https://www.scmp.com/rss/522042/feed Richard Nixon was the 37th US President (1969-1974), having previously served as Vice President, Senator, and Representative. His presidency saw significant foreign policy achievements, including opening relations with China, pursuing détente with the Soviet Union, and ending US involvement in the Vietnam War. Domestically, he delinked the dollar from gold, established the Environmental Protection Agency, and ended the military draft. Despite these accomplishments, his tenure concluded with his... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Both the United States and China appear keen to present this week’s talks between their respective presidents in Beijing as a “historic” and groundbreaking occasion. The way they have tried to frame the interactions between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping revealed both sides’ eagerness to emphasise the importance of the occasion. The messaging began with one of the choices of venue for their talks: the secluded leadership compound in Zhongnanhai in the heart of Beijing, rather than the Diaoyutai... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353827/how-china-and-us-felt-weight-history-behind-trump-and-xis-meeting-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353827/how-china-and-us-felt-weight-history-behind-trump-and-xis-meeting-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 12:50:22 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has become the first American defence chief in decades to accompany a sitting president on a state visit to China, in a rare departure from long-established diplomatic practice. Hegseth boarded Air Force One bound for Beijing alongside US President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon, according to the White House. Trump is set to hold highly anticipated bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday. A South China Morning Post tally shows... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353336/us-defence-secretary-joins-trump-china-trip-rare-diplomatic-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353336/us-defence-secretary-joins-trump-china-trip-rare-diplomatic-move?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 20:54:22 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au If and when Donald Trump touches down in Beijing this week for his long-anticipated state visit, the chefs who will feed him and his entourage – probably at least once in the Great Hall of the People – will already have run the scenarios for his meals. The last time he came, in 2017, the state banquet menu reportedly included Kung Pao chicken, coconut chicken soup, tomato beef and poached star grouper. It was a diplomatic tightrope walk: how do you honour a guest whose culinary preferences,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3353112/if-trump-didnt-eat-just-burgers-what-might-he-be-served-his-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3353112/if-trump-didnt-eat-just-burgers-what-might-he-be-served-his-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang Once a neglected figure in ancient China’s folklore, literature and artefacts, the panda has become a national treasure and a defining symbol of the modern nation. How did this black-and-white creature, long overlooked, come to occupy such an iconic place in a country’s cultural imagination? Palaeontologists have discovered panda fossils across China, some dating back eight to nine million years. According to early human scholar Wei Guangbiao, many of these ancient specimens show butchery... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351026/china-pandas-rise-unknown-status-become-palace-pets-then-national-symbols-treasures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351026/china-pandas-rise-unknown-status-become-palace-pets-then-national-symbols-treasures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The White House announced last week that US President Donald Trump’s visit to China has been delayed to mid-May, citing the conflict in Iran. Beijing’s response has been muted: the Foreign Ministry noted only that the two sides “have remained in communication” over the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters A group of 24 US states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday in the first legal challenge to his newly imposed 10 per cent global tariffs, alleging that the president cannot sidestep a recent US Supreme Court ruling that invalidated most of his previous tariffs on imported goods by citing new legal authority, according to ‌the states. The Democratic-led states, including New York, California and Oregon, argued that the new tariffs, which Trump announced immediately after the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345632/24-us-states-suing-stop-trumps-latest-global-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345632/24-us-states-suing-stop-trumps-latest-global-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 19:27:57 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Billed as a maverick hybrid of Cantonese opera and contemporary political satire, Trump on Show returned to the stage on February 22 with up-to-date references that included the US Supreme Court’s ruling against US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs just days prior. The fourth version of the show, first created by feng shui master Edward Li Kui-ming in 2019, opened on the sixth day of the Year of the Horse and sold out quickly as a holiday blockbuster. It brings on board comedy actress... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3344471/trump-abducted-aliens-and-has-chinese-twin-chaotic-cantonese-opera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3344471/trump-abducted-aliens-and-has-chinese-twin-chaotic-cantonese-opera?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:15:07 +0000 Kamal Ahmad Kamal Ahmad Things had to change in Bangladesh. The brutality of an autocratic regime which tolerated little dissent gravely undermined its legitimacy. Its relentless kleptocracy exposed a capacity for private greed and theft that had no limits, turning it into a criminal state. The surrender of a proud nation’s sovereignty to a giant neighbour for its guarantee of an illicit political status quo ultimately proved untenable. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was the right man at the right hour to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3338565/bangladesh-needs-structural-change-how-will-it-get-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3338565/bangladesh-needs-structural-change-how-will-it-get-there?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:00:20 +0000 Ningrong Liu Ningrong Liu While US-China relations are likely to warm in 2026 and US President Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy strikes a comparatively softer tone, the long-term trajectory of the two nations’ rivalry remains irreversible. Strategic competition will only intensify, focusing ever more on economic and security issues in the Pacific Rim. Notably, the Pentagon’s call for a major US military overhaul centred on the Pacific Rim could raise the risk of security confrontation. This dynamic will further... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337770/trumps-pivot-puts-pacific-rim-heart-global-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337770/trumps-pivot-puts-pacific-rim-heart-global-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Rob York Rob York The new US national security strategy says a great deal about how the government imagines its foreign policy in the next few years but tells us just as much about communism and the US president’s view of it. Donald Trump has long had an unusual relationship with communism, in that he does not seem especially concerned by it. Yes, it’s true he does denounce “communists”, “socialists”, “radicals” and “the far left”, but he is rarely speaking about communist regimes opposed to US interests... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336268/trump-only-communists-really-dislike-are-those-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336268/trump-only-communists-really-dislike-are-those-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam Peking duck is always a crowd-pleaser when it is ordered for the table. However, what few may realise is that the global popularity of one of Chinese cuisine’s most well-known dishes is tied to one of the most landmark diplomatic milestones in modern history. In 1972, Richard Nixon became the first American president to visit China, dissolving decades of icy relations between the two countries. The historic eight-day event was televised across the United States, giving millions an unprecedented... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3334377/how-peking-duck-got-so-famous-and-changed-worlds-perception-chinese-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3334377/how-peking-duck-got-so-famous-and-changed-worlds-perception-chinese-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 04:15:07 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Marinated in a rich blend of Sichuan spices and roasted until the skin transforms into a crackling golden armour, the flaming Peking duck at Hutong restaurant in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood is a feast for the senses. Paired with standard companions such as pancakes, hoisin sauce and cucumber, the duck also comes with a side dish of drama: it is flambéed and carved at the table with a pianya dao – a traditional knife with a long, thin, rectangular blade designed to slice duck meat... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3332460/peking-duck-centuries-old-favourite-how-do-hong-kongs-top-chefs-make-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3332460/peking-duck-centuries-old-favourite-how-do-hong-kongs-top-chefs-make-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 04:15:10 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski In the aftermath of the recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, many interpretations have emerged. However, one crucial dimension has been overlooked: the way in which Xi’s domestic priorities influence his foreign policy agenda. The de-escalation of trade tensions between China and the United States goes beyond fentanyl, rare earth elements, the chip war and Beijing’s purchase of US soybeans. It constitutes one of the key elements of internal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332195/chinas-diplomatic-gains-us-are-political-insurance-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332195/chinas-diplomatic-gains-us-are-political-insurance-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Using Richard Nixon’s “madman theory” of international relations, it appears that US President Donald Trump aims to pressure Russia and China into making significant concessions. His decision to impose sanctions on Russia’s oil giants, Rosneft and Lukoil, could not only impact the Russian economy but also the Kremlin’s energy cooperation with Beijing. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe imported substantial amounts of Russian crude. While China has been the top individual... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330705/how-china-could-make-or-break-us-sanctions-russian-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330705/how-china-could-make-or-break-us-sanctions-russian-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Christopher Nixon Cox,James Arnold Christopher Nixon Cox,James Arnold When Germany emerged as Europe’s industrial powerhouse in the 19th century, the established powers spent years attempting to contain it, culminating in a war no serious statesman desired, yet none proved skilful enough to prevent. Today, as we navigate the transition from American unipolarity, a similar question looms: will this shift follow that tragic pattern, or can it be managed through institutional adaptation as Zhou Enlai and Richard Nixon did in the early 1970s? The multipolar order is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329275/will-todays-great-powers-heed-example-richard-nixon-and-zhou-enlai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329275/will-todays-great-powers-heed-example-richard-nixon-and-zhou-enlai?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Lanxin Xiang Lanxin Xiang Convergence theory has long been a Western fantasy in conquering the world with liberal democratic values. It proposes that societies, especially as they industrialise, tend to become more alike in various aspects of social organisation, including work, class structure, family patterns and culture. However, convergence theory oversimplifies the complexities of social change and ignores the unique cultural and historical contexts of different societies. It does not adequately account for power... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3326764/trump-era-could-herald-end-ideology-us-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3326764/trump-era-could-herald-end-ideology-us-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The District of Columbia on Thursday sued to stop US President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard during his law enforcement intervention in Washington. The city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb, said the surge of troops essentially amounts to an “involuntary military occupation”. He argued in the federal lawsuit that the deployment, coinciding with an executive order on August 11, that now involves more than 1,000 troops, is an illegal use of the military for domestic law... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324391/washington-dc-sues-over-trumps-deployment-national-guard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324391/washington-dc-sues-over-trumps-deployment-national-guard?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:52:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook will file a lawsuit to prevent US President Donald Trump from firing her, a lawyer for the embattled central bank official said on Tuesday, kicking off what could be a protracted legal fight over the White House’s effort to shape US monetary policy. “His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter, lacks any factual or legal basis. We will be filing a lawsuit challenging this illegal action,” Cook’s lawyer, prominent Washington lawyer Abbe Lowell,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323251/us-fed-governor-lisa-cook-sue-trump-saying-he-cannot-legally-fire-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323251/us-fed-governor-lisa-cook-sue-trump-saying-he-cannot-legally-fire-her?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:03:26 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump insinuated in a social media post that he is open to Ukraine launching more attacks on Russia, as the White House looks to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country,” Trump wrote. “It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defence, but is not allowed to play offence. There is no chance of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3322735/play-offence-trump-hints-ukraine-should-widen-attacks-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3322735/play-offence-trump-hints-ukraine-should-widen-attacks-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 02:30:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The White House did not pressure the Smithsonian to remove references to US President Donald Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit and will include him in an updated presentation “in the coming weeks”, the museum said on Saturday. The revelation that Trump was no longer listed among impeached presidents sparked concern that history was being whitewashed to appease the president. “We were not asked by any administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit,” the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320567/smithsonian-denies-white-house-pressure-remove-trump-impeachment-references?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320567/smithsonian-denies-white-house-pressure-remove-trump-impeachment-references?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 23:09:16 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Shangri-La Group has launched its super-luxury hotel brand in mainland China, Shangri-La Signatures, featuring a convergence of cultural heritage and nature aimed at attracting wealthy tourists amid a rebound in demand for leisure experiences. The company was spearheading a move among global hoteliers to focus on unique offerings, operational agility and the evolving preferences of Chinese travellers to stay abreast of the competition. “Affluent Chinese travellers, particularly millennials and... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3318908/new-shangri-la-luxury-brand-lures-rich-chinese-tourists-unique-cultural-experiences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3318908/new-shangri-la-luxury-brand-lures-rich-chinese-tourists-unique-cultural-experiences?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 11:14:47 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo As a professional journalist dedicated to objectivity and detachment, I am totally uncalm about the US president. But you would be too if he had burned a big hole in your wallet. Since Donald Trump returned to power, the US dollar has dropped more than 10 per cent against the dollar index consisting of six major currencies, reportedly the worst fall since the oil shock of 1973. As you may have guessed, I am paid by my employer in Hong Kong dollars. So thanks to the US dollar peg, I had just had... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3317032/how-undermine-us-dollar-and-destroy-its-monetary-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3317032/how-undermine-us-dollar-and-destroy-its-monetary-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 13:45:07 +0000