https://www.scmp.com/rss/522318/feed The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (MFA) is a prominent Beijing-based governmental body, serving as the first-ranked executive department of the State Council. Its primary mission is to conduct the nation’s foreign relations, implementing diplomatic principles and safeguarding national interests. The MFA’s main activities include formulating foreign policy, administering the world’s largest diplomatic network, representing China at the United Nations, and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jinghan (Michael) Zeng Jinghan (Michael) Zeng A year ago, after more than a decade in the United Kingdom and several years in the United States – including time working for the United Nations in New York City – I returned to Asia and arrived in Hong Kong expecting it to also be a leading hub for international relations. Hong Kong is often described as a “superconnector” between China and the world. Yet in one crucial domain – the study and practice of international relations – the city remains a paradox: globally connected, intellectually... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350702/how-hong-kong-can-actively-shape-foreign-policy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350702/how-hong-kong-can-actively-shape-foreign-policy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Tian Shichen Tian Shichen More than 36 years after the United States invaded Panama to arrest Manuel Noriega, Washington has once again launched a military operation to seize the sitting president of a sovereign Latin American country. The move echoes the logic of the Monroe Doctrine revived for the Trump era: enforcing US dominance in the western hemisphere through the use of force rather than law. Beyond its immediate impact on Latin America, the operation has sent a wider signal. It underscores a willingness to bypass... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338722/us-attack-venezuela-tests-moral-clarity-post-war-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338722/us-attack-venezuela-tests-moral-clarity-post-war-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China has expressed “strong dissatisfaction” to Japan after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent a ritual offering to a controversial shrine that honours war criminals on the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender. It was a “blatant provocation against historical justice and human conscience”, the Chinese foreign ministry said, referring to the visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on Friday by several Japanese cabinet members. “To view and treat history correctly is an important prerequisite for Japan’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322141/china-complains-about-japanese-ministers-tribute-war-criminals-yasukuni-shrine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322141/china-complains-about-japanese-ministers-tribute-war-criminals-yasukuni-shrine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 11:30:44 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen On the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Tokyo to face up to its history and “make the right choice” regarding Taiwan. “A series of international documents … clearly defined Japan’s war responsibilities and required Japan to return the territories it had stolen from China, including Taiwan,” Wang said on Friday on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Anning, in southwest China’s Yunnan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321991/beijing-says-tokyo-must-make-right-choice-taiwan-japan-remembers-cost-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321991/beijing-says-tokyo-must-make-right-choice-taiwan-japan-remembers-cost-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:08:01 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has severed ties with Czech President Petr Pavel following his private visit to congratulate the 14th Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday last month. The meeting on July 27 “seriously contravenes the political commitment made by the Czech Republic government to the Chinese government, and harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian. He added that China “strongly deplores and firmly opposes” the meeting and that Beijing had lodged... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321694/china-cuts-ties-czech-president-over-petr-pavels-birthday-visit-dalai-lama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321694/china-cuts-ties-czech-president-over-petr-pavels-birthday-visit-dalai-lama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:17:20 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Washington’s decision to suspend the “de minimis” tariff exemption for all countries – expanding on an earlier move that targeted Chinese shipments – is set to disrupt and ultimately reshape the global cross-border e-commerce sector, analysts said. The White House announced the order on Wednesday as part of efforts to close loopholes used to evade tariffs and smuggle “deadly synthetic opioids as well as other unsafe or below-market products” into the United States. It will come into effect on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320315/trumps-order-end-de-minimis-tariff-break-expands-china-rest-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320315/trumps-order-end-de-minimis-tariff-break-expands-china-rest-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen The Chinese embassy in Tokyo has issued a security alert after two Chinese nationals were wounded in an attack in the Japanese capital on Thursday. Four unidentified men armed with iron pipes attacked two Chinese men as they were walking in Tokyo’s Kanda district at around 9am, according to Japanese media reports. The two victims sustained head wounds but their condition was not life-threatening. Police were searching for the attackers, who were believed to be in their 20s and reportedly not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320306/chinas-tokyo-embassy-sounds-alarm-after-2-citizens-attacked-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320306/chinas-tokyo-embassy-sounds-alarm-after-2-citizens-attacked-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 10:28:24 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China held talks with representatives from Thailand and Cambodia on Wednesday as efforts to defuse tensions following the recent deadly border clashes continued. The three-way discussions in Shanghai, hosted by vice-minister for foreign affairs Sun Weidong, secured a commitment from both sides to abide by the ceasefire and were described by Beijing as an “informal consultation” given the “fragile situation” on the ground. Underscoring that fragility, the two sides continued to trade accusations... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320180/china-vows-continue-thailand-cambodia-peace-efforts-after-informal-post-truce-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320180/china-vows-continue-thailand-cambodia-peace-efforts-after-informal-post-truce-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:26:10 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Alexandra Schmauch, who works at a property company in Dallas, Texas, was initially sceptical of the Labubu doll craze. As she watched the commotion build on TikTok and many of her friends became avid collectors, however, curiosity got the better of her. Eventually, after several attempts, she managed to secure a couple of Labubus, relishing the “blind box” surprise of not knowing which Labubu character was inside. “A lot of the fun is how hard they are to get,” said Schmauch, aged 28. “I was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3319439/soft-power-stealthy-ugly-cute-sort-labubu-takes-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3319439/soft-power-stealthy-ugly-cute-sort-labubu-takes-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has confirmed that it barred a senior Wells Fargo executive from leaving the country, saying it banned her exit because of a “criminal case” investigation. Last week, reports surfaced that Chenyue Mao, an Atlanta-based managing director at the American banking giant and a United States citizen, had been stopped from leaving China. In response, Wells Fargo has suspended all business travel to China. “Ms Mao Chenyue is involved in a criminal case currently being handled by Chinese law... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319003/china-says-us-wells-fargo-executive-banned-leaving-country-due-criminal-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319003/china-says-us-wells-fargo-executive-banned-leaving-country-due-criminal-case?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 08:51:14 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi The Israel-Iran war, from June 13 to June 24, marks a watershed moment in modern conflict. Precision-strike technology, multi-domain operations and social media diplomacy converged in the direct combat between nuclear-capable adversaries. The confrontation has fundamentally altered strategic deterrence frameworks and validated new paradigms of 21st-century warfare. The conflict began when Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, military installations and key personnel. Tehran soon retaliated.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318413/how-israel-iran-conflict-changed-scope-21st-century-warfare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3318413/how-israel-iran-conflict-changed-scope-21st-century-warfare?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Maria Siow,Aidan Jones,Agencies Maria Siow,Aidan Jones,Agencies Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday pending an investigation into a leaked call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. Paetongtarn’s powers will be suspended from Tuesday while the nine-member court considers a petition by a group of 36 senators accusing her of breaching ethical standards in violation of the constitution. The decision to suspend her duties was backed by seven out of nine judges, the court said in a statement. Deputy Prime... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316486/thai-court-suspends-pm-paetongtarn-shinawatra-over-leaked-phone-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316486/thai-court-suspends-pm-paetongtarn-shinawatra-over-leaked-phone-call?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 06:39:48 +0000