https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/518740/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Wang Wen Wang Wen For a decade, foreign policy circles have treated war between the United States and China as something close to destiny. The theory has a fancy, fashionable name borrowed from ancient Greece: the “Thucydides Trap” – the idea that a rising power and an established one are fated to collide, the way two articulated lorries merging into a single lane rarely ends well. The term is widely used in commentaries on US-China relations. Frictions get written off as “inevitable” regardless of what actually... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369045/what-trap-us-china-relations-show-conflict-far-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369045/what-trap-us-china-relations-show-conflict-far-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin A handful of leading firms from emerging industries are expected to receive preferential policy packages and set up operations in Hong Kong within the “next couple of months”, the city’s finance chief has said, as part of efforts to attract investment. In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po provided an update on the city’s drive to draw international and national brands and strategic enterprises to set up business in Hong Kong through... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368971/hong-kong-close-deals-firms-strategic-sectors-months-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368971/hong-kong-close-deals-firms-strategic-sectors-months-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 02:00:30 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368749/how-beijing-neutralising-washingtons-sanctions-machine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Han Zheng, China’s vice-president, called on “major countries” to respect the sovereignty and security of Middle Eastern nations and bring about a two-state solution for the “Palestinian question” on Saturday at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in an implicit dig at the US and Israel. This came as some analysts questioned why Chinese President Xi Jinping opted not to address the global body given his three-day summit in Washington with US President Donald Trump this week – despite the short... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368923/why-xi-jinping-skipped-un-after-his-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368923/why-xi-jinping-skipped-un-after-his-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 23:04:55 +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?utm_source=rss_feed 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?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Emily Hung,Connor Mycroft Emily Hung,Connor Mycroft Hong Kong’s finance chief has predicted a positive market response to the Xi-Trump summit, saying that mitigating geopolitical uncertainties would bolster investor confidence, while local business representatives expect that greater stability in bilateral ties may reinforce the city’s role as a connector. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po made the prediction on a radio programme on Saturday after Chinese President Xi Jinping ended a three-day visit to Washington for talks with his US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368886/hong-kongs-paul-chan-predicts-positive-market-response-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3368886/hong-kongs-paul-chan-predicts-positive-market-response-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:18:58 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Five years after China pledged to stop building or financing new coal-fired power plants overseas, the country’s state sector has made “significant progress” towards meeting that goal, though private projects are still being developed, according to a new report. Two-thirds of China’s overseas coal power projects planned five years ago have since been cancelled, a 61.5-gigawatt (GW) cut in capacity that has saved 6.4 billion tonnes of “lifetime” carbon dioxide emissions, the study by a pair of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368556/china-has-scrapped-two-thirds-its-planned-coal-power-plants-abroad-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368556/china-has-scrapped-two-thirds-its-planned-coal-power-plants-abroad-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia’s bid for another term on the United Nations’ premier security body stands a good chance of success given Jakarta’s growing global engagement, analysts say, but its balancing act between competing powers could complicate efforts to speak for the Global South. Jakarta’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it would launch its campaign this week for a fifth term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2029–2030. The ministry said it was seeking the seat to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368366/indonesias-un-security-council-bid-tests-non-aligned-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368366/indonesias-un-security-council-bid-tests-non-aligned-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:01:02 +0000 Nong Hong Nong Hong Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this week, after the May talks in Beijing and before the November Apec summit in Shenzhen. This sequence of diplomacy will test if the commitment to building a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability” translates into practical arrangements. The Washington meeting faces clear limits. Differences over trade, technology, industrial policy, Taiwan and regional security are deeply embedded in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368013/success-trump-xi-summit-lies-what-happens-afterwards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368013/success-trump-xi-summit-lies-what-happens-afterwards?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen When the presidents of the United States and China meet in Washington, the world will be watching to see whether their two countries can make good on their agreement to work towards “constructive strategic stability”. In the second part of a series, Fan Chen looks at Beijing’s stronger position going into the high-stakes visit. Beijing is poised to begin this week’s summit with Washington from a position of strength, bolstered by a flurry of recent diplomatic outreach. Chinese confidence could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368100/analysts-tip-stronger-hand-china-ahead-xi-trump-summit-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368100/analysts-tip-stronger-hand-china-ahead-xi-trump-summit-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Alexey D Muraviev Alexey D Muraviev Over the past two weeks, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin staged a major diplomatic blitz. Across three events in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East and New Delhi, India, as well as a state visit by Vietnam’s leader, he met some 18 heads of state. Among them were the leaders of heavyweights of the Global South such as China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia and Turkey, just to name a few. The Ukraine war certainly featured in these conversations. Russia has recently ramped up... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3368037/why-global-south-keeps-its-doors-wide-open-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3368037/why-global-south-keeps-its-doors-wide-open-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 04:00:05 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367558/india-scores-brics-win-joint-declaration-despite-divides?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:06 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367456/xi-touts-brics-cooperation-ai-us-titans-flag-tech-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:24:23 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang Kazakhstan plans to launch QR-code payments with China by the end of 2026 – a move that analysts say could expand the yuan’s use beyond trade and investment into everyday transactions while offering a “gentle yet substantive” alternative to the US dollar. The decision comes as Beijing is deepening trade and financial ties under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, while advancing the yuan’s use in cross-border transactions amid a broader de-dollarisation trend. The Central Asian country is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367438/china-kazakhstan-plan-qr-payments-expanding-yuans-reach-overseas-retail-purchases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3367438/china-kazakhstan-plan-qr-payments-expanding-yuans-reach-overseas-retail-purchases?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:30:33 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s top intelligence official has warned of rising national security risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI), calling for robust risk prevention frameworks and stronger global governance of the emerging technology. The call from Chen Yixin, China’s state security minister, comes as Beijing seeks to play a leading role in global AI governance while criticising US restrictions. At the Brics summit in India over the weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed an AI-powered initiative to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367349/chinas-intelligence-chief-warns-risks-ai-new-arena-strategic-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367349/chinas-intelligence-chief-warns-risks-ai-new-arena-strategic-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong will deepen ties with emerging economies worldwide, expanding connections with the Middle East and belt and road countries, from finance to innovation and technology, according to the finance chief. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said the city aimed to build “networked and institutionalised” connectivity with the Global South – a broad term for developing less-industrialised countries, primarily located in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Belt and road countries are nations... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3367352/hong-kong-deepen-ties-global-south-and-middle-east-finance-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3367352/hong-kong-deepen-ties-global-south-and-middle-east-finance-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:57:38 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367341/chinese-leader-pledges-help-brics-nations-ai-and-smart-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed 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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367315/under-trumps-shadow-brics-takes-step-towards-de-dollarisation?utm_source=rss_feed 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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367314/xi-tells-modi-there-ample-scope-learn-each-others-strengths?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:02:31 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3367233/brics-summit-could-emerge-milestone-blocs-unity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Makane Moïse Mbengue Makane Moïse Mbengue The ocean looks like peace from afar and truth up close, they say. But beneath the waves, the map of the world’s oceans is far less settled than it looks. Today, dozens of sea borders remain unresolved. Like so many conflicts, they owe their origins to complicated questions of where one country’s territory ends, and another’s begins. Many involve overlapping claims to areas rich in resources; and a disproportionate number concern the waters of the Global South. Africa’s coastline is a stark... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3366221/global-south-cannot-afford-let-its-maritime-border-disputes-fester?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3366221/global-south-cannot-afford-let-its-maritime-border-disputes-fester?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 21:30:05 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366643/clock-counts-down-trump-summit-xi-boosts-global-clout-diplomatic-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:00:11 +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 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation should take on a bigger global role in technology and security, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday, describing the Eurasian bloc as having vast potential. At the SCO’s summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Xi said the group had shown “strong vitality” since its founding 25 years ago amid the “sobering lessons of the Cold War”. In a veiled reference to Washington’s system of military alliances, Xi said a key lesson from the bloc’s quarter of a century of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365957/xi-raises-universal-security-mission-sco-putin-modi-meet-kyrgyzstan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365957/xi-raises-universal-security-mission-sco-putin-modi-meet-kyrgyzstan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:32:21 +0000 Sanjaya Baru Sanjaya Baru When Ajit Doval met China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in June, New Delhi’s national security adviser called China and India “partners, not rivals” and said a stable relationship “serves the common interests of both sides”. Wang, for his part, called for the two countries “to accelerate the resumption of dialogue mechanisms and promote exchanges” in trade, finance and other fields. These warm statements were a sharp departure from the adversarial tone that had bedevilled ties since Chinese and Indian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3365624/india-china-ties-are-warming-time-capitalise-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3365624/india-china-ties-are-warming-time-capitalise-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 04:00:12 +0000 David Gorombolyi David Gorombolyi As Washington increasingly turns away from the multilateral order it once helped build, Beijing is emerging as an advocate of international cooperation and rules-based stability. For some, the real surprise is that China’s rise is not challenging the world order but that its interests align with preserving it. When I met Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the corridor of a congress centre in Myanmar, he had just finished addressing more than 50 foreign ministers, emphasising the need for a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364767/chinas-multilateral-pitch-finding-audience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364767/chinas-multilateral-pitch-finding-audience?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen A “widening” AI gap between advanced economies and developing countries has sparked calls to use the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation framework to develop an open, fairer and culturally sensitive governance system. Although the technology is often hailed as a great leveller in an era of sluggish economic growth, a conference held in southern China last weekend heard that many Global South countries lacked the critical infrastructure and talent required to harness artificial intelligence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365224/could-apecs-rules-help-close-growing-ai-gap-between-rich-and-poor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365224/could-apecs-rules-help-close-growing-ai-gap-between-rich-and-poor?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines is positioning itself as Latin America’s bridge to Southeast Asia, testing whether shared history and culture can translate into hard trade figures as Asean and the Mercosur bloc look beyond their traditional partners. Manila’s Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro made the pitch during visits to Brazil and Chile from August 10 to 13. “Upon this human foundation, commercial bridges thrive: the Philippines stands as the premier strategic gateway for Latin American firms expanding... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3365014/philippines-stakes-claim-latin-americas-asean-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3365014/philippines-stakes-claim-latin-americas-asean-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Southeast Asian leaders have long insisted they will not be forced to pick sides in the great-power rivalry between the US and China. But their posture is about to be further tested. This time, the battleground is AI. While Washington wants the region locked into Pax Silica – its bid to build a China-free artificial intelligence supply chain – Beijing wants its neighbours to join China’s own World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico). Sources told the South China Morning Post... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364853/china-and-us-push-southeast-asia-over-their-ai-blocs-will-it-test-regions-non-alignment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364853/china-and-us-push-southeast-asia-over-their-ai-blocs-will-it-test-regions-non-alignment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:00:05 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow China’s retail sales growth trailed expectations, the pace of industrial output expansion slowed and a drop in investment worsened as its economy struggled to regain pace at the start of the second half of the year. July retail sales rose by 0.6 per cent, missing the 1.3 per cent expectation among economists polled by financial data provider Wind, and slowing from June’s 1 per cent rate. Industrial output rose by 4.5 per cent, trailing the 4.9 per cent forecast and June’s 5.3 per cent pace,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3364282/chinas-economy-cools-amid-debate-about-risks-global-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3364282/chinas-economy-cools-amid-debate-about-risks-global-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:00:33 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Welcome to Open Dialogue, a series from the South China Morning Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this edition, we invited a leading Chinese scholar of South Asian affairs and a former Indian foreign secretary and ambassador to China to reflect on the deep fault lines in India-China relations. They debate whether the biggest barrier is history or politics, clash over the border, Pakistan and India’s ties with the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364169/nirupama-rao-and-lin-minwang-great-india-china-face?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364169/nirupama-rao-and-lin-minwang-great-india-china-face?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Russia is confounding expectations that its influence in the Middle East would drastically decline after the downfall of Syria’s Assad regime in 2024. At the time, Moscow operated about 100 military facilities in the war-torn country, following its intervention in the Syrian civil conflict from 2015 to prop up then president Bashar al-Assad in alliance with Iran and its regional proxies. When Assad was forced to flee to Moscow, and control of most of Syria was seized by Islamist rebels led by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364018/russias-role-middle-east-politics-endures-shifts-being-secondary-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364018/russias-role-middle-east-politics-endures-shifts-being-secondary-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 05:00:12 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China should try to make sure that its new international artificial intelligence (AI) body is not seen as “naturally opposed” to the United States and its allies in case it puts off prospective members, analysts have warned. They said the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico) was not designed as an alternative to the US Pax Silica partnership, which was established last December with the aim of reducing “coercive dependencies”. Waico was established at the World... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364019/china-urged-avoid-us-or-them-split-us-over-ai-governance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364019/china-urged-avoid-us-or-them-split-us-over-ai-governance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:28:53 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Welcome to Open Dialogue, a series from the South China Morning Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this edition, we invited a leading Chinese scholar of South Asian affairs and a former Indian foreign secretary and ambassador to China to reflect on the deep fault lines in India-China relations. They debate whether the biggest barrier is history or politics, clash over the border, Pakistan and India’s ties with the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363847/nirupama-rao-and-lin-minwang-india-china-fault-lines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363847/nirupama-rao-and-lin-minwang-india-china-fault-lines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 03:56:19 +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?utm_source=rss_feed 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?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2026 05:30:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Though the relationship between the Chinese and Indian governments has been thawing, Beijing has yet to win over the Indian public as it lacked a long-term strategy and communication channels, according to Chinese researchers. Beijing needed to find common ground by expanding its bottom-up strategies as “a matter of urgency”, Zhou Qingan, dean of Tsinghua University’s school of journalism, and Li Yiming, a research assistant at the school argued in a recent article. In a June paper published in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363382/why-beijing-struggles-win-indian-hearts-and-minds-despite-diplomatic-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363382/why-beijing-struggles-win-indian-hearts-and-minds-despite-diplomatic-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier It is financially strapped, structurally flawed, infamously bureaucratic, reputationally damaged and riven with infighting. So why would anyone want to take on the role of the next secretary general of the United Nations? “I really think there should be some sort of psychiatric test for wanting this position,” said Richard Gowan, global issues and institutions director at the International Crisis Group (ICG). “The stakes are exceptionally high, and there is a strong sense around the UN that the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363269/race-un-top-job-enters-final-stage-choice-may-make-or-break-organisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363269/race-un-top-job-enters-final-stage-choice-may-make-or-break-organisation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Zhou Xiaoming Zhou Xiaoming A scaremongering narrative has taken root in Western corridors and financial press columns: China, having saturated developed markets, is now aiming to crush fragile industries in developing nations, effectively slamming the door on their industrial dreams. It is a convenient little tale. However, it does not hold up against empirical evidence. The premise assumes that China and the Global South are fighting over the same slice of the global consumption pie – cheap T-shirts, plastic sandals,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3362107/chinas-exports-feed-global-souths-industrial-engines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3362107/chinas-exports-feed-global-souths-industrial-engines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:30:07 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial With China’s tech sector releasing two of its most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, industry insiders and policymakers are over the moon. Their American counterparts, though, are alarmed. Chinese AI start-up Moonshot’s Kimi K3 and Alibaba’s Qwen3.8-Max-Preview have been called a second DeepSeek moment, but this time, it’s a one-two punch. China is catching up with the United States in the AI race more quickly than previously estimated. Its AI models charge a fraction of the fees... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3361958/us-aims-dominate-ai-chinas-open-source-approach-unstoppable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3361958/us-aims-dominate-ai-chinas-open-source-approach-unstoppable?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:15:07 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial As Hong Kong emerges as a “superconnector” bridging mainland China and the rest of the world, combining global market access with deep regional integration, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) will play an increasingly important role as our super trade promoter. Times are changing and the council needs to change as well. It is no longer enough to link Hong Kong firms with overseas developed markets; the council rightly aims to help mainland and local firms spread their wings... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3361866/boosting-trade-global-south-makes-sense-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3361866/boosting-trade-global-south-makes-sense-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan has been establishing dialogue frameworks for artificial intelligence with like-minded countries and Global South partners to reduce reliance on top US and Chinese firms and promote domestic companies abroad. The outreach signals a growing recognition among those countries of the need for cooperation, rather than going it alone, to survive in the increasingly competitive field of AI. At home, Japan is seeking to foster its own domestic AI ecosystem. The move by the United States to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3361827/japan-courts-india-malaysia-escape-us-china-ai-duopoly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3361827/japan-courts-india-malaysia-escape-us-china-ai-duopoly?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2026 04:57:39 +0000 Gerui Wang Gerui Wang The ninth World Artificial Intelligence Conference marked a shift from the technology-focused exhibitions of previous editions to a high-profile international gathering of government officials, world leaders, scientists and entrepreneurs. President Xi Jinping delivered an opening speech to articulate China’s role in governing AI. While Silicon Valley, Washington and Brussels debate national security, frontier capabilities and corporate profitability, China is pushing AI to generate social good.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361318/chinas-ai-vision-gives-global-south-seat-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361318/chinas-ai-vision-gives-global-south-seat-table?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Iris Deng,Ben Jiang Iris Deng,Ben Jiang Beijing is ramping up its computing power and unveiling new policies to boost the city’s “token economy”, as China accelerates AI adoption across key industries in its tech race with the US. The Chinese capital aims to add another 50,000 petaflops of intelligent computing power in the second half of 2026, pushing its total capacity over 130,000 petaflops by the end of the year, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology said at a press briefing on Tuesday. One petaflop is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3361458/beijing-ramps-computing-power-boost-token-economy-tech-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3361458/beijing-ramps-computing-power-boost-token-economy-tech-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:30:11 +0000 Andy Xie Andy Xie Oil prices are set to rise once more as renewed US attacks on Iran leave the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery of oil trade, closed again. With US strategic petroleum reserves at their lowest in over 40 years, America will have trouble keeping oil prices below US$100 a barrel, as it has mostly done in the war so far. Analysts warn that sustained oil prices above US$100 risk accelerating inflation, depressing consumption and inviting recession. They have also turned their attention to China and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3360973/china-wont-waste-its-reserves-cushion-oil-price-impact-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3360973/china-wont-waste-its-reserves-cushion-oil-price-impact-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Seven developing countries are now using a Chinese AI-powered weather warning system on the ground to help them better prepare for natural disasters such as typhoons and rainstorms. Pan Jinjun, chief engineer at the China Meteorological Administration, described the system – named Mazu – as an international public good that provided “tailored early warning services for developing nations”. Speaking to several media outlets ahead of the World Artificial Intelligence (AI) Conference in Shanghai,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3361108/chinas-ai-weather-warning-system-mazu-expanding-across-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3361108/chinas-ai-weather-warning-system-mazu-expanding-across-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Greater global cooperation and development-focused AI regulations are urgently needed to prevent a widening digital divide, scholars and international figures said at China’s premier AI conference on Saturday. The message aligned with a broader pitch on display at the annual World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, where Beijing is courting the Global South with an artificial intelligence package centred on training, infrastructure and a bid for greater influence over global governance. “We need... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3361057/china-ai-summit-hears-global-south-needs-equal-access-avoid-digital-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3361057/china-ai-summit-hears-global-south-needs-equal-access-avoid-digital-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jul 2026 13:49:54 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Artificial intelligence (AI) is already shaping the economy and society. It is approaching a critical juncture of development, governance and application. President Xi Jinping’s personal appearance at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai was therefore closely watched. His landmark opening speech enshrined AI at the centre of China’s geopolitical strategy. China and the United States are the undisputed leaders of AI development, with very different approaches. Xi focused... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3360959/chinas-vision-global-ai-governance-inclusive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3360959/chinas-vision-global-ai-governance-inclusive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The global race for artificial intelligence has transformed into a direct contest of governance, with the United States and China actively exporting rival models of technology, funding and regulation to the rest of the world. In the West African state of Burkina Faso, dozens of young people gather at a training centre in the capital, Ouagadougou, to learn the basics of digital technology and AI, in a US-sponsored effort to develop local digital skills based on the American tech ecosystem. At the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360897/us-china-ai-rivalry-becomes-battle-export-competing-tech-governance-visions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360897/us-china-ai-rivalry-becomes-battle-export-competing-tech-governance-visions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang An “institutionalised” China-US G2 framework could offer a “structural guarantee” for global peace in a world beset by crises, a high-profile adviser to Beijing has said. Zheng Yongnian, a noted Chinese political scientist, said the world was faced with four intertwined challenges – geopolitical conflicts, increasingly “religionised” societies, imbalances in the global economy and the fading of the UN-centred governance system. He characterised this collective breakdown as a “crisis of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360235/formal-china-us-g2-framework-key-guarantee-world-peace-top-beijing-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360235/formal-china-us-g2-framework-key-guarantee-world-peace-top-beijing-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:30:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s wildly popular digital payments system, which began as a way for people to send money instantly by phone, could help the country turn one of its biggest domestic technology successes into a tool of diplomacy, analysts say. That opportunity is coming into focus in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, where officials are studying whether India’s low-cost digital systems can be adapted to their own needs. The talks centre on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India’s instant... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3359736/beyond-payments-india-aims-architect-indonesias-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3359736/beyond-payments-india-aims-architect-indonesias-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:00:12 +0000