Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

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

videocam
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

videocam
5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

videocam
18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

videocam
93
Illustration: Henry Wong

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

videocam
40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

videocam
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

videocam
5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

videocam
18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

videocam
93
Illustration: Henry Wong

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

videocam
40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
A worker drives a delivery truck of South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang in Seoul last year. Photo: AFP
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.

India

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

videocam
Australia

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

16
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.

videocam
30
Chinese Premier Li Qiang greets US Senator Steve Daines ahead of their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 23, 2025. Photo: Pool via Reuters
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, 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’.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

4
Britain’s King Charles and US President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle in September last year. Photo: Reuters
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.

videocam
70
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
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.

A sailor raises the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force ensign on board the JS Ise helicopter destroyer as it docks in Manila last year. Photo: AFP
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’.

videocam
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.

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.

videocam
17
The United States and China are locked in an intense technological battle for global supremacy. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

US President Donald Trump greets Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2025. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’, Lutnick tells US lawmakers

Commerce chief says Beijing is prioritising its own semiconductor industry when asked whether selling US chips would aid Chinese military.

videocam
15
Canada

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

videocam
4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Americas and the Caribbean

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US F-16 jet deal

Peru’s interim president defers decision on the US$3.5 billion deal to his successor who will emerge from a run-off vote in June.

A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US slams Beijing after African countries block Taiwan leader’s eSwatini trip

A State Department official called the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system.

videocam
2026 Trump-Xi summit

As Iran talks go nowhere, will Donald Trump still go to Beijing?

With peace negotiations postponed, it is unclear if the US president will be ready to look at stabilising ties between the two top economies.

videocam
21
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | How China’s patient diplomacy can help secure peace in Iran

China’s diplomacy, backed by leverage and guarantees of assistance, could provide a template for contemporary conflicts where a single side cannot carry the day.

videocam
A pedestrian passes a billboard for the US-Iran talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11. Photo: Xinhua
China travel

2,700 China-Japan flights axed in March as rift between Asian powers deepens

Nearly half of the planned flights between China and Japan were cancelled last month, as Beijing and Tokyo remain locked in a diplomatic feud.

videocam
4
Air China planes are seen parked on the tarmac at an airport in Beijing in 2020. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore’s Balakrishnan warns Hormuz just a ‘dry run’ if US, China clash

Foreign minister also says Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have a ‘strategic interest’ in keeping the Strait of Malacca open.

4
China-Africa relations

Why China is backing nuclear fuel rod production in Namibia

On week-long trip to China, Namibian minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi pitches investment case to business leaders in Shenzhen.

videocam
Myanmar

Why Myanmar’s token amnesties are ‘no cause for celebration’

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is now due for release in 2043 – provided she survives to the age of 97.

A protester from Myanmar living in Japan holds a placard showing detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a rally in December outside Myanmar’s embassy in Tokyo denouncing the junta’s election. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Caught between Washington and Tehran, Riyadh may shift towards self-reliance and diversifying partnerships, observers note.

videocam
11
Smoke rises above RIyadh amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Since the war began on February 28, Iranian missiles and drones have targeted key Saudi infrastructure. Photo: Reuters
Education in Hong Kong

Opinion | It’s time to unlock Hong Kong’s international relations potential

Globally connected and intellectually vibrant, the city can offer cutting-edge research and lead diplomatic debates of global importance.

videocam
New Zealand

New Zealand minister under fire for ‘butter chicken tsunami’ remarks

A free-trade agreement, to be signed next week, could see more than 20,000 Indian migrants entering New Zealand, officials say.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement