https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/324355/feed The initiative spearheaded by the Chinese government and endorsed by President Xi Jinping in late 2013 aims to improve trade and economic integration across Asia, Europe, and Africa. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Nicholas Ho Nicholas Ho Recently, I joined Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah in Malaysia for the official opening of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur. The occasion marked an elevation in Hong Kong’s economic and trade ties with Malaysia and the broader Southeast Asian region. During the visit, Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Office hosted a forum that brought government officials, business leaders and professionals together for substantive discussions – underscoring... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3365366/3-key-belt-and-road-connectivities-hong-kong-drives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3365366/3-key-belt-and-road-connectivities-hong-kong-drives?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 21:30:13 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley What is in effect Japan’s version of the Belt and Road Initiative is being rolled out at an accelerating pace. But unlike China’s global infrastructure initiative, which mainly takes the form of highways, railways and sea lanes, Japan’s project is all about energy networks and supply chains. It poses a further challenge to America’s waning economic and strategic influence in Asia, the world’s most populous, resource-rich and potentially powerful region. What is more, it is a cooperative venture... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355995/problem-japans-bid-strengthen-energy-security-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355995/problem-japans-bid-strengthen-energy-security-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 08:30:05 +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?utm_source=rss_feed 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?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:37:36 +0000 Hiba Malik Hiba Malik In the first three quarters of this year, China added 310 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, up 47.7 per cent year on year and accounting for 84.4 per cent of all new power installations in the country, according to the National Energy Administration. This progress is more than climate leadership or capacity building; it involves a holistic reconstruction of the energy system. China is replacing the 20th-century fossil fuel order with a 21st-century “electro-industrial order” where power... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335658/how-china-cementing-its-central-role-architect-green-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335658/how-china-cementing-its-central-role-architect-green-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Zhou Bo is a retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army and a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy. His military career included roles in the Ministry of National Defence’s Foreign Affairs Office and as a defence attaché. Zhou is the author of the recent book Should the World Fear China? SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. This article will be available to regular SCMP subscribers next... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3334347/ex-pla-colonel-taiwan-question-ukraine-war-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3334347/ex-pla-colonel-taiwan-question-ukraine-war-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Ashfaq Zaman Ashfaq Zaman The Rohingya people have endured one of the world’s most protracted, yet least visible, humanitarian crises. Nearly one million Rohingya refugees live in what were supposed to be temporary camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. They still have little prospect of returning to Myanmar’s Rakhine state. But at a recent conference in Dhaka, the Rohingya people were, for the first time, given a voice. Their message was clear: they do not want more aid. They need to go home. China is well placed to help... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327042/why-china-should-lead-commission-phased-rohingya-repatriation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327042/why-china-should-lead-commission-phased-rohingya-repatriation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May Between the US restoring “maximum pressure” on Iran to deny it a path to nuclear weapons and Israel’s air strikes, a goods train from China quietly arrived at a dry port near Tehran, making the first delivery under the new China-Iran rail corridor project. It had travelled 10,400km (6,500 miles) from the Chinese city of Xian along a trade corridor aimed at slashing delivery times to 15 days, from 30 to 40 days by sea. This is an ambitious route, traversing Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3314468/israeli-strikes-one-more-challenge-new-china-iran-rail-corridor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3314468/israeli-strikes-one-more-challenge-new-china-iran-rail-corridor?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 08:30:06 +0000 Zhou Xin Zhou Xin China’s growth prospects face three major long-term threats – debt, decoupling and demographic challenges – and many observers are curious about how Beijing will respond to these issues. After years of trial and adjustment, policymakers have settled on three key strategic directions – a decision that has been reinforced by US President Donald Trump’s tariff war and technology restrictions against China. First, China will not repeat its old playbook of unleashing massive stimulus and shoring up... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3310906/china-counts-three-strategic-directions-survive-trumps-tariff-and-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3310906/china-counts-three-strategic-directions-survive-trumps-tariff-and-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 23:00:07 +0000 Nicholas Ho Nicholas Ho Celebrating the Year of the Snake, Hong Kong will continue to innovate and transform akin to a nimble serpent, embracing new opportunities. The city will continue to expand our international connections while strengthening economic and trade cooperation with markets under the Belt and Road Initiative, with a view to solidifying Hong Kong’s role as the key functional platform for the initiative, and enhancing connectivity with both the mainland and the world. As part of this, the Silk Road... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3299214/how-hong-kong-can-seize-opportunities-along-silk-road-economic-belt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3299214/how-hong-kong-can-seize-opportunities-along-silk-road-economic-belt?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:30:10 +0000 Since the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a vital part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, China and Pakistan have proudly declared themselves “all weather” friends. Over the years, however, both nations have faced internal, economic and geopolitical challenges that tested their relationship. Despite seismic events like the Covid-19 pandemic and shifting regional dynamics, the partnership remains central for both countries’ strategic outlooks. How did this... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3293072/china-pakistan-ties-will-continue-hold-fast-against-all-weather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3293072/china-pakistan-ties-will-continue-hold-fast-against-all-weather?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jan 2025 12:30:07 +0000 As world leaders gather in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the UN climate change conference Cop29, an opportunity has arisen to align climate action with economic initiatives, in particular the Belt and Road Initiative. One of the largest infrastructure programmes in history, the Chinese initiative was launched in 2013 to enhance global connectivity and economic integration across Asia, Europe and Africa. Recognising the environmental challenges, China is focusing on a green transformation of the Belt and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3286810/cop29-can-work-belt-and-road-initiative-greener-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3286810/cop29-can-work-belt-and-road-initiative-greener-future?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:30:09 +0000 At the age of 17, Aristotle went to study at Plato’s Academy, where he spent 20 years, eventually developing his own system of knowledge. Clearly, he regarded knowledge as an end in itself. Being able to devote decades to study is wonderful for someone who just wants to learn, but most 17-year-olds today simply don’t have that luxury. Education, especially postsecondary education, has become big business and is now regarded as an investment. Students face fierce competition to get into... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3283432/be-belt-and-road-education-hub-hong-kong-must-teach-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3283432/be-belt-and-road-education-hub-hong-kong-must-teach-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 01:30:08 +0000 As its soft power is increasingly challenged, the United States appears to be relying more on its hard power to uphold its vision of a rules-based international order. In contrast, China is establishing the socioeconomic and civilisational foundations of an equitable world order through its vision of a “community with a shared future”. On Sunday, amid rising concern that a broader regional conflict is in the offing, Israel and Hezbollah engaged in their most intense cross-border strikes since... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3276119/chinas-soft-power-making-its-mark-us-doubles-down-military-might?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3276119/chinas-soft-power-making-its-mark-us-doubles-down-military-might?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:30:42 +0000 China needs to establish an effective deterrent and improve its intelligence capabilities to better protect its expanding overseas interests, according to a senior military expert. Liu Qiang, a retired People’s Liberation Army officer who served twice with United Nations peacekeeping forces, said it was “necessary” to explore military protection and overseas troop deployments, even though they are “a last resort”. “It requires careful planning and cautious practice. But nevertheless, this is an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274692/china-needs-deterrent-force-protect-its-expanding-overseas-interests-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274692/china-needs-deterrent-force-protect-its-expanding-overseas-interests-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 06:00:09 +0000 Trade routes are vital in our interconnected world. Yet, they face significant challenges from regional conflicts, economic crises and funding uncertainties. Importantly, the shift from a US-led unipolar world to a multipolar one could also give rise to threats to global commerce. In this new landscape, developing economies with ambitious foreign policy agendas – often labelled middle powers – are forging new alliances and seeking new avenues to navigate the uncertainty. While some Western... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3265521/middle-powers-new-trade-routes-will-be-lifeblood-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3265521/middle-powers-new-trade-routes-will-be-lifeblood-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:30:09 +0000 The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a crucial pillar of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a massive project in connectivity that includes Pakistan’s Gwadar port. But Baloch separatist groups have long targeted the project, and an escalation in attacks last month was clearly aimed at Chinese nationals and interests. This cloud of insecurity casts a shadow over the future of this important economic corridor. Addressing these concerns through a multifaceted formula involving military,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3258011/how-stem-terrorist-attacks-china-pakistan-economic-corridor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3258011/how-stem-terrorist-attacks-china-pakistan-economic-corridor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Apr 2024 21:30:12 +0000 Last year, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte surprised many by taking a stance on the rivalry between the United States and China. In an opinion piece calling for greater support for Ukraine, he expressed doubt about China’s dominance in the 21st century, declaring it to be the century of democracy and America. This marked a significant shift for the Netherlands towards the Western alliance. It initially had few allies in such a move, but other nations are now following suit. The allure of China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/world/article/3256041/why-are-so-many-countries-rethinking-their-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/world/article/3256041/why-are-so-many-countries-rethinking-their-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:30:12 +0000 As China’s contest with the US heats up, its Belt and Road Initiative investments are fuelling geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific. The hosting of the third belt and road forum last year was lauded by President Xi Jinping in his New Year address. The US, however, wants to keep the Indo-Pacific “free and open”, and questions Beijing’s intentions in pushing a China-led network of infrastructure projects throughout the Global South. The Belt and Road Initiative, launched by Xi in 2013,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3248297/how-belt-and-road-fuelling-us-china-indo-pacific-contest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3248297/how-belt-and-road-fuelling-us-china-indo-pacific-contest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:30:15 +0000 In Paul Theroux’s 2002 book Dark Star Safari, he travels from Cairo to Cape Town on low-cost transport, staying in cheap hotels. It was his return to Africa after 35 years. As a young man, he had taught in Malawi and lectured at a university in Uganda. Malawi had been one of the world’s poorest countries. On his return, he wanted to see how it compared. Theroux was appalled to find that things were mostly not better, and in many cases worse. He visited small cities such as Mbeya in western... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3243976/chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-rightly-offers-charity-free-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3243976/chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-rightly-offers-charity-free-development?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:30:08 +0000 US President Joe Biden was at it again recently when he accused China of leaving its partners “dead in the noose” on its Belt and Road Initiative. Nowadays, his administration is at pains to counter China’s influence in the developing world. It has launched and relaunched an infrastructure funding plan for developing countries, now called the Global Investment and Infrastructure Partnership, rejoined Unesco, the UN’s heritage body, and is pushing regional economic initiatives such as the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3239874/us-should-join-china-building-better-global-south-not-hinder-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3239874/us-should-join-china-building-better-global-south-not-hinder-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:30:11 +0000 When most people think of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, they picture mega ports, high-speed rail lines and billion-dollar highways. They don’t tend to picture alignment on technical standards or cooperation on customs regulations, and yet, according to Beijing, this is the sort of thing the belt and road will be focusing on in its second decade. During his keynote speech at the recently concluded Belt and Road Forum, President Xi Jinping said belt and road cooperation had already “expanded... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3239293/chinas-belt-and-road-will-still-focus-hard-infrastructure-whatever-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3239293/chinas-belt-and-road-will-still-focus-hard-infrastructure-whatever-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 21:30:08 +0000 What a great pity that China’s Belt and Road Initiative had to celebrate its 10th anniversary in an atmosphere soured by prejudice and misunderstanding. It should have been an occasion for general celebration. This is not the popular view, I know, but as someone long interested in infrastructure (my first editorial on the subject was published in 1966), I have respect for China’s initiative, despite its initial shortcomings. Building physical infrastructure, whether in the form of highways,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3239173/belt-and-road-west-should-work-china-build-infrastructure-not-against-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3239173/belt-and-road-west-should-work-china-build-infrastructure-not-against-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 12:30:09 +0000 The third Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing last week marked the 10th anniversary of the initiative, a massive strategic infrastructure project and bold foreign policy undertaking, ushered in by President Xi Jinping. In rolling out the event after a devastating pandemic, and amid geopolitical instability, regional strife and global economic uncertainty, China sent an unmistakable message that it wishes to see the world return to growth and stability through cooperation. Arguably Xi’s most... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3238719/abundant-belt-and-road-opportunities-await-hong-kong-it-ready?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3238719/abundant-belt-and-road-opportunities-await-hong-kong-it-ready?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 21:30:17 +0000 Amid Western inaction over climate finance, China has announced a major infusion of capital for the Belt and Road Initiative and a partnership to help developing countries identify and develop green projects. Roughly US$100 billion in new financing would be added, said Chinese President Xi Jinping at the third Belt and Road Forum this week, to the flagship financial institutions of the Belt and Road Initiative: the China Development Bank, Export-Import Bank of China (Exim Bank), and the Silk... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3238517/china-steps-climate-fight-belt-and-road-green-finance-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3238517/china-steps-climate-fight-belt-and-road-green-finance-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2023 13:00:22 +0000 As the United Kingdom’s embarrassed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak takes a hatchet to the long-controversial HS2 high-speed rail project intended to link London to the northwest, Professor Tony Travers at the London School of Economics reflected the mood of many when he called it a “tragic case study in how not to plan and deliver public infrastructure”. The embarrassment is all the more acute when just days ago, Indonesia inaugurated its first high-speed rail line, cutting the 142km journey from... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3236963/uk-high-speed-rail-fiasco-west-has-much-learn-china-building-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3236963/uk-high-speed-rail-fiasco-west-has-much-learn-china-building-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:30:07 +0000 It’s been 10 years since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched, and later this month, China will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Journalists and scholars from around the world have been reflecting on the 10 years of the belt and road. Among those reflections, Western narratives that focus on certain individual cases or take a particular slant rate the belt and road poorly. The initiative is arguably the first concept for global cooperation... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3236499/10-years-belt-and-road-showcase-chinas-peaceful-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3236499/10-years-belt-and-road-showcase-chinas-peaceful-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Oct 2023 01:30:17 +0000 China’s Belt and Road Initiative has evolved into an endeavour powered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and now offers the potential to tackle global challenges, particularly the environmental crisis. But, unless the international community can overcome its divisions and collaborate for the common good, humanity remains vulnerable to the perils of climate change. In response to geopolitical uncertainties, Beijing pushed its dual circulation strategy in 2020, raising questions about its belt... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3236033/western-bias-against-chinas-belt-and-road-hobbling-climate-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3236033/western-bias-against-chinas-belt-and-road-hobbling-climate-action?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Sep 2023 02:00:25 +0000 A decade after its announcement in Kazakhstan, China’s Belt and Road Initiative continues to dominate international conversation. At the recent G20 summit in New Delhi, a push to create a new corridor from India to Europe via the Middle East – touted by US President Joe Biden as “a big deal” – was widely seen as a counter to China’s infrastructure initiative. Yet the new corridor would cross routes already considered part of the belt and road and has created tensions among Group of 20 members.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3235065/why-wests-attacks-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-are-futile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3235065/why-wests-attacks-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-are-futile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Sep 2023 21:30:38 +0000 Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders from five Central Asian nations gathered in Xian for the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit, where they championed mutual aid and common development. Many of the summit outcomes depend on the success of the Belt and Road Initiative, in which Central Asia plays an integral role, given its strategic location. Indeed, the grand infrastructure plan was announced in Kazakhstan in 2013. During the intervening 10 years, the world has seen a pandemic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3223183/sustainability-drive-will-colour-belt-and-road-green-over-next-decade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3223183/sustainability-drive-will-colour-belt-and-road-green-over-next-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2023 17:30:09 +0000 When there was “taxation without representation”, there was a revolution. That is the story of the American Revolution in the 18th century. Today, in international relations, there is similar dismay over “contribution without representation” among China and other emerging economies: they have long represented the bulk of global economic growth, but lack a comparable position in global governance. Luckily, such a disparity is bringing evolution, rather than revolution. The reforms of global... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3219933/china-pushing-better-more-representative-form-multilateralism-not-seeking-replace-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3219933/china-pushing-better-more-representative-form-multilateralism-not-seeking-replace-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2023 07:30:11 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Moscow, due to begin on Monday, and the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and others are unconnected events. Yet, taken together, they hint at a coming shift in the balance of East-West economic power that could prove unexpectedly profound. SVB’s collapse and the distress engulfing Credit Suisse have revealed once again (as did the 2008 global financial crisis) the vulnerability of market economies to financial system crises. The health... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3213907/financial-crises-spread-west-china-must-shore-its-belt-and-road-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3213907/financial-crises-spread-west-china-must-shore-its-belt-and-road-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Mar 2023 19:30:10 +0000 The vision of the Communist Party of China is a global one. In his report delivered during the 20th party congress in October, President Xi Jinping declares that “the party pursues not only happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, but human progress and world harmony”. The report sheds light on China’s foreign policy goals of peace and development, and on its vision for a global community with a shared future. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3203360/china-sharing-its-vision-cooperation-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3203360/china-sharing-its-vision-cooperation-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Dec 2022 07:30:10 +0000 In an important speech before China’s foreign policy elite in 2013, the then recently installed president Xi Jinping encouraged his comrades to “strive to promote regional security cooperation” based on “mutual trust and benefit” with “peripheral countries”. He emphasised the centrality of maintaining stability in China’s neighbourhood and underscored China’s commitment to encourage and participate in the process of regional economic integration. Thus, Xi launched his “peripheral diplomacy”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3198837/how-china-can-reset-its-peripheral-diplomacy-win-over-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3198837/how-china-can-reset-its-peripheral-diplomacy-win-over-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:00:23 +0000 Over the past decade, Xi Jinping has transformed China into a global power. But grave challenges lie ahead and unless the US can be won over, Xi’s quest for “a community of shared future for humankind” may remain elusive. With the 20th party congress poised to extend his presidency for an unprecedented third term, Xi’s already considerable impact on China and the world is likely to become even more significant, for better or worse. In the West, Xi is deemed as part of a rising wave of autocratic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3195535/china-wants-its-moment-world-stage-can-it-convince-us-share?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3195535/china-wants-its-moment-world-stage-can-it-convince-us-share?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Oct 2022 17:00:11 +0000 Adapting to a changing climate is one of the world’s biggest challenges. China has made addressing the effects of climate change a priority in its Belt and Road Initiative, the multi-decade, continent-spanning policy and investment programme designed to accelerate the economic integration of countries along the ancient Silk Road trade route through increased infrastructure development. This is important as many countries along the route are climate and ecological hotspots. Extreme weather has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3194119/how-china-climate-proofing-belt-and-road-starting-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3194119/how-china-climate-proofing-belt-and-road-starting-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Oct 2022 01:15:10 +0000 One year ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping captured headlines at the 76th UN General Assembly when he declared that China would stop building new coal-fired power plants overseas. The announcement was notable, as China was the largest provider of public finance for overseas coal-fired power plants. While other major financiers restricted support for coal, over the years, China had become the lender of last resort for some countries still seeking to develop coal power. This was a blot on China’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3192609/make-xis-clean-energy-vows-reality-china-must-strengthen-its-green?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3192609/make-xis-clean-energy-vows-reality-china-must-strengthen-its-green?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Sep 2022 01:15:08 +0000 China’s history since ancient times of architectural and engineering marvels means that no project can be considered a non-starter. Construction of a railway line from Tibet to Nepal is a decades-old wish for leaders on both sides and just 121km (75 miles) of track remains to be built. A recent meeting between State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Nepalese counterpart in Shandong province raised hopes by giving the go-ahead for a feasibility study by surveyors. But distance is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3190628/tibet-nepal-rail-line-daunting-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3190628/tibet-nepal-rail-line-daunting-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:04:52 +0000 As the US pulls back, China is leaning in, drawing Middle East states into its “community with a shared future”. Beijing’s geoeconomic strategy will not promote liberal democracy in the region but it could restore socioeconomic stability in some of the conflict-ridden countries. The Ukraine war has galvanised the West. But others, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, are reluctant to join the US-led sanctions against Russia. For these traditional American allies, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3177142/chinas-no-strings-attached-approach-middle-east-may-work-better-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3177142/chinas-no-strings-attached-approach-middle-east-may-work-better-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 May 2022 17:30:13 +0000 After Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Nepal is adding to the political turmoil in Asia. The country has been forced to restrict its imports of luxury items including gold, cars and cosmetics after foreign exchange reserves fell by more than 16 per cent over the seven months to the middle of February. Adding to the troubles are the disagreements between Nepal’s finance minister and its central bank governor, which came to a head on April 8. Maha Prasad Adhikari, governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, the central... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3174453/nepals-economic-woes-following-sri-lankas-crisis-turn-heat-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3174453/nepals-economic-woes-following-sri-lankas-crisis-turn-heat-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Apr 2022 19:30:16 +0000 The break-up of the old Soviet Union in 1991 presented China with a new regional diplomatic landscape. Beijing was quick to establish relations with Central Asian states that had just gained their independence from Moscow – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – to help safeguard China’s security and economic interests in regional stability. On the 30th anniversary of Beijing sealing ties with these five countries, with three of whom it shares a border, the importance... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3165025/central-asian-stability-critical-china-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3165025/central-asian-stability-critical-china-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jan 2022 20:28:33 +0000 While much has been made in recent years of Africa “emerging” strongly, there is another continental area – Eurasia, and Central Asia especially – whose enormous economic potential remains relatively untapped. As it has moved into the political arena of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the strategic competition between East and West, Eurasia has had something of a spotlight turned upon it. But relative ignorance still prevails concerning this mega continent’s game-changing potential. If it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/asia/article/3155037/if-eurasia-gets-its-act-together-us-china-power-balance-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/asia/article/3155037/if-eurasia-gets-its-act-together-us-china-power-balance-will?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Nov 2021 17:30:28 +0000 With the rise of China, geopolitically as well as economically, the unipolar moment of US global domination appears to be fading. Washington and its allies have caused great enmity across the globe with the myopic belief that America’s sole superpower status is infinite, and its centrality permanent. With military adventurism and predatory capitalism, the West has created the conditions that have allowed China to slowly convert aggrieved nations into allies, increasing its geopolitical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3148309/sino-us-power-struggle-not-chinas-win-wests-lose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3148309/sino-us-power-struggle-not-chinas-win-wests-lose?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Sep 2021 17:30:23 +0000 Deteriorating security for Chinese in Pakistan is a test for Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, its massive infrastructure plan. Extremist attacks targeting workers involved in key projects have caused deaths and injuries, prompting foreign ministry pressure for Islamabad to punish the perpetrators. Uncertainty in neighbouring Afghanistan since the return to rule of hardline Islamist group the Taliban, and the departure of American-led military forces, has furthered the unease. Militancy and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3147381/china-offers-stability-region-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3147381/china-offers-stability-region-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Sep 2021 19:07:12 +0000 More than a year into the pandemic, chaos remains in the once very efficient and “lean” global supply chains. The pandemic has interrupted the normal flow of goods, creating bottlenecks at different stages of the global production network. The ripple effects of this initial shock have been amplified by the uneven reopenings and lockdowns across the world, the Suez Canal incident and by problems at ports in southern China due to a new Covid-19 surge. Many commentators see these issues as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3139659/how-west-can-learn-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-and-vice-versa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3139659/how-west-can-learn-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-and-vice-versa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jul 2021 13:30:18 +0000 July will be an important milestone for the two great powers jockeying for position in Southeast Asia. For the United States, the Fourth of July is an occasion to celebrate its triumph over the pandemic, the revival of its alliances and its recommitment to global leadership. For China, July 1 marks the centenary of a ruling party that presides over one of the most spectacular economic miracles in history. Washington will renew confidence in its democratic values. Beijing will fete the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3138782/critical-juncture-china-us-contest-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3138782/critical-juncture-china-us-contest-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jun 2021 01:15:15 +0000 “Every civilisation sees itself as the centre of the world and writes its history as the central drama of human history.” So wrote Samuel Huntington in his seminal The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of World Order. Hard power begets soft power. Without the economic prosperity of Athens, Greek philosophy would not have taken root. Without the later Roman empire, Christianity would have remained a cult. The steam engine powered the universality of Western values. When the West was doing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3136889/china-seeking-promote-its-world-view-and-roll-back-westernisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3136889/china-seeking-promote-its-world-view-and-roll-back-westernisation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jun 2021 17:30:00 +0000 The passing by China’s top legislative body of an anti-sanctions law, including countermeasures to be taken against foreign powers, levels the playing field in its tense relationship with the United States. It follows waves of US sanctions principally targeting individuals in China, including Hong Kong, over the nation’s internal affairs and the administration of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The law provides a legal basis for Chinese counter-sanctions, previously imposed by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3136853/anti-sanctions-law-levels-playing-field-dialogue-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3136853/anti-sanctions-law-levels-playing-field-dialogue-better?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:57:22 +0000 As the US withdraws from Afghanistan, its demand for a military base in Pakistan to gather intelligence on groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and to execute radar surveillance counterterrorism operations on Afghanistan, has left Pakistan in a bind. Though desperate to maintain its relevance to the US post-Afghanistan, Pakistan cannot afford to alienate China, its partner in the US$62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Also, Pakistan cannot afford to antagonise the Afghan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3136794/afghan-retreat-why-pakistan-must-not-agree-us-military-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3136794/afghan-retreat-why-pakistan-must-not-agree-us-military-base?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jun 2021 17:00:00 +0000 A toxic mixture of resentment, envy and fear seems to characterise Western reactions to China’s economic initiatives. This is very apparent in the area of basic infrastructure, where national competition threatens to trump international cooperation just when joint initiatives are most needed. The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is one of few such multilateral institutions designed specifically to focus on infrastructure rather than on broad development issues. Some in China argue... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3134378/hostility-china-preventing-groundbreaking-global-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/comment/opinion/article/3134378/hostility-china-preventing-groundbreaking-global-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 May 2021 17:30:17 +0000 One expression that has come up repeatedly among Chinese netizens in the aftermath of Australia ripping up the state of Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China is that the decision “violated the spirit of a contract”. Comments found on Chinese microblogging website Weibo ranged from the milder “what about the contract spirit often touted by the West” to harsher ones like “such perfidy” and “treachery can only be expected from descendants of convicted criminals”. On... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3130685/australias-move-scrap-bri-deal-chinese-netizens-its-canberra-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3130685/australias-move-scrap-bri-deal-chinese-netizens-its-canberra-who?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Apr 2021 21:00:19 +0000