Asia /

Diplomacy

Related Topics:
US-China relations
China-Vatican relations
China-Africa relations
China-Australia relations
China-India border dispute
China-Japan relations
China-Sri Lanka relations
China-India relations
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov (right) shakes hands with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon at Bishkek on March 13. Photo: Reuters/Kyrgyz Presidential Press Service
Central Asia

‘Eternal peace’: Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border deal opens path to visa-free zone

The agreement, which settled territorial disputes related to nearly 500km of the border, also included mutual access to water and energy.

China trade

From BTS to a free trade deal, is South Korea moving closer to China?

videocam
14
The Philippines

Hegseth’s Manila visit ahead of Balikatan signals strong US-Philippines ties

videocam
9
Donald Trump

New Zealand PM says trade wars will cause ‘serious headwinds’ to global economy

‘Geopolitical calculations are being totally upended,’ Christopher Luxon says, calling Indo-Pacific pacts key to weathering any instability.

videocam
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Myanmar

Putin has ‘breathing room’ for Myanmar to get Russian arms amid isolation

A visit to Russia by General Min Aung Hlaing aimed to enhance Moscow’s influence in Southeast Asia underscored the junta’s need for diplomatic recognition.

videocam
SCMP Highlights

Philippines’ US exemption, public sex outrage in Thailand: 7 Asia highlights

From Ramadan price gougers in Malaysia to outrage in Thailand over public sex, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
India

‘Business must go on’: why India is reaching out to the Taliban

Focus on humanitarian aid, regional connectivity could help India regain ‘strategic space’ lost after the Taliban took over in 2021, analysts note.

videocam
The Afghan embassy in New Delhi, India, in September 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Afghan embassy in New Delhi, India, in September 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE
South Korea

South Korean city Gyeongju has ambitions beyond Apec – a third Trump-Kim summit

The governor of the North Gyeongsang city says he hopes the summit will become a ‘catalyst for peace’.

Australia

Were China’s ‘unprecedented’ naval drills a ‘signal’ to Australia, New Zealand?

The drills, conducted near a busy air corridor, have prompted both countries to enhance surveillance and collaborate with allies.

44
US-China trade war

‘Good start’: China bids to reset ties with Japan amid Trump tariff storm

Both Asian powers have ‘sent clear signals’ they want to improve their economic relationship, but geopolitical tensions will make that difficult.

videocam
4
President Xi Jinping meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru, in November. Photo: Xinhua
Australia

Australia pushes for tariff exemptions in crucial Washington visit ahead of election

Australia’s treasurer Jim Chalmers is seeking US tariff exemptions for steel and aluminium, crucial for PM Albanese’s government ahead of coming elections.

A worker pours molten iron at a factory in Geelong, Australia. Photo: EPA-EFE
A worker pours molten iron at a factory in Geelong, Australia. Photo: EPA-EFE
Pacific nations

After China deal, Cook Islands looks beyond ‘big brother’ New Zealand, US

The islands’ PM said Pacific nations were looking for other countries to ‘fill the gap’ in the wake of Trump’s return as US president.

The Philippines

‘Wilful pollution’: China’s space debris puts Philippines on edge

For Manila, Beijing’s pursuit of the heavens is leaving a worrying trail of debris – and diplomatic challenges – back on Earth.

27
South China Sea

Beijing, Philippines spar over South China Sea claims during Munich conference

Former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying says Beijing will not accept occupation of a World War II-era ship that Manila grounded in the area.

24
Philippine’s Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo says powerful countries can “assert their own laws against weaker countries, leading to greater contention”. Photo: AFP
Pacific nations

China, the Cook Islands – and New Zealand’s struggle for Pacific influence

By signing a deal with Beijing, the Cook Islands is asserting its independence – in a stark challenge to New Zealand’s Pacific strategy.

4
The Cook Islands, with its population of around 15,000, is a self-governing nation in free association with New Zealand. Photo: Shutterstock
The Cook Islands, with its population of around 15,000, is a self-governing nation in free association with New Zealand. Photo: Shutterstock
India

Dalai Lama’s brother, architect of talks with China, dies at 97

Gyalo Thondup began discussions between Dharamsala and Beijing in 1979, in a departure from his earlier approach of armed struggle.

videocam
Japan

‘Trump likes winners’: Japan’s ‘weak’ PM meets America’s strongman

Armed with promises to buy US weapons and energy, Shigeru Ishiba hopes to stave off tariffs – but Trump is expected to push for more.

5
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Japan

Japan weighs trust in Trump as US says defence of Diaoyu Islands rock solid

Washington has confirmed its security treaty with Japan covers the disputed islets, but concerns remain about Trump’s commitment to the deal.

17
The Diaoyu Islands, which Japan administers and calls the Senkakus, are seen in the East China Sea. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
The Diaoyu Islands, which Japan administers and calls the Senkakus, are seen in the East China Sea. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
North Korea

North Korea rankles at Rubio’s ‘rogue state’ remark

Pyongyang’s foreign ministry also criticised Trump’s plan for an ‘Iron Dome’ missile shield, saying it risks ‘justifying an arms race’.

videocam
Malaysia

Malaysia-China trade hits record US$212 billion

China’s consul-general in Kuching also revealed that Malaysia welcomed over 3.8 million Chinese visitors last year – double that of 2023.

Japan

‘At rock bottom’: 100 years of Japan-Russia ties come full circle

Moscow marked the occasion by issuing a thinly veiled critique of deteriorating ties and hints at plans to close Japanese cultural centres.

Honour guards hold the national flags of Japan and Russia before a welcome ceremony for Russia’s defence minister in Tokyo in 2019. Photo: AFP
India

Russia’s ‘Afghan Quad’ overtures to India hit a China, Pakistan stumbling block

Moscow wants India to join a coalition alongside its old adversaries, plus Iran – but New Delhi doesn’t seem all that keen.

videocam
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at a Brics summit in South Africa in 2018. Photo: AFP
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at a Brics summit in South Africa in 2018. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Indonesia tests the limits of non-alignment in the South China Sea

As Jakarta deepens military and coastguard cooperation while rejecting Beijing’s sweeping claims, can it maintain a precarious equilibrium?

videocam
China trade

Philippine official ‘positive’ on trade with China despite political friction

Trade official says his country can still be a ‘platform’ for China trade, even as US President Donald Trump threatens transshipment tariffs.

videocam
17
Vietnam

‘I can play golf all day long’: Vietnam confident of its US ties under Trump

‘We think we can handle it,’ Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said of Vietnam’s US ties at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

US President Donald Trump stands in front of the Vietnamese flag during an arrival ceremony in Hanoi in 2017. Photo: AFP
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW