16 h. ago China deflation worries, top Chinese oncologist’s death: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China denies giving Iran air defence systems after conflict with Israel China has denied transferring surface-to-air missile batteries to Iran following Israel’s attacks on the Islamic Republic last month. 2. Export ban for Taiwan firms a stern warning for separatist forces: Beijing Beijing has banned the export of dual-use items to eight Taiwan-based...

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22 h. ago China denies giving Iran air defence systems after conflict with Israel

China has denied transferring surface-to-air missile batteries to Iran following Israel’s attacks on the Islamic Republic last month. The British-based platform Middle East Eye reported on Monday that Chinese air defence equipment had been sent to Iran after it struck a truce with Israel last month, citing an Arab official familiar with the intelligence. One source told the platform that China – the biggest recipient of Iran’s oil exports – had received payment in oil shipments, but the report...

Politics

3 d. ago Brics leaders condemn strikes on Iran and tariffs, but avoid direct mention of US, Israel

Brics leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro condemned recent bombing campaigns against Iran in their final summit statement, calling the strikes a “violation of international law” and “deliberate attacks” on civilian infrastructure, but avoided direct mentions of the US and Israel. The joint declaration, coming against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs of 100 per cent on imports from Brics countries, underscores an apparent effort to state the members’ position...

Politics

4 d. ago China’s Wang Yi urges new international deal on Iran after US, Israeli attacks

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has called for a “new international agreement” on Iran while accusing the United States and Israel of destabilising the Middle East through military actions on Iranian nuclear facilities. Speaking at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris on Friday, Wang also voiced deep concerns about escalating tensions in the region and warned of the looming spectre of a “nuclear disaster”. His remarks came as Beijing, a key ally of an...

Politics

8 d. ago Israel calls on China to reign in Iran's military and nuclear ambitions

Israel calls on China to reign in Iran's military and nuclear ambitions - report  The Jerusalem Post

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8 d. ago Israel asks China to influence Iran's military and nuclear ambition

Israel asks China to influence Iran's military and nuclear ambition  The Jerusalem Post

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8 d. ago Israel calls on China to rein in Iran's military and nuclear ambitions

Israel calls on China to rein in Iran's military and nuclear ambitions - report  The Jerusalem Post

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8 d. ago China’s Silent Invasion? Experts Warn Beijing Is Plotting Taiwan Spy Operations Like Israel’s Secret War Inside Iran

China’s Silent Invasion? Experts Warn Beijing Is Plotting Taiwan Spy Operations Like Israel’s Secret War Inside Iran  Zee News

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8 d. ago Israel Urges China to Pressure Iran to Rein in Nuclear Ambitions

Israel Urges China to Pressure Iran to Rein in Nuclear Ambitions  Bloomberg

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8 d. ago Why the US could be China’s biggest ally in reining in Asia’s nuclear ambitions

Iran’s crushing defeat in its brief but devastating war with Israel has sent shock waves far beyond the Middle East, casting fresh doubts on the viability of nuclear non-proliferation and raising fears of a renewed global push to acquire nuclear weapons. Without a credible nuclear deterrent, Tehran proved unable to effectively defend or retaliate against Israel’s pre-emptive strikes on key personnel and nuclear facilities, despite its much-touted strategic alignment with China and Russia. While...

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9 d. ago The Israel–Iran ceasefire is a relief for China. But the war exposed Beijing’s lack of leverage

The Israel–Iran ceasefire is a relief for China. But the war exposed Beijing’s lack of leverage  Chatham House

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1 week ago As attacks on Iran show, Russia can now do very little for its allies

The recent war between Iran and Israel has laid bare a truth long obscured by Kremlin bluster: Russia is no longer a superpower. Moscow’s muted response to Tehran’s plight is not an anomaly but the latest – and perhaps most telling – chapter in a pattern of strategic neglect that stretches from the Middle East to the Levant and South Caucasus. Driven by President Vladimir Putin’s neo-imperialist fantasies, Russia plunged into Ukraine to find itself in a quagmire that has bled its military,...

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1 week ago Why China may be keeping a close eye as Trump gets drawn into the Middle East

As the US gets more entangled in the Israel-Iran conflict, China is likely to be keeping a close watch and picking up some clues on American interventionism in regional disputes. According to one China watcher, Beijing may be a “long-term beneficiary” of the American retreat from stable leadership, as Washington’s strikes on Iran have revealed it to be an uncertain and unpredictable global power. More significantly, the conflict has revealed Washington’s reluctance to engage in a prolonged war,...

Politics

1 week ago China to stay cautious as Iran seeks aid amid US, Israel clashes: Mideast expert

Iran may look to China for weapons support amid conflicts with the US and Israel, but Beijing will remain cautious, considering strained economic ties with Tehran and its broader interest in balancing ties with Israel and other Western-aligned states in the region, according to a veteran Chinese expert on the Middle East. In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Pan Guang, a Chinese scholar of Jewish and Middle East studies, said the conflict between Iran and Israel was...

Politics

1 week ago Why Israel’s spy tactics against Iran have sparked fears in Taiwan

Israel’s sweeping intelligence operations against Iran have jolted Taiwan’s security community, raising concerns that Beijing could adopt similar tactics to cripple the island’s leadership or critical infrastructure. As assassinations and sabotage rattle Tehran, analysts in Taipei warn that Beijing’s infiltration of Taiwan is no longer a purely political threat, and it might be laying the groundwork for high-stakes covert warfare. In recent months, Taiwan has seen a surge in espionage cases...

Politics

1 week ago China should be alert to risk of US being drawn into war by allies, analyst says

There is more risk of a global military conflict breaking out under Donald Trump’s leadership, with the US more likely to be drawn into wars involving smaller nations or allies, according to Chinese analysts. The assessment came after the United States joined Israel’s war against Iran last weekend, carrying out military strikes on three nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. US officials have signalled that the operation was a one-off intervention and – hours after Iran launched a missile attack...

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1 week ago Iran’s defense minister thanks China for support on first foreign trip since Israel conflict

Iran’s defense minister thanks China for support on first foreign trip since Israel conflict  CNNIsrael-Iran conflict exposed China’s ‘limited leverage’, say analysts  Al JazeeraExclusive | Israel-Iran Conflict Spurs China to Reconsider Russian Gas Pipeline - WSJ  WSJ

Politics

1 week ago China To Join Iran In New Op Against Israel, US? Key Meet In Beijing ‘Spooks’ Trump, Netanyahu

China To Join Iran In New Op Against Israel, US? Key Meet In Beijing ‘Spooks’ Trump, Netanyahu  Times of India

Politics

1 week ago China warned to watch for threats as Israeli spies in Iran open ‘Pandora’s box’

Israel’s unprecedented success in infiltrating Iranian intelligence has opened up a “Pandora’s box” of global security threats, Chinese observers have warned, while urging China to tighten all national security measures against any vulnerabilities. According to Chinese military analyst and former air force member Fu Qianshao, one striking feature of the Middle East conflict is the critical role played by Israeli intelligence agents embedded in Iran. Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency reportedly...

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2 w. ago Iran defense chief visits China, first trip after war with Israel: What to know

Iran defense chief visits China, first trip after war with Israel: What to know  AL-Monitor

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