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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.
US President Donald Trump glances at Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Group of 20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 30, 2018. Photo: Reuters
United States

Opinion | Trump’s team is waking up the reality of rivalry with Russia

While the contemporary American right has tended to differentiate China’s aims from Russia’s, that position is looking increasingly untenable.

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Ukraine war

Trump secretly urged Ukraine to hit deep inside Russia: report

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Israel-Gaza war

UN: 875 Palestinians killed in 6 weeks near Gaza aid sites

India

India in a fix over Trump’s tariff threat aimed at Russian oil

If Russia fails to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days, India fears that the tariff could cause a spike in oil prices, analysts say.

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Oil tanks belonging to Russian state-owned Transneft. About 35 per cent of India’s oil demand is met by Russian imports, an analyst says. Photo: dpa
Russia

Russia’s Medvedev scoffs at Trump’s Ukraine ultimatum, but Kremlin to analyse

Russia’s ex-president dismissed Trump’s 100 per cent tariff threat as a “theatrical ultimatum”, while the Kremlin said it was “very serious”, needing Putin’s analysis.

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Brics

Opinion | For Brics, it’s a big leap from talk shop to institution of power

The bloc stands at a crossroads: can it become a true alternative to the G7, or is it merely a fractured mirror of diverging interests?

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US-China relations

If the US wants Japan, Australia to commit to Taiwan role, will they agree?

Public pledges from the Asia-Pacific allies unlikely, observers say, with efforts to pressure them seen as signs of ‘weakening’ confidence.

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The US is reportedly putting pressure on Japan and Australia to say what they would do if Washington and Beijing went to war over Taiwan. Photo: AFP
Israel-Iran conflict

US-Iran nuclear talks ‘won’t take place’ if conditioned on stopping enrichment

The talks have stalled since the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

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Taiwan

Paraguay president vows to defend Taiwan ties ‘with all its strength’

Ahead of expected visit by Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te, Peña defends ties as business leaders and opposition lawmakers have pushed for a pivot to Beijing.

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Israel-Gaza war

Israel ‘willing to withdraw more troops’ from Gaza than previously offered

Under the proposal, Israel would reduce military presence to a 2-km-wide buffer zone along the Rafah border, The Times of Israel reported.

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Israeli troops deploy by Israel’s border fence with Gaza. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / TNS
Ukraine war

Zelensky names new PM, taps official who spearheaded US minerals deal

Zelensky asked First Deputy PM Yulia Svyrydenko on Monday to lead a new government and proposed the current PM take over as defence minister.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

EU finalises list of counter-tariffs on US$84 billion of US imports

Trump recently announced that he is imposing 30 per cent tariffs on imports from the European bloc as of August 1.

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United States

Trump threatens Russia with 100% ‘secondary’ tariffs if no deal on Ukraine

In meeting with Nato chief, US president also vows to send more weapons to the bloc in support of Kyiv.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | In misfiring over China complaints, EU risks shooting itself in the foot

Chinese competitiveness is driven by innovation rather than subsidies, and its stance on Ukraine emphasises peace rather than complicity.

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EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels, Belgium, on July 2. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Diplomacy over drama: Indonesia rules out military action to free designer

Arnold Putra is serving a seven-year prison sentence for entering Myanmar illegally and engaging with an ethnic armed group.

Indonesian fashion designer Arnold Putra. Photo: Instagram
Australia

Australia fires its first US-made Himars rocket system

It fired the rocket system during its joint live-fire exercise involving the US, Singapore, Japan, France and South Korea.

Cambodia

Cambodia to resume military conscription amid Thai border tensions

In 2006, Cambodia’s parliament passed a law mandating military service for citizens aged 18 to 30 for 18 months, but it has never been enforced.

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North Korea

Lavrov in North Korea: a sign Russia urgently needs more of Kim’s troops?

Moscow’s top diplomat capped a flurry of high-level visits to North Korea in search of more ‘allies willing to bleed’, analysts say.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) greets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Wonsan, North Korea, on Saturday. Photo: KCNA/EPA
China-Russia relations

China-Russia ties are more mature and stable than any major relationship: Wang

China’s foreign minister tells Russian counterpart Putin’s coming visit to China is among top priorities in a ‘turbulent and changing world’.

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Malaysia

‘Not welcome here’: Malaysia lashes out at ‘Zionist’ US envoy pick Nick Adams

Critics have blasted as an ‘insult’ the push to appoint a self-styled ‘Alpha Male’ known for his Islamophobic tirades as US ambassador.

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Australia

Australia’s largest-ever military drill under way, Chinese spy ships expected

Chinese military have observed these biennial exercises since 2017, but this year’s drills coincide with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China.

Australian and US HIMARS rockets are launched during the firepower demonstration as part of the Talisman Sabre 2025 joint military exercises on Monday. Photo: EPA
United States

US conducts military drills in Panama Canal amid Trump’s China influence concerns

These drills come amid Donald Trump’s repeated claims of excessive Chinese influence over the crucial trade route, despite Panama’s assertions of sovereignty.

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A US military Black Hawk helicopter flies over the Pacific side of the Panama Canal as it travels to the Darien province to provide a humanitarian assistance in Panama. Photo: AP
Ukraine war

Trump pledges Patriot missiles to Ukraine, says Nato will pay

The comments mark a shift in his approach to the war and come as his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued aggression has grown.

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China-Australia relations

China trade or Philippine defence ties? Why Australia attempts to balance both

While seeking stable ties with its largest trading partner, Australia must also ‘maintain credibility as a regional stabiliser’, analysts say.

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Donald Trump

Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to UK confirmed for September

Trump, a big supporter of the royal family, will be accompanied by his wife during the September 17 to 19 trip, Buckingham Palace said.

US President Donald Trump, right, and Prince Charles, now King Charles, during Trump’s state visit in London in June 2019. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Ukraine war

US senators aim to arm Trump with ‘sledgehammer’ sanctions against Russia

Trump has indicated he would be open to the sanctions bill as relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin grow increasingly frosty.

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US President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: AP
China’s Communist Party

China think tanks must be ‘self-centred’ to project nation’s soft power: expert

Leading Chinese scholar Zheng Yongnian says policy adviser groups should be based on a practical ‘indigenous knowledge system’.

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Indonesia

Indonesia, EU unveil ‘political agreement’ on trade deal

The deal, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, is expected to be concluded in September.

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