https://www.scmp.com/rss/511387/feed Ziwen joined the Post in 2022, covering China’s foreign affairs. He holds degrees from Beijing Foreign Studies University and Hong Kong Baptist University. He worked for Caixin in Beijing, completed a study exchange in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and undertook a reporting stint in Washington, D.C. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen China has vowed to firmly safeguard its overseas interests – a core objective reaffirmed in its latest five-year plan – at a time when global volatility is testing supply chains and regional influence. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that Beijing would continue to strengthen its capacity to protect Chinese interests and citizens abroad, put the people first, and develop a global system for security and risk prevention. According to analysts, his remarks reflect the growing pressures on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen As missiles fly throughout the Middle East, China is walking a diplomatic tightrope between strategic partner Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with whom it has deep economic ties. All six GCC members have been struck as Tehran has widened its retaliation for US and Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials. Its strikes have also expanded beyond United States’ assets to include landmark buildings and airports, causing death and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345443/china-must-find-path-between-iran-and-gulf-states-tehran-strikes-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345443/china-must-find-path-between-iran-and-gulf-states-tehran-strikes-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:19:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China has strongly condemned the killing of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which has left Tehran in turmoil and the Middle East facing a major regional escalation. However, analysts believe that China’s position as Iran’s top oil buyer and trade partner will endure through any political upheaval. They also expect Beijing to adopt a pragmatic approach towards Iran’s next leadership, despite the potential threat to Chinese diplomatic and defence ambitions in the Middle East... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345051/khamenei-dead-chinas-ties-iran-will-endure-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345051/khamenei-dead-chinas-ties-iran-will-endure-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen,Reuters Zhao Ziwen,Reuters Iran has announced 40 days of state-mandated mourning for its Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose life and 36-year rule ended abruptly during the opening salvo of US-Israeli strikes against his country. Satellite imagery captured the aftermath of a devastating strike on Saturday that killed the 86-year-old cleric: black smoke and heavy damage at his central Tehran compound. Khamenei’s death was confirmed by Iran hours after US President Donald Trump announced the killing and called him... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345041/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-defiant-iranian-leaders-rule-ended-his-enemies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345041/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-defiant-iranian-leaders-rule-ended-his-enemies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:11:00 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Chinese researchers have released the world’s first open-source text-to-speech (TTS) model that unifies more than 20 Arabic dialects in an AI framework, a move poised to expand China’s technological influence in the Middle East, according to analysts. Led by Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s X-LANCE Lab – one of China’s top audiovisual and language processing research entities – the model is named Habibi, meaning “my dear” in Arabic. In presenting their findings, the research team spearheaded by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344955/meet-habibi-chinese-ai-uniting-20-arabic-dialects-middle-east-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344955/meet-habibi-chinese-ai-uniting-20-arabic-dialects-middle-east-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:00:26 +0000 Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen US President Donald Trump pushed a message of economic strength and global leadership in the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday night, seeking to rally voters ahead of the November midterm elections. In the nearly two-hour speech – the longest of its kind – the American leader made no direct mention of China, a move analysts said could be aimed at avoiding fresh friction with Beijing ahead of his visit. Trump’s administration is grappling with a range of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344594/donald-trump-touts-us-golden-age-avoids-direct-mention-china-ahead-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344594/donald-trump-touts-us-golden-age-avoids-direct-mention-china-ahead-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:12:31 +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 Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen China’s Nantianmen Project – translated as Southern Celestial Gate – has captured widespread attention as a blend of science fiction storytelling and hi-tech military speculation. Launched in 2017 by a subsidiary of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic), the project originated as an aviation-themed sci-fi intellectual property (IP) rather than an active weapons development programme. At its core, the project serves as a creative vehicle to showcase more than 100... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343433/everything-we-know-about-chinas-mysterious-futuristic-nantianmen-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343433/everything-we-know-about-chinas-mysterious-futuristic-nantianmen-project?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen America’s increasing use of MQ-9 drones near China poses a challenge to Beijing and makes it more urgent for the People’s Liberation Army to improve counter-reconnaissance, according to military experts. The MQ-9 Reaper can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions. It has been used for numerous high-profile operations, including the 2020 assassination of Iranian major general Qassem Soleimani. And it has been deployed as part of the US military’s surveillance network in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343673/why-growing-network-american-mq-9-drones-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343673/why-growing-network-american-mq-9-drones-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:00:17 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China has rejected US claims that it conducted a nuclear test in 2020, saying the accusation is “an excuse” to justify a potential US return to nuclear testing. “The United States has persistently distorted and smeared China’s nuclear policy,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday. The pushback was in response to a statement by Thomas DiNanno, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, in Geneva on Friday. “The US government is aware that China has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343204/china-accuses-us-seeking-revive-its-nuclear-test-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343204/china-accuses-us-seeking-revive-its-nuclear-test-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:52:06 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen The People’s Liberation Army has moved to tighten control over fuel supplies as part of its latest efforts to improve logistics – a cornerstone of combat readiness. New regulations issued “recently” aimed to standardise the process of military fuel management in areas such as procurement, transport, storage and disposal, the official PLA Daily said on Tuesday. The rules were also designed to introduce strict controls and joint military-civilian oversight to prevent misuse and to ensure... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341934/chinas-military-tightens-fuel-supply-rules-us-investigates-cause-twin-air-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341934/chinas-military-tightens-fuel-supply-rules-us-investigates-cause-twin-air-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen While there may be hopes in Beijing that Washington’s attempt to acquire Greenland has strained transatlantic ties and might draw European countries closer to China, a veteran US diplomat said such a fundamental realignment was unlikely. The core task of the European Union’s foreign policy will remain navigating intensifying US-China rivalry while seeking a workable balance between the two, according to William Klein, a former charge d’affaires at the US embassy in China. Addressing a seminar at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340500/dont-expect-greenland-crisis-realign-eu-china-says-former-us-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340500/dont-expect-greenland-crisis-realign-eu-china-says-former-us-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:14:53 +0000 Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen People’s Liberation Army activities in the Taiwan Strait are being closely watched by the United States and Japan and it needs to find a way to operate effectively while being surveilled, according to analysts. A report by Beijing-based defence think tank Lande said the PLA’s most recent large-scale drills around Taiwan – dubbed Justice Mission 2025 – were launched with no warning yet the response from the US and Japan was immediate. It said that highlighted the constant presence in the region... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340431/pla-urged-find-way-operate-effectively-under-gaze-us-and-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340431/pla-urged-find-way-operate-effectively-under-gaze-us-and-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:00:26 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has warned against external “interference” in Iran’s governance, offering support to Tehran in a thinly veiled rebuke of Washington. In a statement issued on Friday, the security bloc led by China and Russia expressed “grave concern” over the “recent tragic events in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, saying they had caused “casualties among civilians and law enforcement officials”. “The SCO opposes interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340245/china-led-sco-warns-against-iran-interference-veiled-swipe-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340245/china-led-sco-warns-against-iran-interference-veiled-swipe-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Beijing is urging Phnom Penh to broaden its crackdown on Cambodia’s online fraud industry, keeping up pressure following the arrest and extradition to China of alleged fraud kingpin Chen Zhi. In a meeting with Phnom Penh’s interior and foreign ministers, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said criminal acts of online fraud, illegal detention and related transnational crimes “posed a serious obstacle” to deepening cooperation between the two countries. “Recent incidents involving Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340256/china-keeps-pressure-cambodia-target-cross-border-fraud-and-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340256/china-keeps-pressure-cambodia-target-cross-border-fraud-and-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen,Vanessa Cai Zhao Ziwen,Vanessa Cai As the US considers taking military action over a crackdown on unrest in Iran, there has been no official response from either the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or Brics. Iran is a member of the two Beijing-backed forums for the Global South, and analysts said remaining silent on the situation could be damaging for them. But according to one expert, the Iran crisis could also lead to an expansion of security and strategic cooperation within the two blocs. US President Donald Trump has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339910/could-iran-crisis-push-global-south-blocs-deepen-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339910/could-iran-crisis-push-global-south-blocs-deepen-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:00:20 +0000 Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen China has “more to lose” compared with Venezuela if Iran’s rulers should fall, according to diplomatic observers, but it is expected to avoid direct intervention. The country is facing a wave of anti-government protests fuelled by economic hardship in which hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters are thought to have been killed. US President Donald Trump has said he was looking at “some very strong options” and this week announced a new set of tariffs targeting countries that maintained... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339777/why-china-may-not-act-iran-even-though-it-has-more-lose-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339777/why-china-may-not-act-iran-even-though-it-has-more-lose-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:00:11 +0000 Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen Liu Zhen,Zhao Ziwen The extreme precision of the US in its Venezuelan operation shows why nations must be able to execute a complex special surgical strike, according to analysts who said China had long pursued the capability but had yet to master it. In a complex joint endeavour integrating its air force, navy, intelligence agencies and space and cyber units, the US military’s elite Delta Force special mission unit completed its precision raid in Caracas – from infiltration to exfiltration – in less than three... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339503/could-china-execute-special-forces-operation-us-precision-maduro-abduction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339503/could-china-execute-special-forces-operation-us-precision-maduro-abduction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Trade, particularly in energy, is expected to dominate Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s talks in China next week as his country looks to reduce its economic reliance on the United States. Carney’s five-day trip starts on Tuesday and will be the first by a Canadian leader to China since 2017. Carney said on Wednesday that his trip was part of a broader effort to bolster Canada’s economic resilience. “We’re forging new partnerships around the world to transform our economy from one that has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339199/what-will-top-agenda-when-canadas-mark-carney-heads-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339199/what-will-top-agenda-when-canadas-mark-carney-heads-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen When Donald Trump alluded to the Group of Two before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, his choice of phrase was widely seen as Washington’s acceptance of Beijing as its peer. Diplomatic observers said the US leader’s terminology at the time was ill-suited for Beijing’s strategic calculus. And following America’s military operation in Venezuela, China would appear more likely to reject any talk of a G2, they added. Analysts also said Beijing would seize on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339070/us-venezuela-and-why-china-even-less-keen-talk-g2?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339070/us-venezuela-and-why-china-even-less-keen-talk-g2?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:56:03 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen The recent US strike against Venezuela is likely to deepen the Iranian leadership’s concerns about further intervention from Washington but analysts do not expect the leadership will be targeted directly in the same way as Nicolas Maduro. They pointed to the higher geopolitical stakes in the Middle East compared with Latin America and the greater role played by China, Russia and other countries. Before the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the leadership in Iran had already been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338933/why-iran-may-not-be-next-venezuela-despite-twin-threat-protests-and-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338933/why-iran-may-not-be-next-venezuela-despite-twin-threat-protests-and-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:02:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen After two US Navy aircraft crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other in October, analysts said there were lessons for the Chinese navy as it rapidly expands aircraft carrier operations. They said the People’s Liberation Army could learn from its rival’s strengths in search and rescue response, but also its weaknesses in maintenance and training. The US Navy said the aircraft – an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet – went down in separate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338480/us-navy-aircraft-crashes-offer-lessons-pla-carrier-operations-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338480/us-navy-aircraft-crashes-offer-lessons-pla-carrier-operations-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen President Xi Jinping issued a rallying cry for the country to double down on efforts to boost economic growth and technological advancement as he delivered his annual televised New Year’s speech on Wednesday. The call came as Beijing faces complicated geopolitical challenges while pushing for economic transition at home, with the coming years seen as critical to consolidating its position in its rivalry with Washington. Xi also mentioned Taiwan, describing the island’s reunification with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338333/new-years-speech-xi-urges-growth-and-vows-unstoppable-taiwan-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338333/new-years-speech-xi-urges-growth-and-vows-unstoppable-taiwan-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:59:21 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Saudi Arabia has pledged to boost investments in America to nearly US$1 trillion, but according to analysts Riyadh could struggle to meet that target. Rather, they said the pledge – announced when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Washington last month – was more about the “political display” than a binding commitment. It was an increase to the US$600 billion that was promised in May, when US President Donald Trump visited Riyadh. The latest pledge comes as the rivalry intensifies between... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337792/why-saudi-arabia-might-not-fulfil-its-us-spending-pledge-and-china-factor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337792/why-saudi-arabia-might-not-fulfil-its-us-spending-pledge-and-china-factor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 10:00:12 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Taiwan’s legislature passed a motion on Friday to start impeachment proceedings against the island’s leader, William Lai Ching-te. The Legislative Yuan voted 60 to 51 in favour of the motion that argued that the leader undermined the self-ruled island’s constitutional order and democracy. Lawmakers are expected to vote on impeachment on May 19, according to the legislature’s procedures. The impeachment motion came after Lai’s administration failed to enact an amendment passed by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337841/taiwans-lawmakers-vote-start-impeachment-process-against-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337841/taiwans-lawmakers-vote-start-impeachment-process-against-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:31:34 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Flight cancellations continue to disrupt travel between China and Japan heading into the holiday season amid deepening tensions between the two neighbours. Flights across 46 routes, including to popular tourism destinations, have been cancelled over the next two weeks, according to Flight Manager, an app developed by Shenzhen-based Huo Li Tian Hui Technology. A total of 38 airports across the two countries will be affected, the app shows. The widespread cancellations overlap with the New Year... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337360/holiday-travellers-hit-amid-china-japan-tension-flights-cancelled-46-routes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337360/holiday-travellers-hit-amid-china-japan-tension-flights-cancelled-46-routes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:41:15 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Donald Trump’s move labelling fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction” is unlikely to disrupt Sino-US relations, but it expands Washington’s China policy toolbox and could inject uncertainty in ties over the long term, according to analysts. On Monday, the American president signed an executive order designating illicit fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, as a weapon of mass destruction, calling the drug “closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic”. Without naming names, the order highlighted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336909/how-will-us-china-ties-fare-trump-calling-fentanyl-weapon-mass-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336909/how-will-us-china-ties-fare-trump-calling-fentanyl-weapon-mass-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Zhao Ziwen,Sylvie Zhuang Zhao Ziwen,Sylvie Zhuang TikTok may have dodged a US ban but unresolved questions about its algorithm could remain a source of tension in the broader US-China relationship, according to analysts. ByteDance, the parent company of the social media site, signed a binding agreement this week to divest its US entity into a joint venture controlled by a consortium of American investors, ending years of legal and political uncertainties. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in an internal memo on Thursday that the deal effectively... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337118/tiktok-seals-us-deal-core-algorithm-could-still-rattle-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337118/tiktok-seals-us-deal-core-algorithm-could-still-rattle-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:00:18 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China’s military build-up “could have a serious impact” on Japan’s security, Tokyo’s defence ministry has warned amid spiralling tensions with Beijing. Japan had closely monitored People’s Liberation Army (PLA) activities stretching across the first island chain, the ministry said in a report released on Thursday. “[China] is broadly and rapidly strengthening its military capabilities, centred on its maritime and air forces as well as its nuclear and missile forces ... Its active military... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337079/chinas-military-build-could-seriously-affect-japans-security-tokyo-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337079/chinas-military-build-could-seriously-affect-japans-security-tokyo-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:27:38 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Cambodia and Thailand have expressed willingness to de-escalate and cease fire following recent border clashes, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, also the country’s deputy prime minister, and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow made the comments in separate phone conversations with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday, according to the ministry. The Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers briefed Wang about the latest... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336944/china-sends-special-envoy-mediate-thailand-and-cambodia-exchange-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336944/china-sends-special-envoy-mediate-thailand-and-cambodia-exchange-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:55:11 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Saudi Arabia has pledged to deepen hi-tech cooperation with China in areas such as new energy and artificial intelligence (AI). “Saudi Arabia is willing to further deepen cooperation with China in areas including oil and gas, new energy, artificial intelligence and high technology, to bring greater benefits to the peoples of both countries,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The pledge comes at a time when the kingdom is facing growing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336508/china-and-saudi-arabia-pledge-deeper-hi-tech-cooperation-despite-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336508/china-and-saudi-arabia-pledge-deeper-hi-tech-cooperation-despite-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:15:21 +0000 Orange Wang,Zhao Ziwen Orange Wang,Zhao Ziwen The Trump administration is possibly facing a “dilemma” as tensions between China and Japan intensify, one Chinese analyst has suggested, while another noted that any breakthrough in the diplomatic dispute still hinged on direct engagement between the two Asian neighbours. This week, the downward spiral in ties between China and Japan showed no signs of easing. Beijing issued another travel warning targeting Japan on Thursday – less than four weeks after its previous advisory – this time citing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336106/china-japan-row-has-left-us-leader-donald-trump-facing-dilemma-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336106/china-japan-row-has-left-us-leader-donald-trump-facing-dilemma-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen New Zealand’s largest naval vessel was followed by seven Chinese warships in a deployment to East Asia last month, including a rare transit through the Taiwan Strait, according to the Pacific nation’s military. The HMNZS Aotearoa, a Polar-class replenishment vessel, was deployed to the East China and Yellow seas with allies, the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement on Monday. “During the operation, the ship was shadowed by seven different People’s Liberation Army (Navy) warships, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335768/7-chinese-warships-followed-our-navy-vessel-its-east-asia-mission-new-zealand-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335768/7-chinese-warships-followed-our-navy-vessel-its-east-asia-mission-new-zealand-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:59:04 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China’s deliveries of rare earths, semiconductors and other commodities to Germany dominated the talks between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Monday. “In all of these areas, there has been uncertainty, and that needs to be eliminated,” Wadephul said as he began a trip to China aimed at addressing Berlin’s trade and geopolitical concerns. According to Reuters, Beijing was far from being persuaded to grant general export licences for rare earth... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335643/german-foreign-minister-calls-end-uncertainty-chinese-rare-earths-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335643/german-foreign-minister-calls-end-uncertainty-chinese-rare-earths-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:50:36 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Mainland China’s coastguard has carried out its first-ever search and rescue exercise in a key section of the Taiwan Strait – one of the world’s most strategically vital and busiest waterways. The large-scale drills on Saturday centred around the Taiwan Shoal – a shallow, hazardous stretch in the southern end of the strait. The location underscored Beijing’s first operational presence in the vital choke point where global trade, military strategy and cross-strait politics converge. The Fujian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335527/chinese-coastguard-conducts-first-rescue-drill-taiwan-straits-strategic-choke-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335527/chinese-coastguard-conducts-first-rescue-drill-taiwan-straits-strategic-choke-point?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:18 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s trip to China this week signals a mutual desire to resume high-level dialogue amid mounting economic and geopolitical tensions, according to analysts. But they cautioned that the visit, which could lay the groundwork for a trip by Chancellor Friedrich Merz early next year, should be viewed as pragmatic management of a complex “systemic rivalry”, rather than a major reset in Beijing’s relations with Berlin or Brussels. For Germany, securing access to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335502/why-top-german-diplomats-china-trip-aims-manage-rivalry-wont-reset-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335502/why-top-german-diplomats-china-trip-aims-manage-rivalry-wont-reset-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:35 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China has carried out extensive upgrades to its surveillance and electronic warfare systems across its Spratly Islands outposts to improve its intelligence gathering in the South China Sea, according to an American think tank. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative under the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in a report on Tuesday that satellite images revealed new and upgraded radar sites, antenna fields and other reinforced electronic warfare... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335054/china-ramps-surveillance-equipment-spratly-islands-bases-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335054/china-ramps-surveillance-equipment-spratly-islands-bases-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen A diplomatic clash between China and Japan over recent remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is heating up at the United Nations. Chinese ambassador Fu Cong has sent a second letter to Secretary General Antonio Guterres, describing Takaichi’s comments over Taiwan as the “greatest challenge” to bilateral ties and urging Tokyo to retract them. Fu’s message on Monday was issued in response to his Japanese counterpart, Kazuyuki Yamazaki, who last week accused Beijing of “stifling” bilateral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334892/china-japan-row-widens-un-taiwan-remarks-called-greatest-challenge-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334892/china-japan-row-widens-un-taiwan-remarks-called-greatest-challenge-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:03:11 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China pledged to “actively consider” helping Syria with post-war reconstruction when its new foreign minister visited Beijing earlier this month. But analysts said the two sides needed to first overcome the major hurdle of militant groups linked to China’s Xinjiang region integrated into the Syrian armed forces. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on November 17 that the two sides should gradually resume exchanges, adding that Beijing would consider helping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334559/why-xinjiang-casts-long-shadow-over-china-and-syrias-efforts-build-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334559/why-xinjiang-casts-long-shadow-over-china-and-syrias-efforts-build-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Hong Kong residents and businesses have been rushing to snap up safety equipment following the city’s worst fire in decades, which killed 128 and injured 79. The blaze broke out on Wednesday in seven of eight residential buildings of Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district, with the blaze largely put out by Friday. The fire spread rapidly across the buildings, which were covered with scaffolding mesh and windows covered with polystyrene foam boards. Vendors of fire equipment said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334504/hongkongers-snap-fire-safety-equipment-tai-po-blaze-death-toll-climbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334504/hongkongers-snap-fire-safety-equipment-tai-po-blaze-death-toll-climbs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 07:56:06 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen India earlier this month inaugurated a high-altitude airbase near its disputed border with China, prompting analysts to suggest that the development capped long-term efforts to upgrade infrastructure there rather than posing a threat to Beijing. According to reports from multiple media outlets, the Mudh-Nyoma Air Force Station is perched at a height of about 13,700 feet (4,176 metres) and is only 30km (19 miles) from the Line of Actual Control, the de facto boundary separating India and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333815/indias-new-airbase-china-border-infrastructure-upgrade-not-threat-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333815/indias-new-airbase-china-border-infrastructure-upgrade-not-threat-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 04:00:11 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China will “actively consider” helping Syria’s post-war reconstruction, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, as he called for the two countries to get relations back on track. Wang made the comments in a meeting on Monday with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani, who was making his first trip to Beijing since the downfall of Bashar al-Assad last year. Wang also urged the new government to act against Uygur militant groups that have been linked to the fight against Assad. At Beijing’s request,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333127/china-looks-get-relations-syria-back-track-after-assads-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333127/china-looks-get-relations-syria-back-track-after-assads-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:19:54 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen A new defence pact between Tokyo and Manila allows the Japanese military to deploy in the Philippines for the first time since World War II – with the goal of deterring Beijing in the South China Sea. Analysts said the “quasi-security alliance” – which took effect in September and is known as a reciprocal access agreement – could harden Manila’s stance in the contested waters, and that other US allies in the region could follow suit. Ding Duo, an associate research fellow at the National... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332807/how-japan-philippines-defence-pact-could-become-template-deter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332807/how-japan-philippines-defence-pact-could-become-template-deter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen The tone was “constructive” at the US-China leaders’ summit but the two powers remain at odds on key issues – and that will not change unless Washington changes its approach, a former American diplomat said. David Firestein, inaugural president and CEO of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations, said American policy must be grounded on a better understanding of China. And he said Washington needed “smarter policies that work better for the American people”. In a speech at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332747/us-needs-better-understanding-china-shift-dial-former-diplomat-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332747/us-needs-better-understanding-china-shift-dial-former-diplomat-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:00:13 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Five Chinese nationals were killed and eight others injured in a car crash in Bali, according to China’s consulate on the Indonesian island on Friday. The accident happened in northern Bali’s Buleleng regency, the consulate said in a statement. The Indonesian driver sustained minor injuries, it added. The 13 Chinese citizens were travelling in a minibus to Bali’s northern side when the driver lost control of the vehicle, veering off the road into a garden and striking a tree, according to Ida... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332851/5-chinese-nationals-killed-8-others-injured-bali-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332851/5-chinese-nationals-killed-8-others-injured-bali-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:45:39 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to increase imports from Spain and deepen trade collaboration with Madrid in Latin America, amid rising tensions with Europe. Xi made the pledge during a meeting with Spain’s King Felipe in Beijing on Wednesday. “China is willing to import more high-quality products from Spain, explore cooperation potential in emerging fields such as new energy, the digital economy and artificial intelligence, expand mutual investment, and create more landmark projects,” Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332474/xi-jinping-vows-boost-imports-spain-and-deepen-ties-talks-king-felipe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332474/xi-jinping-vows-boost-imports-spain-and-deepen-ties-talks-king-felipe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:00:18 +0000 Josh Ball,Ada Li,Harvey Kong,Zhao Ziwen,Wynna Wong Josh Ball,Ada Li,Harvey Kong,Zhao Ziwen,Wynna Wong President Xi Jinping opened China’s 15th National Games in Guangzhou on Sunday, on a night filled with symbolism and heavy on emphasising the role the Greater Bay Area will play in the country’s future. As might be expected from an opening ceremony at a major sporting occasion in China, there was a stunning mix of old and new on display, with water at its centre and fire at its end. Hong Kong, co-hosting for the first time in its history, was well represented too, not just by its athletes and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3332118/stunning-mix-old-and-new-show-national-games-officially-opened-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3332118/stunning-mix-old-and-new-show-national-games-officially-opened-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 16:23:54 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China will soon start flight tests of the Long March-10, the rocket designed to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, according to its developer. Rong Yi, a rocket expert with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), said in a social media post on Friday that the development of the new-generation crewed launch rocket was accelerating. “There have been breakthroughs in key technologies, and demonstration verification flights are about to be conducted to support the crewed lunar... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332110/china-counts-down-long-march-10-test-flights-race-back-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332110/china-counts-down-long-march-10-test-flights-race-back-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 13:00:15 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen President Xi Jinping reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to Moscow, saying it was a “strategic choice” to strengthen ties, during a meeting with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday. Xi told Mishustin that China-Russia ties were advancing with steady determination “despite the turbulent and challenging external environment”, according to state news agency Xinhua. “Safeguarding, consolidating and advancing the relationship is a strategic choice for both sides,” Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331475/xi-calls-it-strategic-choice-deepen-ties-meeting-russian-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331475/xi-calls-it-strategic-choice-deepen-ties-meeting-russian-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:04:07 +0000 Meredith Chen,Zhao Ziwen,Fan Chen Meredith Chen,Zhao Ziwen,Fan Chen US President Donald Trump hailed his high-stakes meeting on Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “great success”, marked by progress on thorny trade issues. Trump agreed to reduce America’s fentanyl-related tariffs on China by 10 percentage points and cut the overall tariff rate on Chinese imports from 57 per cent to 47 per cent. For its part, Beijing will resume buying US farm products, including soybeans, and delay by one year the implementation of its most sweeping export controls on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331093/how-are-leading-western-think-tanks-unboxing-xi-trump-summit-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331093/how-are-leading-western-think-tanks-unboxing-xi-trump-summit-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:40:56 +0000