https://www.scmp.com/rss/329440/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Bali’s reputation as a carefree tropical escape has been shaken by a string of brutal crimes, including the kidnapping and dismemberment of a Ukrainian man and the fatal stabbing of a Dutch visitor. The cases – some involving foreign suspects and bearing the hallmarks of organised or premeditated violence – have fuelled growing alarm, prompting residents and visitors to the Indonesian holiday island to ask: Is Bali becoming a stage for international crime? Observers say the cases do not indicate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348805/bali-rocked-spate-murder-cases-indonesian-island-more-dangerous-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348805/bali-rocked-spate-murder-cases-indonesian-island-more-dangerous-now?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:30:07 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick With one of the world’s highest benchmark interest rates among major economies, Brazilian importers who buy from China are turning to a state-owned Chinese credit insurer to sustain trade flows that reached US$158 billion in 2024. Facing working capital lines that cost upwards of two per cent a month, equivalent to roughly 27 per cent a year according to market calculations, mid-sized importers are securing deferred payment terms directly from Chinese suppliers through credit limits backed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348719/how-chinas-state-insurer-turning-brazils-credit-crisis-export-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348719/how-chinas-state-insurer-turning-brazils-credit-crisis-export-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:21:11 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. As Trump ramps up pressure on Cuba, China has ‘very limited options’ As Washington stepped up rhetoric and pressure on Cuba after the start of its campaign in Iran, Beijing found itself torn between geopolitical reality and ideological affinity. Read the full story here. 2. US threats... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348581/us-threats-new-chile-leader-china-tariff-mexico-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348581/us-threats-new-chile-leader-china-tariff-mexico-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan As US President Donald Trump heads to a delayed, high-stakes mid-May summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, he is already claiming victory, touting on Friday past trade talks with Xi as a win for American farmers, a crucial electoral bloc battered by his tariffs and the ongoing war with Iran. “Thanks to our trade deals, you’re now sending over US$40 billion in American soybeans to China,” Trump said on Friday, telling farmers and ranchers at the White House he personally secured the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348219/trump-pitches-china-trade-win-us-farmers-ahead-xi-meeting-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348219/trump-pitches-china-trade-win-us-farmers-ahead-xi-meeting-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:21:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Tuesday granted a request by former president Jair Bolsonaro to temporarily serve his sentence under house arrest after his discharge from a hospital for treatment of bronchopneumonia. “I authorise temporary humanitarian house arrest … for an initial period of 90 days,” Justice Alexandre de Moraes said in a court document, adding that the period could be renewed in case of medical necessity. The 71-year-old former far-right president was sentenced to 27 years... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347769/judge-allows-brazils-bolsonaro-serve-27-year-sentence-home-due-ill-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347769/judge-allows-brazils-bolsonaro-serve-27-year-sentence-home-due-ill-health?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:51:01 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The US military is monitoring 23 Chinese port projects and 12 space-enabling facilities across Latin America and considers every one of them “a potential dual-use asset” that could support Chinese military operations, the top US commander for South America told Congress on Tuesday. General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), made the disclosure during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on US military posture in the western hemisphere. Asked by Lance Gooden, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346940/us-military-tracks-23-chinese-port-projects-latin-america-general-tells-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346940/us-military-tracks-23-chinese-port-projects-latin-america-general-tells-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:08:51 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick A United States diplomat has told Brazilian port industry executives that Washington does not want a Chinese company to win the concession for a major container terminal in Santos, the largest port in Latin America, in the latest sign that the race for one of Brazil’s most prized infrastructure assets has become a front in the broader rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Kevin Murakami, the US consul-general in Sao Paulo, made the comments on March 5, at an event organised by Grupo A Tribuna,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346804/washington-signals-it-wants-china-kept-out-brazils-largest-port-auction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346804/washington-signals-it-wants-china-kept-out-brazils-largest-port-auction?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:12:22 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese carmakers, saddled with excess capacity and weak demand at home, are taking a new approach to global expansion: utilising idled facilities abandoned by international marques. By adopting an asset-light strategy, companies from Geely Auto to Great Wall Motor (GWM) can assemble their cars overseas at lower costs, broadening their influence on the global automotive sector, according to analysts. “Mindful of profitability as well as geopolitical and operating risks, Chinese carmakers are... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346472/carpool-chinese-giants-use-idled-foreign-plants-fuel-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346472/carpool-chinese-giants-use-idled-foreign-plants-fuel-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has pneumonia and is receiving treatment in an intensive care unit, a hospital in the capital, Brasilia, said on Friday. Earlier in the day, Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Flavio, said on social media that his father was being transferred from prison to the hospital after waking up with chills and vomiting. “I ask for prayers that it not be anything serious,” Flavio wrote. He has said he would run for president this year, and recent polls show him and President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346564/brazils-jair-bolsonaro-icu-pneumonia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346564/brazils-jair-bolsonaro-icu-pneumonia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:09:34 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Chilean President Gabriel Boric left La Moneda presidential palace for the last time on Wednesday, ending a four-year term with a call for national unity that most observers took as a reference to the Chinese undersea cable dispute that defined his final weeks in office. “I wish success to the incoming government, success for Chile, and may our homeland always come first, above any interest, above any disagreement,” Boric said from the palace courtyard, where he arrived with his partner, Paula... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346275/chiles-boric-leaves-office-calls-unity-after-split-successor-over-china-cable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346275/chiles-boric-leaves-office-calls-unity-after-split-successor-over-china-cable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:30:28 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Chilean capital Santiago awoke on Wednesday to a mixture of celebration and tension. As the city prepared for the inauguration of its centre-right president, the new government’s first crisis was already unfolding behind the scenes: an undersea fibre-optic cable linking the South American country to Hong Kong that had enraged Washington and may prove a watershed moment in how Latin America handles critical infrastructure projects and its partnership with Beijing. Jose Antonio Kast was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:44:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow China condemned it. Russia condemned it. Brazil condemned it. Brics, as a bloc, has said nothing. More than a week after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered the worst regional crisis in years, the grouping that positions itself as the collective voice of the Global South has yet to issue a single joint statement. The silence is not an oversight. It is the sound of a bloc whose expansion has outpaced its ability to speak as one, analysts... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346065/why-has-us-israeli-war-iran-left-brics-speechless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346065/why-has-us-israeli-war-iran-left-brics-speechless?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:03:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Latin American nations to use military power against the “cancer” of drug cartels and offered to support them with US missile strikes targeting narco kingpins. Trump, currently waging a war with Iran, laid out a muscular position for advancing Washington’s interests in the western hemisphere, pronouncing that communist-led Cuba was “in its last moments of life” and advocating tough action by allies against organised crime blighting the region. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:46:34 +0000 Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow The sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s coast has raised concerns across South and Southeast Asia that the Middle East conflict may be expanding into the Indian Ocean, while also intensifying political pressure in India for a stronger response. Analysts said the strike’s location near key sea lanes linking Asia with the Gulf had heightened fears the conflict could spill into waters vital to regional trade while also raising doubts in New Delhi over its cautious... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The warming El Nino weather phenomenon could form later this year, potentially pushing global temperatures to record heights. There is a 50-60 per cent chance of El Nino developing during the July-September period and beyond, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The World Meteorological Organization will issue an update on El Nino on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know about El Nino and its cooler sister, La Nina. Why the name? El Nino and La Nina are two... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345180/el-nino-may-return-2026-making-planet-even-hotter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345180/el-nino-may-return-2026-making-planet-even-hotter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:43:31 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The United States Supreme Court, which dealt a serious blow to US President Donald Trump’s tariff-based trade policy, may have helped to steady the rocky trade ties between China and the United States ahead of a crucial summit meeting. In a stunning decision that cut across ideological blocs, six out of the nine justices ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose the emergency tariffs he did last year on nearly all imports into the US, including the so-called reciprocal duties on dozens of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344879/china-now-holds-more-cards-ahead-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344879/china-now-holds-more-cards-ahead-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 23:15:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Thousands of supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro demonstrated in cities across the South American nation on Sunday, as organisers hoped to build momentum for a right-wing victory in the coming presidential elections. Protesters draped in yellow and green – the colours of the national flag – took to the streets in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital Brasilia to voice their opposition to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who faces a tough re-election bid in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345058/supporters-ex-president-bolsonaro-rally-across-brazil-against-lula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345058/supporters-ex-president-bolsonaro-rally-across-brazil-against-lula?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 21:54:13 +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 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The fourth anniversary of the outbreak of war in Ukraine on Tuesday served as a potent reminder of the need for peace to be forged. Sadly, there is no end in sight. Russia and Ukraine have entered into United States-brokered negotiations. The direct talks offer an opportunity for a deal to be reached and a ceasefire implemented. But the positions adopted by the two sides remain far apart. Meanwhile, the killing continues. There is pessimism in Europe over the prospects for peace, with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344834/peace-ukraine-will-require-pragmatic-diplomacy-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344834/peace-ukraine-will-require-pragmatic-diplomacy-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Washington will keep China tariffs at their current level as the Trump administration seeks “continuity” after the Supreme Court struck down the levies it imposed last year, according to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, weeks ahead of a high-stakes meeting between the two countries’ leaders. The US will keep in place current China tariffs, which have varied from 35 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the product, since the countries “de-escalated” the trade war last year, Greer said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344658/us-keep-china-trade-tariffs-steady-ahead-key-trump-xi-meeting-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344658/us-keep-china-trade-tariffs-steady-ahead-key-trump-xi-meeting-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:11:22 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung marked Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s state visit with an AI-generated video animating their shared past as factory workers, before the two men embraced as heads of state. Lula arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a three-day trip – his first to South Korea in 21 years – with the two countries agreeing at a summit on Monday to elevate ties to a strategic partnership. The 11-second clip, posted to Lee’s social media account on Monday, begins with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344566/south-koreas-lee-uses-ai-video-honour-shared-factory-worker-past-brazils-lula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344566/south-koreas-lee-uses-ai-video-honour-shared-factory-worker-past-brazils-lula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 07:06:55 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Brazil’s dismissal of the idea of a Brics currency suggests that the bloc may continue to pursue less politically fraught monetary cooperation that stops short of challenging the US dollar’s dominance, such as swaps and seamless payment systems, according to analysts. During Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s recent trip to India, Lula sought to play down speculation that the 10-member grouping of developing nations was drafting plans for a shared currency. In an interview with an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344501/why-brics-cant-do-away-us-dollar-even-currency-cooperation-rises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344501/why-brics-cant-do-away-us-dollar-even-currency-cooperation-rises?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and Brazil are stepping up efforts to boost trade cooperation among developing economies and regional blocs as a hedge against mounting global trade uncertainty, after signing agreements in New Delhi ranging from rare earths to digital infrastructure. The deals were sealed during Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s five-day visit to India, which ended on Sunday, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In January, India assumed the rotating chair of the Brics... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:06:25 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok In the early days of 2026, there has been an unexpected turn in China’s global relations. Some US allies have started reaching out to China just as China faced complications in ties with some friendly countries in the Global South. The underlying cause for both trends is the Trump administration’s imperial behaviour. With the dramatic abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and US President Donald Trump’s wish to control Venezuela’s oil, China’s economic stake in one of its closest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk When Brazilian K-pop fan Tami spotted a social media post last month selling a rare Polaroid photo signed by ZeroBaseOne member Zhang Hao, she jumped at the opportunity. The seller identified himself as a South Korean named Park Chae-ah, according to the Chosun Daily newspaper. She transferred the money. Then Park switched his account to private and vanished. Tami* is far from alone. Across Brazil, home to one of Latin America’s most passionate Korean pop culture communities, scammers have found... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344425/k-wave-scams-exploiting-brazils-superfans-triggers-police-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344425/k-wave-scams-exploiting-brazils-superfans-triggers-police-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:23:35 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen As US President Donald Trump prepares for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing from March 31 to April 2, analysts say recent American policy reversals, including a Supreme Court ruling striking down broad tariffs, have shifted trade tensions into a phase of cautious stability rather than escalation. The legal setback has strengthened China’s negotiating position, bolstered by lowered effective tariffs, its leverage over critical minerals like rare earths, and a more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344388/us-tariff-ruling-points-steadier-us-china-ties-ahead-april-summit-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344388/us-tariff-ruling-points-steadier-us-china-ties-ahead-april-summit-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:49:08 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Abraham Newman is an American political scientist and a professor in the School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University. His research focuses on the ways in which economic interdependence and globalisation have transformed international politics. Along with Henry Farrell, he is co-author of the book Underground Empire: How America Weaponised the World Economy, published in 2023. In this interview, he discusses how the concept of weaponised interdependence has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344243/trumps-neo-royalist-world-order-and-weaponised-interdependence-abraham-newman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344243/trumps-neo-royalist-world-order-and-weaponised-interdependence-abraham-newman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May A single policy could redraw global food supply lines and scramble markets from the Americas to Southeast Asia. In early February, the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee and State Council released the annual “No 1 document”, the country’s first policy statement of 2026 and its blueprint for agriculture, farmers and rural areas. As one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, importers and exporters, any shift in Beijing’s food strategy carries global repercussions. Covering... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India and Brazil agreed to boost cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after talks in New Delhi with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “The agreement on critical minerals and rare earths is a major step towards building resilient supply chains,” Modi said. Brazil has the world’s second-largest reserves of critical minerals, which are used in everything from electric vehicles, solar panels and smartphones to jet engines and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344221/india-brazil-sign-rare-earths-deal-build-resilient-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344221/india-brazil-sign-rare-earths-deal-build-resilient-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:20:13 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil has imposed anti-dumping duties on a broad range of Chinese steel products and hypodermic needles following two investigations that found the imports were being sold at unfairly low prices, harming domestic producers. Approved by the government’s foreign trade committee and signed by Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin in his capacity as trade chief, the measures apply for up to five years and target cold-rolled steel, coated flat steel and medical needles shipped from China. Cold-rolled steel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343943/chinese-steel-hit-duties-us670-tonne-brazil-dumping-probe-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343943/chinese-steel-hit-duties-us670-tonne-brazil-dumping-probe-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:40:50 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China becomes Brazil’s biggest vehicle exporter in January, surpassing Argentina China surpassed Argentina in January to become Brazil’s largest exporter of vehicles, solidifying Chinese brands’ dominance in the region’s biggest car market and undercutting a long-standing Argentine... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3343881/catls-battery-game-changer-teslas-ai-training-centre-china-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3343881/catls-battery-game-changer-teslas-ai-training-centre-china-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 07:30:07 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil is on course to exhaust its annual beef export quota to China by September, industry researchers said on Tuesday, as the government warns that uncontrolled shipments could trigger a collapse in domestic prices and jobs in the cattle sector. If the pace of exports recorded in January is maintained, Brazil will fill its 2026 quota of 1.106 million tonnes well before year end, according to the Centre for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics at the University of Sao Paulo, known as Cepea. In... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343849/brazil-races-china-beef-cap-55-tariff-risks-price-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343849/brazil-races-china-beef-cap-55-tariff-risks-price-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:53:03 +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 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian prosecutors and police launched an extensive crackdown on a Chinese electronics distribution network accused of laundering more than one billion reais (US$190 million) over seven months through a system allegedly related to one of Latin America’s most powerful crime syndicates. The Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC, syndicate allegedly sold imported consumer electronics throughout Brazil via a Chinese e-commerce platform called “Knup Brasil”, including mobile phone chargers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343545/brazil-breaks-china-linked-us190m-money-laundering-ring-tied-top-crime-syndicate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343545/brazil-breaks-china-linked-us190m-money-laundering-ring-tied-top-crime-syndicate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:32:56 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s food delivery giant Meituan on Friday warned that it expected to post a loss of up to 24.3 billion yuan (US$3.5 billion) for 2025 due to “intense industry competition”, with the slump likely to persist this year. The sharp reversal from 2024, when the company posted a profit of 35.8 billion yuan, comes on the back of one of China’s most intense price wars last year between Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com in local e-commerce and food delivery, which only subsided after... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343538/chinas-meituan-warns-us35-billion-loss-amid-intense-food-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343538/chinas-meituan-warns-us35-billion-loss-amid-intense-food-delivery-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:15:42 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words I refer to the op-ed, “As great powers bet on AI, what of the workforce holding it together?” (February 2). The piece on “ghost workers” addresses a real gap: the human labour that trains AI systems. But there is another workforce the article does not cover – those who must... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3343266/ai-taking-invisible-toll-humans-working-alongside-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3343266/ai-taking-invisible-toll-humans-working-alongside-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 03:30:13 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The United States is seeking a fair and enduring competition with China, along with strengthening its economic and political relationships with Latin America, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday. He termed this the strategy of reducing vulnerabilities without cutting ties with Beijing. Speaking at an investor conference in Sao Paulo, hosted by the Brazilian bank BTG Pactual, Bessent said that Washington did not want to sever economic ties with China. Still, it was trying to... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3343118/treasury-chief-says-us-seeks-fair-china-competition-eyes-latin-america-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3343118/treasury-chief-says-us-seeks-fair-china-competition-eyes-latin-america-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:05:24 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China surpassed Argentina in January to become Brazil’s largest exporter of vehicles, solidifying Chinese brands’ dominance in the region’s biggest car market and undercutting a long-standing Argentine trade advantage within Mercosur. According to industry figures reported by Autoweb on Monday, Chinese vehicles sent to Brazil reached 16,800 units in January, versus 13,400 from Argentina. It underscores the erosion of Argentina’s decades-long grip on Brazil’s import market, after China first led... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342980/china-becomes-brazils-biggest-vehicle-exporter-january-surpassing-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342980/china-becomes-brazils-biggest-vehicle-exporter-january-surpassing-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:00:35 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Luckin Coffee, mainland China’s largest coffee chain by store count, marked its milestone 30,000th outlet on Sunday in Shenzhen, with plans to boost global supply chain integration by sourcing premium beans from top producing regions worldwide. Headquartered in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian province, Luckin’s store network spans more than 300 cities nationwide, and its international footprint is expanding fast, with operations in overseas markets like Singapore, Malaysia and the US. It... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342941/luckins-30000th-store-milestone-adds-buzz-chinas-brewing-coffee-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342941/luckins-30000th-store-milestone-adds-buzz-chinas-brewing-coffee-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:04:28 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo China has been working to cut the use of soybean meal in animal feed – the primary end-use of imported soybeans – as part of its strategy to reduce external dependence, but the latest industry data suggests these efforts have made limited headway. Last year, the proportion of soybean meal in domestically produced feed stood at 13.4 per cent, unchanged from the previous year, according to data released by the China Feed Industry Association (CFIA) last week. This indicates that the goal set by... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342864/china-failed-hit-soybean-meal-dependence-targets-last-year-us-deal-makes-it-harder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342864/china-failed-hit-soybean-meal-dependence-targets-last-year-us-deal-makes-it-harder?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:22:02 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil has ended a temporary tariff exemption that allowed electric and hybrid vehicles assembled using imported parts from China to enter the country at sharply reduced costs, closing a measure that fuelled months of confrontation between the government, Chinese carmaker BYD and Brazil’s established automotive industry. The exemption expired on January 31 and was not renewed, the South China Morning Post confirmed with multiple sources on Wednesday. Companies such as BYD and Great Wall Motor... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342454/brazil-scraps-ev-tariff-break-china-carmaker-byd-amid-pressure-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342454/brazil-scraps-ev-tariff-break-china-carmaker-byd-amid-pressure-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 03:32:30 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s discounted crude purchases are coming under strain as the United States tightens its stance on Iran and Venezuela, with analysts warning that more refineries may have to turn to higher-priced barrels from Canada, Brazil and the Middle East. The world’s second-largest economy is also accelerating its shift to electric vehicles and ramping up domestic fossil fuel production to help narrow its oil supply gap, while maintaining strategic reserves to mitigate any potential disruption. After... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342374/us-toughens-stance-how-exposed-china-iranian-and-venezuelan-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342374/us-toughens-stance-how-exposed-china-iranian-and-venezuelan-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:02:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In the town of O’Smach, along Cambodia’s northern border with Thailand, stands a compound of abandoned buildings that were battered by shelling during recent weeks of armed clashes. The site, now occupied by Thai troops, had served as one of Cambodia’s notorious scam centres, according to Thai officials. A six-storey building, shown to journalists and international observers on Monday during a trip organised by the Thai military, is scattered with documents, equipment and personal belongings,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342175/inside-abandoned-cambodian-scam-centre-seized-thai-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342175/inside-abandoned-cambodian-scam-centre-seized-thai-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 02:51:20 +0000 Frank Chen,Yeon Woo Lee Frank Chen,Yeon Woo Lee When the first cohort of elite foreign captains parachuted into Chinese airlines in the 2000s, their sky-high pay – sometimes reaching 1 million yuan a year – raised eyebrows among their Chinese counterparts. These hotshot aviators, with their international exposure and qualifications, enjoyed a stratospheric level of success in the burgeoning Chinese market. Facing a shortage of experienced pilots, Chinese carriers embraced them with open arms, granting generous benefits and speedy paths to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342101/chinas-expat-pilots-arrived-red-carpet-now-theyre-taking-red-eye-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342101/chinas-expat-pilots-arrived-red-carpet-now-theyre-taking-red-eye-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s state-owned aluminium giant Chalco and Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto have agreed to buy a controlling stake in Brazil’s Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio (CBA) in a deal valued at US$886 million, marking one of the most significant foreign acquisitions in Brazil’s metals sector in recent years and reinforcing China’s growing footprint in the country’s strategic mineral assets. The transaction covers Brazilian conglomerate Grupo Votorantim’s 68.6 per cent stake in CBA and will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342156/china-tightens-grip-brazil-minerals-chalco-rio-tinto-buy-control-cba-us886m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342156/china-tightens-grip-brazil-minerals-chalco-rio-tinto-buy-control-cba-us886m?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:04:52 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu As dwindling domestic profits push more Chinese firms onto the global stage, industry titans – forerunners who know what such a shift entails – are offering crucial advice for navigating challenges abroad. “The most important thing is to become a local company,” said Zhu Lei, chief marketing officer for air conditioner giant Gree Electric Appliances, which was among the first Chinese companies to enter the Latin American market. The advice comes as Chinese firms are expected to ramp up their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341852/new-rules-expansion-chinese-firms-urged-go-local-they-chase-sales-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341852/new-rules-expansion-chinese-firms-urged-go-local-they-chase-sales-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick One of China’s largest mining companies has taken control of three gold mines in Brazil in a deal worth about US$1 billion, as gold prices hit historic highs amid rising economic and geopolitical uncertainty in the United States and a global flight to safe assets. CMOC said on Tuesday it assumed operational control on January 23 after Brazilian regulators approved the transfer of the Aurizona mine in Maranhao, the Riacho dos Machados mine in Minas Gerais and the Complexo Bahia, which includes... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341466/chinas-cmoc-makes-us1-billion-brazil-gold-push-bullion-jumps-rising-global-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341466/chinas-cmoc-makes-us1-billion-brazil-gold-push-bullion-jumps-rising-global-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 18:45:39 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan After a bruising 2025 that pushed him to the brink of bankruptcy, Arkansas soybean farmer Randall Shelby starts the new year worried that US farmers could once again be caught in the crossfire as tensions between Washington and Beijing threaten to escalate anew. This comes as US President Donald Trump addressed farmers on Tuesday in Iowa, the United States’ second-largest soybean producer, to try to convince them that he has their best interests at heart in advance of the November midterm... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3341313/us-soybean-farmers-fear-china-trade-blowback-trump-ramps-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3341313/us-soybean-farmers-fear-china-trade-blowback-trump-ramps-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Seven foreign-born players for Malaysia’s national football team have been cleared to keep competing after the Court of Arbitration for Sport temporarily halted Fifa-imposed bans while their appeal is reviewed, Malaysia’s football federation said on Tuesday. Last September, Fifa fined the Football Association of Malaysia 350,000 Swiss francs (US$450,000) for fake documents filed to naturalise the seven players, who were also fined and suspended for a year. The players stemmed from Argentina,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341381/7-fifa-banned-malaysian-footballers-cleared-play-after-cas-grants-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341381/7-fifa-banned-malaysian-footballers-cleared-play-after-cas-grants-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:33:25 +0000 Aidyn Fitzpatrick Aidyn Fitzpatrick Macau, made for high rollers, isn’t short on flashy experiences. After a night at the MGM Cotai Supreme Room, where a million-pataca chip stack looks paltry, you can toast your winnings at Robuchon au Dôme at the Grand Lisboa and pop open a vintage wine that will set you back 250,000 patacas, before resting your head in one of 14 invitation-only David Beckham Suites at The Londoner. But one experience trumps all these because it cannot be bought: to climb into a blue Mini and be taken on a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3340789/meet-goncalo-cesar-de-sa-journalist-who-got-scoop-macaus-return-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3340789/meet-goncalo-cesar-de-sa-journalist-who-got-scoop-macaus-return-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:00:09 +0000