https://www.scmp.com/rss/326687/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press The European Union on Thursday approved a massive loan package to help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years, the bloc’s Cypriot presidency said, after Hungary lifted its veto. The EU also approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine. The measures were prepared early this year and set to be announced in February to mark the fourth anniversary of the conflict, but Hungary and Slovakia opposed the move. Hungary and Slovakia have been locked... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351197/eu-approves-us106-billion-loan-ukraine-after-hungary-lifts-veto?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351197/eu-approves-us106-billion-loan-ukraine-after-hungary-lifts-veto?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:41:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse EU’s top court ruled on Tuesday that anti-LGBTQ legislation Hungary enacted in 2021 breached the bloc’s rules, including an article which sets out the fundamental values on which the EU is founded. The European Commission, 16 of 27 member states and the European Parliament took Hungary to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the law, in what has been billed as the largest human rights case in the bloc’s history. Originally aimed at toughening punishments for child abuse, the law was amended... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350888/hungarys-anti-lgbtq-law-breaches-eu-rules-court-ruling-hailed-historic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350888/hungarys-anti-lgbtq-law-breaches-eu-rules-court-ruling-hailed-historic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:58:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev has won Bulgaria’s parliamentary election by a landslide, official results showed on Monday, crushing long-dominant political forces and possibly pushing the EU and Nato member state closer to Moscow. The performance, exceeding opinion poll forecasts, is one of the strongest results for a single party in a generation and may end, for now, the chronic instability that led to eight elections ‌in five years. Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party had 44.7 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350771/bulgarias-pro-kremlin-ex-president-wins-election-russia-and-eu-welcome-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350771/bulgarias-pro-kremlin-ex-president-wins-election-russia-and-eu-welcome-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:25:34 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Olympic gold medallists and short-track speed skaters Shaolin Sándor Liu and Liu Shaoang are in the spotlight again. The brothers walked the runway at the 10th anniversary show of the Chinese-born designer Feng Chen Wang’s eponymous label at Shanghai Fashion Week at the end of March, much to their fans’ delight. It marked their fashion runway debut. Born to a Hungarian mother and Chinese father, the Lius competed for Hungary at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, making history for Hungary with... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3350461/meet-liu-shaoang-and-shaolin-sandor-liu-olympic-gold-skaters-who-made-their-runway-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3350461/meet-liu-shaoang-and-shaolin-sandor-liu-olympic-gold-skaters-who-made-their-runway-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In June 2021, from a podium in the Cornish countryside, former US president Joe Biden told a relieved Europe that “America is back at the table”. The comment – made after a summit of the Group of Seven rich nations – became a galvanising force for reinvigorated transatlanticism after the first term of Donald Trump had left it in tatters. When Russia invaded Ukraine eight months later, the G7 became the forum of choice for cooking up punitive sanctions against Russia. It was also the venue for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350572/rupture-how-europe-fell-out-love-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350572/rupture-how-europe-fell-out-love-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Hungary’s election winner Peter Magyar said on Wednesday he will suspend state media news broadcasts, which critics at home and abroad say became a government mouthpiece under Viktor Orban, ‌and restore media freedoms after his cabinet takes power. Magyar’s TISZA (Respect and Freedom) party won a landslide victory in Sunday’s election, ending Orban’s 16-year rule that became a prototype for “illiberal” conservative rulers across the Western world. “Every Hungarian deserves a public service media... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350170/incoming-hungarian-leader-magyar-vows-suspend-state-news-broadcasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350170/incoming-hungarian-leader-magyar-vows-suspend-state-news-broadcasts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:05:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse J.D. Vance had two jobs last week: get an Iran deal and keep Hungary’s Viktor Orban in power. Neither happened for the US vice-president. The 41-year-old Vance looked exhausted as he left Pakistan on Sunday after 21 hours that failed to produce an agreement with Tehran to end a war he had never wanted to begin with. At a terse press conference in Islamabad, Vance delivered the “bad news” and took just three questions before getting on a plane for the long flight back home. But just before... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349979/double-defeat-vance-failed-iran-talks-and-orbans-exit-bruise-us-vice-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349979/double-defeat-vance-failed-iran-talks-and-orbans-exit-bruise-us-vice-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:33:17 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Hungary’s prime minister-elect Peter Magyar has extended a warm overture to China, which he referred to as “one of the world’s most powerful countries”, saying he would like to visit Beijing and that Chinese leaders are welcome to visit Budapest. “We are absolutely, absolutely open [to discussions with Chinese leaders] and China is one of the world’s most important, largest and most powerful countries. It is in our interest, and I believe it is in the interest of both countries,” Magyar said in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3349943/hungarys-prime-minister-elect-vows-fair-play-firms-review-orbans-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3349943/hungarys-prime-minister-elect-vows-fair-play-firms-review-orbans-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:05:55 +0000 Orange Wang,Laura Zhou Orange Wang,Laura Zhou Hungary’s stunning political transition will not trigger a dramatic overturning of its ties with China, Chinese experts suggest, with China-EU relations also expected to see limited impact. A landslide parliamentary election victory on Sunday for the centre-right Tisza Party, led by Peter Magyar, ended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s 16 years in power. Orban conceded defeat and congratulated Magyar in a phone call. Magyar is now on course to become Hungary’s next prime minister, and his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349941/why-beijing-isnt-panicking-over-hungarian-pm-viktor-orbans-stunning-election-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349941/why-beijing-isnt-panicking-over-hungarian-pm-viktor-orbans-stunning-election-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:14:12 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Viktor Orban’s 16-year grip on Hungary is over, with the prime minister conceding Sunday’s election in a phone call with Peter Magyar, leader of the main opposition Tisza Party. “The election result is painful but clear. I congratulated the winning party,” Orban said from his election headquarters in Budapest. The result is a resounding rebuke to a government marked by authoritarianism and corruption, and by closer ties with Beijing, Moscow and Donald Trump’s Washington over Brussels. Hungarians... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349821/orban-concedes-defeat-hungarian-voters-deliver-sweeping-rebuke-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349821/orban-concedes-defeat-hungarian-voters-deliver-sweeping-rebuke-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:44:52 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Travellers stepping out of the railway station at Hungary’s second-biggest city, Debrecen, are immediately greeted by a banner hanging over the street that reads “No battery, no deal”, “Debrecen belongs to Hungarians” and “Chinese, go home”. Targeting a mega-factory set up by Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), it also calls for a protest on Saturday, on the eve of Sunday’s general election in the central European nation. The banner was put up by the local candidate... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349649/chinese-firms-hungary-face-post-election-reckoning-no-matter-who-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349649/chinese-firms-hungary-face-post-election-reckoning-no-matter-who-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a ceasefire agreement with the United States brokered by Pakistan, as the two sides also agreed to start negotiations in Islamabad on Friday for a peace deal. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would pause its bombing campaign in Iran for two weeks, calling it a “double-sided ceasefire” requested by Pakistani mediators in a last-minute bid to create space for diplomacy. In a social media post, Trump said the suspension of military action was... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:28:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Vice-President J.D. Vance lavished praise on Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday as he arrived in Budapest to boost the veteran nationalist leader’s campaign ahead of an election that many opinion polls suggest Orban will lose. Orban, a Eurosceptic nationalist in power since 2010, is facing the toughest re-election bid of his career, with independent polls indicating his Fidesz party will lose Sunday’s vote to centre-right challenger Peter Magyar’s Tisza party. Vance’s visit,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349288/president-loves-you-us-vance-visits-hungary-boost-orban-re-election-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349288/president-loves-you-us-vance-visits-hungary-boost-orban-re-election-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:18:02 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Major powers are closely watching Hungary’s election next week – a vote seen as a referendum on Europe’s right and crucial for Chinese interests in the EU. Recent polls show self-styled “illiberal democrat” Viktor Orban’s Fidesz trailing challenger Peter Magyar’s Tisza Party by between 19 and 23 points among likely voters ahead of an election on Sunday that has been described as “Europe’s most consequential”. For China, Russia and the United States under President Donald Trump, an Orban defeat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349109/orban-brink-could-hungarys-election-dent-chinas-influence-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349109/orban-brink-could-hungarys-election-dent-chinas-influence-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 dpa dpa Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday appeared to suggest Ukraine was involved in planning an act of sabotage after Serbia reported finding explosives on a gas pipeline used to transport Russian natural gas to the two countries. Earlier on Sunday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said explosives “of devastating force” were found on the Balkan Stream pipeline near the village of Velebit on the Hungarian border. The pipeline transports Russian natural gas from Turkey via Bulgaria,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349104/orban-appears-blame-kyiv-serbian-gas-pipeline-explosives-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349104/orban-appears-blame-kyiv-serbian-gas-pipeline-explosives-find?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 18:46:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Iran war has deflected global attention from Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbour Ukraine as Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II enters its fifth year and an emboldened Kremlin undertakes a spring offensive. The past week showed that neither side was easing up. Russia on Tuesday fired almost 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at Ukraine in one of the war’s biggest bombardments. The following day Ukraine launched almost 400 drones in the largest reported overnight attack on Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347956/iran-war-deflects-attention-ukraine-russia-starts-spring-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347956/iran-war-deflects-attention-ukraine-russia-starts-spring-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:08:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters The European Commission will no longer submit a legal proposal to permanently ban Russian oil imports over Moscow’s war in Ukraine on April 15 as previously ‌planned, an updated EU legislative agenda showed on Tuesday. An EU official, however, said the proposal had not been cancelled and would still be published though no longer by the mid-April date due to “current geopolitical developments”. The US-Israeli war on Iran is creating the biggest oil supply disruption in history, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347756/eu-delays-proposal-permanently-ban-russian-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347756/eu-delays-proposal-permanently-ban-russian-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:09:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Slovenia’s incumbent liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob claimed victory in parliamentary elections on Sunday, as results put his party just slightly ahead of the conservatives. Golob took over from Donald Trump admirer Janez Jansa as a political newcomer in 2022, leading a three-party centre-left coalition in the country of 2 million people. The race was expected to be tight, and foreign interference claims shook the campaign, with authorities probing whether an Israeli company was behind... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347477/slovenians-vote-race-between-pro-trump-nationalist-and-liberal-incumbent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347477/slovenians-vote-race-between-pro-trump-nationalist-and-liberal-incumbent?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:25:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union leaders failed to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday to lift his blockade on a €90 billion (US$103 billion) EU loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion. After a summit in Brussels, several leaders voiced deep frustration with Orban, who has cited a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline to justify blocking the implementation of the loan agreed back in December. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Orban - who maintains cordial ties... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347233/eu-leaders-clash-hungarys-orban-blocking-ukraine-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347233/eu-leaders-clash-hungarys-orban-blocking-ukraine-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:27:20 +0000 Agencies Agencies European Union experts have arrived in Ukraine to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline, state energy firm Naftogaz said, after its closure in January caused a row with Hungary that is blocking an EU loan to Kyiv. The EU last week proposed sending a mission to inspect the pipeline. Ukraine later said it had accepted the EU offer of technical support and funding to restore oil flows through the damaged pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia have been cut off from Russian oil deliveries via... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347183/eu-inspects-druzhba-pipeline-bid-unclog-hungarys-block-ukraine-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347183/eu-inspects-druzhba-pipeline-bid-unclog-hungarys-block-ukraine-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:26:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged the European Union to overcome a veto by Hungary on a €90 billion (US$103 billion) loan vital for his country. Zelensky, during a visit to Madrid to meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, said he considered that the “main issue” of an EU summit to be held Thursday and Friday in Brussels. “We are really counting on the countries and the EU to find ways to resolve this issue,” he said. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban – Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347075/zelensky-urges-eu-bypass-hungarys-blackmail-veto-vital-us103-billion-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347075/zelensky-urges-eu-bypass-hungarys-blackmail-veto-vital-us103-billion-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:35:57 +0000 Cao Li,Themis Qi Cao Li,Themis Qi BYD, the world’s largest electric-vehicle (EV) maker, sold more cars overseas than at home for the first time in February, reflecting a broader trend among Chinese EV makers’ global push as domestic sales soften amid fierce competition. “Squeezed by the fierce competition at home, China’s EV makers are shifting their focus to global markets,” said David Zhang, general secretary of the Shanghai-based International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association. BYD, which overtook Tesla last year as... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345666/chinese-ev-makers-increasingly-reliant-exports-domestic-sales-decelerate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345666/chinese-ev-makers-increasingly-reliant-exports-domestic-sales-decelerate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia could halt gas supplies to Europe right now amid a spike in energy prices triggered by the Iran crisis, President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday, linking the possible decision to the European Union wanting to ban purchases of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas. Oil and gas prices have soared following the ‌US and Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s strikes on Gulf Arab neighbours. The conflict has paralysed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and forced the shutdown of Qatar’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345484/russia-may-halt-gas-supplies-europe-amid-iran-energy-spike-putin-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345484/russia-may-halt-gas-supplies-europe-amid-iran-energy-spike-putin-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:44:53 +0000 Laura Zhou,Orange Wang Laura Zhou,Orange Wang Kyiv’s top envoy to Beijing has called on China to play its “important” and “critical” role to help end the war in Ukraine, which is now stretching into a fifth year. “We are working with all international partners to bring a sustainable and lasting peace, and we believe that our host country, China, is uniquely positioned to play an important and in many ways critical role in this process,” Olexander Nechytaylo, Ukrainian ambassador to China, told foreign diplomats in the Chinese capital on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344498/ukraine-urges-china-play-critical-role-peace-war-enters-fifth-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344498/ukraine-urges-china-play-critical-role-peace-war-enters-fifth-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:00:14 +0000 dpa dpa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday described a pair of explosions in Lviv as a “cynical and brutal terrorist act” that was “organised by Russia”. Two explosions rocked the western Ukrainian city in the early hours, killing a 23-year-old policewoman and injuring 25 others. “This was a terrorist attack,” Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel, adding that police have detained a female Ukrainian national. Police said that the detained woman was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3344281/police-officer-killed-24-people-wounded-bomb-explosions-ukraines-lviv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3344281/police-officer-killed-24-people-wounded-bomb-explosions-ukraines-lviv?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hungary threatened to block a new package of European Union sanctions against Russia and to stall efforts to help Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries to Hungary resume. The EU’s foreign ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the bloc’s 20th round of sanctions against Moscow, a measure they hope will be approved in time to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday. In a video posted to social media on Sunday, Hungarian Foreign Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344273/hungary-spoils-eu-attempt-russia-sanctions-package-over-oil-flows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344273/hungary-spoils-eu-attempt-russia-sanctions-package-over-oil-flows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 14:19:20 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised US$10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza as he inaugurated his “Board of Peace”, a new institution whose ultimate mission has drawn questions. Trump brought together allies from around the world - many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States - to hail his peacemaking just as he sends US military might near Iran and threatens war. Presiding with a gavel over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:06:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday she felt that EU governments were not ready to give Ukraine a date for membership despite a demand to do so from ‌President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky repeated on Saturday that he needed a date as part of security guarantees for a final peace package with Russia. “My feeling is that the member states are not ready to give a concrete date,” Kallas told a panel at the Munich Security Conference. “There’s a lot of work to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343638/eu-not-ready-give-ukraine-date-membership-says-blocs-foreign-policy-chief-kallas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343638/eu-not-ready-give-ukraine-date-membership-says-blocs-foreign-policy-chief-kallas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:49:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two of China’s leading carmakers, BYD and ⁠Geely, are among the finalists vying to purchase a Nissan–Mercedes-Benz plant in Mexico, according to a ⁠person familiar with the matter, as China seeks a manufacturing foothold in a country where US tariffs are fuelling factory closures and lay-offs. The finalists emerged from nine companies expressing interest in acquiring the factory, including at least two other major Chinese manufacturers: Chery and Great Wall Motor, according to two sources... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343369/chinas-byd-and-geely-bid-nissan-mercedes-mexico-plant-dodge-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343369/chinas-byd-and-geely-bid-nissan-mercedes-mexico-plant-dodge-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:30:30 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese healthcare companies are looking to expand overseas to serve Chinese communities in regions such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where many mainland companies are setting up operations across sectors. “A wide range of Chinese companies are expanding overseas,” setting up local operations and bringing Chinese employees with them, said Philip Wang, CEO of Distinct Healthcare Holdings, in an interview on Monday. “Chinese expatriate workers are often not familiar with the local... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3343106/chinese-healthcare-firms-expand-overseas-support-growing-expat-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3343106/chinese-healthcare-firms-expand-overseas-support-growing-expat-community?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:00:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration will ‌fund efforts to promote free speech within Western countries allied with Washington, a senior State Department official said ‍on Monday during a visit to Europe focused on pushing back against European regulations that US officials have branded censorship. US officials have forcefully opposed online rules such as the EU’s Digital Services Act and Britain’s Online Safety Act, which Washington says stifle free speech, and in particular criticism of immigration... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342981/us-fund-free-speech-initiatives-europe-state-department-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342981/us-fund-free-speech-initiatives-europe-state-department-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:16:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The presidents of Argentina and Romania said on Sunday they have been invited to attend the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace” in Washington on February 19. Originally designed by Trump as a mechanism to oversee the Gaza truce and post-war reconstruction, the board’s mandate has since expanded, prompting concerns among critics that it could evolve into a rival to the United Nations. Writing on his Facebook page, Romania’s President Nicusor Dan said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342854/romania-argentina-leaders-invited-trumps-board-peace-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342854/romania-argentina-leaders-invited-trumps-board-peace-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:29:27 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese electric vehicle (EV) king BYD aims for a 24 per cent increase in its overseas deliveries in 2026, buoyed by an expanded sales network and new model launches, as it pursues growth abroad to counteract a slowing domestic market. The Shenzhen-based company, the world’s largest builder of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, expected to sell 1.3 million cars this year outside mainland China, up 24.3 per cent from 2025, said Li Yunfei, general manager of branding and public relations,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341156/chinese-carmaker-byd-chases-24-export-growth-new-models-more-showrooms-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341156/chinese-carmaker-byd-chases-24-export-growth-new-models-more-showrooms-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:30:30 +0000 Agencies Agencies US President Donald Trump showcased his new “Board of Peace” on Thursday, a day after backing off his own threats against Greenland. Trump abruptly announced on Wednesday that he was scrapping tariffs against Europe and ruling out military action to take Greenland from Denmark, partially defusing a crisis which has shaken the meeting of global elites. On his second day at the Swiss ski resort, Trump sought to promote the “Board of Peace”, his controversial body for resolving international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340860/watch-trump-showcase-his-board-peace-davos-after-greenland-climbdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340860/watch-trump-showcase-his-board-peace-davos-after-greenland-climbdown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:02:24 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao US President Donald Trump’s accelerated push to seize Greenland has transformed a once-quirky idea into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, with observers warning it could deal a near-fatal blow to the post-war transatlantic order. Trump initially did not rule out the use of America’s military to control the autonomous Danish territory but backed down at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, saying that he “won’t use force”. He also called off tariffs against European countries over their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Key allies reacted coolly on Monday to US President Donald Trump’s invite to pay US$1 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace” for resolving international conflicts, with analysts likening it to a pay-to-play version of the UN Security Council. The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The board’s charter, seen by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340480/allies-tepid-trumps-board-peace-invited-leaders-wondering-how-it-will-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340480/allies-tepid-trumps-board-peace-invited-leaders-wondering-how-it-will-work?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:16:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace” initiative aimed at resolving conflicts globally, a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the United Nations. Only ‍Hungary, whose leader is a close Trump ally, gave an unequivocal acceptance in response to the invitations, which have been addressed to some 60 nations and began arriving in European capitals on Saturday, according to diplomats. Other governments appeared... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340349/world-leaders-show-caution-trumps-broader-board-peace-amid-fears-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340349/world-leaders-show-caution-trumps-broader-board-peace-amid-fears-un?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:43:10 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan China and the European Union began 2026 with another trade clash. As the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive phase, Brussels tightened compliance and Beijing warned of countermeasures. However, this week, the two sides signalled progress on defusing the electric vehicle dispute; the EU issued guidance to Chinese EV exporters on submitting minimum price plans. The juxtaposition underlines the point: even when one high-profile area shifts from escalation to technical... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339329/can-europe-rebuild-its-strength-trade-china-without-fear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339329/can-europe-rebuild-its-strength-trade-china-without-fear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Grandstanding, self-righteous and hypocritical, what can possibly go wrong with the European Union under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas? For a superstate bloc that supposedly stands for the rule of law, human rights and international justice, Brussels has given the lamest excuse of a response to the murderous American raid in Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. European Commission President von der Leyen said the bloc was “closely... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3339511/days-eu-and-nato-may-be-numbered-under-von-der-leyen-and-kallas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3339511/days-eu-and-nato-may-be-numbered-under-von-der-leyen-and-kallas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 14:15:08 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews China’s car industry is expected to stagnate this year as it tries to catch its breath after years of growth. New energy vehicles (NEVs) are likely to continue increasing their market share but growth will be much lower than in recent years, with the penetration rate reaching around 60 per cent. “Involution” was the major theme last year, and despite efforts by the government and manufacturers, the situation is unlikely to improve until the second half of the year, due to a tepid economy and a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338636/innovation-and-exports-will-winnow-chinas-car-industry-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338636/innovation-and-exports-will-winnow-chinas-car-industry-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +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 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye China’s carmakers are on track to capture about one-third of the global auto market by 2030 and generate most of their profits overseas, according to UBS, underscoring the resilience of the country’s electric vehicle (EV) advantage despite mounting trade barriers in the West. The Swiss bank said its forecast had remained unchanged from two years ago, even as Chinese carmakers accelerated factory construction in Europe and some global rivals scaled back electrification plans. “The main drag was... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3338224/full-throttle-chinese-ev-makers-corner-one-third-global-market-2030-ubs-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3338224/full-throttle-chinese-ev-makers-corner-one-third-global-market-2030-ubs-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Rob York Rob York The new US national security strategy says a great deal about how the government imagines its foreign policy in the next few years but tells us just as much about communism and the US president’s view of it. Donald Trump has long had an unusual relationship with communism, in that he does not seem especially concerned by it. Yes, it’s true he does denounce “communists”, “socialists”, “radicals” and “the far left”, but he is rarely speaking about communist regimes opposed to US interests... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336268/trump-only-communists-really-dislike-are-those-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336268/trump-only-communists-really-dislike-are-those-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo For the philosopher Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, everything is “geist”, which could be translated as either mind or spirit. So everything is either mindful, spiritual or mental, depending on your preferred translation. He calls institutions “objective spirit”. This is because ideas are only “subjective” when they are stuck in people’s heads or in books. Once those ideas are realised, for example, in forms of governments and social institutions, they become objectified and take on a concrete reality,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336432/russia-will-end-european-union-not-other-way-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336432/russia-will-end-european-union-not-other-way-around?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo It’s not for nothing that John Locke famously wrote that “life, liberty and property” are inalienable rights. The West, after all, has taught the world that property ownership, legally obtained, is sacrosanct. But what the West has imposed, it can also break. That is the real meaning of the rules-based international order, as opposed to international law: do what I say, not as I do. So the hardline European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been pressuring member states to support... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3336405/emerging-axis-lawlessness-european-union-united-states-and-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3336405/emerging-axis-lawlessness-european-union-united-states-and-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 14:15:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The European Union on Friday indefinitely froze Russia’s assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both with Moscow-friendly governments, cannot prevent the billions of euros from being used to support Ukraine. Using a special procedure meant for economic emergencies, the EU blocked the assets until Russia gives up its war on Ukraine and compensates its neighbour for the heavy damage that it has inflicted for almost four years. EU Council President Antonio Costa said European leaders... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336297/eu-indefinitely-freezes-russian-assets-so-hungary-and-slovakia-cant-veto-their-use-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336297/eu-indefinitely-freezes-russian-assets-so-hungary-and-slovakia-cant-veto-their-use-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:39:11 +0000 Thomas O. Falk Thomas O. Falk Last week’s release of the 2025 US National Security Strategy (NSS) was not a routine recalibration of diplomatic lines – it was a rupture. It represented the most explicit declaration to date that the United States no longer regards Europe as a partner in a shared transatlantic project but as a challenge to be managed, a continent to be reshaped and a strategic liability to be mitigated. The Trump administration has accused entire nations and supranational institutions of steering the continent... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335601/us-security-strategy-first-shot-trumps-war-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335601/us-security-strategy-first-shot-trumps-war-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Emmanuel Macron has warned Beijing that Europe would be forced to retaliate with “strong measures” against Chinese goods – including punitive tariffs modelled after US policy – if a trade imbalance between the two sides remains unaddressed well into 2026. Back in Paris, fresh from a diplomatic visit to China that ended on Friday, the French president told business newspaper Les Echos that China was “effectively killing their own customers” by running unsustainable surpluses while curbing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Saturday that he was sending a business delegation to Russia in the coming days in preparation for the end of the Ukraine war. Orban addressed Budapest’s foreign relations with Moscow and also Washington at an exclusive rally in the central city of Kecskemet, ahead of legislative elections in the spring. The delegation’s mission would focus on economic cooperation, particularly in a post-war landscape that could see Russia not cut out from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3335484/hungarys-orban-send-team-russia-expecting-end-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3335484/hungarys-orban-send-team-russia-expecting-end-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 21:40:52 +0000