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

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

videocam
40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

videocam
29
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

videocam
4
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

videocam
31
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China’s evolving role in Middle East conflicts, according to an academic

videocam
13
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

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

videocam
40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

videocam
29
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

videocam
4
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

videocam
31
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China’s evolving role in Middle East conflicts, according to an academic

videocam
13
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
US President Donald Trump gestures as he gives a press conference during the Nato summit at the Hague on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Israel-Iran conflict

Trump says he’ll bomb Iran again if nuclear activities start

The US president said he saved Supreme Leader Khamenei from assassination and lashed out at him for not saying ‘thank you’.

videocam
Africa

Rwanda and DR Congo sign peace deal, as Trump cheers mineral rights for US

Vietnam

Opinion | Hanoi’s NPT nomination proves the success of ‘bamboo diplomacy’

videocam
South China Sea

Philippines and Malaysia navies renew close ties, sidestep maritime claims

Relations between the two countries have been tested over the Malaysian state of Sabah and Manila’s maritime laws.

Admiral Tansri Zulhelmy Bin Ithnain, chief of Malaysia’s Royal Navy (front row, left), meets with vice-admiral Jose Ma Ambrosio Ezpeleta, flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy (front row, right), in Manila on Wednesday. Photo: Facebook/Philippine Navy
China-Africa relations

Opinion | Why Egypt is welcoming China with open arms instead of the US

Beijing offers not only the expertise needed for economic growth but also an equal partnership – delivering results without imposing conditions.

videocam
Japan

My Take | Who are these ‘like-minded countries’ politicians are talking about?

Once used to describe ‘the West’, the term has seen expanded usage recently.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong national security law

Hong Kong’s new bounce, 5 years post-national security law

There are signs that the city has bounced back, but worsening US-China tensions keep storm clouds lingering.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Japan

Nato shelves Tokyo office plan. Is China too powerful to provoke?

Analysts say the decision could be a missed opportunity to formalise Japan’s role as a trusted partner in global security.

6
Ukraine war

EU leaders agree to prolong sanctions on Russia for 6 months

Decision includes the freezing of more than US$234 billion in Russian central bank assets and will remain in force until at least early 2026.

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue

Marco Rubio to welcome Asian Quad counterparts back to Washington

US secretary of state will host foreign ministers from Australia, India and Japan on Tuesday in a refocus on Asia, State Department said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Hong Kong politics

Outgoing US envoy says little chance to meet Hong Kong officials during term

US Consul General Gregory May’s remarks prompt rebuttal from local government, which accused envoy of ‘completely disregarding rule of law’.

9
US Consul General Gregory May’s tenure has been marked by the erosion of bilateral ties between the US and Hong Kong following the enactment of the city’s national security law in 2020 and the wider geopolitical struggle between Washington and Beijing. Photo: AFP
Israel-Iran conflict

China hosts Iran defence minister and others on warship, condemns ‘hegemony’

Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh tours Type 052D destroyer Kaifeng, thanks Beijing for ‘supporting Iran’s legitimate position’.

videocam
16
China-EU relations

Rare earths, Taiwan discussed as Wang Yi meets EU envoys at Polish embassy

Gathering comes ahead of European leaders’ summit in Beijing with President Xi Jinping to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties.

videocam
Law

Legal Tales | Interstate mediation in a multipolar world: how can Hong Kong best play a role?

Hosting the International Organization for Mediation is a strong first step for Hong Kong on the road to providing a lasting contribution to international law.

videocam
The International Organization for Mediation is based in Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee
Israel-Iran conflict

CIA says US bombing set Iran’s nuclear programme back for ‘years’

The US spy agency cited new intelligence, in a statement supporting Trump’s claim that the facilities had been completely destroyed.

videocam
4
A satellite overview shows the damaged Fordow Fuel Enrichment Facility near Qom, Iran, on Tuesday. Image: Maxar Technologies via Reuters
Vladimir Putin

Putin to skip Brics summit in Brazil due to ICC arrest warrant

The Russian leader, who is accused of the war crime of deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, will take part via video link instead.

Ukraine war

Trump mulls more Patriots for Ukraine, says Putin ‘really has to end’ the war

The US president had a 50-minute talk with Zelensky, who wore a suit-style jacket after his attire at a previous meeting drew criticism.

videocam
4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
War and conflict

Opinion | How an overstretched US could clear space for China’s global rise

As the US gambles on swift military might to advance its interests, China navigates a treacherous diplomatic landscape with hard choices.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Britain

King Charles to host Trump in second UK state visit later this year

This makes Trump the US president the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch.

China manufacturing

China urging private firms to invest more in cross-border infrastructure

Finance minister, speaking at Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank meeting, says more mobilisation of private capital could help overcome bottleneck of insufficient public investment for infrastructure.

Japan

‘Tactical move’: Japan just cancelled key US security talks. Why?

Behind the scenes, analysts say a quiet push for domestic stability shaped Tokyo’s surprising diplomatic manoeuvre.

videocam
7
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31. Photo: Reuters
Donald Trump

‘Dear Donald’: Trump airs Nato chief’s gushing private message

Mark Rutte exposed as flatterer-in-chief in private message to the US president.

5
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte. Photo: AFP
China-Middle East relations

Opinion | China’s partnership with Muslim world is redrawing global landscape

Once seen as unlikely partners, this axis is now grounded in respect, sovereignty and a shared aspiration for a post-Western world order.

videocam
Donald Trump

Trump rattles Nato allies as he descends on summit

The US president refused to commit to the alliance’s mutual defence vow, as Washington warns it may shift focus to the threat from China.

4
South China Sea

Opinion | How data-sharing can help defuse South China Sea tensions

A project to share maritime information could contribute to turning the region from a geopolitical flashpoint into a model for preventive diplomacy.

videocam
Chinese sailors wave to their Vietnamese counterparts after a joint patrol in the South China Sea in 2024. Photo: Xinhua
Israel-Iran conflict

No more US offensives on Iran, Trump tells Israel after nuclear site strikes

The US president thinks any imminent threat posed by Iran has been removed and doesn’t want further military involvement, a US official says.

videocam
16
Israeli flags and the message “Thank You President Trump” are flown over Jersey City by a small plane on Monday. Photo: dpa
Britain

UK calls China’s power ‘an inescapable fact’, says freezing ties not an option

Chinese attempts to spy on and destabilise Britain have grown, but Beijing remains a vital economic partner, a government audit concludes.

videocam
9
China-Middle East relations

White House clarifies Trump’s comment on China buying Iranian oil

Trump ‘was simply calling attention to the fact that … the Strait of Hormuz will not be impacted’, official says.

videocam
53
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
OSZAR »