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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

videocam
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
A man in military uniform sits near a makeshift memorial dedicated to the fallen Ukrainian soldiers and international volunteers in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 20, 2026. Photo: EPA
Ukraine war

EU approves US$106 billion loan to Ukraine after Hungary lifts veto

The loan will help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years.

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China-Middle East relations

Opinion | China can offer Gulf states more than just a security umbrella

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The Philippines

How the Philippines became Japan’s closest security partner in Southeast Asia

China-Asean relations

China calls on Cambodia for ‘shared security and risks’ during global turmoil

Defence and foreign ministers meet in Phnom Penh after Hun Manet describes China as a ‘most important and most trustworthy good friend’.

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Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun (from left) and Foreign Minister Wang Yi link arms with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian deputy prime minister, and Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha. Photo: Handout/Agence Kampuchea Press
Saudi Arabia

Editorial | Saudi leader’s phone call to Xi Jinping shows shifting global power balance

For long-time US ally Riyadh to seek out China suggests a growing lack of conviction among countries that the US alone can shape the global order.

US-China trade war

US lawmakers slam China’s ‘parasitic’ theft of military and tech secrets

US senators pointed to legal channels, including work visas and university research, as potential pathways for China-linked espionage.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

The plan is an attempt to mend ties with Italian PM Meloni, after she and Trump fell out over his attacks against Pope Leo.

US President Donald Trump greets Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2025. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’, Lutnick tells US lawmakers

Commerce chief says Beijing is prioritising its own semiconductor industry when asked whether selling US chips would aid Chinese military.

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Canada

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US F-16 jet deal

Peru’s interim president defers decision on the US$3.5 billion deal to his successor who will emerge from a run-off vote in June.

A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US slams Beijing after African countries block Taiwan leader’s eSwatini trip

A State Department official called the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system.

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Taiwan leader William Lai Ching-te speaks during an interview in Taipei in February. Photo: AFP
2026 Trump-Xi summit

As Iran talks go nowhere, will Donald Trump still go to Beijing?

With peace negotiations postponed, it is unclear if the US president will be ready to look at stabilising ties between the two top economies.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | How China’s patient diplomacy can help secure peace in Iran

China’s diplomacy, backed by leverage and guarantees of assistance, could provide a template for contemporary conflicts where a single side cannot carry the day.

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China travel

2,700 China-Japan flights axed in March as rift between Asian powers deepens

Nearly half of the planned flights between China and Japan were cancelled last month, as Beijing and Tokyo remain locked in a diplomatic feud.

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Air China planes are seen parked on the tarmac at an airport in Beijing in 2020. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore’s Balakrishnan warns Hormuz just a ‘dry run’ if US, China clash

Foreign minister also says Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have a ‘strategic interest’ in keeping the Strait of Malacca open.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (centre) during a panel at CNBC Converge Live with host Steve Sedgwick at Jewel Changi Airport on Wednesday. Photo: CNBC
China-Africa relations

Why China is backing nuclear fuel rod production in Namibia

On week-long trip to China, Namibian minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi pitches investment case to business leaders in Shenzhen.

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Myanmar

Why Myanmar’s token amnesties are ‘no cause for celebration’

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is now due for release in 2043 – provided she survives to the age of 97.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Caught between Washington and Tehran, Riyadh may shift towards self-reliance and diversifying partnerships, observers note.

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Smoke rises above RIyadh amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Since the war began on February 28, Iranian missiles and drones have targeted key Saudi infrastructure. Photo: Reuters
Education in Hong Kong

Opinion | It’s time to unlock Hong Kong’s international relations potential

Globally connected and intellectually vibrant, the city can offer cutting-edge research and lead diplomatic debates of global importance.

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New Zealand

New Zealand minister under fire for ‘butter chicken tsunami’ remarks

A free-trade agreement, to be signed next week, could see more than 20,000 Indian migrants entering New Zealand, officials say.

Canada

Canadian who was detained by China warns against Carney’s EV deal

Ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig was imprisoned for three years after Canada arrested Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou on a US extradition request.

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Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in 2023. Photo: AP
Israel

Israel jails soldiers for vandalising Jesus statue in Lebanon

Both the soldier who smashed the sculpture with a sledgehammer and the one who photographed the act will receive military detention.

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An Israeli soldier damages the head of a statue of Jesus, in Debel, Lebanon. Photo: Social media via Reuters
US-China relations

Trump extends Iran ceasefire, claims interception of ‘gift from China’

Strait blockade stays as US seizes vessel said to be carrying ammunition for Iran; Beijing denies role and talks face fresh doubt.

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China-EU relations

China’s CRRC drops bid for Lisbon metro deal as EU finds ‘billions’ in subsidies

Polish firm to replace state-backed Chinese giant as Brussels uses regulatory powers to curb what it says is market-distorting foreign aid.

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Japan

Japan’s Takaichi sends Yasukuni shrine offering, South Korea expresses ‘regret’

Seoul urges Japan’s leaders to ‘face history squarely’ and show through action ‘a sincere remorse for its past’.

Japanese nationalists visit Tokyo’s Yasukuni shrine during the 79th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II in 2024. Photo: dpa
Middle East

Opinion | China’s diplomacy succeeds even if it doesn’t bring Middle East peace

From Beijing’s perspective, diplomacy is remarkably effective in advancing China’s regional interests and differentiating it from the US.

On July 23, 2024, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosts the signing of the Beijing Declaration among Palestinian factions including Fatah and Hamas at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Photo: Pool via AP
Asean

Why Indonesia is ceding its role as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore

For decades, Indonesia’s standing was a given. A new survey suggests the region’s opinion leaders are no longer so sure.

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South Korea

After Xi, South Korea’s Lee brings Modi into ‘selfie diplomacy’ frame

Lee’s Samsung selfie with the Indian leader also highlights tech pride, contrasting with his earlier Xiaomi photo taken with the Chinese president.

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