https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/515553/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Asad Ullah Asad Ullah Two summits in five months between US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping have produced shared language but not an open Strait of Hormuz. After the May meeting in Beijing, there was little sign the two sides agreed on how to end the war. Xi’s visit to Washington yielded no breakthrough on Iran, though Xi backed a return to the interim US-Iran agreement. Last week, Trump rejected a truce proposal from Iran and said he was considering resuming US bombing of Iran after the midterm... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369792/its-time-china-offer-more-statements-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369792/its-time-china-offer-more-statements-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan The US has ended its military mission in Iraq, a move analysts said could give Baghdad more room for diversified partnerships and indirectly benefit China’s energy and commercial interests. But they cautioned that the shift was unlikely to create a power vacuum for Beijing to fill, with China lacking both the ambition and capacity to take on the US security role. The United States formally ended its Operation Inherent Resolve mission in Iraq on September 30, completing a withdrawal agreed on in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370072/us-wraps-military-mission-iraq-giving-baghdad-room-strengthen-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370072/us-wraps-military-mission-iraq-giving-baghdad-room-strengthen-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China and the US – Iran’s key partner and its chief adversary – found firmer common ground on Tehran at the Washington summit last month, and further head-of-state diplomacy could work in Iran’s favour, according to analysts. Iran was on the agenda when the presidents of the United States and China met in Beijing in May and again in Washington in September. There was no direct reference to Tehran in Beijing’s statement after the May summit, but following the September meeting China was more... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370009/how-closer-china-us-ties-and-more-xi-trump-summits-could-work-irans-favour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370009/how-closer-china-us-ties-and-more-xi-trump-summits-could-work-irans-favour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Just a month after Saudi Arabia signed a regional mutual defence deal with Pakistan and Turkey, attacks by Yemen’s Houthis against the kingdom’s energy infrastructure and military sites are testing the pact’s limits. At a hastily convened meeting of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Riyadh on Friday, military chiefs of the three parties reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The agency said the talks focused on “intelligence cooperation,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368857/houthi-attacks-saudi-arabia-test-limits-mecca-regional-security-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368857/houthi-attacks-saudi-arabia-test-limits-mecca-regional-security-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 10:00:06 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese firms have shown “very strong interest” in investing in Oman – across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran – as they aim to tap the lucrative Middle East market while minimising risks, an Omani official said. Banks, asset managers and law firms from China were getting in touch every day to ask about setting up in the International Financial Centre Oman, a free-standing legal zone in the country, the centre’s associate director for business development, Al Hussain al-Qalhati, said. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368019/chinese-firms-keen-investing-omans-international-financial-centre-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368019/chinese-firms-keen-investing-omans-international-financial-centre-official?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 06:00:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao In talks with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday, China’s foreign minister reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Tehran, called for a political settlement to the country’s conflict with the US and warned that regional tensions must not further spill over into Yemen. Wang Yi also urged the earliest possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Abbas Araghchi’s trip to China, his second since the US launched large-scale strikes on Iran in late February, came as Washington expanded sanctions... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367738/china-affirms-support-iran-warns-against-yemen-spillover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367738/china-affirms-support-iran-warns-against-yemen-spillover?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Rick Boost Rick Boost The start and end points of the Silk Road at its historical peak are crucial to its significance. Land routes wound for thousands of miles from China over mountains and deserts, concluding in the Middle East, connecting the age’s two world leaders in scientific and economic power: the Tang dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate. While systems of trade have radically changed in the centuries since, the modern iteration of this link, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has firmly established a new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3367524/digital-silk-road-hong-kong-acts-financial-bridge-between-china-and-mena?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3367524/digital-silk-road-hong-kong-acts-financial-bridge-between-china-and-mena?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in China on Wednesday, amid stalled diplomatic efforts to de-escalate conflicts in the Middle East. The meeting comes during the countdown to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States for a summit next week with his US counterpart Donald Trump, when the war on Iran and disruption of energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are expected to be high on the agenda. Fighting has also erupted... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367620/irans-top-diplomat-heads-china-talks-middle-east-diplomacy-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367620/irans-top-diplomat-heads-china-talks-middle-east-diplomacy-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:23:01 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Debris from a Chinese-made short-range ballistic missile has been found in Yemen for the first time, suggesting Chinese weapons systems may have been used during the heated conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Video clips circulating on social media in the past week showed debris from the booster stage of a short-range ballistic missile with “DF-15A” written on its side found in the Raghwan district of Marib governorate, about 170km (105 miles) by road from the Yemeni capital,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3367581/has-chinese-df-missile-been-used-first-time-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3367581/has-chinese-df-missile-been-used-first-time-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Qatar is stepping up efforts to attract Chinese companies as the US-Israel war on Iran disrupts trade routes in the Gulf, adding urgency to a broader push by Chinese businesses to diversify supply chains and establish operations closer to customers. “Diversification of supply chain is going ahead anyway, right across the world,” said Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling Thani family and chief executive of Qatar-based logistics solutions company WareOne. Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3367284/qatar-seeks-capture-chinas-growing-gulf-logistics-push-war-disrupts-trade-routes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3367284/qatar-seeks-capture-chinas-growing-gulf-logistics-push-war-disrupts-trade-routes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:00:30 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars Writer-director Wen Muye’s bombastic anti-war drama Once Upon a Time in the Middle East arrives in Hong Kong having already grossed a whopping 2 billion yuan (US$298 million) at the mainland box office, delivering a message of peace and diplomacy through the appreciation of authentic Chinese cooking. Lambasting both sides of an unnamed Middle Eastern conflict – the United States’ 2003 invasion of Iraq in everything but name – this latest effort by the Dying to Survive filmmaker... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3366846/once-upon-time-middle-east-movie-review-shen-teng-leads-bombastic-anti-war-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3366846/once-upon-time-middle-east-movie-review-shen-teng-leads-bombastic-anti-war-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Qatar on Tuesday vowed to prioritise China’s energy supply and safeguard shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, as both countries coordinated efforts to de-escalate Middle East tensions. During a meeting in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stressed the importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through the waterway. Sheikh Mohammed affirmed Doha’s “support for all diplomatic efforts and endeavours... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366809/qatars-pm-vows-prioritise-chinas-energy-supply-amid-middle-east-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366809/qatars-pm-vows-prioritise-chinas-energy-supply-amid-middle-east-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang Fresh off a joint air drill, China will for the first time showcase several PLA Air Force aircraft overseas at an air show this week. The featured aircraft were selected for the air show in Egypt to demonstrate the air force’s integrated combat abilities and export potential, according to a military analyst. China’s armed forces on Tuesday posted pictures of Z-20, J-16, YY-20, and KJ-500 with its social media postings about the El Alamein International Airshow. The PLA Air Force said the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366666/chinese-pla-aircraft-headline-egypt-air-show-display-export-potential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366666/chinese-pla-aircraft-headline-egypt-air-show-display-export-potential?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged to deepen cooperation with Qatar in energy, investment, AI and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate Middle East tensions. Li delivered the remarks during a meeting on Monday in Beijing with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is on an official two-day visit to China aimed at bolstering bilateral ties. His visit came as Beijing and Doha sought to navigate an increasingly volatile regional security environment and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366671/china-vows-deeper-cooperation-qatar-energy-ai-and-middle-east-de-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366671/china-vows-deeper-cooperation-qatar-energy-ai-and-middle-east-de-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:00:26 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Middle Eastern nations to build a self-led security model, nudging them to cut reliance on Washington following further US-Iran military clashes. But, on his first visit to Egypt in a decade, he did not position Beijing as an alternative security guarantor. He made the proposal during talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi at Cairo’s Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday. Beijing and Cairo also aligned on Gaza, Red Sea security and Sudan, while China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366206/xi-jinpings-call-mideast-build-own-security-framework-message-us-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366206/xi-jinpings-call-mideast-build-own-security-framework-message-us-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:40:50 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat President Xi Jinping’s journey from Central Asia to Egypt highlights Beijing’s efforts to strengthen alternative trade, energy and manufacturing networks across Eurasia and Africa, analysts said, as wars and tariffs expose a reliance on vulnerable supply routes and overseas markets. Xi arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for his first visit in 10 years after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where state leaders including Indian Prime Minister... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3366123/chinas-xi-seeks-trade-routes-egypt-central-asia-bypass-tariffs-and-western-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3366123/chinas-xi-seeks-trade-routes-egypt-central-asia-bypass-tariffs-and-western-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has issued its first dedicated declaration on nuclear safety and security, condemning attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities and outlining practical cooperation, amid tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and wider questions of global nuclear governance. The document was adopted on Tuesday at the bloc’s 25th anniversary summit in Bishkek by leaders of all 10 member states – China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366108/sco-takes-landmark-stand-nuclear-security-iran-comes-under-renewed-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366108/sco-takes-landmark-stand-nuclear-security-iran-comes-under-renewed-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:00:08 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3365853/china-egypt-joint-drills-show-beijings-military-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Egypt on Tuesday, the second stop in a potentially busy month of travel that will probably conclude with a White House meeting. “Once you drink from the Nile, you are destined to return,” the Chinese leader said on arrival at Cairo International Airport. Xi is likely to sign economic agreements with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday as part of his first trip in a decade to the most-populous Arab nation and his first Middle East stop... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366111/xi-makes-world-tour-ahead-white-house-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366111/xi-makes-world-tour-ahead-white-house-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:24:21 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez In a rare display of interoperability, a Chinese YY-20 aerial tanker has been pictured refuelling a French-built Egyptian Rafale fighter – showing a versatility analysts say could enable closer multinational air operations and improve the tanker’s potential for export. The photo, released by the Egyptian military on Monday, showed mid-air refuelling during the Eagles of Civilisation 2026 joint exercise, which began last month and is being held at several airbases across Egypt. The YY-20, also... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3365970/export-potential-chinese-yy-20-refuels-egyptian-rafale-cross-platform-drill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3365970/export-potential-chinese-yy-20-refuels-egyptian-rafale-cross-platform-drill?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese President Xi Jinping is returning to Egypt after a decade as Beijing deepens its economic, military and diplomatic ties with Cairo and seeks to work more closely with Egypt on crises across the Middle East and Africa. Xi will visit Egypt this week following his trip to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which finishes on Tuesday. China’s foreign ministry last week described relations with Egypt as being “at their best in history” and said Xi’s visit would build... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365831/xi-jinpings-cairo-trip-marks-best-ties-history-egypt-seeks-balance-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365831/xi-jinpings-cairo-trip-marks-best-ties-history-egypt-seeks-balance-west?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Laura Zhou,Fan Chen Laura Zhou,Fan Chen Gulf states are making a strategic pivot as the war in Iran drags on into its sixth month, but observers warn that their shift towards self-reliant defence networks could test China’s “involvement without commitment” strategy in the region. The war has forced Gulf leaders to face the reality that neither the United States nor China is able to protect them from attacks by Iran. On Wednesday, the Iranian army warned that any “possible future war” with the United States could spread across the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365708/chinas-middle-east-policy-crossroads-6-months-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365708/chinas-middle-east-policy-crossroads-6-months-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Trita Parsi is co-founder and executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has written four books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. Born in Iran, Parsi moved to Sweden with his family as a child and then to the United States as an adult. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365518/iran-expert-chinas-balancing-act-amid-conflict-us-and-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365518/iran-expert-chinas-balancing-act-amid-conflict-us-and-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong companies should accelerate their expansion into the Middle East, the Asean bloc and Central Asia to reduce their exposure to geopolitical risks, a lawmaker has said, as the US moved to disrupt immigrant-visa appointments worldwide. Jonathan Lamport, the representative for the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) in the Legislative Council, said the visa uncertainty reinforced the need for companies to broaden their overseas presence beyond traditional Western markets. “The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3365365/hong-kong-lawmaker-urges-firms-expand-middle-east-asean-amid-us-visa-pause?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3365365/hong-kong-lawmaker-urges-firms-expand-middle-east-asean-amid-us-visa-pause?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:12:22 +0000 Zhou Bo Zhou Bo The Mecca security pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan stipulates that an armed attack against one shall count as an attack against all three. Yet the real message is directed at the United States: if being an American ally offers no immunity against attack, there is little point in waiting for Washington to honour its security guarantees. That there has been no official White House statement casts some doubt on whether Donald Trump is really “very happy to see that Saudi Arabia,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3364690/could-mecca-defence-pact-be-first-step-new-middle-east-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3364690/could-mecca-defence-pact-be-first-step-new-middle-east-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Chinese fighter jets have conducted combat training with their Egyptian counterparts in a joint exercise following a major Chinese air force deployment to the Middle East. The drill, which was launched on Saturday and is expected to continue until early next month, is part of the second China-Egypt “Eagles of Civilisation” joint air force training exercises, taking place against the backdrop of the war between the United States and Iran. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force deployed J-16... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3365163/chinas-j-16s-face-against-egypts-rafales-combat-drills-iran-war-rumbles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3365163/chinas-j-16s-face-against-egypts-rafales-combat-drills-iran-war-rumbles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Carol Yang,Fan Chen,Laura Zhou Carol Yang,Fan Chen,Laura Zhou China and Jordan have called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and for the ceasefire between the United States and Iran to be maintained, in a joint statement issued during King Abdullah’s visit to Beijing. They also said they wanted to see “a comprehensive solution addressing the root causes of tension … through dialogue and negotiation, ensuring full respect for the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of regional countries”. Peace talks between the US and Iran... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365097/china-and-jordan-call-strait-hormuz-get-back-normal-after-us-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365097/china-and-jordan-call-strait-hormuz-get-back-normal-after-us-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:48:26 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday urged China to join Washington’s latest efforts to economically pressure and isolate Iran after negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the six-month conflict collapsed. “Keep in mind, the Chinese get 50 per cent of their energy from the Gulf. So, it would do them a big service to get with the programme,” Bessent told CNBC when asked whether the new economic sanctions would include China. Bessent also said that “many conversations are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364734/us-urges-china-back-its-most-crushing-economic-operation-against-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364734/us-urges-china-back-its-most-crushing-economic-operation-against-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:53:37 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Peace prospects in the Middle East faded, with US President Donald Trump ruling out a renewed ceasefire deal with Iran and more fighting breaking out in Lebanon. Trump said “no” when asked whether he wanted a new Iran accord to replace a 60-day agreement that expired on Monday. “They want to make a deal, but they’re not going to make the kind of deal that I feel is necessary,” he told reporters at the White House. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose above US$91 per barrel, having gained... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3364424/iran-conflict-boosts-appeal-arctic-short-cut-asia-europe-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3364424/iran-conflict-boosts-appeal-arctic-short-cut-asia-europe-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:12:49 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would not seek to extend the memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming that while Iran wants to make a deal, “they’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary”. The agreement aimed to end the war and restore commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint, but negotiations stalled as both sides accused each other of violating the deal. Pakistan brokered the memorandum of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3364348/trump-lets-60-day-deadline-iran-peace-deal-expire-threatens-bomb-oman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3364348/trump-lets-60-day-deadline-iran-peace-deal-expire-threatens-bomb-oman?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:42:27 +0000 Ronny P. Sasmita Ronny P. Sasmita When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Mecca defence agreement, they executed a structural overhaul of the Middle East’s security architecture. The pact codifies a defence commitment, where an armed attack on one is treated as an assault on all. Building upon September’s Saudi-Pakistan defence agreement, this tripartite arrangement bridges the financial capital of the Gulf, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3363663/what-mecca-military-pact-means-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3363663/what-mecca-military-pact-means-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The security pact signed on Friday by three of the world’s most powerful Muslim nations with a vow to enhance collective deterrence remains far from what many are calling an Islamic Nato, according to experts. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf’s top oil exporter, Nato member Turkey and Pakistan, a nuclear-armed South Asian state, would be challenged by diverging strategic interests and weak mutual defence capacity, they said. The Mecca pact’s statement that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363871/saudi-turkey-pakistan-mecca-pact-falls-short-nato-style-defence-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363871/saudi-turkey-pakistan-mecca-pact-falls-short-nato-style-defence-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:22:23 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The China-India-Pakistan triangle has never been short on danger, but Islamabad’s new defensive alliance has added another variable to an already volatile situation. Last week, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a pact in Mecca in which they agreed to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all. The three governments have described it as defensive and not directed at any particular state. Analysts said its main significance for India lay less in whether it would be invoked, but in how... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363555/china-india-and-pakistans-dangerous-nuclear-triangle-just-became-more-complicated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363555/china-india-and-pakistans-dangerous-nuclear-triangle-just-became-more-complicated?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:07:41 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a Nato-like defence agreement in Mecca as the United States’ war on Iran prompts countries in the region to rethink security arrangements. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement stipulates that “any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all”, the three countries said in a joint statement. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363530/islamic-nato-may-create-china-opening-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363530/islamic-nato-may-create-china-opening-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:07:26 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The grand security bargain between the United States and Gulf countries is widely perceived to be fraying, creating what analysts see as an opening for Beijing to expand its presence in the region. For decades, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states relied on Washington’s defensive shield, while it in turn relied on them for access, energy and influence. Riyadh’s decision to sign a mutual defence agreement with Turkey and Pakistan is the clearest sign yet of that shift. Signed this week in Mecca,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363452/china-waits-wings-mecca-pact-signals-gulf-shift-away-us-security-umbrella?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363452/china-waits-wings-mecca-pact-signals-gulf-shift-away-us-security-umbrella?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen In a sign of fraying ties amid the Middle East conflict, Israel’s consulate general in Chengdu has closed, with its consul general leaving his post, two years after a controversy stoked backlash among Chinese web users. Nevertheless, an analyst has downplayed the impact of the news, saying bilateral relations in recent years had already been strained. In a letter published on the consulate’s social media account on Wednesday, Gadi Harpaz described his five years as Israeli consul general in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363325/where-do-china-israel-ties-stand-after-closure-consulate-chengdu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363325/where-do-china-israel-ties-stand-after-closure-consulate-chengdu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong should act as a “super partner” helping enterprises expand into Asean, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and European markets, as well as build an annual review into its first five-year plan, one of the city’s oldest and largest chambers of commerce has said. The suggestions are among 65 that the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce put forward to the government on Wednesday, covering Hong Kong’s maiden five-year plan and the city leader’s final policy address of his term. Jonathan Choi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3363088/hong-kong-urged-be-super-partner-businesses-overseas-expansion-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3363088/hong-kong-urged-be-super-partner-businesses-overseas-expansion-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:38:10 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Beijing is doubling down on overland trade routes across Central Asia as continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region expose the vulnerability of global shipping chokepoints. A new link to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan offers a practical example of this long-term diversification push. However, observers caution that security concerns and capacity constraints could make a meaningful shift away from sea freight difficult. Officially launched in May with pilot shipments, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361638/china-tests-central-asian-land-corridors-bypass-maritime-chokepoints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361638/china-tests-central-asian-land-corridors-bypass-maritime-chokepoints?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China called on the United States and Iran to stick with peace plans after a resumption of missile strikes in the Middle East spurred a jump in oil prices. “Reigniting the conflict does not serve any party’s interests,” a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. “We call on the US and Iran to follow through on their memorandum of understanding, resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and avoid resorting to force.” Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3359977/us-iran-ceasefire-collapse-revives-risks-global-inflation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3359977/us-iran-ceasefire-collapse-revives-risks-global-inflation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:03:15 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The global order has lost the structural anchors that once ensured stability, entering a volatile period of economic conflict with “no obvious solutions”, the head of a prominent French economic think tank has cautioned. Reindustrialising “is far more difficult than it was 30 years ago”, said Jean-Herve Lorenzi, president of Le Cercle des economistes, which organises France’s flagship annual economic forum, Les Rencontres Economiques d’Aix-en-Provence. “If we had each defended our own countries’... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3359031/world-without-bearings-lorenzi-warns-economic-conflict-and-unplottable-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3359031/world-without-bearings-lorenzi-warns-economic-conflict-and-unplottable-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Carol Yang,Fan Chen Carol Yang,Fan Chen Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud in Beijing, reaffirming China’s strong support for negotiations in the Middle East and calling for sustained dialogue despite a fragile ceasefire. “Talking is better than fighting, and dialogue is better than confrontation,” Wang said, according to a statement released by China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday night. On the evolving regional situation, Wang said the current priority was to uphold... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358992/chinas-wang-yi-reaffirms-support-mideast-talks-meeting-top-saudi-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358992/chinas-wang-yi-reaffirms-support-mideast-talks-meeting-top-saudi-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:55:08 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China may be seen as a potential mediator in the Middle East but economic integration within the region is more likely to drive change there, according to observers at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian. The “Summer Davos” gathering in Liaoning province this week comes as Washington and Tehran try to reach agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The two countries have agreed to halt fighting “on all... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358191/summer-davos-china-mideast-firms-look-next-generation-repair-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358191/summer-davos-china-mideast-firms-look-next-generation-repair-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The spectacle of US President Donald Trump thanking China for staying “neutral” with regard to the US-Israeli war against Iran would have been unthinkable a year ago. Yet at the Group of Seven summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 17, he credited Beijing – alongside Moscow – with preventing a full-blown catastrophe. His observation that China “could have sent in an oil ship with six destroyers alongside of it, on each side” but chose restraint, captured the essence of Beijing’s strategic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3357650/chinas-iran-strategy-exercise-power-without-projection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3357650/chinas-iran-strategy-exercise-power-without-projection?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Saudi Arabia signed housing and construction agreements worth 1.9 billion riyals (US$507 million) with Chinese partners including China State Construction Engineering during a visit to China by its housing minister, as Riyadh deepens cooperation with Beijing on urban development projects. Speaking at a signing ceremony on Monday evening in Shenzhen, Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majid Al-Hogail said Saudi Arabia was accelerating housing and urban-development projects under its Vision... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3357393/saudi-arabia-signs-construction-smart-city-deals-chinese-firms-cooperation-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3357393/saudi-arabia-signs-construction-smart-city-deals-chinese-firms-cooperation-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma The United States and Iran are set to sign an interim peace deal on Friday that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially end a nearly four-month-long conflict that has killed thousands and upended the global economy. “The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump said on social media on Sunday, which was also his 80th birthday. “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” along with the “immediate removal” of the US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3357153/us-iran-peace-deal-gets-cautious-welcome-amid-unresolved-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3357153/us-iran-peace-deal-gets-cautious-welcome-amid-unresolved-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:03:34 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu The Strait of Hormuz was still largely devoid of shipping traffic in the hours following the announcement of a US-Iran peace deal, as analysts warned it remained uncertain how and when normal operations along the waterway would be restored. The only vessel moving in the strait on Monday morning was broadcasting its status as a patrol ship, according to data from vessel tracking platform MarineTraffic, as hundreds of commercial ships remained stranded in the region. A liquefied natural gas tanker... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3357105/strait-hormuz-still-eerily-quiet-doubts-remain-over-fragile-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3357105/strait-hormuz-still-eerily-quiet-doubts-remain-over-fragile-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jun 2026 03:42:33 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng In April, a family from the United Arab Emirates – four adults, three children and a nanny – spent about 300,000 yuan (US$44,228) on a seven-day educational and business tour to China. The trip was nearly cancelled as the Iran war repeatedly disrupted their flights and travel plans, but they eventually arrived in Shanghai. “Their willingness to make the trip was unwavering,” said Lilian Liu at Middle East-focused tour operator UFOX Travel, who hosted the family. Such clients barely existed a few... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3356923/why-china-attracting-wealthy-gulf-families-search-education-tech-and-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3356923/why-china-attracting-wealthy-gulf-families-search-education-tech-and-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Global oil inventories risk declining to “critical levels” before the peak summer season – and the energy crisis could drag on for months even if a deal is agreed to end the US-Israel war on Iran, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). While China’s crude reserves remain relatively resilient, its onshore volumes have also begun to fall, analysts said. “We’re seeing stock draws continuing into the summer, and with the possibility or the likelihood that we reach critical levels or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3355796/global-oil-stockpiles-could-fall-critical-levels-summer-iea-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3355796/global-oil-stockpiles-could-fall-critical-levels-summer-iea-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:14:29 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took a swipe at the United States at a press conference at the United Nations on Tuesday as he touted the need to safeguard multilateralism and the UN Charter in times of great instability. “As we have seen for the recent period of time, the purposes of the UN Charter have been disregarded, the basic norms of international relations have been undermined, and world peace and security are in great jeopardy,” Wang said, without mentioning the United States or US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354954/wang-yi-tells-un-multilateralism-must-be-protected-swipe-us-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354954/wang-yi-tells-un-multilateralism-must-be-protected-swipe-us-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 21:18:35 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee China has emerged as a major player in the global halal market, leveraging its manufacturing scale, logistics networks and trade links with Muslim-majority markets to expand exports, analysts said. Home to about 25 million Muslims – including Hui, Uygur, Kazakh and Dongxiang communities – China’s halal industry had long been shaped by domestic demand. But the growth of online and offline distribution channels, together with rising demand from younger Muslim consumers worldwide, has accelerated a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3354824/inside-chinas-unexpected-rise-global-halal-export-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3354824/inside-chinas-unexpected-rise-global-halal-export-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 01:59:42 +0000