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Diplomacy

Diplomacy
Latest news, features and analysis on global diplomatic relations, with a focus on China’s international ties – especially with the US, its Asian neighbours and the European Union.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan (right) pose for a photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela da Silva in Beijing, China, on May 13, 2025, on the sidelines of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum. Photo: EPA-EFE/Xinhua
China economy

Opinion | Middle East crisis is pushing China to deepen Latin America ties

Latin America fits Beijing’s need for alternative partners with uncomfortable precision. That is a problem for Washington.

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United States

Russian special envoy in US to meet Trump administration officials: sources

China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

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War and conflict

Opinion | For Asia, US-Iran ceasefire offers little relief – and much uncertainty

What may be coming is neither stable peace nor uninterrupted war, but something in between: a prolonged condition of managed instability.

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Demonstrators against military action in Iran after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, outside the White House in Washington on April 7. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

How can Beijing prepare for Trump’s ‘drunken boxing’ style before he meets Xi?

As Trump loomed large in both Iran war and subsequent pause, analysts weigh the importance of rhetoric vs results in his talks with China.

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War and conflict

Opinion | China’s role in the Iran-US ceasefire reflects its strategic distance

In taking a back seat in de-escalation efforts with Pakistan, China is decoupling its influence from responsibility.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Trump-Xi summit set for limited trade-focused agenda

US goals for May’s presidential summit focus on stability and specific trade deals rather than an overall relationship reset.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Photo: Reuters
North Korea

‘No one loses’: why North Korea’s Kim may shake hands with Trump again

At the US-China summit, Beijing may act as a go-between to bring Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to the negotiating table, analysts say.

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Malaysia

Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves in Malaysia

Singapore said it would not be appealing to Iran for access to the strait as transit through crucial trade waterways was a right.

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North Korea

North Korea tests electromagnetic weapon and carbon fibre bomb: state media

Such weapons use electromagnetic energy rather than explosives to disrupt or damage targets, especially electronics infrastructure.

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A screen displays file footage of a North Korean missile test at a train station in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
War and conflict

Editorial | World cannot afford a breakdown in US-Iran ceasefire talks

Eleventh-hour pause in hostilities and global instabilities leave no room for any miscalculation that heightens distrust.

People celebrate after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, in Tehran, on April 8. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump has a ceasefire with Iran. But a confrontation with Congress looms

Two-week truce with Tehran leaves Trump mere days to finalise a deal before a legal cut-off triggers a high-stakes clash with US Congress.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Strait of Hormuz: is a Trump‑Iran joint venture really possible?

With regime change increasingly out of reach, the US president may pivot towards a business deal with Tehran’s fractured leadership.

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Canada

Canada’s Carney on verge of majority after another Conservative MP jumps ship

Marilyn Gladu’s defection means the PM is just one seat short of the majority he says he needs to deal with Trump.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks in Brampton, Ontario, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Why the US-Iran ceasefire is seen as a failure for Donald Trump

As the two sides prepare to meet in person in Pakistan, analysts identify American leader’s miscalculations leading to weaker footing.

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Iranians wave national flags beneath a large billboard in Tehran’s Revolution Square on Wednesday, following the announcement that the United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Can Philippines become critical minerals powerhouse with help from US, Japan?

To curb China’s dominance in the sector, Manila has to cut red tape and fight corruption to draw US and Japanese investors.

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United States

Trump lauds Beijing role in Iran truce, but clouds ceasefire with tariff threat

Markets rise on fragile pause in fighting, as Tehran keeps Hormuz shut and warns it may abandon deal if Israeli strikes on Lebanon continue.

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France

French detainees back in Paris after ‘terrible ordeal’ in Iran

The pair had been under house arrest at the French embassy in Tehran ever since being freed from more than three years in prison in November.

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French President Emmanuel Macron greets Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris after three and a half years in detention, next to French ambassador to Iran Pierre Cochard at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
China-North Korea relations

Wang Yi set to visit North Korea, first for China’s top envoy since 2019

Visit comes as Beijing and Pyongyang step up engagement, including high-level exchanges in recent months.

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The Philippines

Philippine lawmakers’ call for oil deals with China prompts warnings of ‘a trap’

However, some analysts say that if both sides can agree on equitable oil and gas production, Filipinos could benefit from lower prices.

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China-Australia relations

‘Neighbours matter’: China, Australia vow more contact amid global tension

Premier Li Qiang says ‘Beijing is willing to import more high-quality Australian products, expand and upgrade bilateral trade’.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and China’s Premier Li Qiang spoke by phone on Tuesday ahead of Li’s planned visit to Australia later this year. Photo: AFP
North Korea

North Korea launches fifth missile test after dousing South’s peace hopes

A top Pyongyang official says the designation of the South as a hostile state ‘can never change with any words or conduct’.

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People watch a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test at a train station in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore minister: ‘right of passage’ through Hormuz non-negotiable

Vivian Balakrishnan says freedom of navigation is ‘of profound importance’ because it affects the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Only virtual talks, no new investment push before Xi-Trump summit: Greer

US Trade Representative underscores US seeks substantial tariffs, unhindered rare earth access, and a stability-preserving leaders’ meeting.

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Middle East

Abducted US journalist released by Iraqi armed group, Rubio says

Iran-backed militia frees Shelly Kittleson with a warning that the move ‘will not be repeated’.

Shelly Kittleson in a video released April 7 by a social media outlet close to Kataib Hezbollah. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Russia and China veto UN resolution aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

Beijing and Moscow blocked Gulf-backed resolution hours before the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

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The 15-member Security Council voted 11 in favour of the resolution presented by Bahrain, with two against - China and Russia - and two abstentions. Photo: Lev Radin/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran allows 2 French former detainees to leave country

The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations amid the Iran war.

Hungary

Vance visits Hungary to boost Orban re-election bid

Orban, a Eurosceptic nationalist in power since 2010, is facing the toughest re-election bid of his career, with polls indicating his party will lose.

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