https://www.scmp.com/rss/503129/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China has pledged to help Myanmar’s new government to engage more with multilateral platforms and eradicate telecoms scam operations. Capping a five-day trip to Southeast Asia on the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta leader-turned-president, on Saturday that China “firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”. “This year marks the first year of Myanmar’s new government. Both sides should seize... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351479/china-backs-myanmars-push-ease-diplomatic-isolation-stamp-out-telecoms-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351479/china-backs-myanmars-push-ease-diplomatic-isolation-stamp-out-telecoms-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:37:26 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings After an hour’s drive through the jungle of Borneo, you reach more jungle. Your rental van from the Balikpapan city airport shakes precariously, navigating a partial bridge washout. A roadside sign admonishes against poaching the endangered sun bears. By hour three you’ve arrived at Indonesia’s new capital, which is due to start taking over from gridlocked, polluted and seaward-sinking Jakarta in 2028. Welcome to Ibu Kota Nusantara, known locally as just Nusantara or IKN. Eventually, if all goes... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350981/muddy-yet-clear-cut-how-chinese-investors-are-turning-jungle-indonesias-new-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350981/muddy-yet-clear-cut-how-chinese-investors-are-turning-jungle-indonesias-new-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Faced with US-China rivalry and an uncertain future even beyond Donald Trump’s presidency, middle powers are building fluid coalitions and partnerships to hedge against American and wider unpredictability, according to a leading Southeast Asian affairs scholar. Traditional US allies are asserting greater autonomy and forming their own networks to hedge against risks – a shift that is creating openings for smaller neutral states to further diversify their partnerships, while mitigating the danger... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351311/why-future-fluid-middle-powers-sea-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351311/why-future-fluid-middle-powers-sea-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As Southeast Asian leaders descend on Cebu in the Philippines for the 48th Asean summit on May 8, immediate concerns such as the global energy crunch will top the agenda. Yet a year-end deadline to finalise a long-delayed code of conduct in the South China Sea looms for bloc chair Manila. At a panel at Atma Jaya University in Jakarta on Thursday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro stressed that completing the code this year was “something that we owe the world as well as the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351289/philippines-pushes-south-china-sea-code-year-end-we-owe-it-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351289/philippines-pushes-south-china-sea-code-year-end-we-owe-it-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:59:42 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for China and Cambodia to “stand in closer solidarity, now more than ever” in the first 2+2 strategic dialogue aimed at deepening mutual political and security ties. During a meeting in Phnom Penh, Wang also urged the two sides to further strengthen political and security cooperation to “firmly hold the reins of development and security in their own hands”. The meeting on Wednesday was the first under the 2+2 mechanism with Cambodia involving defence and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The Philippines is trying to gradually establish “stable foundations” for its relations with China before tackling tougher problems such as the long-running South China Sea dispute, according to the country’s ambassador to Beijing. “We need a new equilibrium in our relations with China. Both sides [have agreed] to take incremental or baby steps towards that,” Jaime FlorCruz told the South China Morning Post. “That means a relationship that is stable, that is predictable, that is not subject to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350870/china-and-philippines-taking-baby-steps-towards-better-relations-manilas-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350870/china-and-philippines-taking-baby-steps-towards-better-relations-manilas-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Julien Chaisse Julien Chaisse Indonesia says it is not choosing sides. That is true in diplomacy. It is less true on the map. The “major defence cooperation partnership” announced by Washington and Jakarta on April 13 is written in the safe language of official communiques: capacity building, education, exercises, cooperation. But the harder meaning lies beneath the phrasing. The most important line in this new defence partnership is not the reassuring one about “peace and stability”. It is the one about “maritime,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350215/how-new-us-indonesia-defence-pact-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350215/how-new-us-indonesia-defence-pact-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Since America launched its “major combat operation” against Iran, several Nato allies have distanced themselves from Washington. Now America also risks losing ground in strategically important Southeast Asia to China. Could it face an erosion of influence similar to that suffered by Russia in Central Asia as a result of its “special military operation” in Ukraine? Soon after US President Donald Trump launched massive air and missile strikes on Iran on February 28, it became clear Washington... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Some exporters at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou report a modest return of orders to China from Southeast Asia, as energy-market volatility linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran prompts some Western buyers to prioritise supply chain stability. The shift is visible in buyer patterns on the exhibition floor, where the number from Europe and the United States appears to have recovered from last year’s levels, according to Chinese exporters, with more inquiries for home appliances, new energy products... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Even before Donald Trump returned to the White House, Vietnam’s military planners were already busy preparing for a possible second invasion by the United States and its allies. In the “Second US Invasion Plan”, secretly issued in August 2024, the Vietnamese military rejected playing any part in America’s China containment strategy in the Asia-Pacific. Rather, it sees the US promotion of “freedom and democracy” as a cynical ploy to maintain hegemony in the region. The document, released in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Mengzhen Liu Mengzhen Liu The decades-long negotiations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea may finally come to an end this year. Several parties involved, including China and the Philippines, have expressed confidence in reaching a final conclusion to the proposed set of rules in the contested waterways in the coming months. In March, Beijing signalled its hope of concluding negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by the end of the year while Manila has repeatedly expressed its intention to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Japan has pledged US$10 billion to its Asian neighbours in energy support, in what analysts say is a strategic bid to counter China’s regional influence and position itself as a reliable partner as the Iran war upends global oil markets and supply chains. However, one observer argued that the move’s impact might be limited, given Japan’s inability to alter the ground realities in the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries’ instinct for strategic hedging over picking sides. Unveiled by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350353/can-japans-us10b-energy-shield-oust-chinas-influence-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350353/can-japans-us10b-energy-shield-oust-chinas-influence-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:02:15 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US military leaders painted a picture of Chinese military threats, spanning Taiwan and space, as they briefed Congress on the military readiness for the financial year 2027 on Wednesday. The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) “invasion rehearsals and live-fire exercises near Taiwan and around the region” had illustrated “the need for combat-ready naval forces in the Indo-Pacific”, according to James Kilby, vice chief of Naval Operations. “[The US Navy therefore] remains committed to partnering and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350232/china-threat-used-convince-congress-need-bolster-us-military-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350232/china-threat-used-convince-congress-need-bolster-us-military-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:08:57 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China and Vietnam should stand together against unilateralism and protectionism and jointly counter global challenges, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Vietnam’s top leader on Wednesday, as energy concerns continued to spill over from the Iran conflict. “Both sides should uphold the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, safeguard the global free trade system and keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350195/chinas-xi-jinping-tells-vietnamese-counterpart-they-should-jointly-oppose-unilateralism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350195/chinas-xi-jinping-tells-vietnamese-counterpart-they-should-jointly-oppose-unilateralism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:09:33 +0000 Joanne Lin Joanne Lin For years, Southeast Asian countries have preferred to avoid taking sides between China and the United States. This year’s State of Southeast Asia survey shows that this approach still holds, but a more contested geostrategic environment is making it harder to sustain. The region continues to feel uneasy about China’s entrenched influence, is increasingly troubled by US leadership under President Donald Trump and is more conscious of Asean’s institutional constraints. The weakening of confidence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3349676/doubts-about-trump-strain-southeast-asias-us-china-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3349676/doubts-about-trump-strain-southeast-asias-us-china-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun In classrooms and training centres across China, a growing number of students from Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond are learning not just the Chinese language, but how the country’s factories operate, how supply chains are managed and how products are marketed and sold across borders. Hebei Software Institute, in the northern city of Baoding, has been at the forefront of the push. The vocational college said it had established multiple overseas-oriented programmes in recent years, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A Chinese underwater drone was caught by an Indonesian fisherman near a key waterway leading to Australia on Monday, local media reported. The discovery of the “torpedo-like” object near the Lombok Strait comes at a time of increasing Chinese underwater activity in sensitive areas. The waterway between Bali and Lombok is closely watched by the United States and Australia. It is one of the few deepwater routes that can accommodate submarine transits at operational depth and is also suitable for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349290/indonesian-fisherman-nets-surprise-catch-chinese-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349290/indonesian-fisherman-nets-surprise-catch-chinese-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Most Southeast Asians would choose China as a strategic partner over the US if forced to pick, as analysts attribute the findings of an annual survey to recent geopolitical and trade uncertainties driven by Washington’s policies. But analysts warn against interpreting the respondents’ sentiment in the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey as a zero-sum game between the superpowers, saying that Asean is looking to diversify partners in a multipolar world. When asked which superpower the region... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:05:32 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The compound is modern with air conditioning in every room. Inside are a medical clinic, massage parlour, and Vietnamese barbecue, Chinese hotpot and halal eateries – a full range of conveniences. Yet the residents are gone – and they appear to have fled in haste. Clothes still hang out to dry, while the stench of rotting food lingers. Located in a secluded area in Kampot province near Cambodia’s border with Vietnam, the site is believed to be a telecoms scam centre. Cambodian authorities said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai A prominent Chinese political scientist has cautioned Southeast Asian countries against leveraging China-US tensions for short-term benefits, saying this strategy could backfire. Speaking on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia on Friday, Zheng Yongnian, dean of the school of public policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, said that in the context of South China Sea sovereignty disputes, the key challenge lay in how countries interpreted the China-US rivalry. “Many countries... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348238/asean-countries-warned-against-exploiting-us-china-tensions-short-term-gain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348238/asean-countries-warned-against-exploiting-us-china-tensions-short-term-gain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik An estimated 93 million pieces of debris could be floating on the surface of the South China Sea, based on data collected by China in a projection of its marine monitoring and remote sensing prowess. Using technologies such as fixed-ship monitoring, underway surveys and satellite remote sensing, marine scientists and ecologists audited 26 spots in the central and southern parts of the disputed waters. In a report released this month, Beijing’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347973/how-much-junk-south-china-sea-beijing-flexes-surveillance-muscle-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347973/how-much-junk-south-china-sea-beijing-flexes-surveillance-muscle-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:30:09 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi While China appears better prepared than other countries to deal with the shocks brought by the US-Israel war on Iran, its economy would still come under pressure in the short term if its regional partners suffer, an executive with a global consultancy has said. “China might be more resilient, but China is not resilient to a demand shock,” said Denis Depoux, a global managing director at consultancy Roland Berger. “For example, if the economy is slowing down in Southeast Asia, if people stop... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347932/demand-shock-china-cannot-escape-impact-long-iran-war-analyst-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347932/demand-shock-china-cannot-escape-impact-long-iran-war-analyst-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, has told the Boao Forum for Asia – a high-level gathering of governments and business leaders – that power politics should be rejected in favour of economic development and conflicts should be resolved through negotiations. “The people of Asia, having endured the scourge of war and chaos, deeply understand the value of peace and stability,” said Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:39:36 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3347653/china-starts-going-global-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3347653/china-starts-going-global-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 02:31:36 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has pledged to work with Southeast Asian countries on energy security as the war in the Middle East continued to take its toll on global oil and gas supplies. “China stands ready to strengthen cooperation and coordination with Southeast Asian countries and jointly address energy security issues,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press conference on Thursday. Lin also called for an end to the conflict, saying: “Relevant countries need to stop military operations at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347199/china-offers-help-southeast-asia-counter-impact-middle-east-war-energy-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347199/china-offers-help-southeast-asia-counter-impact-middle-east-war-energy-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:25:05 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s leading planemaker is seeking to replicate the C909 regional airliner’s success in Laos, drawing on the experience as it steps up its sales pitch in Southeast Asia – a vital step in its effort to eventually rival Boeing and Airbus. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has ambitious plans in the region and beyond and is laying the groundwork through technical adjustments and regulatory adaptations, according to a company document seen by the South China Morning Post. To... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346906/china-adapts-c909-jet-operations-laos-blueprint-southeast-asia-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346906/china-adapts-c909-jet-operations-laos-blueprint-southeast-asia-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The navies of China and Vietnam have added live-fire drills to future joint training – marking a deepening of military cooperation as Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam hailed relations with Beijing as a “top priority”. Naval commanders from both sides held a courtesy meeting on Monday at Fangcheng port in southern China’s Guangxi, as Vietnamese frigates Tran Hung Dao (hull number 015) and Ly Thai To (012) arrived to join PLA Navy vessels for their 40th joint patrol and training... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346907/china-vietnam-agree-live-fire-drills-naval-exercise-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346907/china-vietnam-agree-live-fire-drills-naval-exercise-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:24:28 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As trade tensions and new US tariff investigations rattle global supply chains, Southeast Asian economies are looking to broaden their options. But analysts say that the region’s deep links with the United States and China mean any shift will be gradual rather than a clean break – and may yet work in Asean’s favour. The disruption could accelerate supply-chain diversification, drawing more manufacturing to the region from markets such as Europe, India and the Middle East. For now, however, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Barbora Valockova Barbora Valockova What does the world’s digital economy rest on? Thousands of kilometres of fibre-optic cable lying on the ocean floor and, increasingly, in the crosshairs of great-power rivalry. The confluence of recent subsea cable disruptions, gaps in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and intensifying great-power competition has elevated this underwater infrastructure from a technical and commercial concern to a security issue – characterised as “this century’s hidden battleground”. It has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3346525/underwater-and-unprotected-why-asean-and-eu-must-secure-subsea-lifelines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3346525/underwater-and-unprotected-why-asean-and-eu-must-secure-subsea-lifelines?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China and Vietnam are to hold their first high-level ministerial talks under a new platform next week. This comes as the neighbours seek to cement their strategic alignment despite heightened tensions over Beijing’s purported new land reclamation work in the disputed South China Sea. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong and Defence Minister Dong Jun will be in Vietnam from Sunday to Tuesday to meet their respective... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346539/will-paracels-dispute-overshadow-china-and-vietnams-drive-stronger-strategic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346539/will-paracels-dispute-overshadow-china-and-vietnams-drive-stronger-strategic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Beijing has hailed as a success the sentencing and execution of leaders of a Myanmar crime syndicate, vowing to punish all who harm the rights of Chinese citizens overseas. During a plenary meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Monday, Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People’s Court, said in a report that Chinese courts closed 41,000 criminal cases related to telecoms and online fraud last year, up 1.2 per cent from 2024. “Sixteen principal criminals of the ‘four families’ crime... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345977/china-extols-myanmar-gang-executions-pledging-protect-citizens-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345977/china-extols-myanmar-gang-executions-pledging-protect-citizens-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:17:13 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China has signalled strong optimism for finalising negotiations with neighbouring Asian countries to seal a new institutional framework on contested South China Sea waterways. At China’s annual foreign policy press conference on Sunday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi described the negotiations as having entered a “critical phase” for talks on the South China Sea Code of Conduct – a proposed set of rules between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) aimed at easing tensions. “All... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345879/china-signals-high-hopes-south-china-sea-golden-rules-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345879/china-signals-high-hopes-south-china-sea-golden-rules-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:41:37 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Singapore and China share “common interests” in safeguarding international order amid profound changes in the global landscape and uncertainties from trade wars, according to the city state’s top envoy to Beijing. The world has faced increased challenges, with huge pressure on multilateralism, free trade, and openness since the beginning of last year, Peter Tan Hai Chuan, Singapore’s ambassador to China, warned at an event at Renmin University in Beijing on Tuesday. “But Singapore and China have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345391/singapore-and-china-have-common-interests-safeguarding-global-order-says-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345391/singapore-and-china-have-common-interests-safeguarding-global-order-says-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Samer Elhajjar ,Niraj Dawar Samer Elhajjar ,Niraj Dawar For years, debates about US-China competition have defaulted to the obvious categories: ships, chips, tariffs and security pacts. Soft power was often treated as America’s home turf, the domain of Hollywood, top universities, global brands and a political ideal that still attracts even when it disappoints. That assumption is getting riskier. The world has entered a new emotional weather pattern: fatigue. It’s a structural condition shaped by overlapping shocks: pandemic after-effects, inflation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344992/fatigue-rewriting-us-china-soft-power-contest-starting-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344992/fatigue-rewriting-us-china-soft-power-contest-starting-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words For much of the past decade, Southeast Asia has been portrayed as a strategic prize in the intensifying rivalry between the US and China. Headlines often frame the region as a battleground for influence, as if Asean members are passive actors waiting to be pulled into rival... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344717/asean-not-choosing-sides-strategically-maximising-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344717/asean-not-choosing-sides-strategically-maximising-space?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China and the Philippines may soon start joint coastguard patrols in the South China Sea after years of tensions over the disputed waters, according to a Philippine senator. Erwin Tulfo, chairman of the Senate’s foreign relations committee, met Chinese ambassador Jing Quan on Monday, and said afterwards that the two countries’ coastguards were expected to sign a memorandum of agreement by the end of March. He added that rather than “having disputes there … there will be cooperation”, such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344626/can-china-and-philippines-replace-disputes-cooperation-after-years-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344626/can-china-and-philippines-replace-disputes-cooperation-after-years-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:26:30 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Thailand led the list of destinations for Chinese tourists travelling overseas during this year’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as former favourite Japan saw arrivals plummet amid a political dispute with China over Taiwan. The Southeast Asian nation saw roughly 250,000 arrivals from China during the holiday, which ran from February 15 to 23, according to the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk. This year’s Lunar New Year holiday was expected to be a key period for global... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344421/chinese-tourism-japan-plunges-50-over-lunar-new-year-thailand-cashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344421/chinese-tourism-japan-plunges-50-over-lunar-new-year-thailand-cashes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China will accelerate investment in alternative nickel supply sources and strengthen its role across the metal’s wider supply chain, analysts said, after the United States finalised a deal with Indonesia on Thursday that will give America unrestricted access to the country’s industrial commodities. While the US Supreme Court’s tariff ruling last week could add some uncertainty to US-Indonesia trade, the agreement has the potential to reshape the global supply chain for nickel – a metal used to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344337/us-indonesia-deal-threatens-chinas-entrenched-position-nickel-market-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344337/us-indonesia-deal-threatens-chinas-entrenched-position-nickel-market-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese railway giants look set to scout Eurasia in the years ahead to build high-speed train lines as the domestic market matures and some countries are more prepared than others for capital-intensive yet transformative ventures, analysts said. Inspired by China-invested projects such as the 142km (88-mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed line in Indonesia and the partly finished 350km (217-mile) Budapest-Belgrade railway, Chinese construction and engineering firms are expected to expand their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Daryl Ng Daryl Ng The Hong Kong government has started the year with initiatives that have far-reaching impacts on the city’s long-term growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that he is spearheading Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, which will promote broader integration with China’s five-year plan and ensure a bigger role for the city in the nation’s economic development. He also reaffirmed deeper engagement with countries in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia to open up new markets... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343896/building-asean-ties-puts-hong-kong-path-long-term-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343896/building-asean-ties-puts-hong-kong-path-long-term-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Two Chinese diplomatic missions in Southeast Asia have issued warnings urging citizens to stay away from gambling following two deaths allegedly linked to financial losses. The Chinese consulate in Da Nang, Vietnam said in a statement on Monday that cross-border gambling was a criminal offence in China and citizens found to be involved would be “held legally accountable in accordance with the law”. It also warned that consular protection could not be provided to a Chinese citizen under threat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343887/chinese-missions-vietnam-and-singapore-warn-citizens-stay-away-gambling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343887/chinese-missions-vietnam-and-singapore-warn-citizens-stay-away-gambling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 07:21:37 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen If there is one big threat to maritime security in Southeast Asia, it is the growing wariness between the big players in the region. That was the assessment from Kao Kim Hourn, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), at the just-concluded Munich Security Conference. “Overall the main threat would be the increasing strategic mistrust between and among the major powers,” he said during a panel on maritime security on Friday. Kao did not refer to any country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi Last month, in the same week that Chinese and Philippine diplomats restarted political dialogue for the first time in over a year, the People’s Liberation Army bombers conducted combat patrols over Scarborough Shoal. China then released a video marking the fifth anniversary of its coastguard law, emphasising the force’s legal mandate and role in maritime governance. It also features footage of the June 2024 confrontation with the Philippines. In the South China Sea, conference rooms and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343423/can-manilas-south-china-sea-strategy-defiance-and-diplomacy-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343423/can-manilas-south-china-sea-strategy-defiance-and-diplomacy-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Economic cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is set to deepen despite bloc members advancing trade deals with the United States, Beijing’s ambassador to Asean has said. At a forum in Indonesia’s Jakarta on Tuesday, Wang Qing urged both sides to remain committed to shared economic success and to oppose external interference, underscoring the importance of ties amid growing protectionism and unilateralism. Wang delivered a speech at the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343107/envoy-urges-shared-prosperity-china-asean-ties-amid-growing-protectionism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343107/envoy-urges-shared-prosperity-china-asean-ties-amid-growing-protectionism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:22:05 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Asean faces a challenge to remain relevant in light of an increasingly transactional United States under the Donald Trump administration, observers warn, even as they hail the bloc’s large inflows of trade from global superpowers. At the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026 in Jakarta on Tuesday, chairman of Malaysian Investment Development Authority Tengku Zafrul Aziz said that Association of Southeast Asian Nations members presented a united front in handling... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343093/why-asean-must-stay-nimble-survive-us-china-trade-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343093/why-asean-must-stay-nimble-survive-us-china-trade-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:04:20 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has almost finished building the US$10 billion Pinglu Canal to deepen trade ties between its southwestern provinces and Southeast Asia. Now, it is considering an even more ambitious – and expensive – project further inland. The Xianggui Canal would be a 300km (186 mile) waterway that effectively acts as an extension of the new Pinglu Canal, giving cities right at the heart of the Chinese interior direct access to the Gulf of Tonkin, known in China as the Beibu Gulf. Like the earlier... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342669/time-ripe-why-china-eyeing-another-vast-canal-link-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342669/time-ripe-why-china-eyeing-another-vast-canal-link-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:00:25 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang In less than a week, China conducted a series of executions on a scale rarely seen in recent decades. In all, 16 core members of mafia-like crime syndicates were put to death for a range of crimes, from murder to fraud and human trafficking. While all of the victims in the cases were Chinese nationals, many of the condemned were citizens of Myanmar, a largely Buddhist country not known for executing crime bosses. Yet, China was able to convince authorities in Myanmar to hand over... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342799/china-executed-series-myanmese-crime-bosses-what-does-it-say-about-its-regional-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342799/china-executed-series-myanmese-crime-bosses-what-does-it-say-about-its-regional-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim In the days that followed Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi’s controversial remarks over Taiwan in November, Beijing convened a rare meeting with Southeast Asian envoys to rally regional support for its campaign against Japan – but that effort has so far gained little traction. Multiple sources familiar with the matter told the South China Morning Post that China had summoned most Southeast Asian ambassadors or their deputies late last year, framing the meeting as a channel to hear the region’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342540/china-rallies-neighbours-against-japan-rare-meeting-will-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342540/china-rallies-neighbours-against-japan-rare-meeting-will-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:00:18 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s civil aviation authority has floated a regulatory change that would allow its home-grown passenger jet, the C919, to use narrow runways typically found in smaller airports, a move that could help the plane expand its presence at home and break into the Southeast Asian market. The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced on Friday that it had set “special conditions” for the C919 to use narrow runways based on the jet’s design features, releasing a draft proposal for a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342252/china-plans-regulatory-change-help-c919-jet-compete-airbus-and-boeing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342252/china-plans-regulatory-change-help-c919-jet-compete-airbus-and-boeing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:01:30 +0000 Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings China’s chief builder of commercial aircraft is displaying its full product line – including its home-grown narrowbody C919 as well as a full surgical cabin on board its regional jet – at the Singapore Airshow as it seeks to widen its footprint in Southeast Asia. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has “set up” a C919 at the twice-yearly expo for a fly-by demonstration, according to independent aviation analyst Li Hanming. The show began on Tuesday and is set to run for six... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342150/chinas-c919-lift-again-singapore-airshow-bid-asean-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342150/chinas-c919-lift-again-singapore-airshow-bid-asean-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 02:00:11 +0000