https://www.scmp.com/rss/330978/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China reaffirmed its “high-level and strategic” ties with Vietnam are a “priority” in its neighbourhood diplomacy, as the leaders of the two countries met in Beijing on Monday. Putting maritime disputes and concerns about stability in Hanoi on the back burner, Chinese President Xi Jinping thanked his Vietnamese counterpart, To Lam, for making China his first overseas trip since rising to general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party. “[The visit] fully reflects the great importance you... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275063/chinas-ties-vietnam-are-diplomatic-priority-xi-jinping-tells-lam-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275063/chinas-ties-vietnam-are-diplomatic-priority-xi-jinping-tells-lam-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2024 12:00:09 +0000 Wu Shicun founded the state-funded National Institute for South China Sea Studies. He has spent years researching the South China Sea – its history and geography as well as the regional disputes over this strategic waterway. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. How do you assess the current situation in the South China Sea? First, the US-led militarisation in the South China Sea is intensifying. Over the years, multilateral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274829/why-theres-no-quick-fix-south-china-sea-disputes-and-war-cannot-be-ruled-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274829/why-theres-no-quick-fix-south-china-sea-disputes-and-war-cannot-be-ruled-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2024 22:00:26 +0000 Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam arrived in Beijing on Sunday afternoon on his first overseas trip as his country’s leader, pointing to China’s continued importance in Hanoi even as Vietnam strengthens ties with the United States. Lam, who is also Vietnamese president, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the three-day trip, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Lam was confirmed as party general secretary, the country’s top political position, two weeks ago. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274949/vietnams-lam-touches-down-china-first-overseas-trip-new-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274949/vietnams-lam-touches-down-china-first-overseas-trip-new-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2024 13:30:19 +0000 Until recently, Vietnam’s media control consisted of three tactics: blocking and removing “inappropriate content” critical of the government; monitoring social media; and the systematic prosecution of online dissenters, which has intensified in recent months. However, control alone has proved unable to win over the public. During the Covid-19 pandemic, several “media crises with serious social consequences” occurred, such as a mass exodus of migrant workers from Ho Chi Minh City in September... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3274811/vietnam-retools-its-propaganda-strategy-social-media-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3274811/vietnam-retools-its-propaganda-strategy-social-media-age?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2024 03:00:12 +0000 Economic ties are expected to be high on the agenda of Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam when he arrives in Beijing on Sunday, particularly when it comes to securing China’s support for his country’s rail projects, according to Chinese experts. But one observer warned that the bond between the ruling communist parties – viewed by others as “unshakeable” – could have its limits, with the ongoing disputes in the South China Sea and their countries’ history of conflict. Lam, who is also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274585/vietnams-lam-makes-china-his-first-stop-after-becoming-party-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274585/vietnams-lam-makes-china-his-first-stop-after-becoming-party-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2024 08:00:13 +0000 In a US presidential election season defined by sharp differences over abortion, gun control, voting rights and other social issues, trade policy has so far got short shrift. Presumptive Democratic nominee Vice-President Kamala Harris has spent most of the time since President Joe Biden opted out of the race highlighting the controversial comments and positions of Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance, nearly all of them involving culture-war issues like reproductive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3274239/us-trade-asia-flourishes-resistance-trans-pacific-bloc-holds-firm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3274239/us-trade-asia-flourishes-resistance-trans-pacific-bloc-holds-firm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2024 16:00:19 +0000 China is undertaking a “divide and conquer” approach in dealing with Vietnam and the Philippines over their differences in the South China Sea, according to analysts, as the two Southeast Asian countries seek closer military ties with regional partners, partly to strengthen their capabilities in managing the maritime row. Beijing’s policy is calibrated accordingly by factoring Manila’s more assertive approach and Hanoi’s “low profile” way of managing the dispute, analysts say. Philippine and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273874/philippines-vietnam-close-ranks-china-adopts-divide-and-conquer-approach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273874/philippines-vietnam-close-ranks-china-adopts-divide-and-conquer-approach?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:14 +0000 Japan’s recent flurry of military engagements with several of China’s rival claimants in the South China Sea will have put Beijing on alert – and possibly look for ways to counter them, according to observers. The assessments follow Japan’s pledge last week to deepen ties with Vietnam during a visit by Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara. As part of an agreement on defence equipment and technology transfer, Tokyo said it would provide two supply transport vehicles to Hanoi. Vietnam’s defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273893/south-china-sea-beijing-wary-japan-deepens-defence-ties-vietnam-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273893/south-china-sea-beijing-wary-japan-deepens-defence-ties-vietnam-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Aug 2024 04:00:15 +0000 In the summer of 1974, Canadian Greg Girard, then aged 18, boarded a freighter from San Francisco to Hong Kong, arriving 18 days later to start what would become a love affair with East Asia that continues to this day. “It’s wild to think that it has been 50 years since I first landed in Hong Kong,” says Girard via Zoom from his home city, Vancouver. Almost exactly five decades to the day, in fact: the immigration stamp in his passport reads August 4, 1974. “I travelled by freighter because I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3273804/photographer-greg-girard-hong-kong-x-taipei-street-photography-workshop-hes-hosting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3273804/photographer-greg-girard-hong-kong-x-taipei-street-photography-workshop-hes-hosting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:15:08 +0000 A senior Philippine Navy official has detailed China’s extensive militarisation of around 3,000 hectares of reclaimed land in the South China Sea, including bases built on artificial islands within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Beijing’s build-up of military bases in the heavily disputed waterway over the last 13 years represents a major strategic challenge for the Philippines, analysts say, as the country lacks the capacity to counter such developments militarily. They argue Manila... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273722/south-china-sea-what-can-philippines-do-counter-beijings-island-building?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273722/south-china-sea-what-can-philippines-do-counter-beijings-island-building?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 08:54:08 +0000 A Vietnamese navy frigate arrived in southern China on Wednesday for a five-day visit amid mounting military posturing and tensions in the disputed South China Sea. The Vietnam People’s Navy’s guided-missile frigate 015 Tran Hung Dao arrived at a naval port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, on Wednesday, according to the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command. Zhanjiang hosts the headquarters of the Southern Theatre Command Navy that oversees the South China Sea, the strategic and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273688/south-china-sea-vietnamese-navy-frigate-visits-china-amid-flurry-drills-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273688/south-china-sea-vietnamese-navy-frigate-visits-china-amid-flurry-drills-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 05:58:15 +0000 China has confirmed the discovery of a major gas field in the South China Sea, state media reported on Wednesday. Called Lingshui 36-1, the field is estimated to contain more than 100 billion cubic metres of natural gas and is the world’s first “ultra-shallow gas field in ultra-deep waters”, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported. The latest “major exploration breakthrough” was announced by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) in June, and the discovery was reviewed and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3273626/china-confirms-discovery-major-natural-gas-field-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3273626/china-confirms-discovery-major-natural-gas-field-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 02:00:13 +0000 The third plenum of the Communist Party of China’s 20th Central Committee, which concluded on July 18, provided a clear long-term development plan for the country over the next five years and beyond. Comprehensive in scope, large in scale, broad and deep in reach and consequential in all respects, the plenum’s visionary grand design has promising implications for Hong Kong. Reform is central to the plenum and road map, as it has been since setting the country on an impressive growth trajectory... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3273521/how-hong-kong-can-fulfil-its-crucial-role-chinas-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3273521/how-hong-kong-can-fulfil-its-crucial-role-chinas-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 22:30:10 +0000 For much of last week, senior US officials were engaged in a hectic schedule of diplomatic meetings across Asia. The meetings took place against the backdrop of the run-up to the American presidential elections which will take place in November and the spectre of former US president Donald Trump’s return to power. Trump’s possible return has sparked a serious round of stocktaking around the world, including in Asia. The last time Trump was in office, he asked that US allies in Asia do more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3273234/american-allies-asia-take-matters-their-own-hands-what-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3273234/american-allies-asia-take-matters-their-own-hands-what-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 08:30:08 +0000 Hanoi and Manila are set to hold their first joint maritime drills as part of a four-day goodwill visit by the Vietnam Coast Guard, seen as the latest in a series of steps between the Southeast Asian neighbours to peacefully settle their maritime disputes amid Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea. Observers say, however, that in the event of any escalation of tensions with China, joint action between the Philippines and Vietnam remains unlikely as Hanoi’s defence policy... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273499/south-china-sea-philippines-vietnam-join-forces-hanoi-policy-stumbling-block?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273499/south-china-sea-philippines-vietnam-join-forces-hanoi-policy-stumbling-block?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 05:00:13 +0000 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to the Asia-Pacific region focused on strengthening bilateral ties with key countries and reinforcing a collective stance against China’s actions in the South China Sea, analysts have said. While tangible outcomes of the trip were more pronounced in East Asia, experts said key allies in Southeast Asia were strategically prioritised. Tan See Seng, research adviser at the Singapore-based S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273304/blinkens-asia-trip-boost-bilateral-ties-reinforces-stance-south-china-sea-row-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273304/blinkens-asia-trip-boost-bilateral-ties-reinforces-stance-south-china-sea-row-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:00:10 +0000 A prominent Vietnamese business tycoon was found guilty on Monday of defrauding stockholders of nearly US$150 million by falsely inflating the value of his company, in a case that comes as the government cracks down on widespread corruption in the country. The Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Trinh Van Quyet, 48, to 21 years in prison after a two-week trial that included 49 defendants who were named as accomplices, state-run VN Express reported. He was arrested in 2022. The billionaire was the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3273274/vietnamese-billionaire-who-defrauded-stockholders-out-us150-million-sentenced-21-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3273274/vietnamese-billionaire-who-defrauded-stockholders-out-us150-million-sentenced-21-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2024 10:14:28 +0000 Riots by far-right mobs whipped up by misinformation and festering anger at immigration are sweeping across the United Kingdom, bringing fresh jeopardy to the Vietnamese and other Asian migrants trying to reach the country in their thousands each year. Between 2018 and 2023, more than 3,500 Vietnamese people arrived undocumented on “small boats” across the channel separating France from southern England, according to UK Home Office data, putting Vietnam in the top 10 countries of illegal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273229/uk-anti-immigrant-riots-ramp-risks-undocumented-vietnamese-seeking-better-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273229/uk-anti-immigrant-riots-ramp-risks-undocumented-vietnamese-seeking-better-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2024 07:30:29 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory telegram to Vietnam’s new party chief To Lam on Saturday, with a call for further efforts to bolster political trust between the two neighbours. The message was sent hours after Lam, who is the Vietnamese president, was named to the nation’s top position – general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Lam was unanimously elected by the party’s core central committee in Hanoi on Saturday morning. The 67-year-old career security official... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273097/chinas-xi-sends-congratulatory-note-comrade-lam-vietnams-new-party-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273097/chinas-xi-sends-congratulatory-note-comrade-lam-vietnams-new-party-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 12:01:05 +0000 China has opened a hardware store on a disputed South China Sea island, according to the local government, as Beijing ramps up efforts to expand civilian facilities and cement claims in the strategically important waterway. Covering an area of about 100 square metres (1,076 square feet), the Xinyi Hardware Store is located on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands, a contested archipelago known in Chinese as the Xisha Islands and in Vietnamese as the Hoang Sa Islands. The store, situated next to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273082/south-china-sea-beijing-opens-hardware-store-disputed-woody-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273082/south-china-sea-beijing-opens-hardware-store-disputed-woody-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 08:11:06 +0000 Cathay Pacific Airways’ budget arm, HK Express, will launch flights between Hong Kong and Vietnam’s Phu Quoc by the end of this year, with the parent company to start another round of recruitment in the country this month to help boost ties with Southeast Asia. The announcement on Saturday followed city leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s six-day visit to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos this week, with Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por among those in the high-level delegation. “Cathay is committed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3273074/hk-express-launch-flights-between-hong-kong-and-vietnams-phu-quoc-end-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3273074/hk-express-launch-flights-between-hong-kong-and-vietnams-phu-quoc-end-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 05:36:16 +0000 A China-backed canal in Cambodia could push neighbouring Vietnam closer to the US, Chinese observers have warned. Hanoi might then be inspired to take a tougher stance against Beijing in the disputed South China Sea, one of them said, while another called for “wisdom” on both sides to minimise shocks to ties. Phnom Penh will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the Funan Techo canal, a 180km (112-mile) project expected to reduce Cambodia’s transport dependence on Vietnam. The US$1.7... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273014/why-chinas-backing-cambodian-canal-mekong-river-could-push-vietnam-closer-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273014/why-chinas-backing-cambodian-canal-mekong-river-could-push-vietnam-closer-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 04:00:16 +0000 Vietnam will continue to be classified as a non-market economy, the US announced on Friday, one of only 12 nations Washington identifies as such. The US designates countries as non-market economies if they do not operate on market principles or have pricing that reflects the fair market value of goods. China and Russia are among the other countries on Washington’s list. Last year, Vietnam officially requested the removal of the designation – which has been in place since 2002 – right before US... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3273048/despite-reforms-vietnam-remains-non-market-economy-us-declares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3273048/despite-reforms-vietnam-remains-non-market-economy-us-declares?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2024 20:13:04 +0000 The US Commerce Department announced on Friday that Vietnam will continue to be classified as a non-market economy country, a decision that will disappoint Hanoi, which the US has been wooing in its efforts to push back again China. Vietnam has long sought an upgrade from its listing alongside just 12 economies labelled by Washington as non-market, including China, Russia, North Korea and Azerbaijan. Such a move has been opposed by US steelmakers, Gulf coast shrimpers and honey farmers and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3273030/us-continue-classify-vietnam-non-market-economy-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3273030/us-continue-classify-vietnam-non-market-economy-country?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:03:43 +0000 A Vietnamese IT outsourcing firm with a regional base in Hong Kong has ruled out bringing in talent from the country under various government schemes, with lawmakers on a visit to the Southeast Asian nation playing down the decision. Johnny Chong, CEO of NTQ Apac, said the company had decided not to import staff due to prohibitively high living costs and language barriers, after it discussed the possibility with Hong Kong clients and despite a shortage of tech talent in the local market. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272930/bringing-tech-workers-hong-kong-not-option-vietnamese-it-outsourcing-firm-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272930/bringing-tech-workers-hong-kong-not-option-vietnamese-it-outsourcing-firm-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2024 07:30:12 +0000 Tensions are mounting in the South China Sea – a hotly contested and globally significant waterway that’s become a flashpoint for conflict. In the third instalment of a four-part series we look at some of the claimants’ legal efforts to support their case. In recent weeks, two of the countries with competing territorial claims in the South China Sea have asked the United Nations to recognise that the outer limits of their boundaries should extend beyond 200 nautical miles (370km). Vietnam’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3272766/legal-complexities-add-beijings-south-china-sea-disputes-its-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3272766/legal-complexities-add-beijings-south-china-sea-disputes-its-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 22:30:10 +0000 Perhaps the world’s most famous unfinished building, the Sagrada Família is due to be completed in 2026. Barcelona’s undisputed major landmark, construction of which began in 1882, it is the masterwork of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Horace Pan Hung-bing, founder of Hong Kong interior design studio Panorama Design Group and chairman of the Hong Kong Interior Design Association, explains how it changed his life. The first time I saw it was when I was at university. I was very happy to be able... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3272737/barcelonas-sagrada-familia-worlds-most-famous-unfinished-building-reason?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3272737/barcelonas-sagrada-familia-worlds-most-famous-unfinished-building-reason?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:15:12 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has hailed the city’s “great synergy” with Vietnam as he announced the signing of 30 agreements covering business and aviation with its seventh-largest trading partner, bringing the tally of deals during his three-nation trip to 55. Eight of the economic agreements, involving government agencies and the Hong Kong Airport Authority, were first unveiled on Thursday morning during a round-table discussion attended by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and Vietnamese Deputy Prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272782/john-lee-hails-hong-kong-vietnam-synergy-after-30-deals-signed-covering-business-aviation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272782/john-lee-hails-hong-kong-vietnam-synergy-after-30-deals-signed-covering-business-aviation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 08:00:17 +0000 China’s top diplomat in Cambodia has said that the Hong Kong leader’s visit to the Southeast Asian country is “particularly meaningful” in highlighting the city’s key role in promoting relations between Beijing and Phnom Penh. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also promoted the city to business leaders in Cambodia at a dinner event on Tuesday, after leaving Laos for Phnom Penh to kick off the second part of his three-nation tour. The city leader was received at the airport by Chinese ambassador... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3272511/hong-kong-can-play-favourable-role-elevating-china-cambodia-ties-chinese-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3272511/hong-kong-can-play-favourable-role-elevating-china-cambodia-ties-chinese-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:12:34 +0000 Tensions are mounting in the South China Sea – a hotly contested and globally significant waterway that’s become a flashpoint for conflict. In the first instalment of a four-part series we look at why it’s so critical for Beijing. Boiling tensions between Beijing and Manila have given disputes over the South China Sea new prominence, with analysts warning that hostilities could escalate and regional polarisation may worsen. Beijing’s approach to asserting its sovereignty claims to most of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3272302/fear-and-ambition-why-south-china-sea-so-important-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3272302/fear-and-ambition-why-south-china-sea-so-important-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 22:00:11 +0000 Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world. Sign up now! Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Kazakhstan for the second time in less than two months on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, making him the world leader with the most frequent contact with the isolated Russian strongman. In May in Beijing, both... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3272240/russias-priority-friendship-china-beyond-raises-concerns-over-regional-insecurity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3272240/russias-priority-friendship-china-beyond-raises-concerns-over-regional-insecurity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 06:00:10 +0000 Hong Kong businesses and other organisations have signed 12 non-binding deals with their Laotian counterparts as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation on his “historic” visit to the country. The city’s leader also said on Monday that Hong Kong could contribute to the development of Laos in agricultural trade, tourism, green financing, logistics and education as he wrapped up a two-day visit to the country, noting there was room to ease visa... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272266/hong-kong-businesses-and-other-organisations-seal-12-non-binding-deals-laos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272266/hong-kong-businesses-and-other-organisations-seal-12-non-binding-deals-laos?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 05:07:17 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader will promote the city’s role as a connector to the vast mainland Chinese market during his nearly week-long trip to three Southeast Asian nations with an emphasis on people-to-people exchanges. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday also pledged to lobby for the city’s accession to RCEP, the world’s biggest free trade agreement, as he visited member nations Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. “[We will] strengthen communication and networks at a government level,” he told... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3272199/hong-kong-leader-promote-people-people-exchanges-trip-laos-cambodia-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3272199/hong-kong-leader-promote-people-people-exchanges-trip-laos-cambodia-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 07:58:10 +0000 Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu will begin a six-day visit to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam on Sunday, accompanied by a high-level delegation of officials, lawmakers, business chamber heads and representatives from various sectors to explore opportunities and expand connections. It will be the chief executive’s third trip to Asean countries since he took office two years ago. He said in a statement on Friday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations accounted for nearly 13 per cent of Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272084/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-visit-laos-cambodia-and-vietnam-third-asean-trip-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272084/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-visit-laos-cambodia-and-vietnam-third-asean-trip-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:54:50 +0000 Thousands of people lined the streets of Hanoi on Friday to pay their final respects to Vietnam’s Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the most powerful leader the country has seen in decades. The 80-year-old, who died in hospital in the capital last week, led the party since 2011 and oversaw a high-profile anti-corruption drive that swept through the party, police, armed forces and businesses. At 1pm (0600 GMT) on Friday, Trong’s wooden coffin was carried out from Hanoi’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3272042/thousands-pay-respects-vietnams-especially-outstanding-leader-buried?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3272042/thousands-pay-respects-vietnams-especially-outstanding-leader-buried?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:51:02 +0000 China’s ties with Vietnam are expected to remain largely stable, observers say, even as uncertainty looms in Hanoi following the death of long-serving leader Nguyen Phu Trong. Trong, 80, who died last week after a long unspecified illness, has left a mixed political and economic legacy after overseeing Vietnam’s rapid economic growth and a “blazing furnace” crackdown on corruption to consolidate the Communist Party’s power. But observers were generally positive about Hanoi’s pragmatic “bamboo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271831/what-vietnams-leadership-change-could-mean-beijing-and-south-china-sea-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271831/what-vietnams-leadership-change-could-mean-beijing-and-south-china-sea-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 02:00:14 +0000 Philippine and Vietnam coastguards are in talks for first-ever joint drills despite overlapping claims in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of steps between Southeast Asian neighbours towards a peaceful settlement of maritime disputes. Delegates of the Vietnam coastguard, as well as a 2,400-tonne vessel from their side, will reportedly be in Manila in August as both parties seek to finalise plans for a joint exercise on search-and-rescue and fire-and-explosion prevention. Observers say... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271877/south-china-sea-bullied-china-philippine-vietnam-joint-drills-mark-peace-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271877/south-china-sea-bullied-china-philippine-vietnam-joint-drills-mark-peace-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:13 +0000 It is no secret Beijing would like very much to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe in May – especially his meetings with Nato-sceptic leaders in Hungary and Serbia – suggests he thinks this is a real possibility. But if China is to have a serious chance, it needs to understand why Europe as a whole – particularly Nato members – have remained so closely aligned with the United States for so long. Above all, Beijing needs to abandon... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3271443/china-cannot-support-russia-and-hope-woo-europe-away-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3271443/china-cannot-support-russia-and-hope-woo-europe-away-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 21:30:08 +0000 Despite the looming presidential election in the United States, North Korea remains steadfast in its refusal to resume dialogue with Washington. Analysts point to Pyongyang’s deep-seated wariness of the perceived “hostile” American policy as the primary obstacle. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be open to reviving his rapport with Donald Trump, should the former president return to the White House. However, Pyongyang has reportedly learned from the failed 2019 summit in Hanoi that a top-down... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271678/north-korea-rejects-trumps-overtures-shrugs-us-election-outcome-we-do-not-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271678/north-korea-rejects-trumps-overtures-shrugs-us-election-outcome-we-do-not-care?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:22:43 +0000 Ahh, Paris. A destination so elegant and beguiling that cities around the world vie to call themselves the Paris of their respective environs. Beirut, Hanoi, Istanbul and Shanghai are just some of the notables laying claim to a mere association (and all with varying degrees of accuracy). On Friday, the world’s gaze will fix on more Parisian pomp than usual, as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad descend on the City of Light, opening three weeks of running, swimming, riding and, for the first time,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3271521/where-eat-paris-during-2024-olympic-games-summer-5-restaurants-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3271521/where-eat-paris-during-2024-olympic-games-summer-5-restaurants-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 20:00:21 +0000 The sudden death of Vietnam’s top Communist Party leader has raised questions about the future direction of the country’s government and policies. Nguyen Phu Trong, the powerful general secretary who oversaw rapid economic growth and a high-profile anti-corruption drive, died on Friday at the age of 80 due to “old age and serious illness”, according to a government statement. Trong’s passing marks the first time in over three decades that such a high-ranking Vietnamese official has died while... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271529/vietnams-communist-party-grapples-succession-dilemma-after-nguyen-phu-trongs-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271529/vietnams-communist-party-grapples-succession-dilemma-after-nguyen-phu-trongs-death?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:06:38 +0000 With China long established as the world’s factory, the United States has led a push to divert manufacturing and supply chains away from the world’s second-largest economy. In this three-part series, we look at whether the so-called China plus one strategy is working for the world’s manufacturers. Chervon, a Chinese manufacturer of power tools and outdoor power equipment, launched a small factory base in Vietnam three years ago with high hopes for cutting costs. The plant pumps out 1.5 million... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3271391/vietnam-losing-its-appeal-chinas-manufacturers-bypassing-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3271391/vietnam-losing-its-appeal-chinas-manufacturers-bypassing-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 22:00:14 +0000 During his term, US President Joe Biden has expended significant effort and energy on shoring up alliances in Asia and improving Washington’s standing with allies and partners in the region. Biden has leveraged tensions and territorial disputes between China and its neighbours to revitalise partnerships with countries such as India and the Philippines. He has signed multiple military deals to operationalise those ties. He has also placed these partnerships at the heart of a strategy that seeks... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3271358/why-us-ties-its-asian-partners-have-their-limits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3271358/why-us-ties-its-asian-partners-have-their-limits?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 21:30:12 +0000 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi this week, with issues to include Beijing’s purported aid for Russian military against Ukraine and its assertive behaviour in the contested South China Sea. The discussion is expected on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, which runs through Sunday in Vientiane, Laos. “We do anticipate that he’ll have an opportunity to engage with Wang Yi, and we’ll have more details to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3271480/top-us-envoy-expects-meet-chinese-foreign-minister-during-tour-asian-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3271480/top-us-envoy-expects-meet-chinese-foreign-minister-during-tour-asian-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 20:58:57 +0000 Vietnamese social media users changed their profile pictures to black on Saturday in a show of mourning for the country’s late leader, Nguyen Phu Trong, whose death was announced the previous day. Users on Facebook, X, and Threads also posted photos and eulogies of the former Communist Party general secretary after Vietnam’s state media announced on Friday that the 80-year-old had died at a military hospital in Hanoi “due to old age and serious illness.” Vietnam has one of the most heavily... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3271257/vietnamese-social-media-mourns-death-perfect-communist-nguyen-phu-trong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3271257/vietnamese-social-media-mourns-death-perfect-communist-nguyen-phu-trong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 12:00:16 +0000 The Communist Party of China has sent a message of condolence to its Vietnamese counterpart for the death of its chief Nguyen Phu Trong, state media reported on Friday. Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam since 2011, died Friday afternoon at the age of 80, “due to old age and serious illness”, according to Vietnam’s official announcement. In the condolence message, the Central Committee of the Chinese party, its highest decision-making unit, praised Trong as “a good... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271206/communist-party-china-sends-vietnam-condolences-death-leader-nguyen-phu-trong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271206/communist-party-china-sends-vietnam-condolences-death-leader-nguyen-phu-trong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:28:45 +0000 Too hot – or wet – to cross the border this weekend? Fret not, there are plenty of things you and your family can do in Hong Kong instead, come rain or shine. Here are five we recommend. 1. Skywalkers: A Love Story An unusual blend of urban exploration and romance, this Netflix documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Jeff Zimbalist follows a young Russian couple, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, as they illegally scale tall buildings around the world and snap stunning photos of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3271081/5-best-things-do-weekend-july-20/21-hong-kong-yoga-shopping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3271081/5-best-things-do-weekend-july-20/21-hong-kong-yoga-shopping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 07:09:43 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Shopping is a much loved pastime in Hong Kong, even more so when the weather is miserable. So if you’re looking for some great finds this weekend, these tips should get you in the spending mood. View this post on Instagram A post shared by kira kira, minimalist jewels for everyday wear. (@kirakira__official) 1. Kira Kira Independent Hong Kong jewellery brand Kira Kira may call itself “a tiny accessories label inspired by every little moment in daily life”... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3271040/5-shopping-deals-and-debuts-weekend-july-20/21-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3271040/5-shopping-deals-and-debuts-weekend-july-20/21-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 05:15:07 +0000 China has protested against Vietnam’s latest claim to an extended continental shelf in the disputed South China Sea following a similar request by the Philippines last month. According to Vietnam’s foreign ministry, the country filed a submission on Thursday to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to seek formal validation of the outer boundaries of its legal continental margin beyond the 200-nautical mile (370km) limit in a contested area of the South China Sea. If... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3270997/beijing-protests-after-vietnam-asks-un-extended-continental-shelf-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3270997/beijing-protests-after-vietnam-asks-un-extended-continental-shelf-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2024 13:09:47 +0000 Vietnam’s President To Lam has taken over the duties of Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, who is focusing on an unspecified health treatment, the party said on Thursday. The extraordinary move comes after months of speculation that Trong’s health was weakening. The party did not clarify what treatment he is receiving, and a spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs had no additional information to share when asked at a regular media briefing. Lam, a former head of internal security,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3270961/vietnams-president-lam-takes-over-party-chief-duties-trong-focuses-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3270961/vietnams-president-lam-takes-over-party-chief-duties-trong-focuses-health?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2024 09:57:13 +0000