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Diplomacy

Diplomacy
Latest news, features and analysis on global diplomatic relations, with a focus on China’s international ties – especially with the US, its Asian neighbours and the European Union.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

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

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

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

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing on April 14. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

Opinion | Why Spain’s ‘fruit bowl’ diplomacy with China comes up rather empty

Spain is a secondary actor within a middle-ranking bloc dealing with a major power. Diplomacy can soften but not change that asymmetry.

India

India-Germany defence road map ‘good template’ for wider EU cooperation

China-Africa relations

China and resource-rich Mozambique sign minerals and security agreement

War and conflict

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

From Iran to the Horn of Africa, disinformation is killing diplomacy. Mediators need facts, not state-sponsored fictions.

A satellite image shows smoke rising from an oil refinery in Tuapse, Russia, on Monday after an overnight strike claimed by Ukraine’s military. Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Reuters
Taiwan

As I see it | Kuomintang gets the carrots, DPP the stick

Beijing and Taiwan’s opposition KMT want to foster cross-strait interdependence but DPP offers only isolation and endless confrontation.

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G7

G7 ‘concerned’ at Russia and China’s nuclear build-up

The remarks come ahead of a month-long conference to revise the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US sanctions China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iran oil

Hengli Petrochemical’s facility in Dalian can process 400,000 barrels per day, making it one of the biggest independent refineries in China.

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A Hengli Group petrochemical industrial park is seen in China’s Dalian in June 2024. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

US and EU sign critical minerals plan in push to loosen China’s grip

Western nations are seeking to diversify their supply chains for resources used to make semiconductors, EVs and advanced weapons.

European Union

Germany’s Merz says no ‘immediate’ Ukraine EU membership

There is little appetite to fast track Kyiv to full membership in the EU – causing some to pitch possible interim benefits in the meantime.

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Donald Trump

A month after elections, Danish government talks remain in stalemate

Caretaker PM Mette ‌Frederiksen has so far only won support from left-wing groups, which is not enough to secure a parliamentary majority.

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Denmark’s acting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen on April 7. Photo: via Reuters
US-China relations

In lead-up to Trump’s Beijing visit, China announces 2 pandas are set for US zoo

Foreign ministry says deal will aid protection of pandas and other threatened species and help global biodiversity conservation efforts.

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Fu Shuang will head to Atlanta under a new 10-year deal. She will be accompanied by Ping Ping. Photo: QQ.com
China trade

China places EU defence, aerospace firms on export control list

Seven listed entities are barred from receiving ‘dual-use’ items originating in China, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce.

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The Philippines

‘We owe it to the world’: Philippines pushes for South China Sea code this year

Talks between Asean and China to agree on setting rules for maritime behaviour and crisis management under the code have stalled.

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South Korea

‘Make money in Korea, ignore Korean sentiment’: Seoul, US spar over meddling

National Assembly Speaker Woo slams US Republicans’ ‘interference in domestic affairs’ amid data leak probe into the e-commerce firm.

A worker drives a delivery truck of South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang in Seoul last year. Photo: AFP
India

A Delhi-Dhaka thaw? India opens door to Sheikh Hasina extradition talks

The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says.

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Sheikh Hasina speaks to the media after casting her vote in Dhaka on January 7, 2024. Photo: AP
Australia

Australia signs US$7 billion Japan warship deal to boost firepower against China

The formalised deal offers Canberra a strategic alternative to uncertain US defence ties, analysts say.

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US-China relations

Exclusive | Trump ally to visit China as US turns up pressure before May summit

Republican senator to lead bipartisan delegation to China next week; visit will begin on May 1, with stops planned in Shanghai and Beijing.

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Donald Trump

‘China or India or some other hellhole’: Trump reposts anti-immigrant rant

India’s foreign ministry called the remarks ‘obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste’.

US President Donald Trump gestures during an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 16. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says Israel and Lebanon agree to extend ceasefire by 3 weeks

The US president says he sees ‘great chance’ of a peace deal between the two countries this year after White House talks went ‘very well’.

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Donald Trump

Trump says King Charles’ visit could ‘absolutely’ repair US-UK ties

The monarch’s landmark visit comes as the Iran war, Epstein scandal and other issues test the US-UK alliance.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Is the US in decline? Why Iran war might be the surest sign

In going from international rule-maker to ‘predatory hegemon’, the US is risking it all, Chinese state media and observers warn.

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Chinese analysts say Washington’s reckless behaviour under President Donald Trump has alienated allies, weakened its credibility and eroded its global influence. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine war

EU approves US$106 billion loan to Ukraine after Hungary lifts veto

The loan will help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years.

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A man in military uniform sits near a makeshift memorial dedicated to the fallen Ukrainian soldiers and international volunteers in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 20, 2026. Photo: EPA
China-Middle East relations

Opinion | China can offer Gulf states more than just a security umbrella

As threat perceptions reset, Gulf states are likely to pursue a dual track of restrained regional policy and diversified partnerships.

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The Philippines

How the Philippines became Japan’s closest security partner in Southeast Asia

Japan’s participation in the Balikatan drill and its new weapon export rules are set to further defence ties between the two countries.

China-Asean relations

China calls on Cambodia for ‘shared security and risks’ during global turmoil

Defence and foreign ministers meet in Phnom Penh after Hun Manet describes China as a ‘most important and most trustworthy good friend’.

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Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun (from left) and Foreign Minister Wang Yi link arms with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian deputy prime minister, and Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha. Photo: Handout/Agence Kampuchea Press
Saudi Arabia

Editorial | Saudi leader’s phone call to Xi Jinping shows shifting global power balance

For long-time US ally Riyadh to seek out China suggests a growing lack of conviction among countries that the US alone can shape the global order.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh, on December 8, 2022. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

US lawmakers slam China’s ‘parasitic’ theft of military and tech secrets

US senators pointed to legal channels, including work visas and university research, as potential pathways for China-linked espionage.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

The plan is an attempt to mend ties with Italian PM Meloni, after she and Trump fell out over his attacks against Pope Leo.

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