https://www.scmp.com/rss/318199/feed The latest news on diplomacy and diplomatic events in and relating to China. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Sven Biscop is a Belgian political scientist and strategist specialising in the foreign affairs and security of the EU and its relations with great powers. He is a director at the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels and a professor at Ghent University. He is also a senior research fellow at Renmin University in Beijing, where he teaches in the summer. Biscop is the author of many books, including 2024’s This Is Not a New World Order: Europe Rediscovers Geopolitics,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350626/saying-youre-geopolitical-actor-doesnt-make-it-so-sven-biscop-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350626/saying-youre-geopolitical-actor-doesnt-make-it-so-sven-biscop-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Tensions in East Asia reached a fresh peak with a Japanese warship’s transit of the Taiwan Strait on a historically freighted date for China. According to the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi spent 14 hours navigating the sensitive waterway on Friday, the anniversary of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki or Treaty of Maguan, an unequal treaty that forced the then-ruling Qing dynasty administration to cede Taiwan to Japanese colonial rule. In a commentary on Saturday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:55:08 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Since America launched its “major combat operation” against Iran, several Nato allies have distanced themselves from Washington. Now America also risks losing ground in strategically important Southeast Asia to China. Could it face an erosion of influence similar to that suffered by Russia in Central Asia as a result of its “special military operation” in Ukraine? Soon after US President Donald Trump launched massive air and missile strikes on Iran on February 28, it became clear Washington... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage During Vice-President Han Zheng’s visit to Nairobi in March, China signed a cash grant for drought relief and recently delivered food aid to Somalia, Togo, Zimbabwe and Zambia – helping 217,057 people in Zambia and providing Zimbabwe with 5,000 tonnes of rice. Du Xiaohui, director general of the foreign ministry’s African affairs department, later affirmed that Beijing would help nations in Africa boost food security and agricultural resilience through emergency aid and long-term support for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350443/china-steps-aid-africa-huge-funding-gap-left-trumps-cuts-remains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350443/china-steps-aid-africa-huge-funding-gap-left-trumps-cuts-remains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In June 2021, from a podium in the Cornish countryside, former US president Joe Biden told a relieved Europe that “America is back at the table”. The comment – made after a summit of the Group of Seven rich nations – became a galvanising force for reinvigorated transatlanticism after the first term of Donald Trump had left it in tatters. When Russia invaded Ukraine eight months later, the G7 became the forum of choice for cooking up punitive sanctions against Russia. It was also the venue for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350572/rupture-how-europe-fell-out-love-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350572/rupture-how-europe-fell-out-love-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz only hours after its reopening is a tactic by Iran to gain leverage over the United States before possible negotiations, according to Chinese analysts. With the clock counting down to the end of a two-week ceasefire with the US on Wednesday, a deal with Washington was still possible and the likelihood of Tehran imposing a toll on the waterway was low, they added. The assessment came as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350588/closed-open-closed-why-iran-changing-course-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350588/closed-open-closed-why-iran-changing-course-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China could gain a “massive strategic advantage” from the war in Iran by reshaping trade in the Middle East and catching up with the US militarily, according to one analyst. Zhu Zhaoyi, executive director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at Peking University HSBC Business School, also said that with the current ceasefire looking likely to be extended, Beijing should assume a more active role in peace talks. He told a seminar in Shenzhen on Friday that China should draw on the lessons from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350567/how-chinas-military-could-learn-vital-lessons-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350567/how-chinas-military-could-learn-vital-lessons-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz again, according to Tehran’s Fars News Agency. “Control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and this strategic strait is under the strict management and control of Iran’s Armed Forces,” an Iranian spokesman was quoted as saying. It came a day after Iran declared that it would allow non-military vessels to pass through the waterway for the duration of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. However, the United States had continued to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350571/iran-reimposes-shipping-restrictions-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350571/iran-reimposes-shipping-restrictions-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:16:07 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pursuing the first ever revision of her country’s post-World War II pacifist constitution, a step that observers say is likely to be welcomed in Washington and condemned in Beijing. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a historic two-thirds majority in the National Diet’s lower house in February’s election, passing the threshold needed to pass constitutional amendments without other parties’ support. “An independent constitutional amendment... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350506/peace-out-takaichi-putting-japans-pacifist-constitution-chopping-block?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350506/peace-out-takaichi-putting-japans-pacifist-constitution-chopping-block?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Fan Chen,Josephine Ma Fan Chen,Josephine Ma US President Donald Trump said on Friday night he was looking forward to his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next month and predicted it would be “special”. Trump posted on social media: “China’s President Xi is very happy that Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening; I look forward to meeting Xi. “Our meeting ‌in China will ‌be a special ⁠one and, potentially, Historic. I ⁠look forward to being with President ‌Xi – ‌Much will be accomplished!” Trump was originally... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350555/donald-trump-predicts-meeting-xi-jinping-will-be-special-ahead-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350555/donald-trump-predicts-meeting-xi-jinping-will-be-special-ahead-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:06:34 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The war in Iran and ensuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the risks of over-reliance on the Persian Gulf for oil, turning Beijing’s Mediterranean infrastructure plans from long-term goals into urgent strategic necessities. From Algerian oilfields to Moroccan battery factories and Egypt’s industrial base, China might now fast-track these projects to create a Mediterranean hub for a green-energy supply chain, observers said. Beijing aims to create a strategic backup that protects its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The US appears to be intensifying its war efforts with an economic squeeze to force Iran to cave in before further talks, but Chinese observers say the strategy could backfire on the US economy. The US continued to exert pressure on Iran on Friday even as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz was completely open for commercial vessels. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350514/why-us-threats-tighten-economic-vice-iran-might-prolong-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350514/why-us-threats-tighten-economic-vice-iran-might-prolong-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:26:27 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Even before Donald Trump returned to the White House, Vietnam’s military planners were already busy preparing for a possible second invasion by the United States and its allies. In the “Second US Invasion Plan”, secretly issued in August 2024, the Vietnamese military rejected playing any part in America’s China containment strategy in the Asia-Pacific. Rather, it sees the US promotion of “freedom and democracy” as a cynical ploy to maintain hegemony in the region. The document, released in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Beijing and Hanoi have bolstered their commitment to demarcation talks over a contested stretch of water in the South China Sea, pledging to “better” navigate bilateral frictions in the area, according to a joint communique. The document also said the countries’ ruling communist parties had agreed to shore up each other’s leadership at home with the adoption of a new five-year action plan. Published on Friday as To Lam, Vietnam’s top leader, wrapped up his four-day visit to China, the communique... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350516/smoother-waters-china-and-vietnam-vow-better-navigate-south-china-sea-frictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350516/smoother-waters-china-and-vietnam-vow-better-navigate-south-china-sea-frictions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:12:52 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has lodged a protest with New Zealand about the activities of a military aircraft near its coast, suggesting it had put commercial airlines at risk. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday that a P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft had “conducted continuous close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace and waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea”. He said such actions undermined China’s security interests, heightened the risks of misunderstandings and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350508/china-complains-harassment-new-zealand-aerial-patrols-close-coastline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350508/china-complains-harassment-new-zealand-aerial-patrols-close-coastline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:50:59 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China criticised Japan for sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, just days after Tokyo announced its troops would join a major US-Philippine military drill for the first time. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the entry of a Japanese Self-Defence Force vessel into the strait was a “deliberate provocation.” He added that Beijing had lodged a “strong protest” with Tokyo. “The Chinese military has dealt with this incident in accordance with regulations,” Guo said. “[The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350499/china-slams-japan-sending-warship-through-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350499/china-slams-japan-sending-warship-through-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow The China-US trade war bubbled away this week, even as the Strait of Hormuz shutdown dominated global headlines. The US is finalising a multinational agreement on trade and critical minerals to break China’s grip on vital resources, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told lawmakers on Thursday. He also sought a higher budget to support more trade investigations, and suggested potential action to pare US farmers’ reliance on Chinese orders. “We’re not just going to lay down and let the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350432/us-china-tensions-simmer-economy-outperforms-auto-china-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350432/us-china-tensions-simmer-economy-outperforms-auto-china-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu France and Britain are pulling together a coalition of more than 30 nations on Friday for a Parisian summit aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Neither the United States nor Israel or Iran have been invited to the first major European push to influence a war that was launched six weeks ago by a US-Israeli bombardment on Iran. Europe insists it is not a party to the war, but as energy prices soar and munitions get diverted from Ukraine it is already paying the price. China is among the Asian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350404/why-europe-testing-third-way-hormuz-without-us-israel-and-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350404/why-europe-testing-third-way-hormuz-without-us-israel-and-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:24:07 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier China has crafted markets, mechanisms and incentives as the world’s largest buyer of commodities in a bid to free itself from its dependence on the US dollar, but the biggest threat to Washington’s global dollar dominance may well be Washington itself, witnesses said in testimony on Thursday before a key advisory committee to the US Congress. Economic sanctions and access to US-led global banking systems are a powerful US tool that can be used to great effect, said experts before the US-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3350382/why-biggest-threat-us-global-dollar-dominance-may-well-be-washington-itself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3350382/why-biggest-threat-us-global-dollar-dominance-may-well-be-washington-itself?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 23:42:50 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin At a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, lawmakers and experts accused China of buying “what they can” and stealing “what they cannot” in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, while warning the United States’ immigration and research policies could be hindering innovation necessary to stay ahead. “The pattern is clear. China is dependent on our tech stack to continue their AI development. China is willing to buy what they can, and steal what they cannot, to advance their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:26:36 +0000 Mengzhen Liu Mengzhen Liu The decades-long negotiations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea may finally come to an end this year. Several parties involved, including China and the Philippines, have expressed confidence in reaching a final conclusion to the proposed set of rules in the contested waterways in the coming months. In March, Beijing signalled its hope of concluding negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by the end of the year while Manila has repeatedly expressed its intention to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado China has assured the United States that it will not supply weapons to Iran during the current ceasefire in the Middle East conflict, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, as Washington stepped up pressure on Tehran to agree to a broader peace deal brokered by Pakistan. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said Beijing had conveyed the assurance directly, amid heightened concerns in Washington about external support for Iran during the fragile pause in fighting. “Trump has a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350365/us-says-china-pledged-not-arm-iran-during-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350365/us-says-china-pledged-not-arm-iran-during-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:42:45 +0000 Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Japan has pledged US$10 billion to its Asian neighbours in energy support, in what analysts say is a strategic bid to counter China’s regional influence and position itself as a reliable partner as the Iran war upends global oil markets and supply chains. However, one observer argued that the move’s impact might be limited, given Japan’s inability to alter the ground realities in the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries’ instinct for strategic hedging over picking sides. Unveiled by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350353/can-japans-us10b-energy-shield-oust-chinas-influence-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350353/can-japans-us10b-energy-shield-oust-chinas-influence-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:02:15 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The Chinese embassy in Japan has received a series of “terrorist threats”, including an intrusion and a bomb threat, in the past month, a diplomat said on Thursday, describing the incidents as “extremely egregious”. Shi Yong, the acting head of the embassy, said that on March 5 the embassy received a threatening letter from an organisation claiming to comprise former Japanese police officers and former Self-Defence Forces members. Shi said the embassy had reported the matter to the local police,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350341/china-says-tokyo-embassy-intrusion-bomb-threat-are-among-grave-violations-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350341/china-says-tokyo-embassy-intrusion-bomb-threat-are-among-grave-violations-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China has advised its citizens travelling to the US to avoid a Seattle airport, citing “malicious interrogation and harassment” of some 20 Chinese academics. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that the academics had valid visas and were going to a conference but were denied entry after “unreasonable interrogation” by US border officers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The ministry said that any citizens planning to travel to the US in the near future should improve their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350333/china-warns-travellers-avoid-seattle-airport-after-academics-denied-entry-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350333/china-warns-travellers-avoid-seattle-airport-after-academics-denied-entry-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:31:48 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Sven Biscop is a Belgian political scientist and strategist specialising in the foreign affairs and security of the EU and its relations with great powers. He is a director at the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels and a professor at Ghent University. He is also a senior research fellow at Renmin University in Beijing, where he teaches in the summer. Biscop is the author of many books, including 2024’s This Is Not a New World Order: Europe Rediscovers Geopolitics,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350314/europe-lacks-china-strategy-needs-new-us-approach-biscop-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350314/europe-lacks-china-strategy-needs-new-us-approach-biscop-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:23:39 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Africa was China’s fastest growing export market in the first quarter of 2026, up 32.1 per cent year on year to US$60.66 billion, according to customs data, reflecting a continuing shift away from American trade. The growth outpaced other regions of the world, driven by high-value shipments such as machinery and vehicles as well as hi-tech equipment, including solar and battery technology. It continued a trend of Chinese manufacturers turning to the continent to offload excess capacity,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350292/bye-bye-us-why-chinas-trade-africa-benefits-trumps-policy-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350292/bye-bye-us-why-chinas-trade-africa-benefits-trumps-policy-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s top diplomat Wang Yi sought guarantees of freedom and safety of international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday. The call is Beijing’s latest diplomacy effort on the Iran war as a US naval blockade of Iranian ports intensifies global energy disruptions and adds uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway off Iran’s coast that Tehran effectively closed in response to US-Israeli strikes. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350259/chinas-wang-yi-calls-iran-ensure-freedom-and-safe-passage-through-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350259/chinas-wang-yi-calls-iran-ensure-freedom-and-safe-passage-through-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:18:55 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has issued its first map pinpointing seabed chemical elements in the country’s eastern waters as Japan also races to tap undersea rare earth resources and deep-sea minerals. The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources published the results of marine geological surveys over the past two decades for the seas, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. The result was an atlas charting the location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US military leaders painted a picture of Chinese military threats, spanning Taiwan and space, as they briefed Congress on the military readiness for the financial year 2027 on Wednesday. The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) “invasion rehearsals and live-fire exercises near Taiwan and around the region” had illustrated “the need for combat-ready naval forces in the Indo-Pacific”, according to James Kilby, vice chief of Naval Operations. “[The US Navy therefore] remains committed to partnering and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350232/china-threat-used-convince-congress-need-bolster-us-military-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350232/china-threat-used-convince-congress-need-bolster-us-military-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:08:57 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A stretch of awkward diplomacy is unfolding in the Indo-Pacific. After India’s 2025 term as the Quad’s rotating chair ended without a summit, New Delhi is planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could be framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top leaders do not attend, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move is seen as a way to smooth India’s ruffled feathers on several counts. “It’s akin to putting lipstick on a pig,” said Sourabh Gupta of the Institute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:17:13 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Washington’s senior envoys to the United Nations took a victory lap in Senate testimony on Wednesday over the US-inspired cuts and efficiency drive at the multilateral agency, even as they slammed its inability to end the conflict in Ukraine, stem the Iran war started by the US and Israel or curb China’s growing clout. Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, touted the US$570 million in UN budget cuts, 3,000 fewer jobs and the US decision to pull out of several UN agencies, even as he defended US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350229/us-envoy-waltz-touts-america-first-policy-budget-cuts-senate-swipe-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350229/us-envoy-waltz-touts-america-first-policy-budget-cuts-senate-swipe-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:29:48 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The White House on Wednesday dismissed as untrue reports that the US had sought to extend a ceasefire with Iran, while confirming that discussions over a second round of in-person negotiations were under way after marathon talks in Islamabad last week ended without a breakthrough. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that discussions were under way about a further round of talks with Tehran but “nothing is official”, adding that the negotiations would “very likely” be held... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350225/iran-threatens-shut-down-red-sea-shipping-unless-us-lifts-naval-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350225/iran-threatens-shut-down-red-sea-shipping-unless-us-lifts-naval-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:04:31 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Donald Trump’s claim that the US war with Iran is nearing an end reflects a desire to break the conflict’s deadlock to ease political pressure at home, according to analysts. Halfway into a two-week ceasefire and with a stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz, the US president was running out of time, they said, adding that a deal was still possible. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said the United States was “not done” but the six-week-old war was nearing the finish line. “I think it’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350201/trump-says-iran-war-close-over-he-just-out-options?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350201/trump-says-iran-war-close-over-he-just-out-options?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China and Vietnam should stand together against unilateralism and protectionism and jointly counter global challenges, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Vietnam’s top leader on Wednesday, as energy concerns continued to spill over from the Iran conflict. “Both sides should uphold the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, safeguard the global free trade system and keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350195/chinas-xi-jinping-tells-vietnamese-counterpart-they-should-jointly-oppose-unilateralism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350195/chinas-xi-jinping-tells-vietnamese-counterpart-they-should-jointly-oppose-unilateralism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:09:33 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns that the ongoing war on Iran and its effect on global oil supplies will derail his planned visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. In an interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo that aired on Wednesday, Trump said he did not think the war would “change the dynamic” of his coming visit to China. Asked whether the impact on the oil price from recent US actions in Iran and Venezuela and Trump’s comments on Cuba would affect his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350188/trump-tells-letter-exchange-xi-jinping-over-chinas-role-iran-war-interview?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350188/trump-tells-letter-exchange-xi-jinping-over-chinas-role-iran-war-interview?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:33:22 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Russia can help China and other nations weather energy supply disruptions stemming from the war in Iran, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. “Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen”, Lavrov told reporters in response to a question about the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. He also said that Chinese-Russian ties are “unshakeable in the face of any storms”. Lavrov confirmed that Russian... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3350178/china-cements-russia-ties-both-win-us-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3350178/china-cements-russia-ties-both-win-us-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:49:50 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Amid escalating turmoil in the Middle East and mounting global uncertainty, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China and Russia to elevate their strategic partnership to new heights by deepening “all-round cooperation” and reinvigorating the authority of the United Nations. During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on Wednesday, he cast the growing bilateral relationship as a stabilising force in a volatile world, rooted in history, driven by strategic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350167/strong-china-russia-relations-are-stabilising-force-turbulent-landscape-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350167/strong-china-russia-relations-are-stabilising-force-turbulent-landscape-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:01:36 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin American views on China have softened ahead of a high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in May, with positive sentiment nearly doubling since 2023, a survey by the Pew Research Centre has found. While a significant majority of Americans still regard China as a competitor to the US rather than a partner, fewer call the world’s second largest economy an adversary than in 2025, according to the survey, which was released on Tuesday. “Today, 27... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350109/trump-will-head-beijing-amid-warming-trend-sentiment-about-china-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350109/trump-will-head-beijing-amid-warming-trend-sentiment-about-china-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has denounced proposed tolls in the Strait of Hormuz as a worrisome step in the wrong direction, while noting that several thousand stranded seafarers remain the international shipping community’s foremost concern. “Freedom of navigation has to be one of the pillars of free trade, and it would be a retrograde step – a really bad step,” said John Denholm, chair designate of the ICS, referring to the idea of charging vessels to transit the oil... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350067/hormuz-blockade-shipping-industry-slams-transit-fees-20000-seafarers-still-stranded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350067/hormuz-blockade-shipping-industry-slams-transit-fees-20000-seafarers-still-stranded?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 03:00:27 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The US naval blockade of Iranian ports is not a tactic to force China to pressure Iran into a peace deal, according to analysts. Rather, the US aimed to end the war through showing its maritime supremacy over the world’s most vital energy chokepoint, they argued. Washington began to enforce the blockade on Monday, drawing threats of retaliation from Tehran. It remains unclear how fully the blockade can be enforced. The US Navy currently has at least 15 ships in the region, including an aircraft... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350087/us-trying-pressure-china-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350087/us-trying-pressure-china-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Russia and China’s top envoys met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the Iran war, Ukraine and Taiwan as Beijing stepped up its Iran war diplomacy and tensions with Washington increased. In a jab at Washington and US President Donald Trump that did not mention either by name, a Chinese readout of the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov noted that the world is increasingly marked by turmoil and instability. The two top diplomats also discussed plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:59:47 +0000 Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors held rare face-to-face talks, facilitated by Washington, on Tuesday, with all sides agreeing to launch “direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue”. “Israel expressed its commitment to engage in direct negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a durable peace that will strengthen security, stability and prosperity in the region,” as per a readout issued by the US State Department. The statement said that Lebanon called for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:41:04 +0000 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Dewey Sim Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,William Zheng,Dewey Sim As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to sit down in the coming weeks, negotiations on deliverables and scheduling have accelerated, including a possible visit to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and a military parade, according to several people familiar with the planning process. The lead-up for such a consequential summit has been compressed and rather disjointed given the Middle East war and Trump’s preference for making last-minute decisions based on his “gut”. “This... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350079/trump-xi-summit-shaped-uncertainty-not-strategy-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350079/trump-xi-summit-shaped-uncertainty-not-strategy-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:00:13 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Chinese President Xi Jinping ‌called for a more robust, resilient and dynamic ‌strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, as Beijing intensified what observers have described as its “quiet but pragmatic” diplomacy during the Iran crisis. In a meeting with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu ‌Dhabi, Xi unveiled a four-point proposal to safeguard Middle East stability, stressing the importance of national sovereignty, the international rule... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350081/xi-jinpings-meeting-abu-dhabi-crown-prince-highlights-gulf-turn-towards-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350081/xi-jinpings-meeting-abu-dhabi-crown-prince-highlights-gulf-turn-towards-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Negotiating teams from America and Iran could return to Islamabad as early as the end of this week, days after 21 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital ended without a deal, Reuters reported. US President Donald Trump on Monday said that “we’ve been called by the other side” and “they want to work a deal”. A limited or temporary settlement remained possible as the two sides were cautiously approaching a de-escalation despite a total deficit of trust, according to analysts. But they warned that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350077/will-next-round-us-iran-talks-bring-peace-or-more-confrontation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350077/will-next-round-us-iran-talks-bring-peace-or-more-confrontation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:00:21 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has slammed the US blockade of Iranian ports as “dangerous and irresponsible”, calling for an immediate and full ceasefire and for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that the US action would only “inflame tensions, escalate the situation and undermine an already fragile ceasefire”, and that would further jeopardise the safety of navigation in the strait. “We urge all parties to abide by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350054/china-hits-out-dangerous-and-irresponsible-us-blockade-irans-ports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350054/china-hits-out-dangerous-and-irresponsible-us-blockade-irans-ports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham At a top-level meeting of her 26 department chiefs in March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen quietly approved a plan to stop EU funds from going to clean technology projects containing Chinese inverters. Inverters are the essential power electronics at the heart of solar and wind systems. Industry groups estimate that Chinese companies led by Huawei Technologies control more than 220 gigawatts of Europe’s installed solar capacity via the devices. The commission wants to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350056/eu-cut-funding-chinese-inverters-quiet-offensive-replaces-grandstanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350056/eu-cut-funding-chinese-inverters-quiet-offensive-replaces-grandstanding?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:01:18 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China and Spain should work closely to resist “the law of the jungle” and defend true multilateralism in a turbulent world caught in “a contest between justice and power”, Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting came after both sides strongly condemned the US-Israel military actions on Iran and criticised the US blockade of Iranian ports. Sanchez, who landed in Beijing on Saturday for a five-day trip, is on his fourth... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350026/xi-calls-spain-jointly-resist-law-jungle-turbulent-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350026/xi-calls-spain-jointly-resist-law-jungle-turbulent-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Brazilian government has dismissed the head of its labour inspection authority, days after his office added Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to a registry of employers found to have subjected workers to conditions analogous to slavery. Luiz Felipe Brandao de Mello led the National Secretariat of Labour Inspection since 2023 and his dismissal was published in the official gazette on Monday. He oversaw the unit responsible for enforcing labour standards nationwide, including the fight... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349965/brazil-fires-slave-labour-watchdog-chief-after-byd-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349965/brazil-fires-slave-labour-watchdog-chief-after-byd-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:23:31 +0000