https://www.scmp.com/rss/325631/feed Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Vietnam, covering politics, economy, society and the country's relationships with the United States, Australia, China and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alex Lo Alex Lo Even before Donald Trump returned to the White House, Vietnam’s military planners were already busy preparing for a possible second invasion by the United States and its allies. In the “Second US Invasion Plan”, secretly issued in August 2024, the Vietnamese military rejected playing any part in America’s China containment strategy in the Asia-Pacific. Rather, it sees the US promotion of “freedom and democracy” as a cynical ploy to maintain hegemony in the region. The document, released in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Beijing and Hanoi have bolstered their commitment to demarcation talks over a contested stretch of water in the South China Sea, pledging to “better” navigate bilateral frictions in the area, according to a joint communique. The document also said the countries’ ruling communist parties had agreed to shore up each other’s leadership at home with the adoption of a new five-year action plan. Published on Friday as To Lam, Vietnam’s top leader, wrapped up his four-day visit to China, the communique... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350516/smoother-waters-china-and-vietnam-vow-better-navigate-south-china-sea-frictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350516/smoother-waters-china-and-vietnam-vow-better-navigate-south-china-sea-frictions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:12:52 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asian airlines are cutting flights, raising fares and reshuffling networks as the Iran war sends jet fuel prices soaring, leaving carriers across the region scrambling to protect their margins and preserve key routes. The shock has hit Asia especially hard because many economies depend heavily on fuel flows from the Middle East, according to aviation analysts, and some regional carriers are less protected from sudden price spikes than their counterparts in Europe or the US. “The impact has been... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350497/asian-airlines-face-major-headwind-jet-fuel-costs-forcing-flight-changes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350497/asian-airlines-face-major-headwind-jet-fuel-costs-forcing-flight-changes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:49:33 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Air has agreed to lease as many as 10 Chinese-made C909 regional passenger jets, giving a lift to their manufacturer’s goal of vying with Airbus and Boeing in overseas civil aviation. VietJet said in a statement on Thursday night it had agreed with SPDB Financial Leasing, a subsidiary of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in China, to finance the aircraft through operating leases. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) makes the jets that are the subject... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350431/vietnamese-airline-lease-10-c909-jets-boost-chinese-aircraft-maker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350431/vietnamese-airline-lease-10-c909-jets-boost-chinese-aircraft-maker?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:31 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have arrested five people accused of stealing more than 445 items of clothing worth HK$113,000 (US$14,400) from multiple outlets of Japanese retail chain Muji. Officers from Yau Tsim police district said they had received a string of shoplifting reports since earlier this year that involved large quantities of apparel taken from a retail chain, with a source naming the business as Muji. The Japanese retail chain is known for its minimalist “no-brand quality goods”... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350348/hong-kong-police-arrest-5-over-shoplifting-syndicate-targeting-muji-stores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350348/hong-kong-police-arrest-5-over-shoplifting-syndicate-targeting-muji-stores?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:22:57 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan is expected to remain the most trusted power among Southeast Asian countries, even as it seeks to amend its pacifist constitution and continues its military build-up. However, Tokyo will need to be transparent about its motives and reassure others that its military-related actions contribute to regional security, according to analysts. In the latest annual survey conducted by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Japan retained its ranking as the region’s most trusted power,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350284/japan-remains-most-trusted-power-southeast-asia-despite-military-build-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350284/japan-remains-most-trusted-power-southeast-asia-despite-military-build-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:08:38 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Balikatan, the flagship annual military exercise between Manila and Washington, begins in the Philippines this month without a single neighbouring Southeast Asian member taking part, despite the drills’ growing scale and multinational reach. Analysts say that hesitation helps explain Balikatan’s place in the region: for some Asean members, it is a reassuring sign of US commitment, but joining it risks looking like a strategic choice in the sharpening rivalry between Washington and Beijing. “To... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China and Vietnam should stand together against unilateralism and protectionism and jointly counter global challenges, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Vietnam’s top leader on Wednesday, as energy concerns continued to spill over from the Iran conflict. “Both sides should uphold the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, safeguard the global free trade system and keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350195/chinas-xi-jinping-tells-vietnamese-counterpart-they-should-jointly-oppose-unilateralism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350195/chinas-xi-jinping-tells-vietnamese-counterpart-they-should-jointly-oppose-unilateralism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:09:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan has said it will establish a financial framework worth about US$10 billion to help Asian countries procure energy resources and bolster their stockpiles ‌as Middle East tensions drive prices higher and disrupt supply chains. The support, aimed at preventing knock-on effects on Japan’s own supply chains, would be channelled mainly through state-backed financial institutions such as Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance. Announcing the plan on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350182/japan-plans-us10-billion-support-help-asia-secure-oil-we-are-mutually-dependent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350182/japan-plans-us10-billion-support-help-asia-secure-oil-we-are-mutually-dependent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:15:28 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Vietnamese leader To Lam are the latest world leaders to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid global trade tensions and the war in Iran. Xi also this week met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The president of Mozambique arrives in China this week as well. US President Donald Trump delayed his trip to China to May 14-15 in order to focus on the conflict in the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3350157/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3350157/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:45:40 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Russia and China’s top envoys met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the Iran war, Ukraine and Taiwan as Beijing stepped up its Iran war diplomacy and tensions with Washington increased. In a jab at Washington and US President Donald Trump that did not mention either by name, a Chinese readout of the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov noted that the world is increasingly marked by turmoil and instability. The two top diplomats also discussed plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:59:47 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Jet fuel shortages and surging prices are forcing flight cancellations across the Asia-Pacific, a squeeze that could intensify after the United States began controlling oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following failed peace talks with Iran. Tehran’s effective closure of the strait – a chokepoint for about 20 per cent of global oil supply – is hitting regional airlines, particularly in countries without strategic energy reserves, analysts said. Jet fuel reached nearly US$198 in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Minnesota county is investigating the arrest of a Hmong-American man by federal officers that was captured on video as a potential case of kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment, officials said on Monday. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher said at a news conference they are pursuing information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that they need for their investigation into the arrest of ChongLy “Scott” Thao, 56, on January 18. Ramsey County includes the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349967/minnesota-investigates-ice-arrest-hmong-american-man-possible-kidnapping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349967/minnesota-investigates-ice-arrest-hmong-american-man-possible-kidnapping?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:57:32 +0000 Martin Brownbridge,Sudharshan Canagarajah Martin Brownbridge,Sudharshan Canagarajah The war in the Gulf has hit Asian economies hard. The shock to global energy supplies is driving up fuel prices, threatening energy shortages and has the potential to cause economic stagnation and inflation. In response, governments across the region have been implementing emergency policy measures to shield their citizens from rising prices and job losses and to maintain economic growth. Vietnam has temporarily suspended some fuel taxes, while the Philippines has declared a state of national... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349259/hormuz-crisis-chance-spur-asias-shift-clean-secure-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349259/hormuz-crisis-chance-spur-asias-shift-clean-secure-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Nguyen Khac Giang Nguyen Khac Giang On Tuesday, Vietnam’s National Assembly elected a new prime minister. For once, the appointment looks less like a factional compromise than a deliberate bet on competence. Le Minh Hung, born in 1970, is the country’s youngest prime minister since 1955. In a system that often prizes seniority, that alone is striking. More striking still is Hung’s profile: he is not a provincial baron or a deal maker forged in the rough-and-tumble of local politics. Hung is a technocrat with economic training in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3349678/who-vietnams-new-prime-minister-le-minh-hung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3349678/who-vietnams-new-prime-minister-le-minh-hung?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:16 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat,He Huifeng Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat,He Huifeng As the Strait of Hormuz reopened and closed again this week, manufacturers across China are navigating a roller coaster of concerns rooted in supply and pricing volatilities. Soaring oil prices have already filtered through to processed fuel and petroleum-based raw materials that help power China’s manufacturing sector – the world’s largest – and a fragile two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States is unlikely to restore pre-conflict stability in the near term, according to industry... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349653/cancelling-orders-china-how-hormuz-oil-crisis-hitting-transport-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349653/cancelling-orders-china-how-hormuz-oil-crisis-hitting-transport-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Harvest-ready rice fields are lying idle and farmers are deciding whether to skip planting for the coming season, as spiking fuel and fertiliser costs from the war in the Middle East hit one of the world’s biggest rice-growing regions. Across Southeast Asia, tens of millions of smallholders are struggling to find affordable crop nutrients as well as the diesel needed to run tractors, irrigation pumps and rice planters. In Thailand, some farmers are leaving the crop in the ground as it is too... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3349721/asias-panicked-farmers-brace-looming-rice-crisis-post-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3349721/asias-panicked-farmers-brace-looming-rice-crisis-post-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:00:33 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital have agreed to invest in Vietnam’s cryptocurrency trading platform CAEX, a move the exchange said would give it enough capital to join the country’s regulated pilot scheme for digital asset trading. The combined capital injection from OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital, which would be deployed in April, aimed to help CAEX – officially known as Vietnam Prosperity Cryptocurrency Asset Exchange Joint Stock Company – reach the minimum charter capital threshold of 10... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349530/okx-ventures-hashkey-investment-enables-vietnam-crypto-platforms-pilot-scheme-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349530/okx-ventures-hashkey-investment-enables-vietnam-crypto-platforms-pilot-scheme-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Buffeted by six weeks of war in the Middle East, airlines have scrambled to trim routes and costs as fuel bills explode and wary clients think twice about their travel plans, a situation that could persist even if a fragile truce holds. Carriers have largely halted flights in the Gulf region, with Air France announcing this week that it was extending its suspensions until May 3 – a decision a source said was made before this week’s ceasefire between the United States and Iran. With no certainty... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349544/why-us-iran-truce-may-not-end-high-airfares-and-flight-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349544/why-us-iran-truce-may-not-end-high-airfares-and-flight-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Chances are, the Hainanese chicken rice served at your local restaurant is not the real deal. In the same way that champagne must come from Champagne, Hainanese chicken rice must technically be made with Wenchang chicken from Hainan, an island province of China in the South China Sea. These birds are small, free-range and famous for being fed a diet of fallen banyan seeds, coconut pulp and peanut bran. The breed was shaped by the region’s natural environment, which gives the meat natural... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Artificial intelligence has emerged as the driving force behind global trade growth, fuelled by a surge in data-centre buildouts at a time when geopolitical tensions are redrawing trade flows, according to McKinsey & Company. Global trade grew 6.5 per cent last year, outpacing the world economy, with AI-linked goods accounting for about one-third of that increase, McKinsey’s research showed. The category – including semiconductors, graphics cards, routers and servers – has been propelled by the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The head of a body representing global airlines said on Wednesday that even if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, it would take months for jet fuel supply to recover given disruptions to Middle East refining capacity. Oil fell below US$100 per barrel after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran ‌that was subject to the immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil trade. Iranian Foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349353/no-quick-fix-asian-airlines-even-if-iran-reopens-hormuz-iata-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349353/no-quick-fix-asian-airlines-even-if-iran-reopens-hormuz-iata-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:26:07 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Most Southeast Asians would choose China as a strategic partner over the US if forced to pick, as analysts attribute the findings of an annual survey to recent geopolitical and trade uncertainties driven by Washington’s policies. But analysts warn against interpreting the respondents’ sentiment in the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey as a zero-sum game between the superpowers, saying that Asean is looking to diversify partners in a multipolar world. When asked which superpower the region... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:05:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Vietnam’s Communist Party boss To Lam was elected president by the National Assembly on Tuesday, capping his bid to centralise authority in a nation where senior cadres have traditionally governed collectively. In less than two years as party chief, the 68-year-old has swept aside rivals and transformed the country through an aggressive reform drive – literally redrawing the map as he combined provinces and slashed bureaucracy. Lam has set an ambitious target of 10 per cent annual growth for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349235/lam-emerges-vietnams-supreme-leader-after-being-elected-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349235/lam-emerges-vietnams-supreme-leader-after-being-elected-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:35:20 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran When Filipino motoring journalist James Deakin recently posted a photo of his fuel receipt – more than 4,000 pesos (US$67) after topping up on nearly 39 litres – his message to followers was blunt: “I’m seriously looking at an EV [or] hybrid now. What’s your breaking point?” He is far from alone. As the Philippines grapples with a national energy emergency triggered by the war in Iran, record pump prices are forcing consumers to rethink their transport methods, and Vietnamese electric vehicle... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349191/why-high-fuel-costs-could-accelerate-philippines-ev-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349191/why-high-fuel-costs-could-accelerate-philippines-ev-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Le Le To celebrate its 10th anniversary, ZS Hospitality Group introduces Le Le, a progressive Vietnamese concept rooted in the heritage of the group’s chairwoman, Elizabeth Chu Yuet-han. Named after Vietnam’s famed whistling duck, the restaurant explores the intersection of Indochinese vibrancy and Cantonese technique. Led by chefs Elvin Lam and Le Minh Duc, the kitchen elevates childhood staples such as pho and xoi man through a fine-dining lens. The moody, indigo-accented space functions as a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3348823/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-le-les-launch-thong-smiths-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3348823/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-le-les-launch-thong-smiths-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:00:12 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones A dawn gloom hangs over the pier in Bangsaray, eastern Thailand, as buyers arrive to wait for the first fishing boats to return. But like everyone else relying on the day’s catch they have already lost money to someone else’s war. Thailand’s multibillion-dollar fishing industry has been brought to its knees by the runaway price of diesel, a result of Iran’s throttling of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US and Israel’s attacks. Half of the kingdom’s vast fishing fleet is already docked,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348972/thailands-us7-billion-fishing-industry-sinks-iran-war-hits-fuel-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348972/thailands-us7-billion-fishing-industry-sinks-iran-war-hits-fuel-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:21 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Later this month, Indonesian cinema-goers will finally get to see what audiences in Berlin saw in February: Jokor Anwar’s Ghost in the Cell. The horror-comedy, which had its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, has been celebrated by influential trade magazine Variety for rising above mere “escapist entertainment” to channel societal anxieties about corruption and environmental destruction. Yet it is only the latest example of Southeast Asia’s creative moment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348980/southeast-asia-seeks-soft-power-outlast-us300-billion-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348980/southeast-asia-seeks-soft-power-outlast-us300-billion-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Police in Sri Lanka arrested 152 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, on Friday for allegedly running a cyberscam operation out of a hotel in the island’s northwest, officials said. The raid took place in the coastal town of Chilaw, 80km (50 miles) north of Colombo, following a tip-off, said police spokesman Frederick Wootler. “Those involved in scamming will be dealt with under our criminal law, while others could be deported,” Wootler said. Local police sources said two Chinese men who tried to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:23:02 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The former chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), has called for cross-strait dialogue to break the state of “cold peace”, rebuild trust and avoid conflict. “The key to cross-strait relations lies not in radical confrontation, but in profound mutual trust,” Hung Hsiu-chu wrote on a popular mainland online platform on Thursday. She also called for a return to the 1992 consensus, an unofficial agreement between Beijing and the then-ruling KMT in Taiwan. It states that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348979/no-more-cold-peace-across-taiwan-strait-former-kmt-chairwoman-calls-rebuild-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348979/no-more-cold-peace-across-taiwan-strait-former-kmt-chairwoman-calls-rebuild-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:09:15 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof An Indonesian woman who spent nearly 15 years on death row in a Malaysian prison for drug trafficking has returned home after receiving clemency, in a case rights groups say highlights the exploitation of poor migrant women in cross-border drug operations. Ani Anggraeni, also known as Asih, boarded a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta late on Thursday after being freed from custody. In a video message shared with This Week in Asia while en route, the 66-year-old said she was still struggling to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348886/indonesian-grandmother-freed-malaysian-death-row-returns-home-feels-unreal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348886/indonesian-grandmother-freed-malaysian-death-row-returns-home-feels-unreal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:49:18 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Direct trade between China and the United States continues its shrinking trend, new US government data showed on Thursday, as the anniversary of “Liberation Day” highlights how last year’s tariff escalations deepened tensions between the two global powers. The figures come ahead of a planned leaders’ meeting in Beijing next month, where both sides are expected to explore ways to stabilise relations after a period of renewed economic strain, and just hours before he announced a fresh set of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:25:26 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Despite land reclamation efforts in the fiercely contested South China Sea, an unusual silence has fallen between Beijing and Hanoi over their rival claims. Observers said this suggested both sides were prioritising pragmatism to keep tensions in check. In March, months into reports suggesting continued Chinese dredging activities at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands, Hanoi broke its silence by lodging a protest with Beijing over what it called “illegal and invalid” foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348763/why-china-and-vietnam-are-shifting-confrontation-calm-south-china-sea-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348763/why-china-and-vietnam-are-shifting-confrontation-calm-south-china-sea-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:01:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Asean’s neutrality in the Iran conflict is key to granting access to the coveted Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran likely seeking to win global opinion amid its war with the United States and Israel. Amid boiling tensions in the Gulf, Iran has wielded its control of the strategic channel to choke global oil supplies, especially to the US and its allies. Many countries – including those from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – have turned to diplomatic efforts to secure safe passage for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348759/why-asean-neutrality-iran-war-key-unlocking-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348759/why-asean-neutrality-iran-war-key-unlocking-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:41:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Preserving Cantonese has been challenging due to the dominance of Mandarin, limited learning resources and a lack of a standard written form. With a declining number of young learners, the language faces an uncertain future. Artificial intelligence (AI) – seen by some as an existential threat to humanity – may become the hope for saving the language, and many others, along with the distinct cultures they embody. This is the mission of Hong Kong-based deep-tech company Votee AI: to use large... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347975/mandarin-replacing-cantonese-offbeat-ai-fights-back-big-tech-looks-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347975/mandarin-replacing-cantonese-offbeat-ai-fights-back-big-tech-looks-away?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Philippines said on Tuesday it will rename more than 100 island features in a bid to reinforce its “sovereignty” in the disputed South China Sea, including areas claimed by China. The features to be renamed under President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s executive order belong to the Spratly archipelago, site of repeated confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels. Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:40:11 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The US-Israel war on Iran has crippled exports of fertiliser from the Persian Gulf, raising the spectre of higher food prices if the conflict drags on. The disruption could hand China – the world’s largest fertiliser producer – greater political leverage over countries already locked in disputes with Beijing, though it is unlikely to weaponise exports, according to analysts. Global fertiliser prices have soared since Iran effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348573/why-spike-fertiliser-prices-could-boost-chinas-political-clout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348573/why-spike-fertiliser-prices-could-boost-chinas-political-clout?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +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 White House announced last week that US President Donald Trump’s visit to China has been delayed to mid-May, citing the conflict in Iran. Beijing’s response has been muted: the Foreign Ministry noted only that the two sides “have remained in communication” over the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Flight bookings in China have grown 20 per cent year on year ahead of the annual Ching Ming Festival holiday that starts this weekend and follows public school breaks in much of the country – despite higher airfares on account of rising fuel prices. Holiday bookings had reached 2.04 million flight tickets as of Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing figures from data provider TravelSky Technology. CCTV’s Sunday report said cross-border holiday flight bookings inbound and outbound stood at... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348367/chinese-flight-bookings-rise-20-ahead-april-holiday-break-despite-soaring-airfares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348367/chinese-flight-bookings-rise-20-ahead-april-holiday-break-despite-soaring-airfares?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:00:13 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The surge in US service members in the Middle East suggests the Iran war could become a protracted, low-intensity conflict as Donald Trump eyes a trip to China in May, Chinese military analysts say. The deployment of elite forces and the US president’s recent tactics in Venezuela indicated Washington was highly aware of and seeking to avoid a costly drawn-out war like Vietnam, the observers added. On Sunday, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that several hundred US Army Rangers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348428/why-donald-trump-needs-short-term-win-iran-he-visits-xi-jinping-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348428/why-donald-trump-needs-short-term-win-iran-he-visits-xi-jinping-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Authorities in Vietnam have arrested more than 70 people, including government officials, accused of falsifying data from air and waste water monitors at power plants and other major emitters, state media said Sunday. The state-run People’s Police newspaper said police had identified “nearly 160 environmental monitoring stations that had been tampered with, altered and had their data falsified” – accounting for more than half of the total number of stations nationwide. Police arrested 74 people,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348320/vietnam-arrests-74-over-falsified-environmental-waste-water-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348320/vietnam-arrests-74-over-falsified-environmental-waste-water-data?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 14:24:55 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage For most people, ants are unwelcome guests at a picnic, but international demand for the insects is driving a new black market in East Africa, where it could threaten ant populations and the broader environment. In early March, 27-year-old Chinese national Zhang Kequn was detained at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, with more than 2,200 live queen ants packed in his luggage. Around the same time, Thai authorities seized a shipment of ants sent from the Kenyan port city of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348256/why-are-smugglers-swarming-east-africa-ants-send-china-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348256/why-are-smugglers-swarming-east-africa-ants-send-china-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Singapore has seized over 830kg (1,800 lbs) of Asian pangolin scales hidden in a shipment bound for Cambodia, authorities said on Saturday, calling it the largest haul of its kind discovered in the city state. Falsely declared as “dried fish skin”, the scales – estimated to be from more than 2,200 pangolins – were found in 30 bags on December 29 after officials intercepted an inbound truck carrying sea cargo, Singapore’s National Parks Board said in a statement. The announcement came as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348253/singapore-seizes-record-asian-pangolin-scales-disguised-dried-fish-skin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348253/singapore-seizes-record-asian-pangolin-scales-disguised-dried-fish-skin?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:59:47 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Southeast Asian countries are racing to assert control over their data flows, driven by a potent mix of nationalist sentiment and security anxieties. But analysts warn that while certain measures may deliver domestic economic benefits, the broader push risks undermining innovation, deterring foreign investment and even cutting the region off from the global digital economy. On March 1, Vietnam became the first Southeast Asian nation to have in force a comprehensive law on artificial... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348187/vietnam-leads-ai-rules-southeast-asia-risks-economic-own-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348187/vietnam-leads-ai-rules-southeast-asia-risks-economic-own-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that they had turned back three ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, adding the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports “belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies”. “This morning, following the lies of the corrupt US president claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was open, three container ships of different nationalities … were turned back after a warning from the IRGC Navy,” the Guards said on their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348177/iran-says-hormuz-closed-shipping-and-enemy-ports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348177/iran-says-hormuz-closed-shipping-and-enemy-ports?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:48:54 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Top Chinese nuclear, radar and missile experts vanish from engineering body site The profile of one of China’s top nuclear weapons scientists has been scrubbed from the website of the nation’s engineering brains trust. Similar online references to radar specialist Wu Manqing, 60, and missile designer Wei... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347780/top-china-arms-experts-vanish-andy-laus-ming-dynasty-mystery-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347780/top-china-arms-experts-vanish-andy-laus-ming-dynasty-mystery-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:12:08 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The strategic value to Beijing of a new military base in the contested Paracel Islands is likely to be limited, according to Chinese observers, as the South China Sea remains a focal point of regional tensions. The assessment comes amid rising concern over China’s land reclamation at Antelope Reef, believed to be its most significant project in the strategic waters since it declared a halt to such activities about a decade ago. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Centre for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347748/why-military-base-contested-paracels-will-be-limited-value-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347748/why-military-base-contested-paracels-will-be-limited-value-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Vietnam is among Southeast Asian countries most hard-hit by the global energy crisis, with Hanoi’s bid to forge deals with Russia this week laying bare its urgency to stem the bleed that may threaten its objective of double-digit economic growth. Observers also say the fallout in fuel supply caused by the Iran war could even chip away at the legitimacy of Hanoi’s new leadership. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Russia this week reportedly saw the signing of several... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347735/why-vietnam-leaning-russia-weather-energy-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347735/why-vietnam-leaning-russia-weather-energy-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:12:37 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Daniel Gech looks at prices on a board at a Sokimex petrol station in Phnom Penh and winces. Four weeks into the war in the Middle East, the ripple effects of a faraway conflict are beginning to threaten the Cambodian teenager’s ability to earn and learn. The 16-year-old uses his moped to travel between his home and school, and for his work in the evening. It now costs him an extra US$2 a day to fill up his tank – or US$14 a week – and the price is rising, a significant surge in a country where... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347608/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-vulnerable-fuel-crisis-iran-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347608/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-vulnerable-fuel-crisis-iran-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:14:21 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Beijing has defended ongoing land-reclamation activities in the contested Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, saying they are aimed at improving living conditions and boosting the local economy. “The Xisha Islands are an inherent part of China’s territory and there is no dispute about it,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday, using the Chinese name for the archipelago. “China’s necessary construction activities on its own territory are aimed at improving the living conditions... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347603/no-dispute-about-it-beijing-defends-construction-paracel-islands-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347603/no-dispute-about-it-beijing-defends-construction-paracel-islands-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:01:20 +0000