https://www.scmp.com/rss/331041/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi India has reportedly signed a deal to buy Russian missiles that target support aircraft as its arch-rival Pakistan and China continue to integrate their aerial weapons profiles. Russia has cleared the export of around 300 R-37M ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles in a US$1.2 billion deal, according to media reports. Malaysia-based news platform Defence Security Asia said deliveries of the missiles could begin within 12 to 18 months. India is also developing its own Astra Mk 2 and Mk 3 missiles,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:00:15 +0000 Neeta Lal Neeta Lal The quiet conclusion of US and Iranian backchannel engagements in Islamabad left more than diplomatic ambiguity. It crystallised a striking image: a financially strained, politically volatile Pakistan briefly positioning itself as a facilitator in one of the world’s most combustible rivalries. Substantive or symbolic, the episode underscores a deeper churn in West Asian geopolitics – one in which agility trumps credibility. Pakistan’s role was not incidental. Islamabad offered itself as a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350023/why-india-rankled-pakistan-playing-mediator-us-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350023/why-india-rankled-pakistan-playing-mediator-us-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is hoping that its role in building a diplomatic off-ramp from the US-Israel war on Iran will enable it to become a key actor in the Middle East after the conflict ends, analysts say. If Islamabad can deliver without being sucked into the maelstrom, it can capitalise on its position as peacemaker by signing defence deals with Gulf monarchies and attracting investment from them to strengthen its weak economy. This will help finance Pakistan’s military expansion for its envisioned new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:21:16 +0000 Neeta Lal Neeta Lal As tensions simmer along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier – fuelled by disputes over the contested Durand Line, recurring cross-border strikes and the persistent threat of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters operating from Afghan soil – a subtle but consequential geopolitical shift is under way. India is quietly but steadily stepping up its engagement with the Taliban. The urgency of this recalibration was underscored on March 16, when Pakistani military forces carried out one of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348182/why-india-quietly-deepening-its-engagement-taliban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348182/why-india-quietly-deepening-its-engagement-taliban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Not far from the fringe of the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in a remote valley to the north of the Karakoram mountain range, China’s road building programme has encountered another tough diplomatic posture from New Delhi. In January, India’s external affairs ministry said the stretch was “Indian territory” and that it had “consistently protested with the Chinese side against attempts to alter the ground reality”. Beijing responded that the area “belongs to China”, adding... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343391/why-harsh-words-between-china-and-india-over-remote-inhospitable-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343391/why-harsh-words-between-china-and-india-over-remote-inhospitable-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s approval on Thursday of a 3.6 trillion rupee (US$40 billion) purchase of defence equipment – including 114 French-made Rafale fighter jets – will significantly boost the capabilities of the country’s armed forces amid heightened tensions with Pakistan, analysts say. The move comes as the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter squadron strength has declined to 29, well below the 42 considered essential in the event of simultaneous conflicts with Pakistan and China. French President Emmanuel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343434/how-indias-us40-billion-order-french-rafales-will-help-local-fighter-jet-makers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343434/how-indias-us40-billion-order-french-rafales-will-help-local-fighter-jet-makers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 05:49:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan’s government on Monday directed the country’s cricket team to play India in the T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo, ending a week-long stand-off. The decision came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and was briefed on negotiations between Pakistan’s cricket board, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other stakeholders. “In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343013/pakistan-play-india-colombo-t20-world-cup-after-boycott-called?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343013/pakistan-play-india-colombo-t20-world-cup-after-boycott-called?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:18:41 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Fears are mounting of worsening violence across Pakistan’s mineral-rich Balochistan province following a string of armed attacks in recent days that have left hundreds dead, as Islamabad’s security forces struggle to deal with insurgents who continue to exploit local grievances. Pakistan has ruled out talks with the insurgents who seized control of security installations and administrative centres in more than a dozen urban areas during a lightning coordinated operation on Saturday. A total of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342424/violence-balochistan-rages-pakistan-rules-out-talks-insurgents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342424/violence-balochistan-rages-pakistan-rules-out-talks-insurgents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 04:01:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan’s government says the national cricket team will be allowed to take part in the coming T20 World Cup but must boycott its group game against arch-rival India. India and Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the 20-team tournament, which starts on Saturday. Pakistan will play all its games in Sri Lanka – including any in the knockout stage – because of political tensions with India. The two teams are scheduled to meet in a Group A game in Colombo on February 15 in what is often a tournament... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 01:52:30 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The arrival of 2026 has brought anything but peace to the Middle East, caught in the gravitational pull of rival ambitions and with the uneasy sense that the next war may already be under way. From Gaza to Syria, conflict hotspots are flaring as the region finds itself at the epicentre of a global order in flux. The result is a landscape in which rivalries are multiplying, former partners are pitted against each other and more violence appears inevitable, analysts say. “While it is still early... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341039/saudi-uae-rift-risks-tearing-middle-east-apart-anything-can-happen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341039/saudi-uae-rift-risks-tearing-middle-east-apart-anything-can-happen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:00:16 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is increasingly confident of making billion-dollar arms sales, headlined by the JF-17 fighters its co-produces with China, as up to six Muslim-majority countries look to upgrade their air forces amid growing geopolitical turbulence and civil wars. A preliminary deal worth US$4 billion was struck last month with the Libyan National Army for an unspecified number of JF-17s and other training aircraft manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Reuters reported, citing Aamir Masood, an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339961/pakistans-arms-deals-cleared-take-jf-17-orders-soar-muslim-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339961/pakistans-arms-deals-cleared-take-jf-17-orders-soar-muslim-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 04:52:11 +0000 Gaurav Kumar Gaurav Kumar In 2025, India approved a number of major defence packages, together worth US$30 billion. Such rapid procurement approvals are relatively rare by Indian standards. However, what they signal to the region will depend less on such announcements and more on actual outcomes. To some observers, especially after India’s four-day clash with Pakistan during what the former called “Operation Sindoor” last May, the surge appears to mark the start of a regional arms race. That interpretation is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3339491/india-fuelling-arms-race-asia-or-closing-deterrence-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3339491/india-fuelling-arms-race-asia-or-closing-deterrence-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Reported discussions between Riyadh and Islamabad over a potential deal involving fighter jets co-developed by China and Pakistan could be a “big win” for Beijing’s arms exports to the Gulf region, analysts said. However, doubts remained over whether such an agreement would actually proceed on the grounds that the JF-17 was in such marked contrast to Saudi Arabia’s Western-centric air force. A Reuters report on Thursday that cited two Pakistani sources said Islamabad and Riyadh were in talks for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339553/chinese-arms-exporters-may-be-big-winners-any-pakistan-saudi-jf-17-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339553/chinese-arms-exporters-may-be-big-winners-any-pakistan-saudi-jf-17-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 06:29:32 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India’s defence modernisation is on track even as it faces the challenges of ensuring that weapon systems are deployed quickly and boosting its military’s capabilities to counter external threats, according to analysts. Last year, the Indian government approved three major defence packages totalling US$30 billion out of the country’s total defence budget of US$78.7 billion for the current financial year, which was ratified by parliament in February. The three packages were cleared in the second... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338568/indias-military-upgrade-counter-regional-threats-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338568/indias-military-upgrade-counter-regional-threats-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 05:30:09 +0000 Asma Khalid Asma Khalid At the Islamabad Conclave earlier this month, Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, urged a rethink of how South Asia approaches security, trade, climate and connectivity. He called for practical cooperation, disaster response mechanisms and economic integration rather than allowing old rivalries to dictate every interaction. This reimagined vision for South Asia seems to have emerged from a renewed confidence in Pakistan given that the country has recently achieved a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335741/how-pakistans-rising-confidence-could-shape-cooperative-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335741/how-pakistans-rising-confidence-could-shape-cooperative-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan dismissed on Sunday a warning by the UN rights chief of potential “far-reaching consequences” for the rule of law in granting the head of the all-powerful military legal immunity. The foreign ministry said Pakistan was “fully committed to protecting … basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution,” responding to criticism from UN rights chief Volker Turk. A constitutional amendment approved by parliament earlier this month, shielding Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334682/pakistan-rejects-un-warning-over-legal-immunity-military-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334682/pakistan-rejects-un-warning-over-legal-immunity-military-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 12:51:39 +0000 Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal In Pakistan, a nation where power often seems to serve itself above all else, the latest constitutional overhaul has been received with a weary sense of resignation. Pushed through parliament on November 13 with barely a murmur of opposition, the 27th amendment to the country’s 1973 constitution made two major changes: splitting the Supreme Court into separate appellate and constitutional benches, and upgrading the army chief of staff to overall commander of Pakistan’s armed forces. Viewed in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334562/schrodingers-pakistan-young-feel-sidelined-their-own-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334562/schrodingers-pakistan-young-feel-sidelined-their-own-state?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 08:00:21 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and Afghanistan will launch direct air cargo flights in a move that deepens their economic ties and signals a strategic shift in South Asia’s power dynamics, as both countries grow increasingly estranged from their mutual neighbour Pakistan. Analysts say the initiative reflects Kabul’s push to diversify trade routes and reduce dependence on Islamabad following deadly border clashes, while also underscoring New Delhi’s effort to reassert influence in a country where it once played a key... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334225/india-afghanistan-close-ranks-against-pakistan-marking-south-asia-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334225/india-afghanistan-close-ranks-against-pakistan-marking-south-asia-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:11:00 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju The Indian Navy has marked a milestone with the launch of its first locally made anti-submarine ship, but it still faces a naval capabilities gap compared with arch-rival Pakistan, which is set to acquire potent Chinese-made submarines. The core issue is New Delhi’s long-standing failure to modernise its conventional submarine fleet, analysts say. This leaves India vulnerable to the new-generation, air-independent propulsion (AIP) equipped Hangor-class vessels that Beijing is supplying to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333802/indias-submarine-deficit-persists-china-bolsters-pakistans-undersea-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333802/indias-submarine-deficit-persists-china-bolsters-pakistans-undersea-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 03:01:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters The crash of India’s Tejas fighter in front of global arms buyers at the Dubai Air Show is the latest blow to a key national trophy, leaving the jet reliant on Indian military orders to sustain its role as a showcase of home-built defence technology. The cause of Friday’s crash was not immediately known but it capped a week of jockeying for influence at the event, attended by India’s arch-rival Pakistan six months after the neighbouring foes faced off in the world’s largest air battle in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3333842/tejas-crash-dubai-air-show-deals-blow-indias-fighter-jet-export-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3333842/tejas-crash-dubai-air-show-deals-blow-indias-fighter-jet-export-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 08:28:33 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan China turned a brief but intense India-Pakistan conflict in May into a live testing ground for its advanced weaponry and intelligence systems, and then aggressively marketed those results to undercut Western arms sales, a US congressional panel said in its annual report on Tuesday. “Beijing opportunistically leveraged the conflict to test and advertise the sophistication of its weapons,” a new report from the bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission stated bluntly. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333321/china-leveraged-india-pakistan-conflict-trial-and-tout-its-military-strengths-says-us-panel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333321/china-leveraged-india-pakistan-conflict-trial-and-tout-its-military-strengths-says-us-panel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:26:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A cache of confiscated explosives detonated inside a police station in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least nine people and injuring 32 others, police said on Saturday. The blast occurred in the Nowgam area of Srinagar, the region’s main city, late on Friday when a team of forensic experts and police were examining the explosive material, said Nalin Prabhat, the region’s police director-general. He ruled out any foul play, saying it was an accident. The dead included six police and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332910/9-killed-indias-kashmir-police-station-blast-days-after-deadly-car-explosion-delhi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332910/9-killed-indias-kashmir-police-station-blast-days-after-deadly-car-explosion-delhi?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 05:09:43 +0000 Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tensions are again mounting in South Asia after suspected terrorist attacks in Pakistan and India triggered a furious exchange of accusations, including claims of proxy warfare conducted through Afghanistan. Analysts are cautiously optimistic that renewed conflict can be averted, following deadly clashes between Pakistan and India in May and skirmishes between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in October. The hope is that restraint and international diplomatic pressure may yet stave off... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332728/india-pakistan-conflict-risks-surge-amid-terror-attacks-afghan-proxy-war-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332728/india-pakistan-conflict-risks-surge-amid-terror-attacks-afghan-proxy-war-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Farwa Aamer Farwa Aamer The year began with promise for US-India relations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington reinforced both countries’ intent to sustain the partnership’s momentum. Their personal rapport, forged during US President Donald Trump’s first term, appeared to offer political capital for a results-driven agenda. India entered 2025 buoyed by a bipartisan consensus in Washington that New Delhi was central to the Indo-Pacific balance. Yet as the year closes, optimism has faded. A... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332216/how-india-and-us-can-find-their-way-back-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332216/how-india-and-us-can-find-their-way-back-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India has secured a contract with the US to supply engines for its indigenous Tejas fighter jets, reinforcing defence ties despite trade tensions – even as military analysts say that Pakistan’s superior Chinese-supplied warplanes remain a formidable threat. State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Friday announced it had signed an agreement with US-based General Electric Company (GE) for the supply of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines and a support package for India’s Tejas Mk1A light combat... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332447/indias-tejas-fighter-jet-gets-us-engines-battle-pakistans-chinese-air-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332447/indias-tejas-fighter-jet-gets-us-engines-battle-pakistans-chinese-air-power?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:00:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Confirmation from Pakistan’s top naval official that Chinese submarines will soon arrive in the South Asian country suggests India’s dominance of the Indian Ocean could be tested and that Beijing has overcome a major technical hurdle, according to analysts. In an interview with Global Times, affiliated with People’s Daily, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, the Pakistani chief of naval staff, said the first batch of Hangor-class, conventionally powered attack submarines jointly built by China and Pakistan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332051/pakistans-navy-set-have-chinese-subs-2026-what-does-it-mean-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332051/pakistans-navy-set-have-chinese-subs-2026-what-does-it-mean-india?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Afghanistan’s Taliban government said on Saturday its ceasefire with Pakistan would remain even though their latest talks failed, blaming Islamabad’s “irresponsible and uncooperative” approach. The two sides met on Thursday in Turkey to finalise a truce agreed on October 19 in Qatar, following deadly clashes between the South Asian neighbours. Both have remained tight-lipped on the content of the discussions, which are known only to have addressed long-standing security issues. “During the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3332043/afghanistan-blames-pakistan-security-talks-collapse-ceasefire-will-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3332043/afghanistan-blames-pakistan-security-talks-collapse-ceasefire-will-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 09:22:56 +0000 Amy Chew Amy Chew Indonesia is still “considering” acquiring Chinese J-10 fighter jets, but no decision has been made yet, according to Jakarta’s Ministry of Defence, clarifying earlier reports that the country was set to buy up to 42 units to modernise its military. “It’s still being analysed and reviewed. At the moment, we are considering all platforms that can fulfil our need to help guard our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” ministry spokesman Brigadier General Frega Wenas Inkiriwang said. On October... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330979/indonesia-still-considering-buying-chinese-j-10-fighter-jets-modernise-its-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330979/indonesia-still-considering-buying-chinese-j-10-fighter-jets-modernise-its-military?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 02:00:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump said he threatened India and Pakistan with 250 per cent tariffs to help spur the resolution of their conflict earlier this year, describing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “the nicest-looking guy” who was also a “killer” eager to fight. Trump made the comments on Wednesday while addressing a meeting of corporate leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea. Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for solving the four-day armed... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330781/trump-claims-250-tariff-threat-ended-india-pakistan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330781/trump-claims-250-tariff-threat-ended-india-pakistan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:54:26 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US is seeking to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan but those ties do not come at the expense of Washington’s relations with India, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. Just like India had ties with countries that the US did not, the vice versa applies, Rubio told reporters on board a flight to Doha. “It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said on Saturday. “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330440/us-pakistan-ties-not-expense-india-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330440/us-pakistan-ties-not-expense-india-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 06:28:51 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Indonesia’s top defence official says his country is set to acquire China’s J-10 fighter jets, possibly making it the second foreign military to operate the model after Pakistan. Such a deal would also mark the first purchase of Chinese-made warplanes by Indonesia as it seeks to modernise its military. Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Wednesday that Indonesia would soon buy the J-10 fighter jets as part of its plans for military modernisation, according to the country’s national news... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329221/indonesia-set-buy-chinese-j-10-fighter-jets-amid-push-modernise-military-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329221/indonesia-set-buy-chinese-j-10-fighter-jets-amid-push-modernise-military-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 07:03:41 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan has vowed to respond to future terrorist attacks launched from Afghanistan with overwhelming military force after deadly cross-border clashes over the weekend, with the conflict setting the stage for prolonged hostilities between Islamabad and the Taliban regime. Analysts say the fighting, sparked by retaliatory Pakistani air strikes against insurgents in Kabul and the eastern Afghan province of Paktika on Thursday, is unlikely to break into an all-out war, but a diplomatic solution... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328926/pakistan-vows-no-compromise-against-taliban-patience-wears-thin-after-deadly-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328926/pakistan-vows-no-compromise-against-taliban-patience-wears-thin-after-deadly-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:30:17 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian In a fast and furious year of devastating wars and high-stakes diplomacy, the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a potential harbinger of a new global order. In his first visit to China in seven years, Modi agreed with Xi that Asia’s two powers should be “partners” rather than “rivals”, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. Modi stressed that “their differences should not turn into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Afghanistan said on Sunday it had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations, in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace. Pakistan’s army gave far lower casualty figures, saying 23 troops were killed. Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault. The two countries share a 2,611-km (1,622-mile) border known as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3328669/firefights-erupt-between-pakistani-and-afghan-forces-along-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3328669/firefights-erupt-between-pakistani-and-afghan-forces-along-border?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 21:36:19 +0000 Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe As the global order fragments, India’s foreign policy orientation has become a question of consequence far beyond South Asia. For three decades, “Look East” has been New Delhi’s mantra, positioning itself as an emerging player in the broader region. The strategy has included engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, deepening India’s presence in Asia-Pacific institutions and eventually leaning into the “Indo-Pacific” frameworks shaped by the United States, Japan and Australia. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India’s Air Force chief on Friday claimed the military destroyed both Chinese-made jets and US-built F-16s during clashes with Pakistan earlier this year, offering New Delhi’s first detailed account of its rival’s losses. “As far as air defence is concerned, we have evidence of one long-range strike … along with that five fighters, hi-tech fighters between F-16 and JF-17 class, our system tells,” Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh told reporters, referring to the four days of fighting in May... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327849/india-says-it-destroyed-pakistans-chinese-and-us-made-fighter-jets-may-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327849/india-says-it-destroyed-pakistans-chinese-and-us-made-fighter-jets-may-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:23:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan captain Salman Agha said India had “disrespected cricket”, and Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav complained his side were denied the trophy after winning a fraught Asia Cup overshadowed by ill feeling on both sides. The two teams did not shake hands for the third Asia Cup match running as India won a thrilling final by five wickets in Dubai on Sunday. Suryakumar’s men then refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), who is also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3327229/india-accused-disrespecting-cricket-after-asia-cup-trophy-debacle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3327229/india-accused-disrespecting-cricket-after-asia-cup-trophy-debacle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:39:51 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow When Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a mutual defence agreement earlier this month, it was widely interpreted as a gesture of Muslim unity in a region roiled by crisis. But its reverberations are already being felt among policymakers in Pakistan’s perennial rival India, threatening to complicate New Delhi’s delicate diplomatic balancing act in the Gulf. The agreement, signed in Riyadh on September 17, declares that aggression against either signatory “shall be considered aggression against... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327211/pakistan-saudi-arabia-defence-pact-tests-indias-gulf-outreach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327211/pakistan-saudi-arabia-defence-pact-tests-indias-gulf-outreach?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 06:28:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India on Thursday signed a US$7 billion order for 97 domestically designed and built Tejas fighter jets as its air force retires its outgoing Russian MiG-21 jets after decades of use. The first Tejas jets – meaning “brilliance” in Hindi – were commissioned into the air force in 2016, with the latest commission for the fourth-generation version of the fighter, Mk-1A. India, one of the world’s largest arms importers, has made the modernisation of its forces a top priority, and made repeated pushes... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326889/india-ramps-local-arms-production-us7-billion-fighter-jet-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326889/india-ramps-local-arms-production-us7-billion-fighter-jet-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:22:45 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Pakistan is eyeing Chinese laser weapons, according to a former senior commander. “In the coming days, high-energy directed weapons will be more prominent… I think the world is going towards this transition. Pakistan would love to see some integration [with China] into this area,” Ahmed Saeed, president of the National Institute of Maritime Affairs, said on the sidelines of Beijing’s Xiangshan Forum on Friday. China’s LY-1 shipborne laser was among the weapons on display in this month’s parade... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326563/pakistan-interested-chinese-laser-weapons-former-navy-commander-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326563/pakistan-interested-chinese-laser-weapons-former-navy-commander-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen,Seong Hyeon Choi Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen,Seong Hyeon Choi Saudi Arabia’s new mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan underscores deepening doubts over Washington’s security commitments in the region amid its strategic rivalry with Beijing, according to observers. They said China was likely to view such diversified partnerships positively, which could also open new opportunities to expand arms sales, although the security dynamics in the region might become further complicated. The mutual defence pact signed late on Wednesday significantly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326200/new-saudi-pakistan-pact-signals-evolving-alliances-amid-us-china-tension-qatar-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326200/new-saudi-pakistan-pact-signals-evolving-alliances-amid-us-china-tension-qatar-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 14:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact late on Wednesday, significantly strengthening a decades-old security partnership a week after Israel’s strikes on Qatar upended the diplomatic calculus in the region. The enhanced defence ties come as Gulf Arab states grow increasingly wary about the reliability of the United States as their long-standing security guarantor. Israel’s attack on Qatar last week heightened those concerns. Asked whether Pakistan would now be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325923/saudi-arabia-and-pakistan-sign-defence-pact-amid-growing-wariness-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325923/saudi-arabia-and-pakistan-sign-defence-pact-amid-growing-wariness-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:09:03 +0000 Abishur Prakash Abishur Prakash Earlier this month, Anthropic, the American artificial intelligence company, entered the US-China fight. It barred companies from using its AI services if they were more than 50 per cent owned by Chinese entities. This was a double punch – China’s access to American technology hit another obstacle, and the global business world was prodded again to reject Chinese investment. Just a few months ago, Anthropic’s move would have knocked the wind out of China. But the recent Shanghai Cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 22:30:08 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan The Indian textile industry is staring down its worst crisis yet, as an additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on India for buying Russian oil came into effect on August 27, taking the total levy on India’s exports to the United States to a staggering 50 per cent. Trump’s astounding tariffs not only threaten the successful 25-year-old trade partnership between the two countries but are also becoming a defining moment for India’s textiles, posing an existential threat... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3323947/indian-textile-industry-must-dig-deep-survive-us-tariff-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3323947/indian-textile-industry-must-dig-deep-survive-us-tariff-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 22:30:08 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. China is hosting the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the northern port city of Tianjin, to be attended by dozens of world leaders and chiefs of international organisations. On Monday, President Xi Jinping kicked off the official meeting with leaders of SCO member... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323854/chinas-xi-jinping-address-world-leaders-sco-summit-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323854/chinas-xi-jinping-address-world-leaders-sco-summit-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 02:21:20 +0000 Nigel Li Nigel Li War is just one press of a button away, and the likelihood of that happening – even if accidental – is not insignificant. The advancement of ballistic missile capabilities has opened up new battle spaces. Just as during the Cold War, today’s adversaries can hold each other’s populations hostage under the threat of nuclear war. As we mark 80 years since the second world war ended, it is becoming easier to fathom our world at war again. However, while it may be true the “long peace” was more an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323706/multipolar-arms-race-takes-ballistic-missile-threat-new-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323706/multipolar-arms-race-takes-ballistic-missile-threat-new-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday signalled a further warming of ties with Beijing, urging the two Asian giants to collaborate in shaping a multipolar world, even as New Delhi remains wary of China’s growing military might and tries to finesse its own recent estrangement from the White House. “Stable, predictable and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, the two largest nations on Earth, can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity,” he told... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323730/modi-says-close-ties-between-india-and-china-are-crucial-multipolar-asia-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323730/modi-says-close-ties-between-india-and-china-are-crucial-multipolar-asia-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:08:04 +0000 Imran Khalid Imran Khalid Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi didn’t just tour South Asia earlier this month; he redrew the region’s strategic map. In three stops – India, Afghanistan and Pakistan – Beijing offered a tactical reset, a warning and a lifeline. The choreography was deliberate; the message was unmistakable: China is shaping the region’s future, one handshake at a time. The stops were not random. They were sequenced with intent, each one revealing something about China’s ambitions, South Asia’s anxieties and the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3323179/china-offers-south-asia-choice-between-swords-and-ploughshares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3323179/china-offers-south-asia-choice-between-swords-and-ploughshares?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for the final leg of a South Asia tour, as China takes advantage of US trade tensions to boost relations and economic ties in the region. Wang earlier visited Afghanistan and India, where he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The Modi discussion fostered a thawing of relations between the world’s two most populous nations amid the imposition of 50 per cent US tariffs on India. “Stable, predictable,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3322637/china-india-thaw-leaves-us-sidelines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3322637/china-india-thaw-leaves-us-sidelines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:00:42 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Kabul to meet his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is Wang’s first trip to the country since a surprise visit in March 2022. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed he arrived in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The ministry had earlier said he would travel to Pakistan later in the day for a three-day visit that will include talks with Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister. According to Geo News, a Pakistani... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322511/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-kabul-3-way-talks-afghan-pakistan-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322511/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-kabul-3-way-talks-afghan-pakistan-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 09:07:45 +0000