https://www.scmp.com/rss/522983/feed The latest news and top stories on the Chinese foreign ministry. A prominent Beijing-based governmental body, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China is dedicated to conducting the nation’s foreign relations and diplomacy, safeguarding national interests and promoting world peace. Its main areas of activity include formulating foreign policy, administering the world’s largest diplomatic network and representing China at the United Nations. The Ministry is recognised for... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com William Yiu William Yiu The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London can continue its “legitimate activity”, the UK government has said, despite political pressure after a British court found two men linked to the office guilty of spying on activists. But the UK government also said on Thursday that anyone in any organisation found to be helping a foreign state to undermine British security would be brought to justice. The government’s remarks came two weeks after Bill Yuen Chung-biu, the London office’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3354483/hong-kong-trade-office-can-continue-legitimate-activity-uk-official-tells-critical-mps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3354483/hong-kong-trade-office-can-continue-legitimate-activity-uk-official-tells-critical-mps?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 06:18:03 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese influencer has turned the flying sword in Chinese xianxia fantasy novels into reality by creating a specially-shaped aerial vehicle. Fan Shisan, from southwestern China’s Sichuan province, recently posted a video of himself riding a sword-shaped aerial vehicle, amassing 3.3 million views and 284,000 likes. Dressed in black and striking a cool pose, Fan looks like a knight in China’s xianxia dramas. Xianxia is a popular genre of Chinese fantasy developed from the wuxia, or martial... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3354207/china-inventor-creates-sword-shaped-aerial-vehicle-bringing-flying-sword-fantasy-novels-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3354207/china-inventor-creates-sword-shaped-aerial-vehicle-bringing-flying-sword-fantasy-novels-life?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has condemned the United States for charging former Cuban leader Raul Castro, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on the island’s socialist government. The US on Wednesday announced criminal charges against Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes flown by Miami-based Cuban exiles. All four on board, including three American citizens, were killed in the incident. China “firmly opposes” illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and are not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354392/china-condemns-us-big-stick-over-castro-charges-and-unauthorised-sanctions-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354392/china-condemns-us-big-stick-over-castro-charges-and-unauthorised-sanctions-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 10:58:23 +0000 Fan Chen,Orange Wang Fan Chen,Orange Wang Beijing has reiterated its firm opposition to any official interactions between Washington and Taiwan, following US President Donald Trump’s remarks that he would be open to speaking with the person “running” the island, William Lai Ching-te. Such a move would cross Beijing’s red line and undo the progress made during Trump’s recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, analysts warn, though they note China should remain confident and that such a call would be highly unlikely. “China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354379/beijing-warns-us-taiwan-ties-after-trump-signals-openness-talking-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354379/beijing-warns-us-taiwan-ties-after-trump-signals-openness-talking-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 10:03:08 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States announced on Wednesday criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people. The indictment, unsealed by acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche in Miami, includes charges of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of an aircraft, and four individual counts of murder against the 94-year-old brother of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354286/us-charges-raul-castro-trump-administration-ratchets-pressure-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354286/us-charges-raul-castro-trump-administration-ratchets-pressure-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 17:47:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Beijing lashed out at Paraguay on Monday after President Santiago Pena wrapped up a four-day visit to Taiwan, branding Paraguayan leaders as willing “chess pieces” for independence forces on the self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China “firmly opposes and condemns” the trip and urged Asuncion to “change course at an early date” and recognise the one-China principle. “The wheels of history wait for no one. Rejecting the one-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353335/beijing-calls-paraguay-leaders-willing-chess-pieces-after-disputed-taiwan-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353335/beijing-calls-paraguay-leaders-willing-chess-pieces-after-disputed-taiwan-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 20:06:25 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reaffirmed its “firm support” for Hong Kong’s judicial authorities when asked whether Beijing would consider releasing jailed former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying ahead of US President Donald Trump’s three-day state visit starting Wednesday. “[Jimmy] Lai Chee-ying is the principal mastermind and perpetrator behind the riots that shook Hong Kong,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing, when asked whether Beijing would consider Lai’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3353308/china-backs-hong-kong-courts-spurns-calls-free-jimmy-lai-ahead-trump-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3353308/china-backs-hong-kong-courts-spurns-calls-free-jimmy-lai-ahead-trump-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 13:06:51 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Taiwan would be discussed in his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and pledged to raise the case of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying at their summit in Beijing this week. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the Chinese President would be more likely than he to bring up the Taiwan issue at their meeting on Thursday and Friday. “He’ll bring up Taiwan, I think, more than I will,” he said. Asked whether the US should... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353197/trump-raise-taiwan-jimmy-lai-case-when-he-meets-xi-beijing-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353197/trump-raise-taiwan-jimmy-lai-case-when-he-meets-xi-beijing-week?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:24:26 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s international arbitration efforts have made significant progress, but more work is needed to attract foreign parties to arbitrate in China amid US-China rivalry, according to arbitrators and law scholars. China’s newly revised Arbitration Law took effect in March, marking the most significant overhaul of the country’s commercial dispute framework since 1994, in a move to promote cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen to develop into international arbitration centres, competing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352822/trust-key-if-chinas-international-arbitration-goals-are-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 15:45:04 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Kristen Cheung Jeffie Lam,Kristen Cheung An intergovernmental mediation body headquartered in Hong Kong resolved a maritime dispute between parties from mainland China and Singapore this month, a success hailed as a milestone for the organisation that has attracted more members since its launch last year. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, secretary general of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), revealed the achievement on Friday at a summit, where senior officials reaffirmed Hong Kong’s pledge to act as a mediation centre amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352874/hong-kong-based-mediation-body-resolves-international-maritime-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352874/hong-kong-based-mediation-body-resolves-international-maritime-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 08:04:17 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao China will work with Australian businesses on jet fuel shipments in an important “first step” in alleviating supply crunches, according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. The agreement came on Wednesday as part of Wong’s talks in Beijing with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “Inputs China supplies to Australia, including jet fuel, support the Australian resources sector, which in turn helps to maintain the flow of commodities that are so important in the bilateral trading relationship,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:16:19 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China’s top diplomat Wang Yi called for “unity and the safeguarding of international justice” during a meeting with UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday, urging a global front against the “law of the jungle” amid deepening geopolitical tensions. During the talks in Beijing, Wang told Baerbock that multilateralism faced “severe challenges” from unnamed powers prioritising “might over right” – a veiled critique of Washington. “Certain countries pursue a policy of ‘strength... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351883/might-over-right-imperils-international-justice-wang-yi-tells-uns-baerbock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351883/might-over-right-imperils-international-justice-wang-yi-tells-uns-baerbock?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:51:23 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for China and Cambodia to “stand in closer solidarity, now more than ever” in the first 2+2 strategic dialogue aimed at deepening mutual political and security ties. During a meeting in Phnom Penh, Wang also urged the two sides to further strengthen political and security cooperation to “firmly hold the reins of development and security in their own hands”. The meeting on Wednesday was the first under the 2+2 mechanism with Cambodia involving defence and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The Chinese embassy in Japan has received a series of “terrorist threats”, including an intrusion and a bomb threat, in the past month, a diplomat said on Thursday, describing the incidents as “extremely egregious”. Shi Yong, the acting head of the embassy, said that on March 5 the embassy received a threatening letter from an organisation claiming to comprise former Japanese police officers and former Self-Defence Forces members. Shi said the embassy had reported the matter to the local police,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350341/china-says-tokyo-embassy-intrusion-bomb-threat-are-among-grave-violations-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350341/china-says-tokyo-embassy-intrusion-bomb-threat-are-among-grave-violations-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China has advised its citizens travelling to the US to avoid a Seattle airport, citing “malicious interrogation and harassment” of some 20 Chinese academics. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that the academics had valid visas and were going to a conference but were denied entry after “unreasonable interrogation” by US border officers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The ministry said that any citizens planning to travel to the US in the near future should improve their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350333/china-warns-travellers-avoid-seattle-airport-after-academics-denied-entry-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350333/china-warns-travellers-avoid-seattle-airport-after-academics-denied-entry-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:31:48 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has denounced proposed tolls in the Strait of Hormuz as a worrisome step in the wrong direction, while noting that several thousand stranded seafarers remain the international shipping community’s foremost concern. “Freedom of navigation has to be one of the pillars of free trade, and it would be a retrograde step – a really bad step,” said John Denholm, chair designate of the ICS, referring to the idea of charging vessels to transit the oil... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350067/hormuz-blockade-shipping-industry-slams-transit-fees-20000-seafarers-still-stranded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350067/hormuz-blockade-shipping-industry-slams-transit-fees-20000-seafarers-still-stranded?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 03:00:27 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Russia and China’s top envoys met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the Iran war, Ukraine and Taiwan as Beijing stepped up its Iran war diplomacy and tensions with Washington increased. In a jab at Washington and US President Donald Trump that did not mention either by name, a Chinese readout of the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov noted that the world is increasingly marked by turmoil and instability. The two top diplomats also discussed plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:59:47 +0000 Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has voiced “serious concerns” over China’s intensified inspections of Panama-flagged vessels, vowing that the US “stands firmly” with Panama amid the Latin American country’s escalating fallout with Beijing. Rubio said China’s recent actions “raise serious concerns about the use of economic tools to undermine the rule of law in Panama, a sovereign nation and vital partner for global commerce”. “Detentions, delays, or other impediments to the movement of vessels... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348859/rubio-raises-concerns-over-chinas-detention-panama-flagged-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348859/rubio-raises-concerns-over-chinas-detention-panama-flagged-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:34:46 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China denied on Friday that it had intensified inspections of Panama-flagged vessels in retaliation for Panama’s decision to strip a Hong Kong-based conglomerate of port concessions at both ends of the Panama Canal, accusing Washington of seeking to seize control of the strategic waterway. During the daily press briefing at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, spokesman Lin Jian charged that the US had made “repeated wrongful allegations” about the inspections that exposed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348217/china-denies-retaliating-against-panama-ships-accuses-washington-canal-grab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348217/china-denies-retaliating-against-panama-ships-accuses-washington-canal-grab?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:09:58 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Trump’s threat to postpone his Beijing trip unless China helps break Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has fused two crises Beijing had sought to keep apart: the unravelling of Middle East stability and the fragile thaw in US–China relations. China, the world’s largest buyer of Gulf oil, is now being forced to weigh its economic reliance on stable energy routes against its tradition of non‑interference in diplomacy, according to observers. While Beijing is eager to host Trump for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346792/china-under-pressure-trump-ties-high-stakes-summit-strait-hormuz-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346792/china-under-pressure-trump-ties-high-stakes-summit-strait-hormuz-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An Iraqi journalist, who is also an online celebrity in China and was once praised by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, has become engaged to a woman from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Ameen Muneer Mohammed Al-Obaidi, who is better known by his Chinese name, Fang Haoming, boasts about 5 million followers on social media. He works as a China correspondent for the Dubai-based China-Arab TV. Fang, 26, joined other foreign journalists to perform the popular Subject Three street dance at a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346237/iraqi-reporter-raised-china-famous-viral-dance-gets-engaged-xinjiang-woman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346237/iraqi-reporter-raised-china-famous-viral-dance-gets-engaged-xinjiang-woman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has stepped in to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan following an escalation of their conflict, urging both sides to end the fighting and settle their disputes through dialogue. This comes after Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan on Friday, including the capital Kabul, and declared “open war” with its neighbour after months of deadly clashes. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that as a neighbour and a friend to both countries, China was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344907/china-seeks-mediate-after-pakistan-declares-open-war-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344907/china-seeks-mediate-after-pakistan-declares-open-war-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:14:43 +0000 Laura Zhou,Orange Wang Laura Zhou,Orange Wang Kyiv’s top envoy to Beijing has called on China to play its “important” and “critical” role to help end the war in Ukraine, which is now stretching into a fifth year. “We are working with all international partners to bring a sustainable and lasting peace, and we believe that our host country, China, is uniquely positioned to play an important and in many ways critical role in this process,” Olexander Nechytaylo, Ukrainian ambassador to China, told foreign diplomats in the Chinese capital on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344498/ukraine-urges-china-play-critical-role-peace-war-enters-fifth-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344498/ukraine-urges-china-play-critical-role-peace-war-enters-fifth-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Authorities in Hong Kong have expressed concern to the Japanese consulate after a resident was struck on the head with a beer bottle in Sapporo, urging Tokyo to better protect visitors from the city. Thursday’s statement followed a warning issued a day earlier by the Chinese consulate in Sapporo advising nationals against travelling to Japan, at a time when relations between Beijing and Tokyo are at a low point. However, local tour operators said the attack was likely to be an isolated incident... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3344029/protect-hongkongers-japan-authorities-urge-tokyo-after-tourist-attacked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3344029/protect-hongkongers-japan-authorities-urge-tokyo-after-tourist-attacked?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:04:51 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Japan has released the captain of a Chinese fishing boat that Tokyo says tried to flee an inspection while in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Japan’s fisheries agency said the captain was released before 8pm on Friday after China submitted documents guaranteeing payment of bail, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday. The agency said the boat, the Qiong Dong Yu, was seized inside Japan’s EEZ off its southwestern Nagasaki prefecture on Thursday. It was ordered to stop for an inspection... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343586/tokyo-releases-captain-chinese-fishing-boat-found-japanese-eez?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343586/tokyo-releases-captain-chinese-fishing-boat-found-japanese-eez?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:29 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China will support Cuba “in the best way possible” as the island grapples with an energy crisis following tougher measures imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China “will do what it can” to assist Havana and again condemned what he described as “inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to survival and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:37:01 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A Chinese court has executed 11 people, including several citizens of Myanmar, linked to a notorious telecoms fraud group based in the Southeast Asian country for crimes including fraud, drug trafficking and murder. The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in eastern Zhejiang province carried out the executions of people who formed the core leadership of the Ming family crime syndicate and associated telecoms fraud groups, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. According to China’s Supreme... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341710/china-executes-11-core-members-myanmar-based-telecoms-fraud-ring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341710/china-executes-11-core-members-myanmar-based-telecoms-fraud-ring?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:17 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi will travel to China next week, in what is expected to be the first visit by a Latin American leader to Beijing since the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an early January operation. Beijing says the trip will focus on strengthening political dialogue and expanding economic cooperation. The state visit will run from February 1 to 7, according to China’s foreign ministry, and comes at a tense moment in the western hemisphere following... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341315/xi-meet-uruguays-orsi-first-latin-america-china-visit-us-capture-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341315/xi-meet-uruguays-orsi-first-latin-america-china-visit-us-capture-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:55:02 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Authorities in Mogadishu had cleared the roads for a historic visit, yet on Friday Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi travelled to Tanzania instead of Somalia as planned. It would have been the first high-level Chinese mission to Mogadishu in four decades. The last-minute decision not to include the capital on Wang’s itinerary came as Somalia seeks shows of diplomatic support after Israel recognised the breakaway region of Somaliland last month. A source at the presidential palace told local media... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339584/wang-yi-cites-severe-risks-after-somalia-dropped-africa-itinerary-last-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339584/wang-yi-cites-severe-risks-after-somalia-dropped-africa-itinerary-last-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:37:40 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier China delivered a strongly worded message to the United States on Monday at an “emergency” meeting of the UN Security Council, calling on Washington to abide by international law, end its illusion that it is the world’s police force and court, and immediately release Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The remarks by Sun Lei, deputy permanent representative of China to the UN, came some 60 hours after the couple was seized in an audacious midnight raid on Saturday at their compound in Caracas and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338828/shocked-china-demands-us-release-maduro-after-trampling-venezuelas-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338828/shocked-china-demands-us-release-maduro-after-trampling-venezuelas-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:51:22 +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 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China has protested to Panama over the removal on the weekend of a monument to the Chinese community, calling on Panamanian authorities to investigate the incident. The Chinese-Panamanian Friendship Park has reportedly been in need of repair and the demolition was deemed by Beijing as “hurting the broad interests of China-Panama friendship”. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday that China was “seriously dissatisfied” with Arraijan authorities for the demolition of the park... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338051/china-protests-panama-over-destruction-memorial-chinese-labourers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338051/china-protests-panama-over-destruction-memorial-chinese-labourers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 12:00:10 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to consolidate their ceasefire and restore exchanges after trilateral talks held in China. The three sides had “in-depth exchanges on working step by step through mutual efforts to resume normal exchanges, rebuild political mutual trust, improve Cambodia-Thailand relations and safeguard regional stability”, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry. The ministry issued the statement following a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Thai counterpart... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338056/cambodia-and-thailand-agree-resume-exchanges-after-three-way-meeting-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338056/cambodia-and-thailand-agree-resume-exchanges-after-three-way-meeting-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:59:53 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China accused the United States on Monday of violating international law by seizing oil tankers off Venezuela, as Washington intensified pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government and a senior US official openly suggested that he should be removed from power. At a regular press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the United States “seriously violated international law” by intercepting foreign vessels and reiterated China’s opposition to unilateral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337400/china-says-us-broke-international-law-seizing-venezuelan-oil-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337400/china-says-us-broke-international-law-seizing-venezuelan-oil-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:25:39 +0000 Cui Jianchun Cui Jianchun On December 15, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was found guilty on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials by the High Court of Hong Kong. The verdict was welcomed in the city and, as expected, prompted another round of outcries from some Western countries. As Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I feel obliged to set the record straight... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336892/west-must-face-facts-jimmy-lais-trial-and-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336892/west-must-face-facts-jimmy-lais-trial-and-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Beijing has accused Tokyo of attempting to “mislead the public and hope that somehow the issue would resolve itself”, after Japan’s foreign minister selectively quoted its position on Taiwan from a joint communique that was the foundation of establishing diplomatic ties with mainland China in 1972. During a parliamentary session on Monday, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi repeated Tokyo’s position on Taiwan as stated in the document that established and normalised ties with Beijing. However,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336663/japan-spelled-out-its-stance-taiwan-its-what-tokyo-didnt-say-angers-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336663/japan-spelled-out-its-stance-taiwan-its-what-tokyo-didnt-say-angers-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:37:45 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong A political row over former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has intensified after his guilty verdict, with the Hong Kong government condemning what it called “despicable political manipulations” and the United States seeking his release. Beijing’s top office overseeing city affairs also published a strongly worded commentary on Tuesday, criticising Lai for using “two systems” to oppose “one country” and branding him a “national criminal who will forever be nailed to the pillar of historical... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3336559/despicable-hong-kong-slams-western-smears-us-calls-jimmy-lais-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3336559/despicable-hong-kong-slams-western-smears-us-calls-jimmy-lais-release?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 01:58:53 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Beijing has accused Manila of organising a “premeditated” provocation and dangerous manoeuvres near a disputed reef in the South China Sea, and Washington of making false statements that have escalated tensions in the region. Manila said Philippine fishing boats near Sabina Shoal had been targeted with water cannons by Chinese coastguard ships in an incident on Friday, while Beijing said Philippine personnel had threatened Chinese officers with knives. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336509/china-accuses-philippines-premeditated-provocations-near-sabina-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336509/china-accuses-philippines-premeditated-provocations-near-sabina-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:14:14 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A top official warned against moves to revive Japanese militarism as China held its annual national commemoration of the Nanking massacre amid tense ties with Tokyo. Speaking at a memorial ceremony in the eastern city of Nanjing on Saturday, Shi Taifeng, head of the ruling Communist Party’s organisation department, said that any attempt to revive militarism, challenge the post-war international order or undermine global peace and stability was “doomed to failure”, according to state broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336337/china-marks-nanking-massacre-anniversary-warning-against-japans-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336337/china-marks-nanking-massacre-anniversary-warning-against-japans-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 11:18:31 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai As Beijing prepared to mark the 88th anniversary of the Nanking massacre, China’s military mouthpiece warned on Friday that provocative actions by right-wing Japanese politicians risked plunging Asia into peril. PLA Daily published the warning in a commentary the day before sirens will sound out across Nanjing, the capital of eastern Jiangsu province, at 10.01am during national commemorations led by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council. According to China’s official... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336248/provocative-japanese-actions-risk-plunging-asia-peril-chinas-pla-daily?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336248/provocative-japanese-actions-risk-plunging-asia-peril-chinas-pla-daily?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:15:24 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang US bombers and stealth fighters took part in a joint military exercise with Japan on Wednesday while an American aircraft carrier arrived at a Japanese port on Thursday, in a show of force amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Tokyo. Japanese Self-Defence Forces (SDF) and the US military conducted the exercise “amid an increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan”, Tokyo’s Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. “Through this exercise, we confirmed the strong commitment of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336085/us-military-sends-show-strength-japan-chinas-navy-air-drills-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336085/us-military-sends-show-strength-japan-chinas-navy-air-drills-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 11:00:12 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi acknowledged that China had notified Japan in advance about drills involving the aircraft carrier Liaoning that led to a stand-off between warplanes from the two countries over the weekend. However, Koizumi told a press conference on Wednesday that the notification lacked detail about the scale and location of the exercise in the Pacific southeast of Okinawa’s main island and Beijing had not provided “notices to air missions”, a warning to ships and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335816/china-reveals-radio-communication-heard-mid-air-standoff-japanese-fighter-jets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335816/china-reveals-radio-communication-heard-mid-air-standoff-japanese-fighter-jets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 20:06:34 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday described the United States as an ally to both mainland China and Taiwan, while at the same time asserting that its relationships have not shifted, hours after US President Donald Trump enacted legislation deepening US ties with the self-governed island. Asked about concerns among some in Washington about the Trump administration’s approach to the long-held policy of strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan issue at The New York Times DealBook Summit,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335117/bessent-moves-placate-beijing-after-trump-signs-bill-deepening-ties-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335117/bessent-moves-placate-beijing-after-trump-signs-bill-deepening-ties-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:58:55 +0000 Ren Yan Ren Yan Recent weeks have seen a sharp decline in Sino-Japanese people-to-people exchanges. All flights on 12 routes from mainland Chinese cities to Japan had been cancelled as of November 24, reportedly due to low demand. According to the Civil Aviation Data Analysis System, some 12 per cent of flights between China and Japan scheduled between November 24 and January 18 have been cancelled. On some routes, more than half have been cancelled. Chinese tourists, Japan’s largest inbound group, had... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334373/why-chinese-are-cancelling-their-trips-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334373/why-chinese-are-cancelling-their-trips-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Beijing has blasted Japan’s missile deployment on an island only 110km (68 miles) away from Taiwan as “extremely dangerous”, saying it stokes regional tensions and military confrontation amid deteriorating ties between the two Asian powers. But Shinjiro Koizumi, Tokyo’s defence minister, believed the deployment on Yonaguni Island would “reduce the likelihood of any armed attack on Japan itself”, a Japanese defence ministry readout stated on Sunday. During an inspection visit to Yonaguni on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333963/beijing-blasts-japans-extremely-dangerous-missile-deployment-near-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333963/beijing-blasts-japans-extremely-dangerous-missile-deployment-near-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:26:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is watching with mounting alarm as tensions between China and Japan escalate over the Taiwan Strait, a development that threatens to test Seoul’s pragmatic diplomacy and its balancing act between Beijing and Washington, observers warn. The dispute is unfolding just as Seoul has worked to stabilise long-strained relations with both regional powers, raising fears that renewed rivalry could force South Korea into unwelcome geopolitical crossfire, they add. Analysts say the flare-up is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333739/china-japan-row-escalates-south-korea-fears-being-dragged-unwanted-flare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333739/china-japan-row-escalates-south-korea-fears-being-dragged-unwanted-flare?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 02:30:16 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday the country had been “consistent” over Taiwan but insisted she wanted better relations with Beijing. Beijing has insisted she must retract her recent comments that Japanese troops might intervene in a conflict over the island because it could be a “survival-threatening situation”. But when asked if she would do so, she did not answer directly but said Tokyo would “make a comprehensive judgment based on all available information regarding a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333718/japanese-leader-says-she-wants-better-ties-china-doesnt-withdraw-taiwan-comments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333718/japanese-leader-says-she-wants-better-ties-china-doesnt-withdraw-taiwan-comments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:00:16 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China threatened “further measures” against Japan, ratcheting up efforts to force Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to retract remarks about a potential Taiwan conflict. China had “every reason” to respond to Takaichi’s comments, which undermined the political foundation of relations with Japan, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday. “The Chinese side will be forced to take severe and resolute countermeasures, and the Japanese side will bear all the consequences arising from... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333542/japan-china-row-worsens-beijing-threatens-more-reprisals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333542/japan-china-row-worsens-beijing-threatens-more-reprisals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:01:01 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Top-level talks between Chinese and Japanese diplomats ended without consensus on Tuesday, dimming hopes for an end to a row over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on the Taiwan Strait. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Asian affairs department chief Liu Jinsong told his Japanese counterpart, Masaaki Kanai, that Takaichi must retract her suggestion from earlier this month that a crisis in the strait would allow Tokyo to deploy its self-defence forces. “[The comments]... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333216/japan-urges-citizens-china-be-wary-row-over-takaichis-comments-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333216/japan-urges-citizens-china-be-wary-row-over-takaichis-comments-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:15:05 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Beijing on Friday expressed deep concern and issued a stern warning to Tokyo against shifting its non-nuclear policy, after comments by the Japanese prime minister about Taiwan sharply escalated tensions. Sanae Takaichi, who took office on October 21, has been considering revising Japan’s long-standing non-nuclear weapons principles, Japanese media reported on Friday citing government sources. This came after Japan’s defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, urged the country to consider acquiring... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3332894/beijing-warns-japan-after-pm-takaichis-taiwan-comments-fuel-concerns-nuclear-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3332894/beijing-warns-japan-after-pm-takaichis-taiwan-comments-fuel-concerns-nuclear-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 18:02:54 +0000