9 h. ago In Trump’s game, the US and China win and Europe pays the bill

In Trump’s game, the US and China win and Europe pays the bill  Asia Times

Politics

20 h. ago Why China sees US trade deals with partners as a threat – and how it could react

Beijing has renewed its warning to other countries not to strike deals with the United States on terms that come at China’s expense – ahead of Washington’s looming deadline to conclude tariff negotiations with most of its trade partners. Chinese officials are concerned that nations from Europe to Southeast Asia may enter into trade agreements with the US that divert supply chains, reduce bilateral trade with China or compel governments to exit Beijing-led projects, analysts said on Monday. “The...

Events

24 h. ago China's Clean Energy Boom Could Win the Race to Power the Future

China's Clean Energy Boom Could Win the Race to Power the Future  The New York Times

Politics

33 h. ago ‘Small wins don’t hide the truth’: Philippine tourism slumps amid Asean’s boom

A viral social media thread lamenting the Philippines’ seventh-place ranking for tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia has sparked soul-searching among Filipinos, who blame poor infrastructure, high costs and weak accessibility – even as experts say the country is quietly shifting towards a more sustainable, higher-value model of tourism. The online uproar began with a widely shared post by content creator Thea Tan, who wrote on social media earlier this month: “The Philippines has what other...

Politics

44 h. ago My Take | Southeast Asia increasingly finds China more reliable and predictable

My Take | Southeast Asia increasingly finds China more reliable and predictable  South China Morning Post

Politics

7 d. ago Southeast Asia Is Starting to Choose: Why the Region Is Leaning Toward China

Southeast Asia Is Starting to Choose: Why the Region Is Leaning Toward China  Foreign Affairs

Events

7 d. ago China’s soft diplomacy: Pandas win hearts and minds without even trying

China’s soft diplomacy: Pandas win hearts and minds without even trying  Youth Journalism International

Politics

7 d. ago Can China’s fighter jets win over sceptical European aircraft buyers?

For European fighter jet buyers looking for ways to spend growing military budgets, the Paris Air Show offered no shortage of aircraft options. Dassault Aviation was out in force with the Rafale, one of France’s bestselling military aircraft, as were US aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin with their offerings. Away from the main exhibition venue, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation gave a glimpse of its country’s advanced military aircraft, presenting scale models...

Politics

1 week ago Crisis calculations: Trump’s America leaves Southeast Asia in a spin

Five months into Donald Trump’s presidency, Southeast Asia finds itself adrift. The foundations of its relationship with the US have been shaken by punitive tariffs and a sudden withdrawal of aid that hurt some of the region’s most vulnerable – even as Washington maintains its military presence with an eye fixed squarely on China. This volatility has deepened a sense of American “unreliability” across Southeast Asia, according to experts who spoke to This Week in Asia. Yet a complete rupture...

Politics

1 week ago Will Indonesia’s US$1.5 billion stimulus lift Indonesia’s economy?

Indonesia’s latest US$1.5 billion stimulus package may fall short of reviving sluggish household spending or propelling the government’s ambitious 8 per cent growth target, analysts have warned. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy posted only a 4.87 per cent year-on-year growth in the first quarter this year. The momentum of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, which fell within the period, could not lift public spending, an anomaly that has sparked concerns among officials. In response,...

Economics

1 week ago Tencent bets its China WeChat and gaming expertise will help it win cloud business in Europe

Tencent bets its China WeChat and gaming expertise will help it win cloud business in Europe  CNBC

Science

2 w. ago Europe is trying to woo Southeast Asia — but it won’t win it over the U.S. or China

Europe is trying to woo Southeast Asia — but it won’t win it over the U.S. or China  CNBC

Politics

2 w. ago Cairo calling: why Chinese factories are moving to Egypt amid the trade war

Until recently, Jiahao’s guest house in a quiet corner of Cairo was a modest pit stop for Chinese tourists on their way to visit the Egyptian pyramids. But this spring, the hostel suddenly began to attract a different kind of client. Jiahao, the hostel’s 26-year-old owner, began welcoming groups of factory owners from across China and Southeast Asia – grizzled businesspeople whose trips were not about sightseeing, but survival. “Many business owners now book week-long stays,” Jiahao said. “I...

Events

2 w. ago Trump tariffs challenge Asean’s unity and economic stability

When US President Donald Trump’s tariff chaos eventually calms, its long-lasting consequences will significantly affect the area just south of China and east of India – Southeast Asia – and its organisational bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Trump’s focus on protectionism is likely to replace uniform tariffs with varying import taxes for different countries. This shift could create divisive and harmful effects for Southeast Asia and Asean, which are interchangeable but...

Economics

2 w. ago From dancing robots to DeepSeek, the university helping China to win tech race

From dancing robots to DeepSeek, the university helping China to win tech race  The Times

Culture

2 w. ago China steps up global aviation expansion as Comac bids for Laos carrier

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has reportedly bid to take a majority stake in the flag carrier of Laos, as the state-owned Chinese aviation firm continues its push to expand its market in Southeast Asia. The deal – which is pending approval by the Lao authorities – would see Comac help Lao Airlines overhaul its operations and stem its losses in exchange for the carrier agreeing to use the Chinese company’s passenger jets, Vientiane Times quoted Prime Minister Sonexay...

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese solar firms bank on overseas expansion to survive amid US tariffs

Chinese solar and energy-storage companies will continue to press ahead with their overseas expansion with or without a long-term agreement on trade tariffs, as production abroad holds the key to their long-term survival, according to executives at China’s largest solar industry exhibition. Although the US and China reached a 90-day truce in their ongoing tariff war in May, solar panel exports from China and Southeast Asia to the US are still subject to tariffs of as much as 3,521 per cent, with...

Economics

2 w. ago Xpeng and Chinese EV peers aim to win over Hongkongers amid global push

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng aims to start offering Hong Kong consumers smart cars featuring semi-autonomous driving systems next year as it gears up to take on Tesla’s FSD (Full Self-Driving) feature outside mainland China. He Xiaopeng, co-founder and CEO of the Guangzhou-based carmaker, said in Hong Kong on Thursday that testing of its Xpeng Navigation Guided Pilot (X NGP) driver-assistance system in the city would take only two months before sales could begin. However, he added...

Politics

2 w. ago Nvidia bets on European AI push amid shrinking China revenue

Nvidia is trying to woo European markets with new partnerships and a pledge to build 20 new artificial intelligence (AI) factories across the continent, as the US chip giant grapples with declining sales in China amid Washington’s tightening export controls. CEO Jensen Huang, speaking at the annual VivaTech conference in Paris on Wednesday, said the company was building the world’s first “industrial artificial intelligence cloud” for European manufacturers. The Germany-based facility, a key part...

Politics

2 w. ago Why US defence chief’s attack on China won’t find favour in Southeast Asia

After listening to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s all-out attack on “communist China” at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, some might have wondered what the Chinese people would make of it. But as a Chinese delegate listening to him live, I was wondering what Hegseth’s boss, US President Donald Trump, would think. In February, Trump called US Vice-President J.D. Vance’s speech in Munich bashing European allies “brilliant”. This time, we haven’t had his thoughts. I wondered, not only...

Events