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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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18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

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

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
People at the Merlion statue in Singapore. The city state has emerged top among Southeast Asians who chose an Asean member as their preferred relocation destination, according to a survey. Photo: AFP
Asean

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

South Korea

From submarines to trade, South Korea and US remain deadlocked ahead of talks

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Environment

Video | Are we on the verge of another nuclear age?

Singapore

Sustained security can’t come from ‘barrel of a gun’: East Timor’s Ramos-Horta

At the Shangri-La Dialogue, the East Timor president cites Asean as an example of how communication can prevent conflict and yield dividends.

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Jose Ramos-Horta, president of East Timor, speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Japan PM vows ‘breakthrough’ with North Korea in abduction issue

Japan officially lists 17 Japanese nationals as having been abducted by North Korea, with five returned in 2002.

The Philippines

How Philippines and Japan future-proofed ties amid China tensions, US wavering

Manila and Tokyo forge a comprehensive strategic partnership, boosting defence and economic cooperation, as Indo-Pacific challenges mount.

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US-Asean relations

Tariffs, war and broken trust: Southeast Asia’s Trump problem

Disillusioned by US unpredictability, the region is learning to diversify – while Trump treats allies as bargaining chips.

Illustration: Huy Truong
US, Israel war on Iran

Why the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation isn’t Nato for Iran

Central Asian members in particular see bloc’s main value as preserving their sovereignty rather than enabling collective military action.

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Asean

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

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US-China relations

Ex-California mayor Eileen Wang pleads guilty to acting as China agent

She faces up to 10 years in prison for doing the bidding of Chinese officials by sharing articles favourable to Beijing.

Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, exits federal court in Los Angeles after pleading guilty on charges of acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government on Friday. Photo: AP
Canada

Canada might double exports to China, Wang Yi says during rare visit

Wang is on a three-day ⁠trip to Canada, the first such visit by a Chinese foreign minister in a decade.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his office in Ottawa on Friday. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

Brussels agrees on tougher China trade policy, as Beijing vows retaliation

Trade chief details why bloc needs to take stronger steps to defend itself from what is described as a new ‘China shock’ to its industries.

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Singapore

Vietnam’s To Lam warns of 3 crises converging in Asia-Pacific security

In the Singapore forum’s keynote address, the Vietnamese president urges a strategic framework for trust building to avert such threats.

European Union

EU’s 6 biggest economies agree on capital markets supervision

It is part ‌of a bid to boost EU’s competitiveness as it struggles with weak growth and fierce competition from the US and China.

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European Union flags flap in the wind outside EU headquarters in Brussels. The ⁠other 21 EU member states still need to agree to the proposals. Photo: AP
China trade

China-led SCO bloc looks to fast-track plan for new bank, rival Western lenders

Member states seek more financial autonomy and localised credit by advancing an effort to fund regional growth using their national currencies, not the US dollar.

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Flags wave outside the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on September 1. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Vietnam, Philippines to forge stronger ‘alignment’ on 50 years of ties

Analysts say To Lam’s first visit to Manila as state leader signals Vietnam’s balanced foreign policy and investment in Asean partnerships.

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Exclusive | Art of the deal: how Beijing pushed Trump to ‘arrest’ the trend on Taiwan arms

US president’s recent visit was seen as a prime opportunity to rein in the size of the weapons deliveries and avoid setting a precedent.

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Central Asia

China’s expanding footprint in Central Asia

From addressing critical water security fears to driving a regional green tech revolution, Beijing is cementing its role as an indispensable partner to Central Asia. This three-part series investigates China’s expanding influence in the region amid global geopolitical uncertainty, exploring how new investments and diplomatic ties are reshaping the Central Asian landscape.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) arrives in Astana for the second China-Central Asia Summit in June 2025. He was welcomed at the airport by Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China, US at ‘historical crossroads’, Beijing’s envoy tells New York gala event

Nixon, Bush and Rockefeller families are among evening’s honorees, along with former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa.

US-China relations

Opinion | TV coverage of Trump’s visit showed Americans how ordinary Chinese live

If the Xi-Trump summit gave Americans a clearer picture of contemporary China, that may prove to be one of its more enduring achievements.

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Israel-Gaza war

Netanyahu orders Israeli military to seize 70% of Gaza, expanding control

Israel effectively controls an estimated 64 per cent of the tiny coastal strip, bombarded to ruins by war.

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A yellow block demarcates the 'Yellow Line', which has separated the Gaza Strip’s Israeli-held and Palestinian zones since the October ceasefire. Photo: AP
Pakistan

Editorial | PM Sharif’s visit reaffirms China-Pakistan ‘iron brother’ relationship

The visit reinforced the two nations’ commitment to international law, the peaceful resolution of disputes and a multipolar world.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shakes hands with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 25. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Opinion | Heroics will only turn middle power dreams into nightmares

Successful middle powers do not defy systemic pressures but recognise structural change early enough to avoid becoming trapped.

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China-Latin America relations

Panama rejects US pressure claims as it seeks to ease China tensions

Panamanian president looks to defuse issues with Beijing as South American country attempts to renew key China maritime agreement.

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Canada

Making partnerships great again? Carney pitches new US-Canada ties

Prime minister adopts conciliatory tone and emphasises Canada’s role in fuelling US economic growth.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in New York on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

Israel launches deadly strike near Beirut as it widens offensive in Lebanon

Escalating hostilities in Lebanon strain a fragile ceasefire ahead of crucial negotiations in Washington.

The aftermath of an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

US boasts viable Iran deal: no nuclear weapons, Hormuz open. Will Trump agree?

US president said to be weighing proposed deal as fragile ceasefire holds after renewed strikes and Iranian retaliation.

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US-China relations

America at 250: how Trump’s foreign policy is redefining the US story

‘Even if the US comes back, it will not return to the position it once held,’ while China could play a bigger role, analyst Wu Xinbo says.

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