https://www.scmp.com/rss/524462/feed The latest news and updates on Fu Cong, a seasoned Chinese diplomat with a distinguished career spanning since 1987. Currently serving as China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations since April 2024, he previously headed China’s Mission to the European Union. His extensive background includes significant roles as Director-General of the Arms Control Department and Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, demonstrating expertise in international security and multilateral diplomacy. He also... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Fan Chen Fan Chen In a rare condemnation of its strategic partner, China has come out in opposition to Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations, calling for a ceasefire and a guarantee of the safety of shipping lanes. Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said: “China does not support Iran’s attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council nations and condemns all indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians and non-military targets. The security of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has doubled down on its hard line against any nuclear escalation in Ukraine and called for restraint following Russia’s claims that Britain and France are planning to give Kyiv nuclear weapons. Asked on Wednesday about Moscow’s accusation towards the two European nations, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urged all sides to avoid actions that could cause misunderstandings or escalate tensions. “We call on relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and avoid any moves... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344689/china-affirms-no-nukes-position-amid-claims-european-plan-arm-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344689/china-affirms-no-nukes-position-amid-claims-european-plan-arm-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China’s envoy to the United Nations, Fu Cong, has warned that any military involvement by Japan in the Taiwan issue would amount to aggression against Beijing, which would “retaliate resolutely”. Fu told a UN meeting on Wednesday that Tokyo had publicly tied the question of the island’s defence to what it called an existential crisis and that Japan was “attempting to intervene militarily in the Taiwan issue under the guise of collective self-defence”. But those were “fallacies” that betrayed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343985/tokyo-defence-involvement-taiwan-would-amount-aggression-against-beijing-un-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343985/tokyo-defence-involvement-taiwan-would-amount-aggression-against-beijing-un-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Chandran Nair Chandran Nair Many around the world will recall the striking image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing side by side at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in September. It was there that China unveiled one of its most consequential diplomatic proposals in recent memory: the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). Yet a quick scan reveals how little coverage this moment received in mainstream Western media. Asking “why”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3340205/china-has-worthy-blueprint-improve-un-system-why-west-ignoring-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3340205/china-has-worthy-blueprint-improve-un-system-why-west-ignoring-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 02:30:10 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison’s US$22.8 billion global ports sale hung in the balance at the end of 2025, nearly 10 months after it was first announced, as a veteran political commentator said the most expensive terminal acquisition in history was unlikely to come to fruition amid geopolitical tensions. What began as a strategic exit for billionaire Li Ka-shing’s conglomerate devolved into a high-stakes geopolitical stand-off between Washington and Beijing over the control of global trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3338430/could-2026-be-make-or-break-year-ck-hutchisons-panama-ports-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3338430/could-2026-be-make-or-break-year-ck-hutchisons-panama-ports-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 02:15:08 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China extended its support to Venezuela and opposed “unilateral bullying” in a foreign ministers’ phone call on Wednesday amid rising US pressure on the South American country. Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil that China and Venezuela were strategic partners and that mutual trust and support were a tradition of bilateral ties. In a veiled swipe at the US, Wang said “China opposes all forms of unilateral bullying and supports countries in safeguarding their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336879/china-fm-wang-yi-reaffirms-beijings-backing-venezuela-us-pressure-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336879/china-fm-wang-yi-reaffirms-beijings-backing-venezuela-us-pressure-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:00:11 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen A diplomatic clash between China and Japan over recent remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is heating up at the United Nations. Chinese ambassador Fu Cong has sent a second letter to Secretary General Antonio Guterres, describing Takaichi’s comments over Taiwan as the “greatest challenge” to bilateral ties and urging Tokyo to retract them. Fu’s message on Monday was issued in response to his Japanese counterpart, Kazuyuki Yamazaki, who last week accused Beijing of “stifling” bilateral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334892/china-japan-row-widens-un-taiwan-remarks-called-greatest-challenge-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334892/china-japan-row-widens-un-taiwan-remarks-called-greatest-challenge-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:03:11 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China pledged to “actively consider” helping Syria with post-war reconstruction when its new foreign minister visited Beijing earlier this month. But analysts said the two sides needed to first overcome the major hurdle of militant groups linked to China’s Xinjiang region integrated into the Syrian armed forces. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on November 17 that the two sides should gradually resume exchanges, adding that Beijing would consider helping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334559/why-xinjiang-casts-long-shadow-over-china-and-syrias-efforts-build-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334559/why-xinjiang-casts-long-shadow-over-china-and-syrias-efforts-build-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim In a span of just four days last week, Beijing’s envoy to the United Nations criticised Japan – and its leader’s comments related to Taiwan – twice. Fu Cong first said, during a debate on reforming the UN Security Council last Tuesday, that Tokyo was “totally unqualified” to seek a permanent seat on the group, calling Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s earlier comments on Taiwan “brazen” and “provocative”. Takaichi on November 7 suggested that Japan could deploy its military forces in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334131/why-china-took-japan-criticism-un-twice-did-not-raise-it-g20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334131/why-china-took-japan-criticism-un-twice-did-not-raise-it-g20?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:35:07 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday that Japan was “totally unqualified” to become a permanent member of the Security Council – the latest salvo in a row about the new Japanese prime minister’s comments about Taiwan. Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, condemned Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks as “highly dangerous” and “extremely mistaken”. “In light of Sanae Takaichi’s atrocious behaviour, how can the international community trust that Japan will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333355/japan-unqualified-permanent-place-un-security-council-chinese-ambassador-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333355/japan-unqualified-permanent-place-un-security-council-chinese-ambassador-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:23:06 +0000 Alessandro Arduino Alessandro Arduino Early this month, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is expected in Beijing for what both sides have billed as a “reset” in relations. The move reflects a wider trend across the Middle East, where governments wary of Western conditionality are increasingly seeking what they view as less encumbered partnerships with China. The winds of realpolitik are sweeping from the Middle East to Central and South Asia, bringing “hard resets” across entire regions. India’s quiet pivot towards the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3331122/what-syrias-post-war-pivot-china-tells-us-about-new-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3331122/what-syrias-post-war-pivot-china-tells-us-about-new-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 05:30:07 +0000 Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao After a week-long gathering of leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, its president struck a positive tone on Monday. Annalena Baerbock, the former German foreign minister, said there was a collective will to “choose the right path at the crossroads”. “If high-level week is any indication, this house is fulfilling that purpose – the United Nations is still relevant,” she said. But 23 years after Kofi Annan spoke of the UN’s “fork in the road”, when he was secretary general, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327827/us-retreat-un-may-create-tremendous-opportunity-nations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327827/us-retreat-un-may-create-tremendous-opportunity-nations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United Nations Security Council did not adopt a draft resolution on Friday to permanently lift sanctions on Iran, but Tehran and key European powers still have eight days to try and agree to a delay. The 15-member UN Security Council was required to vote on the draft resolution on Friday after Britain, France and Germany launched a 30-day process on August 28 to reimpose UN sanctions, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers that aimed to prevent it from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326222/un-security-council-votes-against-lifting-iran-snapback-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326222/un-security-council-votes-against-lifting-iran-snapback-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:45:03 +0000 Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang A heated exchange between a prominent Chinese international relations scholar and an Israeli military representative about the war in Gaza has gone viral on social media. The fierce exchange happened on the sidelines of the annual Xiangshan forum in Beijing on Wednesday. Yan Xuetong, dean of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University, was shown confronting Elad Shoshan, the military attaché with the Israeli embassy in Beijing, who claimed that the reason for the conflict was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326025/chinese-scholar-confronts-israeli-diplomat-over-gaza-xiangshan-forum-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326025/chinese-scholar-confronts-israeli-diplomat-over-gaza-xiangshan-forum-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:59:49 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, including the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, have exposed the fragility of the US-led international order and Western double standards like never before. It’s hard to understate the gravity of the situation, underscoring the need for urgent international intervention. Multiple Israeli scholars, human rights organisations and political leaders are publicly warning of unprecedented atrocities. Even former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, a past member of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3321664/how-china-could-shape-future-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3321664/how-china-could-shape-future-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has clashed with the United States in a UN session over the Panama Canal, a flash point in bilateral ties under the Trump administration, while accusing Washington of being “the biggest disrupter of peace and stability” in the South China Sea. “China has always respected the permanent neutrality of the canal and firmly supports Panama in safeguarding its sovereignty over the canal to ensure its openness and smooth operation,” Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the United Nations, told the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321555/china-accuses-us-using-lies-pretext-seeking-control-panama-canal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321555/china-accuses-us-using-lies-pretext-seeking-control-panama-canal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:26:01 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Association of Southeast Asian Nations stands, above all, for the preservation of peace among its 10 members. Now Asean’s fundamental principles of consensus and non-interference in one another’s affairs are being put to the test by deadly clashes along a disputed border between Thailand and Cambodia. Thailand’s acting leader has not ruled out an escalation into war. The challenge to Asean’s credibility and implications for regional stability have prompted deepening international concern,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319691/aseans-credibility-stake-thai-cambodia-border-clash-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319691/aseans-credibility-stake-thai-cambodia-border-clash-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 22:45:07 +0000 Riaz Khokhar Riaz Khokhar On June 22, the US military launched an attack on Iran, striking nuclear sites like the deeply buried Fordow enrichment plant with massive bunker-busting bombs. In tandem with an Israeli air campaign, this was the biggest Western military action against Tehran since 1979. US President Donald Trump immediately hailed the raid as a “spectacular military success”, boasting on national television that Iran’s key enrichment installations had been “completely and totally obliterated”. Some quickly... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316043/us-attack-iran-shakes-east-asias-faith-non-proliferation-norms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316043/us-attack-iran-shakes-east-asias-faith-non-proliferation-norms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 21:30:08 +0000