https://www.scmp.com/rss/322391/feed Breaking news and analysis on China-Australia relations, including trade and investment and the impact of wider issues such as the US-China trade war and South China Sea. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A Chinese underwater drone was caught by an Indonesian fisherman near a key waterway leading to Australia on Monday, local media reported. The discovery of the “torpedo-like” object near the Lombok Strait comes at a time of increasing Chinese underwater activity in sensitive areas. The waterway between Bali and Lombok is closely watched by the United States and Australia. It is one of the few deepwater routes that can accommodate submarine transits at operational depth and is also suitable for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349290/indonesian-fisherman-nets-surprise-catch-chinese-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349290/indonesian-fisherman-nets-surprise-catch-chinese-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Australian comedian Jenny Tian set off a wave of deep laughter across an Adelaide audience at a recent comedy festival by saying she had tired of democracy at home. So, Tian explained, she moved to the US to give “fascism” a whirl instead. The 30-year-old showbiz pro was born to Chinese parents, making her race a rarity in Western stand-up comedy. But the crowd was a near sell-out. I saw Tian’s March performance during a visiting media tour of Australia after days of meetings with national... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348468/australias-180-degree-shift-5-years-ago-china-favour-us-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348468/australias-180-degree-shift-5-years-ago-china-favour-us-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠Australia has raised concerns with ⁠China following an “unsafe and ⁠unprofessional” encounter between two military helicopters, the defence department said on Friday. An Australian military helicopter was flying over international waters in the Yellow Sea when it was intercepted by a Chinese helicopter on Wednesday, a statement ‌said. The Chinese helicopter matched the Australian aircraft’s altitude before “closing in to an unsafe distance”, increasing speed and then rolling towards it,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345781/australia-complains-china-after-encounter-between-military-helicopters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345781/australia-complains-china-after-encounter-between-military-helicopters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:27:12 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday and Saturday, monitored closely by the People’s Liberation Army, which remained on alert throughout the transit, according to a mainland Chinese media report. The Global Times, a nationalist newspaper affiliated with the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, reported the vessel’s passage on Saturday, citing a Chinese military source. Citing a military fan site that monitors airspace activities around the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344247/beijing-monitors-australian-frigate-hmas-toowoombas-passage-through-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344247/beijing-monitors-australian-frigate-hmas-toowoombas-passage-through-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 07:59:54 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s travel industry is expecting a sharp increase in visitors to Australia during this month’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as millions of tourists fan out across the world for a nine-day break. Industry insiders said the lure of wine, seafood, nature and flexible small-group itineraries was driving interest in the island country. Australia is projected to attract “the most travellers from China” during the break, with bookings likely to more than double over last year’s total, according... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343560/great-barrier-reef-calling-chinese-tourists-make-australia-lunar-new-year-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343560/great-barrier-reef-calling-chinese-tourists-make-australia-lunar-new-year-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Australia and Indonesia’s leaders signed a security deal on Friday, one of a series of agreements that Canberra has secured with neighbouring countries to reinforce ties and limit China’s influence in the region. At a signing ceremony, President Prabowo Subianto met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said before he travelled to Jakarta that the pact was a “watershed moment” in ties. It “represents a major extension of our security and defence cooperation and demonstrates that our relationship... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342607/australia-indonesia-sign-deal-extend-security-cooperation-watershed-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342607/australia-indonesia-sign-deal-extend-security-cooperation-watershed-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:55:37 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Any decision by Australia to regain control of Darwin Port is likely to differ from Panama’s move to nullify a contract on its geostrategically vital canal, as fears of Chinese retaliation and a limited security consensus limit Canberra’s options, analysts said – though they warned the issue could still reopen strains in the bilateral relationship. Panama’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday against a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, ending its rights to operate two ports on the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342192/china-ties-make-darwin-port-bigger-test-australia-panama-port-dispute-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342192/china-ties-make-darwin-port-bigger-test-australia-panama-port-dispute-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:54:32 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim In the first few weeks of this year alone, the leaders of two of the five “eyes” in the world’s oldest intelligence-sharing alliance signalled they were ready to rethink their relationship with China. First came Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and then this week it was the turn of his British counterpart, Keir Starmer. And in both cases, the visits have prompted warnings from US President Donald Trump. As Western economies grapple with the unpredictability and at times hostility of the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341885/canada-and-uk-hit-refresh-china-ties-end-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341885/canada-and-uk-hit-refresh-china-ties-end-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing has pledged to step in if Canberra commits to regaining control of a strategic port in northern Australia that is leased to a Chinese firm. Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said on Wednesday that Beijing “has the obligation to take measures” to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese companies overseas if the port of Darwin were taken back through a forced sale, according to Australian media reports. During last year’s successful re-election campaign, Australian Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341574/china-will-step-if-australia-moves-regain-control-darwin-port-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341574/china-will-step-if-australia-moves-regain-control-darwin-port-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:39 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Khushboo Razdan Lucy Quaggin,Khushboo Razdan Australia’s former prime minister and a prominent China scholar, Kevin Rudd, will step down as ambassador to the United States a year ahead of schedule, a move some analysts say underscores a fundamental shift in how Canberra must navigate a Washington increasingly centred on the personal rapport with US President Donald Trump. The resignation follows a period of heightened friction between Rudd and Trump, punctuated by the “America first” leader’s blunt public declaration in October 2025 that... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339796/not-trump-compatible-china-expert-rudd-exits-australias-us-ambassador-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339796/not-trump-compatible-china-expert-rudd-exits-australias-us-ambassador-role?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:28:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia’s government is “disappointed” with China’s decision to impose new beef import tariffs, with one industry group warning the move could damage trade worth over A$1 billion (US$667 million) between the two countries. China announced it would impose additional 55 per cent tariffs on some beef imports from countries including Brazil, Australia and the United States that exceed a certain quantity for the next three years. The country also said it would suspend part of a free-trade agreement... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338405/australia-disappointed-chinas-55-beef-tariffs-us667-million-trade-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338405/australia-disappointed-chinas-55-beef-tariffs-us667-million-trade-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 09:17:53 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May How can Australia operate effectively in Asia if fewer Australians can speak regional languages, understand political and cultural dynamics, or build enduring relationships across the region? This question lies at the heart of debates over the nation’s Asia capability and has gained renewed urgency following submissions to the recent parliamentary inquiry into building Asia capability in Australia. For more than three decades, successive Australian governments have recognised that meaningful... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3338045/australia-losing-its-ability-engage-asia-its-own-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3338045/australia-losing-its-ability-engage-asia-its-own-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Mia Nurmamat Xinyi Wu,Mia Nurmamat Russia’s shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China soared last month, consolidating Moscow’s role as the top energy supplier to the world’s second-largest economy even in the face of Western sanctions. Imports of LNG from Russia surged 142.6 per cent, year on year, to 1.6 million tonnes, displacing Australia to become one of China’s top two biggest suppliers alongside Qatar last month, according to the latest customs data. Russian LNG accounted for 23.5 per cent of China’s total... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337367/russian-lng-shipments-china-surge-143-november-overtaking-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337367/russian-lng-shipments-china-surge-143-november-overtaking-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 03:00:18 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met their Australian counterparts on Monday in Washington for annual talks focused on Indo-Pacific security and countering mainland China’s increasing assertiveness in the region, including in the South China Sea and directed at Taiwan. Rubio, Hegseth, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles gathered at the State Department, with many eyes also on the Russia-Ukraine war, a fragile ceasefire in... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335667/rubio-and-hegseth-discuss-indo-pacific-security-australian-counterparts-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335667/rubio-and-hegseth-discuss-indo-pacific-security-australian-counterparts-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:23:01 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s deployment this week of a naval fleet led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335362/australia-high-alert-pla-naval-flotilla-philippine-sea-sails-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335362/australia-high-alert-pla-naval-flotilla-philippine-sea-sails-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:07:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg More than half of Australians are concerned about US interference while support for defence spending has reached a new high, according to a nationwide poll that comes as friction mounts between the allies over issues such as trade. The survey released on Tuesday by the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney found that 54 per cent of respondents are worried about US influence on domestic affairs – a jump of nearly 20 percentage points since 2021. The increase... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3333195/australian-poll-reveals-rising-concerns-over-us-influence-coercive-trade-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3333195/australian-poll-reveals-rising-concerns-over-us-influence-coercive-trade-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 04:02:45 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Japan’s ambassador to Australia has said Tokyo and Beijing must keep “proper” communication channels open over Taiwan to avoid misunderstandings. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Kazuhiro Suzuki also urged Australia to help strengthen “joint deterrence” with Japan in what he described as “turbulent” times. Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait would be “extremely important” for the international community as well as for Japan, Suzuki said in response to a question... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332602/japan-very-much-willing-keep-talking-mainland-china-over-taiwan-top-diplomat-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332602/japan-very-much-willing-keep-talking-mainland-china-over-taiwan-top-diplomat-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:44:44 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Regional hot-button issues amplified by great power rivalry, such as the South China Sea and Taiwan, have contributed to more Australians “than ever before” being exposed to foreign intelligence operations, Canberra’s top spy has warned. Australia’s social cohesion faced “unprecedented” tests, with international dynamics playing a role, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) director general Mike Burgess said in a speech on Tuesday. The country had been among the targets of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331600/hot-regional-issues-south-china-sea-expose-australians-foreign-agents-spy-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331600/hot-regional-issues-south-china-sea-expose-australians-foreign-agents-spy-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 07:34:51 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow In the Solomon Islands, where memories of civil unrest and ethnic violence are still fresh, the government’s plan to create a defence force has raised both hope and concerns. For some, it is a step towards stability; for others, it is a potential flashpoint in a region increasingly pulled between China and the West. Jimson Tanangada, the Pacific nation’s police and national security minister, told parliament earlier this month that the government was exploring the creation of a defence force as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330233/solomon-islands-defence-force-dream-australia-china-flashpoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330233/solomon-islands-defence-force-dream-australia-china-flashpoint?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 01:30:15 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Seong Hyeon Choi Yuanyue Dang,Seong Hyeon Choi Beijing is likely to view the growing defence cooperation between India, South Korea and Australia as a strategic effort to contain China in the Indo-Pacific, according to analysts. They said closer defence ties between the three reflected concerns over a possible security vacuum in case the United States reduced its military presence in the region. The Indian naval vessel Sahyadri docked at Busan naval port in South Korea on October 13, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329978/counterweight-or-containment-how-china-views-defence-ties-between-asia-pacific-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329978/counterweight-or-containment-how-china-views-defence-ties-between-asia-pacific-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank has suggested. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help to plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework initially consist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Zhao Ziwen Seong Hyeon Choi,Zhao Ziwen China and Australia exchanged accusations on Monday after an encounter over the disputed South China Sea, with the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command Air Force saying that it drove away a P-8A military aircraft that illegally intruded into Chinese airspace. “The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command organised naval and air forces to track and monitor the intruder in accordance with regulations, implement effective countermeasures, and issue warnings to drive it away,” Senior Colonel Li... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329696/china-australia-trade-blame-after-pla-jet-releases-flares-mid-air-encounter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329696/china-australia-trade-blame-after-pla-jet-releases-flares-mid-air-encounter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:06:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia must learn from past guerrilla insurgencies and adopt an “unconventional deterrence” policy in facing down threats from China, Russia and elsewhere, one of the country’s leading think tanks said on Wednesday. Australia, under the tripartite Aukus pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, will acquire at least three Virginia-class submarines from the US within 15 years, with an eye to eventually build its own. Until then, Canberra faces a major gap in its defences, warned the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329081/australia-urged-adopt-guerrilla-singapores-poisonous-shrimp-defence-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329081/australia-urged-adopt-guerrilla-singapores-poisonous-shrimp-defence-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 06:29:08 +0000 Christopher Cottrell Christopher Cottrell A new chapter in Pacific security began this week as Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) signed a mutual defence agreement that draws the strategically vital yet volatile Melanesian nation further into Canberra’s sphere of influence – as China watches closely. The “Pukpuk Treaty”, signed in Canberra on Monday by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape, is Australia’s largest Pacific security pact in seven decades. Named after the Tok Pisin... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328115/what-australias-pukpuk-pact-png-means-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328115/what-australias-pukpuk-pact-png-means-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:27:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Papua New Guinea’s cabinet has approved a bilateral defence treaty with near neighbour Australia, paving the way for the nations’ leaders to sign a landmark agreement that US allies hope will curb Chinese influence in the region. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape confirmed on Thursday that the treaty had been formally approved by his cabinet. “Australia has only one other mutual defence treaty of this type and at our request Papua New Guinea will now sign this treaty,” Marape said in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327653/australia-and-papua-new-guinea-forge-historic-defence-pact-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327653/australia-and-papua-new-guinea-forge-historic-defence-pact-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:52:28 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The Australian government has unveiled a plan to improve domestic exporters’ access to the Chinese market after Beijing’s removal of trade barriers that previously affected A$20 billion (US$13.3 billion) worth of the country’s goods. The two-year Accessing New Markets Initiative will provide A$50 million of funding in an attempt to “build on” China’s recent scrapping of several trade restrictions affecting Australian products, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325631/australia-unveils-plan-boost-exports-china-trade-barriers-fade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325631/australia-unveils-plan-boost-exports-china-trade-barriers-fade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:20 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen When Mary Wang, a 27-year-old Chinese woman living in the West Australian capital of Perth, heard that thousands of anti-immigration protesters would be marching across the country late last month, she immediately cancelled plans to leave the house. Wang, who works in IT, was planning to continue her volunteer work teaching the elderly how to use smartphones, but the disturbing rallies gave her pause. “I just feel insecure,” Wang said. “I’m already in an environment I didn’t grow up in, and I... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325127/i-feel-insecure-chinese-nationals-australia-blindsided-anti-immigration-marches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325127/i-feel-insecure-chinese-nationals-australia-blindsided-anti-immigration-marches?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 04:03:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pacific Island leaders issued a call for an “ocean of peace” on Wednesday, urging respect for their sovereignty at a summit clouded by China’s alleged meddling and great power competition in the strategically vital region. After a day of largely closed-door talks in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara, the 18 Pacific Islands Forum leaders endorsed a Fiji-backed push for a statement proclaiming the region’s cohesion and its desire for peace and climate action. A heavy police presence guarded... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3325042/pacific-islands-leaders-call-ocean-peace-forum-after-china-claims-make-waves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3325042/pacific-islands-leaders-call-ocean-peace-forum-after-china-claims-make-waves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:15:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia’s public broadcaster said on Thursday it will again base a correspondent in China, five years after two journalists fled the country under diplomatic protection as bilateral ties soured. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) Bill Birtles and Australian Financial Review correspondent Michael Smith were rushed out of the country in September 2020 after Chinese police conducted midnight raids on their homes and sought to question them. The broadcaster said it had been “eager to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3323539/australia-china-ties-abc-resumes-beijing-bureau-after-5-years-xi-albanese-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3323539/australia-china-ties-abc-resumes-beijing-bureau-after-5-years-xi-albanese-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:43:08 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang Geopolitical tremors from Washington’s trade wars against its closest allies – the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Australia – might have convinced Beijing of an impending realignment. China has seized the moment with a charm offensive, urging pragmatic cooperation amid tariff spats. Beijing rightly condemns Washington for shredding the very World Trade Organization rules and post-war liberal order it crafted, calling for collective action against US coercion. Yet despite the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322705/why-us-allies-are-resisting-chinas-charm-offensive-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322705/why-us-allies-are-resisting-chinas-charm-offensive-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Kandy Wong,Mia Nulimaimaiti Kandy Wong,Mia Nulimaimaiti Canada’s status as the dominant supplier of canola to China appears to be under threat as shipments plunge amid a tit-for-tat tariff battle between the two nations. And Australia is already emerging as an alternative source of the staple vegetable oil, analysts and industry insiders say. China’s imports of canola from Canada fell by 55 per cent year on year to 173,250 tonnes in July – the lowest level recorded since July 2023 – Chinese customs data showed. The value of those shipments was down... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322525/china-turns-away-canadian-canola-australia-emerges-alternative-supplier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322525/china-turns-away-canadian-canola-australia-emerges-alternative-supplier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:19 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Barely a month after Australia’s Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China to improve relations put on ice by his Liberal predecessor, the Bank of China announced it was leading the country’s largest syndicated, yuan-denominated loan to a foreign firm. Perth-based Fortescue is the world’s fourth-largest iron ore producer and China has long been its best customer, so the loan, worth a record 14.2 billion yuan (US$1.98 billion), makes good sense. The diplomatic thaw is bearing fruit. But... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3322499/record-yuan-loan-australian-miner-makes-good-sense?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3322499/record-yuan-loan-australian-miner-makes-good-sense?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 22:45:06 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China and Australia are ready to “move beyond” stabilising relations and aim for “more productive” economic cooperation, according to Beijing’s ambassador Xiao Qian. There could be a “closer alignment” between the Australian mining and Chinese manufacturing sectors through “joint exploration, technology sharing and capacity enhancement”, Xiao told a trade expo on Thursday. He said both countries had “highly compatible” development strategies and “can fully complement each other’s strengths,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321898/china-and-australia-ready-more-productive-relationship-beijings-ambassador-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321898/china-and-australia-ready-more-productive-relationship-beijings-ambassador-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:00:24 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has passed another milestone in its efforts to promote the global use of its currency, with the Australian metals giant Fortescue agreeing to borrow a record 14.2 billion yuan (US$1.98 billion) in a syndicated loan agreement arranged by one of China’s biggest state-owned banks. The deal is the first ever offshore yuan syndicated loan to an Australian company and the largest ever to a non-Chinese firm, lead arranger Bank of China said in a statement on Tuesday. Fortescue – the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321546/chinas-push-promote-its-currency-accelerates-landmark-fortescue-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321546/chinas-push-promote-its-currency-accelerates-landmark-fortescue-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has urged authorities in Australia to “severely punish” those responsible for an attack on a Chinese student in the southern state of Tasmania last week. Tasmanian police said on Friday that two 14-year-old girls had been charged over a serious assault on a 33-year-old man at a Hobart shopping precinct on Tuesday afternoon. The man was being treated for head injuries in Royal Hobart Hospital and was in a stable condition. Earlier in the week, four male youths from southern Tasmania – two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321361/china-calls-tough-penalties-over-attack-student-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321361/china-calls-tough-penalties-over-attack-student-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Japanese warships docked in New Zealand’s capital of Wellington on Friday for the first time in almost 90 years amid efforts by Tokyo to deepen its strategic ties in the South Pacific Ocean. Two destroyers with more than 500 crew on board sailed into Wellington harbour accompanied by the New Zealand navy ship HMNZS Canterbury. The JS Ise and destroyer JS Suzunami were on an Indo-Pacific deployment and arrived from Sydney, where Japan’s military took part this month in war games involving New... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3321184/japanese-warships-sail-wellington-first-time-90-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3321184/japanese-warships-sail-wellington-first-time-90-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 05:16:15 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The US appears to be strengthening its allied deterrence against China by deploying its Dark Eagle hypersonic missile, a move that could “further intensify” regional rivalry, Chinese experts have warned. The United States Army Pacific, a service component for America’s Indo-Pacific Command, confirmed on the weekend that it had deployed a Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system – commonly referred to as Dark Eagle – to Australia’s Northern Territory as part of the three-week Talisman Sabre... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320992/us-debuts-dark-eagle-hypersonic-australia-china-mind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320992/us-debuts-dark-eagle-hypersonic-australia-china-mind?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 01:30:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australia will raise its cap on foreign students by 9 per cent to 295,000 next year and prioritise applicants from Southeast Asia, the government said on Monday. Limits on places were announced last year as a way to rein in record migration that had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025. An additional 25,000 places were being granted in 2026 as the policy successfully brought down “out of control” international student numbers, the government... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3320701/australia-targets-southeast-asia-easing-foreign-student-cap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3320701/australia-targets-southeast-asia-easing-foreign-student-cap?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 09:58:23 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recently concluded visit (“How deals are trumping port dispute on Australian PM Albanese’s China visit”, July 17) is a welcome breath of fresh air in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3318979/wisdom-australias-fresh-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3318979/wisdom-australias-fresh-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 03:30:07 +0000 Daryl Guppy Daryl Guppy Chinese media outlets were keen to accentuate the positives of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China. However, sections of the Australian media played up the idea that China was attempting to drive a wedge between Australia and the United States and members of the Australian opposition criticised the visit, calling some of Albanese’s stops “indulgent”. The visit achieved much in some areas, but otherwise made little progress. Despite reported efforts by Elbridge Colby, US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318707/australia-should-not-sabotage-its-own-efforts-boost-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318707/australia-should-not-sabotage-its-own-efforts-boost-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will testify at a US House panel hearing on Wednesday about countering China’s “economic coercion against democracies,” the committee said on Friday. Former US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel will also testify before the House Select Committee on China. Relations with China, already rocky after Australia banned Huawei from its 5G broadband network in 2018, cooled further after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3318853/ex-australian-pm-morrison-address-chinas-economic-coercion-us-house-panel-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3318853/ex-australian-pm-morrison-address-chinas-economic-coercion-us-house-panel-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 09:35:08 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou A month after US President Donald Trump cancelled talks with Anthony Albanese, China rolled out the red carpet for the Australian leader this week. In Beijing, he had a two-hour meeting with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. Albanese’s fiancee, Jodie Haydon, joined the lunch that followed. He held separate talks with Premier Li Qiang, and they co-chaired a CEO round table attended by nearly 30 Chinese and Australian business executives. At the banquet hosted by Li that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318724/albaneses-china-trip-shows-stiffening-canberras-spine-face-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318724/albaneses-china-trip-shows-stiffening-canberras-spine-face-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:00:11 +0000 Sohail Akhtar Sohail Akhtar The significance of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s six-day visit to China cannot be overstated. It was not only his first visit to China after his re-election, but also the fourth meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Bilateral ties had previously been marred by bitter trade disputes and mutual recriminations, which have improved since Albanese took office in 2022. While Albanese’s visit was a continuation of his efforts to strengthen ties with China and secure economic gains,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318603/australia-should-continue-engaging-china-its-own-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318603/australia-should-continue-engaging-china-its-own-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Ahead of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China, the Pentagon inexplicably demanded to know what Japan and Australia would do if a conflict broke out involving the United States over Taiwan. Was it diplomatic amateur hour or an attempt by the Americans to spoil a thaw under way between Beijing and Canberra? Whatever it was, Albanese didn’t take the bait. Canberra took the position that it was a hypothetical question and no serious security commitment could be made by... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3318551/common-interests-basis-stronger-china-australia-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3318551/common-interests-basis-stronger-china-australia-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Beijing has set aside major disputes with Canberra and instead filled Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s six-day visit to China this week with a slew of trade and investment deals, a move analysts said was an effort to find common ground amid trade tensions with the United States. The deals include the potential widening of access to the Chinese market for Australian farm produce and coal, cooperation in the digitalisation of the financial sector, investment in greenfield projects and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318508/how-deals-are-trumping-port-dispute-australian-pms-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318508/how-deals-are-trumping-port-dispute-australian-pms-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 02:08:31 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China’s relations with Australia have “turned around” after overcoming “setbacks”, President Xi Jinping told visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing on Tuesday. “The most important thing we can learn from this is a commitment to equal treatment, to seeking common ground while sharing differences, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, serving the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples,” he told Albanese. “No matter how the international landscape may... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318319/xi-jinping-hails-turnaround-china-australia-relations-pm-albanese-visits-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318319/xi-jinping-hails-turnaround-china-australia-relations-pm-albanese-visits-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:02:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australia’s army fired a truck-mounted long-range rocket system that has become a priority for US allies in the Indo-Pacific for the first time on Monday, alongside US and Singapore forces firing the same system in joint military exercises. Armoured trucks with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) that can reach 400km (250 miles) are in high demand in the Ukraine conflict and are also being acquired by US allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, which is reshaping its forces... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3318156/australia-fires-its-first-us-made-himars-rocket-system-military-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3318156/australia-fires-its-first-us-made-himars-rocket-system-military-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:34:09 +0000 Yujie Xue Yujie Xue Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and BYD have signed initial agreements with Australian mining giant BHP to collaborate on battery technology and electrification of mining operations, as both mainland firms explore new growth avenues amid a weakening outlook for electric vehicles (EVs). Melbourne-based BHP said on Monday that it had signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, and FinDreams Battery (FDB), a fully owned subsidiary of BYD, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3318116/catl-byd-partner-australias-bhp-electrify-mining-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3318116/catl-byd-partner-australias-bhp-electrify-mining-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 06:39:28 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As the Asia-Pacific’s power dynamics continue to evolve and shift, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China promises to be a test of his country’s ability to walk the fine line between economic self-interest and strategic resolve. His trip, which began on Saturday, unfolds against the backdrop of Australia’s deepening security ties with the Philippines, with Canberra stepping up support for Manila’s maritime capabilities and increasing participation in patrols and joint... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317926/australia-juggles-its-china-trade-needs-philippines-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317926/australia-juggles-its-china-trade-needs-philippines-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:58 +0000