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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 Vice-President J.D. Vance in Islamabad for Iran talks on Saturday. Photo: AP
United States

Vance had 2 jobs last week. Neither happened for the US vice-president

J.D. Vance returns to Washington empty-handed after a diplomatic tour that saw the fall of a key European ally and a stalemate in Islamabad.

China-EU relations

Brussels must resist ‘passive’ role in US-China trade war, EU chamber urges

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Pakistan has the world’s attention. Now it must focus inwards

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US, Israel war on Iran

US begins blockade of Iranian ports amid fragile ceasefire

Trump says Beijing ‘would like to see this ended’ as the US moves to stop vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports.

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A giant billboard reading ‘The Strait of Hormuz remains closed’ in Tehran, Iran. Photo: AFP
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Could Trump’s Hormuz blockade derail China summit with Xi Jinping?

US president’s move forces China into political dilemma and could create a flashpoint ahead of his meeting with Chinese leader, analysts say.

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China trade

Hungary’s PM-elect Magyar sends warm overture to China, vows fair play for firms

Peter Magyar pledges reforms to restore transparency and fiscal stability as Hungary shifts from Viktor Orban’s investment model.

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US-China relations

Opinion | As a global Warring States era begins, China must plan for the future

Beijing needs a unifying proposal to replace the current world order that is being upended by US unpredictability.

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China’s permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong (centre, front) vetoes a UN Security Council draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz in New York, on April 7. The proposed resolution encouraged states to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, closed amid the US-led conflict with Iran. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

South Korean president’s Holocaust remarks spark Israel outcry

Lee Jae Myung’s comparing military action against Palestinians to the Holocaust comes as Israel remembers the 6 million Jews killed by Nazis.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s Hormuz blockade may target China along with Iran

The US plans to stop Iranian oil exports, which mainly go to China, after peace talks failed to produce a deal.

Pacific nations

Australia pledges US$1.7 million in aid after Cyclone Maila kills 11 in Pacific

Entire villages were destroyed in the storm, was briefly classified as a Category 5 cyclone.

A truck is engulfed by floodwaters brought on by heavy rains from tropical cyclone Maila in the Tinputz district of Northern Bougainville. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Israel’s Netanyahu says ‘war continues’ during visit to southern Lebanon

Lebanon’s PM says he’s working to get Israeli troops out as Hezbollah militants fight back.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday. Photo: Zuma Press Wire via dpa
Americas and the Caribbean

Cuba’s president warns US against attacking island or trying to depose him

Miguel Diaz-Canel said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security but should it happen, Cubans would defend themselves.

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US, Israel war on Iran

‘Blown to hell’: Trump announces US blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The US plans to block ‘all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports’ starting on Monday.

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Asean

Asian Angle | Doubts about Trump strain Southeast Asia’s US-China balancing act

An increasingly unpredictable Washington is making the region’s traditional hedging strategy harder to sustain.

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US President Donald Trump (centre) stands for a group photo with Southeast Asian leaders at the 13th Asean-United States Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. Photo: AFP
US-Venezuela conflict

‘Eager to explore’: Chinese migrants return to Venezuela after Maduro’s capture

A large chunk of Venezuela’s Chinese community fled overseas during Maduro’s rule. Now, many are returning as they see ‘new opportunities’.

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Illustration by Henry Wong
US, Israel war on Iran

‘We have no trust in the other side’: Iran blames US as talks end with no deal

Tehran’s lead negotiator hits out at Washington after Islamabad talks, while Vance says sticking point was lack of nuclear commitments.

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European Union

Israeli spy firm Black Cube involved in Cyprus corruption probe

Black Cube came to prominence in 2017 for its operations aimed at discrediting women who accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault.

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Bangladesh

Vaccine coverage gaps spur Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak

Health authorities launched an emergency vaccine campaign on Sunday, with UN agencies aiming to protect more than 1.2 million children.

A child diagnosed with measles receives treatment in a paediatric ward at a hospital in Dhaka on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Thais celebrate new year despite fuel price shocks delaying travel

Thailand is gearing up for its biggest annual holiday, Songkran, as soaring fuel prices drive up costs for Thais travelling for the celebrations.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump critique pauses UK handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius

The Labour government will not include legislation supporting the handover in its parliamentary agenda without support from Washington.

Pakistan

UAE pulls US$3.5 billion from Pakistan after Iran war mediation

As Abu Dhabi signals its displeasure with Islamabad, analysts say other indebted partners will be watching closely.

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A shopkeeper displays Iranian flags after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Taiwan

Editorial | Cheng’s Beijing visit underscores hope for cross-strait engagement

The rare meeting with Xi is a vital reminder of how the mainland and Taiwan can work together to turn around a fraught relationship.

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s largest opposition party, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on April 10, in this screengrab from a video provided by CTI. Photo: CTI via Reuters
US-China trade war

Trump’s tariff powers tested again as court questions ‘deficit’ justification

Court weighs Section 122 tariffs as plaintiffs warn of shifting tactics and judges probe limits of ‘balance of payments’ claims.

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China-Latin America relations

China, Russia rally behind Cuba as US squeezes Havana in deepening crisis

‘China is willing to work with the international community to firmly support Cuba,’ said a Beijing spokesperson.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US presses Iran as talks gear up in Pakistan under fragile ceasefire

Vice-President J.D. Vance to lead negotiations in Islamabad as Tehran sets preconditions, Trump warns of military action if diplomacy fails.

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US Vice-President J.D. Vance before boarding Air Force Two on Friday en route to Pakistan for high-stakes talks with Iran. Photo: Reuters
2026 Trump-Xi summit

High fertiliser prices mean more soybeans for farmers – and greater reliance on China

Analysts question the cost of China deploying ‘fertiliser diplomacy’ and boosting soybean purchases ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.

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Fertiliser prices have surged amid global supply disruptions and export curbs, squeezing farmers and reshaping crop decisions. Photo: Shutterstock
Ukraine war

Ukrainians sceptical as Russia’s Putin orders Easter truce

The Kremlin says its forces will stop fighting ‘in all directions’ for 32 hours, and Zelensky says Kyiv is willing to reciprocate.

France

Macron woos Trump to G7 summit with French palace dinner. Will he bite?

An official said the French leader was ‘begging’ the US president to attend the June meeting.

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