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Chile

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chile. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Santiago

Head of State

President Gabriel Boric

Head of Government

President Gabriel Boric

The Silk Road Ark is on a 220-day trip to Latin America. Photo: CCTV

China-Latin America relations

Why won’t Chile let China’s military hospital ship give medical aid?

The vessel has sailed into Valparaiso’s waters as the geopolitical winds shift in the western hemisphere.

28 Feb 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Trip Inspiration

Why the Year of the Fire Horse calls for travel on horseback

13 Feb 2026 - 11:00AM

India

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

10 Feb 2026 - 8:54PM

Belt and Road Initiative

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

6 Feb 2026 - 7:30AMvideocam

A container is lifted by a crane at the Chinese-funded Chancay port in Peru, on October 29, 2024. Photo: AP

SCMP Highlights

China’s chip breakthrough, Tang Dynasty armour restored: 7 science highlights

From PLA developing quantum weapons to China’s dark matter breakthrough, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.

28 Jan 2026 - 3:37PM

Commodities

Gold surge has analysts eyeing new highs after US$5,100 record

Safe-haven demand spikes amid de-dollarisation fears and supply-chain tensions, as gold buyers seek stability against growing macro uncertainties.

26 Jan 2026 - 3:07PMvideocam

Environment

Opinion | How China can strengthen High Seas Treaty governance

Xiamen’s recognised coastal management approach underpins its bid to host the treaty secretariat.

23 Jan 2026 - 5:30AM

Americas and the Caribbean

Chile’s president-elect picks Pinochet lawyers as ministers of human rights, defence

Jose Antonio Kast installs a ‘great team for difficult times’, after being elected on a wave of anti-crime and anti-immigrant sentiment.

21 Jan 2026 - 2:45PM

Science

The West cheered China’s coal-fired export ban. Then came the massive blackouts

Did Beijing’s decision to stop financing overseas coal plants after pressure from US and Europe lead to mass – yet avoidable – power cuts?

21 Jan 2026 - 6:12AMvideocam

Diplomacy

China bids to host High Seas Treaty secretariat, even as US exits UN bodies

China puts forward Xiamen as potential future home of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction secretariat as treaty comes into force.

19 Jan 2026 - 10:01PMvideocam

The BBNJ Agreement provides a framework for governing the ocean that lies beyond the jurisdiction of any individual country, covering around two-thirds of global waters. Photo: Shutterstock

Science

China, Chile to explore Atacama Trench with ‘tools no other country possesses’

Three-month expedition will plumb uncharted depths of eastern Pacific in quest for new life forms and insights into quakes and tsunamis.

19 Jan 2026 - 3:33PMvideocam

The team will sail aboard the Chinese research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao to cover 700km around the Atacama Trench, one of the deepest and least explored regions of the eastern Pacific. Photo: Handout

Natural disasters

Chile declares catastrophe as wildfires rage and kill at least 18

President Boric deploys the military to hard-hit regions as fast-moving blazes devour hundreds of homes.

19 Jan 2026 - 7:34PM

Science

Chinese firm Sinovac to supply vaccine to Chile ahead of flu season

Chilean government procures doses of the jab from China for a second year in a row, with nationwide immunisation campaign to begin in March.

14 Jan 2026 - 3:18AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Chinese business owner in Venezuela warns of spillover after Maduro’s abduction

Chinese entrepreneurs have returned to South American nation in recent years, but some fear consequences after Washington’s intervention.

6 Jan 2026 - 10:50PMvideocam

Nicolas Maduro in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed federal agents as he and his wife make their way into an armoured car en route to a federal courthouse. Photo: TNS

US-Venezuela conflict

Not just oil: is Trump’s Venezuela takeover also about critical minerals?

Venezuela, Greenland and Colombia all have large deposits of rare earths and other minerals needed by US technology and defence companies.

6 Jan 2026 - 6:15PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump, flanked by senior members of his administration, speaks to the press following American military strikes on Caracas, Venezuela. Photo: TNS

United States

Explainer | US interventions in Latin America: a history of coups and conflicts

From the Bay of Pigs to Operation Condor to Venezuela in 2026: A look at the legacy of CIA-backed coups and US military action in Latin America.

3 Jan 2026 - 11:16PM

Tourism

Expedition to Chile’s Cape Horn reveals awesome nature at the world’s end

A 5-day cruise to South America’s southern tip stuns with fiords, penguins and wind-blasted cliffs reached via the world’s deadliest waters.

30 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chilean firms partner to form giant company to exploit lithium

Last month China approved the planned partnership between state-owned Codelco and private firm SQM, which features Chinese capital.

28 Dec 2025 - 5:17AM

A mining truck loads lithium sulphate at the Atacama salt flat in Chile. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images

SCMP Highlights

PLA division’s new leaders, lessons from 2025 trade war: SCMP daily highlights

From the newcomers in charge of PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command to retailers’ retreat from China, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

17 Dec 2025 - 9:15PM

China-Latin America relations

China seeks greater influence in US backyard

The US is trying to shut China out of Latin America, even as the Asian nation outlines plans to further grow trade and investment in the resource-rich region.

17 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM

China-Latin America relations

Chile’s sharp shift to the right puts it at the centre of China-US rivalry

Election of Jose Antonio Kast in Latin American country adds to Donald Trump’s vocal allies but analysts expect China ties to stay stable.

17 Dec 2025 - 6:06AMvideocam

Supporters of Chile’s winning presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast react as the first election results are announced on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

Hong Kong signs tax treaty with Norway, marking fourth such agreement this year

Treasury chief Christopher Hui said the government plans to begin CDTA negotiations with Slovenia and Oman early next year.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:47PM

Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui (left), exchanges documents with Norway’s Ambassador to China, Vebjørn Dysvik, in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong is stepping up its competitiveness in aviation

By funding upgrades to the airport and signing international aviation deals, the city is proactively working to expand its global reach.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:45AM

Americas and the Caribbean

Chile takes hard-right turn as Kast scores landslide election victory

Jose Antonio Kast declares Chile ‘wanted change’ as the South American nation chooses its most right-wing president in decades.

15 Dec 2025 - 3:33PM

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong signs aviation deals with 7 countries to expand global reach

Transport chief Mable Chan says deals reached with mostly Latin American nations, while Airport Authority CEO calls for more investment to manage risks.

9 Dec 2025 - 8:06PM

Hong Kong International Airport. The Airport Authority’s CEO has pointed to continuous investment as a way to mitigate risks in an uncertain business environment. Photo: Jonathan Wong

China-Latin America relations

Trump’s national security blueprint aims to combat China’s rise in Latin America

Framework pledges to stop competitors from threatening the stability and political alignment of neighbouring countries in the region.

6 Dec 2025 - 7:37AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump unveiled a new national security blueprint on Friday, prioritising US dominance in the Western Hemisphere. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Fact-Check | Firefighters in Hong Kong? This video was shot in Chile in 2024

An old video is being misrepresented online as Hong Kong authorities battling deadly blaze in Tai Po.

1 Dec 2025 - 4:15PM

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | ‘Partner port’ ties will help Hong Kong navigate global trade volatility

New deals with mainland Chinese and Chilean ports will enhance the city’s status as an international hub for finance, shipping and trading.

1 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

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Chile

Why won’t Chile let China’s military hospital ship give medical aid?

The vessel has sailed into Valparaiso’s waters as the geopolitical winds shift in the western hemisphere.

Why the Year of the Fire Horse calls for travel on horseback

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

China’s chip breakthrough, Tang Dynasty armour restored: 7 science highlights

From PLA developing quantum weapons to China’s dark matter breakthrough, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.

Gold surge has analysts eyeing new highs after US$5,100 record

Safe-haven demand spikes amid de-dollarisation fears and supply-chain tensions, as gold buyers seek stability against growing macro uncertainties.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | How China can strengthen High Seas Treaty governance

Xiamen’s recognised coastal management approach underpins its bid to host the treaty secretariat.

Chile’s president-elect picks Pinochet lawyers as ministers of human rights, defence

Jose Antonio Kast installs a ‘great team for difficult times’, after being elected on a wave of anti-crime and anti-immigrant sentiment.

The West cheered China’s coal-fired export ban. Then came the massive blackouts

Did Beijing’s decision to stop financing overseas coal plants after pressure from US and Europe lead to mass – yet avoidable – power cuts?

China bids to host High Seas Treaty secretariat, even as US exits UN bodies

China puts forward Xiamen as potential future home of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction secretariat as treaty comes into force.

China, Chile to explore Atacama Trench with ‘tools no other country possesses’

Three-month expedition will plumb uncharted depths of eastern Pacific in quest for new life forms and insights into quakes and tsunamis.

Chile declares catastrophe as wildfires rage and kill at least 18

President Boric deploys the military to hard-hit regions as fast-moving blazes devour hundreds of homes.

Chinese firm Sinovac to supply vaccine to Chile ahead of flu season

Chilean government procures doses of the jab from China for a second year in a row, with nationwide immunisation campaign to begin in March.

Chinese business owner in Venezuela warns of spillover after Maduro’s abduction

Chinese entrepreneurs have returned to South American nation in recent years, but some fear consequences after Washington’s intervention.

Not just oil: is Trump’s Venezuela takeover also about critical minerals?

Venezuela, Greenland and Colombia all have large deposits of rare earths and other minerals needed by US technology and defence companies.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Explainer | US interventions in Latin America: a history of coups and conflicts

From the Bay of Pigs to Operation Condor to Venezuela in 2026: A look at the legacy of CIA-backed coups and US military action in Latin America.

Expedition to Chile’s Cape Horn reveals awesome nature at the world’s end

A 5-day cruise to South America’s southern tip stuns with fiords, penguins and wind-blasted cliffs reached via the world’s deadliest waters.

Chilean firms partner to form giant company to exploit lithium

Last month China approved the planned partnership between state-owned Codelco and private firm SQM, which features Chinese capital.

PLA division’s new leaders, lessons from 2025 trade war: SCMP daily highlights

From the newcomers in charge of PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command to retailers’ retreat from China, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

China seeks greater influence in US backyard

The US is trying to shut China out of Latin America, even as the Asian nation outlines plans to further grow trade and investment in the resource-rich region.

Chile’s sharp shift to the right puts it at the centre of China-US rivalry

Election of Jose Antonio Kast in Latin American country adds to Donald Trump’s vocal allies but analysts expect China ties to stay stable.

Hong Kong signs tax treaty with Norway, marking fourth such agreement this year

Treasury chief Christopher Hui said the government plans to begin CDTA negotiations with Slovenia and Oman early next year.

Opinion | Hong Kong is stepping up its competitiveness in aviation

By funding upgrades to the airport and signing international aviation deals, the city is proactively working to expand its global reach.

Chile takes hard-right turn as Kast scores landslide election victory

Jose Antonio Kast declares Chile ‘wanted change’ as the South American nation chooses its most right-wing president in decades.

Hong Kong signs aviation deals with 7 countries to expand global reach

Transport chief Mable Chan says deals reached with mostly Latin American nations, while Airport Authority CEO calls for more investment to manage risks.

Trump’s national security blueprint aims to combat China’s rise in Latin America

Framework pledges to stop competitors from threatening the stability and political alignment of neighbouring countries in the region.

Fact-Check | Firefighters in Hong Kong? This video was shot in Chile in 2024

An old video is being misrepresented online as Hong Kong authorities battling deadly blaze in Tai Po.

Editorial | ‘Partner port’ ties will help Hong Kong navigate global trade volatility

New deals with mainland Chinese and Chilean ports will enhance the city’s status as an international hub for finance, shipping and trading.

Opinion | How China can strengthen High Seas Treaty governance

Explainer | US interventions in Latin America: a history of coups and conflicts