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Myanmar

Latest news, updates and opinion on Myanmar, covering politics, economy, society and the country’s relationships with China and India, and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Capital

Naypyidaw

Head of State

Acting President Min Aung Hlaing

Head of Government

Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, on July 6, 2025, en route to Washington. Photo: AFP

US-China trade war

‘Pressure and division’: why Trump’s 14-nation tariff package puts China on edge

Washington’s latest duties target some of Beijing’s most important partners, pressuring Asean and fuelling trade tensions, analysts warn.

8 Jul 2025 - 10:09PMvideocam

Asean

Will Myanmar block East Timor’s Asean entry? The junta draws a red line

8 Jul 2025 - 3:10PM

US-ally trade wars

Apparently impatient Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea

8 Jul 2025 - 1:33PMvideocam

Thailand

Video | What’s turning this Thai river orange?

7 Jul 2025 - 12:00PM

Thai river turns orange as dangerous toxins from Myanmar mines flush downstream

07:11

US immigration

US deports 8 immigrants to conflict-torn South Sudan after legal fight

Deportation follows a US Supreme Court ruling favouring the Trump administration.

7 Jul 2025 - 2:13PM

SCMP Highlights

China on Ukraine war, US-Vietnam trade deal in spotlight: SCMP daily highlights

From Wang Yi’s comments on war between Russia and Ukraine to anti-dumping tariffs on European brandy, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

4 Jul 2025 - 9:15PM

Crime

Chinese model lured to Myanmar with scam job rescued after sister raises alarm

25-year-old missing since June 9 was rescued on Friday, prompting new warning from Chinese embassy in Thailand about high-paying job offers.

5 Jul 2025 - 3:15AMvideocam

A Chinese male model named Zhong, from Guangdong province, has been rescued after being lured into Myanmar for an overseas work opportunity last month, according to the Chinese embassy in Thailand. Photo: Sina

China-EU relations

The EU-China reset that never was: summits begin but divisions remain

After much talk of patching things up, a grand rapprochement has failed to materialise, with Beijing seen to be playing a ‘waiting game’.

2 Jul 2025 - 1:22PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Myanmar crisis demands Asean rethink on regional diplomacy

Asean must match the people’s demands for justice, dignity and freedom with nothing less than bold, principled leadership.

2 Jul 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

Hong Kong society

Medical excellence to Olympic glory: Hong Kong honours outstanding contributions

Former Hospital Authority chairman John Leong and gold medal fencer Vivian Kong among 427 people recognised in honours list.

2 Jul 2025 - 12:01PM

Former Hospital Authority chairman John Leong has been recognised with the top-tier Grand Bauhinia Medal, the city’s highest honour. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Thailand

Quake-hit Bangkok tower collapse blamed on build, design failures

The State Audit Office tower was the only structure in the Thai capital to fall, with a China-linked joint venture now facing scrutiny.

30 Jun 2025 - 6:17PMvideocam

Rescuers at the scene of the building collapse in Bangkok following an earthquake in March. Photo: dpa

Asean

Asian Angle | Are migrant workers the real glue cementing Asean-GCC ties?

The surprising truth behind the growing partnership lies in its people-to-people connections, remittances, the haj and financial mobility.

28 Jun 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

Crime

Myanmar burns US$300 million worth of confiscated drugs

Myanmar has a long history of drug production and is a major source of illegal drugs bound for East and Southeast Asia.

26 Jun 2025 - 7:23PM

China economy

Opinion | The new wave of globalisation could be China-led

Going global not only defuses the perils of protectionism, it also allows Chinese firms to bring jobs and economic benefits to the world.

26 Jun 2025 - 5:21PMvideocam

Visitors check out the Longi Green Energy Technology booth at the 2025 Intersolar Europe exhibition in Munich, Germany, on May 12. Photo: Xinhua

Hong Kong society

Earthquake rescuers, Kai Tak Sports Park team win high-level Hong Kong award

City leader praises Hong Kong team sent to help earthquake-hit Myanmar in March, and public servants that handled opening of sports facility.

24 Jun 2025 - 4:30PM

City leader John Lee (front row, fifth from left) and other officials welcome the returning Hong Kong rescue team at Hong Kong International Airport in early April, after its mission in the earthquake-affected areas of Myanmar. Photo: May Tse

Climate change

Asia is heating up at double the global rate amid climate crisis, UN warns

Asia’s vast land mass is intensifying extreme heatwaves as its sea surface warms at twice the global average, a new UN report reveals.

24 Jun 2025 - 3:45PMvideocam

US immigration

Supreme Court allows swift deportation of migrants away from home countries

Divided court lifts order, paving way for removals to third countries; dissenters warn of torture and death risks.

24 Jun 2025 - 1:41PM

Rohingya Muslims

Letters | The world must deliver justice for the Rohingya

Readers discuss action on the Rohingya crisis, better governance for better climate outcomes in Asia, and why investors might have to reassess their emerging market exposures.

21 Jun 2025 - 11:30AM

Rohingya refugees wait for relief supplies during Ramadan at the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on March 16. Photo: Reuters

Asean

Asean credibility at stake as Thailand-Cambodia tensions escalate: analysts

Diplomatic rift raises fresh questions over Asean unity and bloc’s ability to mediate conflicts between member states, observers say.

20 Jun 2025 - 7:31PMvideocam

Thailand

Are Chinese-run mines in Myanmar polluting Thailand’s Kok River?

Tests by a Thai government agency have found levels of arsenic nearly five times international drinking water standards in the Kok River.

18 Jun 2025 - 11:34AM

War and conflict

Over 600 evacuated as Myanmar military fights anti-coup forces

Myanmar has been fighting a many-sided civil war since the military snatched power in a 2021 coup, leaving more than 3.5 million people displaced.

14 Jun 2025 - 6:31PM

Members of the Kayan National Army (KNA) going to the front line during the conflict with Myanmar’s military, at Moe Bye in Pekon Township, on the border of Karen and Shan states, on December 3 last year. Photo: AFP

Asean

Is Trump’s Myanmar, Laos travel ban a blow to US-Southeast Asia ties?

Observers say closed channel over terrorist threat ‘illogical’ and a setback to long-standing relations with affected countries.

12 Jun 2025 - 11:00AM

People walk to transport arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. A new travel ban ordered by US President Donald Trump, restricting entry to citizens from 12 countries, took effect on Monday. Photo: AFP

Environment

China backs Mekong pollution probe after reports point finger at mining firms

Media reports and activists have said Chinese firms operating in Myanmar are responsible for pollution downriver in Thailand.

9 Jun 2025 - 7:19PMvideocam

United States

Trump’s new travel ban takes effect, citizens of 12 nations barred from US

Ban comes amid rising tensions over the US president’s escalating campaign of immigration enforcement.

9 Jun 2025 - 2:17PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | China as a global conflict mediator: from ambition to action

From Saudi-Iran rapprochement to Myanmar ceasefires, China’s conflict diplomacy also aims to protect its own interests.

8 Jun 2025 - 10:30AM

Traditional Russian wooden dolls called “matryoshka” depicting China’s President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are seen for sale in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo: AP

Asean

Opinion | How Trump’s tariffs could benefit Asean in the long run

While the tariffs may undermine the bloc’s growth in the short term, they are spurring increased cooperation between member states and with others.

6 Jun 2025 - 6:30PMvideocam

Asean

My Take | Can Southeast Asia contain growing threat of cyber scams?

An unprecedented level of coordination is required to tackle such crimes as Southeast Asian economies become more digitalised.

6 Jun 2025 - 10:36AMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

China’s ‘milestone’ engine, battery scientist leaves US: SCMP daily highlights

From Donald Trump banning new foreign students at Harvard to China’s helicopter engine milestone, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

6 Jun 2025 - 5:52AM

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