https://www.scmp.com/rss/518740/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sheheryar Bilal Sheheryar Bilal No Ethiopian, Pakistani, Indian, Brazilian or other serious policymaker believes artificial intelligence will solve corruption or improve governance overnight. National policies such as Digital Ethiopia 2030, Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025 or other initiatives in Chile, Argentina and Colombia consider AI as a means to enhance service delivery in healthcare, education, agriculture, taxation and disaster management, rather than as institutional reform. These are practical applications.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349302/ai-pessimism-luxury-global-south-cannot-afford?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349302/ai-pessimism-luxury-global-south-cannot-afford?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan As Asia grappled with the impact of the Iran war, a major pharmaceutical milestone quietly made the headlines. On March 20, the patent for semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy drugs, expired in several countries, crucially India and China – two countries renowned for their production of generic drugs, which are drugs with the same active ingredient as the branded original but typically sold at much lower prices. Ozempic, first approved in 2017 by the US Food... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349193/asias-flood-cheap-ozempic-generics-opens-gates-weight-loss-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349193/asias-flood-cheap-ozempic-generics-opens-gates-weight-loss-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan The first tankers that turned away from the Strait of Hormuz did not just redraw shipping maps. They redrew grocery lists, too. After Iran’s partial closure of the strait disrupted a chokepoint that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil, traders priced in something they know too well: war is not only about missiles; it’s about the bill that lands on kitchen tables months later. Brent crude climbing back above US$100 a barrel, and touching roughly US$120 on the worst days, is already... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Much Western discourse on artificial intelligence has lately focused on establishing safeguards and installing guardrails against powerful new AI systems, algorithmic bias, the collusion of governments and tech oligarchs, and rising related environmental costs. The growing AI backlash in the West has been labelled a “botlash” in a recent commentary by Stanford University’s Marietje Schaake, who includes anti-AI movements such as “QuitGPT”, “Resist and Unsubscribe” and “Stealing Isn’t... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Zhang Zhipeng Zhang Zhipeng The US-Israeli strikes on Iran and ensuing conflagration offer a window into how the US-led order works. For all its contributions, it functions like an air conditioner – cooling the American centre by pumping hot air into the periphery. Aggressive interest rate hikes export inflation to emerging markets. Proxy wars outsource geopolitical risk to distant theatres. The United States stays cool while the Global South absorbs the brunt of the heat. But the vents are closing: developing nations are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348447/global-south-nations-are-insulating-themselves-heat-us-actions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348447/global-south-nations-are-insulating-themselves-heat-us-actions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Massive carbon emissions from military activities and war-driven fossil fuel dependence are undermining the global energy transition, climate advocates warn as they point to the ongoing Iran conflict exacerbating this long-standing blind spot. Activists from Climate Action Network Southeast Asia, Oxfam and the Fossil Fuel Treaty convened in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week to discuss strategies to protect the global environment at the Southeast Asia-South Asia Preparatory Meeting for the Santa... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348144/wars-threaten-global-climate-activists-push-cop31-discuss-defence-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348144/wars-threaten-global-climate-activists-push-cop31-discuss-defence-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:57:30 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Beijing’s long-standing geopolitical playbook – stay in your lane, avoid military entanglement, prepare exhaustively and issue bland “win-win” statements about the UN charter and calls to talk not fight – could see China emerge favourably from the Iran war, said economists, analysts and former US officials, as the conflict enters its fourth week with little end in sight and the US barrelling ahead. “People always say that China doesn’t understand the Mideast,” said Jeremy Chan, senior analyst... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347827/why-chinas-strategy-stay-out-iran-war-working-and-crisis-may-spur-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347827/why-chinas-strategy-stay-out-iran-war-working-and-crisis-may-spur-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The deepening Strait of Hormuz crisis amid the war in the Middle East is choking the critical flow of not just oil but also fertilisers and perishable goods, and the Global South may face worsening food scarcity, warned the chief of a leading international business organisation. “We’re seeing the impact play out on fertilisers. A lot of people are not fully aware of the importance of the trade, particularly the shipment [of fertilisers] through the Strait of Hormuz and access,” said John Denton,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347666/global-south-bare-brunt-strait-hormuz-crisis-amid-worsening-food-scarcity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347666/global-south-bare-brunt-strait-hormuz-crisis-amid-worsening-food-scarcity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:59:42 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In a fragmented global landscape marked by fresh turmoil in the Middle East and mounting transatlantic strains, China leveraged its annual “two sessions” to project an image of stability. Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s press conference on March 8 laid out Beijing’s diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347258/chinas-voice-stability-one-many-are-choosing-heed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347258/chinas-voice-stability-one-many-are-choosing-heed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Denis Simon Denis Simon With the conclusion of China’s annual parliamentary “two sessions” meetings, emerging policy priorities suggest its relationship with the United States is entering a new technological era. This year’s government work report set an economic growth target of 4.5 to 5 per cent and announced increased fiscal support for science and technology, including a 10 per cent funding rise for research and development and over 16 per cent for basic research. More than routine budget adjustments, these figures... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346402/two-sessions-signals-china-us-tech-contest-entering-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346402/two-sessions-signals-china-us-tech-contest-entering-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong By the second half of the 21st century, the Sino-Indian relationship will become the world’s most significant geopolitical relationship, dislodging even the complex China-US cooperative rivalry. By 2050, the world’s three largest economies are likely to comprise some combination of China, India and the United States. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts this exact order – with the US having the highest per capita income but the smallest population. Both Asian powerhouses enjoy significant theoretical... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The US-Israeli attacks on Iran have profound implications for the global governance order. For America, the world’s mightiest power, to attack another nation without congressional or UN approval condemns the rules-based order to the dustbin of history. Governance is about checks and balance by rules, self-restraint or simply a humble appreciation that waging “forever wars” often ends up in self-destruction. War is such an extreme and costly measure it should only be undertaken after careful... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346410/us-israeli-war-iran-makes-mockery-global-governance-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346410/us-israeli-war-iran-makes-mockery-global-governance-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s pitch for a United Nations Security Council seat this week was notable for his sidestepping of an issue at the core of Manila’s foreign policy in recent years. As he appealed to UN members in New York, Marcos framed the Philippines as a bridge connecting developing countries and middle-income economies, without making any direct reference to the South China Sea dispute. The president’s restrained speech, which avoided mentioning China despite ongoing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346401/philippines-bid-un-security-council-seat-sidesteps-maritime-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346401/philippines-bid-un-security-council-seat-sidesteps-maritime-row?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi The US launched its war against Iran on February 28, convinced that decapitating Tehran’s leadership would produce swift political capitulation. A week later, Iran was still firing missiles across the Gulf, some 150 oil tankers were stalled at the Strait of Hormuz and an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander has threatened to set ablaze any vessel attempting passage. A recent analysis in The Diplomat argues the strikes signal the end of China’s westward strategic march. The diagnosis captures... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346051/how-americas-iran-miscalculation-hands-china-strategic-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346051/how-americas-iran-miscalculation-hands-china-strategic-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China’s top diplomat has cast his country as “an irreplaceable mainstay” amid global upheaval, rejecting any suggestion of a US-China G2 duopoly for global co-leadership as a replay of disastrous great-power rivalries. Instead, against the backdrop of the escalating Iran conflict and Washington’s renewed trade wars, Wang Yi renewed Beijing’s call for a post-hegemonic order anchored in the United Nations, advocating an “equal and orderly multipolar world” that transcended bloc confrontation and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345895/whats-wrong-g2-wang-yi-lays-out-chinas-case-against-great-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345895/whats-wrong-g2-wang-yi-lays-out-chinas-case-against-great-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:59:15 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Foreign Minister Wang Yi faced global media on Sunday morning to outline Beijing’s positions on key issues, ranging from the expanding crisis in Iran to China’s deepening dispute with Japan. The annual briefing, held as part of the annual “two sessions”, came as China sought to project its leadership and influence amid mounting global instability and manage its strategic rivalry with the US. This year, the top Chinese diplomat fielded 21 questions in a briefing that lasted nearly 90... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345852/takeaways-foreign-minister-wang-yi-chinas-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345852/takeaways-foreign-minister-wang-yi-chinas-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:38:36 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China is expanding its diplomatic budget by 9.3 per cent, the highest increase in three years, signalling Beijing’s plans to consolidate its geopolitical clout as instability mounts around the globe, according to analysts. The Ministry of Finance on Thursday proposed that 70.975 billion yuan (US$10.28 billion) be allocated for Beijing’s diplomatic spending in 2026, up 9.3 per cent from the previous year. It is the fifth consecutive year that China has increased its foreign affairs... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345590/china-boosts-diplomatic-budget-93-us-leaves-fiscal-void?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345590/china-boosts-diplomatic-budget-93-us-leaves-fiscal-void?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:11:24 +0000 Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow The sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s coast has raised concerns across South and Southeast Asia that the Middle East conflict may be expanding into the Indian Ocean, while also intensifying political pressure in India for a stronger response. Analysts said the strike’s location near key sea lanes linking Asia with the Gulf had heightened fears the conflict could spill into waters vital to regional trade while also raising doubts in New Delhi over its cautious... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:50 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin As China and the United States compete to shape the future of artificial intelligence, Africa’s rapidly expanding digital landscape is emerging as a new arena for their rivalry, far from the technology hubs of Silicon Valley or Shenzhen. With a growing population, expanding internet access and linguistic diversity, Africa is increasingly seen as a critical region for AI development, according to analysts. Early infrastructure and platform decisions can shape the future of emerging technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:10:11 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji As tech titans and world leaders descended on New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out his ambition for the country to become a major global power in artificial intelligence – a technology currently dominated by the United States and China. “My vision is that India should be among the top three AI superpowers globally, not just in the consumption of AI but in creation,” Modi told Asian News International in an interview about the summit. Top tech... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344919/indias-ai-superpower-dream-lands-us200-billion-now-comes-hard-part?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344919/indias-ai-superpower-dream-lands-us200-billion-now-comes-hard-part?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Narendra Modi Narendra Modi At a defining moment in human history, the world gathered at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. For us in India, welcoming heads of state, heads of government, delegates and innovators from across the world was a moment of immense pride and joy. India brings scale and energy to everything it does and this summit was no exception. Representatives from over 100 nations came together. Innovators showcased cutting-edge AI products and services. Thousands of young people could be seen in the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344463/how-india-can-lead-charge-inclusive-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344463/how-india-can-lead-charge-inclusive-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Laura Zhou,Orange Wang Laura Zhou,Orange Wang Kyiv’s top envoy to Beijing has called on China to play its “important” and “critical” role to help end the war in Ukraine, which is now stretching into a fifth year. “We are working with all international partners to bring a sustainable and lasting peace, and we believe that our host country, China, is uniquely positioned to play an important and in many ways critical role in this process,” Olexander Nechytaylo, Ukrainian ambassador to China, told foreign diplomats in the Chinese capital on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344498/ukraine-urges-china-play-critical-role-peace-war-enters-fifth-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344498/ukraine-urges-china-play-critical-role-peace-war-enters-fifth-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok In the early days of 2026, there has been an unexpected turn in China’s global relations. Some US allies have started reaching out to China just as China faced complications in ties with some friendly countries in the Global South. The underlying cause for both trends is the Trump administration’s imperial behaviour. With the dramatic abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and US President Donald Trump’s wish to control Venezuela’s oil, China’s economic stake in one of its closest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Human rights cannot be used to “whitewash hegemony”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told the UN, warning against any single country acting as a “human rights teacher”. Wang delivered his remarks via video link to a high-level meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday. “No country is qualified to act as the self-appointed ‘teacher of human rights’. No model of human rights should be proclaimed as ‘the sole prescription’,” a Chinese foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344431/china-versus-west-wang-yi-tells-un-no-country-human-rights-teacher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344431/china-versus-west-wang-yi-tells-un-no-country-human-rights-teacher?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:21 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May A single policy could redraw global food supply lines and scramble markets from the Americas to Southeast Asia. In early February, the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee and State Council released the annual “No 1 document”, the country’s first policy statement of 2026 and its blueprint for agriculture, farmers and rural areas. As one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, importers and exporters, any shift in Beijing’s food strategy carries global repercussions. Covering... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India and Brazil agreed to boost cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after talks in New Delhi with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “The agreement on critical minerals and rare earths is a major step towards building resilient supply chains,” Modi said. Brazil has the world’s second-largest reserves of critical minerals, which are used in everything from electric vehicles, solar panels and smartphones to jet engines and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344221/india-brazil-sign-rare-earths-deal-build-resilient-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344221/india-brazil-sign-rare-earths-deal-build-resilient-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:20:13 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao The global order has outgrown itself. The 2026 Munich Security Report describes this moment as a period of “wrecking-ball politics”, in which the post-war order constructed in 1945 is “under destruction”. However, that order was designed for a world shaped by bipolar rivalry and later sustained by American predominance. Today’s global system looks very different: economically diffuse, environmentally constrained and politically fragmented but deeply interconnected by both trade and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343875/its-time-global-governance-reflect-new-realities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343875/its-time-global-governance-reflect-new-realities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In Chinese culture, the horse symbolises strength, freedom and vitality. Yet as the Year of the Horse is celebrated with images of grace and power, real horses continue to suffer in industries that treat them as expendable. Near Egypt’s Great Pyramids, Peta investigators... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3343894/we-celebrate-lunar-new-year-lets-ensure-we-do-better-horses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3343894/we-celebrate-lunar-new-year-lets-ensure-we-do-better-horses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 03:30:11 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji One of the world’s most high-profile gatherings on artificial intelligence (AI) has opened in India, with analysts saying it could shift the focus from the race to build ever more powerful models to the challenge of deploying them at scale. As policymakers and tech executives convene for the India AI Impact Summit, they say the five-day event offers emerging and middle-ranking economies a chance to reframe AI as public infrastructure and work together to put it into public services, rather than... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343818/india-ai-summit-aims-shift-focus-model-races-scaled-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343818/india-ai-summit-aims-shift-focus-model-races-scaled-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Peter T. C. Chang Peter T. C. Chang Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s landslide electoral victory on Sunday signals a troubling shift: Japan’s unsettling turn to the right. In a post-US-led world order, safeguarding Japan’s security will require reaffirming, not abandoning, its post-war pacifist constitution. At the recent World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a telling admission about the US-led international rules-based order: it was never truly fair. Canada benefited from... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343064/takaichis-anti-china-stance-wont-bolster-japans-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343064/takaichis-anti-china-stance-wont-bolster-japans-security?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo China has a few red lines. But if you respect them, life can be smooth and wonderful. China doesn’t care if you are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu or an atheist. It doesn’t care if your government is democratic, theocratic or dictatorial. If you want to do business, China is more than happy to partner with you. If you need aid, that’s fine; it won’t tell you what to do with the money or otherwise dictate your finances, so long as it sees some returns, whether commercial, strategic or... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342876/outside-its-few-red-lines-china-ultimate-win-win-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342876/outside-its-few-red-lines-china-ultimate-win-win-country?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Senior diplomats from China and India met in New Delhi on Tuesday for what Beijing described as a new round of strategic dialogue, emphasising the need to view each other as partners rather than competitors amid shifting global dynamics. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri hosted China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who was in the country for the Brics Sherpa Meeting from February 8 to 10. The two sides’ readouts of the meeting, however, revealed a persistent gap in how the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:16:30 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji When India sealed a landmark free-trade pact with the European Union last month, Brussels’ top bureaucrat saw more than an economic deal taking shape. “India has risen and Europe is truly glad about it,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared. “Because when India succeeds, the world is more stable, more prosperous and more secure.” Her words were more than just a diplomatic nicety; they reflected a growing consensus in European capitals that India has become an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342704/indias-trade-blitz-seeks-keep-sinking-global-order-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342704/indias-trade-blitz-seeks-keep-sinking-global-order-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Kavitha Yarlagadda Kavitha Yarlagadda Artificial intelligence (AI) may look automated, but it runs on human labour. Behind every chatbot and image generator are thousands of people labelling images, tagging text, moderating content and training systems to understand language and culture. This invisible workforce has quietly become a critical layer of the global AI economy. India has emerged as a major hub for this work. Its large English-speaking workforce and long history in information technology outsourcing have made it a go-to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341993/great-powers-bet-ai-what-workforce-holding-it-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341993/great-powers-bet-ai-what-workforce-holding-it-together?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei US President Donald Trump is bringing back the law of the jungle to the world as he systematically dismantles the post-war rules-based international order built and forged by the United States and its allies. His speech last month at Davos, Switzerland, contained a blunt message: the US was done “keeping the whole world afloat”, where “everybody took advantage of the United States”. Trump is unabashed about what he wants. He flexed American muscle and ignored international norms by abducting... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341790/beijing-must-be-clear-eyed-about-its-national-interests-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341790/beijing-must-be-clear-eyed-about-its-national-interests-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Kashif Hasan Khan Kashif Hasan Khan The India–EU trade agreement marks a significant moment in the development of the global political economy. Described by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as the “mother of all deals”, the agreement links one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies with the world’s biggest single market. Yet, within hours of Brussels and New Delhi announcing their “strategic partnership”, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused the EU of putting trade ahead of the Ukrainian people.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341765/how-india-eu-trade-agreement-undermines-us-economic-coercion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341765/how-india-eu-trade-agreement-undermines-us-economic-coercion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 21:30:11 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru Today, double-digit tariffs imposed by the United States are the new baseline. Breaking decades of low single digits norms, the US rolled out a “reciprocal tariff” framework in April 2025, setting a 10 per cent baseline and layering on higher rates for specific countries. Embedded in the US’ national security strategy, this reorientation leaves little scope for a full rollback and turns global trade into a test of power: of whether World Trade Organization (WTO) rules still bind or leverage now... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341496/trumps-tariffs-reveal-hidden-fault-lines-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341496/trumps-tariffs-reveal-hidden-fault-lines-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Jiang Jiani Jiang Jiani At Davos this year, a familiar but sobering warning echoed through the slopes: the global order is fracturing into closed loops. In Western capitals, “de-risking” remains the dominant keyword, framing the global economy as a series of strategic high walls. Yet, beyond these barriers, a more tangible crisis is unfolding across the Global South. The infrastructure deficit continues to widen, estimated at a staggering US$1.7 trillion annually for Asia alone. This is a crisis of global governance.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341126/china-grows-it-reshaping-how-global-public-goods-are-delivered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341126/china-grows-it-reshaping-how-global-public-goods-are-delivered?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” has raised eyebrows at home, with critics zeroing in on how it deviated from Jakarta’s values by serving the interests of only the US and Israel instead of Palestine. Some observers, however, argue that the move is “consistent” with Indonesia’s proactive foreign policy stance and allows it access to major powers. President Prabowo Subianto was among several world leaders flanking Trump at Thursday’s signing of the board’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341420/indonesias-move-join-trumps-board-peace-stirs-debate-foreign-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341420/indonesias-move-join-trumps-board-peace-stirs-debate-foreign-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:52:57 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has placed “resilience” at the heart of its foreign policy this year, pitching it as a way to keep the country from being buffeted by intensifying rivalry among the world’s major powers. But analysts say the concept, though rhetorically appealing, lacks clear objectives and a long-term strategy – running the risk of Jakarta’s diplomacy becoming more transactional and drifting away from its stated values of non-alignment, multilateralism and respect for international law. In his annual... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call late on Thursday, during which both leaders stressed the need to defend the authority of the United Nations (UN) and to strengthen cooperation across the Global South, according to official readouts. The call, confirmed by both governments on Friday, took place amid heightened geopolitical tension that has strained the multilateral system and produced new frictions in Latin America and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341072/xi-and-lula-stress-value-un-call-us-actions-unsettle-regional-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341072/xi-and-lula-stress-value-un-call-us-actions-unsettle-regional-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:07:05 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan This month, a telling scene unfolded in Addis Ababa. The African Union and China held their ninth strategic dialogue in the Ethiopian capital and launched the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, framing the agenda around modernisation, connectivity and industrialisation rather than bloc politics. The moment captures what many smaller states are doing in today’s fractured world: choosing workable partnership over performative rivalry. The loudest conversations in global politics... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340606/many-states-partnership-china-makes-more-sense-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340606/many-states-partnership-china-makes-more-sense-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Shaoshan Liu Shaoshan Liu Europe’s debate over its technological future is both timely and necessary. The centre of gravity for platform technologies, advanced semiconductors, hyperscale cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) has undeniably shifted towards the United States and China. While the US boasts giants like Microsoft and Nvidia, and China has cultivated powerhouses like Huawei and Tencent, Europe has seen its share of the digital platform market shrink. However, viewing this shift as inevitable... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3339748/europes-tech-strength-lies-deployment-not-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3339748/europes-tech-strength-lies-deployment-not-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Zhao Ziwen,Vanessa Cai Zhao Ziwen,Vanessa Cai As the US considers taking military action over a crackdown on unrest in Iran, there has been no official response from either the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or Brics. Iran is a member of the two Beijing-backed forums for the Global South, and analysts said remaining silent on the situation could be damaging for them. But according to one expert, the Iran crisis could also lead to an expansion of security and strategic cooperation within the two blocs. US President Donald Trump has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339910/could-iran-crisis-push-global-south-blocs-deepen-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339910/could-iran-crisis-push-global-south-blocs-deepen-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:00:20 +0000 Alice Li,Sylvia Ma Alice Li,Sylvia Ma China has vowed to deepen cooperation in new energy and green minerals with the nations in the Global South, saying the move is in line with their industrial goals and a step towards further advancing Beijing’s economic opening-up, according to the latest front-page commentary in the Communist Party’s official newspaper. “Amid profound changes in the global environment, [China’s commitment to further opening up] underscores our confidence and responsibility in upholding openness and win-win... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339569/china-pledges-green-energy-push-global-south-signals-wider-market-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339569/china-pledges-green-energy-push-global-south-signals-wider-market-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 07:05:24 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen When Donald Trump alluded to the Group of Two before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, his choice of phrase was widely seen as Washington’s acceptance of Beijing as its peer. Diplomatic observers said the US leader’s terminology at the time was ill-suited for Beijing’s strategic calculus. And following America’s military operation in Venezuela, China would appear more likely to reject any talk of a G2, they added. Analysts also said Beijing would seize on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339070/us-venezuela-and-why-china-even-less-keen-talk-g2?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339070/us-venezuela-and-why-china-even-less-keen-talk-g2?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:56:03 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The mild responses by America’s Asian allies over the US military strike on Venezuela stem from a desire not to “bite the hand that feeds” them, analysts have said, noting that some countries were buying time by claiming to monitor the situation. Following the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday to face narcoterrorism charges on US soil, US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that Washington was “in charge” of the South American nation, including its oil... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338857/us-asian-allies-reluctant-slam-trump-over-venezuela-despite-his-cowboy-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338857/us-asian-allies-reluctant-slam-trump-over-venezuela-despite-his-cowboy-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 04:49:08 +0000 Sonalie Figueiras Sonalie Figueiras In contrast to the United States, which innovates and influences, and the European Union, which regulates, China has become the world’s climate doer. Beyond the headlines of decoupling, tariffs and geopolitical rivalry, an underappreciated global transformation is quietly under way: China, often framed as the world’s factory and climate laggard, has, almost by stealth, become the world’s undisputed climate leader. This may sit uncomfortably with Western policymakers, and perhaps even with some... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338280/how-china-quietly-became-worlds-climate-policy-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338280/how-china-quietly-became-worlds-climate-policy-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words China’s updated policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean should be read less as a challenge to Washington and more as a reflection of how global power is quietly rebalancing. Released without drama earlier this month, the document signals continuity rather than disruption.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3337765/chinas-latin-america-policy-paper-speaks-language-multipolarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3337765/chinas-latin-america-policy-paper-speaks-language-multipolarity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 03:30:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest stories about China’s soft power this year. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Labubu, soft power of a stealthy ‘ugly-cute’ sort, takes on America The Chinese-made dolls, a playful global megahit, give Beijing an opportunity to make inroads into deep US distrust. 2. ‘Huge shift’: why learning Mandarin is losing its appeal in the West Available figures suggest enthusiasm for learning Mandarin abroad is waning after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335844/labubu-blockbuster-films-was-2025-year-chinas-soft-power-went-mainstream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335844/labubu-blockbuster-films-was-2025-year-chinas-soft-power-went-mainstream?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 03:00:11 +0000