https://www.scmp.com/rss/513036/feed The US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) was launched by US President Joe Biden during his trip to Tokyo in May 2022. It seeks to establish rules covering areas from data protection to carbon emissions. Its founding members comprise 14 Asia-Pacific nations: Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US and Vietnam. Together they account for 40 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe As the global order fragments, India’s foreign policy orientation has become a question of consequence far beyond South Asia. For three decades, “Look East” has been New Delhi’s mantra, positioning itself as an emerging player in the broader region. The strategy has included engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, deepening India’s presence in Asia-Pacific institutions and eventually leaning into the “Indo-Pacific” frameworks shaped by the United States, Japan and Australia. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 As Donald Trump settles back into the White House for a second term and the rest of the world readies itself for a reprisal of US threats and transactionalism, Southeast Asia has been put on notice where it stands with Washington. A day after he was sworn in on January 21, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to his counterparts in the Philippines and Indonesia – a promising indication that at least some countries in the region matter. Rubio’s first meeting, however, was with the foreign... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3296470/trump-tech-titans-geopolitical-traps-await-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3296470/trump-tech-titans-geopolitical-traps-await-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Manila should strengthen coordination with Southeast Asian nations on its policy towards China, a retired Philippine naval officer said on Monday, as engagement with Washington alone risks potential stronger resistance by Beijing over the contested South China Sea. “I believe that we made some mistakes … we could have engaged at least most of the Asean member states that are surrounding the South China Sea more effectively [and] we could have consulted them [about] our action because they do not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3289059/help-asean-nations-counter-china-unlikely-ex-philippine-navy-officer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3289059/help-asean-nations-counter-china-unlikely-ex-philippine-navy-officer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2024 22:08:09 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping made a detailed pitch for globalisation, liberalised trade and shared economic growth on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s sidelines in Peru on Friday, drawing a sharp contrast with the US as it turns increasingly inward. While Donald Trump was not mentioned by name in the 20-minute speech delivered at the CEO summit, the American president-elect’s expected global impact was the clear subtext, as it has been throughout the week. Trump has been the main topic of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286832/xi-jinping-touts-china-globalisation-leader-draws-contrast-us-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286832/xi-jinping-touts-china-globalisation-leader-draws-contrast-us-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 19:15:16 +0000 America is heading into a general election that has been unprecedented in terms of rhetoric, surprises and the potential to alter the founding principles of US democracy. In this three-part series, the Post looks at the legacy of the departing president, Joe Biden, and the influences and policies of the two contenders, former president Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris. During this year’s Nato summit in Washington, US President Joe Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3284899/joe-biden-leaves-mixed-legacy-us-china-affairs-he-exits-world-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3284899/joe-biden-leaves-mixed-legacy-us-china-affairs-he-exits-world-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2024 00:01:07 +0000 As next month’s US presidential election approaches, a pivotal question arises: what will the next administration mean for its partnership with Asean? The contours of US engagement with Southeast Asia are ripe for examination, especially in the face of geopolitical uncertainty and Washington’s relentless rivalry with Beijing, which compels it to reinforce its regional presence and partnerships. The foundation of US regional policy, largely driven by the current Indo-Pacific Strategy, is unlikely... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3281849/strengthening-asean-key-us-boost-its-indo-pacific-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3281849/strengthening-asean-key-us-boost-its-indo-pacific-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2024 05:30:08 +0000 China has pledged to support Fiji’s development and help tackle the impact of climate change during Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to Beijing. President Xi Jinping, who met Rabuka on Tuesday, told him that China attaches “great importance” to the relationship and “is willing to continue to provide assistance to Fiji in economic and social development”. State broadcaster CCTV reported that he also said China is ready to assist Fiji and other Pacific island countries “in dealing with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275229/china-promises-help-fiji-tackle-climate-change-beijing-seeks-greater-pacific-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275229/china-promises-help-fiji-tackle-climate-change-beijing-seeks-greater-pacific-role?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 13:30:14 +0000 For much of last week, senior US officials were engaged in a hectic schedule of diplomatic meetings across Asia. The meetings took place against the backdrop of the run-up to the American presidential elections which will take place in November and the spectre of former US president Donald Trump’s return to power. Trump’s possible return has sparked a serious round of stocktaking around the world, including in Asia. The last time Trump was in office, he asked that US allies in Asia do more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3273234/american-allies-asia-take-matters-their-own-hands-what-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3273234/american-allies-asia-take-matters-their-own-hands-what-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 08:30:08 +0000 Two senior members of US President Joe Biden’s administration discussed on Tuesday cooperation with the European Union on countering Beijing, using additional sanctions to stymie Russia’s war against Ukraine and tariffs to deal with Chinese overcapacity. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration would work with the EU to sanction Chinese companies supplying Russia with microelectronics and hi-tech products that support Moscow’s defence industry. Hours earlier, US Treasury... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263565/us-working-eu-counter-china-its-russia-support-overcapacity-say-antony-blinken-and-janet-yellen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263565/us-working-eu-counter-china-its-russia-support-overcapacity-say-antony-blinken-and-janet-yellen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2024 18:08:37 +0000 Washington’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific region is heavily focused on defence and lacks a robust economic agenda promoting regional development, an influential US Senate panel heard on Wednesday. The US should present “alternatives to what our competitors are offering”, said Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, referring to partnerships China has forged with countries in the region. A commitment to promoting better infrastructure and investment in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3259390/us-strategy-indo-pacific-region-must-promote-economic-development-not-just-defence-senate-panel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3259390/us-strategy-indo-pacific-region-must-promote-economic-development-not-just-defence-senate-panel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:55:27 +0000 Washington’s top trade envoy assured sceptical Republican lawmakers on Tuesday that the long-awaited results of the Biden administration’s review of US tariffs on more than US$300 billion worth of Chinese imports were “very close to the conclusion”. Testifying before the House Ways and Means committee, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai described the 2½ years of review as “tremendously consequential”, a “whole-of-government” exercise looking at the use of tariff tools to address “inequities... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3259252/us-tariffs-review-over-us300-billion-worth-chinese-imports-almost-done-says-top-trade-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3259252/us-tariffs-review-over-us300-billion-worth-chinese-imports-almost-done-says-top-trade-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2024 20:00:44 +0000 The military assistance agreement signed between the Maldives and China last week came at a sensitive time. The island’s new China-friendly president sought to elevate ties with Beijing to reduce dependence on New Delhi, including asking its South Asian neighbour to withdraw troops from the country. Some 89 Indian military personnel began withdrawing from the island nation this week as the Chinese defence ministry confirmed on Wednesday that a People’s Liberation Army delegation had visited and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255321/maldives-signed-military-deal-beijing-may-remain-swing-state-china-india-tug-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255321/maldives-signed-military-deal-beijing-may-remain-swing-state-china-india-tug-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:00:13 +0000 A continuing lack of solid conclusions and implementations from US President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is leading to a loss of interest from non-US members, a business group executive warned on Wednesday. “IPEF is going to have to produce concrete, tangible and commercially relevant results in order to really maintain the bandwidth and interest of our partners in the IPEF context, particularly in Southeast Asia this year,” Marc Mealy, senior vice-president of policy at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3248838/nations-bidens-indo-pacific-framework-are-losing-interest-trade-group-official-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3248838/nations-bidens-indo-pacific-framework-are-losing-interest-trade-group-official-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:21:20 +0000 US President Joe Biden faces many international challenges, such as reducing US dependence on China, managing South China Sea disputes, supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and the backlash over his stance on Israel. These issues are reminiscent of America’s geopolitical dilemmas during the Cold War, when Henry Kissinger was a key figure in shaping diplomatic and strategic relations. Can Biden learn from Kissinger’s approach? The answer depends on what kind of legacy Biden wants. His... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244074/how-bidens-foreign-and-trade-policy-flip-flops-are-confusing-us-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244074/how-bidens-foreign-and-trade-policy-flip-flops-are-confusing-us-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:30:08 +0000 The US and China this week are pitching rival visions of what constitutes a resilient and sustainable supply chain, marking the latest chapter in their fierce competition to assert a global trading system built around their respective economic needs. Just hours before Beijing was to launch its first international expo on supply chains featuring American tech giants like Tesla, Apple, Intel and Qualcomm under the tagline “connecting the world for a shared future”, US President Joe Biden convened... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3243022/us-and-china-pitch-rival-supply-chain-visions-latest-clash-over-global-trade-and-economic-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3243022/us-and-china-pitch-rival-supply-chain-visions-latest-clash-over-global-trade-and-economic-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:25:14 +0000 In the high-stakes game of geopolitics, the United States finds its strategic gaze once again diverted away from the Asia-Pacific by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, raising questions about the resilience of its alliances and the future of its influence in a region shadowed by China’s ambitions. The US inevitably being distracted from the region is not a concern to which Secretary of State Antony Blinken would concede. Earlier this month, he told reporters that Washington will maintain an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3242734/can-us-maintain-focus-asia-pacific-while-distracted-conflicts-ukraine-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3242734/can-us-maintain-focus-asia-pacific-while-distracted-conflicts-ukraine-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Nov 2023 01:30:23 +0000 Countries in the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) on Thursday announced agreement on two more “pillars” of the initiative, covering cooperation on clean energy and anti-corruption measures, even as IPEF trade talks languish. Ministers from the 14 IPEF countries also formally signed the previously agreed on text of a third pillar, covering supply chain resiliency, at a meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ summit in San Francisco. The agreements on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3241839/us-and-indo-pacific-economic-framework-partners-agree-clean-energy-anti-corruption-pillars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3241839/us-and-indo-pacific-economic-framework-partners-agree-clean-energy-anti-corruption-pillars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2023 22:24:34 +0000 Already low expectations for “deliverables” at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco took a further blow on the eve of Wednesday’s meeting between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden when the latter’s administration acknowledged that a key multilateral trade initiative was mired in American political infighting. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen described “substantial progress” in negotiating the trade section of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework on Monday, the knottiest of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241574/xi-biden-summit-apec-us-expectations-dip-further-over-stalled-indo-pacific-economic-framework?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241574/xi-biden-summit-apec-us-expectations-dip-further-over-stalled-indo-pacific-economic-framework?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Nov 2023 01:08:54 +0000 An influential American business group on Monday urged President Joe Biden’s administration to move forward with trade negotiations as part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a US-led initiative to encourage allies and partners in the strategically significant region to reduce their reliance on China. “It would be a terrible blow to US credibility after we negotiated and then withdrew from the TPP if we were to do something similar” with the trade portion of the IPEF, said John Murphy of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3241411/us-business-group-calls-progress-trade-pillar-indo-pacific-economic-framework-talks-hit-snag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3241411/us-business-group-calls-progress-trade-pillar-indo-pacific-economic-framework-talks-hit-snag?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Nov 2023 20:56:26 +0000 What began with a tight bear hug between defence chiefs of the United States and India on Thursday concluded with the further expansion of the two countries’ security partnership in the face of common rival China in the Indo-Pacific and beyond on Friday. At the “2+2” US-India ministerial consultations, which brought together top diplomats and defence heads in New Delhi, the two sides agreed to discuss co-production of Stryker armoured vehicles amid tensions along India’s disputed Himalayan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3241162/joe-biden-deepens-india-ties-counter-china-spectre-donald-trumps-possible-return-looms-over-us-ally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3241162/joe-biden-deepens-india-ties-counter-china-spectre-donald-trumps-possible-return-looms-over-us-ally?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 18:24:38 +0000 Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the United States to provide more funding to help his forces counter Russia, and invited former US President Donald Trump to fly in to see the scale of the conflict for himself. Zelensky said American soldiers could eventually be pulled into a greater European conflict with Russia if Washington did not step up support. “If Russia will kill all of us, they will attack Nato countries and you will send your sons and daughters [to fight],” Volodymyr... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3240427/volodymyr-zelensky-pushes-us-more-aid-invites-donald-trump-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3240427/volodymyr-zelensky-pushes-us-more-aid-invites-donald-trump-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 16:37:16 +0000 Washington needs a “serious, clear-eyed” economic approach to China as it seeks to expand trade and diversify supply chains across allies and partners, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday. Speaking at the Asia Society in Washington in a speech reviewing the White House’s economic strategy for the Indo-Pacific, Yellen reiterated that the US did not seek to decouple from China. “We have no interest in such a divided world and its disastrous effects,” she said. But Yellen stressed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3240153/us-economic-approach-china-must-be-serious-clear-eyed-says-treasury-secretary-janet-yellen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3240153/us-economic-approach-china-must-be-serious-clear-eyed-says-treasury-secretary-janet-yellen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:45:25 +0000 South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has introduced a profound shift in the country’s foreign policy, aligning it more closely with the United States. Yet this bold strategic redirection has not necessarily translated to an uptick in his domestic approval ratings. Yoon – devoid of a foreign policy background – took office in 2022. Conventional wisdom suggested he would hone-in on domestic matters. Surprisingly, he charted a foreign policy course markedly different from South Korea’s immediate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3236305/south-koreas-yoon-needs-convince-voters-choosing-us-over-china-wont-hurt-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3236305/south-koreas-yoon-needs-convince-voters-choosing-us-over-china-wont-hurt-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2023 02:30:10 +0000 Two senior Chinese and US diplomats held an “in-depth” exchange on regional issues in Washington, the latest sign that both sides are engaging in more open channels of communications. Sun Weidong, China’s vice-foreign minister for Asia, met Daniel Kritenbrink, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs in Washington, the US State Department said in a statement on Thursday night. The talks were held as a Chinese trade council warned future high-level meetings could be at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236242/china-us-ties-beijing-and-washington-diplomats-overseeing-asian-affairs-meet-sign-more-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236242/china-us-ties-beijing-and-washington-diplomats-overseeing-asian-affairs-meet-sign-more-open?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Sep 2023 06:01:47 +0000 Brics, the bloc compromising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has long been accused of geopolitical incoherence and irrelevance. The five countries differ among themselves on several global questions and have varied equations with the West, ranging from friend to foe. Yet, that incoherence has not dimmed the developing world’s interest in joining them. Last month at the Johannesburg summit, the grouping inducted six new nations from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Over 40 countries... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3234170/us-should-counter-chinas-dominance-global-south-trade-not-more-arms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3234170/us-should-counter-chinas-dominance-global-south-trade-not-more-arms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:30:12 +0000 A major US-led economic initiative aimed at countering China’s many trade agreements in the Indo-Pacific region is failing and needs to be urgently strengthened if it has any hope of keeping pace, a new report concludes. The report, released on Monday by the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), argues that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), announced in May 2022 by US President Joe Biden with great fanfare and joined by 14 countries, will probably fall short of creating a true... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3234189/bidens-indo-pacific-economic-initiative-must-be-strengthened-if-it-hopes-counter-china-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3234189/bidens-indo-pacific-economic-initiative-must-be-strengthened-if-it-hopes-counter-china-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2023 18:02:13 +0000 Summit season has peaked in Asia with G20 leaders meeting in India and Asean statesmen in Indonesia this past week, right on the heels of the Brics summit in South Africa last month. In some ways, this marks a coming of age for Asian nations, with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron all keen to push the Western agenda at the G20 meeting. The world, it seems, is beating a path to Asia’s door. Healthy though this changing balance of power will... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233733/west-exploits-india-china-cracks-asia-must-rise-above-divisive-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233733/west-exploits-india-china-cracks-asia-must-rise-above-divisive-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2023 08:00:14 +0000 US lawmakers and experts in the field are raising alarms about China’s dominance in accessing and managing global shipping logistics and data, describing such control as a security risk and “a recipe for disaster”. The latest in a series of warnings is a report published in July by the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. The research highlights the Chinese commercial logistics platform Logink, which collects information on shipping and cargo movement worldwide and provides... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3233734/us-raises-alarm-chinese-platform-corners-market-global-shipping-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3233734/us-raises-alarm-chinese-platform-corners-market-global-shipping-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:30:08 +0000 China must cement closer ties with its Southeast Asian neighbours, with the market of over 600 million inhabitants having turned into a key battlefield to build regional influence and economic supremacy over the United States, according to a prominent political economist. Zheng Yongnian, who has been advising Beijing’s policymakers after two decades of research on China’s rise on the global stage, said the world’s second-largest economy needs to unilaterally open up more to the 10-member... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3233125/china-must-step-economic-fight-us-key-asean-battlefield-prominent-political-economist-zheng-yongnian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3233125/china-must-step-economic-fight-us-key-asean-battlefield-prominent-political-economist-zheng-yongnian?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Sep 2023 06:00:21 +0000 A report issued earlier this month by two US-based institutes provides useful proposals to enhance Washington’s profile in Southeast Asia. Written by a joint task force of the Asia Society’s Centre on US-China relations and the 21st Century China Centrre of the University of California in San Diego, the report was prepared and launched on August 1 after careful consultations with both American and Southeast Asian experts. The proposals it makes are sensible but the challenge lies in their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3232331/us-should-step-diplomacy-southeast-asia-amid-chinas-growing-economic-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3232331/us-should-step-diplomacy-southeast-asia-amid-chinas-growing-economic-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Aug 2023 02:30:16 +0000 China’s “still widely underappreciated” economic downturn reduces the likelihood that it will overtake the US in the next 20 years and gives Washington an opportunity to gain influence over countries that have become indebted to Beijing, an influential US government advisory panel was told on Monday. “The severity of China’s ongoing economic weakness is still widely underappreciated, and the United States no longer faces a growth challenge from China,” Logan Wright of risk consultancy Rhodium... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3231853/chinas-economic-slump-gives-us-chance-gain-clout-countries-indebted-beijing-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3231853/chinas-economic-slump-gives-us-chance-gain-clout-countries-indebted-beijing-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 22:10:12 +0000 For years, Beijing has counted on the historic animosity between Japan and South Korea as part of its divide and conquer playbook, even as Washington has worked to bolster its alliances and counter China’s growing footprint. At this week’s summit between the leaders of Japan, South Korea and the United States, Washington is hoping to permanently blunt with a show of unity that Chinese advantage on the geopolitical chessboard. On Friday, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3231213/joe-bidens-us-summit-japanese-south-korean-leaders-looks-send-unity-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3231213/joe-bidens-us-summit-japanese-south-korean-leaders-looks-send-unity-message?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 20:20:57 +0000 A disagreement over whaling threatens to overshadow Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the United States later this week for talks with President Joe Biden, with some observers saying Tokyo should be ready to “walk away” from a critical trade initiative in protest at the strong-arm tactics of its ally. The Office of the US Trade Representative has been pressuring Japan to accept a passage critical of whaling in the charter for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) – a 14-nation... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3231104/how-dispute-over-whaling-could-spur-japans-exit-us-indo-pacific-trade-pact-absolute-non-starter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3231104/how-dispute-over-whaling-could-spur-japans-exit-us-indo-pacific-trade-pact-absolute-non-starter?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 04:00:11 +0000 The US should abandon the idea of “American primacy” if it hopes to counter China’s sway in the “multi-actor” Southeast Asia region, the Asia Society has urged in a new report. Observing that the region is now “genuinely multipolar, and China may, in fact, be the region’s primary power”, the report, titled Prioritizing Southeast Asia in American China Strategy and released on Tuesday, concluded that “America is only one of many regional actors”. The report, a product of the society’s Centre on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3229656/us-should-drop-pursuit-american-primacy-southeast-asia-report-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3229656/us-should-drop-pursuit-american-primacy-southeast-asia-report-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:01:39 +0000 Washington hopes to work closely with Southeast Asian nations to “push back” against an “upward trend” in Beijing’s “unhelpful, coercive and irresponsible” actions in the South China Sea when its top diplomat takes part in a series of regional engagements next week, a senior US State Department official said on Friday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia, to attend a series of meetings including the annual US-Asean foreign ministers’ gathering. The meetings are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3226998/us-targets-asean-partnership-push-back-china-actions-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3226998/us-targets-asean-partnership-push-back-china-actions-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jul 2023 22:30:20 +0000 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received an exceptionally warm welcome during his recent visit to the United States. The US Congress spared little effort in showing favour to Modi, despite concerns about human rights in India. It seems the democratic principle of defending human rights can be traded in the pursuit of diplomatic interests. But how certain is the conclusion that Modi’s visit is the prelude to a honeymoon in US-India relations? When he met the media at the White House, Modi was... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226421/does-modis-visit-mark-start-us-india-honeymoon-not-so-fast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226421/does-modis-visit-mark-start-us-india-honeymoon-not-so-fast?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jul 2023 19:30:12 +0000 Supply chain issues used to largely be the preserve of businesses. These days, supply chains are a priority area for intensive US government intervention. To enhance the US’ “supply chain security and resilience”, the Biden administration is doubling down on reducing what it calls “dependencies on China”. China enjoys a large global market share in several sectors, including rare earths, electrical vehicle batteries and solar panels. Yet few non-Western countries see this as a cause for concern.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3225621/us-reshaping-global-supply-chains-ultimately-self-serving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3225621/us-reshaping-global-supply-chains-ultimately-self-serving?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:15:18 +0000 In November 2011, US president Barack Obama announced that United States foreign policy would make a “pivot” to Asia. But then in January 2017, a key part of that pivot – greater economic interaction – was reversed, as just-inaugurated president Donald Trump launched his “America First” agenda by yanking the US out of what he labelled the “job-killing” Trans-Pacific Partnership. Damage from the abandonment of the TPP was hefty. The prospects for the US to seriously boost trade with Asia were... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3224310/why-us-must-look-beyond-its-rivalry-china-and-engage-southeast-asia-its-own-merits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3224310/why-us-must-look-beyond-its-rivalry-china-and-engage-southeast-asia-its-own-merits?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jun 2023 00:30:09 +0000 Washington’s top trade official acknowledged encountering resistance and “anxiety” in promoting the Biden administration’s new vision of a trade policy focused on American workers while it slashes reliance on China. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Thursday said “fragile supply chains” and “an unsustainable version of globalisation” were negative outcomes from decades of championing market liberalisation and low prices for consumers as domestic manufacturing suffered. “When efficiency... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3224257/anxiety-over-new-us-trade-policy-focused-american-workers-cutting-china-reliance-katherine-tai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3224257/anxiety-over-new-us-trade-policy-focused-american-workers-cutting-china-reliance-katherine-tai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2023 22:16:29 +0000 Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true, was the theme of one of Aesop’s fables from many years ago. It is taking on pointed relevance now as one part of the world seeks to distance itself from the other, risking unintended consequences in the process. There are increasing signs that assumptions of “shared values” propagated by US-led Western powers will rebound against them to the point where their own international influence is overwhelmed. Institutional shifts plus a new wave of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222621/us-efforts-rally-friends-shared-values-against-china-could-backfire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222621/us-efforts-rally-friends-shared-values-against-china-could-backfire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jun 2023 16:30:07 +0000 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted the country’s first summit with leaders of Pacific islands on Monday, as Seoul seeks to boost its influence in a region that has become the focus of intense geopolitical rivalry. As the leaders agreed to increase efforts to fight climate change, South Korea will also consider additional funding initiatives to support the Pacific region, Yoon’s office said. Yoon launched his administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy last year, pledging to foster a “free,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3222221/south-korea-hosts-its-first-summit-pacific-island-leaders-amid-concerns-over-chinas-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3222221/south-korea-hosts-its-first-summit-pacific-island-leaders-amid-concerns-over-chinas-security?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2023 12:26:41 +0000 Washington is engaging with its allies around the world to surmount China’s recent ban of American semiconductor company Micron from its key infrastructure projects, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Saturday. “We see it as, plain and simple, economic coercion,” said Raimondo of the blacklisting as a ministerial meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) ended in Detroit, Michigan. “We won’t tolerate it, nor do we think it will be successful.” The US was “closely engaging... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3222070/amid-micron-ban-us-working-allies-beat-chinas-economic-coercion-commerce-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3222070/amid-micron-ban-us-working-allies-beat-chinas-economic-coercion-commerce-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2023 20:15:33 +0000 Ministers from Japan, 12 other Indo-Pacific nations and the US will agree at a meeting Saturday in Detroit to bolster supply chains for chips, medicine and other critical items in the event of an emergency under a US-led economic initiative, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. The enhanced supply chain resiliency will be the first agreement among the 14 member countries of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), representing 40 per cent of global gross domestic product, and could... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3221981/indo-pacific-nations-strengthen-supply-chains-critical-items?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3221981/indo-pacific-nations-strengthen-supply-chains-critical-items?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 12:35:32 +0000 Calls by the United States military for dialogue with Chinese counterparts have gone unanswered, with communication opportunities possibly withheld as a “bartering chip”, the commander of US military forces in the Pacific said in New York on Wednesday. “We talked about some of the things that we need to do to ensure a peaceful area. One of those that is critically important for me is that of communication, and it’s precisely for this reason that I’ve repeatedly requested to speak with my... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3221616/us-china-military-dialogue-essential-peace-china-may-be-withholding-bartering-chip-says-us-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3221616/us-china-military-dialogue-essential-peace-china-may-be-withholding-bartering-chip-says-us-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 04:59:00 +0000 Snags in the negotiations for the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) could impact Washington’s ability to meet the deadlines it had set for the Apec gathering it is hosting this week, trade experts and negotiators have said. Launched in May last year and hailed as a revival of the US’ economic pivot to Asia, the IPEF was set to be a centrepiece at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting. But the third discussion round in Singapore last week revealed challenges between the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3221547/disagreements-between-us-asian-nations-complicate-ipef-negotiations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3221547/disagreements-between-us-asian-nations-complicate-ipef-negotiations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2023 09:58:09 +0000 Divisions among Indo-Pacific countries over issues including China’s assertive posture in their region and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came into sharper focus on Saturday at a European Union forum in Stockholm. EU officials invited ministers and representatives from the region to discuss ways to cooperate on sustainable growth, environmental initiatives, and the “evolving security landscape in the Indo Pacific”, as the bloc seeks greater influence in a region increasingly affected by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3220479/lets-not-divide-blocs-eu-faces-pushback-some-indo-pacific-leaders-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3220479/lets-not-divide-blocs-eu-faces-pushback-some-indo-pacific-leaders-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 May 2023 18:17:29 +0000 China has described the ties it has with several Southeast Asian nations as “model” relationships. It has called its twin industrial-estate collaboration with Malaysia an “innovative model of economic cooperation”; hailed its Singapore ties as “forward-looking, strategic and exemplary” and a benchmark for other countries in the region; and sees its friendship with Cambodia as a “model for international relations”. The appeal of such “model” relationships seems to have grown amid rising US-China... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3218769/chinas-model-southeast-asia-ties-reveal-limits-one-sided-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3218769/chinas-model-southeast-asia-ties-reveal-limits-one-sided-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Apr 2023 00:30:10 +0000 The United States has no intention to decouple from China even as it continues to face trade tensions with Asia’s biggest economy, Washington’s trade tsar has said. The remarks by Trade Representative Katherine Tai follow similar comments by others, including the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who have warned that decoupling would be “disastrous” for the US and the world. Tai, speaking to Asia-Pacific journalists in a teleconference, said she carried a similar message during her recent visits... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3218430/us-has-no-decoupling-plans-despite-complex-ties-china-trade-chief-katherine-tai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3218430/us-has-no-decoupling-plans-despite-complex-ties-china-trade-chief-katherine-tai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2023 09:27:54 +0000 US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Thursday that Indo-Pacific Economic Framework trade negotiations could deliver results by the end of the year to set economic rules and standards in the fast-growing region. The US-led initiative comprising 14 nations is widely viewed as a counterweight to China’s growing clout in the Indo-Pacific region, which accounts for about 40 per cent of the global economy. Tai told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3217729/indo-pacific-trade-negotiations-could-deliver-results-year-end-us-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3217729/indo-pacific-trade-negotiations-could-deliver-results-year-end-us-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:19:06 +0000 This is the 50th year of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China. What began as a modest relationship has, particularly in the last decade, become one of New Zealand’s most important, especially as China is by far its largest trading partner. But this anniversary comes as relations are shrouded in uncertainty and questions, particularly with the destabilisation of the Indo-Pacific amid the fracturing Sino-American relationship. Australia, one of New Zealand’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202745/new-zealand-has-great-relationship-china-how-much-longer-us-pressure-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202745/new-zealand-has-great-relationship-china-how-much-longer-us-pressure-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Dec 2022 17:00:10 +0000