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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
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un talk before a meeting in the demilitarised zone in Panmunjom on June 30, 2019. Photo: AFP
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

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North Korea

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

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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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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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US officials have accused Chinese firms of supplying dual-use materials that could support Iran’s missile and drone programmes. Photo: Reuters
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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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.

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
Malaysia

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

The move signals Tehran’s use of access to Hormuz as leverage, analysts say, while drawing scrutiny over Malaysia’s oil transfers.

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A tanker shown in an image posted by Iran’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur, which said it was the first Malaysian-linked vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: x / iraninmalaysia
US, Israel war on Iran

‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’: Donald Trump heightens Iran threats

Ahead of ‘complete demolition’ deadline, two sides face trust deficit and see no acceptable guarantor between them, analysts say.

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Asean

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

Support for China was stronger in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, according to the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey.

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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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A J-15 fighter jet from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong making an unusual approach to a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force P-3C patrol aircraft conducting surveillance above the Pacific Ocean on June 8, 2025. Photo: Handout /Japan’s Ministry of Defence / AFP
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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