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Wang Yi

Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, became the first Chinese diplomat in decades to sit on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s now 24-men decision making body. Wang has been the face of China’s evolving foreign policy under President Xi Jinping since 2013.

Born

19 Oct 1953

Industry

Politics

Job Title

Minister of Foreign Affairs, China

Russia

Bus with Chinese tourists crashes through ice on Russia’s Lake Baikal, killing 8

A criminal investigation has been launched after reports that the tour had been run by an unregistered operator.

22 Feb 2026 - 1:53AM

China-Japan relations

What next for China ties as Japan’s Takaichi targets Chinese ‘coercion’?

21 Feb 2026 - 3:30PMvideocam

China-EU relations

Merz the latest European leader to visit China amid tensions with US

20 Feb 2026 - 9:38PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Tokyo involvement in Taiwan would amount to aggression against Beijing: UN envoy

Fu Cong, permanent representative to the United Nations, warns of a resolute retaliation if Japan intervenes militarily on the issue.

19 Feb 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Fu Cong (centre), China’s permanent representative to the UN, addresses the Security Council on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

SCMP Highlights

Star Cruises apologises, China goes visa-free for UK, Canada: 5 weekend reads

From the Munich Security Conference to Star Cruises’ fiasco, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

16 Feb 2026 - 2:12PM

Hong Kong stock market

Korean investors pour US$92.5 million into Hong Kong AI, tech stocks

Return to mainland equities bends towards start-ups and ETFs, versus earlier focus on bellwether, large-cap names.

16 Feb 2026 - 8:30AM

Munich Security Conference

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

15 Feb 2026 - 9:30PMvideocam

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses a session of the Munich Security Conference on February 14. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

Rubio, Wang Yi manage US-China rivalry in Munich as underlying tensions linger

Back-to-back speeches appear to continue relative thaw in run-up to Trump’s expected China trip but sharp swipes are also traded.

14 Feb 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

US-China relations

Future of China-US ties rests on Washington’s will, Wang Yi says in Munich

At Munich Security Conference, Chinese foreign minister also accuses Japan of ‘angry ambitions for the invasion and colonisation of Taiwan’.

14 Feb 2026 - 10:43PMvideocam

China-EU relations

Farewell to the ‘unipolar moment’: Europe scrambles for footing between US and China

French and German foreign ministers revive talks with Beijing counterpart to respond to US-China divide-and-rule tactics and bolster European unity.

14 Feb 2026 - 7:50PMvideocam

Meeting in Munich on Friday are (from left) China’s Wang Yi, Germany’s Johann Wadephul and France’s Jean-Noel Barrot. Photo: DPA

US-China relations

Win-win, not zero-sum, China’s Wang Yi tells US’ Marco Rubio in Munich talks

In their second in-person encounter, the two top diplomats hold ‘positive and constructive’ talks.

15 Feb 2026 - 1:02AMvideocam

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday. Photo: AFP

China-Latin America relations

China vows to ‘do what it can’ as US blockade leaves Cuba with just weeks of oil

Beijing pledges continued support for Cuba and champions Havana’s sovereignty as the island grapples with worsening fuel shortages.

12 Feb 2026 - 7:38AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Exclusive | Cold shoulder? China, EU in diplomatic stand-off ahead of Munich showdown

Annual security conference could provide rare venue for high-level EU-China talks as top diplomats Wang Yi and Kaja Kallas attend.

11 Feb 2026 - 7:43PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

China keeps Cuba and Uruguay in the fold, puts Panama out in the cold

Beijing promises more aid to struggling Havana and cooperation with Montevideo as Washington looks to extend its reach in Latin America.

6 Feb 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla (left) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirm their countries’ ties in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

US-China relations

USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea. So is a Chinese vessel

Research ship Dayang Yihao may have been sailing near the American warship, independent military observer says in a social media post.

3 Feb 2026 - 7:28PM

China’s Dayang Yihao has been surveying the Arabian Sea since December 19, according to SeaLight, a Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis group. Photo: Handout

ICBMs

China grows nuclear arsenal as last US-Russia limits expire

President Xi Jinping plans to further expand China’s nuclear weapons stockpile, while caps on US and Russian deployments end this week.

5 Feb 2026 - 2:58PM

China-Russia relations

Could Greenland and Iran have been factors in latest China-Russia talks?

Sunday’s meeting between senior officials saw Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warning against the ‘law of the jungle’.

2 Feb 2026 - 10:16PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Xi to meet Orsi in first Latin America-China visit since US capture of Maduro

State visit from February 1 to 7 aims to promote commercial ties with Beijing despite tension in region after US operation in Venezuela.

27 Jan 2026 - 6:17AMvideocam

Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing next month. Photo: EPA

Central Asia

Why are Afghan-Tajikistan border tensions such a headache for China?

A suicide bombing at a restaurant in Kabul is just the latest sign of how Chinese citizens can become caught up in the region’s instability.

24 Jan 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Why China is playing the long game in Iran despite Trump’s fresh threats

Beijing is balancing vital energy interests with long-standing diplomatic principles and a cautious Middle East recalibration, analysts say.

22 Jan 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why so many states reject bloc rivalry to choose partnership with China

It’s a calculated choice to keep growth, infrastructure momentum and policy space alive in a world that punishes the economically exposed.

21 Jan 2026 - 5:15PMvideocam

African Union Commission chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf welcomes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 8. Photo: Handout from African Union via EPA

Diplomacy

China bids to host High Seas Treaty secretariat, even as US exits UN bodies

China puts forward Xiamen as potential future home of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction secretariat as treaty comes into force.

19 Jan 2026 - 10:01PMvideocam

The BBNJ Agreement provides a framework for governing the ocean that lies beyond the jurisdiction of any individual country, covering around two-thirds of global waters. Photo: Shutterstock

China-Africa relations

How China is ramping up Africa charm offensive to boost cultural ties, influence

Beijing dedicates 2026 to ‘cultural and social diplomacy’ across the continent, with 600 activities aimed at fostering strong friendships.

18 Jan 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Asian Angle | China has a worthy blueprint to improve the UN. Why is the West ignoring it?

China’s Global Governance Initiative seeks to end ‘might is right’, but the West insists on viewing it through a dusty Cold War lens.

18 Jan 2026 - 10:30AMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

China-led SCO warns against Iran ‘interference’ in veiled swipe at US

Security bloc expresses ‘grave concern’ over ‘tragic events’ as Iran is rocked by protests, calls for ‘political and diplomatic’ resolution.

17 Jan 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

“Iran is our Homeland”, reads a billboard in Persian at a shop in Tehran. Photo: EPA-EFE

China-EU relations

China’s charm offensive: Beijing bypasses Brussels to soften EU trade push

From aircraft orders in France to reopened beef and pork markets for Ireland and Spain, mainland officials are leaning hard into diplomacy.

17 Jan 2026 - 12:13PMvideocam

European Union flags fly outside the bloc’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Beijing is ramping up bilateral diplomacy as the European Commission prepares for another confrontational year of trade action against China. Photo: AP

China-Middle East relations

China warns against ‘law of the jungle’ amid anti-government protests in Iran

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that Beijing was willing to mediate.

15 Jan 2026 - 9:44PMvideocam

China-Canada relations

China and Canada at ‘new starting point’ as Mark Carney makes state visit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang says the two countries have worked together to achieve a turnaround in relations.

15 Jan 2026 - 9:35PMvideocam

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Wang Yi

Bus with Chinese tourists crashes through ice on Russia’s Lake Baikal, killing 8

A criminal investigation has been launched after reports that the tour had been run by an unregistered operator.

What next for China ties as Japan’s Takaichi targets Chinese ‘coercion’?

Merz the latest European leader to visit China amid tensions with US

Tokyo involvement in Taiwan would amount to aggression against Beijing: UN envoy

Fu Cong, permanent representative to the United Nations, warns of a resolute retaliation if Japan intervenes militarily on the issue.

Star Cruises apologises, China goes visa-free for UK, Canada: 5 weekend reads

From the Munich Security Conference to Star Cruises’ fiasco, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Korean investors pour US$92.5 million into Hong Kong AI, tech stocks

Return to mainland equities bends towards start-ups and ETFs, versus earlier focus on bellwether, large-cap names.

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

Rubio, Wang Yi manage US-China rivalry in Munich as underlying tensions linger

Back-to-back speeches appear to continue relative thaw in run-up to Trump’s expected China trip but sharp swipes are also traded.

Future of China-US ties rests on Washington’s will, Wang Yi says in Munich

At Munich Security Conference, Chinese foreign minister also accuses Japan of ‘angry ambitions for the invasion and colonisation of Taiwan’.

Farewell to the ‘unipolar moment’: Europe scrambles for footing between US and China

French and German foreign ministers revive talks with Beijing counterpart to respond to US-China divide-and-rule tactics and bolster European unity.

Win-win, not zero-sum, China’s Wang Yi tells US’ Marco Rubio in Munich talks

In their second in-person encounter, the two top diplomats hold ‘positive and constructive’ talks.

China vows to ‘do what it can’ as US blockade leaves Cuba with just weeks of oil

Beijing pledges continued support for Cuba and champions Havana’s sovereignty as the island grapples with worsening fuel shortages.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Cold shoulder? China, EU in diplomatic stand-off ahead of Munich showdown

Annual security conference could provide rare venue for high-level EU-China talks as top diplomats Wang Yi and Kaja Kallas attend.

China keeps Cuba and Uruguay in the fold, puts Panama out in the cold

Beijing promises more aid to struggling Havana and cooperation with Montevideo as Washington looks to extend its reach in Latin America.

USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea. So is a Chinese vessel

Research ship Dayang Yihao may have been sailing near the American warship, independent military observer says in a social media post.

China grows nuclear arsenal as last US-Russia limits expire

President Xi Jinping plans to further expand China’s nuclear weapons stockpile, while caps on US and Russian deployments end this week.

Could Greenland and Iran have been factors in latest China-Russia talks?

Sunday’s meeting between senior officials saw Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warning against the ‘law of the jungle’.

Xi to meet Orsi in first Latin America-China visit since US capture of Maduro

State visit from February 1 to 7 aims to promote commercial ties with Beijing despite tension in region after US operation in Venezuela.

Why are Afghan-Tajikistan border tensions such a headache for China?

A suicide bombing at a restaurant in Kabul is just the latest sign of how Chinese citizens can become caught up in the region’s instability.

Why China is playing the long game in Iran despite Trump’s fresh threats

Beijing is balancing vital energy interests with long-standing diplomatic principles and a cautious Middle East recalibration, analysts say.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Why so many states reject bloc rivalry to choose partnership with China

It’s a calculated choice to keep growth, infrastructure momentum and policy space alive in a world that punishes the economically exposed.

China bids to host High Seas Treaty secretariat, even as US exits UN bodies

China puts forward Xiamen as potential future home of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction secretariat as treaty comes into force.

How China is ramping up Africa charm offensive to boost cultural ties, influence

Beijing dedicates 2026 to ‘cultural and social diplomacy’ across the continent, with 600 activities aimed at fostering strong friendships.

Asian Angle | China has a worthy blueprint to improve the UN. Why is the West ignoring it?

China’s Global Governance Initiative seeks to end ‘might is right’, but the West insists on viewing it through a dusty Cold War lens.

China-led SCO warns against Iran ‘interference’ in veiled swipe at US

Security bloc expresses ‘grave concern’ over ‘tragic events’ as Iran is rocked by protests, calls for ‘political and diplomatic’ resolution.

China’s charm offensive: Beijing bypasses Brussels to soften EU trade push

From aircraft orders in France to reopened beef and pork markets for Ireland and Spain, mainland officials are leaning hard into diplomacy.

China warns against ‘law of the jungle’ amid anti-government protests in Iran

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that Beijing was willing to mediate.

China and Canada at ‘new starting point’ as Mark Carney makes state visit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang says the two countries have worked together to achieve a turnaround in relations.

Exclusive | Cold shoulder? China, EU in diplomatic stand-off ahead of Munich showdown

Opinion | Why so many states reject bloc rivalry to choose partnership with China