https://www.scmp.com/rss/520885/feed Jianlu Bi is a Beijing-based current affairs commentator. His research interests include international politics and communications. He holds a doctoral degree in communication studies and a master’s degree in international studies. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi Against the backdrop of a shifting diplomatic landscape, US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing this week for a high-stakes summit. While Washington frames the visit, delayed by the war in Iran, as a pivotal effort to rebalance ties, the bravado of maximum pressure masks a deepening domestic vulnerability. Trump’s arrival comes at a critical juncture; his administration faces multiple crises. The looming 2026 midterms have intensified pressure from a restless agricultural... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353159/trumps-art-deal-playbook-failing-beijing-asserts-itself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353159/trumps-art-deal-playbook-failing-beijing-asserts-itself?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi On April 12, Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office unveiled a 10-point policy package aimed at turning political dialogue into practical action. From restoring regular direct flights to sharing water, electricity and gas supplies with the frontline islands of Quemoy, also known as Kinmen, and Matsu, the measures represent a tangible peace dividend. Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s visit to Beijing, where Communist Party chief Xi Jinping held a historic meeting with her, signifies a profound shift... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349791/strategic-logic-xis-historic-meeting-taiwans-cheng-li-wun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349791/strategic-logic-xis-historic-meeting-taiwans-cheng-li-wun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi On the eve of the Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival Gala, one of the world’s most-watched television broadcasts, delivered more than just festive entertainment. It served as a high-definition manifesto of China’s “embodied AI” supremacy. International observers, from Reuters to El Pais, watched as humanoid robots from start-ups such as Unitree performed complex martial arts, backflips and synchronised dances. As Beijing-based tech analyst Poe Zhao noted, these humanoids represent the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344742/how-us-ceded-robotics-economy-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344742/how-us-ceded-robotics-economy-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi At this turbulent crossroads of 2026, the global order is undergoing a major paradigm shift. This is signalled most vividly by a wave of Western leaders visiting Beijing. From British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s historic mission last week – the first visit by a UK prime minister in eight years – to the high-profile arrivals of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo last month, a clear pattern of strategic recalibration has emerged. These moves represent a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3342113/american-allies-are-finally-hedging-against-american-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3342113/american-allies-are-finally-hedging-against-american-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:30:37 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi The explosions that rocked Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in the early hours of January 3, signalled the definitive collapse of the post-war international order. With the announcement that US forces had captured president Nicolas Maduro and his wife under “Operation Absolute Resolve,” the world has been thrust into a chilling new era. This is the era of the “Trump Corollary”, a doctrine that replaces diplomatic norms with raw power and turns the western hemisphere into a private arena for US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338724/trumps-us-isnt-giving-extraterritorial-power-just-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338724/trumps-us-isnt-giving-extraterritorial-power-just-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 21:30:11 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi The recently concluded Politburo meeting in Beijing marked a profound strategic recalibration of China’s economic compass. Moving decisively past the crisis response narrative that defined 2024, Beijing has signalled an evolution towards equal emphasis on quality and efficiency and a careful balance of short and long-term goals for 2026. This pivot, timed for the threshold of the 15th five-year plan, confirms that the era of aggressive, blunt-force stimulus is yielding to one of high-precision,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335852/chinas-politburo-swaps-emergency-economic-surgery-preventive-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335852/chinas-politburo-swaps-emergency-economic-surgery-preventive-care?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi As Beijing’s annual kindergarten and primary school enrolment season wrapped up in the summer, the mix of joy and disappointment among families was palpable. It brought to mind the dramatic evolution of China’s education system, as experienced by myself and my children. I was born in rural China in the 1980s and education was always going to be my escape route. “Knowledge is power” was not a cliché; it was a creed my parents, though farmers, held dear. Their sacrifices, coupled with my own... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327591/my-familys-journey-through-chinas-changing-educational-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327591/my-familys-journey-through-chinas-changing-educational-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi The United Nations’ latest Global Innovation Index shows more than just a shift in rankings; it’s a strategic wake-up call. For the first time, China broke into the top 10 most innovative nations, displacing Germany, Europe’s industrial titan. This achievement, fuelled by massive government and corporate investment in research and development, is a testament to China’s drive towards technological self-sufficiency. It also exposes a profound paradox. While the United States has spent years trying... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325998/chinas-innovation-gains-highlight-failure-us-containment-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325998/chinas-innovation-gains-highlight-failure-us-containment-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:30:07 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi In today’s complex global economy, few issues stir more intense emotions than tariffs. US President Donald Trump’s tariff narrative has captured the hearts of many Americans. He painted a picture of a victimised America, its manufacturing base hollowed out and jobs shipped overseas. He promised to restore national greatness by wielding tariffs as a magic wand. While this narrative was a political triumph, it was built on a series of exaggerations and, when translated into policy, has ultimately... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3322382/trumps-compelling-tariff-narrative-cant-mask-real-world-failures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3322382/trumps-compelling-tariff-narrative-cant-mask-real-world-failures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi The streets of Los Angeles have erupted in recent days, manifesting deep-seated tensions triggered by US President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies. Sparked by high-profile Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the city, targeting workplaces and even prompting the arrest of a prominent union leader, thousands have taken to the streets in protest. Mayor Karen Bass has condemned the actions: “When you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3314648/behind-trumps-deportation-theatre-lies-american-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3314648/behind-trumps-deportation-theatre-lies-american-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi The Oval Office, traditionally a bastion of decorum and a revered setting for international diplomacy, has seen a fundamental reshaping during US President Donald Trump’s second term. Invitations to the president’s office, once highly sought after to forge alliances and tackle global challenges, have become a perilous trap, a Hunger Games of world politics where foreign dignitaries risk public humiliation and the undermining of their nations’ interests. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311589/trumps-oval-office-smackdowns-reflect-alarming-turn-us-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311589/trumps-oval-office-smackdowns-reflect-alarming-turn-us-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi The US economy’s 0.3 per cent contraction during the first quarter offers an early glimpse into the vulnerabilities being exposed by Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies. The downturn coincides with a notable shift in the US president’s rhetoric, moving from optimistic pronouncements of a “golden age” to warnings of fewer and pricier toys for American families. This suggests the pursuit of trade leverage may be coming at a tangible cost to the American economy, unmasking weaknesses that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3309266/trumps-tariffs-are-unmasking-us-economic-vulnerabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3309266/trumps-tariffs-are-unmasking-us-economic-vulnerabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 12:30:08 +0000 The United States’ imposition of sweeping reciprocal tariffs of at least 10 per cent on nearly 60 countries represents a seismic policy shift that threatens to dismantle decades of global trading norms. Imports from Southeast Asian countries from Malaysia and Indonesia to Vietnam and Cambodia will face 24, 32, 46 and 49 per cent tariffs respectively. This has unleashed a profound shock wave across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). For the regional bloc, these tariffs transcend... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3305031/3-ways-asean-can-survive-trumps-tariff-war-and-4-ways-china-can-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3305031/3-ways-asean-can-survive-trumps-tariff-war-and-4-ways-china-can-help?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Apr 2025 12:30:09 +0000 The annual “two sessions” in Beijing, a crucial window into China’s policy priorities and economic trajectory, continue to draw significant Western media scrutiny. However, a subtle yet perceptible shift appears to be under way – a tempering of harsh criticism alongside a sustained analytical focus. My colleagues and I conducted a content analysis of major Western news outlets, tracking the frequency of keywords related to China’s economy, technology and environment between 2019 and 2025;... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3302803/chinas-economic-successes-are-reshaping-western-media-narrative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3302803/chinas-economic-successes-are-reshaping-western-media-narrative?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Mar 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Recently, some Western media outlets have fixated on a few key challenges within China’s economy: the perceived fragility of the property sector, the weight of local government debt and the persistent issue of youth unemployment. But this narrow view obscures a broader and more complex picture – a story of remarkable resilience, ongoing economic transformation and significant potential. While the challenges are undeniable and demand careful attention, they do not define the entirety of China’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3300866/behind-loud-headlines-chinas-economy-quietly-making-strides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3300866/behind-loud-headlines-chinas-economy-quietly-making-strides?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 01:30:10 +0000 As Chinese mythology explodes on the world stage, it is poised to redefine the global entertainment market. From this year’s animated film Nezha 2 becoming the first non-Hollywood production to rake in US$1 billion at the box office, to Black Myth: Wukong’s cross-cultural appeal in the gaming world, centuries-old stories are captivating audiences like never before. This surge in popularity reflects both a growing hunger for diverse narratives and a fascination with cultures beyond the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298378/how-chinese-mythology-and-folklore-are-captivating-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298378/how-chinese-mythology-and-folklore-are-captivating-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 01:30:08 +0000