https://www.scmp.com/rss/520118/feed As the world's only superpower, the US casts a wide shadow over global politics, and the rise of Beijing in recent decades may threaten that. The Post delivers the latest news on America's relationships with not just China, but also its enemies and allies in Asia, Europe, Africa and beyond. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Nayan Seth Nayan Seth During a video call on Friday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng to uphold China’s previous commitments on agricultural goods and rare earth exports. A day earlier, Beijing reminded Washington to implement another deal – reciprocal tariff cuts covering US$30 billion worth of products on each side – as a precondition to buying more American farm products. Just days before President Donald Trump meets Chinese leader Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3374008/deal-vs-deal-us-china-trade-calls-honour-commitments-trump-xi-summit https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3374008/deal-vs-deal-us-china-trade-calls-honour-commitments-trump-xi-summit Wed, 11 Nov 2026 02:34:23 +0000 Han Li,Lucy Quaggin Han Li,Lucy Quaggin On tote bags distributed by Asian-owned businesses in the US state of Georgia, three Asian-American women appeared in a design inspired by the Three Ladies rice brand. The bags were part of a campaign that put a voting twist on the online “Asian baby girl” meme. “We had an ‘Asian Ballot Girls’ campaign,” said Chany Chea, programme director of the Asian-American Advocacy Fund. “We had merch which went viral.” As Democrats won races in Republican strongholds across the southern United States in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374001/how-asian-american-campaigners-helped-turn-us-deep-red-south-blue https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374001/how-asian-american-campaigners-helped-turn-us-deep-red-south-blue Tue, 10 Nov 2026 22:39:46 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s embassy in Santo Domingo accused the United States on Monday evening of “sinister intentions” and mocked Washington for “congratulating” the Dominican Republic on closing a Chinese-run cardboard factory. The rebuke came hours after Juan Pablo Segura, who leads the US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, praised Dominican authorities on social media for “taking decisive action to shut down a massive, illegal, Chinese-operated cardboard factory”. Operating without... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374000/china-mocks-us-congratulations-over-dominican-closure-chinese-run-factory https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374000/china-mocks-us-congratulations-over-dominican-closure-chinese-run-factory Tue, 10 Nov 2026 20:49:11 +0000 Nayan Seth,Lucy Quaggin Nayan Seth,Lucy Quaggin The fallout from the Nvidia scandal may test the fragile truce between the US and China, analysts say, as calls in Washington grow to tighten semiconductor export controls just days before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China. “I think that [scandal] could have a bigger impact down the line during the meeting in Miami or even further down the line,” said Ilaria Mazzocco, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373859/nvidia-scandal-may-test-fragile-us-china-truce-experts-say https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373859/nvidia-scandal-may-test-fragile-us-china-truce-experts-say Tue, 10 Nov 2026 00:32:25 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang had told him he did not know a woman at the centre of espionage allegations was a suspected Chinese spy, and that he believed the technology executive’s account. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had spoken to Huang earlier in the day, as the chipmaker faces scrutiny over whether its founder was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. “I asked him that question. Did you have any idea... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373857/trump-backs-nvidias-huang-over-spy-allegations-says-xi-may-raise-case https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373857/trump-backs-nvidias-huang-over-spy-allegations-says-xi-may-raise-case Mon, 09 Nov 2026 23:15:38 +0000 Han Li,Teresa Elena Frontado Han Li,Teresa Elena Frontado Growing bipartisan pressure is mounting in the US Congress on Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang over his ties to a businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of working for Beijing’s intelligence services, with lawmakers from both parties demanding to know whether US national security was compromised. Chinese authorities have dismissed the spying allegations. The controversy escalated over the weekend when Nvidia’s board announced an independent investigation after Huang admitted he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373853/us-congress-ramps-pressure-nvidias-jensen-huang-over-alleged-china-spy-links https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373853/us-congress-ramps-pressure-nvidias-jensen-huang-over-alleged-china-spy-links Mon, 09 Nov 2026 22:17:04 +0000 Han Li Han Li California Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu is seeking to become the next chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, one of the top leadership jobs in the US Congress, and potentially making history again as the highest-ranking Asian-American on Capitol Hill. He announced his caucus chair candidacy in a letter to fellow Democrats on Thursday. He’s currently the most high-profile Asian and Chinese-American in Congress, serving as vice-chairman of the caucus, the fourth-ranking position in the House... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3373620/ted-lieu-seeks-congress-leadership-post-aiming-break-another-glass-ceiling https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3373620/ted-lieu-seeks-congress-leadership-post-aiming-break-another-glass-ceiling Fri, 06 Nov 2026 23:01:56 +0000 Han Li Han Li Amid a national Democratic wave in the midterm elections, a California Democrat has made history as the first Asian-American elected to the state’s second-highest executive office, with roots tracing back to a prominent military and political clan in China. Fiona Ma, 60, a Chinese-American and the state’s current treasurer, was elected lieutenant governor, marking a milestone for Asian-American representation in California politics. “I am deeply humbled and honoured to be elected California’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373619/californias-first-asian-lieutenant-governor-has-ties-esteemed-chinese-military-family https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373619/californias-first-asian-lieutenant-governor-has-ties-esteemed-chinese-military-family Fri, 06 Nov 2026 21:02:10 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng American voters have spoken. In the midterm elections, Democrats won both the House and Senate in a sweeping rebuttal of US President Donald Trump’s erratic management of domestic and foreign affairs. Despite this, the trajectory of US-China geopolitical rivalry will remain unchanged for decades, with every chance of escalation. Foreign Affairs re-examines “The Delusions of American Power” in its latest issue. The lead article, “The Limits of American Power”, concludes that even with the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373304/midterm-swing-wont-change-trajectory-us-china-rivalry https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373304/midterm-swing-wont-change-trajectory-us-china-rivalry Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan In the space of roughly 10 days, the two largest democracies in the Americas delivered setbacks to the populist right. In Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva staged a narrow but remarkable comeback, defeating Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in a run-off election after trailing in the first round. This week, American voters handed control of both chambers of the US Congress to Democrats in a sharp rebuke of candidates riding on US President Donald Trump’s “Make America... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373448/us-and-brazil-deliver-double-blow-populist-right-will-europe-feel-impact https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373448/us-and-brazil-deliver-double-blow-populist-right-will-europe-feel-impact Fri, 06 Nov 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Vasilis Trigkas Vasilis Trigkas At their October meeting in South Korea last year, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, recognising mutual vulnerability to export restrictions, agreed to suspend some of the most draconian measures they had imposed on each other: US port fees on Chinese-built vessels and Chinese export controls on rare earths. They also announced further summit-level talks. The leaders have since met twice: Trump visited Beijing in May, Xi visited Washington in September. They are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373140/chances-are-us-china-truce-will-be-extended-shenzhen-apec-summit https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373140/chances-are-us-china-truce-will-be-extended-shenzhen-apec-summit Fri, 06 Nov 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi US and Chinese defence officials met in Washington for the first meeting of a Crisis Communications and Prevention Working Group established under an agreement announced in September when leaders of the two nations met. The two sides agreed on the importance of “advancing practical communication measures” to reduce risks between the US and China, according to a Pentagon read-out of the meeting released on Tuesday. The delegates also discussed “additional channels” to promote “effective” crisis... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373321/china-us-defence-officials-agree-improve-communication-reduce-risks https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373321/china-us-defence-officials-agree-improve-communication-reduce-risks Wed, 04 Nov 2026 22:08:06 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Albee Zhang Khushboo Razdan,Albee Zhang In the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, US President Donald Trump displayed unwavering confidence in his star power, urging supporters to close their eyes and “pretend I’m on the ballot”. But Tuesday night’s disastrous results for the Republicans – the first time in 20 years both houses of Congress have changed hands at the same time – have punctured the aura of invincibility that once shielded Trump and allowed him to keep potential critics in line with the threat that opposing him... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373299/republicans-face-prospect-civil-war-trumps-air-invincibility-starts-fade https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373299/republicans-face-prospect-civil-war-trumps-air-invincibility-starts-fade Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Follow the SCMP’s live coverage here After almost two years in which the transatlantic alliance verged on collapse, a Democratic landslide in the US midterm elections was welcomed in Europe on Wednesday, even if few believed it would be a panacea for ailing ties. The Democratic Party swept both chambers of the US Congress in a crushing rebuke of US President Donald Trump’s two-year record. For Europe, that period has led to a shattering of the post-war order and deep schisms in the Western... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373298/bad-worse-europes-relief-over-us-midterms-tempered-prospect-trump-backlash https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373298/bad-worse-europes-relief-over-us-midterms-tempered-prospect-trump-backlash Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:14:06 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Follow the SCMP’s live coverage here Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, dealing a heavy blow to President Donald Trump as voters vented frustration over rising costs and the Iran war. With Democrats set to take over Congress in January, they will have the power to block Trump’s agenda and investigate his administration. Under these conditions, the president is expected to face a far more constrained final two years in office, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373270/us-midterm-takeaways-trumps-blame-game-elons-space-lasers-and-rest-world https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373270/us-midterm-takeaways-trumps-blame-game-elons-space-lasers-and-rest-world Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:00:22 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Americans and the rest of the world woke up on Wednesday to a seismic shift in the US political landscape as Democrats trounced Republicans, US President Donald Trump’s weapons of fear and intimidation suddenly appeared dull and possibly, just possibly, the US could start repairing its badly battered global image. While the final electoral count could take days, the trend was crystal clear. A blue tsunami had washed over the noisy, powerful land, with Democrats set to hold 55 or 56 Senate seats... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3373224/us-voters-unleash-blue-wave-handing-congress-democrats-and-rebuking-trump https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3373224/us-voters-unleash-blue-wave-handing-congress-democrats-and-rebuking-trump Wed, 04 Nov 2026 05:33:25 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters Democrats seized both chambers of Congress in the 2026 US midterm elections, flipping Senate seats in Republican strongholds and ending the control President Donald Trump had enjoyed since his return to the White House. The war in Iran loomed over the vote, and Trump acknowledged that higher petrol prices had hurt his party, but said he would make the same decision to go to war again. When the new Congress convenes in January 2027, the Democrats will be able to block Trump’s legislation,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3373188/trumps-fate-balance-us-midterm-elections-put-house-senate-grabs https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3373188/trumps-fate-balance-us-midterm-elections-put-house-senate-grabs Tue, 03 Nov 2026 23:00:59 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang Chinese President Xi Jinping met four foreign leaders in October – two each from Africa and Europe – with the month dominated by the Communist Party Central Committee’s fifth plenum. The pace will probably pick up in November. Xi has already met Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, and he will host an Apec summit on November 18–19. The Shenzhen event will probably feature talks with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other regional leaders. https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373073/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-october-2026 https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3373073/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-october-2026 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 04:19:00 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Americans go to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, in midterm elections that could reshape the final two years of Donald Trump’s second term as president. Control of both chambers of Congress is in play, along with 36 governorships. Polls suggest Democrats go into the vote with an advantage, but the outcome will hinge on a few dozen closely fought races. More than 100 million people are expected to vote if turnout matches the 2022 midterms. By October 12, a record US$3.8 billion had been spent on... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3372793/us-midterm-elections-2026-all-you-need-know https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3372793/us-midterm-elections-2026-all-you-need-know Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump ended the midterm campaign season on Monday by calling the Democratic Party’s candidates the “most extreme and dangerous” in American history, the day before voters decide which party controls Congress. Speaking at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, which reopened after a renovation by his administration, Trump called the elections “the most important midterm, I believe, in our lifetime”. “These are the most dangerous candidates ever put up,” he... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3373047/trump-closes-midterm-campaign-calling-democratic-candidates-most-dangerous-ever https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3373047/trump-closes-midterm-campaign-calling-democratic-candidates-most-dangerous-ever Mon, 02 Nov 2026 21:29:12 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Artificial intelligence (AI) is now solving maths puzzles that have long stumped humans, prompting mathematicians around the world, including in China, to ponder not only whether machines will replace them, but also what achievement and research in their field will mean in the future. In early October, OpenAI released manuscripts showing progress on 372 categories of mathematical problems, including many which have long defied solutions. This week, the American AI firm announced three further... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3373045/ai-solves-maths-puzzles-faster-humans-mathematicians-face-uncertain-future https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3373045/ai-solves-maths-puzzles-faster-humans-mathematicians-face-uncertain-future Mon, 02 Nov 2026 20:31:27 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. The ‘Queen of the Chinese’ and a forgotten history on the US-Mexico border Interest in the history of the Chinese community in the Lone Star State is growing. “There’s a real resurrection in understanding the influence of the Chinese in Texas,” Linda Chew, a retired judge in the US state’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372493/queen-chinese-drone-war-fears-cancer-drug-sale-7-us-china-relations-reads https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372493/queen-chinese-drone-war-fears-cancer-drug-sale-7-us-china-relations-reads Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:00:33 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Tuesday’s US midterm election is both hugely consequential and not so consequential even as the world waits to see the American voters’ verdict on Donald Trump’s presidency – and the impact that verdict will have on his temperament, plans and possible petulant response, analysts and former government officials said. On the one hand, an expected strong showing by opposition Democrats could bring more Congressional scrutiny over some of the most unconventional, maximalist and disruptive policies... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3372795/will-losing-us-midterms-see-trump-double-down-or-signal-beginning-end https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3372795/will-losing-us-midterms-see-trump-double-down-or-signal-beginning-end Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:25 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Nayan Seth Lucy Quaggin,Nayan Seth As Washington seeks to loosen China’s dominance over critical minerals, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged other members of the Group of 20 (G20) to strengthen supply chains and secure strategic trade routes as the group’s foreign ministers’ meeting drew to a close in Atlanta on Saturday. Rubio said there was a “universal recognition” among the G20 members over the importance of issues like critical minerals, supply chain security and freedom of navigation. “The first step is at least some... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372855/g20-foreign-ministers-end-atlanta-meeting-without-consensus-key-issues https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372855/g20-foreign-ministers-end-atlanta-meeting-without-consensus-key-issues Sat, 31 Oct 2026 19:32:58 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, was not an “anti-China” coalition, as the grouping’s top diplomats finalised preparations for the leaders’ summit in the Philippines next month. Rubio’s statement comes just weeks before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China. “It is not an anti-China or anti-anybody coalition,” Rubio said at a press conference on the sidelines of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372852/quad-diplomats-finalise-first-leaders-summit-two-years-trump-xi-meeting https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372852/quad-diplomats-finalise-first-leaders-summit-two-years-trump-xi-meeting Sat, 31 Oct 2026 16:17:17 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The film Everest: The Other Side, a collaborative US-China project that opened on Friday in 515 US cinemas and that will premiere at over 700 IMAX theatres in China on November 6, starts with a majestic shot of the world’s tallest mountain. Then the music builds and more challenging weather rolls in, foreshadowing what is at stake. The film invokes a well-trod narrative for fans of the mountaineering genre: a mix of the grit and sacrifice driving world-class climbers, along with no small amount... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/society-culture/article/3372803/new-everest-film-hopes-nudge-us-china-relations-higher-altitude https://www.scmp.com/news/us/society-culture/article/3372803/new-everest-film-hopes-nudge-us-china-relations-higher-altitude Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:02:46 +0000 Han Li Han Li Top Democrats on the US congressional intelligence committees say they are preparing to check and respond to any claim by US President Donald Trump that foreign powers interfered in the November 3 midterm elections, even though they say they have seen no sign of any country interfering with voting or vote counting. The concern comes as Democrats lead by eight points among likely voters in the fight for control of Congress, according to an October 27 PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. It also follows a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3372799/us-democrats-prepare-counter-any-trump-claim-foreign-meddling-midterms https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3372799/us-democrats-prepare-counter-any-trump-claim-foreign-meddling-midterms Fri, 30 Oct 2026 21:53:50 +0000 Han Li,Lucy Quaggin Han Li,Lucy Quaggin A Democratic takeover of either chamber of the US Congress could bring tougher scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s dealings with Beijing, even as lawmakers are likely to maintain a broadly hawkish stance towards China, analysts said. A change in control could shift the emphasis of congressional oversight, with the Democratic Party seeking greater accountability for the administration’s China policy after Trump’s Republican Party largely gave him room to manoeuvre, said Sarah Trister, a former... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3372791/how-democratic-controlled-congress-could-reshape-us-policy-china https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3372791/how-democratic-controlled-congress-could-reshape-us-policy-china Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:33:35 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao At the recent Valdai Discussion Club, I asked Russian President Vladimir Putin if he would be open to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum in Shenzhen. I also asked, more broadly, what role China could play in promoting peace in Ukraine, mediating and contributing to peacekeeping. Putin was receptive, warmly welcoming the idea of a China-hosted meeting. Trump, too, has expressed a willingness to meet Xi and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3372321/xi-trump-putin-summit-shenzhen-could-kick-start-peace-ukraine https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3372321/xi-trump-putin-summit-shenzhen-could-kick-start-peace-ukraine Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin A leading economist warned on Thursday that the United States and China are in a “conflicted co-dependency” that this year’s two bilateral summits failed to address. “I think there’s a good chance that we’re in a temporarily more stable place. But to say that has solved the deep-rooted problems between us, I think is a real stretch,” said Stephen Roach, a veteran China-watcher and the former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, at the China Institute of America. “You mentioned the two summits that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372665/economist-stephen-roach-warns-us-and-china-are-conflicted-co-dependency https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372665/economist-stephen-roach-warns-us-and-china-are-conflicted-co-dependency Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Cory Alpert Cory Alpert Amid attempts this year to impress each other with splendour, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping appear to have decided that the relationship between their two countries should primarily run through their personal relationship. This has been a hallmark of the Trump years. The American executive branch has always held near-unilateral authority over foreign policy, but Trump has concentrated that in himself. Dozens of ambassadors and senior national security advisers have... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3372343/trumps-days-running-us-china-relations-personal-ties-are-numbered https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3372343/trumps-days-running-us-china-relations-personal-ties-are-numbered Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:31:14 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists are less satisfied with their jobs than researchers in any other major country, according to a survey that also found they are more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts in the United States and Britain. Only 51 per cent of the 157 respondents from China said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to the survey published this month in the British scientific journal Nature, down 24 per cent from 2018. The survey drew 3,882 respondents from 133... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372643/chinese-scientists-dissatisfied-jobs-optimistic-about-future-survey-says https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372643/chinese-scientists-dissatisfied-jobs-optimistic-about-future-survey-says Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:22:06 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced additional military cooperation funding for the Philippines and agreed with Manila on efforts for enhanced interoperability between their forces on Wednesday, as Washington sought to strengthen its defence posture along the first island chain. The Pentagon disclosed neither the size of the funding increase nor a timetable for the coordination initiative following Hegseth’s meeting with Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr in Cebu on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3372492/hegseth-pledges-stronger-military-framework-philippines-lacks-details https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3372492/hegseth-pledges-stronger-military-framework-philippines-lacks-details Wed, 28 Oct 2026 21:20:22 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Huawei Technologies started presenting its case on Wednesday, arguing that as a cutting-edge global tech leader it had no interest in stealing trade secrets, in a high-stakes criminal trial involving dozens of witnesses, legions of lawyers and untold millions of US dollars in legal fees. The Shenzhen-based company has pleaded not guilty to 14 criminal counts in New York’s Eastern District Court, including racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and trade secret theft spanning more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3372491/huawei-opens-defence-us-criminal-trial-touting-its-record-innovation https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3372491/huawei-opens-defence-us-criminal-trial-touting-its-record-innovation Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:26:16 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth An American student considering studying in China attended a briefing with a senior FBI official at a Washington think tank last month to address her concerns about whether such an experience could jeopardise her prospects for a career in the federal government. The official’s message: travelling to China would not automatically disqualify her. She welcomed the clarification but said she wasn’t “completely reassured”. “I’m still wondering if it’s a good idea to go,” said the student, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372362/will-china-travel-hurt-american-students-careers-fbi-battles-fears-talent-pipeline-stalls https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372362/will-china-travel-hurt-american-students-careers-fbi-battles-fears-talent-pipeline-stalls Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:56:18 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Alibaba has won a preliminary court order blocking a US restriction that drove away its Washington lobbyists, after a federal judge found the Chinese technology giant was likely to succeed in challenging the measure on free-speech grounds. US District Judge Eumi K. Lee ruled on Monday that the government had failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the restriction, which effectively forces lobbying firms to choose between representing Alibaba and clients seeking Pentagon... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3372356/alibaba-wins-preliminary-injunction-against-pentagon-lobbying-rule https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3372356/alibaba-wins-preliminary-injunction-against-pentagon-lobbying-rule Tue, 27 Oct 2026 21:08:18 +0000 Han Li,Seong Hyeon Choi Han Li,Seong Hyeon Choi The 2027 US defence bill, covering more than US$1 trillion in proposed defence spending, will be one of the most closely watched pieces of legislation when Congress returns after the midterm elections, with efforts to counter China running through nearly every corner of the text. The US House of Representatives passed its version of the bill, known as the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), in July. The bill faces a tougher path in the US Senate, where a July procedural vote to begin... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372355/5-things-watch-out-2027-us-defence-bill-aimed-countering-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372355/5-things-watch-out-2027-us-defence-bill-aimed-countering-china Tue, 27 Oct 2026 20:58:44 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended Washington’s oil agreement in Venezuela as an alternative to Chinese and Russian involvement, pushing back against criticism from opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Rubio said most of the oilfields controlled by the company partnering with Washington had previously been held or operated by Chinese or Russian firms. He argued that the agreement would help revive production while securing US access to reserves in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372347/rubio-invokes-china-russia-defend-disputed-venezuela-oil-deal https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372347/rubio-invokes-china-russia-defend-disputed-venezuela-oil-deal Tue, 27 Oct 2026 16:18:20 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Kevin Rudd, president of the Asia Society and a former Australian prime minister, described US-China strategic competition as full-on and multidimensional at a Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics event on Friday. “There is a full-blown strategic competition under way in every dimension of national political power and influence, militarily, economically, trade and investment and technology, in foreign policy, in ideology,” said Rudd, a noted China scholar. “It’s across the world,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371990/us-china-strategic-competition-keep-escalating-world-watches-rudd-says https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371990/us-china-strategic-competition-keep-escalating-world-watches-rudd-says Fri, 23 Oct 2026 22:29:03 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth Strategic competition between China and the US and its allies is intensifying across the Pacific islands, with both sides pursuing a growing range of security agreements to expand their influence, according to an interactive mapping tool released this week by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank. The tool details 56 security arrangements among 14 Pacific island countries and the US, Australia, New Zealand, mainland China and Taiwan in a bid to map... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3371989/us-allies-and-china-vie-influence-through-pacific-security-deals https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3371989/us-allies-and-china-vie-influence-through-pacific-security-deals Fri, 23 Oct 2026 22:27:23 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Beijing has “influence” over Moscow it should use to stop the war in Ukraine, and that a proposed summit meeting of the US, Chinese and Russian leaders must not lead to the division of his war-torn country. Speaking virtually at an event hosted by Washington-based Hudson Institute think tank, Zelensky said he did not know what would be discussed at the potential meeting between US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371987/zelensky-hopes-beijing-can-use-influence-over-moscow-help-stop-ukraine-war https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371987/zelensky-hopes-beijing-can-use-influence-over-moscow-help-stop-ukraine-war Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:51:17 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The Asia Society announced on Thursday that it had marked out territory on the Washington policy landscape with the purchase of a US$17.5 million building that will give it a permanent spot alongside other US capital think tanks dating back more than a century, striving for influence. The 70-year-old institution, founded by the grandson of oil mogul John D. Rockefeller, has focused more on public policy in recent years, in addition to its traditional focus on arts, culture and education, under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371837/asia-society-announces-new-permanent-home-historic-washington-building https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371837/asia-society-announces-new-permanent-home-historic-washington-building Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:05:58 +0000 Nayan Seth,Khushboo Razdan Nayan Seth,Khushboo Razdan The Philippine ambassador to the United States signalled possible meetings of the “Squad” bloc ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Manila, as Washington confirmed that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue would hold its first leaders’ summit in more than two years on the sidelines of the regional talks. An informal defence grouping, the “Squad” forms part of a US-led regional strategy to counter China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. It comprises the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3371804/quad-confirmed-manila-envoy-signals-likely-squad-talks-trump-xi-summit https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3371804/quad-confirmed-manila-envoy-signals-likely-squad-talks-trump-xi-summit Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:00:05 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China on Wednesday condemned an arrest warrant issued in the US state of Florida for former Cuban president Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes, accusing the United States of using the courts to pressure Havana. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked about the warrant by the state-run Global Times at a regular briefing in Beijing. She referred to the 95-year-old as “comrade Raul Castro”, a “venerated” leader held in high international esteem. Mao said China opposed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371697/comrade-raul-beijing-defends-cubas-ex-leader-over-florida-murder-warrant https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371697/comrade-raul-beijing-defends-cubas-ex-leader-over-florida-murder-warrant Wed, 21 Oct 2026 23:02:27 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Just two weeks before the US midterm elections, Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he did not believe America would maintain its lead over China in frontier AI indefinitely, describing restrictions on advanced chips as Washington’s key leverage. “I don’t believe for one second that we’re going to maintain a lead over Chinese frontier models forever. But we should for as long as we can,” said Himes at a Brookings Institution event in Washington. “And the one... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371692/top-democrat-says-chip-restrictions-are-key-lever-us-ai-edge-over-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371692/top-democrat-says-chip-restrictions-are-key-lever-us-ai-edge-over-china Wed, 21 Oct 2026 20:36:57 +0000 Han Li,Zhang Tong Han Li,Zhang Tong Virginia Tech is accelerating the closure of a joint undergraduate programme with China’s Xidian University, bringing forward the end of a partnership that it had previously planned to keep running until 2029, according to a university spokesperson and a copy of an official letter reviewed by the South China Morning Post. This decision comes as the Pentagon’s push to tighten oversight of US universities’ research ties with China has led to more than 80 termination-related actions across 30... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3371690/us-colleges-scale-back-cooperation-chinese-institutions-after-pentagons-push https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3371690/us-colleges-scale-back-cooperation-chinese-institutions-after-pentagons-push Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:38:29 +0000 Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin As turbulence grows in many countries, it is tempting to ask if there is a global hegemon that can sort everything out fairly. US President Donald Trump has threatened that his country would not defend Nato allies if they failed to spend enough on their defence. Together with new trade barriers, his words suggest that the US is scaling back its ambitions for global leadership and concentrating more on its own region. Our latest projections of national strength for 2027 take into account... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Zhang Tong Lucy Quaggin,Zhang Tong The United States is lulling itself into a “sense of false security” over its military rivalry with China, according to a Republican senator who called for more spending on modern warfare systems and closer cooperation with allies. Speaking at the Hudson Institute after a recent trip to Japan and South Korea, Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania senator and West Point graduate, claimed up to 90 per cent of US defence spending funded decades-old equipment and technologies. “We convince ourselves; we... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371555/china-close-matching-us-spending-new-way-war-republican-senator-warns https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371555/china-close-matching-us-spending-new-way-war-republican-senator-warns Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:12:30 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The US State Department announced on Monday that it was imposing sweeping sanctions under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA) on five Chinese entities suspected of stealing trade secrets from American companies. The targets include Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, founded by former Google software engineer Ding Linwei, venture capital firm MiraclePlus and three related entities. Ding was convicted of seven counts of trade secret theft in January. A federal judge subsequently... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371434/us-sanctions-5-chinese-entities-over-ex-google-engineers-ai-trade-secrets-theft https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371434/us-sanctions-5-chinese-entities-over-ex-google-engineers-ai-trade-secrets-theft Mon, 19 Oct 2026 22:36:07 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The US and China are racing to secure concrete investment deals ahead of their leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen next month, even as both sides engage in a contest over leverage in extending their broad trade agreement. Multiple sources told the South China Morning Post that intense negotiations would continue in coming weeks, with Washington and Beijing still facing hurdles to finalising a complex package of institutional frameworks and economic agreements. The sources, who spoke on condition of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371413/us-china-negotiators-race-nail-down-concrete-deals-shenzhen-apec-looms https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371413/us-china-negotiators-race-nail-down-concrete-deals-shenzhen-apec-looms Mon, 19 Oct 2026 22:00:06 +0000