https://www.scmp.com/rss/35783/feed News about international trade flows, statistics and policy decisions from the world’s most important trading economies and trade-related bodies, including the World Trade Organisation. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A South Korean cargo ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz six days ago was struck by unidentified aircraft, the foreign ministry in Seoul said on Sunday, days after the fire-damaged HMM Namu arrived in Dubai. US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran had “taken some shots” at the Panama-flagged vessel and urged South Korea to join US operations aimed at restoring normal shipping through the strait. The vital waterway has been virtually closed since the United States and Israel launched a war... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353065/unidentified-aircraft-hit-korean-cargo-ship-hormuz-monday-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353065/unidentified-aircraft-hit-korean-cargo-ship-hormuz-monday-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 14:57:38 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Vietnam has become the latest country to enter talks to buy India’s supersonic BrahMos missile – and at least 15 more are reportedly interested – as defence ministries across Asia and elsewhere increasingly look beyond Western-made systems. New Delhi and Hanoi are in advanced negotiations over a potential US$700 million deal, with talks progressing during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to India this week, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 05:30:06 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we look at how Trump’s weakened hand could tilt summit talks. When next week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352986/trump-heads-china-weakened-xi-gains-leverage-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352986/trump-heads-china-weakened-xi-gains-leverage-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 14:00:04 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has moved early to help Laos plan its longest highway, the latest project in Beijing’s push to expand transport connectivity in Southeast Asia. The initiative underscores Beijing’s broader effort to strengthen its economic footprint in the region through roads and railway infrastructure, as it seeks alternative trade routes amid a fractious relationship with the United States. Laos is conducting route surveys for an expressway linking the capital Vientiane to its northeastern border with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352896/how-china-backed-highway-may-turn-landlocked-laos-trade-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352896/how-china-backed-highway-may-turn-landlocked-laos-trade-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 23:00:11 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial If critics still doubt Hong Kong’s economy is ready to roar back, the latest numbers should offer some assurance. The city posted its fastest quarterly economic growth in nearly five years, hitting 5.9 per cent and outpacing the last quarter of 2025 at 4 per cent. Given the external headwinds from conflict in the Middle East to trade friction between the two superpowers and a shaky world economic outlook, the strong performance is rather impressive. However, the question remains whether the city... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352855/gdp-uptick-signals-hong-kongs-economy-right-path?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352855/gdp-uptick-signals-hong-kongs-economy-right-path?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 22:45:05 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump filed an appeal on Friday after the latest legal setback to his signature tariff policy, piling on more chaos and global uncertainty and setting up a new tussle over billions of US dollars in refunds. The appeal follows a decision on Thursday by the US Court of International Trade that invalidated his use of a Section 122 trade provision that saw him slap 10 per cent import taxes on nearly every country on earth. In its ruling, the court found that he failed to meet the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352965/trump-appeals-latest-court-loss-tariffs-chaos-and-uncertainty-amp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352965/trump-appeals-latest-court-loss-tariffs-chaos-and-uncertainty-amp?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 22:29:53 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called for stability with Beijing days before US President Donald Trump’s closely watched trip to China, saying the US was not out to reshape the Chinese economy but to rebalance trade. The trade chief told Fox News on Friday that while the world’s two largest economies “always had a really robust trading relationship … it’s been wildly unbalanced with China exporting just vast amounts of goods to the United States and largely blocking a lot of US imports... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352961/trump-trade-chief-says-us-wants-balanced-trade-not-change-chinas-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352961/trump-trade-chief-says-us-wants-balanced-trade-not-change-chinas-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 18:57:54 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s international arbitration efforts have made significant progress, but more work is needed to attract foreign parties to arbitrate in China amid US-China rivalry, according to arbitrators and law scholars. China’s newly revised Arbitration Law took effect in March, marking the most significant overhaul of the country’s commercial dispute framework since 1994, in a move to promote cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen to develop into international arbitration centres, competing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 15:45:04 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s shipping giants are bracing for a harsh new reality of persistent global volatility, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz shifts from being a problem of transit delays to a hard volume shock. With the crucial energy corridor still paralysed as the US-Israel war on Iran drags on with no clear end in sight, China’s state-backed shipping majors are doubling down on long-term contracts and creating new multimodal routes in an attempt to hedge against future shocks. Cosco Shipping Holdings,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352902/chinas-shipping-firms-brace-new-era-chaos-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352902/chinas-shipping-firms-brace-new-era-chaos-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 13:30:06 +0000 Kevin Broady Kevin Broady The clock is ticking: the European Union has about two years to decide if it is willing to make the sacrifices and take the risks necessary to become the economic and political power it envisions itself to be. The EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator and Cyber Security acts are up for negotiation within the bloc’s policymaking bodies. In around two years’ time, we will know their final form. Beijing has two years to influence this: that work has already started with carrots – proposals for a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352448/negotiate-china-europe-must-first-figure-out-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352448/negotiate-china-europe-must-first-figure-out-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s rapid technological gains and aggressive pricing are making it increasingly difficult for South Korean firms to find profitable areas of industrial synergy with their Chinese counterparts, according to experts. Speakers at a recent forum in Beijing urged firms from both countries to pivot towards building more interdependent ecosystems in high-growth sectors such as batteries and artificial intelligence, while also calling for the advancement of negotiations towards an upgraded... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352913/how-chinas-sharper-tech-edge-forces-south-korea-rethink-decades-industrial-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352913/how-chinas-sharper-tech-edge-forces-south-korea-rethink-decades-industrial-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 10:30:13 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow US President Donald Trump will bring a scaled-back group of chief executive officers with him on a trip to Beijing next week, reflecting limited expectations for a summit that may be overshadowed by the war on Iran. The White House considered inviting about a dozen business leaders on the May 14-15 trip, compared with the 29 high-profile executives on Trump’s last visit in 2017, Reuters said, citing unidentified people briefed on preparations. Nvidia, Apple and Boeing are among the companies... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352886/trumps-beijing-trip-iran-war-diplomacy-tech-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352886/trumps-beijing-trip-iran-war-diplomacy-tech-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 09:00:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu As the world held its breath over the fate of the Middle East this week, France has been gripped by a very different story: a scandal over a chewy rubber giraffe. Sophie la Girafe, the country’s national toy, has long been a symbol of “made in France” craftsmanship, sold as a gift to newborns across the country. But this week, it was revealed the beloved toy has secretly been manufactured in China for the past decade. Vulli, the company behind the toy, quietly began moving production to China as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 07:56:14 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that his country’s rare earth reserves are open to investment from China and any other nation willing to process the minerals on Brazilian soil, resisting pressure to side with Washington in its contest with Beijing over critical mineral supply chains. “We have no preference. What we want is to share with whoever wants to invest in Brazil,” Lula said at a press conference at the Brazilian embassy in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352824/lula-wont-sideline-china-or-anyone-rare-earths-tells-trump-refining-stays-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352824/lula-wont-sideline-china-or-anyone-rare-earths-tells-trump-refining-stays-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 23:01:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump ⁠administration is inviting CEOs from ⁠Nvidia, Apple, Exxon, Boeing and other big companies to accompany the president on his trip to China next week, Semafor reported on Thursday. Executives from Qualcomm, Blackstone, Citigroup ‌and Visa are also on the invitation list, according to the report. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser was invited. Qualcomm confirmed the invitation but declined to comment further. Reuters was not able to confirm ⁠the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352821/white-house-inviting-ceos-nvidia-apple-trumps-china-trip-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352821/white-house-inviting-ceos-nvidia-apple-trumps-china-trip-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:47:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the European Union must ratify its trade deal with the United States by July 4 or face “much higher” tariffs, after European officials fell short of agreement on the pact. The US president said he spoke to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen about the issue and “agreed to give her until our Country’s 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels”. The Fourth of July holiday this year marks 250 years since the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352820/trump-gives-eu-until-july-4-ratify-deal-or-face-tariff-hike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352820/trump-gives-eu-until-july-4-ratify-deal-or-face-tariff-hike?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:19:57 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The Trump administration has expanded its pressure campaign against Cuba into the critical minerals sector, sanctioning a nickel joint venture tied to Canadian miner Sherritt International in a move that could reverberate through China-linked battery supply chains. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Thursday against Moa Nickel SA, a joint venture between Sherritt and Cuba’s state-owned General Nickel Company, as part of a broader effort targeting Havana’s military-controlled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352815/us-targets-cuba-nickel-operation-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352815/us-targets-cuba-nickel-operation-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 18:15:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Beijing’s study of the wars in Iran and Ukraine could sharpen its ability to wage information warfare against Americans during a Taiwan Strait conflict, exposing vulnerabilities in US preparedness, experts said on Wednesday. S. Clinton Hinote, a retired US Lieutenant General, said he was “impressed” with the propaganda coming out of Iran since the outbreak of the war in February, warning that Beijing would deploy similar tactics if conflict erupts over Taiwan. “That’s coming,” he told a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 17:00:29 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China made Brazil its top global investment destination last year, pouring US$6.1 billion into the country across a record 52 projects. The figures come from the China-Brazil Business Council (CBBC), which released its annual report on Thursday. The 45 per cent jump in value from the previous year far outpaced the 4.8 per cent rise in total foreign investment into Brazil. It also dwarfed China’s worldwide outbound flows, which grew just 1.3 per cent. Brazil absorbed 10.9 per cent of all Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352676/china-pours-us61b-brazil-making-it-beijings-top-investment-worldwide-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352676/china-pours-us61b-brazil-making-it-beijings-top-investment-worldwide-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 14:30:05 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Myanmar’s appointment of a close confidant of US President Donald Trump to rebuild ties with Washington could offer the regime a sliver of hope to rebrand itself, even as a breakthrough on major issues, such as American investment in the country’s critical minerals sector, is likely to be limited. Naypyidaw’s Ministry of Information has hired veteran American political lobbyist Roger Stone to boost relations with the Trump administration, according to filings under the US Foreign Agents... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352715/myanmars-military-rulers-hire-trump-ally-us50000-month-lobby-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352715/myanmars-military-rulers-hire-trump-ally-us50000-month-lobby-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 08:00:34 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The EU’s outgoing top trade official used her departing appearance at the European Parliament to pour cold water on the prospect of an investment deal with China, hinting instead that new weapons for dealing with Chinese “macroeconomic imbalances” could be on the way. Sabine Weyand, who is leaving her role as the EU’s director general for trade after a seven-year tenure, said the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment – signed in the last days of 2020 but frozen soon after in a row over human... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352714/china-eu-investment-deal-should-stay-deep-freezer-warns-outgoing-trade-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352714/china-eu-investment-deal-should-stay-deep-freezer-warns-outgoing-trade-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 06:35:20 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall In the weeks leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration, conservatives in Japan were delighted and hopeful that his return would usher in robust economic growth, new trade opportunities and a stronger security relationship with Tokyo. Barely 18 months later, many of those same conservatives admit to being shocked at the state of the bilateral relationship and the mounting global uncertainties the US president’s policies have produced. For some of his diehard supporters in Japan, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352657/trumps-last-japanese-diehard-fans-lose-faith-iran-war-chaos-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352657/trumps-last-japanese-diehard-fans-lose-faith-iran-war-chaos-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The scheduled summit next week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will almost certainly include proclamations about cooperation, friendship and respect between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies, but beneath the surface, major trade conflict is building, said trade experts on Wednesday. In the past, a weaker China was forced to grit its teeth and grudgingly accept US tariffs, export restrictions and other restrictions, but Beijing has quietly and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352674/trump-xi-summit-hides-simmering-trade-tensions-under-surface-industry-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352674/trump-xi-summit-hides-simmering-trade-tensions-under-surface-industry-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 21:11:48 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A visit by Vietnam’s leader to India is set to enhance New Delhi’s growing influence with Hanoi while allowing the Southeast Asian country to hedge against China in the event of any escalation in maritime disputes. Vietnamese President To Lam’s trip underscores concerns from both countries of being “overly dependent” on any superpower, according to political analysts. Lam arrived in Delhi on Tuesday for a three-day visit, marking his first trip to India since assuming office. The visit coincides... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352651/vietnam-india-seek-closer-ties-hedge-against-dependence-superpowers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352651/vietnam-india-seek-closer-ties-hedge-against-dependence-superpowers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 13:02:15 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China urged the United States to drop its latest Section 301 investigations into alleged excess capacity, calling the probe legally flawed at a Washington hearing just days before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. “[It] lacks sufficient statutory basis and supporting evidence” and “circumvents several established multilateral mechanisms”, Michelle Zang, speaking on behalf of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), a state-backed trade body, told the hearing. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352544/china-urges-us-drop-trade-probe-key-trump-xi-summit-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352544/china-urges-us-drop-trade-probe-key-trump-xi-summit-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 22:45:10 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Panama’s foreign minister has called on a group of opposition lawmakers visiting China to deliver a firm message defending the country’s sovereignty, as tensions over a wave of detentions of Panamanian-flagged vessels show no signs of easing. Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez said on Monday that the lawmakers should relay a clear message to their Chinese counterparts on Panama’s behalf. “I can only suggest that you convey that Panama respects China, but Panama first respects the Constitution of our... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352539/panama-minister-blasts-chinas-ship-crackdown-tells-deputies-demand-answers-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352539/panama-minister-blasts-chinas-ship-crackdown-tells-deputies-demand-answers-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 18:01:22 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi For most military powers, proving the success of one’s technology in real combat almost always requires undertaking the grave risks of war and human casualties. In the case of the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing continues to exercise great caution about joining any armed conflict, and the past few decades have brought astounding progress yet an extremely limited combat footprint for its weaponry. The Iran war could change that. As tensions around Iran persist, Pakistan, whose imported weapons... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352474/will-pakistans-new-defence-pact-saudi-arabia-give-chinese-arms-risk-free-exposure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352474/will-pakistans-new-defence-pact-saudi-arabia-give-chinese-arms-risk-free-exposure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Chinese multinational company Landbridge Group’s legal claim regarding Darwin Port – the first case ever brought against Australia at the international tribunal – is likely to yield a multi-year proceeding, which could serve as a buffer to provide some positive impacts for the Australia-China relationship, analysts said. The owner of Landbridge, Ye Cheng, filed a case with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investor Disputes (ICSID) requesting “arbitration proceedings” over... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Coverage of the Trump administration dominated the Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday as the prize committee unleashed a searing attack on US President Donald Trump’s attempts to limit freedom of reporting. “We stand for civil discourse and against censorship,” said Pulitzer Administrator Marjorie Miller ahead of the announcements, which honoured coverage of Trump’s immigration crackdown and his enrichment of his allies. “Unfortunately, this bears repeating now, as media access to the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352420/pulitzers-honour-damning-coverage-trump-and-his-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352420/pulitzers-honour-damning-coverage-trump-and-his-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 22:20:05 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s top diplomat on the US-Mexico border denounced protectionism as a dead end at the weekend, delivering a pointed defence of open trade just weeks before Mexico, the United States and Canada sit down to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that governs North American commerce. Consul General Fu Xinrong told a business gathering in Tijuana that unilateralism benefits no one and called on nations to build economic ties based on sovereignty and mutual respect rather than... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352418/chinas-consul-tijuana-calls-protectionism-dead-end-trade-tensions-us-escalate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352418/chinas-consul-tijuana-calls-protectionism-dead-end-trade-tensions-us-escalate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 19:40:46 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The US-Israel war on Iran could bolster Beijing’s leverage on issues such as hi-tech supply chains and Taiwan during the coming Trump-Xi summit, according to American experts. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, next week. “He’s not going to move to reschedule it,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, after Trump confirmed on Friday that his visit would take place as scheduled. The summit, expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352399/iran-war-could-give-xi-upper-hand-meeting-trump-us-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352399/iran-war-could-give-xi-upper-hand-meeting-trump-us-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Seoul said on Monday that an “explosion and fire” had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8.40pm in Seoul, “an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company … anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates inside the Strait of Hormuz”. There had been “no casualties to date” among the 24 crew members on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:55:30 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s top tech hub, Shenzhen, saw retail sales grow by just 0.5 per cent year on year in the first quarter after reporting gross domestic product growth of 5.8 per cent for the same period, casting a spotlight on its unbalanced development as mortgage and living costs weigh heavily on residents’ sentiment. A policy analyst said the city, in southern China’s Guangdong province, could have already seen retail sales decline if not for the rising number of bargain-hunters from Hong Kong crossing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352367/shenzhens-retail-sales-flatline-export-boom-fails-benefit-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352367/shenzhens-retail-sales-flatline-export-boom-fails-benefit-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings US technology companies should stay in China, despite persistent political pressure for their exit, to capitalise on revenue potential and stifle local competition while monitoring consumer trends, according to a Washington-based policy think tank. Sales generated by American firms within China can be reinvested in research and development back in the United States, thereby helping “sustain US innovation leadership”, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) said in a new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352371/us-tech-can-use-china-listening-post-global-edge-washington-think-tank-explains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352371/us-tech-can-use-china-listening-post-global-edge-washington-think-tank-explains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Amid the trade war with the United States, the last thing China needs is an economic confrontation with the European Union – Beijing’s major export destination. But with the EU seemingly determined to protect its market by introducing measures that many see as controversial, an economic stand-off appears inevitable. When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blamed China last June for showing an “unwillingness to live within the constraints of the rules-based international system”,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352160/made-europe-law-sets-stage-economic-showdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352160/made-europe-law-sets-stage-economic-showdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new financing facility aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains across the Asia-Pacific region, as a global push to loosen China’s chokehold over the sector continues. The initiative is designed to help Asia-Pacific nations move up the critical minerals value chain – moving beyond just mining – by equipping them with the technical capabilities to process and recycle the materials, according to the ADB. “Asia and the Pacific should be... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 08:15:00 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore and New Zealand on Monday signed the world’s first legally binding bilateral agreement to keep essential supplies – including food, fuel, healthcare products and chemical and construction materials – flowing even during crises. The Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies was signed by Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science and Technology Tan See Leng and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay at the Singapore-New Zealand Annual Leaders’ Meeting in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 06:59:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, as two ships around the strait reported attacks. Trump gave few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced the move as a ceasefire violation. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that “neutral and innocent” countries have been affected by the Iran war, and “we have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352291/cargo-ship-near-strait-hormuz-reports-being-attacked-iran-makes-new-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352291/cargo-ship-near-strait-hormuz-reports-being-attacked-iran-makes-new-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 17:04:40 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Middle Eastern governments are dusting off decades-old proposals for overland oil and gas pipelines, and urgently drawing up plans for new rail-sea transport corridors in a belated response to the wartime disruption of major maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. With the threats to these key shipping lanes and economic infrastructure set to linger after the multifront conflict between the US-Israel alliance and the Iran-led Axis of Resistance draws to a close, other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352166/middle-east-states-eye-transport-resilience-new-logistics-corridor-bypass-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352166/middle-east-states-eye-transport-resilience-new-logistics-corridor-bypass-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Holly Chik,Alyssa Chen Holly Chik,Alyssa Chen US President Donald Trump said he is still planning to travel to China as scheduled this month despite the stalemate in the negotiations with Iran. When asked about the trip to Beijing, Trump told reporters on Friday: “It is going to be amazing. The visit with China and Chairman Xi [Jinping] – that’s going to be great. “We have the trip with China coming up. And I think it will be an amazing event.” Trump had initially planned to visit Beijing in late March, but put the trip back to May 14 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352220/china-trip-will-go-ahead-planned-and-it-will-be-amazing-trump-insists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352220/china-trip-will-go-ahead-planned-and-it-will-be-amazing-trump-insists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 10:02:17 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The United Arab Emirates is expected to continue making high-risk geopolitical moves with potentially high rewards, following its exit from the Opec oil cartel, as the small but extremely wealthy Gulf state strives to become a global power. Framed by Emirati officials as an orientation towards strengthening economic autonomy, the UAE’s decision to leave the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) on Tuesday coincided with the downgrading of its diplomatic participation in the Gulf... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352207/uaes-opec-exit-signals-aim-accelerate-foreign-policy-diversification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352207/uaes-opec-exit-signals-aim-accelerate-foreign-policy-diversification?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Not a sudden, major crash but a series of mini-crises. That, according to some, is the prospect facing the global economy and financial system in the wake of conflict in the Middle East. But what if these mini-crises cascade into a collective collapse? And what if the Trump administration emerges as the only winner in the conflict by virtue of the fact that it has, in engineering the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, locked Europe and Asia into a desperate dependence on US oil and gas, especially... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352013/mini-crises-sparked-iran-war-may-add-big-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352013/mini-crises-sparked-iran-war-may-add-big-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Southeast Asian growers can now ship durians to China faster than before using a new cold-storage rail service linking Thailand, Laos and southwest China’s Yunnan province, slashing prices for the pungent fruit. The first goods train laden with durians from Thailand – China’s biggest source of the fruit – began winding its way north through Laos to China over the weekend, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. More than 90 per cent of the world’s durian exports – worth about US$7.5 billion... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352017/durian-express-new-southeast-asia-rail-service-cuts-fruit-prices-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352017/durian-express-new-southeast-asia-rail-service-cuts-fruit-prices-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 02:00:08 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof When Malaysia’s government announced a ban on two books in mid-April, the move raised eyebrows, with some questioning the intent of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration and his reformist credentials. The home affairs ministry on April 16 declared that the books – one of which was a memoir of the grandmother to an ally of Anwar – were a danger to national security for containing communist elements and ideologies. The decision triggered immediate pushback, predictably from civil society... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352174/malaysias-book-bans-iran-war-anwars-reform-agenda-faces-sternest-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352174/malaysias-book-bans-iran-war-anwars-reform-agenda-faces-sternest-test?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order expanding sanctions on Cuba, authorising penalties not only against Cuban officials but also on foreign companies and financial institutions that do business with the island. The order significantly broadens Washington’s ability to exert economic pressure, allowing US authorities to target third-country actors deemed to support the Cuban government, in a move that could have implications for global firms, including those in China and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352196/trump-expands-cuba-sanctions-global-reach-targeting-foreign-banks-and-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352196/trump-expands-cuba-sanctions-global-reach-targeting-foreign-banks-and-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 19:23:27 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The United States on Friday announced fresh sanctions on entities and individuals it said were involved in trading Iranian petroleum, including a China-based oil terminal operator and a Chinese national, as it ramped up pressure on Tehran to end the conflict. The State Department said the operator, Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal Co., Ltd, “imported tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil”. Also on the sanctions list are Li Xinchun, a Chinese national who is the president of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3352195/us-sanctions-china-based-operator-others-over-alleged-iran-oil-trade-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3352195/us-sanctions-china-based-operator-others-over-alleged-iran-oil-trade-links?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 19:08:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union next week to 25 per cent, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment. Trump said in the post that the EU “is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal”, though he did not flesh out his objections in the post. Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had agreed to the trade deal last July. It set a 15 per cent tariff on most... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352191/trump-put-25-tariffs-eu-cars-says-bloc-not-complying-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352191/trump-put-25-tariffs-eu-cars-says-bloc-not-complying-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 17:00:05 +0000