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Belt and Road Initiative

Belt and Road Initiative
The initiative spearheaded by the Chinese government and endorsed by President Xi Jinping in late 2013 aims to improve trade and economic integration across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
The Teesta River flows through Sevok in India’s West Bengal state, around 60km north of the Bangladesh border and some 20km east of Siliguri. Photo: AFP
Bangladesh

Bangladesh turns to China for Teesta river project, testing India ties

Bangladesh’s new prime minister has formally asked China to help with a long-delayed river project near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor.

China trade

How a China-backed highway may turn landlocked Laos into a trade gateway

Hong Kong economy

Uzbek PM Abdulla Aripov to join ‘milestone’ 200-member delegation in Hong Kong

Banking & finance

Kazakhstan’s AIFC discussing stock-trading links with Shanghai, Hong Kong

Cross-border trading connections could start with ETFs, says special economic zone’s governor.

A view of the Astana International Financial Centre in Kazakhstan. Photo: Handout
Sri Lanka

Elephant in room: can Sri Lanka’s ‘world’s emptiest airport’ attract investors?

Since opening in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its electricity bills.

Mainland China

Pakistani president’s visit seeks to bolster ‘full spectrum’ of ties with China

Asif Ali Zardari’s visit also comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to play a key role in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | Middle East shipping crisis elevates China-Europe railway’s profile

Geopolitical strife has taken the China-Europe railway from an alternative to an essential part of continental connectivity.

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A China-Europe goods train departs from Tongjiang, Heilongjiang province, on December 9, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
China’s private sector

Muddy yet clear-cut: how Chinese investors are turning jungle into a new capital

Chinese construction firms keen to cement trade ties with Jakarta through multimillion dollar projects to build a brand new centre of power.

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Central Asia

As US-Iran war chokes Hormuz, can ‘Middle Corridor’ rise to the rescue?

Logistics route via Central Asia, South Caucasus, Caspian Sea and Turkey said to be ‘experiencing massive operational momentum’.

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Global monetary policy

Editorial | Chinese yuan slowly but surely cutting into US dollar dominance

Kazakhstan’s issuance of yuan-denominated debt shows developing nations can use ‘panda bonds’ as stepping stones into global capital markets.

An employee counts 100-yuan notes at a bank in Beijing on November 14, 2024. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says

Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.

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Boats in the water, in front of cranes at the Chinese-built Chancay megaport operated by Cosco Shipping, in Chancay, Peru. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong society

Opinion | 4 identities Hong Kong must embrace to provide global leadership

The city can be a bedrock for world commerce, finance, governance and civilisational exchange as we enter a new phase of globalisation.

Central Asia

Opinion | Why China is looking to Central Asia as Middle East grows riskier

The region’s strategic value as a corridor of resilience is becoming harder to ignore.

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Xinjiang

Why has China mapped out a third new county in Xinjiang on its western frontier?

Cenling county, near Pakistan and Afghan borders and disputed frontier with India, follows Hean and Hekang as Beijing boosts security.

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A visitor takes a photo at a China-Pakistan border crossing checkpost, high in the Karakoram Range in Xinjiang. Photo: EPA
China education

Vocational schools a new front as China backs businesses’ global expansion

Earlier programmes focused on infrastructure, but new wave is shaped by demand in e-commerce, digital services and advanced manufacturing.

Illustration: Henry Wong
Chinese history

Open Questions | China always a connector, never a coloniser, author says

Sheng-Wei Wang says China’s Belt and Road Initiative echoes the voyages of 15th century Chinese explorer Zheng He, who promoted trade but never stayed.

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China energy security

China powers up major Southeast Asian solar project amid Iran war shock

The installation boasts more than two million solar panels and comes online as global fossil fuels face unprecedented disruption.

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China-Africa relations

Opinion | China’s growing North Africa presence a structural challenge for Europe

Cooperate or hedge? Growing Chinese energy, infrastructure and industrial investments require a sustained, coordinated European response.

Engineers walk next to solar panels at the Benban Solar Park, one of the world’s largest solar power plant in the world, in Aswan, Egypt, on October 19, 2022. Photo: AP
China technology

China’s GPS rival, BeiDou, dominates at home. Now, it aims to convert the world

China is overhauling its home-grown satellite navigation system as part of a push to expand the network’s global influence.

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China-Middle East relations

Opinion | When it comes to the Persian Gulf, China’s top priority is economics

Beijing’s refusal to pick sides between Iran and other Gulf states affirms its strategic positioning rather than a desire to shift paradigms.

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US, Israel war on Iran

In a new age of disorder, is it time for China to rethink non-intervention?

With the Iran crisis, the world is in a ‘jungle phase’ and Beijing should work on interventionism 2.0, government adviser says.

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The Thai‑flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree smoulders after being hit by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/Royal Thai Navy
Nepal

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

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Balendra Shah greets supporters in Damak, Jhapa district, on March 7 after winning the election. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Open Questions | Iran war’s impact on China limited, scholar Pan Guang says

China’s Middle East position ‘relatively favourable’, professor says, and regional spillover from US-Israeli attacks likely to be limited to Tehran’s Shia militia allies.

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Two Sessions 2026

Will Iran feature in foreign policy talks at China’s ‘two sessions’?

The focus is on economics and the five-year plan but the turmoil could prompt a rethink in some areas, analysts say.

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China economy

China poised to earn vast profits from global energy transition: analysts

Chinese firms are in pole position to benefit from a wave of investment in clean energy infrastructure that could be worth trillions of US dollars.

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Workers check solar panels installed on a lake in China’s central Anhui province. Photo: AFP
Food and agriculture

Opinion | How China’s national food security push could reshape global markets

Amid increasing pressure from trade wars and climate change, Beijing is reframing agriculture as a matter of national security.

Farmers pick grapes in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province on June 6, 2025. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
China trade

As high-speed railways saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

As Chinese giants eye Eurasia for new infrastructure, analysts speculate on what it will take to keep overseas projects from going off the rails in different host nations.

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Africa

African Union: youth anger mounts over corruption, lack of accountability

Africa has the youngest population in the world, with more than 400 million people aged 15 to 35 years old – set to double by 2050.

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