he addressed a virtual summit of the Brics group on Monday. “No matter how the international situation changes, we must unwaveringly promote the construction of an open world economy, share opportunities and achieve win-win outcomes through openness,” Xi told leaders of the key emerging... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324783/chinas-xi-jinping-issues-rallying-call-against-protectionism-brics-address?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324783/chinas-xi-jinping-issues-rallying-call-against-protectionism-brics-address?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 13:03:48 +0000