https://www.scmp.com/rss/522588/feed Brookings Institution: A prominent Washington, D.C.-based non-profit public policy organisation and think tank, Brookings Institution is dedicated to independent, non-partisan research and policy solutions. Its primary mission is to foster public understanding and debate on major policy issues, aiming to improve governance at local, national, and global levels. Main areas of focus include economics, foreign policy, governance, and metropolitan policy. Recognised as one of the world’s most... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi China is still on course to overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy in the next decade, as the global balance of power pivots towards Asia and America pursues a string of “self-defeating” policies, a prominent academic has said. While the Chinese economy is undergoing a structural transition, the current challenges facing the US are more severe, according to Li Cheng, the founding director of the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World. The US is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347863/china-still-track-supplant-us-worlds-no-1-economy-10-years-academic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347863/china-still-track-supplant-us-worlds-no-1-economy-10-years-academic?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China and Japan’s long-standing rivalry has deep historic roots, and relations between the two have taken a significant turn for the worse in recent months. This, the second in a three-part series, looks at whether Beijing overplayed its hand on the Taiwan issue in the face of what is a ‘strategic reality’ for Japan and how it may leverage its history of Japanese aggression. Find the first part here. More than four months into the bitter chill that has settled over China-Japan relations, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346997/why-beijing-has-struggled-rally-asia-against-japan-over-takaichis-taiwan-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346997/why-beijing-has-struggled-rally-asia-against-japan-over-takaichis-taiwan-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Beijing’s global pharmaceutical push is following a playbook seen in rare earths, semiconductors and electric vehicles, US lawmakers said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the United States’ reliance on Chinese drug ingredients. “China is cornering the market on our medicines – from the supply of generic drugs that Americans depend on every day, to the cutting-edge biotech pipeline that will determine who leads medicine in the years and decades ahead,” said John Moolenaar, the chair of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:33:43 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen US artificial intelligence and robotics firms have urged lawmakers to take action against Chinese robot manufacturers – singling out Unitree Robotics – citing increased competition and national security risks, in a sign that humanoid robots may emerge as a new battleground in the widening US-China tech rivalry. China’s speed of advancement in humanoid robots is alarming, and the US government should formulate coordinated policies and strategies to counter Chinese firms’ dominance in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3346942/us-sounds-alarm-over-chinas-humanoid-robots-amid-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3346942/us-sounds-alarm-over-chinas-humanoid-robots-amid-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s rapid push into artificial intelligence and its simultaneous energy transition are central to overtaking the United States in technological supremacy, according to a former finance vice-minister. Competition in the field of AI has shifted from purely a technological sprint to a broader contest over application scenarios and regulatory frameworks, led by the world’s two largest economies, Zhu Guangyao explained. “China’s leading position in energy transition has laid a solid foundation... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345106/chinas-ai-power-play-beijing-banks-clean-energy-boom-triumph-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345106/chinas-ai-power-play-beijing-banks-clean-energy-boom-triumph-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:00:03 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Less than six weeks ahead of a likely summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, preparations are inadequate, bilateral contacts anaemic and outcomes diminished, according to analysts and former government officials familiar with planning. The shortfall reflected in part Trump’s reluctance to delegate, disdain for process and focus on quick wins, banking instead on personal magnetism and his “gut” as summit organising principles, they said. The planning deficit also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng On a crisp January afternoon, the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, just a stone’s throw from Tencent Holdings’ headquarters, was packed with employees gathering for a party featuring celebrity cameos and prizes. But before the fun started, they witnessed a round of sober self-reflection from their low-profile leader. The New Year address by co-founder, chairman and CEO Pony Ma Huateng is an annual tradition for the social media and video gaming giant, offering its 115,000 employees rare insight into... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344113/chinas-ai-crossroads-3-divergent-paths-race-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344113/chinas-ai-crossroads-3-divergent-paths-race-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised US$10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza as he inaugurated his “Board of Peace”, a new institution whose ultimate mission has drawn questions. Trump brought together allies from around the world - many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States - to hail his peacemaking just as he sends US military might near Iran and threatens war. Presiding with a gavel over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:06:55 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The White House declined on Wednesday to comment on reports that US President Donald Trump is weighing whether to cancel or delay a major new arms package to Taiwan, as he seeks to keep an expected April summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on track amid pressure from Beijing. “I don’t have any announcement or updates to share,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. On Monday, Trump told journalists he had discussed the potential sales with Xi. “I’ve talked to him about it. We had a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3343949/white-house-deflects-trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-sale-delay-amid-beijing-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3343949/white-house-deflects-trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-sale-delay-amid-beijing-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 23:42:33 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A bipartisan chorus of lawmakers and national security experts in Washington is calling on the administration of US President Donald Trump to convene a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders’ summit ahead of Trump’s expected meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in April. The push aims to project a unified front among Indo-Pacific democracies and prevent potential misunderstandings during high-stakes negotiations with Beijing. The Quad, an informal grouping that also includes Japan and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3343854/bipartisan-push-grows-quad-summit-trumps-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3343854/bipartisan-push-grows-quad-summit-trumps-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:18:25 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump wants to build his “Dream Military”. In January, he proposed setting military spending at US$1.5 trillion in 2027 while citing “very troubled and dangerous times”. The move would increase the country’s defence budget by around 50 per cent amid growing concern at the Pentagon about China’s AI advancements. As the United States and China race to develop the latest artificial intelligence, the use of AI technology in the military has become a battleground in its own right,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3342412/us-and-china-defence-sectors-emerge-key-battlegrounds-race-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3342412/us-and-china-defence-sectors-emerge-key-battlegrounds-race-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:42 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan China’s leader Xi Jinping spoke with US President Donald Trump by phone on Wednesday, just hours after a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the Chinese readout, Xi told Trump that the Taiwan question was the “most important” issue in China-US relations, stressing that the island was Chinese territory and that Beijing would never allow it to be separated. Xi said China must safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and urged Washington to handle... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342409/hours-after-call-vladimir-putin-xi-jinping-talks-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342409/hours-after-call-vladimir-putin-xi-jinping-talks-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:46:59 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Moonshot AI’s newest release, Kimi K2.5, has narrowed the gap between the US and China to the closest it has ever been in the development of artificial intelligence models, according to third-party evaluations. That feat by the Beijing-based start-up, founded in March 2023, has raised questions about the efficacy of US policies – most notably, export controls on advanced semiconductors – to constrain China’s AI development efforts, said Kyle Chan, a fellow of the John L Thornton China Centre at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341580/moonshots-newest-release-narrows-us-china-ai-model-development-gap-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341580/moonshots-newest-release-narrows-us-china-ai-model-development-gap-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao US President Donald Trump’s accelerated push to seize Greenland has transformed a once-quirky idea into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, with observers warning it could deal a near-fatal blow to the post-war transatlantic order. Trump initially did not rule out the use of America’s military to control the autonomous Danish territory but backed down at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, saying that he “won’t use force”. He also called off tariffs against European countries over their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen There was moderate relief after US President Donald Trump walked back his threat to take Greenland by force on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, but also concern among critics and lawmakers that his speech was little more than a diversion at a time of significant global peril. Attendees watching in the Davos Congress Centre and millions tuned in around the world received a full dose of unfettered Trump as, during his 70-minute speech, he slammed Nato member Denmark for not... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3340748/trumps-freewheeling-davos-speech-draws-unease-allies-and-critics-alike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3340748/trumps-freewheeling-davos-speech-draws-unease-allies-and-critics-alike?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:44:53 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order. But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power. Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340181/how-us-actions-venezuela-and-beyond-could-spell-opportunity-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340181/how-us-actions-venezuela-and-beyond-could-spell-opportunity-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Orange Wang,Meredith Chen Orange Wang,Meredith Chen When US President Donald Trump gave his blessing to sales of Nvidia’s powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, he sparked a national security backlash in both countries. Rather than seeing it as an olive branch, many Chinese commenters interpreted the move as a sophisticated Trojan horse-style trap that aimed to make Beijing dependent on American technologies in advanced semiconductors and other chokepoint sectors. Trump’s green light for the H200 – a template that he said would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339866/does-trumps-nvidia-chip-flip-reveal-anxieties-both-sides-china-us-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339866/does-trumps-nvidia-chip-flip-reveal-anxieties-both-sides-china-us-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The United States’ decapitation operation against Venezuela will reinforce North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, an aspiration that will continue to draw China’s “tacit tolerance”, according to analysts. After the US military abducted Nicolas Maduro during an attack on Venezuela on Saturday, Pyongyang criticised Washington’s actions as “wildly” violating the sovereignty of Caracas. It was one of a slew of countries that issued swift criticism of the US move. In a statement on Sunday, the North Korean... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339129/kim-jong-un-expected-cling-nuclear-security-blanket-after-venezuela-decapitation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339129/kim-jong-un-expected-cling-nuclear-security-blanket-after-venezuela-decapitation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier It has been a turbulent year for the fraught US-China relationship. In the fourth part of a series looking back at the events of 2025, we examine the impacts of Trump’s foreign policy on global geopolitics. As the administration of US President Donald Trump ends its first year, expect the unabashed disrupter to continue applying a wrecking ball to long-standing US national security architecture, threatening global stability and jolting long-time allies, with China a major beneficiary, say... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336954/trump-upends-us-foreign-policy-analysts-see-fresh-openings-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336954/trump-upends-us-foreign-policy-analysts-see-fresh-openings-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:00:10 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow South Korea’s recent moves to lower tensions with Pyongyang – from removing its propaganda loudspeakers to downplaying the North’s human rights record – may ease frictions on the peninsula, but analysts say they are unlikely to help restart stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the US. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un continues to spurn engagement with US President Donald Trump, while Washington appears to have shifted its focus away from curbing Pyongyang’s expanding nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335789/why-south-koreas-concessions-are-failing-revive-trump-kim-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335789/why-south-koreas-concessions-are-failing-revive-trump-kim-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 02:30:07 +0000 Meredith Chen,Zhao Ziwen,Fan Chen Meredith Chen,Zhao Ziwen,Fan Chen US President Donald Trump hailed his high-stakes meeting on Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “great success”, marked by progress on thorny trade issues. Trump agreed to reduce America’s fentanyl-related tariffs on China by 10 percentage points and cut the overall tariff rate on Chinese imports from 57 per cent to 47 per cent. For its part, Beijing will resume buying US farm products, including soybeans, and delay by one year the implementation of its most sweeping export controls on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331093/how-are-leading-western-think-tanks-unboxing-xi-trump-summit-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331093/how-are-leading-western-think-tanks-unboxing-xi-trump-summit-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:40:56 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier More than half of Americans say the United States should cooperate and engage with China, according to a survey released on Tuesday, a sharp increase from the 40 per cent recorded in 2024. The results released by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs also found that a majority of Americans are against higher tariffs on Chinese imports. “Americans’ views of China are beginning to improve after several years of sharp declines,” said Craig Kafura, the council’s director of public opinion and US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3330695/survey-reveals-more-half-americans-want-more-friendly-engagement-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3330695/survey-reveals-more-half-americans-want-more-friendly-engagement-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 23:03:36 +0000 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan After repeated on-again, off-again signalling in recent weeks, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has a “pretty long meeting scheduled” in South Korea with Chinese President Xi Jinping to ensure that “we can work out a lot of our questions and our doubts”. This followed comments by Trump on Tuesday that the meeting between himself and Xi might not take place. The mercurial US president has a history of teasing events for publicity and in order to extract last-minute concessions from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3329981/us-china-trade-officials-meet-malaysia-amid-escalating-rare-earths-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3329981/us-china-trade-officials-meet-malaysia-amid-escalating-rare-earths-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 15:04:20 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump is expected to approach his coming summit with Xi Jinping by relying on personal chemistry and his “gut”, but his ability to charm the Chinese leader will be limited at best, analysts and former government officials in Washington said on Tuesday. The first meeting in six years between the heads of the world’s two largest economies is expected to take place shortly before the October 31-November 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. Among the topics... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3329858/can-trumps-gut-instinct-win-over-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3329858/can-trumps-gut-instinct-win-over-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 21:40:54 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi North Korea’s recent military parade, which featured an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the continental United States, suggested that China had “tacitly accepted” Pyongyang as a nuclear state, analysts said. The October 10 parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea was attended by Li Qiang – the first Chinese premier to visit the country in 16 years. It featured several advanced weapons systems, including tanks, artillery and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329525/north-korea-pushing-china-more-openly-accept-its-status-nuclear-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329525/north-korea-pushing-china-more-openly-accept-its-status-nuclear-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba travelled to South Korea on Tuesday, seeking to reinforce fragile ties as his government faces a looming leadership transition. Analysts say the landmark visit, at the invitation of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, reflects an effort by both nations to consolidate gains in security and economic cooperation while signalling Seoul’s intent to join a Japanese-led trade bloc. Ishiba’s two-day trip to Busan – the first visit by a Japanese leader to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327318/japans-outgoing-pm-seeks-cement-south-korea-ties-final-visit-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327318/japans-outgoing-pm-seeks-cement-south-korea-ties-final-visit-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:21:59 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi When North Korea unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) development a day before its leader visited China last week, it was sending a message to Beijing and Washington that it would not renounce its nuclear weapons, according to analysts. Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un travelled to attend China’s military parade in Beijing and hold bilateral summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The trio stood side by side, looking out... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325159/did-kim-use-attending-chinas-parade-chance-send-his-own-missile-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325159/did-kim-use-attending-chinas-parade-chance-send-his-own-missile-message?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 08:27:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump has promised to impose hefty import taxes on pharmaceuticals, a category of products he has largely spared in his trade war. For decades, in fact, imported medicine has mostly been allowed to enter the United States duty free. That is starting to change. US and European leaders recently detailed a trade deal that includes a 15 per cent tariff rate on some European goods brought into the United States, including pharmaceuticals. Trump is threatening duties of 200 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323971/trump-plans-hefty-tax-imported-drugs-risking-higher-prices-and-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323971/trump-plans-hefty-tax-imported-drugs-risking-higher-prices-and-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 17:16:58 +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