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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
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday. Photo: Zuma Press Wire via dpa
Middle East

Israel’s Netanyahu says ‘war continues’ during visit to southern Lebanon

Lebanon’s PM says he’s working to get Israeli troops out as Hezbollah militants fight back.

Americas and the Caribbean

Cuba’s president warns US against attacking island or trying to depose him

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US, Israel war on Iran

‘Blown to hell’: Trump announces US blockade of Strait of Hormuz

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Asean

Asian Angle | Doubts about Trump strain Southeast Asia’s US-China balancing act

An increasingly unpredictable Washington is making the region’s traditional hedging strategy harder to sustain.

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US President Donald Trump (centre) stands for a group photo with Southeast Asian leaders at the 13th Asean-United States Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. Photo: AFP
US-Venezuela conflict

‘Eager to explore’: Chinese migrants return to Venezuela after Maduro’s capture

A large chunk of Venezuela’s Chinese community fled overseas during Maduro’s rule. Now, many are returning as they see ‘new opportunities’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

‘We have no trust in the other side’: Iran blames US as talks end with no deal

Tehran’s lead negotiator hits out at Washington after Islamabad talks, while Vance says sticking point was lack of nuclear commitments.

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European Union

Israeli spy firm Black Cube involved in Cyprus corruption probe

Black Cube came to prominence in 2017 for its operations aimed at discrediting women who accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre), Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides (left) and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (right) hold a joint press conference after a trilateral meeting at the Citadel of David Hotel in Jerusalem, on December 22 last year. Photo: EPA
Bangladesh

Vaccine coverage gaps spur Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak

Health authorities launched an emergency vaccine campaign on Sunday, with UN agencies aiming to protect more than 1.2 million children.

Thailand

Thais celebrate new year despite fuel price shocks delaying travel

Thailand is gearing up for its biggest annual holiday, Songkran, as soaring fuel prices drive up costs for Thais travelling for the celebrations.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump critique pauses UK handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius

The Labour government will not include legislation supporting the handover in its parliamentary agenda without support from Washington.

President Donald Trump conducts a news conference in the White House briefing room about the war in Iran, in Washington, US on Monday. Photo: TNS
Pakistan

UAE pulls US$3.5 billion from Pakistan after Iran war mediation

As Abu Dhabi signals its displeasure with Islamabad, analysts say other indebted partners will be watching closely.

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A shopkeeper displays Iranian flags after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Taiwan

Editorial | Cheng’s Beijing visit underscores hope for cross-strait engagement

The rare meeting with Xi is a vital reminder of how the mainland and Taiwan can work together to turn around a fraught relationship.

US-China trade war

Trump’s tariff powers tested again as court questions ‘deficit’ justification

Court weighs Section 122 tariffs as plaintiffs warn of shifting tactics and judges probe limits of ‘balance of payments’ claims.

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China-Latin America relations

China, Russia rally behind Cuba as US squeezes Havana in deepening crisis

‘China is willing to work with the international community to firmly support Cuba,’ said a Beijing spokesperson.

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Cuba faces a deepening crisis marked by widespread power outages, acute fuel shortages and growing economic strain, as external pressure and limited supplies weigh on daily life. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

US presses Iran as talks gear up in Pakistan under fragile ceasefire

Vice-President J.D. Vance to lead negotiations in Islamabad as Tehran sets preconditions, Trump warns of military action if diplomacy fails.

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US Vice-President J.D. Vance before boarding Air Force Two on Friday en route to Pakistan for high-stakes talks with Iran. Photo: Reuters
2026 Trump-Xi summit

High fertiliser prices mean more soybeans for farmers – and greater reliance on China

Analysts question the cost of China deploying ‘fertiliser diplomacy’ and boosting soybean purchases ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.

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Ukraine war

Ukrainians sceptical as Russia’s Putin orders Easter truce

The Kremlin says its forces will stop fighting ‘in all directions’ for 32 hours, and Zelensky says Kyiv is willing to reciprocate.

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France

Macron woos Trump to G7 summit with French palace dinner. Will he bite?

An official said the French leader was ‘begging’ the US president to attend the June meeting.

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US President Donald Trump with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in 2019. Photo: AP
US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

The six GCC nations worry that the US will prioritise Tehran’s needs and leave the Gulf monarchies vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

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Taiwan

Xi holds landmark Taiwan meeting, Iran war ceasefire, GDP update

This week: Xi Jinping meets leader of Taiwan’s KMT for first time in nine years, Trump acknowledges China help in Middle East ceasefire, factory-gate prices end three-year decline. Next week: First-quarter GDP data comes out, Spain’s PM returns to China, rugby fans head to Hong Kong Sevens, and more.

US-China relations

Opinion | A stark clash of world views will overshadow Trump’s visit to China

As Xi and Trump prepare to meet, the divergence between their visions of global order has never been more acute.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China economy

Opinion | Why Latin America is becoming indispensable to China

Latin America fits Beijing’s need for alternative partners with uncomfortable precision. That is a problem for Washington.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan (right) pose for a photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela da Silva in Beijing, China, on May 13, 2025, on the sidelines of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum. Photo: EPA-EFE/Xinhua
United States

Russian special envoy in US to meet Trump administration officials: sources

Kirill Dmitriev’s reported trip comes before a US decision on ⁠whether to extend sanctions relief on Russian oil, ‌which expires on Saturday.

China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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War and conflict

Opinion | For Asia, US-Iran ceasefire offers little relief – and much uncertainty

What may be coming is neither stable peace nor uninterrupted war, but something in between: a prolonged condition of managed instability.

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Demonstrators against military action in Iran after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, outside the White House in Washington on April 7. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

How can Beijing prepare for Trump’s ‘drunken boxing’ style before he meets Xi?

As Trump loomed large in both Iran war and subsequent pause, analysts weigh the importance of rhetoric vs results in his talks with China.

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Commentators say the US president’s volatile, and often contradictory, negotiation style may be effective and parties across the table should react to his actions, not his words. Photo: AP
War and conflict

Opinion | China’s role in the Iran-US ceasefire reflects its strategic distance

In taking a back seat in de-escalation efforts with Pakistan, China is decoupling its influence from responsibility.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Trump-Xi summit set for limited trade-focused agenda

US goals for May’s presidential summit focus on stability and specific trade deals rather than an overall relationship reset.

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