https://www.scmp.com/rss/325086/feed At age 39, Emmanuel Macron became the youngest president in the history of France, dramatically reshaping the country's politics in the process. Macron served in Francois Hollande's government and later became the Minister of Economy. However, he resigned in 2016 and announced he would run for the presidency, thereupon founding a new centrist political movement called En Marche! As support for France's major political parties collapsed, Macron's outsider status became his greatest asset. As he... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Efforts by South Korea and France to secure safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz are likely to be centred on a post-war defensive armada with other countries. Analysts also say both nations are wary of joining the Middle East conflict at this point in time and antagonising Iran. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday revealed he had agreed with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to cooperate on safety in the strategic oil supply strait. Lee made the remarks after a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A French container ship and a Japanese-owned tanker have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, in what appear to be the first such transits since the war in Iran closed the crucial waterway. The CMA CGM Kribi container ship exited the strait on Friday, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and two people familiar with the situation. That is the first ship linked to western Europe that is known to have made it through since the war began more than a month ago. Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349004/iran-war-french-and-japanese-owned-ships-make-first-strait-hormuz-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349004/iran-war-french-and-japanese-owned-ships-make-first-strait-hormuz-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:32:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A UK-led meeting of some 40 countries on the Strait of Hormuz crisis wrapped up on Thursday with a demand for the “immediate and unconditional” reopening of the vital shipping route but no immediate breakthrough. “Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz. They must not prevail,” British foreign minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement. “To that effect, partners today called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348854/britain-says-40-countries-discuss-reopening-strait-hormuz-after-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348854/britain-says-40-countries-discuss-reopening-strait-hormuz-after-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:09:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that a military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz is “unrealistic”, while lamenting Donald Trump’s differing daily statements on the Iran war and Nato. “There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States,” Macron said during a visit to South Korea. “I say sometimes because it has varied, it is never the option we have chosen... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348842/frances-macron-says-military-operation-liberate-strait-hormuz-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348842/frances-macron-says-military-operation-liberate-strait-hormuz-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:51:47 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on Wednesday to design a road map for critical minerals supply as they seek to deepen cooperation in the sector amid China’s dominance of global rare earths. The two leaders also affirmed that Japan and France will maintain close communication in support of efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and establish a high-level dialogue on artificial intelligence, Takaichi said at a joint press appearance... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:58:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Emmanuel Macron touched down in Tokyo on Tuesday with a packed agenda and a receptive audience in a Japanese government anxious about a choked oil route and looking for support amid its diplomatic falling-out with Beijing. The French president’s three-day visit, before he heads to South Korea later in the week, comes as Japan looks to Europe for solidarity amid a crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that has sent oil prices soaring. The backdrop to Macron’s meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348495/japan-seeks-french-backing-macron-begins-asia-trip-iran-wars-shadow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348495/japan-seeks-french-backing-macron-begins-asia-trip-iran-wars-shadow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:36:20 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang As one of the biggest targets of wartime looting in centuries past, China is now positioning itself as a global pioneer in repatriating lost cultural artefacts. In this article, the second in a two-part series, Xinlu Liang looks at how China is wielding law, diplomacy and a Global South coalition to rewrite the rules of restitution, filling a void left by a retreating US. In January, as the United States was withdrawing from a raft of heritage and science bodies around the world, China was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam In 2023, among the picturesque greenery of the Pine Garden reception hall in Guangzhou, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron met informally to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and trade relations. As they discussed the state of the world, the two presidents drank Jade Dove red wine from Xige Estate in Ningxia, China. Chinese wines have come a long way, and began winning international competitions in the 2010s. More than a decade later, the challenge is to build an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3348068/wine-bordeaux-china-ningxia-rise-can-it-rival-french-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3348068/wine-bordeaux-china-ningxia-rise-can-it-rival-french-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters President ⁠Donald Trump assailed ⁠Nato allies on Friday ⁠over their lack of support for the US-Israel war against Iran, calling the long-time US allies “cowards”. “Without the U.S.A., Nato IS A PAPER TIGER!” Trump said in a social media post. Trump has ‌been calling for major US allies and others, none of whom were consulted or advised on the war, to help secure the safety of shipping through the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has roiled global markets, killed thousands and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347385/trump-calls-nato-cowards-over-lack-support-us-israel-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347385/trump-calls-nato-cowards-over-lack-support-us-israel-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:50:36 +0000 Reuters Reuters When US President Donald Trump ⁠asked countries to join a global effort against Iran and deploy ships to prise open the Strait of Hormuz, whose near closure has held the global economy in a vice, he was rebuffed by some of America’s closest allies. Using unusually blunt language, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told his country’s lawmakers on Wednesday that he agreed Iran must not be allowed to pose a threat to its neighbours but expressed doubts about the rationale behind the US-Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347086/europe-says-no-trumps-iran-demands-not-our-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347086/europe-says-no-trumps-iran-demands-not-our-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:12:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Azerbaijan on Monday sentenced a Frenchman to 10 years in prison in an espionage case launched during a period of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku that have now eased. Martin Ryan was arrested in December 2023 and went on trial in January last year, when relations between Azerbaijan and France had deteriorated to new lows over Paris’ support for Armenia, Baku’s long-time rival. The court found him guilty of spying against Azerbaijan and sentenced him to 10 years. Prosecutors had sought... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346788/frenchman-jailed-10-years-azerbaijan-im-not-spy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346788/frenchman-jailed-10-years-azerbaijan-im-not-spy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:54:18 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China and the US wrapped up their sixth round of trade talks in Paris on Monday, with the agenda ranging from a possible extension of bilateral tariff and non-tariff measures as well as bilateral investment. “China and the US conducted deep, frank and constructive consultations,” Chinese vice commerce minister Li Chenggang said. Both sides agreed to “continue to maintain the stability of tariffs” and discussed the possibility of establishing a mechanism for promoting bilateral investment, said... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346787/china-and-us-end-trade-talks-doubts-form-over-trump-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346787/china-and-us-end-trade-talks-doubts-form-over-trump-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:48:53 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged other nations, including China, to deploy ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies disrupted by the war in the Middle East. “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346628/iran-war-trump-urges-china-other-nations-send-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346628/iran-war-trump-urges-china-other-nations-send-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 16:37:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan and Germany said on Wednesday they would tap into their oil reserves to tackle the rise in crude prices due to the Middle East war, with Berlin saying the IEA global energy body had asked member states to release 400 million barrels. France, the current chair of the Group of Seven countries, said nations were coordinating their steps as G7 energy ministers said they stood ready to take “all necessary measures”. The latest announcement came as leaders of the Group of Seven advanced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346251/germany-japan-unblock-oil-reserves-g7-stands-ready-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346251/germany-japan-unblock-oil-reserves-g7-stands-ready-act?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:29:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analysed by Agence France-Presse. Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway since US-Israeli strikes on it began on February 28, and at least 10 vessels have been attacked since. But by claiming to have an “all-Chinese crew” aboard, or changing their destination to “Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346021/ships-brandish-china-links-evade-irans-attacks-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346021/ships-brandish-china-links-evade-irans-attacks-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:52:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday the G7 will discuss a possible release of strategic oil reserves, as finance ministers of the world’s leading industrialised nations prepared to meet for crisis talks on the Middle East war. Macron, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven advanced economies, said that “the use of strategic reserves is an option being considered”. A possible meeting of G7 heads of state and government could take place this week, Macron told... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346002/g7-discuss-possible-emergency-release-oil-reserves-says-frances-macron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346002/g7-discuss-possible-emergency-release-oil-reserves-says-frances-macron?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:24:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Emmanuel Macron will visit Cyprus on Monday, his office said, as France deploys warships to the Mediterranean following a drone attack on the island EU member days ago. Macron will meet his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Paphos to show “solidarity” and detail moves to “strengthen security around Cyprus and in the eastern Mediterranean”, the Elysee said on Sunday. The visit will take place as the war pitting the US and Israel... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345905/macron-visit-cyprus-france-deploys-warships-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345905/macron-visit-cyprus-france-deploys-warships-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 16:54:36 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China’s international clout and economic stability are rebalancing Beijing’s relations with Europe, putting more focus on cooperation and less on rivalry, according to a former Chinese envoy. “With European leaders coming to China one after another, they are coming with their own considerations: hoping to strengthen bilateral relations in the new context and find ways to benefit from China’s continued development,” said Wu Ken, China’s ambassador to Germany from 2019 to 2024. On the sidelines of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345754/rivals-partners-china-and-europe-are-retooling-ties-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345754/rivals-partners-china-and-europe-are-retooling-ties-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the war in the Middle East. Macron said the Charles de Gaulle carrier will be escorted by frigates and its air wing. In a pre-recorded speech on French television, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defence systems and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East. “And we... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345329/iran-war-macron-orders-frances-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345329/iran-war-macron-orders-frances-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:02:10 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo A suspected CIA-funded publication in Asia recently asked where all the Chinese wolf warriors have gone. It was referring to those supposedly rude envoys who harangued the governments of their host countries and foreign ministry spokespeople who confronted foreign reporters at news conferences. Well, Beijing reined them in long ago. But US President Donald Trump has unleashed his own. Open hostility towards host countries and their peoples seems to be a job requirement in Washington for a US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345151/under-trump-us-has-unleashed-its-own-wolf-warriors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345151/under-trump-us-has-unleashed-its-own-wolf-warriors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union’s ambitious industrial policy to challenge China has been gutted, removing AI, semiconductors and quantum computing from a list of strategic technologies that must be “made in Europe” to tap billions in government funds. Biotechnology and robotics are other cutting-edge sectors to be cut from the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) ahead of the proposal’s formal unveiling by the European Commission on Wednesday, a leaked draft showed. Plans to exclude non-EU-based producers from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345311/eu-strips-ai-chips-and-quantum-industrial-plan-aimed-countering-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345311/eu-strips-ai-chips-and-quantum-industrial-plan-aimed-countering-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:51:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France will expand its atomic arsenal and could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries for the first time, as he unveiled an unprecedented plan to bolster security on the continent. Speaking from the Ile Longue nuclear submarine base as the clock ticks on his presidency, Macron announced that eight European countries including Germany, Poland, Sweden and Britain had agreed to participate in what he called a “forward” nuclear deterrence... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345189/europe-reacts-macrons-offer-deploy-atomic-weapons-frances-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345189/europe-reacts-macrons-offer-deploy-atomic-weapons-frances-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:40:58 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu The simmering war in the Middle East fractured Europe on Monday, as allies clashed, tempers flared and the shock waves from the US and Israeli bombing of Iran threatened to reverberate through the continent. The crisis exposed a familiar European fault line: while leaders insist they are the last guardians of the rules-based international order, they remain split over how to respond when allies bend or break those rules. With oil price spikes threatening to compound the European economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345187/europe-divided-and-edge-us-israeli-attacks-iran-ripple-across-continent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345187/europe-divided-and-edge-us-israeli-attacks-iran-ripple-across-continent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:10:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Belgium’s special forces boarded and seized an oil tanker from the ‘shadow fleet’ Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, the government said on Sunday. Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said the vessel was intercepted in the North Sea during an overnight operation. “Today, a vessel from Russia’s shadow fleet was intercepted in the North Sea,” Prevot wrote on social media, thanking Belgian special forces for their “exceptional professionalism and courage.” Belgian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345031/belgium-special-forces-seize-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345031/belgium-special-forces-seize-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:17:33 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji As tech titans and world leaders descended on New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out his ambition for the country to become a major global power in artificial intelligence – a technology currently dominated by the United States and China. “My vision is that India should be among the top three AI superpowers globally, not just in the consumption of AI but in creation,” Modi told Asian News International in an interview about the summit. Top tech... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344919/indias-ai-superpower-dream-lands-us200-billion-now-comes-hard-part?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344919/indias-ai-superpower-dream-lands-us200-billion-now-comes-hard-part?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham German Chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to Beijing with a delicate brief: vouch for a shrinking slice of big German firms still bullish on China, while defending the growing number being squeezed. On day one of his first official visit, Merz trod the line carefully – voicing openness to resetting beleaguered bilateral ties, even while gently nudging his hosts on bugbears including subsidies, currency devaluation and Russia. A day of meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, President Xi Jinping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344661/merzs-china-tightrope-warm-words-hard-questions-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344661/merzs-china-tightrope-warm-words-hard-questions-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Louvre Museum’s director resigned on Tuesday after months of pressure following the October theft of the French crown jewels, as the world’s most visited museum faced widening scrutiny over security failures, labour unrest and a suspected ticket fraud scheme. Laurence des Cars quit after a punishing year for the former royal palace - the high-profile jewels heist from the Apollo Gallery, a mid-February burst pipe near the Mona Lisa, water leaks damaging priceless books, staff walkouts and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344518/louvre-museum-director-resigns-wake-brazen-crown-jewel-heist-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344518/louvre-museum-director-resigns-wake-brazen-crown-jewel-heist-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:39:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press France’s feud with the US ambassador to Paris took another turn on Tuesday with the French foreign minister saying the top US diplomat in France must explain himself after ignoring a French summons. The minister suggested that Ambassador Charles Kushner will not have access to French government officials until he complies. French authorities had summoned Kushner, the father of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, for a meeting on Monday evening over comments from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344459/france-demands-answers-us-envoy-ignoring-summons-diplomatic-feud-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344459/france-demands-answers-us-envoy-ignoring-summons-diplomatic-feud-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:08:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press France will summon US ambassador Charles Kushner to protest against comments by the Trump administration over the death of a far-right activist, the foreign affairs minister said. Jean-Noel Barrot was reacting to a statement by the State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau, which posted on social media that “reports, corroborated by the French Minister of the Interior, that Quentin Deranque was killed by left-wing militants, should concern us all”. Deranque, a far-right activist, died of brain... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344278/france-will-summon-us-envoy-charles-kushner-over-comments-activists-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344278/france-will-summon-us-envoy-charles-kushner-over-comments-activists-death?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:47:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Giorgia Meloni to stop “commenting on what is happening in other people’s countries”, after the Italian prime minister expressed shock at the fatal beating of a far-right activist in France. Quentin Deranque, 23, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people last week on the sidelines of a far-right protest at a university in the city of Lyon. Most of the 11 suspects detained are from far-left movements, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344040/macron-tells-meloni-stay-lane-over-remarks-far-right-activists-death-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344040/macron-tells-meloni-stay-lane-over-remarks-far-right-activists-death-france?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:07:37 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and France have agreed to strengthen links between two of their largest ports and others, giving fresh momentum for a proposed commercial corridor stretching from South Asia to Europe that analysts say could rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The agreement between India’s Adani Ports and France’s Port of Marseille Fos marks a key step towards realising the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The memorandum of understanding, signed on Wednesday, calls for the creation of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343999/india-europe-trade-corridor-gathers-pace-modi-macron-pledge-port-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343999/india-europe-trade-corridor-gathers-pace-modi-macron-pledge-port-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have upgraded their countries’ defence ties, a move analysts say signals New Delhi’s drive to curb dependence on foreign arms imports while cementing a closer security relationship with Paris in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific. The two leaders renewed a 10-year defence cooperation agreement and elevated ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” on Tuesday, unveiling more than 20 areas of expanded cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343933/india-france-elevate-defence-ties-push-strategic-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343933/india-france-elevate-defence-ties-push-strategic-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:39:11 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji One of the world’s most high-profile gatherings on artificial intelligence (AI) has opened in India, with analysts saying it could shift the focus from the race to build ever more powerful models to the challenge of deploying them at scale. As policymakers and tech executives convene for the India AI Impact Summit, they say the five-day event offers emerging and middle-ranking economies a chance to reframe AI as public infrastructure and work together to put it into public services, rather than... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343818/india-ai-summit-aims-shift-focus-model-races-scaled-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343818/india-ai-summit-aims-shift-focus-model-races-scaled-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Laura Zhou Finbarr Bermingham,Laura Zhou On the margins of a glitzy security event in Bavaria, the foreign ministers of France and Germany revived a dormant diplomatic format with China. In what was described as part of a larger effort to prevent the world’s superpowers from picking Europe apart, France’s Jean-Noel Barrot and Germany’s Johann Wadephul hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday. It revived a configuration not seen since the days of French President Emmanuel Macron’s first term, talks that Wang said were “both an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343547/farewell-unipolar-moment-europe-scrambles-footing-between-us-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343547/farewell-unipolar-moment-europe-scrambles-footing-between-us-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:58:33 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s approval on Thursday of a 3.6 trillion rupee (US$40 billion) purchase of defence equipment – including 114 French-made Rafale fighter jets – will significantly boost the capabilities of the country’s armed forces amid heightened tensions with Pakistan, analysts say. The move comes as the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter squadron strength has declined to 29, well below the 42 considered essential in the event of simultaneous conflicts with Pakistan and China. French President Emmanuel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343434/how-indias-us40-billion-order-french-rafales-will-help-local-fighter-jet-makers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343434/how-indias-us40-billion-order-french-rafales-will-help-local-fighter-jet-makers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 05:49:23 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China’s engagement with traditional US allies amid the turmoil of Donald Trump’s presidency may be a sign that it is moving away from its customary diplomatic approach in favour of a “wedge strategy” that some observers believe may help reshape global dynamics. They point to the ways US partners are trying to keep as many doors open as possible – to insure themselves against both an erratic Washington and increasingly assertive Beijing. At Davos last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342717/traditional-us-allies-hedge-their-bets-will-china-be-one-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342717/traditional-us-allies-hedge-their-bets-will-china-be-one-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Canada and France, which both oppose US President Donald Trump’s claim to Greenland, opened consulates in the Danish autonomous territory’s capital on Friday, in a show of support for the local government. Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has insisted that Washington needs to control the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island for security reasons. Trump last month backed off threats to seize Greenland after saying he had struck a “framework” deal with Nato chief Mark Rutte to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342736/canada-and-france-open-greenland-consulates-show-support-amid-trump-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342736/canada-and-france-open-greenland-consulates-show-support-amid-trump-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 20:54:04 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim In the days that followed Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi’s controversial remarks over Taiwan in November, Beijing convened a rare meeting with Southeast Asian envoys to rally regional support for its campaign against Japan – but that effort has so far gained little traction. Multiple sources familiar with the matter told the South China Morning Post that China had summoned most Southeast Asian ambassadors or their deputies late last year, framing the meeting as a channel to hear the region’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342540/china-rallies-neighbours-against-japan-rare-meeting-will-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342540/china-rallies-neighbours-against-japan-rare-meeting-will-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:00:18 +0000 Jeffrey Wu Jeffrey Wu As global trade fragments and tariffs return, economic power is increasingly defined not by financial scale alone, but by productive strength. At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, leaders spoke openly about a harsher world order. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng warned that trade wars have no winners. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for a new security architecture amid rising protectionism. French President Emmanuel Macron described a world becoming more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341850/us-china-rivalry-great-powers-dont-make-things-wont-be-great-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341850/us-china-rivalry-great-powers-dont-make-things-wont-be-great-long?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +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 The recent image released by the White House, of US President Donald Trump walking alongside a penguin in Greenland, would have triggered a distinct sense of deja vu among Hong Kong readers. We have seen this script before. In 2009, Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan – now our deputy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3341786/what-image-trump-and-penguin-reveals-about-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3341786/what-image-trump-and-penguin-reveals-about-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi For decades, the defining debate in international relations centred on whether China, as it developed into the world’s second-largest economy, would seek to revise the established world order. Would Beijing demand a greater share of global resources? Would it challenge American primacy? The non-Chinese speaking world watched anxiously for signs of Chinese revisionism, debating the “Thucydides Trap” – the theory that a rising power and an established hegemon are destined for conflict. Enormous... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3341875/forget-china-threat-real-disruption-trumps-us-old-order-not-coming-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3341875/forget-china-threat-real-disruption-trumps-us-old-order-not-coming-back?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 03:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Islamic State extremist group on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack in Niger on an air force base in the capital that wounded four soldiers and damaged an aircraft. The claim of responsibility was contained in a statement on Amaq News Agency, the group’s propaganda wing, that said it was “a surprise and coordinated attack” that inflicted heavy losses. State television reported that Niger’s forces responded quickly to the assault early on Thursday, killing 20 of the attackers and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3341894/islamic-state-claims-bold-attack-nigers-strategic-airport-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3341894/islamic-state-claims-bold-attack-nigers-strategic-airport-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:00:13 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Mike Campbell described how he went bankrupt: “Gradually, and then suddenly.” Over the past weeks, there is a feeling that US President Donald Trump and his administration have reached the “suddenly” bit. First, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney captivated a World Economic Forum audience when he described the “rupture” in the rules-based order, a “bargain” that “no longer works”: leaving middle countries like Canada with no choice but to dilute their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:30:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Niger’s military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani on Thursday blamed the French, Benin and Ivory Coast presidents for sponsoring an attack on Niamey international airport, an accusation he made without offering any evidence. Gunfire and ‍loud explosions echoed around Niger’s international airport in Niamey shortly before midnight in what two security sources described as a “terrorist attack”, before calm returned to the capital on Thursday morning. Tiani accused French President Emmanuel Macron,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3341777/nigers-junta-accuses-foreign-leaders-sponsoring-attack-airport-thanks-russians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3341777/nigers-junta-accuses-foreign-leaders-sponsoring-attack-airport-thanks-russians?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 04:32:52 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian At Davos, US President Donald Trump declared he had “always had a very good relationship with President Xi” Jinping, calling the Chinese leader “an incredible man”, “highly respected by everybody”. Trump also praised TikTok’s decision to transfer parts of its US business to a consortium of US investors, thanking Xi on social media. This broadly friendly rhetoric is likely to be a signal of Washington’s keen interest in finalising a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy. Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341461/trumps-power-politics-paving-way-g2-world-order-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341461/trumps-power-politics-paving-way-g2-world-order-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:30:11 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham If there was a sense of panic gripping European leaders at last week’s conclave of elites at the World Economic Forum, they could be forgiven a moment of relief as they departed the snowy peaks of Davos. That was not only because US President Donald Trump used a long, rambling speech to rule out taking the Danish territory of Greenland by force. Nor was it just the meeting on the sidelines with Nato chief Mark Rutte, which produced a formula to defuse immediate tensions by designating US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341242/table-or-menu-europe-wakes-world-without-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341242/table-or-menu-europe-wakes-world-without-order?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants his government to fast track the legal process to ensure that a ban on social media for children under the age of 15 can enter into force in September at the start of the next school year. In a video released late on Saturday by French broadcaster BFM-TV, Macron said he had asked his government to initiate an accelerated procedure so that the proposed legislation can move as quickly as possible and be passed by the Senate in time. “The brains of our... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341169/macron-pushes-forward-frances-social-media-ban-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341169/macron-pushes-forward-frances-social-media-ban-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 11:47:41 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham After German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to make Europe “the antithesis to state-sponsored unfair trade practices”, the massive pressure the country’s automotive industry faced from China was laid bare in new figures. Over the course of 2025, German car and car part shipments to China saw dramatic slumps, while Chinese shipments to Germany across many of the same sectors soared. Germany has been a reluctant participant in many of the EU’s most forceful trade gambits against China, as it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341047/germanys-dramatic-china-car-trade-slump-tests-merzs-tough-talk-davos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341047/germanys-dramatic-china-car-trade-slump-tests-merzs-tough-talk-davos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:21:58 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial For decades, the World Economic Forum was the ultimate symbol of globalisation. This week, we may have witnessed the end of that symbolism as the so-called rules-based order looks to be crumbling. US President Donald Trump flew into Davos and held forth on his view of the world, promptly starting a clash with long-standing American allies hoping for some semblance of sense and order. From Canada and Greenland to Ukraine, from trade preferences to tariffs, Trump demanded his pound of flesh from... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340863/trumps-antics-davos-eroding-last-shred-trust-us-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340863/trumps-antics-davos-eroding-last-shred-trust-us-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen China is pushing consumption to grow faster than overall economic expansion as the nation accelerates a shift to domestic demand-driven growth amid external criticism over trade imbalances, a former deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China said at the World Economic Forum. “The policy says consumption growth [should be] stronger than GDP growth … [and] income growth will be higher than GDP growth,” Zhu Min said in Davos, Switzerland, explaining that this is the key performance indicator for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340796/china-doubling-down-consumption-route-out-export-reliance-ex-pboc-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340796/china-doubling-down-consumption-route-out-export-reliance-ex-pboc-official?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:00:02 +0000