https://www.scmp.com/rss/517911/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Shen Yi Shen Yi As US President Donald Trump prepares to visit China, Taiwan is again one of the most sensitive issues in US-China relations. For Washington, this is not only a question about the Taiwan Strait. It is a strategic choice that bears on whether the United States can avoid a comprehensive conflict with China, stabilise markets and secure Chinese cooperation on trade, artificial intelligence (AI), Iran and the wider Middle East. This could be the moment when a clear US stance against Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353217/opposing-taiwan-independence-americas-own-interest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353217/opposing-taiwan-independence-americas-own-interest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong With the war in the Middle East entering its third month, questions have surfaced over its geopolitical ramifications in the region and beyond. An entity that has drawn particular scrutiny is Brics. The 10-member grouping is defined less by a clear set of common values and more by contingently overlapping interests. It does not and cannot speak with one voice on the conflict. Two Brics members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are at loggerheads: Tehran has launched missile and drone... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos Beijing’s position in Latin America is far from collapsing, looking at the number of countries in the region that have switched diplomatic ties to it from Taipei. But in parts of the continent, governments are increasingly reassessing what their relationships with Beijing are delivering economically and politically. The shift is becoming visible in countries such as Honduras, Venezuela and Cuba, where economic strain, energy instability and geopolitical pressure are exposing the limits of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352923/latin-america-reassessing-benefits-warm-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352923/latin-america-reassessing-benefits-warm-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 12:30:06 +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 Tony Zhao Tony Zhao China may finally have a chance to loosen the grip of deflation. Yet, the more important question is whether it can do so without making households feel poorer first. The latest producer price index (PPI), which measures the prices factories charge, brings that possibility back into serious debate. China’s March PPI rose by 0.5 per cent year on year, ending 41 months of decline; it was up 1 per cent from February. After years of weak prices, cautious household spending and squeezed corporate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352619/can-china-engineer-price-recovery-doesnt-make-people-feel-poorer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352619/can-china-engineer-price-recovery-doesnt-make-people-feel-poorer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 08:30:04 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh There is growing unease in how we describe political systems today. Words that once seemed clear no longer illuminate as they should. “Free”, “democratic”, “liberal” and “authoritarian” are among the most commonly used terms in political discourse, yet their meanings have become increasingly blurred and contested. This is not simply a matter of semantics. It reflects a deeper mismatch between the language we use and the realities we are trying to describe. The problem is not new. In George... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352499/rise-china-complicates-authoritarian-vs-democratic-binary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352499/rise-china-complicates-authoritarian-vs-democratic-binary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Dong Lei Dong Lei Foreign affairs are not a series of disconnected episodes. They are a test of whether nations learn from history and act with foresight. The United States has often failed that test. It forgets that unchecked aggression leads to wider wars and that removing governments without building new authority invites chaos. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Iran’s destabilising role in the Middle East and the collapse of Libya and Afghanistan all testify to what happens when those lessons are ignored. China,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352526/us-china-must-choose-constructive-power-over-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352526/us-china-must-choose-constructive-power-over-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo You can perhaps judge the rise and decline of a society by the quality of its public intellectuals. In the last century, the United States had some genuinely great thinkers such as Walter Lippmann and Hannah Arendt who addressed a literate public while producing enduring works that can still be read today with great benefit. Now you have people like Francis Fukuyama and Sam Harris who may be studied in the future more as a symptom of their society. A podcast between the two last month went viral... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352843/has-china-just-ended-end-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352843/has-china-just-ended-end-history?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Kevin Broady Kevin Broady The clock is ticking: the European Union has about two years to decide if it is willing to make the sacrifices and take the risks necessary to become the economic and political power it envisions itself to be. The EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator and Cyber Security acts are up for negotiation within the bloc’s policymaking bodies. In around two years’ time, we will know their final form. Beijing has two years to influence this: that work has already started with carrots – proposals for a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352448/negotiate-china-europe-must-first-figure-out-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352448/negotiate-china-europe-must-first-figure-out-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Even as “China shock 2.0” is roiling Western manufacturers, we must, it seems, brace for “China shock 3.0” – to the global food economy – as President Xi Jinping doubles down on the imperative that has obsessed Beijing for decades: food security. “China’s Food Future”, a consultation paper by Systemiq funded by the California-based Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, warns that China is poised to “reshape global agricultural commodity supply chains”. It suggests China is set to apply to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352799/prepare-china-shock-30-global-food-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352799/prepare-china-shock-30-global-food-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When the United States and the Philippines opened this year’s Balikatan exercises, the message travelled far beyond the parade ground. More than 17,000 troops are taking part in drills set to run until May 8. What matters is where the drills unfold, who has joined and what kind of regional habit they are helping to normalise. Japan took part in its first Balitakan live-fire exercises. Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand were also active participants. Then the exercises moved closer to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski As Beijing increasingly sees the country as a chessboard, the central government is no longer simply asking every province to grow faster; it wants them to grow differently. Reporting on the end of the 14th five-year plan and preparation for the 15th five-year plan frames provinces and cities as specialised implementation units, reflecting a territorial division of labour. The central government wants provinces to find their rightful place in national development and act in accordance with their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352501/why-beijing-wants-provinces-find-their-own-productive-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352501/why-beijing-wants-provinces-find-their-own-productive-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Ningrong Liu Ningrong Liu During a summer trip to Europe 15 years ago, I sat with friends in a Monaco hotel as we discussed their bold new idea. One of them, trained in technology and just beginning his entrepreneurial journey, shared his vision: to make the lectures of world-class professors accessible online to college students across China. I admired his passion, though I doubted whether such a venture could succeed. Not long ago, that company, now a leading provider of digital solutions for higher education in China,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352556/how-scientist-entrepreneurs-are-shaping-chinas-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352556/how-scientist-entrepreneurs-are-shaping-chinas-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Yogi Putranto Yogi Putranto Beneath the surface of the world’s oceans lies an infrastructure so essential, modern life would stall without it – yet so invisible it rarely enters public debate. Submarine cables, slender fibre-optic systems laid across the seabed, carry over 95 per cent of global internet traffic, transmitting the data that underpins financial markets, diplomatic exchanges and everyday communication. What appears to be neutral infrastructure is, in fact, a deeply political system – one that exposes a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352215/power-flows-through-submarine-cables-law-sea-must-evolve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352215/power-flows-through-submarine-cables-law-sea-must-evolve?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 12:52:34 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang Global attention is fixated on Japan’s strategic shift under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. From the strengthened US-Japan alliance to the tense stand-off with China, from advocating for constitutional reinterpretation to allowing weapons exports and deploying counterstrike capabilities – these moves have been dissected in capitals worldwide. But the real, and more decisive, story is unfolding on Japan’s home front. The domestic dynamic driving this change is often a footnote, yet it is the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352355/domestic-dynamics-driving-japans-remilitarisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352355/domestic-dynamics-driving-japans-remilitarisation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Mohamad Zreik Mohamad Zreik For decades, the Strait of Hormuz has been a narrow passage with a big footprint. Whenever it comes under tension, the world is reminded that energy security is less a policy construct than an everyday reality for Asia’s economies, factories and prices. For China, Japan, South Korea, India and Southeast Asia, it has always been more than just a Middle Eastern problem. It is an Asian economic issue. This is why we should not interpret the latest Gulf tensions solely in terms of naval forces,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352077/how-china-gulf-ties-can-turn-energy-vulnerability-sustainability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352077/how-china-gulf-ties-can-turn-energy-vulnerability-sustainability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Matt Terrell Matt Terrell When it comes to artificial intelligence, the United States still dominates the headlines – and, by most conventional measures, the technology itself. American institutions continue to produce a large share of high-impact AI research, and private investment reached over US$109 billion in 2024, nearly 12 times China’s total, according to the Stanford Institute for Human-Centred AI. At the same time, the economics of AI are rapidly improving. Training and deployment costs have fallen dramatically... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352235/america-builds-ai-china-uses-it-gap-may-decide-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352235/america-builds-ai-china-uses-it-gap-may-decide-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Zhou Xiaoming Zhou Xiaoming In global discourse, a script has been handed to us: the United States and China are locked in a “tech race”. But this is really a misnomer. True competition requires a level playing field. When one runner trips the other to ensure victory, it’s not a competition; it’s cheating. So, when Washington deploys an arsenal of sanctions, export controls and diplomatic strong-arming to hamstring China’s technological ascent, it is not competing. It is an act of suppression. This reflects a deliberate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352098/how-us-tech-hegemony-locking-out-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352098/how-us-tech-hegemony-locking-out-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Amid the trade war with the United States, the last thing China needs is an economic confrontation with the European Union – Beijing’s major export destination. But with the EU seemingly determined to protect its market by introducing measures that many see as controversial, an economic stand-off appears inevitable. When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blamed China last June for showing an “unwillingness to live within the constraints of the rules-based international system”,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352160/made-europe-law-sets-stage-economic-showdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352160/made-europe-law-sets-stage-economic-showdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Earlier this year, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang likened artificial intelligence (AI) to “a five-layer cake”. At the top are applications, such as chatbots. The layer below is the software, which includes language models. Further down are infrastructure and memory chips. The bottom layer is the most important. “At the foundation is energy,” Huang said, noting that “energy is the first principle of AI infrastructure and the binding constraint on how much intelligence the system can produce”. Driving... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352325/energy-crisis-showcases-strengths-chinas-data-centre-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352325/energy-crisis-showcases-strengths-chinas-data-centre-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei Beijing’s decision last Monday to block Meta’s US$2 billion acquisition of the Chinese-founded AI start-up Manus came as little surprise. The central government had already flagged its investigation and barred the company’s two founders from leaving the country. At first glance, the intervention appears disruptive to Chinese firms seeking foreign capital and US companies eyeing investments in China. However, a deeper look reveals this as emblematic of a new normal in China-US business ties,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352135/chinas-manus-block-show-strength-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352135/chinas-manus-block-show-strength-ahead-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Ran Guo Ran Guo At the end of March, China inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing, a body with a stated mission of “bridging the data divide, unlocking data’s value and powering the digital economy”. The move is the latest signal of a broader trend: over the past several years, Beijing has developed a distinct data governance strategy to drive artificial intelligence (AI) development as it reshapes the terms of technological competition. Since late 2025, Beijing has pursued an aggressive AI adoption... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351972/world-may-find-itself-very-chinese-time-data-governance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351972/world-may-find-itself-very-chinese-time-data-governance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Zongshuai Fan Zongshuai Fan Driven by intensifying competition in advanced manufacturing, the world is waking up to “China shock 2.0”. The first “shock”, associated with China’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, focused on low-tech manufacturing. Of course, this latest “shock” isn’t framed as such by Chinese policymakers. They present it as an upgrade in export strength, often described as a shift from the “old three” of textiles, furniture and home appliances to the “new three” of electric vehicles,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351863/beyond-subsidies-whats-really-driving-chinas-industrial-climb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351863/beyond-subsidies-whats-really-driving-chinas-industrial-climb?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Stephanie Sam Stephanie Sam “You could do with some international exposure. China, maybe,” a law firm partner said as we stood over the water cooler. His offhand comment was so blasé. I wasn’t sure what unsettled me more – the comment or my reaction to it. Was it xenophobia or the inertia of assumption? He was perfectly pleasant, encouraging even, but beneath the civility was an implication I couldn’t ignore. I had never set foot in Asia, yet suddenly, it felt as though my credibility required a pilgrimage. I wrestled with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351898/china-time-geopolitical-flux-i-feel-right-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351898/china-time-geopolitical-flux-i-feel-right-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Terry Lum Terry Lum Hong Kong is increasingly being urged to develop a comprehensive population policy. Academics, policymakers and business leaders warn that rapid ageing, low fertility and a shrinking labour force threaten the city’s competitiveness, and call for more decisive government intervention. Most such calls converge around two familiar strategies: encouraging Hong Kong women to have more children and attracting more immigrants. Both approaches assume Hong Kong must resolve its demographic challenges... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351750/hong-kongs-population-policy-still-trapped-city-state-mindset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351750/hong-kongs-population-policy-still-trapped-city-state-mindset?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 21:30:08 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell If the “China shock” of the early 2000s was about China catching up, then “China shock 2.0” is about the country redefining the boundaries of what is economically possible across manufacturing sectors, according to Columbia University professor Adam Tooze. Amid complaints about the trade and industrial policies accelerating China’s rise in many sectors – including aviation, space, artificial intelligence (AI), telecoms, microprocessors, robotics, nuclear and fusion power, quantum computing,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352065/chinas-manufacturing-rise-here-stay-west-must-recalibrate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352065/chinas-manufacturing-rise-here-stay-west-must-recalibrate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Bryan Luk,Leonard Luk Bryan Luk,Leonard Luk The international order is under mounting strain. In recent years, unilateralism, protectionism and the selective application of international law have eroded confidence in the rules-based frameworks that once underpinned global cooperation. The return of Donald Trump to the centre of American politics, along with the policy instincts the US president represents, has only reinforced concerns that the United States may continue to privilege narrow domestic calculations over international... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351722/world-adrift-looks-china-institutional-anchors-enter-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351722/world-adrift-looks-china-institutional-anchors-enter-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Heiwai Tang Heiwai Tang Geopolitics is reshaping the global trade landscape. The old model of free trade is fracturing as nations retreat into protectionism. Yet, amid this shift, China’s economy remains remarkably resilient. The country is shedding its “world’s factory” label and becoming a technological powerhouse. A massive wave of Chinese enterprises is “going global”. For Hong Kong, this is a defining moment. By drawing up a strategic five-year plan and leveraging its unique institutional advantages under “one... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351772/how-hong-kongs-institutional-strengths-can-power-its-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351772/how-hong-kongs-institutional-strengths-can-power-its-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Yan Shaohua Yan Shaohua The economic and trade relationship between China and the European Union has long served as a cornerstone of their bilateral partnership. As bilateral trade approaches a historic US$800 billion, this interdependence remains a pillar of global stability despite shifting geopolitical winds. However, the discourse surrounding trade imbalances between the two has become a flashpoint for tension, with reports indicating a goods trade deficit exceeding €300 billion (US$352.6 billion). While French... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351240/new-framework-may-be-only-way-save-china-eu-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351240/new-framework-may-be-only-way-save-china-eu-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo There is a time and a place. Just because you have a right to do something doesn’t mean you should exercise it. The United States and its allies keep claiming they have the right of navigation in international waters by sending their navies through the Taiwan Strait. Their intention to provoke is clear despite their justification under international law. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s row with Beijing over her remarks about militarily intervening in a Taiwan crisis has yet to die down.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351526/remilitarised-japan-threatens-more-just-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351526/remilitarised-japan-threatens-more-just-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Robin Hu Robin Hu Writing in Foreign Affairs, Tsinghua University’s Da Wei argued that China wants Europe to function as an independent pole in a changing global order, but that Europe lacks “a more independent soul”. He is half right. Europe has the assets for independence. What it lacks is the strategy. Europe and the United States face the same rival but carry different exposures. Since 2018, the US has cut its direct imports from China. Europe’s have grown harder to unwind. What appears to be decoupling is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351632/facing-us-and-chinese-pressure-eu-must-forge-its-own-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351632/facing-us-and-chinese-pressure-eu-must-forge-its-own-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Mark Greeven Mark Greeven The US-Israel war on Iran is pushing up costs for factories around the world, including in China. However, it is also showing how much better positioned China is to weather the blow. As energy costs rise and supply chains come under strain, Chinese exporters are better placed than producers in Europe and Southeast Asia to withstand the shock, even as their own costs increase. China’s oil reserves and long-running investment in renewable energy offer a degree of insulation from the surge in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351472/chinas-rivals-are-learning-wrong-lessons-about-its-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351472/chinas-rivals-are-learning-wrong-lessons-about-its-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi “Balikatan 2026” is meant to reassure allies and deter adversaries. But the military exercise hosted by the Philippines also reveals a harsher truth: the Indo-Pacific is drifting into a security logic in which deterrence no longer contains risk but multiplies it. Every move taken in the name of stability now invites a countermove. Every display of resolve is answered by another. The result is not equilibrium, but a trap. That is why diplomacy has to return to the centre of regional strategy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351382/without-diplomacy-deterrence-asia-path-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351382/without-diplomacy-deterrence-asia-path-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan In the span of a few days earlier this month, developments that usually sit in separate policy compartments began to converge. Abu Dhabi’s crown prince arrived in Beijing as President Xi Jinping used the visit to set out China’s four-point position on the Iran war. Pakistan, now central to keeping US-Iran diplomacy alive, said no date was fixed for the next round of talks. Washington escalated pressure on buyers of Iranian oil and the banks handling related funds. Reports circulated of yuan use... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350916/us-dollar-subtler-shift-petroyuan-order-underfoot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350916/us-dollar-subtler-shift-petroyuan-order-underfoot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Lizzi C. Lee Lizzi C. Lee The idea of a token economy is gaining traction. The concept is still nascent, loosely defined and easy to dismiss as just another piece of artificial intelligence jargon. It is no surprise Chinese policymakers are quick to jump on the bandwagon. But in the Chinese context, there is a more concrete policy logic that deserves attention. It reflects an emerging attempt to reframe how energy, infrastructure and digital services interact, and in doing so, how China positions itself in the next phase... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350766/chinas-ai-token-drive-really-about-upgrading-inland-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350766/chinas-ai-token-drive-really-about-upgrading-inland-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Another day, another big humiliation for William Lai Ching-te. The Taiwanese leader effectively had to cancel a visit to eSwatini, the island’s last partner in Africa, for the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne and his 58th birthday. Taiwan said the visit was “postponed” after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled their previously approved overflight permission without warning. Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351128/kuomintang-gets-carrots-dpp-stick?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351128/kuomintang-gets-carrots-dpp-stick?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell As my wife and I quaffed our way through a sumptuous five-course South African wine tasting dinner at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) early this week, the world food crisis and global food insecurity seemed a very long way away. Yet as the US war on Iran approached its third month, with the Strait of Hormuz still blocked and a host of critical commodities hostage to the conflict, our FCC wine dinners must surely be in jeopardy. More seriously, millions worldwide may face much... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351187/iran-war-brewing-food-crisis-we-must-avert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351187/iran-war-brewing-food-crisis-we-must-avert?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Tang Meng Kit Tang Meng Kit The signal is clear. In the first quarter of this year, just three C919 aircraft were delivered – two to China Southern Airlines and one to Air China. For a Chinese programme expected to deliver more than 30 of these home-grown narrowbody airliners this year, the gap between ambition and reality has opened up quickly. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) delivered 15 C919s last year, far short of the target of 75 set before supply disruptions forced a reset. Even the modest reported... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350858/engine-dilemma-lies-heart-successful-take-chinas-c919?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350858/engine-dilemma-lies-heart-successful-take-chinas-c919?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Burak Elmali Burak Elmali The Iran war has delivered a systemic shock to the Gulf’s security architecture and economic miracle. Two taboos were rapidly broken. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption and close to a quarter of seaborne crude, was paralysed for sustained periods. Iranian strikes reached deep into Gulf territory, hitting ports, energy terminals and airports with a frequency that exceeded attacks on Israel. War-risk insurance premiums and tanker charter rates surged... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350366/china-can-offer-gulf-states-more-just-security-umbrella?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350366/china-can-offer-gulf-states-more-just-security-umbrella?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao The Iran crisis loomed large in discussions when Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu ‌Dhabi, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met President Xi Jinping on separate visits to Beijing last week. Both meetings focused on the need for a comprehensive and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East. This week, on a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi reiterated China’s support for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350462/how-chinas-patient-diplomacy-can-help-secure-peace-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350462/how-chinas-patient-diplomacy-can-help-secure-peace-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Jinghan (Michael) Zeng Jinghan (Michael) Zeng A year ago, after more than a decade in the United Kingdom and several years in the United States – including time working for the United Nations in New York City – I returned to Asia and arrived in Hong Kong expecting it to also be a leading hub for international relations. Hong Kong is often described as a “superconnector” between China and the world. Yet in one crucial domain – the study and practice of international relations – the city remains a paradox: globally connected, intellectually... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350702/how-hong-kong-can-actively-shape-foreign-policy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350702/how-hong-kong-can-actively-shape-foreign-policy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Xiao Qian Xiao Qian The United States House Select Committee on China recently released a report on artificial intelligence. Titled “Buy What It Can, Steal What It Must: China’s Campaign to Acquire Frontier AI Capabilities”, it captures a hardening view in Washington that Beijing’s artificial intelligence rise is closely tied to both market access and security concerns. Whether fully substantiated or not, such beliefs are increasingly shaping the policy lens through which technology competition between the two... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350871/us-china-ai-race-must-strike-balance-between-security-and-openness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350871/us-china-ai-race-must-strike-balance-between-security-and-openness?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Few contemporary academics have played a more important role than Daniel Bell in explaining the philosophical and cultural roots of modern Chinese rule to a foreign audience. It’s not for nothing that he was once named a “cultural leader” by the World Economic Forum. Our city is privileged that he joined the University of Hong Kong’s law faculty as the chair professor of political theory not too long ago. Equally important is his post as the founding editor of the China book series with the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350710/how-ancient-chinese-philosophers-make-sense-modern-headaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350710/how-ancient-chinese-philosophers-make-sense-modern-headaches?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 William Figueroa William Figueroa China’s recent diplomatic efforts in the Middle East have led to speculation over whether its global strategy has shifted. There is consensus that China is stepping into a leadership role and trying to play peacemaker. Meanwhile, a few sceptics point out that the US-Israel war on Iran is not about China and has only exposed how thin Beijing’s influence is in the region. We’ve been here before. In the last decade, with each moment of conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, from Syria to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350535/chinas-diplomacy-succeeds-even-if-it-doesnt-bring-middle-east-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350535/chinas-diplomacy-succeeds-even-if-it-doesnt-bring-middle-east-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong There is a tendency to portray the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape as consisting of two bitter rivals – China and the United States. The remaining 80 per cent of the world’s population, by virtue of their supposed dearth of scale, research and other critical overheads, are purportedly followers with no agency. The reality is more complex. The emerging global AI order is neither unipolar nor strictly bipolar. Instead, it is characterised by a swathe of middle powers hedging their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350129/hong-kong-can-advance-ai-beyond-confines-geopolitical-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350129/hong-kong-can-advance-ai-beyond-confines-geopolitical-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Julien Chaisse Julien Chaisse Indonesia says it is not choosing sides. That is true in diplomacy. It is less true on the map. The “major defence cooperation partnership” announced by Washington and Jakarta on April 13 is written in the safe language of official communiques: capacity building, education, exercises, cooperation. But the harder meaning lies beneath the phrasing. The most important line in this new defence partnership is not the reassuring one about “peace and stability”. It is the one about “maritime,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350215/how-new-us-indonesia-defence-pact-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350215/how-new-us-indonesia-defence-pact-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Miguel Otero-Iglesias,Mario Esteban Miguel Otero-Iglesias,Mario Esteban Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s fourth visit to Beijing in four years has once again drawn attention across Europe and the Atlantic, but perhaps less scepticism than before. In an era marked by intensifying US-China rivalry, geopolitical fragmentation and the European Union’s emphasis on “de-risking”, Spain’s sustained engagement with China is often seen as a strategic divergence from Brussels. That reading, however, underestimates both Spain’s intentions and the broader shift under way... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350672/why-spains-outreach-china-offers-viable-model-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350672/why-spains-outreach-china-offers-viable-model-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Since America launched its “major combat operation” against Iran, several Nato allies have distanced themselves from Washington. Now America also risks losing ground in strategically important Southeast Asia to China. Could it face an erosion of influence similar to that suffered by Russia in Central Asia as a result of its “special military operation” in Ukraine? Soon after US President Donald Trump launched massive air and missile strikes on Iran on February 28, it became clear Washington... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Regina Ip Regina Ip For the first time in its history – and in a striking departure from its long-standing doctrine of minimal economic intervention – Hong Kong is preparing to draw up a five-year plan. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has asked all policy bureaus to help draft proposals by the end of the year. To lead the exercise, veteran civil servant Janice Tse Siu-wah has come out of retirement. The Legislative Council, not to be left out, has formed a committee supported by six coordinating groups spanning... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350403/how-markets-will-test-hong-kongs-new-economic-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350403/how-markets-will-test-hong-kongs-new-economic-model?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000