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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

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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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5
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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93
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
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) welcomes US Vice-President J.D. Vance in front of his office in Budapest, Hungary on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Hungary

US’ 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.

Malaysia

Iran ‘does not forget its friends’ as Malaysia-linked ships pass through Hormuz

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Asean

Most in Asean prefer China over US in survey, Trump cited as biggest concern

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North Korea

Hidden meaning behind North Korea’s warm response to South’s drone apology

While North Korea praised the South’s actions as a ‘wise move’, it continues to rebuff any attempts at reconciliation dialogues.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong (second right) plants a tree in Pyongyang on March 14. Photo by KCNA/AFP
Technology

Opinion | In Asia-Pacific, the real maritime contest is over satellite surveillance

States’ ability to exercise territorial rights is increasingly mediated by their access to satellite data and analytics, but the tech is dominated by a powerful few.

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Taiwan

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

US strengths and strains offer Beijing a playbook, but key differences limit how far the conflict can guide future military strategy.

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Nato

Opinion | In denying Trump airspace, Europe has drawn a line for Nato

Growing European defiance to US demands raises a critical question: is Nato a club of equals or a mechanism for enforcing one nation’s agenda?

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
North Korea

North Korean silence on Iran signals openness to US talks: Seoul’s spy agency

Pyongyang has not sent weapons and supplies to its long-time ally , nor has it issued messages to mark Iranian leadership changes.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Video | Trump issues fiery, foul-mouthed message to Iran

US president extends deadline, saying Iran has until late April 7 US time to ‘make a deal’ or he would be ‘blowing everything up’.

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi seeks urgent summit with Iran as Trump’s Hormuz deadline looms

Japan has been bearing the brunt of the Iran war as the resource-poor nation relies on the Middle East for most of its crude oil imports.

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Fuel prices are displayed at a petrol station in Tokyo on March 18. Photo: EPA
Education in Hong Kong

How a US clampdown affected mainland Chinese, Hong Kong student visa numbers

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last May the country would take stricter approach to Chinese student visas.

A consultant has said the impact of US President Donald Trump’s policy has been short-lived. Photo: AP
Africa

DR Congo to receive third-country deportees from US under deal

Kinshasa to receive US-funded deportees as the Trump administration expands controversial migration agreements across Africa.

Global South

Opinion | Global South nations are insulating themselves from the heat of US actions

The ‘Great Insulation’ is coming – not major powers decoupling top-down but small and middle powers building a firewall from the bottom up.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. Photo: Reuters
Hungary

Orban appears to blame Ukraine after explosives found on gas pipeline to Hungary

Discovery on Serbian border comes as the Hungarian leader faces a tight election and ‘false flag’ accusations from opposition.

Serbian military police block a road after explosives were discovered near the international gas pipeline connecting Serbia and Hungary. Photo: Serbia’s Ministry of Defence via EPA
Central Asia

Afghanistan wants US$10 billion in trade deals with Central Asia

Central Asia’s typical trade routes through Russia are hampered by heavy sanctions, while the Taliban is trying to trade with the world despite international sanctions.

United States

Opinion | Fixing US branding woes starts with rebuilding trust Trump has damaged

Lavishly funded celebrations will not fly in Asian countries struggling to get by and increasingly sceptical of Trump’s America.

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India

India turns to ‘trusted friend’ Russia for oil supply as Iran war energises ties

The two sides aim to keep their energy trade flowing despite sanctions while balancing against the US and China, analysts say.

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin speaks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi in December. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

US arrests niece and grandniece of slain Iran general Qassem Soleimani

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, who were allegedly living a ‘lavish lifestyle’ in Los Angeles, have had their green cards revoked.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine and Russia trade fatal strikes as Zelensky travels to Turkey

The war began in February 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine.

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South Korea

Softly, softly: why South Korea, France prefer diplomacy over force in Hormuz

Presidents Lee and Macron have agreed to cooperate on safety in the strait but they are likely to wade in only after the war, analysts say.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) toasts with Emmanuel Macron during a luncheon for the French leader at the presidential office in Seoul on Friday. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
China-Australia relations

Australia’s 180-degree shift from 5 years ago: China in favour; US out

Aussie comedian exposes the truth about nation’s feelings towards US president, democracy and public safety.

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An Australian tour revealed the nation’s growing sentiment of warming to China, while Trump’s tariffs and foreign policy have increasingly seen the US viewed with suspicion or as ‘unsafe’. Photo: AP
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump seeks US$1.5 trillion for defence in new budget request amid Iran war

If enacted, it would set military spending at its highest level in modern history, underscoring the US’ ongoing focus on defence investment.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war: French and Japanese-owned ships make first Hormuz crossings

France and Japan have called for a ceasefire in the conflict, with Macron saying the waterway can only be reopened when the bombing stops.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | How America’s stumble in Iran upends East Asia’s security calculus

A region where US allies lose faith in Washington won’t necessarily embrace Beijing; it is a region more likely to reach for its own guns.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China relations

Opinion | 3 reasons Xi-Trump summit won’t be a waste of time for China

Despite current tensions and dim prospects for meaningful progress, Beijing should still roll out the red carpet.

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US President Donald Trump, left, and President Xi Jinping pose for a photo at the Forbidden City in Beijing on November 8, 2017. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Beijing hails US cooperation as ICE returns suspected drug smuggler to China

With Xi and Trump set to meet next month, Beijing says handoff signals ‘progress in bilateral counternarcotics law enforcement’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Immediate reopening of Strait of Hormuz demanded at 40-nation talks

Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage via its blockade of the waterway, said the UK’s foreign minister, who hosted the meeting.

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