https://www.scmp.com/rss/516370/feed Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, became the first Chinese diplomat in decades to sit on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s now 24-men decision making body. Wang has been the face of China’s evolving foreign policy under President Xi Jinping since 2013. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Chinese President Xi Jinping held closed-door talks with his American counterpart Donald Trump following an elaborate welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Here are some highlights from Thursday. Defining Ties Xi and Trump agreed to build a “constructive, strategically stable relationship”, a new term to define the framework of ties between the two countries. The new strategic position should be led by cooperation and “measured competition with healthy stability”, Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353500/xi-trump-summit-takeaways-so-far-first-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353500/xi-trump-summit-takeaways-so-far-first-day?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 03:59:54 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington hopes to convince Beijing to play a “more active role” in resolving the Iran crisis, a clear sign the issue will come into sharp focus when President Donald Trump holds his closely watched summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Speaking to Fox News aboard Air Force One, Rubio said the Iran war was a “huge source of instability” and “threatens to destabilise Asia more than any other part of the world because it’s heavily reliant on the straits for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353485/us-calls-china-play-active-role-ending-iran-war-despite-trump-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353485/us-calls-china-play-active-role-ending-iran-war-despite-trump-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 00:55:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s state visit, China’s state-controlled media has framed the summit with President Xi Jinping as an opportunity to steer relations towards greater stability and mutual respect, despite grievances and tensions. Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the US, echoed that message in a wide-ranging Newsweek interview published on the eve of the visit, voicing hope the Beijing meetings would help to manage differences and broaden cooperation along a “steady, sound and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353419/new-historical-juncture-beijing-frames-trump-visit-milestone-stable-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353419/new-historical-juncture-beijing-frames-trump-visit-milestone-stable-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 08:40:11 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China’s foreign minister Wang Yi on Tuesday urged Pakistan to ramp up mediation efforts in the Iran crisis, as the war threatens to overshadow US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. In a call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang lauded Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating negotiations between Washington and Tehran and helping to extend the ceasefire. But he also called for Pakistan to “step up its mediation efforts to contribute to … the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353333/china-presses-pakistan-deepen-iran-mediation-ahead-trump-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353333/china-presses-pakistan-deepen-iran-mediation-ahead-trump-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 19:40:55 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Marco Rubio will become the first sitting US Secretary of State under Chinese sanctions to visit Beijing. Images of Rubio leaving for China on Air Force One with Donald Trump appear to have answered previous questions about whether he would skip such a globally important event. Rubio is also serving as the US National Security Adviser and would normally have been expected to visit China to lay the groundwork for such a high-stakes summit. Instead he has met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi twice... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353330/trump-visit-sees-marco-rubio-become-first-sanctioned-us-secretary-state-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353330/trump-visit-sees-marco-rubio-become-first-sanctioned-us-secretary-state-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 18:40:20 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Taiwan would be discussed in his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and pledged to raise the case of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying at their summit in Beijing this week. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the Chinese President would be more likely than he to bring up the Taiwan issue at their meeting on Thursday and Friday. “He’ll bring up Taiwan, I think, more than I will,” he said. Asked whether the US should... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353197/trump-raise-taiwan-jimmy-lai-case-when-he-meets-xi-beijing-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353197/trump-raise-taiwan-jimmy-lai-case-when-he-meets-xi-beijing-week?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:24:26 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China and France must respect each other’s core interests, particularly the one-China principle, and strengthen a strategic partnership “free from external interference”, top diplomat Wang Yi said during talks with a senior adviser to the French president on Friday. Wang, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held talks in Beijing with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s export sector showed strong resilience last month, with the total value of outbound shipments hitting a monthly record even as the Strait of Hormuz crisis during the US-Israeli war in Iran showed little sign of abating after driving up energy and shipping costs. The value of China’s exports rose in April by 14.1 per cent, year on year, to US$359.44 billion, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Saturday. The reading was above the 6.96 per cent growth... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3352970/china-trade-growth-resilient-april-despite-hormuz-crisis-inflating-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3352970/china-trade-growth-resilient-april-despite-hormuz-crisis-inflating-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 02:52:59 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s international arbitration efforts have made significant progress, but more work is needed to attract foreign parties to arbitrate in China amid US-China rivalry, according to arbitrators and law scholars. China’s newly revised Arbitration Law took effect in March, marking the most significant overhaul of the country’s commercial dispute framework since 1994, in a move to promote cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen to develop into international arbitration centres, competing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 15:45:04 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Iran does not believe the United States has the leverage to turn Beijing against Tehran, the Iranian ambassador to China has said. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli’s remarks come amid speculation that Washington may offer Beijing trade concessions or tariff relief in exchange for pressuring Iran into accepting a peace deal during US President Donald Trump’s expected trip to China next week. “Iran and China … share very common views on issues such as security, peace, development in the region and in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352940/why-irans-ambassador-china-thinks-us-cant-turn-beijing-against-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352940/why-irans-ambassador-china-thinks-us-cant-turn-beijing-against-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China-Russia ties can withstand any potential containment efforts despite Washington’s long-standing hopes of driving a wedge between the two, a senior Chinese policy adviser has said, citing deep-seated US-Russia “contradictions” within what he called a “great triangle” of relations. Wu Dahui, deputy director of the Russian Research Institute at Tsinghua University, said while China and Russia were not formally allies, their relationship was “better than an alliance” and took the form of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352894/why-china-russia-ties-are-better-alliance-and-immune-us-containment-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352894/why-china-russia-ties-are-better-alliance-and-immune-us-containment-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Kristen Cheung Jeffie Lam,Kristen Cheung An intergovernmental mediation body headquartered in Hong Kong resolved a maritime dispute between parties from mainland China and Singapore this month, a success hailed as a milestone for the organisation that has attracted more members since its launch last year. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, secretary general of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), revealed the achievement on Friday at a summit, where senior officials reaffirmed Hong Kong’s pledge to act as a mediation centre amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352874/hong-kong-based-mediation-body-resolves-international-maritime-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352874/hong-kong-based-mediation-body-resolves-international-maritime-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 08:04:17 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said conflict in the Middle East would be “over quickly”, as Iran considered a peace proposal that could lead to the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. “We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, according to Reuters. The president has repeatedly played up the possibility of an agreement with Iran since the war began on February 28, without reaching an... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352743/us-iran-peace-optimism-fuels-asian-stock-market-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352743/us-iran-peace-optimism-fuels-asian-stock-market-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 09:00:25 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US forces struck an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, even as Washington and Tehran appeared to move closer to a tentative agreement to end their two-month war, with US President Donald Trump warning that renewed bombing could begin if Iran rejects the proposed deal. A US fighter jet disabled the tanker by targeting its rudder as the vessel attempted to breach an American naval blockade of Iranian ports, US Central Command said in a social media post. The strike highlighted... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352671/us-strikes-iranian-tanker-amid-reports-washington-and-tehran-near-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352671/us-strikes-iranian-tanker-amid-reports-washington-and-tehran-near-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 19:57:00 +0000 Vanessa Cai,Orange Wang Vanessa Cai,Orange Wang Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his visiting Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi voiced support for a new Gulf security framework during talks in Beijing on Wednesday, as Wang called for a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Countries in the Gulf and Middle East “should take their future into their own hands”, the top Chinese diplomat said, adding that China backed “the establishment of a regional peace and security framework led by regional countries”. “Regarding the strait issue, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352590/chinese-fm-wang-yi-calls-swift-reopening-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352590/chinese-fm-wang-yi-calls-swift-reopening-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 07:33:23 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit China this week, less than 10 days ahead of a high-stakes visit to Beijing by US President Donald Trump. Araghchi was set to arrive on Wednesday and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. The two top diplomats have held multiple rounds of calls since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the current conflict in late February. Throughout, Wang has consistently called for a ceasefire... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352532/irans-top-diplomat-abbas-araghchi-visit-china-days-ahead-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352532/irans-top-diplomat-abbas-araghchi-visit-china-days-ahead-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 13:55:12 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Two American military cargo aircraft have been spotted landing in Beijing – another apparent sign that US President Donald Trump’s trip to China will go ahead as expected this month. According to images posted on Chinese social media by several aviation photography enthusiasts, the C-17 US Air Force heavy-lifters – bearing the tail numbers 088204 and 055140 on their vertical stabilisers – arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport on Friday and Saturday. The planes’ arrival was also noted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352263/are-us-air-force-c-17s-flying-cars-beijing-trumps-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352263/are-us-air-force-c-17s-flying-cars-beijing-trumps-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth In December 2010, on the final day of his three-day India visit, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao offered a metaphorical vision for bilateral ties, suggesting that “the dragon and the elephant should tango”. The analogy – dragon for China, elephant for India – had already circulated in Western academic and media circles as a comparative frame. With Wen’s remark, it formally entered China’s diplomatic lexicon. Over the past 15 years, through cycles of border tensions and uneasy resets, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352233/why-does-china-portray-india-elephant-decoding-politics-animal-analogy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352233/why-does-china-portray-india-elephant-decoding-politics-animal-analogy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:24 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Beijing has labelled Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s surprise visit to eSwatini, the island’s sole African ally, a political “stunt”. In a Facebook post on Saturday evening, Lai said he arrived earlier in the day. The eSwatini government also confirmed his arrival on its own Facebook page. “Hello to my fellow citizens. I arrived earlier today in our diplomatic ally eSwatini,” Lai wrote, adding that his foreign affairs and security teams had spent days securing a revised route that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352238/taiwans-william-lai-lands-eswatini-trip-beijing-calls-political-stunt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352238/taiwans-william-lai-lands-eswatini-trip-beijing-calls-political-stunt?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 13:11:49 +0000 Holly Chik,Alyssa Chen Holly Chik,Alyssa Chen US President Donald Trump said he is still planning to travel to China as scheduled this month despite the stalemate in the negotiations with Iran. When asked about the trip to Beijing, Trump told reporters on Friday: “It is going to be amazing. The visit with China and Chairman Xi [Jinping] – that’s going to be great. “We have the trip with China coming up. And I think it will be an amazing event.” Trump had initially planned to visit Beijing in late March, but put the trip back to May 14 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352220/china-trip-will-go-ahead-planned-and-it-will-be-amazing-trump-insists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352220/china-trip-will-go-ahead-planned-and-it-will-be-amazing-trump-insists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 10:02:17 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier China’s top UN diplomat slammed the US on Friday over its coercive behaviour, sanctioning of Chinese vessels and firms and for starting the Iran war along with Israel as Beijing assumed the rotating one-month presidency of the UN Security Council. The verbal blast came as Washington heaped more pressure on China on Friday by sanctioning a China-based petroleum terminal operator, the latest in a string of recent US moves to cut off Chinese funding to Iran under what the White House has dubbed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352197/chinas-un-envoy-blasts-us-bullying-sanctions-widen-trump-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352197/chinas-un-envoy-blasts-us-bullying-sanctions-widen-trump-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 21:25:14 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The US-Israeli war on Iran enters a third month and efforts for Washington and Tehran to resume talks remain stalled. These are major takeaways from the events overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that Iran is “dying to make a deal”. When asked whether talks with Tehran have stalled, Trump said only a few people know the status of talks with Iran. He also pointed to uncertainty over the Iranian leadership: “We have a problem... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352092/iran-dying-make-deal-us-war-costs-soar-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352092/iran-dying-make-deal-us-war-costs-soar-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 00:40:30 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China’s diplomatic strategy has undergone a conspicuous shift, with Beijing conducting far fewer overseas state visits, opting instead to welcome a steady stream of foreign leaders to the capital. According to data compiled by the South China Morning Post, Beijing is placing greater emphasis on neighbourhood diplomacy and engagement with European middle powers. The changing dynamic reflects Beijing’s shift towards favouring high-level multilateralism, in a sign of growing confidence and an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352060/see-you-beijing-big-shift-xis-travel-plans-and-what-it-means-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352060/see-you-beijing-big-shift-xis-travel-plans-and-what-it-means-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:00:16 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Holly Chik,Fan Chen Yuanyue Dang,Holly Chik,Fan Chen Senior officials from China and the United States have been “testing the waters” ahead of US President Donald Trump’s coming visit to China by outlining some of their main concerns. Meanwhile, new areas of concern emerged on Friday as the Chinese Ministry of Commerce warned that the United States was threatening the “hard-won stability” in their trade relations after the national telecoms agency effectively banned smartphones tested in Chinese laboratories from the American market. Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352074/china-voices-serious-concern-over-us-curbs-talks-bessent-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352074/china-voices-serious-concern-over-us-curbs-talks-bessent-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:25:17 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China’s top diplomat Wang Yi called for “unity and the safeguarding of international justice” during a meeting with UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday, urging a global front against the “law of the jungle” amid deepening geopolitical tensions. During the talks in Beijing, Wang told Baerbock that multilateralism faced “severe challenges” from unnamed powers prioritising “might over right” – a veiled critique of Washington. “Certain countries pursue a policy of ‘strength... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351883/might-over-right-imperils-international-justice-wang-yi-tells-uns-baerbock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351883/might-over-right-imperils-international-justice-wang-yi-tells-uns-baerbock?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:51:23 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China has pledged to help Myanmar’s new government to engage more with multilateral platforms and eradicate telecoms scam operations. Capping a five-day trip to Southeast Asia on the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta leader-turned-president, on Saturday that China “firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”. “This year marks the first year of Myanmar’s new government. Both sides should seize... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351479/china-backs-myanmars-push-ease-diplomatic-isolation-stamp-out-telecoms-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351479/china-backs-myanmars-push-ease-diplomatic-isolation-stamp-out-telecoms-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:37:26 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for China and Cambodia to “stand in closer solidarity, now more than ever” in the first 2+2 strategic dialogue aimed at deepening mutual political and security ties. During a meeting in Phnom Penh, Wang also urged the two sides to further strengthen political and security cooperation to “firmly hold the reins of development and security in their own hands”. The meeting on Wednesday was the first under the 2+2 mechanism with Cambodia involving defence and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is backing Namibia’s bid to move beyond raw material exports by supporting the domestic processing of critical minerals and uranium. In a joint communique issued on Friday following talks in Beijing between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, China pledged to help transform Namibia’s natural resources into higher-value products through domestic processing and downstream cooperation. Namibia has exported unprocessed minerals for decades. It is now seeking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350979/why-china-backs-namibias-nuclear-fuel-rod-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350979/why-china-backs-namibias-nuclear-fuel-rod-production?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:37:16 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju A cautious reset in India-China relations is taking root, according to analysts, with the two rivals increasingly walling off their border disputes from expanding cooperation on trade, security and multilateral diplomacy. The clearest marker yet came last week in New Delhi, where the two sides held their first-ever bilateral consultations focused exclusively on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Eurasian security bloc that also includes Russia, Iran, Pakistan and four Central Asian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350732/india-and-china-wall-border-rows-focus-trade-and-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350732/india-and-china-wall-border-rows-focus-trade-and-security?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:12:46 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The global balance of power has tilted to major emerging economies such as China and India as US hegemony is increasingly undermined – much of it by its own actions, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. In his speech on Saturday at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov argued that the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by America had “come to an end”. He added that the trend had been under way during former US president Joe Biden’s administration, and that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:42:35 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s top diplomat Wang Yi sought guarantees of freedom and safety of international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday. The call is Beijing’s latest diplomacy effort on the Iran war as a US naval blockade of Iranian ports intensifies global energy disruptions and adds uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway off Iran’s coast that Tehran effectively closed in response to US-Israeli strikes. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350259/chinas-wang-yi-calls-iran-ensure-freedom-and-safe-passage-through-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350259/chinas-wang-yi-calls-iran-ensure-freedom-and-safe-passage-through-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:18:55 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal Having invested significant diplomatic capital into ties with Russia in recent years, North Korea now seems to be pivoting back to China. Leader Kim Jong-un said his country places “the greatest value” on improving ties with Beijing. This shift came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to North Korea last week, where he met Kim and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. Notably, Wang’s visit marked his first to North Korea since 2019. In the intervening years of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349984/why-north-korea-rekindling-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349984/why-north-korea-rekindling-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:30:12 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Russia can help China and other nations weather energy supply disruptions stemming from the war in Iran, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. “Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen”, Lavrov told reporters in response to a question about the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. He also said that Chinese-Russian ties are “unshakeable in the face of any storms”. Lavrov confirmed that Russian... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3350178/china-cements-russia-ties-both-win-us-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3350178/china-cements-russia-ties-both-win-us-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:49:50 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Amid escalating turmoil in the Middle East and mounting global uncertainty, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China and Russia to elevate their strategic partnership to new heights by deepening “all-round cooperation” and reinvigorating the authority of the United Nations. During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on Wednesday, he cast the growing bilateral relationship as a stabilising force in a volatile world, rooted in history, driven by strategic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350167/strong-china-russia-relations-are-stabilising-force-turbulent-landscape-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350167/strong-china-russia-relations-are-stabilising-force-turbulent-landscape-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:01:36 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Russia and China’s top envoys met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the Iran war, Ukraine and Taiwan as Beijing stepped up its Iran war diplomacy and tensions with Washington increased. In a jab at Washington and US President Donald Trump that did not mention either by name, a Chinese readout of the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov noted that the world is increasingly marked by turmoil and instability. The two top diplomats also discussed plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:59:47 +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 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has slammed the US blockade of Iranian ports as “dangerous and irresponsible”, calling for an immediate and full ceasefire and for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that the US action would only “inflame tensions, escalate the situation and undermine an already fragile ceasefire”, and that would further jeopardise the safety of navigation in the strait. “We urge all parties to abide by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350054/china-hits-out-dangerous-and-irresponsible-us-blockade-irans-ports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350054/china-hits-out-dangerous-and-irresponsible-us-blockade-irans-ports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham At a top-level meeting of her 26 department chiefs in March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen quietly approved a plan to stop EU funds from going to clean technology projects containing Chinese inverters. Inverters are the essential power electronics at the heart of solar and wind systems. Industry groups estimate that Chinese companies led by Huawei Technologies control more than 220 gigawatts of Europe’s installed solar capacity via the devices. The commission wants to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350056/eu-cut-funding-chinese-inverters-quiet-offensive-replaces-grandstanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350056/eu-cut-funding-chinese-inverters-quiet-offensive-replaces-grandstanding?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:01:18 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Friday that relations with Beijing had been elevated to new heights. He was speaking at a meeting in Pyongyang with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where both sides pledged to deepen strategic coordination and “practical cooperation”. Wang’s two-day visit to North Korea is his first since 2019. At the meeting he conveyed greetings from President Xi Jinping, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua. Wang also said the meeting at the Workers’ Party of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349693/china-north-korea-thaw-gathers-pace-kim-jong-un-says-ties-have-reached-new-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349693/china-north-korea-thaw-gathers-pace-kim-jong-un-says-ties-have-reached-new-level?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:19:43 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s recent string of weapons tests, including cluster munitions, marks a renewed show of military strength ahead of next month’s US-China summit, even as Beijing may become a go-between to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. Analysts say the summit could be an opportunity for China to arrange subsequent talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Pyongyang said tests conducted over the previous two days involved a radar-evading missile... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:02:56 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to North Korea on Thursday for a two-day visit, according to the foreign ministry in Beijing. The visit, at the invitation of the North Korean foreign ministry, will be Wang’s first trip to North Korea since early September 2019, when he travelled to Pyongyang for three days. Earlier this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349369/chinese-top-envoy-wang-yi-set-north-korea-trip-first-pyongyang-visit-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349369/chinese-top-envoy-wang-yi-set-north-korea-trip-first-pyongyang-visit-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:18:53 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is expanding its agricultural trade with Ukraine with further opening of its wheat flour market, a move that underscores its pragmatism and balanced diplomacy as it also increases energy imports from Russia. On Monday, China’s ambassador to Ukraine, Ma Shengkun, signed a protocol with Ukrainian officials regarding inspection, quarantine and sanitary requirements for the export of Ukrainian wheat flour to China, the embassy in Kyiv said in a social media post . The agreement would broaden... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349256/beyond-russian-oil-china-also-increases-appetite-ukrainian-wheat-flour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349256/beyond-russian-oil-china-also-increases-appetite-ukrainian-wheat-flour?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen In a rare condemnation of its strategic partner, China has come out in opposition to Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations, calling for a ceasefire and a guarantee of the safety of shipping lanes. Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said: “China does not support Iran’s attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council nations and condemns all indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians and non-military targets. The security of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:16 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi plans to flip the script on Beijing Allies of exiled Iranian royal Reza Pahlavi signalled a potential reset in Tehran’s ties with China and Russia, as the 65-year-old increasingly positioned himself as a central figure in Iran’s political future – a claim that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Despite land reclamation efforts in the fiercely contested South China Sea, an unusual silence has fallen between Beijing and Hanoi over their rival claims. Observers said this suggested both sides were prioritising pragmatism to keep tensions in check. In March, months into reports suggesting continued Chinese dredging activities at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands, Hanoi broke its silence by lodging a protest with Beijing over what it called “illegal and invalid” foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348763/why-china-and-vietnam-are-shifting-confrontation-calm-south-china-sea-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348763/why-china-and-vietnam-are-shifting-confrontation-calm-south-china-sea-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:01:08 +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 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao By issuing a joint five-point plan on the Iran crisis on Tuesday, China and Pakistan have laid out what Chinese analysts described as a “feasible path” towards a ceasefire and renewed diplomacy. At the same time, the move quietly signalled an early effort to shape the post-war Middle East order in a region where the long-standing US-dominated security framework was already facing growing strain and uncertainty, the observers said. In recent weeks, regional powers have emerged as mediators to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348700/what-does-china-pakistan-plan-iran-crisis-mean-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348700/what-does-china-pakistan-plan-iran-crisis-mean-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said attacks on Iran could stop within two or three weeks even without an agreement, leaving a question mark over the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. “We’ll be leaving very soon,” US President Donald Trump told reporters in the White House on Tuesday. “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal.” The president was scheduled to address the nation and “provide an important update on Iran” at 9pm New York time on Wednesday (9am on Thursday in Hong Kong). Brent crude held... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3348666/trump-eyes-iran-exit-hormuz-shutdown-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3348666/trump-eyes-iran-exit-hormuz-shutdown-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:01:07 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is hoping that its role in building a diplomatic off-ramp from the US-Israel war on Iran will enable it to become a key actor in the Middle East after the conflict ends, analysts say. If Islamabad can deliver without being sucked into the maelstrom, it can capitalise on its position as peacemaker by signing defence deals with Gulf monarchies and attracting investment from them to strengthen its weak economy. This will help finance Pakistan’s military expansion for its envisioned new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:21:16 +0000