81 m. ago US restricts visas of some Central American nationals over China ties

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Washington was restricting visas for some Central American nationals who it alleged to be “intentionally acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party” and undermining the rule of law. “As a result, these individuals and their immediate family members will be generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” Rubio said in his statement. The statement did not name any individuals or cite specific examples of actions over which they...

Politics

94 m. ago China’s vision of ‘true multilateralism’ resonates with Muslim world

President Xi Jinping’s renewed call for a new global security and economic order that places the Global South at its core is more than rhetorical positioning against the United States. It signals a paradigm shift in the architecture of world politics. Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on Monday, Xi called on nations to “oppose hegemonism and power politics” and instead “practise true multilateralism”. The message was unmistakable: the dominance of the US...

Politics

3 h. ago Navy cartel strike / China power flex / global order : Sources & Methods

Navy cartel strike / China power flex / global order : Sources & Methods  NPR

Events

3 h. ago Trump tells Europe to put economic pressure on China over Ukraine

US President Donald Trump urged European countries on Thursday to put economic pressure on China because of its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House said. Speaking by video conference with European leaders gathered in Paris, Trump also said “Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war”, a senior White House official said on condition of anonymity. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also took part in the meeting, said earlier that Trump was “very...

Politics

3 h. ago Mexico considering imposing tariffs on China, President Sheinbaum says

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that her government is considering imposing tariffs on imports from countries that do not have trade agreements with Mexico, including China. The tariffs would be part of “Plan Mexico”, an initiative to boost domestic industry amid tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on some imports from Mexico. “We are considering tariffs as part of Plan Mexico, which we’ve proposed since we came into office,” said Sheinbaum. China is among countries...

Politics

6 h. ago Floating oil facility arrives in Venezuela for China Concord's project, sources say

Floating oil facility arrives in Venezuela for China Concord's project, sources say  ca.finance.yahoo.com

Politics

11 h. ago While the PLA was on parade in Beijing, its navy patrolled the South China Sea

China’s navy conducted a “routine patrol” in the contested waters of the South China Sea as “deterrence” on the same day the PLA mounted a massive military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. The patrol on Wednesday took place in the wake of Exercise Alon, the biggest-ever joint drill between Australia and the Philippines, which ran from August 15 to 29. A Canadian frigate also took part in the exercise, while several countries, including the United...

Politics

14 h. ago Xi’s diplomatic blitz casts new light on China’s foreign policy

In less than a week, Chinese President Xi Jinping has held bilateral talks with leaders from more than 20 countries during two high-profile events – the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the northern port city of Tianjin and the Victory Day commemoration in Beijing. The themes of the talks have shed more light on China’s engagement with partners as Beijing casts itself as a champion of a multipolar global order and forges closer economic cooperation. Multilateralism: a keyword...

Politics

14 h. ago China is standing up to Trump – unlike US courts, Wall Street or business

Where are the guardrails and checks on US President Donald Trump’s radical agenda? This is a question that was asked frequently in the first three months of his second term as America’s financial and business community came to terms with his fierce assault on the global trading system and his contempt for the rule of law. Yet in the past few months, another, more alarming question has arisen. What if there are no effective restraints on Trump’s policies, or too much damage is done before...

Politics

14 h. ago Why China is the only actor standing against Trump’s radical agenda

Where are the guardrails and checks on US President Donald Trump’s radical agenda? This is a question that was asked frequently in the first three months of his second term as America’s financial and business community came to terms with his fierce assault on the global trading system and his contempt for the rule of law. Yet in the past few months, another, more alarming question has arisen. What if there are no effective restraints on Trump’s policies, or too much damage is done before...

Politics

19 h. ago China's BYD cuts 2025 sales target by 16%, sources say, a sign its white

China's BYD cuts 2025 sales target by 16%, sources say, a sign its white-hot growth is cooling  CNBC

Events

20 h. ago China's BYD cuts sales target, sources say, as white hot growth cools

China's BYD cuts sales target, sources say, as white hot growth cools  Reuters

Events

22 h. ago China advances in AI agentic tools as Tencent, ByteDance weigh in

China is making progress in artificial intelligence “agentic frameworks”, the tools required to make AI agents, as the country’s tech giants begin to take on US players such as AutoGen and OpenAI Swarm. Tencent Holdings was the latest to join the fray after the Shenzhen-based company open-sourced its new Youtu-Agent agentic framework on Tuesday. Developed by Youtu Labs, Tencent’s AI research department, the framework was released on Microsoft’s open-source code-hosting platform GitHub last...

Politics

26 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying authoritarian strength

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

26 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

33 h. ago China parades statecraft and hardware as world faces ‘critical’ choices

China crowned a busy week of grand diplomacy with a spectacular military parade on Wednesday, sending a message to the world that it has the determination and strength to champion a multipolar global order as geopolitical challenges rise. Flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and leaders from 26 countries, President Xi Jinping gave a keynote speech on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war against...

Events

34 h. ago Paraded mainland China weaponry shows Beijing’s focus on Taiwan: analysts

The latest weapons systems featured in China’s Victory Day parade have shown Beijing’s sharp focus on safeguarding its sovereign integrity over Taiwan and its capability to defend against any attempt to break away, analysts observed. Although Taiwan was not directly mentioned in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s keynote address on Wednesday, it is often used by military observers as a yardstick to measure the People’s Liberation Army’s capabilities and progress. The cutting-edge weapons showcased...

Events

36 h. ago As protests simmer, Prabowo’s China trip carries political risks

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made a swift trip to Beijing to attend China’s World War II victory commemoration parade on Wednesday, with his spokesman citing the importance of maintaining strategic ties and the easing of unrest at home. Analysts said the tightly timed visit reflected Jakarta’s effort to reassure key diplomatic partners and project stability abroad following global coverage of Indonesia’s violent protests over the weekend, but warned it carried “political risks” at home...

Events

39 h. ago Indonesia’s Prabowo attends China’s military parade as protests rage at home

Despite a deadly anti-government protest raging across his country, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stood overlooking Beijing’s Tiananmen Square watching China’s grand military parade with a group of world leaders. His one-day trip was appreciated by Beijing, with the Chinese foreign ministry saying it “welcomed” the visit. Earlier this week, when Prabowo decided to skip the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the ministry said it “respected” Jakarta’s decision. Prabowo joined...

Events

46 h. ago Putin, Kim accompany Xi to Tiananmen Gate for Victory Day military parade

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing with a special discount during our summer sale, available for a limited time and to new subscribers only. Today, China will host a massive military parade along Changan Avenue in central Beijing, showcasing the country’s latest and most advanced weapons to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. President Xi Jinping...

Events