https://www.scmp.com/rss/511923/feed Lucy Quaggin is a New York City-based correspondent for the Post. She joined the Post as a digital production editor in 2021. Prior to this, she was a front page editor at Australia’s 7NEWS.com.au, and has worked across a number of newsrooms including HuffPost Australia, Sky News and ABC News 24 in Sydney, and Global Radio in London. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Yuanyue Dang,Lucy Quaggin Yuanyue Dang,Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had postponed the signing of a planned executive order on regulating artificial intelligence (AI), out of concern that it might undermine America’s leading position over China in the field. “We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. The signing ceremony, which was originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, was delayed... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3354431/trump-scraps-signing-ai-executive-order-keep-lead-over-china-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3354431/trump-scraps-signing-ai-executive-order-keep-lead-over-china-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 19:47:03 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump said his administration’s negotiations with Iran were “in the final stages” on Wednesday, while simultaneously warning of further attacks, as a fragile ceasefire concluded its sixth week with no sign of an end to the war. The US launched “Operation Epic Fury” close to three months ago, in a war that began with strikes inside Iran alongside key ally Israel, which has since spread across the wider Middle East region, killing thousands and disrupting global supply... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3354291/trump-says-iran-talks-are-nearing-end-warns-more-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3354291/trump-says-iran-talks-are-nearing-end-warns-more-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 21:57:00 +0000 Mark Magnier,Teresa Elena Frontado,Dewey Sim,Lucy Quaggin Mark Magnier,Teresa Elena Frontado,Dewey Sim,Lucy Quaggin As US President Donald Trump landed back in Washington on Friday after his two-day summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a quick US assessment on one of the most consequential diplomatic visits of Trump’s presidency was: impressive optics, trademark flawless Chinese hosting, but disappointing concrete achievements, according to analysts, industry trade groups and former US officials. “The economic deliverables coming out of the Trump-Xi meeting are way below expectations. In light... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353782/trump-leaves-china-after-much-pomp-and-pageantry-little-show-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353782/trump-leaves-china-after-much-pomp-and-pageantry-little-show-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 22:50:39 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping offered to help broker an end to the Iran conflict and ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring how Middle East tensions have become intertwined with a broader effort by Washington and Beijing to steady relations. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity set to air on Thursday evening in the US, Trump said Xi had personally expressed willingness to assist amid mounting concerns over disruptions in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3353610/trump-says-xi-offered-help-iran-china-seeks-keep-hormuz-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3353610/trump-says-xi-offered-help-iran-china-seeks-keep-hormuz-open?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 17:28:41 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The United States announced on Tuesday that it would send a delegation to the second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and related meetings in China this month, just hours after US President Donald Trump departed for Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The US delegation will head to Shanghai and Suzhou from May 11 to 24 to “continue advancing ‘America first’ foreign, trade, and investment policies,” according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353339/us-confirms-delegation-apec-meeting-china-hours-after-trump-sets-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353339/us-confirms-delegation-apec-meeting-china-hours-after-trump-sets-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 23:22:51 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump is expected to be accompanied by more than a dozen business leaders, including Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk and Tim Cook of Apple, during his trip to China this week. The White House on Monday released the list of executives set to travel to China alongside Musk and Cook, including Larry Fink of BlackRock, Kelly Ortberg of Boeing, Dina Powell McCormick of Meta and Ryan McInerney of Visa. The delegation spans key industries, including aviation, technology, banking and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3353199/trump-heads-china-musk-cook-and-top-ceos-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3353199/trump-heads-china-musk-cook-and-top-ceos-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:49:13 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump’s coming visit to China is being closely watched by business leaders, policymakers and Chinese-American groups hoping for signs that Washington and Beijing can stabilise one of the world’s most consequential relationships, even as expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited. The trip comes against the backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing war involving Iran and disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as continued friction... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353195/trumps-china-visit-watched-us-signs-stability-and-tangible-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353195/trumps-china-visit-watched-us-signs-stability-and-tangible-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 20:23:01 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a prisoner exchange following US-mediated talks, saying negotiations to end the war were continuing and “we are getting closer and closer every day”. “I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump posted on social media. “The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day, but likewise in Ukraine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352962/trump-announces-three-day-ceasefire-between-russia-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352962/trump-announces-three-day-ceasefire-between-russia-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 20:24:39 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin At a New York City ballroom late last month, a crowd of hi-tech luminaries gathered at an honours ceremony. The biggest draw for the assembled tech geniuses was Nvidia founder Jensen Huang, the superstar head of one of the world’s most valuable companies, set to receive the night’s top award. In some ways, engineers have been at the centre of every industrial revolution, Huang told the crowd, from steam to electricity to information technology. But this one, artificial intelligence (AI), will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352950/china-and-us-ai-revolution-race-tech-rivals-battle-global-supremacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352950/china-and-us-ai-revolution-race-tech-rivals-battle-global-supremacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 14:01:56 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Dewey Sim Lucy Quaggin,Dewey Sim US President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected suggestions that China has challenged his administration over the Iran war, highlighting his “very good relationship” with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping ahead of their planned summit next week. Speaking at a White House fitness event, Trump told reporters that when it comes to Iran, “we haven’t been challenged by China. They don’t challenge us,” adding that Xi “wouldn’t do that – I don’t think he’d do that because of me”. Iran is set to be on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352542/trump-dismisses-china-friction-over-iran-war-touts-xi-ties-beijing-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352542/trump-dismisses-china-friction-over-iran-war-touts-xi-ties-beijing-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 19:45:29 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin China is the United States’ “most consequential threat and competitor in space”, leveraging its capabilities “as a tool of diplomacy and influence”, US lawmakers were told at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as the two countries’ race to the moon intensifies. The US and China are locked in a high-stakes space race, with both nations aiming to put astronauts on the moon in the coming years. While China has set a 2030 target for its first crewed lunar landing, the US’ Artemis programme aims... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351922/us-lawmakers-warn-china-top-space-rival-race-moon-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351922/us-lawmakers-warn-china-top-space-rival-race-moon-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:30:18 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Over 70 Democrats on Tuesday urged US President Donald Trump to keep Chinese carmakers out of America, warning of “irreversible” consequences, just weeks ahead of his high-stakes trip to Beijing to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping. “We must not cede the American auto industry to a strategic competitor intent on global dominance,” a letter, signed by 73 House Democrats led by US Representative Debbie Dingell, said. “The consequences for American workers, our supply chains, our national... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351765/democrats-urge-trump-keep-ban-chinese-cars-us-xi-meeting-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351765/democrats-urge-trump-keep-ban-chinese-cars-us-xi-meeting-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:42:13 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Yoyo Yue has spent much of her life navigating the complex US immigration system. The 31-year-old Chinese content creator moved from China to a US boarding school, went to university, secured an H-1B visa and later a “green card” – a path long considered the “gold standard” for skilled foreign workers. Now, she said, that path felt far less certain. “The H-1B path today comes with significant uncertainty, not just around job stability, but also around long-term prospects,” Yue said. US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351544/why-tougher-us-visa-rules-skilled-foreign-workers-may-end-exodus-asia-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351544/why-tougher-us-visa-rules-skilled-foreign-workers-may-end-exodus-asia-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US visa system rolls out the “red carpet” for spies and aids China’s alleged efforts to steal American innovation, senators charged at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as Washington and Beijing intensify competition for dominance in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. Through its permissive legal channels, the US is “inviting, welcoming, come on in with the red carpet rolled out” people who steal military and commercial secrets, Republican Senator Ashley Moody of Florida... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:37:28 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin A Chinese university student has been charged with unauthorised photography of US military aircraft in Nebraska during a road trip through several states, which included a stop at an air force base in South Dakota. Tianrui Liang, who is studying in Glasgow, was arrested at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport on April 7 as he attempted to return to Scotland, court documents filed in the Eastern District of New York revealed. The 21-year-old has been charged with photographing defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350933/chinese-college-student-charged-illegally-taking-photos-us-military-planes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350933/chinese-college-student-charged-illegally-taking-photos-us-military-planes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:30:56 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin At a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, lawmakers and experts accused China of buying “what they can” and stealing “what they cannot” in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, while warning the United States’ immigration and research policies could be hindering innovation necessary to stay ahead. “The pattern is clear. China is dependent on our tech stack to continue their AI development. China is willing to buy what they can, and steal what they cannot, to advance their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:26:36 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin American views on China have softened ahead of a high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in May, with positive sentiment nearly doubling since 2023, a survey by the Pew Research Centre has found. While a significant majority of Americans still regard China as a competitor to the US rather than a partner, fewer call the world’s second largest economy an adversary than in 2025, according to the survey, which was released on Tuesday. “Today, 27... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350109/trump-will-head-beijing-amid-warming-trend-sentiment-about-china-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350109/trump-will-head-beijing-amid-warming-trend-sentiment-about-china-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin,Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin,Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado The United States began a naval blockade on Iranian ports on Monday after US-Iran peace talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz failed over the weekend, but questions persist over how fully the measures can be enforced and what they will mean in practice. Despite concerns of escalation, Pakistan, which has acted as mediator in the peace negotiations, continued efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict, including a phone call with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to support the fragile ceasefire and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349946/us-moves-block-iranian-ports-iran-threatens-retaliatory-strikes-gulf-shipping-hubs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349946/us-moves-block-iranian-ports-iran-threatens-retaliatory-strikes-gulf-shipping-hubs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:17:19 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US first lady Melania Trump on Thursday rejected what she called “lies” about her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a rare White House address where she also called on Congress to hold public hearings for his victims. The first lady denied having ties to Epstein or knowledge of his crimes in a brief but strongly worded statement, saying the “lies” linking her to the disgraced financier “need to end today”. “I am not ‌Epstein’s victim,” said Melania Trump, while also... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349570/melania-trump-denies-any-ties-epstein-or-knowledge-his-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349570/melania-trump-denies-any-ties-epstein-or-knowledge-his-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:09:47 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Six years ago, Chinese-American playwright Alex Lin was pursuing a career in tech, doing what she called “the stable thing” and promising herself she’d write when there was more time. The pandemic gave her that time – and with it the chance to change lanes. Success came relatively quickly. In the past year alone, she premiered not one but two plays off-Broadway in New York City and landed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which highlights people who are making a significant impact in their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349568/chinese-american-playwright-alex-lin-channels-family-tensions-breakout-new-york-works?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349568/chinese-american-playwright-alex-lin-channels-family-tensions-breakout-new-york-works?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:03:24 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin Khushboo Razdan,Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin Control of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the central fault line in US-Iran negotiations, with US President Donald Trump appearing to recast an earlier off-the-cuff idea into a more formal proposal that seeks to bridge Tehran’s push for dominance and Washington’s insistence on open passage. Following his Tuesday announcement of a two-week ceasefire, Trump on Wednesday told the American Broadcasting Company that his administration may seek a “joint venture” with Iran to safeguard the global... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349436/strait-hormuz-trump-iran-joint-venture-really-possible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349436/strait-hormuz-trump-iran-joint-venture-really-possible?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:02:48 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a ceasefire agreement with the United States brokered by Pakistan, as the two sides also agreed to start negotiations in Islamabad on Friday for a peace deal. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would pause its bombing campaign in Iran for two weeks, calling it a “double-sided ceasefire” requested by Pakistani mediators in a last-minute bid to create space for diplomacy. In a social media post, Trump said the suspension of military action was... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:28:16 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump has claimed that ordinary Iranians were urging the US to keep bombing their own country in pursuit of “freedom”, as he renewed his warning of sweeping strikes on Iran’s critical infrastructure if negotiations fail ahead of his Tuesday deadline. Sounding triumphant after what he described as a “dangerous” operation to rescue a wounded American pilot from deep inside Iran, Trump on Monday warned that Iran could be “taken out in a night”, saying US forces had the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349195/trump-hails-iran-rescue-warns-strikes-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349195/trump-hails-iran-rescue-warns-strikes-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:41:37 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin China has emerged as a focal point in the debate over US birthright citizenship, as the nation’s Supreme Court appeared sceptical of oral arguments on Wednesday in a landmark case driven by President Donald Trump’s push to restrict the practice. Birthright citizenship “has spawned a sprawling industry of birth tourism”, said Solicitor General D. John Sauer, Trump’s top litigator, in his opening remarks before the highest court in the country. “Uncounted thousands of foreigners from potentially... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348722/china-targeted-birthright-citizenship-debate-supreme-court-justices-sceptical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348722/china-targeted-birthright-citizenship-debate-supreme-court-justices-sceptical?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 21:21:48 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday on birthright citizenship, with Chinese nationals at the centre of disputed claims of abuse amplified by US President Donald Trump’s immigration campaign. “Birthright Citizenship is not about rich people from China, and the rest of the World, who want their children, and hundreds of thousands more, FOR PAY, to ridiculously become citizens of the United States of America. It is about the BABIES OF SLAVES!” Trump wrote on social media on... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348460/born-usa-china-targeted-americas-birthright-citizenship-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348460/born-usa-china-targeted-americas-birthright-citizenship-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:55:09 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin In two different cases on Wednesday, United States authorities charged Chinese nationals with offences ranging from conspiring to smuggle advanced AI chips to China to drug trafficking and money laundering. The cases came on the same day US President Donald Trump announced new mid-May dates for his highly anticipated summit with China. The developments come as the two countries continue to compete over global leadership in artificial intelligence, and as Washington continues to accuse Beijing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347923/chinese-nationals-companies-charged-us-smuggling-ai-chips-and-drug-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347923/chinese-nationals-companies-charged-us-smuggling-ai-chips-and-drug-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:50:59 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Washington’s China policy lacks strategy, coherence and a clear framework in US President Donald Trump’s second term, mirroring his first, according to a former senior official in the Joe Biden administration. Former Biden officials, speaking at a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace event on Tuesday, said there was little evidence of systemic policy when they assumed power in early 2021, after Trump’s first term, a pattern that appeared to be repeating itself. “There were themes about how... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347772/trumps-china-policy-lacks-strategy-and-coherence-former-biden-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347772/trumps-china-policy-lacks-strategy-and-coherence-former-biden-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin China’s strategy of promoting open artificial intelligence (AI) models and leveraging manufacturing dominance is “mutually reinforcing”, forming a feedback loop that could challenge US dominance in AI, according to a new report by a US congressional advisory body. “It is the intersection of these two loops – one digital, one physical – that gives China’s open strategy its compounding force and poses the most serious long-term challenge to US AI leadership,” the United States-China Economic and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347645/us-panel-credits-chinas-ai-edge-open-source-models-manufacturing-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3347645/us-panel-credits-chinas-ai-edge-open-source-models-manufacturing-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:34:03 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin In 2012, American Jesse Appell stepped off a plane in China on a Fulbright scholarship to study an unusual subject: the art of Chinese comedy. Over the next few years, Appell, then in his 20s, found himself telling jokes in clubs across China, studying traditional comedy under a master, and even appearing on television. The country’s comedy scene and cultural footprint expanded in ways he could not have predicted – and Appell was along for the ride. “There were so many opportunities to be a part... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347393/fulbright-scholar-xiangsheng-comic-how-jesse-appell-found-his-voice-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347393/fulbright-scholar-xiangsheng-comic-how-jesse-appell-found-his-voice-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:56:37 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Beijing’s global pharmaceutical push is following a playbook seen in rare earths, semiconductors and electric vehicles, US lawmakers said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the United States’ reliance on Chinese drug ingredients. “China is cornering the market on our medicines – from the supply of generic drugs that Americans depend on every day, to the cutting-edge biotech pipeline that will determine who leads medicine in the years and decades ahead,” said John Moolenaar, the chair of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:33:43 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Fan Chen Lucy Quaggin,Fan Chen US President Donald Trump has said a planned meeting with his counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing would be delayed by at least “five or six weeks”, as China noted the two sides would remain in communication about the visit. “We’re working with China. They were fine with it … I look forward to seeing President Xi. He looks forward to seeing me, I think,” the American leader told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not confirm Trump’s timeline. “China and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346937/trump-confirms-delay-beijing-meeting-xi-amid-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346937/trump-confirms-delay-beijing-meeting-xi-amid-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:19:15 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged other nations, including China, to deploy ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies disrupted by the war in the Middle East. “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346628/iran-war-trump-urges-china-other-nations-send-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346628/iran-war-trump-urges-china-other-nations-send-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 16:37:02 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen Iran’s new supreme leader has vowed to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases and avenge the blood of its martyrs in his first statement since succeeding his father. US President Donald Trump responded with an insult and threat soon after. “The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used,” Mojtaba Khamenei said about the strategic waterway, which carries about a fifth of global oil shipments. Khamenei urged Iran’s Gulf neighbours to close US military bases in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346408/irans-mojtaba-khamenei-tells-gulf-nations-close-us-bases-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346408/irans-mojtaba-khamenei-tells-gulf-nations-close-us-bases-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:05:21 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado Xinmei Shen,Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado US Central Command (CENTCOM) has urged civilians to keep clear of all port facilities in Iran, an announcement that drew a warning from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of Gulf-wide retaliatory strikes if those sites are targeted. On Wednesday, CENTCOM said that the Iran was using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz to conduct military operations, which would make the ports legitimate military targets under international law. Civilians should immediately avoid all port facilities, and Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346273/us-military-warns-civilians-avoid-port-facilities-used-iranian-navy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346273/us-military-warns-civilians-avoid-port-facilities-used-iranian-navy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:42:52 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen US President Donald Trump warned Iran against laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday as the US unleashed some of the heaviest strikes of the war so far. Tensions over the critical shipping lane continued to escalate amid soaring global oil prices, with the US claiming it had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels. Trump said that the US was using the same technology and missile capabilities deployed against drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean to “permanently... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346147/hegseth-says-tuesday-will-be-most-intense-us-war-iran-trump-considers-endgame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346147/hegseth-says-tuesday-will-be-most-intense-us-war-iran-trump-considers-endgame?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:51:47 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that American military objectives in Iran were nearly complete and the conflict could be nearing an end - a declaration met with a defiant vow from Tehran that the war would end on its own terms. Speaking at a news conference in Florida on the same day he discussed the war in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed the US was “achieving major strides towards completing our military objective”, adding that “some people could say... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346023/trump-and-putin-discuss-quick-ending-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346023/trump-and-putin-discuss-quick-ending-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:21:18 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen US President Donald Trump called on Iran’s armed forces on Thursday to surrender or face the consequences and urged the nation’s diplomats to request asylum at their postings around the world. “I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police, to lay down their arms,” Trump said. “So you’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death, and I don’t want to see that.” Speaking at the White House at a sports... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:14:18 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Lucy Quaggin Xinmei Shen,Lucy Quaggin A bipartisan resolution that would block US President Donald Trump from launching further strikes on Iran failed to pass the Senate floor on Wednesday, as the Pentagon pledged to “accelerate” its actions in a war that’s “just getting started”. In a 52-47 procedural vote on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate blocked a war powers resolution aimed at curbing Trump’s ability to escalate military action against Iran, preventing the measure from reaching the floor for debate. The resolution... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345487/us-senate-rejects-bid-curb-trumps-iran-war-powers-pentagon-set-increase-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345487/us-senate-rejects-bid-curb-trumps-iran-war-powers-pentagon-set-increase-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:42:10 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin As China and the United States compete to shape the future of artificial intelligence, Africa’s rapidly expanding digital landscape is emerging as a new arena for their rivalry, far from the technology hubs of Silicon Valley or Shenzhen. With a growing population, expanding internet access and linguistic diversity, Africa is increasingly seen as a critical region for AI development, according to analysts. Early infrastructure and platform decisions can shape the future of emerging technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:10:11 +0000 Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen,Finbarr Bermingham,Lucy Quaggin Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen,Finbarr Bermingham,Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump used a White House meeting with the German Chancellor on Tuesday to blast European allies, praise China, waffle on tariffs and argue that the attack he launched against Iran prevented a nuclear war. Attended by Vice-President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House, Trump told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that his order to attack Iran even as negotiations were under way was justified. “If we didn’t do what... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345327/trump-says-hell-cut-trade-spain-over-iran-war-stance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345327/trump-says-hell-cut-trade-spain-over-iran-war-stance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:25:20 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda sharpens and, in some ways, reshapes Washington’s approach to Beijing, blending enforcement with a new emphasis on “managed” trade between the world’s two largest economies. United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer delivered the 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report to Congress on Monday, highlighting a significant shift in the US-China trade relationship. Managing trade with China for “reciprocity and balance” is one... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3345191/trumps-2026-trade-agenda-sharpens-push-managed-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3345191/trumps-2026-trade-agenda-sharpens-push-managed-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:45:28 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado,Mark Magnier Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado,Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump said on Monday that US forces would press ahead with “ferocious, unyielding resolve” to “eliminate the intolerable threat posed by this sick and sinister regime” in Iran, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that “the hardest hits are yet to come”. “We projected for four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go longer than that,” Trump said, adding: “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projection”. In his speech on Monday at a White House... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345185/iran-strikes-day-3-trump-says-iran-operation-will-continue-5-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345185/iran-strikes-day-3-trump-says-iran-operation-will-continue-5-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:29:12 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado,Wendy Wu,Laura Zhou,Zhuang Pinghui Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado,Wendy Wu,Laura Zhou,Zhuang Pinghui Iran has confirmed the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US and Israeli air strikes on the weekend, raising questions for the next leader of a country in a region bracing for further attacks. US President Donald Trump called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” and said the strikes delivered justice for Iranians, Americans and others “killed or mutilated” by him. As the US and Israeli attacks on Iran entered a second day, Tehran declared a seven-day public... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3344994/global-powers-divided-china-expresses-deep-concern-over-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3344994/global-powers-divided-china-expresses-deep-concern-over-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:48:19 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin United States first lady Melania Trump is set to chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York on Monday, the White House announced, marking the first time a spouse of a serving world leader has done so. “First lady Melania Trump is set to make history at the United Nations, taking the gavel as the United States assumes the Security Council Presidency to emphasise education’s role in advancing tolerance and world peace,” the White House said. The US assumes a monthly... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3344794/melania-trump-preside-over-un-security-council-meeting-white-house-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3344794/melania-trump-preside-over-un-security-council-meeting-white-house-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:34:42 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin Just hours apart on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, two congressional hearings laid bare the United States’ calibrated yet deeply sceptical approach to China, with senior officials stressing the pursuit of stable ties without trust and highlighting alleged Chinese efforts to steal or circumvent US technology restrictions. The officials’ appearances before Congress reflected bipartisan concern and underscored persistent tensions over trade and advanced technologies such as semiconductors, ahead of US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344521/us-seeks-healthy-trade-relations-china-does-not-trust-it-lawmakers-clarify?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344521/us-seeks-healthy-trade-relations-china-does-not-trust-it-lawmakers-clarify?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:40 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Bochen Han,Xinmei Shen,Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier Khushboo Razdan,Bochen Han,Xinmei Shen,Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier In a consequential decision with billions of dollars on the line, the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower-court ruling striking down President Donald Trump’s tariffs, coming just as the White House confirmed his visit to Beijing from March 31 to April 2. The South China Morning Post had exclusively reported the trip dates last week. By invalidating tariffs imposed under emergency presidential powers, the decision removes a powerful tool the White House had used to pressure Beijing,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3344180/us-supreme-court-rules-trumps-tariffs-unlawful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3344180/us-supreme-court-rules-trumps-tariffs-unlawful?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:06:49 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin They are young, intensely competitive, and unapologetic about 80-hour work weeks. Welcome to the United States’ new generation of tech founders. Gen Z’s start-up class is reframing “millennial hustle culture” by shifting from side gigs and personal branding to a more rigid office grind, while looking to China for inspiration. It’s for this reason that US artificial intelligence start-ups are openly embracing 996, the controversial 9am to 9pm, six-day-a-week schedule popularised by Chinese tech... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344052/996-goes-west-us-ai-start-ups-adopt-china-techs-controversial-work-schedule-get-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344052/996-goes-west-us-ai-start-ups-adopt-china-techs-controversial-work-schedule-get-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Lunar New Year wasn’t always on LuLu Grant’s radar. Adopted at two from Fuzhou, China and raised in the US state of Washington, Grant decided to cut her birth country out of her life at a young age. Decades later, she would celebrate Spring Festival alongside her birth family with a complex array of feelings about her two worlds. “People think that finding your birth family is so joyous, and part of it is, but it’s also very sad and very difficult,” she said, adding that “it’s not how I wish it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344038/born-china-raised-us-adoptees-explore-meaning-identity-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344038/born-china-raised-us-adoptees-explore-meaning-identity-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:03:35 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Wednesday that it would rescind a rule rewarding electric vehicle production – eliminating the so-called “fuel content factor” – the latest in a series of actions rolling back federal support for EVs that analysts say could leave the US further behind in a global race increasingly shifting in China’s favour. The move comes as the US struggles to compete with China’s rapid growth in the EV sector, marking another setback for America’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343942/does-trumps-retreat-electric-vehicle-policy-risk-ceding-ground-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343942/does-trumps-retreat-electric-vehicle-policy-risk-ceding-ground-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:12:50 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen The CIA released a provocative recruitment video on Thursday targeting Chinese military officers, a move that exposes the underlying tensions threatening a fragile calm in US-China relations ahead of April’s highly anticipated meeting between the two countries’ leaders. The release of the recruitment video comes on the same day US President Donald Trump boasted about his “very good relationship” with China. It is likely to draw the ire of Beijing in the lead-up to the key diplomatic meeting with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343381/cia-post-new-video-recruit-chinese-military-officers-informants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343381/cia-post-new-video-recruit-chinese-military-officers-informants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:39:09 +0000