https://www.scmp.com/rss/513032/feed Khushboo Razdan is a senior correspondent based in Washington. Prior to this, she worked for the Post in New York. Before joining the team, she worked as a multimedia journalist in Beijing and New Delhi for over a decade. She is a graduate of the Columbia Journalism School. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan When Marco Rubio was confirmed as US Secretary of State last year, fireworks of optimism went off in New Delhi. Given his years as a senator championing a pro-India, staunchly anti-China posture, policymakers anticipated an unprecedented alignment. However, as Rubio arrives in India on Saturday for a four-day visit spanning Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi, he enters a relationship strained by transactional politics, structural deadlock and mounting strategic unease over Washington’s recent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354590/rubio-expected-brief-new-delhi-xi-trump-summit-during-india-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354590/rubio-expected-brief-new-delhi-xi-trump-summit-during-india-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 19:41:40 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Chinese solar exports surged in March, doubling to a record high as demand accelerated across dozens of markets, according to a new report. The spike comes as global energy systems react to renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US. The Persian Gulf shipping corridor, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas flows, has become a focal pressure point amid escalating tensions that began on February 28 with US-Israel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351938/crisis-surge-or-lasting-shift-chinas-solar-exports-double-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351938/crisis-surge-or-lasting-shift-chinas-solar-exports-double-month?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:08:29 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Following high-level mediation efforts in Islamabad over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday. The diplomatic surge comes as US President Donald Trump convened his senior national security team to evaluate a fresh Iranian peace proposal, delivered via Pakistan, aimed at ending the months-long Middle East crisis and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The White House confirmed the proposal called... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:18:25 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Holly Chik Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Holly Chik US President Donald Trump is sending special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with “representatives from the Iranian delegation” this weekend, the White House confirmed on Friday. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Trump-friendly Fox News that the “America first” president will be “dispatching” the duo “tomorrow morning to engage in direct talks” and “hear the Iranians out”. Though she did not mention who would be representing Tehran, Pakistan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351355/irans-foreign-minister-expected-pakistan-raising-hopes-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351355/irans-foreign-minister-expected-pakistan-raising-hopes-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:39:19 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s close ally, Senator Steve Daines, will lead a bipartisan delegation to China next week, according to sources, even as Washington steps up pressure on Beijing over trade, technological competition, and its ties to Iran, ahead of a closely watched leaders’ summit on May 14-15. According to people familiar who requested anonymity, the five-member delegation led by Daines, a Republican from Montana, will begin its visit on May 1, with stops in Shanghai and Beijing. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351219/trump-ally-visit-china-us-turns-pressure-may-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351219/trump-ally-visit-china-us-turns-pressure-may-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:18:18 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sought to quell fears in Senate testimony on Wednesday that American technology was aiding China’s military, but drew scepticism given the US president’s willingness to sell advanced semiconductors. Lutnick asserted before the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee that US President Donald Trump was striking a “delicate balance” on the technology transfer issue given his cordial personal relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, claiming that China had... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3351059/china-bought-zero-h200-chips-today-says-lutnick-he-cites-delicate-balance-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3351059/china-bought-zero-h200-chips-today-says-lutnick-he-cites-delicate-balance-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:46:17 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute extension of the ceasefire with Iran following a request from Pakistan’s top leadership, even as he appeared to suggest that American forces had intercepted a potentially lethal “gift from China” to Tehran. Describing the Iranian government as “seriously fractured”, Trump said on social media that he agreed to hold off military operations against Iran at the behest of Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Trump added... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350915/us-forces-intercepted-gift-china-iran-donald-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350915/us-forces-intercepted-gift-china-iran-donald-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:54:30 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan For Tim Avanzato and the team at Lanca Sales, Monday marked the start of a high-stakes digital scramble to recover tariffs paid after US President Donald Trump imposed steep duties on almost all imports, including from China, last year. While the New Jersey-based company that imports and exports food packaging has become accustomed to operating under tariffs and adjusting its business around them, Avanzato, who handles global trade and logistics at the firm, said the refund process has... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350794/us-firms-dash-recover-tariffs-paid-chinese-imports-refund-system-launches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350794/us-firms-dash-recover-tariffs-paid-chinese-imports-refund-system-launches?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:11:14 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan In a defiant display of “America first” brinkmanship, Washington’s top trade negotiator on Thursday sought additional funding to support US President Donald Trump’s new trade wars, insisting the administration will not be held hostage by Beijing’s retaliatory tactics ahead of a high-stakes leaders’ summit next month. With Trump set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on May 14-15, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer used the agency’s budget hearing to draw a hard line: the US is doubling down... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350377/greer-pushes-funds-escalate-trumps-trade-fight-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350377/greer-pushes-funds-escalate-trumps-trade-fight-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:28:58 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A stretch of awkward diplomacy is unfolding in the Indo-Pacific. After India’s 2025 term as the Quad’s rotating chair ended without a summit, New Delhi is planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could be framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top leaders do not attend, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move is seen as a way to smooth India’s ruffled feathers on several counts. “It’s akin to putting lipstick on a pig,” said Sourabh Gupta of the Institute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:17:13 +0000 Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors held rare face-to-face talks, facilitated by Washington, on Tuesday, with all sides agreeing to launch “direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue”. “Israel expressed its commitment to engage in direct negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a durable peace that will strengthen security, stability and prosperity in the region,” as per a readout issued by the US State Department. The statement said that Lebanon called for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:41:04 +0000 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Dewey Sim Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Dewey Sim As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to sit down in the coming weeks, negotiations on deliverables and scheduling have accelerated, including a possible visit to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and a military parade, according to several people familiar with the planning process. The lead-up for such a consequential summit has been compressed and rather disjointed given the Middle East war and Trump’s preference for making last-minute decisions based on his “gut”. “This... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350079/trump-xi-summit-shaped-uncertainty-not-strategy-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350079/trump-xi-summit-shaped-uncertainty-not-strategy-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:00:13 +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 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping naval operation targeting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit chokepoints, in a move that risks deepening a global crisis and further complicating ties with Beijing in the countdown to next month’s summit. “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said in a social media post... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349813/blown-hell-trump-announces-us-blockade-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349813/blown-hell-trump-announces-us-blockade-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:10:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Cao Jiaxuan Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Cao Jiaxuan The United States and Iran did not reach a deal because Washington failed to win the other side’s trust, Tehran’s lead negotiator said on Sunday. In his first comments since the marathon round of talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad broke up, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on social media: “We have the necessary good faith and will, but due to the experiences of the two previous wars, we have no trust in the opposing side. “The opposing side ultimately failed to gain the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349767/bad-news-vance-says-no-agreement-reached-after-marathon-talks-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349767/bad-news-vance-says-no-agreement-reached-after-marathon-talks-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 01:37:47 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan,Khushboo Razdan,Fan Chen Cao Jiaxuan,Khushboo Razdan,Fan Chen US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad stretched into the early hours of Sunday as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz sparked duelling claims from Washington and Tehran, underscoring the fragile balance between diplomacy and military escalation. A senior White House official confirmed the talks were still ongoing, with efforts to resolve the conflict extending over 15 hours. Earlier, the Iranian government said on social media that negotiations would continue despite persistent differences. As... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349706/us-iran-direct-talks-hours-away-first-strikes-began-6-weeks-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349706/us-iran-direct-talks-hours-away-first-strikes-began-6-weeks-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:46:05 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s tariffs returned to court on Friday, as a three-judge Court of International Trade panel in New York sharply questioned both sides while weighing the legality of a new set of tariffs he imposed in February, shortly after a Supreme Court ruling declared most of his sweeping levies unlawful. While the judges offered few clues on how they might rule on the Section 122 tariffs, the court has previously rejected business challenges seeking to invalidate Section 301 tariffs... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3349717/trumps-tariff-powers-tested-again-judges-question-deficit-justification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3349717/trumps-tariff-powers-tested-again-judges-question-deficit-justification?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:43:51 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Jeff Winton, a dairy farmer in upstate New York who grows much of the feed for his own cattle, stopped planting corn in 2022 when fertiliser prices spiked. “We just couldn’t afford the input costs,” he recalled. The surge began after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted exports of nitrogen, urea and other key fertiliser nutrients, with Russia, alongside its ally Belarus, among the world’s leading suppliers. As the war in Ukraine entered its fourth year, a separate conflict involving the US,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349712/high-fertiliser-prices-mean-more-soybeans-farmers-and-greater-reliance-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349712/high-fertiliser-prices-mean-more-soybeans-farmers-and-greater-reliance-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:11:24 +0000 Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen,Khushboo Razdan Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen,Khushboo Razdan US Vice-President J.D. Vance has boarded Air Force Two en route to Islamabad, according to the White House. Vance, who will lead the US delegation in talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital on Saturday, struck an upbeat tone on the prospects. “We’re looking forward to negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive,” he told reporters before boarding on Friday morning (US Eastern Time). “As the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349583/time-running-out-vance-leads-us-delegation-islamabad-iran-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349583/time-running-out-vance-leads-us-delegation-islamabad-iran-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:57 +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 Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang Even as the White House lauded China’s role in securing a long-awaited ceasefire that lifted global markets, US President Donald Trump reignited trade tensions by threatening a new 50 per cent tariff on countries supplying weapons to Iran, while Tehran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed and warned it could abandon the deal if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue. “There were conversations that took place between top levels of our government and China’s government,” Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349416/trump-warns-50-cent-tariffs-arms-suppliers-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349416/trump-warns-50-cent-tariffs-arms-suppliers-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:11:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Just weeks before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Washington’s top trade negotiator signalled a cautious, tightly managed approach to China ties, ruling out a pre-summit visit to Beijing, favouring continued virtual engagement, and indicating no new push to expand bilateral investment. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated on Tuesday that preparatory talks with Chinese counterparts would take place virtually, ruling out an in-person... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349312/only-virtual-talks-no-new-investment-push-xi-trump-summit-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349312/only-virtual-talks-no-new-investment-push-xi-trump-summit-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:03:49 +0000 Ling Xin,Khushboo Razdan Ling Xin,Khushboo Razdan Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao died at the University of Michigan last month, shortly after being questioned by US federal law enforcement. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington, confirmed to the South China Morning Post in an email on Monday that Wang had taken his own life. “We are deeply distressed by this tragedy,” Liu wrote, adding that the US had “overstretched” the concept of national security and subjected Chinese students and scholars to unwarranted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349211/chinese-embassy-us-confirms-death-semiconductor-researcher-wang-danhao?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349211/chinese-embassy-us-confirms-death-semiconductor-researcher-wang-danhao?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:08 +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 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan After avoiding much of the churn, firings and senior official turnover that marked his first term, US President Donald Trump on Thursday added to the string of high-profile departures in recent days, as bad news heaped more pressure on the White House. The administration announced that US Attorney General Pam Bondi was leaving to be replaced by her deputy, Todd Blanche, in an acting capacity. “We love Pam,” Trump wrote on social media. “She will be transitioning to a much-needed and important... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348858/trump-fires-pam-bondi-us-attorney-general-amid-epstein-files-furore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348858/trump-fires-pam-bondi-us-attorney-general-amid-epstein-files-furore?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:20:46 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Direct trade between China and the United States continues its shrinking trend, new US government data showed on Thursday, as the anniversary of “Liberation Day” highlights how last year’s tariff escalations deepened tensions between the two global powers. The figures come ahead of a planned leaders’ meeting in Beijing next month, where both sides are expected to explore ways to stabilise relations after a period of renewed economic strain, and just hours before he announced a fresh set of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:25:26 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the US‑Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict heavy damage on targets in the country. “We are going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing,” he said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:22:04 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A federal judge has revoked the US citizenship of a naturalised married couple from China after their 2021 convictions for stealing sensitive medical trade secrets and sharing them with China, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Tuesday. On March 30, federal Judge James E. Simmons Jr. of California’s Southern District ordered the denaturalisation of Li Chen and Yu Zhou, ruling their crimes showed a lack of the “good moral character” required for American citizenship. Chen and Zhou... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348592/couple-convicted-stealing-trade-secrets-china-loses-us-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348592/couple-convicted-stealing-trade-secrets-china-loses-us-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:58:41 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Washington’s top trade negotiator suggested on Tuesday that, in a break from usual practice, members of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet will not visit Beijing ahead of the expected mid-May summit with President Xi Jinping to prepare or discuss deliverables. “I don’t think we’re going to need to do that,” Jamieson Greer, US Trade Representative, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television when asked about meeting his Chinese counterparts soon, ahead of the much-anticipated leaders’... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348590/trump-xi-summit-us-trade-chief-casts-doubt-pre-meeting-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348590/trump-xi-summit-us-trade-chief-casts-doubt-pre-meeting-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:19:16 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan China said on Tuesday it would enhance “strategic coordination” with Pakistan on the Iran crisis to promote dialogue and help end the conflict as Islamabad’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Dar to discuss ways to de-escalate regional tensions and to formally launch a joint five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East. Key points of the plan include a call for an immediate ceasefire, a halt to attacks on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:05:51 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan As US President Donald Trump heads to a delayed, high-stakes mid-May summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, he is already claiming victory, touting on Friday past trade talks with Xi as a win for American farmers, a crucial electoral bloc battered by his tariffs and the ongoing war with Iran. “Thanks to our trade deals, you’re now sending over US$40 billion in American soybeans to China,” Trump said on Friday, telling farmers and ranchers at the White House he personally secured the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348219/trump-pitches-china-trade-win-us-farmers-ahead-xi-meeting-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348219/trump-pitches-china-trade-win-us-farmers-ahead-xi-meeting-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:21:27 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump denied on Thursday that he was desperate for a deal with Iran, swinging between threats and diplomacy, while presenting a series of “boats of oil” that reportedly made it through the blocked Strait of Hormuz as an Iranian “gift” – a reveal that he teased a day earlier. This comes as the war he and Israel launched against Iran approaches the one-month mark with little end in sight, driving oil prices up globally and further unsettling the global economy. “I read a story... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348058/trump-claims-iran-begging-make-deal-teases-new-aid-farmers-amid-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348058/trump-claims-iran-begging-make-deal-teases-new-aid-farmers-amid-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:59:13 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier After weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes intrigue over the delayed summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, the White House announced on Wednesday new dates for the long-anticipated, high-stakes meeting. “I’m pleased to announce that President Trump’s … long-awaited meeting with President Xi in China will now take place in Beijing on May 14 and 15,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. In a social media post, Trump described Xi as “the highly respected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347914/xi-trump-summit-white-house-locks-new-dates-may?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347914/xi-trump-summit-white-house-locks-new-dates-may?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:46:14 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The United States will face a “critical shortage” of China expertise within a decade that threatens to leave policymakers struggling to manage Washington’s most consequential strategic relationship, a report said on Monday. As China experts retire and the number of Americans studying in China sharply declines, the resulting talent gap presents a “national security and an economic competitiveness” problem, warned the report by an expert working group of the Washington-based non-profit US-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347644/us-faces-critical-shortage-china-expertise-within-decade-report-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347644/us-faces-critical-shortage-china-expertise-within-decade-report-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:53:43 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Dewey Sim Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Dewey Sim The official line is straightforward: US President Donald Trump asked for a delay to his long-anticipated summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and it has been pushed back by “a month or so”. According to the White House, moving the meeting allows Trump to remain in the US and manage the escalating war with Iran, including urgent efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But beneath the surface, a more complex story emerges: months of growing frustrations, mismatched expectations,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347008/what-are-real-reasons-behind-change-date-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347008/what-are-real-reasons-behind-change-date-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Allies of exiled Iranian royal Reza Pahlavi are signalling a potential reset in Tehran’s ties with China and Russia, even as the 65-year-old increasingly positions himself as a central figure in Iran’s political future – a claim that contrasts with Washington’s more cautious stance. Speaking at a media briefing in Washington on Thursday, Pahlavi’s chief of staff, Cameron Khansarinia, dismissed Beijing’s mediation efforts in the ongoing conflict, arguing that the current Iranian leadership was... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347224/peacock-thrones-gambit-irans-reza-pahlavi-plans-flip-script-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347224/peacock-thrones-gambit-irans-reza-pahlavi-plans-flip-script-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:33:13 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump has announced a temporary 60-day suspension of the Jones Act, the century-old law that mandates cargo moving between domestic ports be transported on vessels built, operated and staffed by American citizens or permanent residents. The move comes in response to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a key chokepoint – amid the escalating US-Israeli war against Iran, which has triggered the most severe global oil supply disruption in recent history. The waiver allows... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347081/trump-issues-60-day-jones-act-waiver-amid-fuel-crunch-and-us-israel-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347081/trump-issues-60-day-jones-act-waiver-amid-fuel-crunch-and-us-israel-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:25:53 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen China said Tuesday it remained “in communication” with the United States over President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, after Trump said he had requested a delay of about a month because of the ongoing war with Iran. “China and the US are in communication on the timing of President Trump’s visit to China,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked to comment on Trump’s remarks about the much-anticipated visit. When pressed further about what dates were under discussion, Lin said he... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346807/trump-pressures-china-over-hormuz-experts-see-possible-delay-beijing-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346807/trump-pressures-china-over-hormuz-experts-see-possible-delay-beijing-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:30:00 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Khushboo Razdan,Ji Siqi Xiaofei Xu,Khushboo Razdan,Ji Siqi China and the United States will hold a new round of high-level trade talks in Paris at the end of next week, according to sources from both sides, as preparations press on for US President Donald Trump’s visit to China. Led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, the two delegations will meet in the French capital to discuss trade and investment deals – including on tariffs, investment, soybeans and rare earths – that would be presented as deliverables... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345336/china-and-us-hold-high-level-trade-talks-paris-trumps-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345336/china-and-us-hold-high-level-trade-talks-paris-trumps-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 02:25:27 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Khushboo Razdan Teresa Elena Frontado,Khushboo Razdan The United States and Israel’s military campaign against Iran entered a more volatile phase on Sunday, with Washington reporting its first casualties, Tehran widening retaliatory strikes across the region, and energy markets bracing for shock after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict – triggered by US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader and senior officials – is rapidly reshaping regional security calculations and global economic outlooks. Here are five key... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345060/5-takeaways-first-2-days-us-israel-war-against-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345060/5-takeaways-first-2-days-us-israel-war-against-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:25:23 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump vowed to press ahead with a sweeping military campaign against Iran until US objectives are fully achieved, warning that additional American casualties were likely even as Washington intensified what he described as one of the largest offensives in modern history. “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said in a video posted on social media, referring to the deaths of three US service members confirmed earlier by the US Central Command. “That’s the way... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345054/pentagon-confirms-three-american-deaths-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345054/pentagon-confirms-three-american-deaths-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:21:58 +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 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan In Washington, a city often in the spotlight for domestic and international politics, Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham views his instrument as a platform that can bridge cultures, transcend politics and connect people across borders. At 28, fresh from a landmark international competition victory, Sham is building a global career where his music often speaks louder than diplomacy. On Wednesday, just before stepping onto the stage at the US capital’s Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium for a Year of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344943/hong-kong-pianist-aristo-sham-brings-music-and-message-openness-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344943/hong-kong-pianist-aristo-sham-brings-music-and-message-openness-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:54:49 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A former fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, once entrusted with flying some of America’s most advanced combat aircraft, has been arrested for allegedly training pilots from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) without authorisation, the US Department of Justice said. In a press release on Wednesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that 65-year-old Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., also known by his call sign “Runner”, was taken into custody in Jeffersonville, Indiana,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344792/former-us-air-force-fighter-pilot-accused-secretly-training-chinese-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344792/former-us-air-force-fighter-pilot-accused-secretly-training-chinese-military?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 22:19:03 +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,Xinmei Shen Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen As US President Donald Trump prepares for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing from March 31 to April 2, analysts say recent American policy reversals, including a Supreme Court ruling striking down broad tariffs, have shifted trade tensions into a phase of cautious stability rather than escalation. The legal setback has strengthened China’s negotiating position, bolstered by lowered effective tariffs, its leverage over critical minerals like rare earths, and a more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344388/us-tariff-ruling-points-steadier-us-china-ties-ahead-april-summit-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344388/us-tariff-ruling-points-steadier-us-china-ties-ahead-april-summit-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:49:08 +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 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The US trade imbalance widened sharply in December 2025, highlighting continued challenges in America’s economic relationship with the world and with key economic competitor China, according to a release from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday. For the full year 2025, the US recorded a goods and services trade deficit of US$901.5 billion, a modest decline of 0.2 per cent from 2024, one of the largest since 1960. The total goods and services deficit in 2024 was US$903.5 billion, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344047/us-trade-deficit-widens-sharply-december-testing-trump-tariff-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344047/us-trade-deficit-widens-sharply-december-testing-trump-tariff-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:03:54 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump on Wednesday sharply criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the UK’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, warning the deal could create strategic vulnerabilities amid concerns about China’s growing ties with Mauritius. The deal, finalised in 2025 between Britain and Mauritius, would see Britain transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while securing a 99-year lease to maintain full operational control of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343944/trump-flip-flops-again-saying-uks-chagos-deal-would-be-big-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343944/trump-flip-flops-again-saying-uks-chagos-deal-would-be-big-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:19:43 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A bipartisan chorus of lawmakers and national security experts in Washington is calling on the administration of US President Donald Trump to convene a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders’ summit ahead of Trump’s expected meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in April. The push aims to project a unified front among Indo-Pacific democracies and prevent potential misunderstandings during high-stakes negotiations with Beijing. The Quad, an informal grouping that also includes Japan and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3343854/bipartisan-push-grows-quad-summit-trumps-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3343854/bipartisan-push-grows-quad-summit-trumps-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:18:25 +0000