https://www.scmp.com/rss/322800/feed The initiative spearheaded by the Chinese government and endorsed by President Xi Jinping in late 2013 aims to improve trade and economic integration across Asia, Europe, and Africa. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chenjie Song Chenjie Song Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s press conference at the annual “two sessions” on March 8 was the Chinese government’s most authoritative statement on the war on Iran since strikes began on February 28. Wang called the war one that “should not have happened” and offered five principles for resolution: respect for sovereignty, rejection of force, non-interference in internal affairs, political settlement and goodwill among major powers. Diplomatic language aside, Wang named no concrete enforcement... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347043/when-it-comes-persian-gulf-chinas-top-priority-economics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347043/when-it-comes-persian-gulf-chinas-top-priority-economics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:30:10 +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 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s incoming government has signalled it will pursue a more pragmatic foreign policy centred on national interests, as the newly victorious Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) seeks to recalibrate relations with both China and India after years of shifting political alignments. In its election manifesto, RSP pledged to pursue “balanced and dynamic diplomacy” with both neighbours, emphasising economic cooperation, cross-border connectivity and trade while transforming Nepal from a “buffer state... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:03:07 +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 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Iran is unlikely to dominate the agenda at this year’s national legislative sessions but it is likely to feature in policy discussions, according to observers. Analysts said the Middle East turmoil could prompt a broader rethink in some policy areas in Beijing, including a reassessment of its Middle East strategy and how it can safeguard its expanding overseas interests. The “two sessions”, the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body, get under way this week, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345295/will-iran-crisis-feature-foreign-policy-talks-chinas-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345295/will-iran-crisis-feature-foreign-policy-talks-chinas-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese companies are primed to capitalise on a vast global wave of investment in clean energy infrastructure in the coming decades, as they are able to deploy solutions at a scale and cost that few can match, analysts said. With China already rolling out green technologies – from wind and solar power to electric cars and batteries – at a massive scale domestically, its firms have the resources and know-how that other countries need to reduce their reliance on coal-fired power plants and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344902/china-poised-earn-vast-profits-global-energy-transition-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344902/china-poised-earn-vast-profits-global-energy-transition-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May A single policy could redraw global food supply lines and scramble markets from the Americas to Southeast Asia. In early February, the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee and State Council released the annual “No 1 document”, the country’s first policy statement of 2026 and its blueprint for agriculture, farmers and rural areas. As one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, importers and exporters, any shift in Beijing’s food strategy carries global repercussions. Covering... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese railway giants look set to scout Eurasia in the years ahead to build high-speed train lines as the domestic market matures and some countries are more prepared than others for capital-intensive yet transformative ventures, analysts said. Inspired by China-invested projects such as the 142km (88-mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed line in Indonesia and the partly finished 350km (217-mile) Budapest-Belgrade railway, Chinese construction and engineering firms are expected to expand their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +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 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The United States has issued a warning that Peru risks eroding its sovereignty after a court ruling limited state oversight of a Chinese-controlled megaport, prompting a sharp rebuke from Beijing and intensifying geopolitical tensions over a strategic hub on South America’s Pacific coast. The dispute centres on the Port of Chancay, a US$1.3 billion deep water facility located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Lima and majority owned by China’s state-run shipping giant Cosco Shipping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343384/us-china-clash-over-perus-chancay-megaport-after-court-bars-regulator-oversight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343384/us-china-clash-over-perus-chancay-megaport-after-court-bars-regulator-oversight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:04:25 +0000 Junjie Wang,Haining Gao Junjie Wang,Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3343247/china-vies-us-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3343247/china-vies-us-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:25:48 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has almost finished building the US$10 billion Pinglu Canal to deepen trade ties between its southwestern provinces and Southeast Asia. Now, it is considering an even more ambitious – and expensive – project further inland. The Xianggui Canal would be a 300km (186 mile) waterway that effectively acts as an extension of the new Pinglu Canal, giving cities right at the heart of the Chinese interior direct access to the Gulf of Tonkin, known in China as the Beibu Gulf. Like the earlier... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342669/time-ripe-why-china-eyeing-another-vast-canal-link-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342669/time-ripe-why-china-eyeing-another-vast-canal-link-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:00:25 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen The recent court ruling giving the United States a win in a tussle for control of the Panama Canal is expected to prove an important “test case” for how China responds to the challenge to its interests and influence across Latin America. Analysts said there were a range of tools it could use, including diplomatic pressure on Panama, using its economic might to seek support from friendly countries and backing a legal challenge to the ruling. Last week, Panama’s Supreme Court voided a 25-year... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342545/how-can-china-react-panama-canal-ruling-boosts-us-push-counter-its-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342545/how-can-china-react-panama-canal-ruling-boosts-us-push-counter-its-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:00:22 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s trade with some South American nations is accelerating after the opening of Peru’s Chancay port, underscoring Beijing's push to secure resources and bolster industrial supply chains under the Belt and Road Initiative, analysts said. The surge in two-way trade builds on years of Chinese investment and comes as the United States seeks to roll back Beijing’s influence in the region under a strategy US President Donald Trump has called the “Donroe” doctrine – invoking a 19th-century policy... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342512/trumps-south-america-threats-fizzle-chinas-trade-surges-powered-peru-port?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342512/trumps-south-america-threats-fizzle-chinas-trade-surges-powered-peru-port?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 23:30:07 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May Central Asia’s water insecurity may seem a distant concern. But its rivers underpin Eurasian trade corridors, sustain global food markets and power regional energy systems. As water stress worsens, this is no longer just an environmental issue but a strategic threat across Eurasia – demanding urgent attention in Beijing, Brussels and beyond. Central Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, accelerating glacier retreat in mountain ranges that act as natural reservoirs. As a result,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341896/why-china-and-europe-should-care-about-central-asias-water-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341896/why-china-and-europe-should-care-about-central-asias-water-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei US President Donald Trump is bringing back the law of the jungle to the world as he systematically dismantles the post-war rules-based international order built and forged by the United States and its allies. His speech last month at Davos, Switzerland, contained a blunt message: the US was done “keeping the whole world afloat”, where “everybody took advantage of the United States”. Trump is unabashed about what he wants. He flexed American muscle and ignored international norms by abducting... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341790/beijing-must-be-clear-eyed-about-its-national-interests-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341790/beijing-must-be-clear-eyed-about-its-national-interests-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistani police and military forces killed more than 100 “Indian-backed terrorists” in counterterrorism operations across the restive southwestern province of Balochistan over the past 40 hours, government officials said on Sunday, a day after coordinated suicide and gun attacks killed 33 people, mostly civilians. The raids began early on Saturday at multiple locations across Balochistan, and left 18 civilians, including five women and three children, and 15 security staff dead, authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3341997/pakistan-hunting-separatists-after-deadly-balochistan-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3341997/pakistan-hunting-separatists-after-deadly-balochistan-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:05:45 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has plans to increase its investments in Nepal to take advantage of the country’s rich hydropower resources, according to a Nepalese official. Nepal’s hydropower sector is particularly attractive to Chinese investors because there is potential to sell some of the power generated to India, said Hong Kong-based Consul General Bindeswar Prasad Lekhak. The Himalayan nation, which borders China and India, has vast untapped hydropower resources and it is keen to attract more foreign investment... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341838/china-step-investment-nepals-hydropower-sector-nepalese-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341838/china-step-investment-nepals-hydropower-sector-nepalese-official?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 02:30:12 +0000 Chen Zhao Chen Zhao The notion that China is flooding the world with excess industrial capacity is usually based on its massive surplus in goods trade, now standing at nearly US$1.2 trillion. That number is real, but treating it as proof of systemic overcapacity is not entirely correct. Goods trade is only one slice of China’s external balance, and it is increasingly offset by large outflows such as import of services and investment income payments. Moreover, China’s total current account surplus is US$657 billion... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341555/fears-overcapacity-ignore-chinas-full-balance-payments-picture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341555/fears-overcapacity-ignore-chinas-full-balance-payments-picture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 01:30:08 +0000 David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang China’s latest outbound investment numbers look underwhelming at first glance. At the commerce ministry’s recently concluded national conference on outbound investment and foreign aid, officials revealed that outward direct investment grew by just 1.3 per cent in 2025, a sharp slowdown from the double-digit pace seen in 2024 and 2023. On paper, it appeared to confirm a cooling of China’s overseas expansion. That conclusion misses what is actually changing. The more important story is not the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341332/chinas-slowing-overseas-investment-reflects-caution-not-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341332/chinas-slowing-overseas-investment-reflects-caution-not-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong should focus on connecting its capital markets with African financial centres so that companies and Belt and Road Initiative projects on the continent can raise funds in the city, according to a council that advises the government on development strategy. In addition to being a funding source for commercial enterprises and infrastructure projects, Hong Kong could be a place for wealthy Africans to set up family offices to manage their wealth, succession and charitable activities, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3341345/hong-kong-must-invest-africa-asia-financial-corridor-government-adviser-fsdc-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3341345/hong-kong-must-invest-africa-asia-financial-corridor-government-adviser-fsdc-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is expected to finish construction on the landmark Pinglu Canal before the end of this year, taking just four years to complete the 72.7 billion yuan (US$10.4 billion) project to boost trade links with the country’s top export destination: Southeast Asia. The mega-project will provide China’s landlocked southwestern provinces with direct access to global shipping lanes, making it faster and cheaper to transport goods between the Chinese interior and neighbouring countries. The 134km (83... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341277/china-close-opening-us10-billion-canal-linking-heartlands-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341277/china-close-opening-us10-billion-canal-linking-heartlands-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick President Jose Jeri of Peru has vowed not to resign despite rising pressure over a widening scandal involving undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen, as opposition lawmakers say the affair has damaged public trust and senior officials insist no illegal acts took place. The controversy, known in Peruvian media as “Chifagate”, a reference to Chinese-Peruvian cuisine, centres on late-night encounters at a Chinese restaurant and a wholesale shop in Lima. The meetings were not recorded on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340909/perus-president-refuses-step-down-secret-china-meetings-fuel-chifagate-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340909/perus-president-refuses-step-down-secret-china-meetings-fuel-chifagate-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 19:51:37 +0000 Arash Beidollahkani Arash Beidollahkani Iran’s streets have once again become a site of uncertainty, but this time the tremors extend far beyond its borders. Unrest that began in late December spread across multiple provinces and continued into January. It was met with a level of repression that has only deepened public anger. What sets this moment apart is not just the scale of repression, but the way sustained instability is beginning to undermine long-held assumptions among Iran’s external partners, especially China. For years,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3340436/will-irans-instability-force-china-rethink-its-middle-east-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3340436/will-irans-instability-force-china-rethink-its-middle-east-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China boosted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deals 75 per cent last year to a record US$213.5 billion as the country sought access to raw materials and pivoted investments towards Africa and Central Asia. Energy-related projects in China’s flagship global infrastructure programme more than doubled in the period to US$93.9 billion, led by oil and gas developments, according to the Australia-based Griffith Asia Institute. Overall deal sizes also increased as the BRI shifted further away from an... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340547/china-ramps-belt-and-road-deals-amid-us-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340547/china-ramps-belt-and-road-deals-amid-us-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:17:56 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative gained further traction in 2025, with a record US$213.5 billion of new deals signed as projects in metals, mining, fossil fuels and new technologies surged, a report by the Griffith Asia Institute has found. The value of new deals confirmed under China’s global infrastructure strategy rose 75 per cent last year compared with 2024, with a notable pivot towards investment in Africa and Central Asia, according to the report released on Sunday. China has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340442/china-signs-record-us213-billion-new-belt-and-road-deals-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340442/china-signs-record-us213-billion-new-belt-and-road-deals-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han The White House’s top science adviser on Wednesday said that the Biden administration’s decision to get rid of the Justice Department’s China Initiative was “damaging”, though stopped short of recommending that it should be fully brought back. Asked by Florida Republican Daniel Webster whether the termination of the programme aimed at combating alleged economic espionage from Beijing was detrimental, Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said:... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339936/white-house-says-biden-decision-scrap-china-initiative-flawed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339936/white-house-says-biden-decision-scrap-china-initiative-flawed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:56:19 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has made strengthening export control rules and safeguarding supply-chain resilience top priorities this year, as officials move to secure the nation’s economic interests amid rising geopolitical friction. The Ministry of Commerce said it would enhance legal frameworks and risk prevention and tighten the “safety net for opening up” as one of eight core work areas, according to a statement released on Sunday after its annual work conference in Beijing. China has increasingly used export... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339612/china-prioritises-export-controls-supply-chain-security-shield-economy-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339612/china-prioritises-export-controls-supply-chain-security-shield-economy-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:30:10 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A senior Trump administration official has defended exports of advanced chips to China, arguing that the US is building its own “digital silk road” to counteract concerns that Washington is eroding the competitiveness of top US models. The comments, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Thursday, came amid questions from Chinese observers over why the US government would make certain advanced integrated circuits, such as Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips, available to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339266/chip-sales-china-part-us-plan-build-its-own-digital-silk-road-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339266/chip-sales-china-part-us-plan-build-its-own-digital-silk-road-official?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 03:40:19 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Beijing is looking to expand China’s world-leading network of high-speed trains by 19 per cent within five years in an ongoing bid to boost connectivity across the country. The national railway operator unveiled the blueprint on Sunday to expand the country’s operational rail network to around 180,000km (112,000 miles) by 2030 – with high-speed routes totalling 60,000km and accounting for one-third of the full network – as part of the country’s infrastructure push under the nation’s 2026–2030... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338778/china-plans-19-high-speed-rail-expansion-2030-amid-global-dominance-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338778/china-plans-19-high-speed-rail-expansion-2030-amid-global-dominance-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:32:16 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China’s influence in Latin America may be significantly tested by the US revival of the Monroe Doctrine, as Washington’s attack on Venezuela is set to have a chilling effect on the region’s engagement with Beijing, analysts warn. In a surprise precision operation on Saturday, the US military struck Venezuela, captured its leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and placed them in detention in New York. Without giving a timetable for elections, US President Donald Trump said the US would run... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338689/venezuela-crisis-how-trumps-donroe-doctrine-could-challenge-chinas-latin-america-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338689/venezuela-crisis-how-trumps-donroe-doctrine-could-challenge-chinas-latin-america-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:01:10 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage In the heart of Algeria’s Sahara Desert, Chinese state-owned giant China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has completed laying track on the PK330 Bridge, a final and critical link in a new railway designed to unlock the nation’s mineral wealth. The 6km (3.7-mile) bridge is part of the 950km railway linking the Gara Djebilet iron ore deposit in southwestern Tindouf province to the industrial hub of Bechar in the northeast. It was the “most technically demanding railway engineering feat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337896/how-algeria-could-help-china-plug-iron-ore-gaps-and-gain-pricing-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337896/how-algeria-could-help-china-plug-iron-ore-gaps-and-gain-pricing-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Hiba Malik Hiba Malik In the first three quarters of this year, China added 310 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, up 47.7 per cent year on year and accounting for 84.4 per cent of all new power installations in the country, according to the National Energy Administration. This progress is more than climate leadership or capacity building; it involves a holistic reconstruction of the energy system. China is replacing the 20th-century fossil fuel order with a 21st-century “electro-industrial order” where power... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335658/how-china-cementing-its-central-role-architect-green-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335658/how-china-cementing-its-central-role-architect-green-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has promised no-strings-attached aid to Latin American and Caribbean countries as it positions itself as a key voice of the Global South and seeks to expand its influence in a region also actively courted by the United States. In an updated policy framework for deeper economic cooperation with the region, Beijing highlighted what it described as a “significant shift in the international balance of power”, with the Global South gaining greater influence. The strategy paper, the third of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335901/china-pledges-aid-latin-america-caribbean-no-political-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335901/china-pledges-aid-latin-america-caribbean-no-political-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:00:14 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s anti-corruption watchdog has filed criminal charges against ex-ministers, senior bureaucrats and a Chinese state-owned construction giant accused of inflating costs and manipulating contracts at a multimillion-dollar infrastructure project. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday charged 55 people, including five former tourism and finance ministers, 10 ex-government secretaries and dozens of other high-ranking officials. Also named was China CAMC... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335706/nepal-charges-chinese-contractor-corruption-over-airport-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335706/nepal-charges-chinese-contractor-corruption-over-airport-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:09 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim During his Southeast Asia trip in October, US President Donald Trump sealed deals with Malaysia and Thailand on the same day – both aimed at securing and diversifying America’s supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to step up cooperation on building and expanding critical minerals supply chains, according to a White House statement. They also agreed to strengthen the security of critical minerals and rare earths supplies in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335297/why-china-may-be-better-placed-us-tussle-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335297/why-china-may-be-better-placed-us-tussle-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:00:24 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The White House released a national security blueprint on Friday, marking a sweeping assertion of US influence in the Americas. The framework pledges to prevent non-Western powers from expanding their foothold across the Western Hemisphere, a clear reference to China’s growing presence in the region. In US strategic parlance, the “Western Hemisphere” refers broadly to the Americas, a geopolitical space long regarded as a place Washington has sway over. This belief harks back to the Monroe... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335430/trumps-new-national-security-blueprint-aims-combat-chinas-rise-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335430/trumps-new-national-security-blueprint-aims-combat-chinas-rise-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:23:45 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Hong Kong can serve as a key treasury centre for mainland Chinese companies going global, helping them hedge foreign exchange risks and lower financing costs by leveraging the city’s unique advantages, according to Deloitte China. The assessment comes as the administration of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu rolls out measures to tap into the growing trend of Chinese companies expanding their businesses and supply chains overseas amid intensifying competition and economic headwinds at... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335095/deloitte-says-hong-kong-primed-treasury-hub-chinas-go-global-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335095/deloitte-says-hong-kong-primed-treasury-hub-chinas-go-global-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:30:07 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. The emergence of Chinese companies onto the global stage has been one of the most important business stories of the past 50 years. From engineering contractors... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335005/railways-labubus-chinas-businesses-and-their-50-year-journey-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335005/railways-labubus-chinas-businesses-and-their-50-year-journey-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:01:12 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s status as a superconnector between mainland China and the rest of the world stems in no small part from its deep water port and supply chain prowess. As global trade volatility and competition erode that maritime reputation, it was encouraging to see signs of strength from new “partner port” ties unveiled recently. City leader John Lee Ka-chiu said the partnerships with key maritime centres on the mainland and in South America “are of strategic importance” and true to Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3334483/partner-port-ties-will-help-hong-kong-navigate-global-trade-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3334483/partner-port-ties-will-help-hong-kong-navigate-global-trade-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Matteo Giovannini Matteo Giovannini Hong Kong’s financial identity is entering a new chapter, shaped as much by strategic alignment as capital flows. By co-launching a US$1 billion investment fund with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the city is taking one of its most assertive steps yet to redefine Hong Kong’s financial identity in a rapidly changing global economy. The message is clear: Hong Kong intends to be a serious player in the next phase of global capital realignment. This comes as Hong Kong companies are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334122/betting-saudi-arabia-hong-kong-really-betting-itself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334122/betting-saudi-arabia-hong-kong-really-betting-itself?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:30:11 +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 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 I run a leadership development programme at the University of Hong Kong for mid-career professionals and executives from around the world. Many of our participants come from the Belt and Road Initiative countries and other emerging economies, and we have encountered difficulties... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3333906/hong-kong-should-consider-easing-visa-rules-belt-and-road-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3333906/hong-kong-should-consider-easing-visa-rules-belt-and-road-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 03:30:11 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong plays a “pivotal role” in Sino-Egyptian relations, according to top officials from the North African nation, who have expressed high hopes of boosting trade and tourism with the city through cultural exchanges. Baher Sheweikhi, Egypt’s consul general for Hong Kong and Macau, said he was confident that a nine-month exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which began on Thursday and features 250 historical artefacts, including mummies, statues, jewellery and more, could translate into... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333867/egypt-hopes-artefact-exhibition-hong-kong-will-help-spur-trade-and-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333867/egypt-hopes-artefact-exhibition-hong-kong-will-help-spur-trade-and-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:30:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse From Finland opening diplomatic outposts in Senegal to Czech instructors training Mauritanian security forces, a group of smaller European nations has joined a global scramble for influence in Africa. Estonia, Romania and Malta are among European Union countries that have sought to boost their presence on the continent over the past five years, revamping diplomatic and trade links. “There is a wave of second-generation Africa policy refreshes completed and … under way,” said Alex Vines of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333849/africa-attracts-smaller-eu-nations-scrambling-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333849/africa-attracts-smaller-eu-nations-scrambling-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 09:46:06 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s chief executive has pledged to harness the city’s unique advantages to bring mainland China’s strengths, technology and compassion to belt and road nations while fostering people-to-people ties at the launch of the headquarters of a charity founded by former leader Leung Chun-ying. “Hong Kong has been leveraging its ‘hard power’ in professional services and ‘soft power’ in social cohesion to foster people-to-people bonds in belt and road countries,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333788/hong-kong-radiate-mainland-chinas-strengths-tech-aid-belt-and-road-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333788/hong-kong-radiate-mainland-chinas-strengths-tech-aid-belt-and-road-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 07:29:06 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow China has become the world’s biggest official creditor, making US$2.2 trillion of loans from 2000 to 2023, predominantly to developed countries led by the United States. More than US$200 billion of Chinese lending in the period went to US projects, including liquefied natural gas pipelines, an electricity transmission line feeding New York and data centres in the state of Virginia, according to AidData, a research lab at William & Mary University in Virginia. Its research found that China’s... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333664/chinas-us-lending-japan-row-escalates-g20-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333664/chinas-us-lending-japan-row-escalates-g20-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s lending since the turn of the century has been “vastly” larger than previously understood, with loans and grants increasingly going to developed countries including the United States – the largest recipient – according to a new report by an American university research team. Of the US$2.2 trillion disbursed by China’s “official sector” between 2000 and 2023, nearly US$202 billion went to projects in the US, the AidData research lab at Virginia-based university William & Mary found. “Our... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333569/china-has-lent-more-us-any-other-country-2000-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333569/china-has-lent-more-us-any-other-country-2000-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:00:17 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Moscow has lost much of its influence in Central Asia. In the coming months and years, the United States is expected to expand its presence in this strategically important region. But given that China has developed close economic ties with regional actors, how does Beijing view Washington’s ambitions? Coincidentally or not, on November 6, the US and China both held important meetings with Central Asia. In Washington, US President Donald Trump hosted the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332544/us-and-china-turn-their-eyes-central-asia-russia-loses-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332544/us-and-china-turn-their-eyes-central-asia-russia-loses-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:30:10 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong has established new “partner port” relationships with key maritime centres in mainland China and South America, the city’s leader has said, with shipping experts calling it a strategic move to enlarge market catchment areas and strengthen supply chains amid global trade volatility. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Monday that partnerships had been formed with Guangxi and Dalian ports on the mainland and Port San Antonio in Chile. “These ports are of strategic importance,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3333149/hong-kong-links-3-key-partner-ports-ride-out-trade-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3333149/hong-kong-links-3-key-partner-ports-ride-out-trade-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:55:24 +0000