https://www.scmp.com/rss/521086/feed Chenjie Song is a freelance writer based between Shenzhen and Dubai. She studied sociology and political science at the University of Chicago and has lived in China, the US, France, Turkey, and the UAE. Her work focuses on energy geopolitics, US-China relations, and China-Gulf engagement, with a broader interest in international affairs and global current events. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chenjie Song Chenjie Song On April 7, less than two hours before US President Donald Trump’s declared deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz expired, a two-week ceasefire was announced after being floated by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The deal followed Iran’s delivery of a 10-point proposal to the United States through Pakistani mediators on April 6. According to Iranian officials, Tehran’s acceptance came after a last-minute intervention by China. The breakthrough came seven days after China and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349462/chinas-role-iran-us-ceasefire-reflects-its-strategic-distance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349462/chinas-role-iran-us-ceasefire-reflects-its-strategic-distance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Chenjie Song Chenjie Song Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s press conference at the annual “two sessions” on March 8 was the Chinese government’s most authoritative statement on the war on Iran since strikes began on February 28. Wang called the war one that “should not have happened” and offered five principles for resolution: respect for sovereignty, rejection of force, non-interference in internal affairs, political settlement and goodwill among major powers. Diplomatic language aside, Wang named no concrete enforcement... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347043/when-it-comes-persian-gulf-chinas-top-priority-economics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347043/when-it-comes-persian-gulf-chinas-top-priority-economics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Chenjie Song Chenjie Song If 2026 were a chess match, critical minerals would be the opening gambit, and both China and the United States are going all out. On January 28, China’s Zijin Mining announced a US$4 billion takeover of Allied Gold’s three African mines. On February 3, Swiss mining giant Glencore entered talks to sell a 40 per cent stake in its Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) copper and cobalt operations to the US-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium. Between the two announcements, US Secretary of State... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343940/pax-sinica-vs-pax-silica-how-china-us-mineral-war-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343940/pax-sinica-vs-pax-silica-how-china-us-mineral-war-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Chenjie Song Chenjie Song As competition intensifies in China’s electric vehicle market, the country’s leading carmakers are accelerating their global outreach in a push to capture new markets and enhance brand stature. Countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), particularly the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have emerged as some of the most promising destinations. Chinese carmakers are projected to account for 34 per cent of the Middle East and Africa automotive market by 2030, up from just 10 per cent in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3310171/why-gulf-countries-are-fertile-ground-chinese-ev-makers-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3310171/why-gulf-countries-are-fertile-ground-chinese-ev-makers-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 21:30:10 +0000 On April 4, Beijing expanded its export controls to include seven types of medium and heavy rare earth elements, materials critical to advanced manufacturing, defence systems and clean energy. Amid a wave of tariff escalations between the United States and China, the announcement spotlighted the deeper contest behind the headlines: the race to dominate global critical mineral supply chains. At the centre of this geopolitical battleground lies the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to some of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3307557/trumps-africa-policy-zeroes-minerals-and-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3307557/trumps-africa-policy-zeroes-minerals-and-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Copper prices surged to new highs in March as trade tensions flared and US President Donald Trump threatened a 25 per cent tariff on all copper imports to boost US production, escalating a resource war. Once a quiet workhorse of industry, copper has become a geopolitical flashpoint in the race for clean energy dominance. The backbone of electrification, copper is vital to electric vehicles, renewable energy grids and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Its strategic importance now ties... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3305016/why-china-pivoting-africa-copper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3305016/why-china-pivoting-africa-copper?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Apr 2025 08:30:09 +0000