https://www.scmp.com/rss/522394/feed The latest news and top stories on Rana Mitter. A distinguished historian and political scientist, he holds the ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, having previously been Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China at Oxford University. His expertise lies in 20th-century Chinese history, contemporary Chinese politics and the emergence of nationalism. Mitter is an accomplished author, notably of "China’s War with Japan" and "China’s Good War", receiving the... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang As one of the biggest targets of wartime looting in centuries past, China is now positioning itself as a global pioneer in repatriating lost cultural artefacts. In this article, the second in a two-part series, Xinlu Liang looks at how China is wielding law, diplomacy and a Global South coalition to rewrite the rules of restitution, filling a void left by a retreating US. In January, as the United States was withdrawing from a raft of heritage and science bodies around the world, China was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Beijing’s long-standing geopolitical playbook – stay in your lane, avoid military entanglement, prepare exhaustively and issue bland “win-win” statements about the UN charter and calls to talk not fight – could see China emerge favourably from the Iran war, said economists, analysts and former US officials, as the conflict enters its fourth week with little end in sight and the US barrelling ahead. “People always say that China doesn’t understand the Mideast,” said Jeremy Chan, senior analyst... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347827/why-chinas-strategy-stay-out-iran-war-working-and-crisis-may-spur-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347827/why-chinas-strategy-stay-out-iran-war-working-and-crisis-may-spur-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao It took the United States less than three hours to stun the world with its abduction of the sitting leader of a sovereign state, but the strategic ramifications of that dramatic operation are likely to reverberate for decades. In laying bare the limits of China’s economic-centric diplomacy towards third countries in its competition with the US, the Venezuela crisis has delivered a stark reminder that spheres of influence continue to shape global politics in this new era of great power... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340144/counting-chinas-wins-and-losses-among-swing-nations-new-era-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340144/counting-chinas-wins-and-losses-among-swing-nations-new-era-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The conviction of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in a high-profile Hong Kong trial has drawn sharp reactions in London, casting uncertainty over thawing Sino-British ties before Keir Starmer visits China. Although the outcome of Lai’s 156-day national security trial was widely expected, observers say it poses a significant test for the Labour government’s balancing act on China, which could narrow the space for engagement even if its immediate impact on bilateral relations is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:25 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai As China’s global influence grows, the landscape of China studies is undergoing a profound transformation. Scholars both within China and internationally are confronting new challenges, from escalating geopolitical tensions and mutual distrust – especially between Washington and Beijing – to increasingly limited access, making research and academic collaboration more difficult than ever. Some have also urged a shift beyond Western-centric frameworks towards more field-based research and a truly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332865/why-china-studies-scholars-west-have-been-left-crisis-mode?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332865/why-china-studies-scholars-west-have-been-left-crisis-mode?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 22:00:23 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As Washington continues to retreat from its traditional leadership role in the post-war international order, particularly under the “America first” doctrine, Beijing has stepped in with a calculated response to the widening vacuum in global governance, unveiling what observers call a “master plan” for reform. China’s newly unveiled Global Governance Initiative (GGI), launched this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, represents its most comprehensive and structured... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:00:16 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Though terribly sexist, it’s not for nothing that many Chinese on the mainland have taken to calling Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief and her boss, Ursula von der Leyen, “silly white sweeties”. Oftentimes, you just don’t know whether to laugh or cry over Kallas’ out-of-the-left-field pronouncements, and whether she is being serious or just wants to pick a fight with her favourite targets, Russia and China. She has lately taken issue with claims by both countries during the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3325506/yes-china-and-russia-really-did-win-wwii-allies-britain-and-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3325506/yes-china-and-russia-really-did-win-wwii-allies-britain-and-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 13:50:08 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai Ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, marking the end of the Sino-Japanese war and the global fight against fascism, we look at the profound changes of the post-war period and how they continue to affect China’s place in the world. Part one of this series examines how the Chinese sacrifices of the conflict underpin Beijing’s determination to uphold global norms. An estimated 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians died as part of their country’s sacrifice as a key Allied power, yet 80... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323368/80-years-wwii-has-china-become-main-guarantor-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323368/80-years-wwii-has-china-become-main-guarantor-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:00:07 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Resource constraints and precedent mean China is unlikely to become one of Ukraine’s security guarantors – despite Russia’s suggestion that it could, according to analysts. With rising expectations for a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, security guarantees for Kyiv have taken centre stage in discussions about a peace deal with Moscow to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. During a press conference on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322684/will-china-be-ukraines-security-guarantor-unlikely-despite-russias-wishes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322684/will-china-be-ukraines-security-guarantor-unlikely-despite-russias-wishes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump may hit China with punitive tariffs over purchases of Russian oil US Vice-President J.D. Vance said that President Donald Trump is “thinking” about slapping new tariffs on imports from China in response to the country’s purchases of Russian oil. 2. China condemns Israel’s Gaza City takeover plan, urges 2-state solution China has condemned Israel’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3321472/trump-considers-punitive-tariffs-china-builds-space-debris-device-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3321472/trump-considers-punitive-tariffs-china-builds-space-debris-device-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:15:07 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Rana Mitter is a leading historian whose research focuses on the impact of Japan’s invasion of China during the second world war on the development of Chinese politics, society and culture. He is S.T. Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School and previously taught at Oxford University on the politics of modern China. He was also director of Oxford’s China Centre. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. As China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321056/80-years-wwii-chinas-interests-lie-peaceful-asia-pacific-rana-mitter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321056/80-years-wwii-chinas-interests-lie-peaceful-asia-pacific-rana-mitter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 21:00:08 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Rana Mitter, the ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, has written widely on Chinese history, including the book, Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II. He was previously director of the University of Oxford’s China Centre. In this interview, he talks about the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the ongoing impact of the war on China and the nation’s ability to capitalise on the changing world order. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3321038/china-diplomats-know-country-has-pr-problem-mitter-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3321038/china-diplomats-know-country-has-pr-problem-mitter-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 06:00:13 +0000