https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/519448/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Associated Press Associated Press Two powerful 7.7 and 6.6 magnitude earthquakes and a series of aftershocks struck Panama on Friday afternoon, collapsing buildings near the epicentre and prompting evacuations across the country, the US Geological Survey said. The earlier quake, felt as far away as neighbouring Colombia, was centred about 10km (six miles) southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, in the central province of Herrera, the USGS said. It struck at a depth of 10km. The USGS initially reported the first... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370411/panama-rocked-2-powerful-earthquakes-multiple-aftershocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370411/panama-rocked-2-powerful-earthquakes-multiple-aftershocks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 22:10:33 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The Port of Los Angeles, the largest container port in the United States and the country’s leading gateway for imports from China and other Asian countries, had its busiest three-month period on record from July through to September, despite persistent uncertainty over tariffs and shifting global trade supply chains. “If there was ever a time for a drum roll, this is it,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, during a media briefing on Friday. “July through September... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370410/key-us-port-china-imports-records-best-ever-quarter-despite-trade-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370410/key-us-port-china-imports-records-best-ever-quarter-despite-trade-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:54:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The EU removed Panama from its tax havens blacklist on Friday after the country made progress on sharing tax information and reformed a “harmful” regime of exemptions for foreign-source income. Vietnam was also removed after undertaking a series of reforms. The updated list now contains eight “non-cooperative” jurisdictions: American Samoa, Anguilla, Guam, Palau, Russia, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands and Vanuatu. “This update reflects a positive trend in compliance with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370376/eu-removes-panama-tax-haven-blacklist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370376/eu-removes-panama-tax-haven-blacklist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:12:50 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing has been urged to do more to protect its overseas interests with a call for diplomatic engagement to reshape international rules and deeper security cooperation with other countries. As China’s expanding global footprint comes under pressure from geopolitics and restrictions from the West, a Chinese analysis posted on the Global Security Research social media account has called for a major shift in strategy. The author was not identified, but the account regularly posts analysis and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369678/china-urged-build-system-protect-expanding-overseas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369678/china-urged-build-system-protect-expanding-overseas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick Panama’s comptroller general said on Friday that his office would send prosecutors more audit material on former executives of CK Hutchison’s local subsidiary next week, as part of a criminal investigation into the Hong Kong conglomerate’s annulled Panama Canal ports concession. Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, Anel Flores said prosecutors had requested documents concerning Panama Ports Company (PPC), the operator of the Balboa and Cristobal terminals at either end of the canal... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369635/panama-auditor-targets-ex-port-regulators-and-hong-kong-firms-executives-canal-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369635/panama-auditor-targets-ex-port-regulators-and-hong-kong-firms-executives-canal-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 19:10:10 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China pledges to ‘firmly support’ Cuba as US escalates pressure on Havana China will stand by Cuba in defending its sovereignty and resisting outside interference, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said as Washington stepped up its campaign to force political change in Havana. Read... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369252/china-backs-cuba-beijings-panama-threat-new-un-chief-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369252/china-backs-cuba-beijings-panama-threat-new-un-chief-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado took to the country’s streets on Sunday to demand her safe return and presidential elections that could lead to a democratic transition in Venezuela. The government has been widely accused of stealing elections, jailing dissidents and stifling freedom of speech. In Caracas, hundreds of activists in sky blue shirts – the colour of Machado’s Vente Venezuela party – rode motorcycles and drove through the city’s main avenues, honking... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368985/venezuelans-rally-demand-opposition-leaders-safe-return-and-presidential-elections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368985/venezuelans-rally-demand-opposition-leaders-safe-return-and-presidential-elections?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 23:45:37 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang US President Donald Trump has urged Beijing to take “more aggressive action” to curb the export of drug precursor chemicals, noting to the US Congress that he had raised the issue “directly” with his Chinese counterpart. Trump’s call comes just days ahead of a planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and just a week after security agencies from the two countries praised progress in cooperation on counternarcotics law enforcement. The call was noted in an annual list sent to the US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367840/donald-trump-presses-xi-jinping-fentanyl-precursors-ahead-washington-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367840/donald-trump-presses-xi-jinping-fentanyl-precursors-ahead-washington-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 08:02:28 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China has warned Panama of “serious consequences” after most of the country’s lawmakers set up a parliamentary exchange group with Taiwan, defying pressure from Beijing’s embassy and a public disavowal by their own president. The warning came from foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, who said on Monday that the group seriously violated the one-China principle upheld by Panama and urged what he called “those few politicians” to “see the real picture”. Beijing had noted the Panamanian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367514/beijing-threatens-serious-consequences-after-panama-lawmakers-support-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367514/beijing-threatens-serious-consequences-after-panama-lawmakers-support-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:36:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The number of ships sailing through the Panama Canal could be cut further due to drought caused by the El Nino weather pattern, the new administrator of the waterway said on Monday. Panama has declared a nationwide emergency over El Nino, a phenomenon developing over the Pacific Ocean that is affecting worldwide weather patterns and pushing up global temperatures. This year’s El Nino is expected to be the strongest since record-keeping began four decades ago. Panama’s restrictions come even as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3366692/new-panama-canal-chief-considers-more-cuts-transits-due-el-nino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3366692/new-panama-canal-chief-considers-more-cuts-transits-due-el-nino?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:43:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro urged a US judge on Wednesday to dismiss criminal drug trafficking charges against him, arguing he should be immune from prosecution as the head of a sovereign country. The charges, filed in Manhattan federal court, formed the basis for the US military’s raid on Caracas and capture of Maduro on January 3. The Venezuelan leader, who has been held ‌in a Brooklyn federal jail since his seizure, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial on June... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3366178/venezuelas-maduro-seeks-dismissal-us-charges-citing-immunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3366178/venezuelas-maduro-seeks-dismissal-us-charges-citing-immunity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:45:24 +0000 Bao Yinan Bao Yinan With the end of the 60-day US-Iran memorandum of understanding, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have flared again. The crisis in the strait highlights how the security and stability of key international waterways are becoming an increasingly urgent global concern. Over the past decade, major maritime routes have been affected by regional armed conflicts, geopolitical tensions and growing security risks. These disruptions have exposed a vulnerability in the global trading system: a key... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3365191/us-and-china-must-team-keep-maritime-trade-routes-free-and-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3365191/us-and-china-must-team-keep-maritime-trade-routes-free-and-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:30:15 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China should forge a national consensus on “regaining mastery of the oceans” and direct overseas investment returns into defence spending to brace for sea-power competition with the US, according to a prominent Chinese academic. Di Dongsheng, associate dean of Renmin University’s school of international studies in Beijing, warned on Tuesday that as economic ties between the United States, the dominant maritime power, and China, which relies heavily on sea-bound trade, shifted towards... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365443/what-china-can-do-secure-trade-routes-its-coming-high-seas-struggle-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365443/what-china-can-do-secure-trade-routes-its-coming-high-seas-struggle-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:55:56 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A shipper needing to transit the Panama Canal bid a record US$5.3 million to secure its spot, according to people familiar with the matter. South Korea-based SK Gas Ltd agreed to pay the sum to travel the canal on September 1, said the people, who could not be identified as the information was confidential. The fee, determined through an auction run by the canal authority this week, breaks the previous high of US$4.6 million set earlier this month, also paid by a shipper controlling a South... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365252/asian-shipper-pays-record-us53-million-panama-canal-access?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365252/asian-shipper-pays-record-us53-million-panama-canal-access?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:03:21 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Diplomats for China and the US in Latin America have traded brickbats on social media over alleged espionage risks posed by Chinese tech firms in the region, in the latest sign of the two powers’ unfolding strategic tensions in the western hemisphere. US assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs Juan Pablo Segura named telecoms giants Huawei Technologies, ZTE and Hytera, surveillance equipment makers Hikvision and Dahua, and drone heavyweight DJI in a post on social media on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365055/us-china-diplomats-clash-over-tech-spying-and-trade-hub-claims-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365055/us-china-diplomats-clash-over-tech-spying-and-trade-hub-claims-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Panama Canal will cut the number of ships passing through it starting next month because of drought caused by the El Nino phenomenon, the operator of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific said on Thursday. From September 3, the number of vessels allowed through each day will fall from 36 to 34 due to low water levels in two artificial lakes that feed the canal, the Panama Canal Authority said. It will drop to 32 from September 15 on, the agency said. Central America is in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3364947/panama-canal-reduce-shipping-over-el-nino-fuelled-drought?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3364947/panama-canal-reduce-shipping-over-el-nino-fuelled-drought?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2026 23:11:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠India’s coastguard ⁠and navy continued search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast on Sunday after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying 24 crew sank, with two Chinese nationals rescued, a ‌senior official said. The two rescued Chinese seafarers said the vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing crew to abandon ship, Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India’s Maritime Administration, said. Jagannathan said the chances ⁠of finding survivors generally... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3364946/india-launches-rescue-mission-panama-flagged-cargo-ship-sinks-east-coast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3364946/india-launches-rescue-mission-panama-flagged-cargo-ship-sinks-east-coast?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:31:16 +0000 Wynna Wong,Connor Mycroft Wynna Wong,Connor Mycroft Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has launched international arbitration against Panama, seeking more than HK$11.7 billion (US$1.5 billion) in damages over the government’s takeover of two strategic ports at either end of the Panama Canal. Legal experts said investment treaty arbitration was “notoriously lengthy” and that the process was likely to take at least three years. Announcing the move on Thursday, the Li Ka-shing family-backed conglomerate said Panama had breached an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3364622/hong-kongs-ck-hutchison-seeks-hk117b-panama-over-canal-ports-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3364622/hong-kongs-ck-hutchison-seeks-hk117b-panama-over-canal-ports-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:14:55 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Three Latin American governments that moved against Chinese commercial interests over the past year were named in a White House report on Thursday, which accused Chinese exporters of routing goods through third countries to evade US tariffs. Mexico, Panama and Colombia now join Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic among more than 40 countries the report says carry elevated risk of illegal transshipment, the practice of moving goods through an intermediate country... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363963/us-accuses-9-latin-american-countries-helping-china-avoid-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363963/us-accuses-9-latin-american-countries-helping-china-avoid-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:20:03 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has revealed the “forced termination” of operations at two strategic Panama Canal ports shaved 1 per cent off overall throughput in the first half of this year, even as the overall port portfolio performed better than a year ago. In its half-year financial results released on Thursday, the Li Ka-shing family-backed conglomerate for the first time quantified the impact of losing the ports after the Panama government nullified an operating contract and then... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3363940/ck-hutchison-says-forced-termination-panama-ports-cut-1-throughput?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3363940/ck-hutchison-says-forced-termination-panama-ports-cut-1-throughput?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:58:42 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal CK Hutchison Holdings, one of the flagship companies owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s family, reported a 3,046 per cent increase in its first-half profit amid a period the firm’s chairman called “turbulent and uncertain”. Meanwhile, CK Asset Holdings, the group’s other flagship company that focuses on residential and commercial property, registered a 37.8 per cent jump in net profit during the same period. CK Hutchison, the port-to-telecoms conglomerate, said on Thursday that its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3363924/ck-hutchison-holdings-reports-31-fold-surge-first-half-profit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3363924/ck-hutchison-holdings-reports-31-fold-surge-first-half-profit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:59:17 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s top court recently highlighted the first judicial ruling establishing the mandatory nature of its Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, which experts say could provide legal precedent and guide Chinese companies facing increasingly frequent overseas sanctions amid intensifying geopolitical tensions. The case, heard by the Shanghai Maritime Court, centred on a dispute that involved US sanctions, a Singapore shipping company, a Hong Kong-based company and electronic goods shipped from Shanghai. In... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3363773/chinas-top-court-highlights-first-anti-foreign-sanctions-law-ruling-amid-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3363773/chinas-top-court-highlights-first-anti-foreign-sanctions-law-ruling-amid-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:52:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A US helicopter on Tuesday fired missiles into the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break the American blockade of Iran’s ports, the United States military said. The US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired on and disabled the M/V Vela Nova “after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces”, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media, adding that the vessel “is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the US blockade”. It was initially... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3363706/us-military-says-it-has-fired-ship-gulf-oman-enforce-blockade-iranian-ports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3363706/us-military-says-it-has-fired-ship-gulf-oman-enforce-blockade-iranian-ports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:16:16 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China has shipped a record number of electric vehicles (EVs) overseas from a Shanghai terminal, carried by a new generation of China-built car carrier ships – the latest instance of the country’s products taking on an even larger role in global supply chains. The Malta-flagged Glovis Nova, a newly delivered vehicle carrier built in China, loaded 7,738 new energy vehicles at Shanghai’s South Port Terminal on Sunday, setting a new domestic record for the number of vehicles shipped from a Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3362084/china-made-vessel-carries-record-number-evs-shipment-shanghai-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3362084/china-made-vessel-carries-record-number-evs-shipment-shanghai-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:00:06 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The struggle between the US and China over who will lead in artificial intelligence is one of the defining competitions of our time. In the second part of our exclusive interview with a key player defining Washington’s policy on AI, Jacob Helberg, US undersecretary of state for economic affairs, discusses America’s efforts to rally its allies and cut dependence on China by securing alternative rare earth and critical mineral supply chains. By the time US President Donald Trump signed his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361372/can-us-and-its-allies-break-chinas-grip-rare-earths-and-ai-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361372/can-us-and-its-allies-break-chinas-grip-rare-earths-and-ai-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China has defended its inspections of Panama-flagged ships as routine safety checks, rejecting US and Panamanian accusations that it is weaponising shipping lines for geopolitical leverage. In Beijing on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the measures were lawful and aimed at protecting navigation and the marine environment. “At present, port-state control inspections are an important measure for countries to manage the safety of foreign vessels calling at their ports and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360406/china-rejects-us-panamanian-claims-weaponising-ship-inspections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360406/china-rejects-us-panamanian-claims-weaponising-ship-inspections?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:50:48 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang When the shares of Revolution Medicines surged after the US biotech firm unveiled a landmark result – its drug nearly doubled the overall survival for late-stage pancreatic cancer patients to 13.2 months – investment banks and scientists flagged that the company’s Chinese rivals racing to target the same cancer mutation are significantly undervalued by the market. Chinese biotech firms were closing the gap with the United States as the country “has developed a highly competitive and rapidly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3359811/chinas-biotech-firms-challenge-us-rapidly-developing-ras-targeted-cancer-therapies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3359811/chinas-biotech-firms-challenge-us-rapidly-developing-ras-targeted-cancer-therapies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Venezuela’s interim president said on Sunday the country would not descend into social unrest after the twin earthquakes which killed more than 3,300 people and left thousands more missing. One of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters, the June 24 shocks collapsed scores of buildings, leaving thousands homeless, especially in the coastal La Guaira area north of the capital Caracas. “There will be no social unrest here, what we have here is deep social solidarity,” Delcy Rodriguez said... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359503/venezuela-leader-vows-no-social-unrest-here-earthquakes-death-toll-passes-3000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359503/venezuela-leader-vows-no-social-unrest-here-earthquakes-death-toll-passes-3000?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:50:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The fallout from Venezuela’s powerful twin quakes has evolved into a major test for acting President Delcy Rodriguez, sending her scrambling to prevent the humanitarian disaster from becoming a political one as her mandate as interim leader expires on Friday. A day after Rodriguez angrily defended the competence of her government’s relief effort at her first news conference since the June 24 disaster, her main rival, exiled Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, issued her... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359384/fallout-venezuelas-quakes-turns-political-opposition-leader-machado-seeks-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359384/fallout-venezuelas-quakes-turns-political-opposition-leader-machado-seeks-return?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:13:21 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, it confronts a new world order dominated by its relationship with China. In this wide-ranging series, we examine the pressure points and possibilities in those ties, from hard tech to soft power. Here, Teresa Elena Frontado and Igor Patrick look at how Beijing is testing long-standing US influence in the western hemisphere. Asked during the 2024 presidential campaign whether he was concerned about Brazil and Mexico drifting... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359298/americas-first-sphere-influence-becomes-test-its-power-250?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359298/americas-first-sphere-influence-becomes-test-its-power-250?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Fan Chen,Vanessa Cai Fan Chen,Vanessa Cai Wu Xinbo is the dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai and a leading Chinese researcher on the US. In this interview, he analyses how shifts in US foreign policy are changing the relationship between the two countries. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, how do you assess US foreign policy and the future direction of its relations with China? Simply put, US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359161/sun-setting-us-dominance-world-scholar-wu-xinbo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359161/sun-setting-us-dominance-world-scholar-wu-xinbo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:11:35 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying,Leopold Chen Lo Hoi-ying,Leopold Chen In the second of a two-part series on the economy as Hong Kong marks 29 years since its return to Chinese rule, Lo Hoi Ying and Leopold Chen look at the city’s efforts at closer integration with the nation and the opportunities and obstacles it presents. Part one can be found here. A question from his niece about how face masks should be recycled prompted materials scientist Eddie Yu to rethink sustainability and inspired him to develop biodegradable materials when he started his company,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3358565/hong-kong-betting-integration-mainland-china-what-are-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3358565/hong-kong-betting-integration-mainland-china-what-are-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Venezuela has received offers of rescue teams and humanitarian aid from across the Americas, including from right-wing governments that had broken off diplomatic relations with Caracas less than two years ago, in the wake of this week’s deadly twin earthquakes. The quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 and 39 seconds apart, struck the north of the country on Wednesday evening and were the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a nationwide state... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358407/venezuela-earthquakes-draw-aid-governments-cut-ties-caracas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358407/venezuela-earthquakes-draw-aid-governments-cut-ties-caracas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2026 22:52:32 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The United States has assured India that future artificial intelligence models will not be “cut off” days after Washington abruptly banned Anthropic’s advanced models on national security grounds, a senior Indian official told the South China Morning Post on Thursday. “There was an understanding, and something that they [US officials] certainly mentioned, that access to technology, once it is provided, will not be cut off. I think that was an assurance,” said S. Krishnan, secretary of India’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3358397/us-assures-india-over-ai-kill-switch-pax-silica-expands-bid-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3358397/us-assures-india-over-ai-kill-switch-pax-silica-expands-bid-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:09:44 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s administration is holding regular high-level discussions with Britain to secure the long-term future of the strategically important Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, a US official has told the South China Morning Post. The confirmation comes amid reports that the White House is actively considering buying the Chagos Islands – host to a strategically important joint US-British military facility – amid concerns over China’s expanding naval ambitions in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356488/us-chagos-talks-confirmed-amid-concerns-over-chinas-expanding-naval-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356488/us-chagos-talks-confirmed-amid-concerns-over-chinas-expanding-naval-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings US President Donald Trump’s drive to reassert US supremacy in Latin America has already squeezed China’s interests in Cuba, Panama and Venezuela. Now, Nicaragua could be shaping up as the next economic battleground between the two powers, a scholar has warned. The American leader has yet to target Nicaragua since returning to office, but that could change if China revives an ambitious project to build a canal cutting across the country to connect the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, said Zhang... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3356132/trump-has-squeezed-china-cuba-panama-and-venezuela-nicaragua-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3356132/trump-has-squeezed-china-cuba-panama-and-venezuela-nicaragua-next?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos For over two decades, China’s rise in Latin America has been viewed as one of the most significant geopolitical developments in the western hemisphere. Through trade, investment, infrastructure projects and diplomatic engagement, Beijing built a presence that would have been difficult to imagine at the beginning of the century. The strategy appeared highly successful. Beijing became a leading trading partner for much of the region, financed major projects, expanded its diplomatic footprint and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355628/why-chinas-latin-america-ties-arent-immune-trumps-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355628/why-chinas-latin-america-ties-arent-immune-trumps-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Portugal and Austria defeated Germany for seats on the powerful but deeply divided UN Security Council on Wednesday in a hotly contested race after intense campaigning. The 10 rotating seats on the 15-member Security Council are earmarked for different regions of the world. The assembly elects five countries by secret ballot every year to serve two-year terms alongside the council’s five permanent veto-wielding members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. In the other... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3355881/portugal-and-austria-defeat-germany-seats-un-security-council?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3355881/portugal-and-austria-defeat-germany-seats-un-security-council?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:49:33 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talks One day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355387/china-cuba-us-security-threat-brazils-rare-earths-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355387/china-cuba-us-security-threat-brazils-rare-earths-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday rejected suggestions that US pressure had shaped his government’s handling of a dispute over ports near the Panama Canal, as Panama seeks to stabilise relations with Beijing and renew a key maritime agreement. “The decision we made regarding those two ports was genuinely Panamanian,” Mulino said during his weekly press conference, after China accused unnamed “third parties” of interfering in bilateral ties. Mulino also expressed hope that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355229/panama-rejects-us-pressure-claims-it-seeks-ease-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355229/panama-rejects-us-pressure-claims-it-seeks-ease-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 21:12:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said Beijing was ready to deepen cooperation with Panama City and that third countries should not influence their bilateral ties. “China has always maintained that China-Panama relations are not directed against any third party and should not be interfered with by any third party,” Wang said, according to a foreign ministry read-out on Wednesday. Wang made the remarks while meeting with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha on the sidelines... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355065/china-warns-against-third-party-influence-panama-canal-port-dispute-simmers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355065/china-warns-against-third-party-influence-panama-canal-port-dispute-simmers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 11:40:58 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Panama’s foreign minister used a United Nations Security Council debate on Tuesday to call for dialogue over confrontation, saying his country was “born to connect oceans, continents, cultures and economies” in a speech delivered before an assembly chaired by China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, as the two countries navigate their worst bilateral crisis since establishing ties in 2017. China holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council in May and convened a high-level open debate on Tuesday... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354958/panama-encourages-dialogue-and-bridge-building-un-canal-tensions-china-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354958/panama-encourages-dialogue-and-bridge-building-un-canal-tensions-china-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 22:48:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Donald Trump administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions on an Iranian foreign currency exchange house and what it said were front companies overseeing transactions on behalf of Iranian banks as the US maintains pressure on Tehran. The move came after Iran ‌said its latest peace proposal to the United States over the US-Israeli led war that started February 28 involved ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of US forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354144/us-imposes-fresh-sanctions-iranian-exchange-house-19-ships-shadow-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354144/us-imposes-fresh-sanctions-iranian-exchange-house-19-ships-shadow-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 15:37:44 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Washington and Beijing have piled on irritants in advance of this week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, suggesting that neither side wants to be seen as a deal killer – even as they try to build potential leverage to bargain away, analysts and former US government officials said. Scott Kennedy, senior adviser with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said that both sides had been “picking up some chits which they might be... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353432/wary-mood-mark-xi-trump-summit-irritants-aplenty-both-sides-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353432/wary-mood-mark-xi-trump-summit-irritants-aplenty-both-sides-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 15:59:04 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye CK Hutchison Holdings’ shares climbed to their highest level since 2020 after the conglomerate announced plans to exit the UK mobile market, signalling that investors believe the Li family may once again have timed an industry peak before the broader market. Shares rose about 12 per cent to HK$73.30 on Monday from the May 5 close, after the company said it would sell its 49 per cent stake in VodafoneThree for US$5.8 billion. CK Hutchison said the disposal was expected to generate a gain of about... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3353185/art-deal-uk-telecoms-exit-fits-li-familys-trademark-timing-selling-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3353185/art-deal-uk-telecoms-exit-fits-li-familys-trademark-timing-selling-top?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 23:00:13 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that a South Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without US protection in the Strait of Hormuz – a focal point of the ongoing Iran war. “For several days before the fire broke out, the ship had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement. The remarks followed an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352720/south-korea-rejects-trumps-claim-ship-was-hit-because-it-decided-go-it-alone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352720/south-korea-rejects-trumps-claim-ship-was-hit-because-it-decided-go-it-alone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 07:18:26 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Panama’s foreign minister has called on a group of opposition lawmakers visiting China to deliver a firm message defending the country’s sovereignty, as tensions over a wave of detentions of Panamanian-flagged vessels show no signs of easing. Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez said on Monday that the lawmakers should relay a clear message to their Chinese counterparts on Panama’s behalf. “I can only suggest that you convey that Panama respects China, but Panama first respects the Constitution of our... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3352539/panama-minister-blasts-chinas-ship-crackdown-tells-deputies-demand-answers-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3352539/panama-minister-blasts-chinas-ship-crackdown-tells-deputies-demand-answers-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 18:01:22 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong When a South Korean cargo ship exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, Donald Trump wasted no time declaring what he thought it meant. “Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” the US president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, invoking the incident as fresh justification for Seoul to send naval forces to the embattled waterway. Seoul’s answer, for now, has been a polite but firm no – or at least, not yet. The explosion occurred... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352462/south-korea-rebuffs-trumps-project-freedom-call-after-hormuz-ship-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352462/south-korea-rebuffs-trumps-project-freedom-call-after-hormuz-ship-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 06:30:46 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said in April after police dismantled the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East has turned the spotlight on a strategic waterway thousands of miles away in Southeast Asia, with littoral states having different ideas on how to control their stake. Indonesian officials last week flirted with the idea of imposing tolls for passing vessels in the Strait of Malacca. Malaysia and Singapore, however, have insisted that navigation in the vital corridor remains free. The likelihood of tolls in the strait is low thanks to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:58:19 +0000