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China-Asean relations

China-Asean relations
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China-Asean relations. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Open Questions series

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China’s evolving role in Middle East conflicts, according to an academic

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

videocam
40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

videocam
29
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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4
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

videocam
32
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China’s evolving role in Middle East conflicts, according to an academic

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13
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Beijing has long-standing territorial disputes with several countries over the South China Sea. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

Is this the ‘best time’ for China to win friends in its backyard?

Now is the time for Beijing to show ‘geopolitical magnanimity’ on tough issues like the South China Sea, Malaysian global affairs expert says.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Why the US could lose more ground in Southeast Asia

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Diplomacy

Editorial | Red carpet for Asean visitors the right step

Asean

Macroscope | Southeast Asia’s new arms race undermines its regional strengths

As Asean members modernise their militaries, the bloc could be sacrificing its cherished norms of stability and consensus.

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Filipino soldiers march at a military airbase in San Fernando city, in the Philippines, during a visit by Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani on February 23. Photo: EPA-EFE
Xinjiang

Xinjiang’s ‘cultural harmony’ praised as Thai ministers visit deported Uygurs

Xinjiang Communist Party chief Ma Xingrui hosts high-level Thai delegation as part of a deal struck when Bangkok agreed to send back 40 Uygurs.

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Indonesia

Indonesia and Vietnam to seal maritime deal – will China respond?

Indonesia’s parliament is set to sign an agreement to formalise maritime boundaries with Vietnam next month.

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China consumption

Are cheap Indonesian durians about to flood the Chinese market?

Indonesia’s huge fruit industry is preparing to begin exporting durians to China, threatening the dominance of Thai and Vietnamese growers.

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China is by far the world’s largest importer of durians, with Thailand supplying more than half of its total imports last year. Photo: Getty Images
US-China relations

US-China rivalry forcing Southeast Asia to pick sides, congressional panel hears

Washington urged to adopt a sector-by-sector approach to the region, shaping its choices before Beijing does.

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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong rolls out smoother entry policy for invited Asean professionals

Scheme allows event attendees and those who can contribute to local economy to make multiple trips to Hong Kong over three-year period.

Diplomacy

Opinion | In today’s changing world order, the best hedge is agility

As great power rivalries intensify, collective action and strategic diversification can help others boost influence and avoid dependence.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China trade

China lays track for stronger regional relations through railway lines

China’s neighbours in Southeast and Central Asia have begun construction or made agreements on cross-border railway projects, bolstering bilateral ties.

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Railway projects between China and its Asian neighbours indicate a greater willingness for deeper bilateral ties and overall connectivity. Photo: AFP
China airliners

Vietnam boosts China’s aviation ambitions with C909 deal move

Hanoi is reportedly paving the way to approve the country’s first deal to lease Chinese-made civilian aircraft.

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Belt and Road Initiative

Macroscope | Why China’s belt and road will go from strength to strength

With rival initiatives lacking substance, Beijing’s transcontinental project is likely to expand as the US exits multilateral commitments.

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Two Sessions 2025

China hits out at US Pacific policy ‘failure’, tariffs war – as it happened

Foreign minister answers questions about strained US ties, the Ukraine war and China’s strategy in Middle East.

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China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi facing the press. Photo: AFP
China trade

Chinese ratings agency downgrades Thailand over crime, economic prospects

High-profile incidents including the abduction of a Chinese actor threaten to tarnish Thailand’s image as a tourist hotspot.

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Chinese actor Wang Xing is escorted by Thai police officers to an airport in Bangkok, Thailand in January. Wang’s abduction in January attracted huge attention and caused many Chinese tourists to cancel travel plans to Thailand. Photo: EPA/EFE
Technology

Opinion | How American AI ambitions limit options for Southeast Asia

As the US touts opportunity over safety in artificial intelligence, countries must balance potential economic gains with strategic interests.

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Asean

Zelensky-Trump clash sparks Asean jitters over reliability of US commitments

Each nation in the bloc has different needs and ties with US and China, posing tests for non-alignment, analysts say.

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China's economic recovery

‘Gone down a lot’: why Chinese travellers are shunning US and Europe

China’s tourists are increasingly skipping Western destinations in favour of the Middle East and Southeast Asia, Travelex data shows.

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Chinese tourists take pictures near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. China’s travellers are increasingly skipping traditional Western destinations in favour of the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia, currency data suggests. Photo: Reuters
China technology

Opinion | China’s AI push in the Global South is not just about technology

By providing AI-powered products, infrastructure, governance tools and data-driven insights, China aims to reshape the global digital order.

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South China Sea

Asian Angle | Asean, Beijing need new strategy for binding code of conduct in South China Sea

A recalibrated approach is needed to narrow differences, strengthen trust, and ensure a legally binding code that promotes regional stability.

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Thailand

My Take | Why Thailand’s soft power splash is out of step with reality

Move to promote soft power at odds with perceptions that Thailand is not doing enough to tackle scam centres along Thai-Myanmar border.

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Tourists pose for photos at Erawan Shrine at Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Sam Tsang
Asean

Opinion | How Asean centrality and strong China ties can go hand in hand

As Asean chair, Malaysia must woo China, a key partner for the bloc, and also forge cooperation with a wide range of partners.

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The Asean flag is seen alongside the flags of member countries ahead of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia, on January 17. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Letters | Formal Asean-China framework could plug the gap in Mekong River cooperation

Readers discuss Asean as a recource for water resource diplomacy, and confusion in the European Union.

Asean

Asian Angle | How provincial ties can deepen Asean-China relations

Such a bottom-up strategy provides alternative channels to sustain ties amid the storms in top-level bilateral relations.

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South China Sea

Chinese military says 3 Philippine aircraft expelled from Spratly Islands

China’s Southern Theatre Command releases video of earlier aerial encounter; US State Department says PLA was reckless in that incident.

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China’s military says it drove three Philippine aircraft from over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on February 20. Photo: Reuters
War and conflict

Opinion | From the ashes of Gaza, the Global South must build another world

As US global leadership declines, the devastation of Gaza should prompt emerging nations to work towards a shared future for humankind.

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Protesters hold placards denouncing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza policy in front of the US embassy in Seoul, South Korea, on February 5. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

‘Unsafe and irresponsible’: US weighs in on China-Philippines aerial encounter

State Department calls on Beijing to ‘refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully’.

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Malaysia

Anwar’s Asean summit risks Trump’s ire as Malaysia courts China, Gulf bloc

While Anwar Ibrahim insists on neutrality, analysts warn the move to diversify trade ties could anger Trump and strain US-Asean relations.

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