https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/246096/feed Brics (an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) refers to an association of 10 leading emerging markets. The other member states are Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin As turbulence grows in many countries, it is tempting to ask if there is a global hegemon that can sort everything out fairly. US President Donald Trump has threatened that his country would not defend Nato allies if they failed to spend enough on their defence. Together with new trade barriers, his words suggest that the US is scaling back its ambitions for global leadership and concentrating more on its own region. Our latest projections of national strength for 2027 take into account... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Dhruv Atreja Dhruv Atreja On June 12, two of the world’s most capable artificial intelligence models went dark. An American export directive barred foreigners from using Anthropic’s two flagship AI models, and because the company could not check every user’s nationality, it switched them off. Access returned on July 1 but the warning is clear: India’s AI future can be switched off from Washington. In September, Beijing came calling. At the Brics summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised China would “be a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3369950/ai-indias-choice-neednt-be-between-us-leash-or-chinese-hook https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3369950/ai-indias-choice-neednt-be-between-us-leash-or-chinese-hook Sat, 10 Oct 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang Chinese President Xi Jinping was busy travelling abroad last month. In September, he paid a historic state visit to the United States, his first to the country in more than a decade. He also made his first visit to India in seven years, meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Brics summit. China will host the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, where Xi will meet US President Donald Trump for the third time this year. During the summit, Xi is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370259/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-september-2026 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370259/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-september-2026 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 02:39:33 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump talked tariffs, agricultural quotas and critical minerals at last month’s closely watched summit in Washington, an “elephant in the room” loomed over the discussion: China’s efforts to gradually diversify away from US dollar assets. Beijing has gradually been cutting its holdings of US Treasuries while pushing to expand the yuan’s global use and developing alternative financial architecture. While these issues may not have featured in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors Tue, 06 Oct 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto replaced ⁠his foreign minister with a career diplomat on Thursday, in his second change to a top post in his cabinet in less than three weeks. Prabowo ‌in a cabinet reshuffle named as foreign minister, the ministry’s former permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, with the outgoing Sugiono appointed Human Development minister. The appointment of Nasir, who was Sugiono’s deputy, is expected ⁠to mark a shake-up at the ministry. It comes... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369457/indonesias-prabowo-appoints-new-foreign-minister https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369457/indonesias-prabowo-appoints-new-foreign-minister Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:46:39 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Scott Kennedy is a senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese business and economics at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. His areas of focus include China’s hi-tech drive, US-China relations and global economic governance. Open Questions first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. How would you characterise the outcomes of the China-US summit compared to expectations going in? Is it largely a continuation of that track or do you... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368936/scott-kennedy-chinas-slow-tech-dragon-and-2-more-xi-trump-meetings https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368936/scott-kennedy-chinas-slow-tech-dragon-and-2-more-xi-trump-meetings Sun, 27 Sep 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Last week, the president of the United States stood at the podium of the United Nations General Assembly and asked aloud whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly”. Donald Trump then turned to Venezuela’s oil and declared: “To the victor belong the spoils, you’ve all heard that …” He spoke as the Iran war neared its eighth month, a week after the UN Human Rights Council found “reasonable grounds to believe” that the US had committed war crimes. In the same speech,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368749/how-beijing-neutralising-washingtons-sanctions-machine https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368749/how-beijing-neutralising-washingtons-sanctions-machine Sun, 27 Sep 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Brics-founded New Development Bank could help launch a fund by the end of the year to guarantee cheap loans for poor families in Africa and Latin America, Brazil’s social development minister said. The scheme would be the Shanghai-based lender’s first financial commitment to Brazil’s global anti-hunger alliance, an initiative sidelined by Washington’s presidency of the G20 this year. Wellington Dias told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan I grew up in Delhi. Not Lutyens’ Delhi, that quieter, greener stretch of tree-lined avenues and high-walled colonial bungalows where the VIPs live. But close enough to know that two cities share one name. One Delhi is generally messy. Rubbish piled into small mountains by the roadside. No footpaths to walk on. Narrow streets marked as one way, with every kind of traffic coming at you from every direction, and then simply stuck. And the dust. Not a film on the windowsill, but something you... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368120/reporters-note-two-delhis-one-weekend-when-world-came-dinner https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368120/reporters-note-two-delhis-one-weekend-when-world-came-dinner Sun, 20 Sep 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim caused a bit of a stir in India recently with his spirited rendition of a Bollywood classic – a lighthearted moment that also neatly captured his broader push to deepen ties with the South Asian giant. A video of Anwar singing, from memory, Kishore Kumar’s 1965 hit ballad “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat” (“Are you a dream or are you reality?”) was first posted to his social media accounts last Sunday before quickly being picked up by Indian news outlets. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368034/anwar-was-song-india-will-malaysia-reap-rewards https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368034/anwar-was-song-india-will-malaysia-reap-rewards Sun, 20 Sep 2026 02:00:06 +0000 Zhengxu Wang Zhengxu Wang On September 12, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Brics summit in New Delhi. In their talks, Xi said China approached the relationship “from a strategic and long-term perspective”. He called for an objective and rational “strategic” perception. That means the two sides should treat each other as partners rather than rivals, and as opportunities rather than threats. In Chinese official and diplomatic language, the term “strategic” is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367441/what-china-really-means-when-it-says-its-being-strategic https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367441/what-china-really-means-when-it-says-its-being-strategic Sat, 19 Sep 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a new sanctions bill into law that targets Russia’s leading energy buyers – China and India – just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a state visit. The White House issued a brief statement, saying that the President had “signed into law” the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” which “authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368079/trump-signs-bill-targeting-chinas-russia-energy-imports-days-xis-us-visit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368079/trump-signs-bill-targeting-chinas-russia-energy-imports-days-xis-us-visit Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:50:05 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Brics has a strange habit of confounding both its supporters and its critics. The group is often portrayed as an emerging anti-Western bloc led by China and Russia. Others dismiss it as an unwieldy talking shop whose members share little beyond dissatisfaction with Western... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3367690/what-brics-wants-non-western-not-anti-western-world https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3367690/what-brics-wants-non-western-not-anti-western-world Thu, 17 Sep 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth China on Thursday pushed back against a new US sanctions bill targeting Russia that could also have a major impact on Beijing, a major Russian energy importer. The US Congress on Wednesday passed the bill to strengthen sanctions on Moscow by targeting Russia’s leading energy buyers – China and India – just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump. “China carries out economic and trade cooperation with countries on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3367782/us-congress-passes-bill-targeting-russias-leading-energy-buyers-china-and-india https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3367782/us-congress-passes-bill-targeting-russias-leading-energy-buyers-china-and-india Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:50:16 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth When Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last week on the sidelines of the Brics summit, another country loomed large in the background, even in its absence: the United States. After the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintain peace at the disputed border and strengthen economic ties. Beijing’s readout, however, offered a pointed reminder of the US factor in India-China ties. The official Chinese statement claimed that Modi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367644/will-transactional-america-assist-india-future-border-crisis-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367644/will-transactional-america-assist-india-future-border-crisis-china Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:34:26 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India scored a diplomatic win at the latest Brics summit, analysts have said, after steering an increasingly unwieldy bloc towards a joint declaration despite deep divisions over geopolitical conflicts and the global order. Observers said New Delhi achieved “pragmatic consolidation” by avoiding forcing members to assign blame for contentious geopolitical issues, keeping the focus on trade, technology and greater representation for the Global South. That compromise came at a cost, however, with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367558/india-scores-brics-win-joint-declaration-despite-divides https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367558/india-scores-brics-win-joint-declaration-despite-divides Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan The family photograph did the political work the summit’s final declaration could not. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood shoulder to shoulder as the Brics summit closed in New Delhi on Sunday – a single frame capturing an 11-nation bloc that now spans four continents and nearly half the world’s population. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres attended the gathering of emerging economies... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367477/brics-leaders-act-hedge-not-revolt-against-us-dollar-dominance https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367477/brics-leaders-act-hedge-not-revolt-against-us-dollar-dominance Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma With the 11-nation Brics grouping pledging to boost cross-border payment links but making no move towards establishing a common currency, analysts said the vow marked a shift towards a more pragmatic de-dollarisation strategy rather than a retreat from the effort. A 45-page leaders’ declaration issued on Saturday at the Brics summit in New Delhi said the group’s Payment Task Force would continue working to facilitate “fast, low-cost, more accessible, efficient, transparent and safe” cross-border... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367452/brics-keeps-de-dollarisation-push-alive-despite-no-common-currency-plan-analysts https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367452/brics-keeps-de-dollarisation-push-alive-despite-no-common-currency-plan-analysts Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:00:05 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma President Xi Jinping promoted China’s vision for artificial intelligence (AI) at the annual Brics summit, seeking to win support from the Global South amid tech competition with the US. China would spearhead development of an AI Brics “community”, support cooperation in developing large language models and offer training, Xi said on Sunday in New Delhi. The previous day, he invited Brics nations to join the newly formed World AI Cooperation Organisation. Brics countries must “strengthen... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367456/xi-touts-brics-cooperation-ai-us-titans-flag-tech-risks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367456/xi-touts-brics-cooperation-ai-us-titans-flag-tech-risks Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:24:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Middle East diplomacy appeared to falter heading into Monday with the postponement of a meeting between Iran and other Gulf powers, while attacks around the region’s two most important oil transit routes deepened concern over global energy supplies. Oil prices jumped more than 3 per cent on Monday, following Houthi strikes on the world’s biggest exporter Saudi Arabia, a separate attack that forced the closure of its key 1,200km (745-mile) east-west pipeline on the weekend, and attacks on ships... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367372/iran-set-unveil-temporary-hormuz-agreement-gulf-nations-monday https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367372/iran-set-unveil-temporary-hormuz-agreement-gulf-nations-monday Sun, 13 Sep 2026 18:57:50 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his brief trip to India on Sunday with an offer to help Brics members develop open-source AI and smart manufacturing. Summit host Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, warned against turning technology and critical minerals into economic weapons. Experts said the exchange captured the wider picture of the Brics summit. Two days of diplomacy produced a united front against US tariffs, sanctions and “America first” pressure with a joint declaration, while... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367341/chinese-leader-pledges-help-brics-nations-ai-and-smart-manufacturing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367341/chinese-leader-pledges-help-brics-nations-ai-and-smart-manufacturing Sun, 13 Sep 2026 06:45:56 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Brics countries agreed on Saturday to expand trade and payments in local currencies, making another step towards de-dollarisation as the bloc seeks to counter an assertive United States. Facing pressure from Washington, the member nations found enough common ground to overcome some of their biggest diplomatic splits. The pledges were part of the “New Delhi Declaration 2026”, adopted unanimously on the opening day of the 18th Brics summit. After a closed session, Indian Prime Minister Narendra... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367315/under-trumps-shadow-brics-takes-step-towards-de-dollarisation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367315/under-trumps-shadow-brics-takes-step-towards-de-dollarisation Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:13:46 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Mark Magnier,Nayan Seth Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Mark Magnier,Nayan Seth Chinese President Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday that China and India, as the world’s most populous nations and key members of the Global South, bore “significant responsibilities” in an international landscape “fraught with turbulence and change”. Xi said that although the countries had different national circumstances, “there is ample scope for us to learn from each other’s strengths, offer mutual support, achieve shared success and pursue common... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367314/xi-tells-modi-there-ample-scope-learn-each-others-strengths https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367314/xi-tells-modi-there-ample-scope-learn-each-others-strengths Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:02:31 +0000 Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Brics members agreed in New Delhi on Saturday to continue the push to expand trade and payments in local currencies to counter US pressure. The member nations also found enough common ground to overcome some of their biggest diplomatic splits. In addition, Chinese President Xi Jinping used his address at the Brics summit to deliver a thinly veiled critique of US policies, calling on members to deepen cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence. Xi proposed an initiative on “AI-empowered... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367303/chinese-leader-xi-urges-brics-play-its-due-role-bringing-peace-middle-east https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367303/chinese-leader-xi-urges-brics-play-its-due-role-bringing-peace-middle-east Sat, 12 Sep 2026 10:21:03 +0000 Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou,Cao Jiaxuan Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou,Cao Jiaxuan Leaders from some of the world’s largest emerging economies are gathering in New Delhi this weekend for a summit marking the 20th anniversary of Brics, a fast-expanding group of developing nations. Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with his Russian and Iranian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, are among those meeting in the Indian capital for one of the group’s most closely watched gatherings in years. Brics can point to some achievements over that time, with analysts... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367252/internal-splits-threaten-slow-brics-progress-bloc-looks-back-20-years-growth https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367252/internal-splits-threaten-slow-brics-progress-bloc-looks-back-20-years-growth Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:00:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial India’s public preparations for this weekend’s Brics summit in New Delhi are not to be compared with the spectacular display for the Group of 20 summit three years ago. The low-key approach to the meeting of leaders of emerging major economies and developing countries from the Global South can be misleading. What Brics may lack in pomp it makes up for in substance, such as the landmark in relations between the world’s two most populous nations. The occasion marks the first visit to India in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3367233/brics-summit-could-emerge-milestone-blocs-unity https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3367233/brics-summit-could-emerge-milestone-blocs-unity Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to India for the first time since 2019 and finalising plans for a US trip as he works through his busiest month of international travel in years. Xi will attend the annual Brics summit in New Delhi over the weekend and meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russia’s Vladimir Putin and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa are among other leaders going to the event, which gathers some of the world’s biggest energy producers and users. The India trip gives Xi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367198/xi-india-bank-capital-injections-eu-china-trade https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367198/xi-india-bank-capital-injections-eu-china-trade Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:00:28 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has confirmed that President Xi Jinping will travel to New Delhi for the Brics summit this weekend, his first visit to India in close to seven years and the latest leg of the Chinese leader’s busiest run of summitry in years. China’s foreign ministry said Xi would attend the summit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Xi is expected to have a sit-down with Modi on the sidelines of the summit. The Chinese president’s visit to India follows closely on a packed diplomatic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367062/chinas-xi-jinping-make-first-trip-india-7-years-brics-summit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367062/chinas-xi-jinping-make-first-trip-india-7-years-brics-summit Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:03:01 +0000 Neeta Lal Neeta Lal When leaders of the Brics group of emerging economies meet in New Delhi on September 12-13, India will confront an awkward paradox: the grouping has never been bigger or harder to make coherent. What informally began as a four-member bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006 has expanded into a grouping spanning Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Its members include major energy exporters, manufacturing powers, emerging economies and countries with sharply different... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3366532/delhis-test-make-brics-work-without-making-it-work-against-india https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3366532/delhis-test-make-brics-work-without-making-it-work-against-india Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen His summit with US President Donald Trump is just over two weeks away, but already this month Xi Jinping has had one of his busiest stretches of diplomatic travel in recent years. First he wrapped up the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and then he made a state visit to Egypt. Xi is expected to head off again later this week to visit New Delhi for the Brics summit before he travels to Washington. Beijing has not yet confirmed those two trips, in line with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366643/clock-counts-down-trump-summit-xi-boosts-global-clout-diplomatic-blitz https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366643/clock-counts-down-trump-summit-xi-boosts-global-clout-diplomatic-blitz Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:00:11 +0000 Mohamed Ibrahim Hafez,Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Mohamed Ibrahim Hafez,Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa China is beginning to match its economic presence abroad with the military reach required to operate across it. The clearest evidence came from Egypt. Chinese J-16 fighters flew there recently, supported by YU-20 tankers that refuelled them in the air. The Chinese jets are taking part in Egypt’s “Eagles of Civilisation” alongside Egyptian Rafales and MiG-29s. This is the first time China has sent the jets to Africa, providing experience in moving a combat force across continents and operating... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3365853/china-egypt-joint-drills-show-beijings-military-reach https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3365853/china-egypt-joint-drills-show-beijings-military-reach Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indonesia, the United States and more than a dozen allies launched annual joint military exercises on Monday to boost defence capabilities and “deter aggression” in the Asia-Pacific region. Jakarta maintains a neutral foreign policy, what it calls “free and active”, as it walks a diplomatic tightrope seeking good relations with both Washington and Beijing. The Southeast Asian giant held a joint navy drill with China this month that was blasted by Taiwan as a “provocation”. Indonesia, the US and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3365815/indonesia-us-joint-military-drills-allies-kick-4700-soldiers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3365815/indonesia-us-joint-military-drills-allies-kick-4700-soldiers Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:01:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan After two years of a cautious thaw, China and India are heading towards a pivotal test: can the relationship move beyond managed optics to meaningful engagement? President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to cross paths next week at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Sources expect a short, tightly managed encounter on the sidelines of the August 31-September 1 summit that would set the stage for the main event – in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365318/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-india-after-7-years-whats-agenda https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365318/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-india-after-7-years-whats-agenda Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:01:09 +0000 Tan Poh Hwee Tan Poh Hwee A coalition may call itself a commitment. It still has to say what that commitment is. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to send a letter to dozens of countries, pressing them to choose sides in the US-China artificial intelligence race. Those that join Beijing’s proposed AI cooperation framework would be excluded from the US-led AI coalition. “To be part of everything is to be part of nothing,” the draft says. An American official summarised the message more bluntly: countries... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3364821/states-being-part-everything-doesnt-mean-being-part-nothing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3364821/states-being-part-everything-doesnt-mean-being-part-nothing Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:30:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s presidential candidates opened the televised campaign season on Sunday with a debate that turned repeatedly to the country’s position between Washington and Beijing. The exchange comes in an election cycle already shaped by American tariffs, a visa dispute over election monitoring and the Lula government’s warming ties with China. Ronaldo Caiado, Augusto Cury and Renan Santos took to the debate stage in Sao Paulo but the lecterns reserved for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Senator... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365032/brazil-presidential-debate-zeroes-chinese-investment-and-us-tariffs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365032/brazil-presidential-debate-zeroes-chinese-investment-and-us-tariffs Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:11 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A summit next month by the Brics grouping of nations has raised hopes that major players India and China will align to rally member states to resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with the United States making little headway. Analysts say the forum from September 12 to 13 amid the global energy crisis wrought by the Middle East conflict could see parallel diplomacy, given the 11-member grouping’s economic clout accounts for about 40 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product. “I see a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363590/brics-stiffest-test-can-india-china-rally-bloc-resolve-strait-hormuz-crisis https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363590/brics-stiffest-test-can-india-china-rally-bloc-resolve-strait-hormuz-crisis Tue, 11 Aug 2026 05:30:09 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed on Sunday night to accelerate negotiations for a trade agreement between China and Mercosur, a striking reversal for Brasilia, which for years led resistance to such a deal in the South American bloc. The two leaders spoke by telephone for more than an hour, according to a statement from the Brazilian presidency, and “coincided on the importance of speeding up the talks for a Mercosur-China agreement that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362042/brazil-turns-china-trade-deal-after-trumps-tariffs-years-resistance-end https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362042/brazil-turns-china-trade-deal-after-trumps-tariffs-years-resistance-end Mon, 27 Jul 2026 18:46:32 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Brazil that Beijing would continue to support its sovereignty, security, and development interests hours after a 25 per cent US tariff on Brazilian goods took effect. Wang met Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Wednesday in Manila, on the sidelines of the 59th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers, where Vieira is also attending the third Brazil-Asean ministerial. China would go on to “support Brazil in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361648/china-vows-defend-brazils-sovereignty-trumps-25-tariff-bites https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361648/china-vows-defend-brazils-sovereignty-trumps-25-tariff-bites Thu, 23 Jul 2026 19:54:47 +0000 Burak Elmali Burak Elmali The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran was more than another Middle Eastern conflict. It became a defining stress test for the expanded Brics (Brics+), the grouping that is frequently portrayed as the flagship political platform of the Global South and a cornerstone of an emerging multipolar order. The war showed that the grouping – which has grown beyond its founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – is neither a military alliance nor an ideological bloc. Rather, it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3359677/what-iran-war-has-revealed-about-brics https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3359677/what-iran-war-has-revealed-about-brics Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan The Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue is back in the diplomatic conversation. It has not formally restarted, and no summit is on the horizon. But the signals are here. In 2025, Moscow again pushed for reviving the RIC format. India said any meeting would have to be arranged in a “mutually convenient manner”, a cautious but open formula. China said it was willing to maintain communication with Russia and India on trilateral cooperation. This month, Russian President Vladimir Putin again spoke... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356827/dont-count-russia-india-china-triangle-out-just-yet https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356827/dont-count-russia-india-china-triangle-out-just-yet Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:30:05 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Most readers of foreign news pages this weekend will be assuming that US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has been dominating everyone’s attention. But across Asia, Trump, with his massive business entourage, was not the only act in town this week. At least two other major sets of meetings should not be overlooked. First, in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosting foreign ministers from the 10 Brics economies and a growing community... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang In recent years, the Brics grouping has attracted attention as it adds members and positions itself as the voice of the Global South. At a Brics forum held in Beijing last month, officials discussed expanding trade within the grouping. Such initiatives reflect both an impulse to reduce exposure to external shocks linked to the US dollar and a long-term ambition to reshape global finance. These gatherings are as much about signalling intent as delivering substance. Brics wants to be seen as a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353220/what-brics-lacks-unity-it-makes-flexibility https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353220/what-brics-lacks-unity-it-makes-flexibility Thu, 14 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to rally support for Tehran’s war against the US during the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, amid a fragile ceasefire with its adversary. India, which holds the Brics chair this year, is hosting the gathering from the expanded bloc that now includes Iran and the United Arab Emirates – countries at odds over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3353511/irans-anti-american-rhetoric-tests-indias-balancing-act-brics-meeting https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3353511/irans-anti-american-rhetoric-tests-indias-balancing-act-brics-meeting Thu, 14 May 2026 05:20:23 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong With the war in the Middle East entering its third month, questions have surfaced over its geopolitical ramifications in the region and beyond. An entity that has drawn particular scrutiny is Brics. The 10-member grouping is defined less by a clear set of common values and more by contingently overlapping interests. It does not and cannot speak with one voice on the conflict. Two Brics members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are at loggerheads: Tehran has launched missile and drone... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future Mon, 11 May 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Brics’ inability to speak with one voice on the Middle East conflict has become a stern test of India’s leadership of the bloc, exposing the challenge of building consensus among its 10 members with divergent interests and concerns. The bloc could not agree on a common position on the war at a meeting of Brics officials to discuss Middle East and North Africa issues in New Delhi last week. Brics has long sought to present itself as a voice for the Global South as frustrations with the US-led... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352055/iran-war-tests-indias-brics-leadership-political-relevance-questions-mount https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352055/iran-war-tests-indias-brics-leadership-political-relevance-questions-mount Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:49:38 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Brics nations are assessing whether a digital payments framework linking their currencies could lessen the impact of Western sanctions, tariffs and US dollar volatility without destabilising the Washington-led global financial system. Under the plan proposed by India’s central bank, Brics is looking to allow cross-border transactions to be settled in local currencies. Its feasibility depends on how far the bloc’s members can lessen their reliance on Western-controlled payment channels without... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3351860/brics-push-intra-currency-payments-immunity-against-western-clout https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3351860/brics-push-intra-currency-payments-immunity-against-western-clout Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Ambuj Sahu Ambuj Sahu In April 2020, as the world struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic and soldiers from India and China moved towards a large-scale border stand-off, New Delhi amended its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to require prior government approval for all investments from countries sharing a land border with India – a measure directed at China. Nearly six years on, India has changed its FDI policy again. It is a significant move for India-China relations. During the pandemic, the FDI regulation... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong By the second half of the 21st century, the Sino-Indian relationship will become the world’s most significant geopolitical relationship, dislodging even the complex China-US cooperative rivalry. By 2050, the world’s three largest economies are likely to comprise some combination of China, India and the United States. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts this exact order – with the US having the highest per capita income but the smallest population. Both Asian powerhouses enjoy significant theoretical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow China condemned it. Russia condemned it. Brazil condemned it. Brics, as a bloc, has said nothing. More than a week after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered the worst regional crisis in years, the grouping that positions itself as the collective voice of the Global South has yet to issue a single joint statement. The silence is not an oversight. It is the sound of a bloc whose expansion has outpaced its ability to speak as one, analysts... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3346065/why-has-us-israeli-war-iran-left-brics-speechless https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3346065/why-has-us-israeli-war-iran-left-brics-speechless Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:03:55 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Professor Pan Guang has spent decades focused on Jewish studies, the Middle East and its ties with China. Among his many roles, Pan is founding director of a research centre on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Amid recent events in Iran, how do you assess the impact on China? Will China’s “petroyuan” settlement encounter problems, and what of the risks to the Belt and Road... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3345551/iran-wars-impact-china-limited-mideast-scholar-pan-guang-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3345551/iran-wars-impact-china-limited-mideast-scholar-pan-guang-says Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:37:36 +0000