https://www.scmp.com/rss/519220/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction since February 28, when the US and Israel began military strikes on Iran. Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:30:14 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China has criticised Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland, a move that prompted strong criticism from neighbouring countries. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that no country should “incite or support separatist forces” for “selfish interests”, characterising the territory as an “inseparable part” of Somalia. “China firmly supports Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and opposes any act of splitting Somali territory,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338054/china-hits-out-support-separatist-forces-after-israel-recognises-somaliland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338054/china-hits-out-support-separatist-forces-after-israel-recognises-somaliland?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:34:27 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Houthi rebel groups in Yemen signalled in November they would halt attacks on commercial ships passing through the Red Sea if the Gaza ceasefire held, allowing a possible end to two years of costly detours for cargo shipping between Asia and Europe. Dutch financial services group ING called the potential reopening of Red Sea shipping lanes a “key thing to watch for in container shipping” next year. And it would have particular significance for China: the world’s biggest merchandise... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335200/return-red-sea-shipping-3-scenarios-chinese-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335200/return-red-sea-shipping-3-scenarios-chinese-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:30:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration on Tuesday said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and US citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety. The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration – a core feature of US President Donald Trump’s political platform. The list of countries includes... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334983/us-pauses-all-immigration-applications-19-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334983/us-pauses-all-immigration-applications-19-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 02:16:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s anti-migration Reform UK party, announced a plan on Tuesday to repeal human rights laws to allow for mass deportations of asylum seekers, action he said was needed to prevent “major civil disorder”. Farage said his party, which is leading in national opinion polls, would remove Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repeal the Human Rights Act and nullify other international treaties that have been used to block the forced deportation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323259/uks-nigel-farage-unveils-plan-deport-asylum-seekers-warns-civil-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323259/uks-nigel-farage-unveils-plan-deport-asylum-seekers-warns-civil-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:04:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump’s sweeping new travel ban came into effect early Monday immediately after midnight, barring citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States and reviving a divisive measure from his first term. The move was expected to disrupt refugee pathways and further restrict immigration as the Trump administration expands its crackdown on illegal entries. Many of the nations covered by the restrictions have adversarial relations with the United States, such as Iran... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3313605/trumps-new-travel-ban-takes-effect-citizens-12-nations-barred-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3313605/trumps-new-travel-ban-takes-effect-citizens-12-nations-barred-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 04:53:29 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump’s travel ban on seven African nations could dampen economic and diplomatic ties, a continental bloc warned. Trump on Thursday signed a proclamation that restricts travel by foreign nationals from 12 countries, including Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan, citing the need to counter the threat of terrorist attacks and safeguard the public. The African Union “remains concerned about the potential negative impact of such measures... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3313383/africa-warns-trump-travel-ban-could-dampen-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3313383/africa-warns-trump-travel-ban-could-dampen-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 09:47:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Wednesday resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. The ban takes effect on Monday at 12.01am EDT, a cushion that avoids the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice in 2017. Trump, who signalled plans for a new ban upon taking office in January, appears to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3313101/trump-signs-proclamation-banning-travel-12-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3313101/trump-signs-proclamation-banning-travel-12-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:58:45 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is hosting nearly 100 young and mid-career African military officers from 40 countries as part of its long-term strategy to deepen defence ties across the continent. The delegation, including officers from Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania, will stay until May 15 and visit top military academies in Beijing, Changsha and Shaoshan to learn about China’s military systems and modern technologies, according to China’s Ministry of National Defence. Observers say that by picking young and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309709/china-hosts-delegation-100-african-military-officers-strengthen-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309709/china-hosts-delegation-100-african-military-officers-strengthen-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 May 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Chinese academics have called for more studies of the country’s claims to the disputed South China Sea. “Narrative construction and discourse building are essential if we are to effectively defend our rights and interests in the South China Sea – both in the present and in future,” Wu Shicun, founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told a seminar held in Hainan province last week. Beijing lays claim to much of the South China Sea, citing historic activities and records in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268562/south-china-sea-chinese-academics-urged-construct-narratives-defend-maritime-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268562/south-china-sea-chinese-academics-urged-construct-narratives-defend-maritime-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jun 2024 22:00:13 +0000 Japan has the least press freedom of all G7 nations, according to global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, which ranked the East Asian nation 70th in its latest World Press Freedom Index – behind Hungary, Sierra Leone and Malawi. Norway retained its position at the top of the rankings – released on Friday to coincide with World Press Freedom Day – followed by Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. The United States placed 55th. Eritrea came dead last in 180th place, with Syria and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261628/japans-compliant-elite-media-blamed-poor-press-freedom-ranking-they-dont-want-rock-boat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261628/japans-compliant-elite-media-blamed-poor-press-freedom-ranking-they-dont-want-rock-boat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 04:00:20 +0000 Avoiding attacks in the Red Sea has raised the cost of business for Chinese firms in East Africa, which borders the embattled waterway, and shaken the production of companies that cannot afford the more costly alternative transport options, analysts said. Chinese traders are gingerly eyeing the use of circuitous air, land and sea routes for safety, hiring risk-tolerant so-called feeder shipping lines or producing less until the attacks by Houthi militants stop. “Chinese companies with a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3252694/red-sea-crisis-sees-chinas-brisk-business-africa-waver-under-high-shipping-costs-amid-houthi-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3252694/red-sea-crisis-sees-chinas-brisk-business-africa-waver-under-high-shipping-costs-amid-houthi-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:51:55 +0000 China could face more uncertainty and challenges in safeguarding its overseas interests this year, as more than 60 countries head to the polls in 2024, according to a Chinese think tank. With elections to be held in countries including the United States, Russia and India, it “will usher in a new phase in the geopolitical game”, Renmin University’s China Overseas Security Research Institute (COSRI) said in its latest report. The report, which was released on Wednesday, analyses China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249908/china-facing-more-overseas-security-risks-year-elections-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249908/china-facing-more-overseas-security-risks-year-elections-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:21:10 +0000 The supply of several key exports from Asia to Europe is being threatened by escalating violence in the Red Sea region after a new wave of attacks on Houthi militants launched by the US and UK. Monday’s air strikes were the latest in a series of attacks that began with missiles launched on January 12 against the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group, which has caused chaos for shippers worldwide by disrupting traffic through a Red Sea waterway that accounted for 12 per cent of global trade before the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3249481/asian-exporters-face-more-red-sea-risks-after-us-led-attacks-houthis-alternative-route-adding-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3249481/asian-exporters-face-more-red-sea-risks-after-us-led-attacks-houthis-alternative-route-adding-high?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jan 2024 10:00:21 +0000 The US has carried out a second strike on Yemen to curb the Houthi rebels’ ability to attack merchant shipping – which the group has been engaged in since November, in protest at Israel’s war against Hamas. While Washington has stressed its strikes were defensive in nature, it is possible that they could lead to an escalation of violence in the Middle East. This would not be in the global interest and major powers need to prevent such an outcome. The Houthi movement that controls large parts of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248590/china-and-india-have-duty-act-houthi-threat-global-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248590/china-and-india-have-duty-act-houthi-threat-global-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:30:14 +0000 The latest escalation in violence in the Red Sea between US-backed forces and Houthi militants may not affect oil supply to import-dependent Asia, but could push the price of the commodity higher. Oil prices jumped more than 2 per cent last week, hitting the highest intraday level this year after American and British forces launched dozens of air strikes against Houthi militants in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping that the Iran-backed fighters say is a response to the war in Gaza. On... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3248631/red-sea-risks-could-push-oil-prices-asia-feels-pinch-cargo-delays-rising-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3248631/red-sea-risks-could-push-oil-prices-asia-feels-pinch-cargo-delays-rising-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jan 2024 10:30:12 +0000 China is unlikely to take sides in the diplomatic storm that is brewing between Ethiopia and Somalia over a controversial Red Sea port deal, according to analysts. Landlocked Ethiopia made the deal at the start of the year with the self-declared state of Somaliland, giving the East African nation access to its ports in return for officially recognising it as an independent country. Somaliland proclaimed its independence in 1991, but since then it has not been recognised by any other country.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248061/china-set-stay-neutral-ground-red-sea-storm-brews-over-ethiopias-port-deal-somaliland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248061/china-set-stay-neutral-ground-red-sea-storm-brews-over-ethiopias-port-deal-somaliland?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jan 2024 02:00:29 +0000 Iran’s navy seized an oil tanker on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman that once was at the centre of a major crisis between Tehran and Washington, officials said, a seizure that further escalates tensions in the Mideast waterways. The vessel was once known as the Suez Rajan and was involved in a year-long dispute that ultimately saw the US Justice Department seize 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil on it. The seizure also comes after weeks of attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3248130/irans-navy-seizes-oil-tanker-gulf-oman-new-threat-mideast-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3248130/irans-navy-seizes-oil-tanker-gulf-oman-new-threat-mideast-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jan 2024 14:48:20 +0000 Israel killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese and Palestinian security sources said, raising the potential risk of war in Gaza spreading well beyond the Palestinian enclave. Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against the group almost three months ago after its shock assault and rampage into Israeli towns. Lebanon’s heavily... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3247059/israeli-drone-strikes-hamas-office-beirut-killing-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3247059/israeli-drone-strikes-hamas-office-beirut-killing-4?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:00:41 +0000 China sent a senior diplomat to Ethiopia to meet central government and regional leaders as they worked to ensure full implementation of the Pretoria peace deal that ended the deadly Tigray war, giving Beijing a chance to test its crisis diplomacy skills. Xue Bing, who was appointed China’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa in 2022 to help broker peace in the region, returned to Addis Ababa this week for talks with Demeke Mekonnen, Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3245376/china-tests-diplomatic-prowess-ethiopia-it-rebuilds-after-tigray-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3245376/china-tests-diplomatic-prowess-ethiopia-it-rebuilds-after-tigray-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Dec 2023 15:00:11 +0000 China – a major supplier of weapons to Africa – could help fight the illicit arms trade that is fuelling deadly conflicts across the continent, according to experts. They say China could also play a role in upholding international law and norms governing arms transfers. The assessment comes after President Xi Jinping told African leaders at the Brics summit in Johannesburg in August that China would work with them to “safeguard a peaceful and secure global environment”. He said Beijing would... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3243618/china-could-help-fight-illegal-arms-trade-fuelling-conflict-africa-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3243618/china-could-help-fight-illegal-arms-trade-fuelling-conflict-africa-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 04:00:09 +0000 The helicopter-borne Houthi attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea highlights the danger now lurking in one of the world’s key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza rages, as well as the rebels’ tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran. While Tehran has denied aiding the Yemen rebel group in launching their attack Sunday, the targeted ship before the assault passed by an American-sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel suspected as serving as a forward spying base in the Red... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3242425/helicopter-borne-houthi-attack-galaxy-leader-cargo-ship-raises-risks-crucial-red-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3242425/helicopter-borne-houthi-attack-galaxy-leader-cargo-ship-raises-risks-crucial-red-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2023 05:59:07 +0000 As the world transitions to green energy, the race is on to control the mining and refining of vital minerals such as cobalt, lithium and graphite. The current leader in that race, by far, is China – which controls the majority of the market. But that dominance is fast being challenged by the West. During last month’s Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, the European Union made it known it intended to challenge China’s dominance of the mining and processing of minerals that power electronics and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3240247/europe-us-racing-challenge-chinas-dominance-over-vital-african-minerals-market-will-they-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3240247/europe-us-racing-challenge-chinas-dominance-over-vital-african-minerals-market-will-they-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 08:03:15 +0000 A massive untapped iron ore mine in West Africa has shot up China’s list of belt and road priorities as it pushes to cut reliance on Australia and Brazil for the mineral essential to steel production. Simandou, a 110km (68 mile) mountain range in the inland forests of southeastern Guinea, is home to the world’s largest known undeveloped reserve of high-grade iron ore, with a projected annual production capacity of 120 million tonnes. The vast deposits have drawn Chinese multinationals including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239571/why-chinese-interest-soaring-west-african-guineas-simandou-iron-ore-reserves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239571/why-chinese-interest-soaring-west-african-guineas-simandou-iron-ore-reserves?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 08:00:16 +0000 As the US and China continue their stand-off over the latter’s rising technological capacity – and control over the minerals critical for tech production and development becomes a question of paramount importance – Beijing has intensified its efforts to build partnerships with countries taking part in its Belt and Road Initiative to ensure a steady, stable supply chain for these essential raw materials. The world’s second-largest economy secured mineral cooperation deals with more than 10... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3239009/china-turns-belt-and-road-countries-race-secure-tech-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3239009/china-turns-belt-and-road-countries-race-secure-tech-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2023 16:00:10 +0000 A US$3 billion megaport in Peru seen as a new gateway to Asia is on track to open four of its 11 berths at the end of 2024, offering a faster Pacific Ocean route to China for sea cargo from this part of Latin America. The project broke ground in 2011 in the small city of Chancay about 72km (44 miles) north of Lima, and with major help from Chinese investment. It was designed to make Peru a global shipping hub, competing with Chile and Ecuador as a link between South America and East... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3233614/peru-megaport-open-new-pacific-trade-route-china-will-it-be-win-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3233614/peru-megaport-open-new-pacific-trade-route-china-will-it-be-win-all?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Sep 2023 03:21:09 +0000 The armed attack this month on a convoy carrying Chinese workers was just the latest in a string of militant strikes in Pakistan. In the attack on August 13, insurgents targeted a convoy of four bulletproof vehicles carrying 23 Chinese engineers on way to Gwadar Port in Balochistan, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s plan to grow global trade. None of the engineers were hurt, but according to the Pakistani armed forces, two assailants were killed in gunfire with security... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231378/caught-crossfire-will-militants-derail-chinas-belt-and-road-plans-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231378/caught-crossfire-will-militants-derail-chinas-belt-and-road-plans-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Aug 2023 14:00:09 +0000 China is expanding its military and security engagement into West Africa, with Chinese state-owned defence conglomerate Norinco opened a sales office in Dakar, Senegal, challenging French and Russian arms suppliers. Analysts said China North Industries Corporation, or Norinco, would use the new office to help expand its military procurement operations in the region, where China has vast economic interests, including in countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea, which have recently... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231408/chinese-weapons-supplier-norinco-expands-influence-west-africa-challenging-russia-and-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231408/chinese-weapons-supplier-norinco-expands-influence-west-africa-challenging-russia-and-france?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 02:00:10 +0000 China and Russia are showing growing interest in Eritrea, a small African country in a strategic location but whose president is being shunned in the West for his autocratic governance. Its geopolitical significance in the Horn of Africa and easy access to the Red Sea had attracted the attention of Beijing and Moscow, observers said, with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki endearing his country to the big powers and earning finance for projects and investments. In 2021, Eritrea joined the Belt... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231129/china-and-russia-pursue-eritrea-its-strategic-location-africa-resources-and-transport-potential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231129/china-and-russia-pursue-eritrea-its-strategic-location-africa-resources-and-transport-potential?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 08:00:09 +0000 China’s belt and road projects rebounded in the first half of 2023 with a strong focus on metal investments in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new report. The initiative, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, appears to have regained momentum after the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down activity for three years. A total of 103 deals worth US$43.3 billion were signed in the first six months of this year compared with US$35 billion in the same period in 2022, according to a report by Fudan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3230094/chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-regains-momentum-focus-shifts-smaller-high-quality-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3230094/chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-regains-momentum-focus-shifts-smaller-high-quality-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:41:33 +0000 When Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki made a state visit to Beijing in May, he fondly recalled his time doing military training there in 1967 – just a year into China’s Cultural Revolution. It was an experience that played an important role in helping Isaias lead Eritrea’s 30-year fight for independence from Ethiopia, which it won in 1993. “[Isaias] remains fond of China and governs Eritrea and its relations with the outside world based on his decades of experience as a revolutionary guerilla... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229118/africa-sets-sights-china-top-destination-military-training?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229118/africa-sets-sights-china-top-destination-military-training?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 22:00:15 +0000 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday offered free grain to six poor African countries as he launched a summit with leaders from the continent days after withdrawing from the Ukraine grain export deal. The two-day summit in Putin’s native Saint Petersburg is being scrutinised as a test of his support in Africa, where he retains support despite international isolation sparked by his military intervention in Ukraine last year. Russia last week refused to extend a deal under which Ukrainian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3229155/putin-promises-free-grain-africa-summit-claims-ukraine-has-not-succeeded-any-front?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3229155/putin-promises-free-grain-africa-summit-claims-ukraine-has-not-succeeded-any-front?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:33:44 +0000 On May 9, soon after her 12th birthday, Muna left her home in Khartoum and walked to the local shop. She often ran errands on her own and would quickly return to her mother. But not this time. Two soldiers buying cigarettes noticed Muna as she was choosing bread – one grabbed her arm while the other raised his rifle, threatening the store owner to keep his distance. They dragged her to a construction site nearby and raped her. The soldiers were members of the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3228038/women-girls-tell-horrific-traumatic-rape-sexual-assault-sudan-conflict-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3228038/women-girls-tell-horrific-traumatic-rape-sexual-assault-sudan-conflict-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jul 2023 15:28:37 +0000 A UN-owned ship arrived off war-torn Yemen on Sunday for a risky operation to pump more than a million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker and prevent a catastrophic spill. After years of tense diplomacy between the United Nations, Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government, the Nautica entered Yemeni waters at midday, and was expected to moor soon alongside the FSO Safer, a rusting supertanker in the Red Sea. The delicate operation to transfer 1.14 million barrels of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3227921/risk-high-un-ship-arrives-yemen-prevent-catastrophic-oil-spill-decaying-tanker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3227921/risk-high-un-ship-arrives-yemen-prevent-catastrophic-oil-spill-decaying-tanker?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jul 2023 17:42:42 +0000 Washington has received the green light to rejoin United Nations’ heritage, cultural and science body Unesco, a move expected to open yet another front for US-China rivalry – this time over setting the global rules on artificial intelligence (AI). Observers said the US would push back on increasing efforts by China to mould Unesco policymaking on emerging technologies, which is deemed important in shaping global regulations. A US proposal to rejoin the body was adopted on Friday, with “a very... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225957/eye-ai-us-china-rivalry-enters-new-frontier-unesco-policymaking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225957/eye-ai-us-china-rivalry-enters-new-frontier-unesco-policymaking?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 22:00:07 +0000 When Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki visited Beijing last month, President Xi Jinping was there to greet him with a guard of honour, a 21-gun salute and a welcome banquet at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People. It was a sharp contrast to the United States in December when Afewerki was not even invited to the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington. Eritrea is heavily sanctioned by Western nations for alleged human rights abuses but Xi told Afewerki that Beijing “opposes external... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225939/why-china-gives-africas-leaders-red-carpet-treatment-and-chance-ask-favours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225939/why-china-gives-africas-leaders-red-carpet-treatment-and-chance-ask-favours?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2023 12:00:09 +0000 China plans to send more emergency food aid to the Horn of Africa and will also fund the reconstruction of Ethiopian infrastructure destroyed in the Tigray war, Foreign minister Qin Gang said in Beijing on Thursday. In a meeting with Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Qin said China had already delivered two batches of food aid to the region and was “considering providing a new batch … to help countries alleviate their urgent needs”. Qin also said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3221915/china-pledges-food-funds-key-horn-africa-partner-ethiopia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3221915/china-pledges-food-funds-key-horn-africa-partner-ethiopia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 08:00:17 +0000 The number of people becoming victims of modern slavery is estimated to have risen significantly in recent years. This is according to the latest Global Slavery Index of the human rights organisation Walk Free, which was published in London on Wednesday. According to the index, nearly 50 million people worldwide are trapped in modern slavery – 10 million more than five years ago. Particularly at risk of exploitation, according to the report, are people forced to leave their homes because of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3221681/modern-slavery-numbers-rise-sharply-most-widespread-north-korea-eritrea-report-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3221681/modern-slavery-numbers-rise-sharply-most-widespread-north-korea-eritrea-report-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 09:29:05 +0000 Women may still be a minority among migrants crossing the Mediterranean for Europe, but their number is rising and so is their need for special attention after what are often traumatic experiences, associations say. “If you cross the Mediterranean, it’s because you had a problem back home,” said a 20-year old woman from Ivory Coast who asked not to be identified. “That could be a rape, genital mutilation or a forced marriage, enough reason to leave your country,” she said. The young woman had... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3221259/running-abuse-migrant-women-trying-enter-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3221259/running-abuse-migrant-women-trying-enter-france?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 May 2023 12:29:54 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet in Beijing on Monday for his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afewerki, saying that China opposed sanctions imposed on the Horn of Africa nation. Eritrea is heavily sanctioned by Western nations for alleged human rights abuses, but in a meeting with President Isaias, Xi said that China opposed external interference in Eritrea’s internal affairs. He added that Beijing would firmly support Eritrea to safeguard its own sovereignty, security and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3220658/xi-jinping-hosts-eritrean-president-isaias-afewerki-beijing-shoring-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3220658/xi-jinping-hosts-eritrean-president-isaias-afewerki-beijing-shoring-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2023 17:37:03 +0000 The United States, Japan and South Korea were making preparations to evacuate their citizens from Sudan as security in the country’s capital Khartoum deteriorated amid heavy fighting between two rival military groups. More than 350 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fighting, the culmination of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3217854/sudan-conflict-us-japan-south-korea-deploy-military-assets-possible-rescue-missions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3217854/sudan-conflict-us-japan-south-korea-deploy-military-assets-possible-rescue-missions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Apr 2023 07:30:30 +0000 When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Addis Ababa late on March 14 , China’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, had already held meetings with some Ethiopian government officials. Both diplomats had a similar agenda: to help implement the peace agreement that ended the two-year Tigray war and to strengthen bilateral relations with Ethiopia. But the approaches taken by the two global superpowers to end hostilities in Ethiopia have been starkly different. Civil war... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3214136/ethiopia-china-and-us-map-rival-roads-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3214136/ethiopia-china-and-us-map-rival-roads-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2023 22:00:12 +0000 The United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Turk warned on Monday that human rights gains made in recent decades were being reined back and even reversed, citing Russia’s “senseless” invasion of Ukraine as a current example of oppression. “Much of the progress made over decades is being reined back and even reversed in some parts,” High Commissioner Turk said in a speech on the opening day of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, attended by more than 100 ministers and heads of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3211658/russia-ukraine-war-looms-large-un-human-rights-council-meets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3211658/russia-ukraine-war-looms-large-un-human-rights-council-meets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2023 06:33:19 +0000 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and created Europe’s largest refugee wave since World War II. In this multimedia series marking the one-year anniversary of the conflict, we look at China’s response to what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a “special military operation” and its diplomatic, military, monetary and economic impact. Kyiv and Moscow might be thousands of kilometres from Africa, but the impact of the Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3210689/how-ukraine-war-has-turned-africa-geopolitical-battleground-china-russia-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3210689/how-ukraine-war-has-turned-africa-geopolitical-battleground-china-russia-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Feb 2023 14:30:10 +0000 The spectre of another Chinese military base in Africa has long raised alarms in Washington, but analysts say the US should focus on the possibility of Beijing gaining a foothold on West Africa’s Atlantic coast or key Indian Ocean ports, rather than fret about its ambitions elsewhere on the continent. China has only one base on the continent, located in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. But the Pentagon says Beijing is planning to build others in countries including Angola, Equatorial Guinea,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3210055/why-us-fears-over-chinas-military-ambitions-africa-should-focus-atlantic-indian-ocean-ports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3210055/why-us-fears-over-chinas-military-ambitions-africa-should-focus-atlantic-indian-ocean-ports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Feb 2023 11:00:22 +0000 Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received a Unesco peace prize on Wednesday for her decision to welcome more than 1.2 million migrants to Germany despite resistance at home and among European partners. Organisers said that Merkel showed political courage when Germany welcomed refugees in 2015-2016 who had fled conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea. Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, president of the jury awarding the prize, praised Merkel for having opened the gates of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3209555/germanys-merkel-receives-unesco-peace-prize-political-courage-welcoming-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3209555/germanys-merkel-receives-unesco-peace-prize-political-courage-welcoming-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:02:52 +0000 China will support reconstruction efforts in the northern region of Ethiopia devastated by the Tigray war, newly appointed Foreign Minister Qin Gang said. Qin made the pledge during a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the capital Addis Ababa on Tuesday, his first stop on a week-long tour of five African nations. Beijing was willing to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields and would “encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Ethiopia and participate in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206458/china-pledges-support-reconstruction-efforts-war-torn-ethiopia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206458/china-pledges-support-reconstruction-efforts-war-torn-ethiopia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jan 2023 03:00:11 +0000 Last month, China and Saudi Arabia – two of the world’s largest carbon emitters – laid down the weakest of green foundations to a partnership otherwise inundated with red flags for the climate. Years of deepening ties between the world’s largest importer and exporter of oil culminated in a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh last month, where several agreements spawned a “new era” in China-Arab partnership. In effect, the epoch is poised to maintain the stability of oil flows between... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205352/china-saudi-energy-research-cold-comfort-poor-nations-seeking-climate-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205352/china-saudi-energy-research-cold-comfort-poor-nations-seeking-climate-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:00:10 +0000 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, said on Wednesday that his uncle had been “murdered” by Eritrean troops in Ethiopia’s war-torn northern Tigray region. Tedros held a press conference with the UN correspondents’ association on Wednesday. At the very end, he revealed he had been on the verge of cancelling the event “because it was a difficult moment for me”. “I was informed that my uncle was murdered by the Eritrean army,” he told reporters. “I spoke to my... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3203346/who-chief-tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus-says-uncle-murdered-tigray-bloodshed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3203346/who-chief-tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus-says-uncle-murdered-tigray-bloodshed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Dec 2022 22:36:55 +0000 Nearly a year ago, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda requested that the East African country be allowed to export more products tariff-free to the lucrative Chinese market. China’s trade restrictions made it impossible to export some items, he explained. “[Chinese] companies are very active. They [see opportunity] … and they come and invest. So I think that is going very well,” Museveni told Bloomberg in November, ahead of the 8th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation ministerial conference. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3199961/china-course-africa-trade-boost-it-offers-duty-free-access-nine-more-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3199961/china-course-africa-trade-boost-it-offers-duty-free-access-nine-more-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Nov 2022 22:00:13 +0000