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Belt and Road Initiative

Belt and Road Initiative
The initiative spearheaded by the Chinese government and endorsed by President Xi Jinping in late 2013 aims to improve trade and economic integration across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
An oil and gas industry worker operates a drilling rig at the Zhetybay field in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, on November 13, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Central Asia

Opinion | Why China is looking to Central Asia as Middle East grows riskier

The region’s strategic value as a corridor of resilience is becoming harder to ignore.

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Xinjiang

Why has China mapped out a third new county in Xinjiang on its western frontier?

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China education

Vocational schools a new front as China backs businesses’ global expansion

Chinese history

Open Questions | China always a connector, never a coloniser, author says

Sheng-Wei Wang says China’s Belt and Road Initiative echoes the voyages of 15th century Chinese explorer Zheng He, who promoted trade but never stayed.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China energy security

China powers up major Southeast Asian solar project amid Iran war shock

The installation boasts more than two million solar panels and comes online as global fossil fuels face unprecedented disruption.

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China-Africa relations

Opinion | China’s growing North Africa presence a structural challenge for Europe

Cooperate or hedge? Growing Chinese energy, infrastructure and industrial investments require a sustained, coordinated European response.

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China technology

China’s GPS rival, BeiDou, dominates at home. Now, it aims to convert the world

China is overhauling its home-grown satellite navigation system as part of a push to expand the network’s global influence.

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A display shows the design of the BeiDou satellite navigation system in eastern China’s Shandong province. Photo: Getty Images
China-Middle East relations

Opinion | When it comes to the Persian Gulf, China’s top priority is economics

Beijing’s refusal to pick sides between Iran and other Gulf states affirms its strategic positioning rather than a desire to shift paradigms.

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US, Israel war on Iran

In a new age of disorder, is it time for China to rethink non-intervention?

With the Iran crisis, the world is in a ‘jungle phase’ and Beijing should work on interventionism 2.0, government adviser says.

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Nepal

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

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Balendra Shah greets supporters in Damak, Jhapa district, on March 7 after winning the election. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Open Questions | Iran war’s impact on China limited, scholar Pan Guang says

China’s Middle East position ‘relatively favourable’, professor says, and regional spillover from US-Israeli attacks likely to be limited to Tehran’s Shia militia allies.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Two Sessions 2026

Will Iran feature in foreign policy talks at China’s ‘two sessions’?

The focus is on economics and the five-year plan but the turmoil could prompt a rethink in some areas, analysts say.

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China economy

China poised to earn vast profits from global energy transition: analysts

Chinese firms are in pole position to benefit from a wave of investment in clean energy infrastructure that could be worth trillions of US dollars.

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Food and agriculture

Opinion | How China’s national food security push could reshape global markets

Amid increasing pressure from trade wars and climate change, Beijing is reframing agriculture as a matter of national security.

Farmers pick grapes in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province on June 6, 2025. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
China trade

As high-speed railways saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

As Chinese giants eye Eurasia for new infrastructure, analysts speculate on what it will take to keep overseas projects from going off the rails in different host nations.

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A high-speed train leaves Tegalluar Station, located along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua
Africa

African Union: youth anger mounts over corruption, lack of accountability

Africa has the youngest population in the world, with more than 400 million people aged 15 to 35 years old – set to double by 2050.

China-Latin America relations

US, China clash over Peru Chancay megaport after court bars regulator oversight

Ruling limits state supervision of Chinese-controlled hub, prompting sovereignty warning from Washington and sharp rebuttal from Beijing.

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US-China trade war

China vies with US in Latin America

China is investing billions of dollars in Latin America, seeking access to raw materials and huge markets in an area traditionally seen in the US as “America’s backyard”.

China vies with US in Latin America
China-Asean relations

‘Time is ripe’: why China is eyeing another vast canal link to Southeast Asia

China has almost completed the US$10 billion Pinglu Canal connecting its heartlands to Southeast Asia. Now, it is mulling an even larger waterway.

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US-China relations

The options China could take to deal with ‘serious setback’ over Panama Canal

Beijing has a range of possible options after a contract given to Hong Kong firm CK Hutchison was voided by Panama’s Supreme Court.

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China trade

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

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A container is lifted by a crane at the Chinese-funded Chancay port in Peru, on October 29, 2024. Photo: AP
Climate change

Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

Central Asian rivers shape Eurasian trade flows, affect global food markets and contribute to geopolitical instability across the region.

The Dzungarian Alatau mountain range in Kazakhstan. Photo: Central Asia
US-China relations

Opinion | Beijing must be clear-eyed about its national interests abroad

As the US disrupts international norms, China should reconsider its place in the world system to protect its overseas investments.

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Pakistan

Pakistan says it killed 145 ‘Indian-backed terrorists’ after Balochistan attacks

‘The bodies of these 145 killed terrorists are in our custody, and some of them are Afghan nationals,’ the provincial chief minister said.

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Nepal

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

China has ‘already proposed some projects’ in Nepal, as it looks to tap the country’s huge hydropower resources and sell power to India.

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The site for one of Nepal’s proposed hydroelectric dams, the Budhi Gandaki project. The country is keen to attract more foreign investment to tap its huge hydropower resources. Photo: SCMP
China economy

Opinion | Fears of overcapacity ignore China’s full balance of payments picture

The right question to ask is whether China’s overall current account represents a destabilising imbalance that siphons growth from trading partners.

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People shop at an international duty free shopping centre in Haikou, Hainan province, on December 18, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
China economy

Opinion | China’s slowing overseas investment reflects caution, not retreat

Amid rising protectionism and increased pushback in advanced economies, Beijing is strategically recalibrating its investments abroad.

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Banking & finance

FSDC urges Hong Kong to focus on Africa-Asia financial corridor

City can unlock opportunities providing capital for companies and Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects, advisory council says.

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