https://www.scmp.com/rss/522794/feed The latest news and top stories on Zhu Yongbiao, the director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies and the Executive Director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University. His work involves extensive research on counter-terrorism and regional security, including China-Pakistan relations. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Risks of conflict in the Gulf of Oman are rising after the US Navy fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, though analysts say both Washington and Tehran have shown a reluctance to prolong the war. US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed that the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance opened fire on the Touska after its crew reportedly ignored repeated orders to halt. The incident, occurring in the strategic waters connecting the Persian Gulf to the open sea via the Strait of Hormuz, marks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350738/what-does-us-and-irans-fight-talk-dynamic-mean-their-ceasefire-expires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350738/what-does-us-and-irans-fight-talk-dynamic-mean-their-ceasefire-expires?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:55:42 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen The United States boasts military superiority over Iran but has emerged as the strategic loser in the five-week conflict, with gains limited to a fragile two-week ceasefire and conditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts. Shortly before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to meet his demands or face destruction of its civilian infrastructure, the US and Iran entered a two-week ceasefire agreement mediated by Pakistan. Beijing reportedly intervened at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349423/why-us-iran-ceasefire-seen-failure-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349423/why-us-iran-ceasefire-seen-failure-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen As US President Donald Trump issued further threats pressuring Iran into striking a peace deal, the two sides stood far apart amid a trust deficit, a guarantor vacuum and Israel’s role, analysts said. Trump extended the deadline for a deal calling on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Tuesday 8pm Washington time – his third time doing so since the war began on February 28. Trump escalated the threats on Tuesday, saying: “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349277/what-must-happen-us-and-iran-reach-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349277/what-must-happen-us-and-iran-reach-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:20:41 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan China said on Tuesday it would enhance “strategic coordination” with Pakistan on the Iran crisis to promote dialogue and help end the conflict as Islamabad’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Dar to discuss ways to de-escalate regional tensions and to formally launch a joint five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East. Key points of the plan include a call for an immediate ceasefire, a halt to attacks on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:05:51 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao For decades, the US security umbrella was the bedrock underpinning the Gulf states’ prosperity and stability. Today, Iranian missiles and drones have paralysed the Strait of Hormuz and hit civilian airports, ports, hotels and refineries across every Gulf country, despite thousands of American troops and advanced interceptors on the ground. The armed conflict has forced the region to confront a stark new reality. A Chinese scholar argued that the US-Israel war on Iran and ensuing Hormuz crisis... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347189/severely-damaged-how-us-israel-war-iran-decoupling-gulf-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347189/severely-damaged-how-us-israel-war-iran-decoupling-gulf-security?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Central Asian governments are leveraging the diplomatic fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran to assert their autonomy and reinforce their long-standing strategy of balancing major powers, according to analysts. For decades, the five former Soviet republics have been seen as Russia’s “backyard”. However, as the conflict in Iran deepens, these nations are moving to recalibrate their geopolitical ties, signalling a shift away from their role as a passive buffer zone for great powers. The shift... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346611/beyond-buffer-zone-how-iran-war-recalibrating-central-asian-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346611/beyond-buffer-zone-how-iran-war-recalibrating-central-asian-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Chinese analysts expect Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, to continue and possibly harden his assassinated father’s policies towards the US and Israel. The appointment of the 56-year-old cleric could signal a sense of continuity inside Iran, as well as stabilise ties between Beijing and Tehran, the analysts added. Iran’s Assembly of Experts confirmed on Monday that the younger Khamenei would succeed the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the supreme leader – a post holding the final say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346134/why-china-sees-stability-hardliner-mojtaba-khameneis-rise-lead-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346134/why-china-sees-stability-hardliner-mojtaba-khameneis-rise-lead-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:15:51 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Central Asian governments are forging ahead with ambitious “smart city” mega-projects to tackle rapid population growth and ageing Soviet-era infrastructure. They are also pulling in much-needed foreign investment, and China’s strong visibility in these projects – while Russia is notably absent – is fuelling debate over whether the region is trying to reduce its economic dependence on Moscow. It comes as competition among major powers in Central Asia is intensifying, with the US-led C5+1... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343192/central-asia-builds-smart-cities-china-it-moving-away-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343192/central-asia-builds-smart-cities-china-it-moving-away-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan In the deepening shadow of US-China rivalry, India’s back-to-back trade pacts with the United States and the European Union mark a major tilt towards stronger economic ties with the West. While critical details – especially the scope of any reduction in Russian energy imports under the vague US agreement – remain unclear, experts predict the twin deals will give India leverage in its relationship with China and may slow the fragile thaw between New Delhi and Beijing. Meanwhile, New Delhi is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has called for de-escalation following the deadliest border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan since 2021, saying it is “deeply concerned” about the hostilities. Analysts suggested the conflict remained manageable but warned that flaring tensions could jeopardise regional stability. “China sincerely hopes that both countries will prioritise the bigger picture, exercise calm and restraint, and resolve their concerns through dialogue and consultation to avoid further conflict,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328997/china-wary-border-spillover-urges-calm-after-deadly-pakistan-afghanistan-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328997/china-wary-border-spillover-urges-calm-after-deadly-pakistan-afghanistan-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Seong Hyeon Choi,Laura Zhou Shi Jiangtao,Seong Hyeon Choi,Laura Zhou US President Donald Trump’s push to retake Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base, framed as a response to China’s nuclear build-up in Xinjiang, risks destabilising an already fragile region and could once again turn the war-torn nation into a flashpoint in the US-China rivalry, observers warn. The historic Soviet-built base is located roughly 70km (43 miles) north of Kabul and less than 800km from Afghanistan’s border with the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in western China. It was America’s largest... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326260/will-trumps-push-afghan-air-base-create-new-flashpoint-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326260/will-trumps-push-afghan-air-base-create-new-flashpoint-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 02:00:10 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen US counterterrorism efforts in Pakistan could improve security in the South Asian country for Chinese workers, who have been the repeated targets of separatist groups in recent years, according to observers. It could also open the way for China to work with the US via Pakistan on a common counterterrorism cause, they said. On Monday, the US Department of State added “the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade”, to its list of foreign terrorist organisations. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321846/hopes-china-us-side-effect-washington-boosts-pakistan-counterterrorism-measures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321846/hopes-china-us-side-effect-washington-boosts-pakistan-counterterrorism-measures?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 08:08:39 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen A China-backed copper mine in Afghanistan is poised to start construction after nearly two decades of delay, but political instability and security issues remain a major concern, an Afghan studies expert has cautioned. State-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) recently announced that it was making significant progress toward starting copper extraction this year in the Mes Aynak Mine in central Afghanistan’s Logar province, home to one of the world’s largest untouched copper... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320858/work-china-backed-afghan-copper-mine-gains-pace-after-17-years-old-fears-linger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320858/work-china-backed-afghan-copper-mine-gains-pace-after-17-years-old-fears-linger?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The fallout between China and India over the 14th Dalai Lama’s succession plan has put a strain on their improving relations, but observers say the dispute is unlikely to completely jeopardise the thaw between the neighbours. The dispute was triggered last week by comments from a senior Indian minister, Kiren Rijiju, who said only the Dalai Lama himself and the institution he established had the authority to identify his successor as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Then on Sunday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317903/china-india-spar-over-dalai-lamas-succession-plan-recent-thaw-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317903/china-india-spar-over-dalai-lamas-succession-plan-recent-thaw-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 10:00:12 +0000