https://www.scmp.com/rss/519845/feed Fan Chen joined the Post in 2024. She has reported in Cambodia, Nepal, and the Czech Republic. Her work appears in Reuters, Newsweek, and Southern People Weekly. She holds two journalism degrees from Columbia Journalism School and New York University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado,Cao Jiaxuan,Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado,Cao Jiaxuan,Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao US–Iran talks dragged into a sixth hour in Islamabad, running deep into the early hours of Sunday, as a showdown in the Strait of Hormuz triggered duelling claims from Washington and Tehran, exposing the fragile balance between negotiations and military escalation. As Pakistan-mediated talks began in Islamabad, US Central Command said it had begun “setting conditions” for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, with two US Navy guided-missile destroyers transiting the key... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349706/us-iran-direct-talks-hours-away-first-strikes-began-6-weeks-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349706/us-iran-direct-talks-hours-away-first-strikes-began-6-weeks-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:46:05 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Shi Jiangtao,Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan The Islamabad talks scheduled to begin on Saturday will represent the first direct US-Iran negotiations since the Pentagon launched Operation Epic Fury six weeks ago. Vice-President J.D. Vance will lead the US team, which will include Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to the White House. The Iranian delegation is expected to be led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Observers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349683/who-are-araghchi-and-ghalibaf-iranian-duo-set-lead-us-ceasefire-talks-islamabad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349683/who-are-araghchi-and-ghalibaf-iranian-duo-set-lead-us-ceasefire-talks-islamabad?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:04:16 +0000 Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Iran’s reclosure of the Strait of Hormuz has strained its tenuous ceasefire with the United States but will not necessarily send the two countries sliding back into war, according to analysts. However, Israel was a wild card, they said, following renewed Israeli strikes on Lebanon. The US and Iran agreed to the ceasefire on Tuesday, just before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the strait or risk being sent back to the “Stone Ages”. Trump said he agreed to “suspend the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349534/strait-hormuz-closed-again-end-iran-us-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349534/strait-hormuz-closed-again-end-iran-us-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:21:26 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen The United States boasts military superiority over Iran but has emerged as the strategic loser in the five-week conflict, with gains limited to a fragile two-week ceasefire and conditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts. Shortly before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to meet his demands or face destruction of its civilian infrastructure, the US and Iran entered a two-week ceasefire agreement mediated by Pakistan. Beijing reportedly intervened at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349423/why-us-iran-ceasefire-seen-failure-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349423/why-us-iran-ceasefire-seen-failure-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Josephine Ma,Wendy Wu,Fan Chen Josephine Ma,Wendy Wu,Fan Chen Chinese analysts have cautioned about any possible role for Beijing as a security guarantor in the Middle East, after the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday voiced hopes that China would help secure regional peace. Addressing reporters in Beijing hours after the US declared a brief ceasefire, Iranian envoy Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said: “We hope different sides could guarantee that the US would not resume the war, we hope the UN Security Council, big countries like China and Russia, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349347/iran-hopes-china-can-be-security-guarantor-middle-east-envoy-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349347/iran-hopes-china-can-be-security-guarantor-middle-east-envoy-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:38:23 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen US President Donald Trump’s renewed threat to take Greenland when America is bogged down in a war with Iran will only deepen the fracture with Washington’s European allies, according to analysts. Trump has repeatedly criticised Europe since returning to the White House. He has derided Nato as a “paper tiger” that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not afraid of” and last week threatened to withdraw the US from the transatlantic security alliance. Europe, meanwhile, has pushed back and kept a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349295/paper-tiger-whats-behind-donald-trumps-renewed-greenland-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349295/paper-tiger-whats-behind-donald-trumps-renewed-greenland-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen In a rare condemnation of its strategic partner, China has come out in opposition to Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations, calling for a ceasefire and a guarantee of the safety of shipping lanes. Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said: “China does not support Iran’s attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council nations and condemns all indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians and non-military targets. The security of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The US is likely to “escalate to de-escalate” its conflict with Iran, planning more aggressive strikes in the coming weeks to force a resolution, even as a complete ceasefire seems unlikely, according to Chinese analysts. In a prime-time address on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the US-Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, with Washington’s core military objectives nearly completed. Without giving details, Trump also threatened to send... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348832/what-will-us-do-next-its-war-iran-chinese-pundits-point-likely-path?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348832/what-will-us-do-next-its-war-iran-chinese-pundits-point-likely-path?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:00:16 +0000 Alcott Wei,Fan Chen Alcott Wei,Fan Chen As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month, another major shipping lane is at risk of closure but the chances of a prolonged conflict remain slim, according to Chinese analysts. The assessment came on Saturday as Iran-backed Houthi rebels joined the fray by firing missiles at Israel from Yemen. The Israeli military said it intercepted one of the projectiles. Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted a Houthi source as saying the missile attack was meant “as a warning”. The Houthis... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:31:19 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Nuclear containment and regional ceasefires are the most viable entry points for potential negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to a prominent Chinese expert on the Middle East. Niu Xinchun, director of the China-Arab Research Institute at Ningxia University, said the escalating conflict had vindicated China’s insistence on diplomatic and political solutions as the only way forward. He said that although both the US and Iran were open to talks – with Washington “in a much... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348043/way-out-us-and-iran-diplomatic-path-could-prove-china-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348043/way-out-us-and-iran-diplomatic-path-could-prove-china-right?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Alyssa Chen Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Alyssa Chen US President Donald Trump teased on Tuesday that Iran had made an energy-related concession involving the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as “positive”, without providing details. “They gave us a present and the present arrived today, and it was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of ⁠money,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “It wasn’t nuclear, it was ‌oil-and gas-related, and it was a very nice thing they did.” This came as analysts expressed scepticism that backchannel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347742/are-efforts-broker-peace-deal-between-iran-and-us-doomed-fail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347742/are-efforts-broker-peace-deal-between-iran-and-us-doomed-fail?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Iran’s leadership is likely to prove resilient despite US-Israeli decapitation tactics, analysts say. Dozens of senior Iranian officials, including the former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and national security chief Ali Larijani, have been killed since the start of the bombing raids on February 28. Tehran has argued these changes do not matter. “Of course, individuals are influential, and each person plays their role – some better, some worse, some less – but what matters is that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347624/not-venezuela-why-iran-likely-survive-us-israeli-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347624/not-venezuela-why-iran-likely-survive-us-israeli-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:15:30 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Prosecutors have formally indicted Shi Yongxin, the former abbot of the famed Shaolin Temple, four months after his arrest and following a string of financial and sexual scandals. Prosecutors in Xinxiang, Henan province, have formally charged Shi with embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, non-state official bribery and offering bribes, according to a Friday report from state news agency Xinhua. The 60-year-old former abbot led the Shaolin Temple for over 25 years and was ousted in July last... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347373/former-shaolin-temple-abbot-indicted-bribery-and-embezzlement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347373/former-shaolin-temple-abbot-indicted-bribery-and-embezzlement?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:14:58 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has pledged to work with Southeast Asian countries on energy security as the war in the Middle East continued to take its toll on global oil and gas supplies. “China stands ready to strengthen cooperation and coordination with Southeast Asian countries and jointly address energy security issues,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press conference on Thursday. Lin also called for an end to the conflict, saying: “Relevant countries need to stop military operations at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347199/china-offers-help-southeast-asia-counter-impact-middle-east-war-energy-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347199/china-offers-help-southeast-asia-counter-impact-middle-east-war-energy-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:25:05 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Fan Chen Lucy Quaggin,Fan Chen US President Donald Trump has said a planned meeting with his counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing would be delayed by at least “five or six weeks”, as China noted the two sides would remain in communication about the visit. “We’re working with China. They were fine with it … I look forward to seeing President Xi. He looks forward to seeing me, I think,” the American leader told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not confirm Trump’s timeline. “China and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346937/trump-confirms-delay-beijing-meeting-xi-amid-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346937/trump-confirms-delay-beijing-meeting-xi-amid-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:19:15 +0000 Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen China has vowed to firmly safeguard its overseas interests – a core objective reaffirmed in its latest five-year plan – at a time when global volatility is testing supply chains and regional influence. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that Beijing would continue to strengthen its capacity to protect Chinese interests and citizens abroad, put the people first, and develop a global system for security and risk prevention. According to analysts, his remarks reflect the growing pressures on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen A veteran South China Sea expert has cast doubt on the prospects of finalising a code of conduct for the contested waters this year, even as ties between rival claimants Beijing and Manila show signs of improvement. Wu Shicun, founding president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said it was “100 per cent not likely” that the document would be signed this year as the Philippines takes over the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). “I believe it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345137/south-china-sea-expert-warns-2026-code-conduct-simply-not-achievable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345137/south-china-sea-expert-warns-2026-code-conduct-simply-not-achievable?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:00:14 +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 Fan Chen Fan Chen Universities in China are shifting focus from traditional language degrees to country-specific and regional studies – a move analysts say reflects a broader strategy to craft a uniquely Chinese framework for understanding the world, independent of Western paradigms. The field of regional or area studies examines the politics, economics, culture, military affairs, geography, linguistics and other dimensions of countries and regions worldwide. Ministry of Education data shows that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344091/why-chinese-universities-are-ditching-language-degrees-strategic-regional-expertise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344091/why-chinese-universities-are-ditching-language-degrees-strategic-regional-expertise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Fan Chen Seong Hyeon Choi,Fan Chen A former president of Iceland has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that nearby Greenland was surrounded by Chinese and Russian vessels, saying it was “not supported by facts”. In an interview on the sidelines of last weekend’s Munich Security Conference, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who was Iceland’s president from 1996 to 2016, said there were “no Russian and Chinese ships in the waters of Greenland”. Trump said last month that the US “needed Greenland” – a Danish territory – “from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343884/trumps-claim-chinese-and-russian-ships-near-greenland-not-supported-facts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343884/trumps-claim-chinese-and-russian-ships-near-greenland-not-supported-facts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:00:17 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen If there is one big threat to maritime security in Southeast Asia, it is the growing wariness between the big players in the region. That was the assessment from Kao Kim Hourn, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), at the just-concluded Munich Security Conference. “Overall the main threat would be the increasing strategic mistrust between and among the major powers,” he said during a panel on maritime security on Friday. Kao did not refer to any country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Fan Chen,Seong Hyeon Choi Finbarr Bermingham,Fan Chen,Seong Hyeon Choi The US and China sought to manage their great power competition at Europe’s premier defence summit on Saturday, even as their top diplomats traded thinly veiled barbs at their respective roles in the current global tumult. In back-to-back speeches at the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke of the need to carefully manage the superpowers’ differences, continuing a relative thaw that is expected to see US President Donald Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343593/rubio-wang-yi-manage-us-china-great-power-rivalry-munich-even-core-tensions-linger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343593/rubio-wang-yi-manage-us-china-great-power-rivalry-munich-even-core-tensions-linger?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Fan Chen,Seong Hyeon Choi Fan Chen,Seong Hyeon Choi China and the US could get along well but whether that goal is reached would ultimately depend on the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. Wang said China sought to find the right way for the two major countries to get along well through dialogue and consultation, and would continue on this path in the interest “of our own peoples” and in line with the expectations of the international community. “But whether we can achieve that goal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343579/chinas-wang-yi-calls-global-governance-reform-amid-global-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343579/chinas-wang-yi-calls-global-governance-reform-amid-global-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:54:00 +0000 Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Xinlu Liang Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Xinlu Liang Beijing and Washington should expand cooperation and reduce their disputes, China’s foreign minister told his US counterpart on Friday, with preparations under way for a summit in the Chinese capital in April. “Dialogue is better than confrontation, cooperation better than conflict, and win-win better than zero-sum,” Wang Yi said to Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Both countries should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343523/china-us-top-diplomats-wang-yi-marco-rubio-meet-munich?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343523/china-us-top-diplomats-wang-yi-marco-rubio-meet-munich?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:46:04 +0000 Orange Wang,Fan Chen Orange Wang,Fan Chen Taiwan is likely to be “the most critical and contentious” issue when US President Donald Trump meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in less than two months, according to analysts, who called on Beijing and Washington to “turn the page” on trade. They also warned there was little chance the powers would make headway on nuclear arms control – an increasingly important fault line in bilateral ties – during Trump’s visit. While his precise arrival dates were still under discussion, Trump was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343363/taiwan-tensions-poised-be-primary-flashpoint-donald-trumps-beijing-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343363/taiwan-tensions-poised-be-primary-flashpoint-donald-trumps-beijing-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The South China Sea continues to act as a lightning rod for competing claims among regional powers. In the final of a three-part series, Fan Chen investigates how Beijing is responding to the wake-up call on what is needed to win the narrative battle. For previous articles, click here and here. A video shared by the Philippine coastguard gained wide attention in December. It showed a ship from its Chinese counterpart deploying water cannon towards a smaller vessel, but the footage was used to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343130/bully-vs-sovereignty-how-manila-and-beijing-are-sharpening-their-south-china-sea-messaging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343130/bully-vs-sovereignty-how-manila-and-beijing-are-sharpening-their-south-china-sea-messaging?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:00:07 +0000 Fan Chen,Laura Zhou Fan Chen,Laura Zhou The South China Sea continues to act as a lightning rod for competing claims among regional powers. In the second of a three-part series, Fan Chen and Laura Zhou examine how frayed China-Philippines relations might create a ‘challenging context’ for Manila’s aims to finalise an effective and legally binding code. Read the first part of the series here. The Philippine push to seal a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea is more symbolic than achievable because of the deep-seated... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343036/philippines-wants-seal-south-china-sea-code-conduct-can-it-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343036/philippines-wants-seal-south-china-sea-code-conduct-can-it-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen In a sign of warming China-Canada ties, Beijing has reversed a Canadian citizen’s death sentence and ordered a new trial, calling the judicial ruling “independent”. The Supreme People’s Court, China’s highest judicial organ, on Friday overturned a death sentence against Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who was detained in 2014 on suspicion of drug trafficking. Asked to comment on the ruling during a regular press briefing on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that judicial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342944/china-overturns-death-sentence-canadian-convicted-drug-smuggling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342944/china-overturns-death-sentence-canadian-convicted-drug-smuggling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:00:17 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has promised to send more aid to Cuba and deepen cooperation with Uruguay as it reaches out to its Latin American allies to fend off renewed American interest in the region. Cuba became the second Latin American country to send a high-ranking official to China this week. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla’s arrival in Beijing follows that of Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, the first regional leader to travel to China since the US assault on Venezuela in early... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342705/china-keeps-cuba-and-uruguay-fold-puts-panama-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342705/china-keeps-cuba-and-uruguay-fold-puts-panama-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan In the deepening shadow of US-China rivalry, India’s back-to-back trade pacts with the United States and the European Union mark a major tilt towards stronger economic ties with the West. While critical details – especially the scope of any reduction in Russian energy imports under the vague US agreement – remain unclear, experts predict the twin deals will give India leverage in its relationship with China and may slow the fragile thaw between New Delhi and Beijing. Meanwhile, New Delhi is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao Turkey remains committed to becoming a full member of the Brics bloc, positioning itself as a bridge between Asia and Europe despite widening transatlantic rifts, according to the new Turkish ambassador to China. Ankara, meanwhile, would continue to work with Beijing to deepen trade ties, promote high-level visits, expand cultural and academic exchanges and build political trust through dialogue on security, counterterrorism and other sensitive issues, the envoy told the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342362/nato-member-turkey-reaffirms-brics-ambitions-amid-transatlantic-rifts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342362/nato-member-turkey-reaffirms-brics-ambitions-amid-transatlantic-rifts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:01:39 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen A Chinese research vessel has been operating in Middle Eastern waters close to a US aircraft carrier, according to ship-tracking data, at a time of heightened American military presence near Iran. China’s Dayang Yihao (or “Ocean No 1”) has been surveying the Arabian Sea west of India since December 19, according to SeaLight, a maritime analysis group affiliated with Stanford University. The ship is China’s first modern comprehensive ocean-going scientific research vessel, and is equipped with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342260/us-aircraft-carrier-abraham-lincoln-sailing-arabian-sea-so-chinese-vessel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342260/us-aircraft-carrier-abraham-lincoln-sailing-arabian-sea-so-chinese-vessel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:15:12 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Donald Trump’s repeated threats against Greenland and rising tensions with Iran may have been a factor in the latest round of talks between China and Russia, according to Chinese observers. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Sergei Shoigu, the head of the Russian Security Council, met in Beijing on Sunday. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang warned of the danger of the world lapsing into the “law of the jungle”. “China and Russia should maintain close communication on major issues... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342142/could-greenland-and-iran-have-been-factors-behind-latest-china-russia-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342142/could-greenland-and-iran-have-been-factors-behind-latest-china-russia-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:44:00 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen At the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, world leaders warned of an increasingly fractured global order and took veiled swipes at the United States. But they held back on directly criticising China, which experts said signalled a recalibration in their approach to Beijing as US President Donald Trump’s political unpredictability left allies on edge. Recent moves by the US president have been widely seen as assaults on the global order, including the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341058/trump-shakes-world-order-western-countries-recalibrate-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341058/trump-shakes-world-order-western-countries-recalibrate-approach-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Japanese militarism is infiltrating culture and sports, a key Communist Party publication has warned, spotlighting table tennis star Tomokazu Harimoto and others in a pointed commentary. According to the article in the Study Times, run by the cadre-training Central Party School, Japanese far-right forces are using cultural and sporting activities to “influence public perception and beautify the history of aggression”. These activities included football player Kaoru Mitoma being photographed with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338620/chinas-communist-party-paper-warns-japanese-militarism-seeping-culture-and-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338620/chinas-communist-party-paper-warns-japanese-militarism-seeping-culture-and-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 11:56:31 +0000 Igor Patrick,Fan Chen,Mark Magnier Igor Patrick,Fan Chen,Mark Magnier US military strikes hit Venezuela’s capital before dawn on Saturday, shaking Caracas as US President Donald Trump reported that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country by US forces. The attack followed months of US sabre rattling and Chinese warnings over growing US military and economic pressure on its oil-producing ally. It also came hours after Maduro met China’s special representative on Latin American affairs, Qiu Xiaoqi, in Caracas. “This... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3338608/residents-venezuelas-caracas-report-multiple-explosions-low-flying-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3338608/residents-venezuelas-caracas-report-multiple-explosions-low-flying-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 07:58:11 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea will seek Beijing’s support on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and press to lift an unofficial cultural content ban when he travels to China for a state visit next week, according to Seoul. Lee’s four-day trip from Sunday will make him the first sitting South Korean president to visit China since 2019. Lee will first travel to Beijing, where he is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon, their second summit in two months. They... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338558/china-state-visit-south-koreas-lee-will-push-denuclearisation-end-culture-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338558/china-state-visit-south-koreas-lee-will-push-denuclearisation-end-culture-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:37:47 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has hit back against concerns raised by foreign countries, including Japan, over its military drills around Taiwan, accusing critics of being “extremely hypocritical”. The foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Japan, Australia and European governments had turned “a deaf ear” to the efforts of “Taiwan independence” forces using military means, while ignoring external interference in Beijing’s internal affairs. Beijing carried out massive live-fire drills and blockade exercises around... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338265/tokyo-expresses-concern-beijing-over-military-drills-around-taiwan-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338265/tokyo-expresses-concern-beijing-over-military-drills-around-taiwan-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:16:36 +0000 Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will make a state visit to China next week as the two countries try to find a way through their intense economic rivalry to improve ties. The trip will make Lee the first sitting South Korean president to travel to China since 2019, and will include a three-day stop in Beijing from Sunday, a presidential official in Seoul said on Tuesday. Lee will meet President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital before heading to Shanghai and then back to Seoul. The talks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338188/south-koreas-lee-jae-myung-visit-china-economic-and-nuclear-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338188/south-koreas-lee-jae-myung-visit-china-economic-and-nuclear-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:26:10 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen A Chinese government report into the ecosystem of the contested Scarborough Shoal has concluded the reef is in a good overall condition, but suggested that “illegal fishing and frequent intrusive activities” by the Philippines are putting it at risk. The report, released on Monday, said the overall condition of the shoal’s coral reef was “good”, with 135 different species of reef-building coral present. Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338016/china-suggests-illegal-philippine-fishing-damaging-disputed-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338016/china-suggests-illegal-philippine-fishing-damaging-disputed-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:24:51 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen One of China’s largest comic conventions has banned Japanese-themed content and derivative works just a week ahead of its opening amid spiralling tension between Tokyo and Beijing. Organisers of the Comicup (CP) 32nd edition “Pre” event – set to take place in Hangzhou on December 27 and 28 – informed exhibitors and visitors on Friday that there would be a “full-scale adjustment” of content shown throughout the venue. “Due to consideration regarding the current social environment and our cultural... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337463/china-cp-comic-fan-event-stripped-japanese-content-dozens-booths-affected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337463/china-cp-comic-fan-event-stripped-japanese-content-dozens-booths-affected?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:00:18 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen As the United States undergoes a strategic shift in its global priorities, experts in China are pushing Beijing’s vision for a new world order – but they say the country must improve its messaging. Leading political scientist and government adviser Zheng Yongnian said China had two guiding principles: maintaining its agency while engaging with the world; and extending the ladder it climbed to help other nations ascend. Zheng made the remarks on Tuesday at the International Forum on Mutual... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336891/china-urged-win-hearts-and-minds-fill-global-leadership-void-us-retreats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336891/china-urged-win-hearts-and-minds-fill-global-leadership-void-us-retreats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 02:00:10 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen A prominent Chinese expert on US affairs says the competitive relationship between Washington and Beijing is likely to remain stable for the rest of Donald Trump’s presidential term – a prospect crucial for China’s strategic planning. The China-US rivalry had achieved a “resilient balance”, Ni Feng, researcher and former director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said at a symposium in Shenzhen on Sunday. Unlike the competition between 2018 and 2024... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336650/resilient-balance-china-us-ties-remain-steady-trumps-term-scholar-predicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336650/resilient-balance-china-us-ties-remain-steady-trumps-term-scholar-predicts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:25:37 +0000 Fan Chen,Laura Zhou Fan Chen,Laura Zhou An inherent “asymmetry” of power poses a challenge to resolving South China Sea disputes via the quiet diplomacy traditionally favoured by Southeast Asian nations, a leading Malaysian security expert has said. Chinese analysts said Beijing supported the “Asean way” too, so long as sovereignty claims were resolved bilaterally. They also warned against external interference and “power politics” standing in the way of consensus within the bloc. Ruhanas Harun, an international relations professor at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336082/why-are-south-china-sea-disputes-hard-resolve-power-asymmetry-says-malaysian-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336082/why-are-south-china-sea-disputes-hard-resolve-power-asymmetry-says-malaysian-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Laura Zhou,Fan Chen Laura Zhou,Fan Chen China is willing to work with Southeast Asian countries to manage maritime disputes in the South China Sea and build a fair and just maritime order, a senior Chinese diplomat has said. Speaking in Sanya on the southern island province of Hainan, Sun Weidong, the vice-minister of foreign affairs, also hit out at the recent remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested last month that an attack on Taiwan by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might qualify as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335903/south-china-sea-beijing-says-it-seeks-ease-disputes-asean-over-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335903/south-china-sea-beijing-says-it-seeks-ease-disputes-asean-over-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:03:12 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen France is poised to get a pair of pandas in 2027 as part of a new decade-long loan agreement finalised following President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to China. On Thursday, the China Wildlife Conservation Association announced it had agreed with France’s Beauval Zoo to extend their international cooperation on giant panda conservation with the aim of boosting Sino-French exchanges. According to the group’s statement, the two giant pandas are expected to arrive at the zoo in Saint-Aignan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335395/france-poised-get-two-giant-pandas-2027-after-macrons-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335395/france-poised-get-two-giant-pandas-2027-after-macrons-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:00:38 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called China a security threat this week, but analysts said the statement was motivated by domestic politics and did not negate London’s goal of deepening economic ties with Beijing. Meanwhile, disputes around a new Chinese embassy are expected to continue to test this desire for stronger relations as the British leader plans a state visit. Starmer said on Monday that his government would focus on the relationship with China, which would help protect national... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335230/despite-starmers-china-threat-rhetoric-britain-seeks-tighter-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335230/despite-starmers-china-threat-rhetoric-britain-seeks-tighter-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Abiding by international law is the only path to peace and sustainable development at sea, China’s foreign vice-minister Hua Chunying said on Monday in a veiled swipe at the US over its unilateral exploitation of seabed minerals. “The oceans are not calm. Certain countries have resorted to the unlawful use of force at sea under various pretexts, posing a serious threat to regional peace and security,” Hua said on Monday. She was delivering opening remarks at a forum in Beijing focused on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334809/senior-chinese-diplomat-takes-swipe-us-over-deep-sea-mining-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334809/senior-chinese-diplomat-takes-swipe-us-over-deep-sea-mining-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:07:31 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has warned against foreign interference in its internal affairs following reports that US President Donald Trump privately pressed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to dial back her rhetoric on Taiwan. During a call on Tuesday, the US leader urged Takaichi not to provoke China, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited government officials. While reportedly briefed on Takaichi’s domestic political constraints, Trump asked her to “temper” her tone, but stopped short of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334388/china-warns-internal-affairs-limits-after-report-trump-asked-takaichi-temper-tone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334388/china-warns-internal-affairs-limits-after-report-trump-asked-takaichi-temper-tone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 11:40:00 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed “the close cooperation” between Tokyo and Washington in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, hours after Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Takaichi said her conversation with Trump covered the strengthening of the Japan-US alliance along with the various challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Fuji News Network. The phone call came amid escalating tension between Beijing and Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334016/japan-pm-next-trumps-telephone-list-after-overnight-call-chinas-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334016/japan-pm-next-trumps-telephone-list-after-overnight-call-chinas-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 01:56:45 +0000