8 d. ago White House clarifies Trump’s comment on China buying Iranian oil

US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Tuesday that China “can now continue” to buy Iranian oil did not signal a change in Washington’s policy on banning such trade, the White House said. Trump’s earlier comments about China-Iran oil trade were made to highlight the continuation of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz - a critical shipping lane that appeared threatened by the escalation of conflict in the Middle East following the US military’s air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according...

Politics

8 d. ago Chinese airlines’ advantage, Chongqing as key trade hub: 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. As skies in Mideast close, China airlines have key advantage – Russian airspace Western airlines risk suffering greater disruption than their Chinese rivals this summer, as the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel – compounded by US military strikes – forces most carriers to avoid flying over dangerous airspace on China-Europe routes. 2. Suez Canal...

Politics

8 d. ago As skies in Mideast close, China airlines have key advantage – Russian airspace

Western airlines risk suffering greater disruption than their Chinese rivals this summer, as the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel – compounded by US military strikes – forces most carriers to avoid flying over dangerous airspace on China-Europe routes. Analysts said that while almost all carriers have diverted services to bypass Iran and parts of the Middle East, Western firms are at a disadvantage: they remain barred from Russian airspace, which Chinese companies continue to...

Politics

9 d. ago Middle East conflict hits global aviation, Hong Kong routes unaffected

Almost 5 per cent of international flights to the Middle East have been cancelled this month due to the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, which has made the region more unstable after the US bombarded key Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran vowed to defend itself. According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, 1,552 out of 32,583, or 4.76 per cent of scheduled flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Doha, and Abu Dhabi worldwide were cancelled this month. There were no cancellations of flights...

Events

9 d. ago ‘Horror’ for Iranians in Hong Kong as Middle East conflict hits families

An Iranian resident in Hong Kong has described the past few days as a “horror” and a “nightmare”, as the latest escalation in the Middle East caused him to lose contact with loved ones due to failed internet connections and fear for their ability to get to safety. Behzad Mirzaei, who has lived in Hong Kong for three decades and is the founder of the local Persian Club, said the stress from worrying about his family and friends in Iran had caused him to lose sleep. “My mother is stuck there, my...

Events

9 d. ago ‘Horror’: Iranian in Hong Kong describes trying to reach loved ones back home

An Iranian resident in Hong Kong has described the past few days as a “horror” and a “nightmare”, as the latest escalation in the Middle East caused him to lose contact with loved ones due to failed internet connections and fear for their ability to get to safety. Behzad Mirzaei, who has lived in Hong Kong for three decades and is the founder of the local Persian Club, said the stress from worrying about his family and friends in Iran had caused him to lose sleep. “My mother is stuck there, my...

Events

1 week ago China to evacuate citizens from Israel, US brain drain: 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 to evacuate citizens from Israel via Egypt border as conflict escalates China’s embassy in Israel said it would begin evacuating nationals via the Egyptian border from Friday. Hundreds have already left the country, while about 1,600 Chinese citizens have left Iran over the last few days. 2. Will US actively join Israel against Iran? Pentagon chief...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong issues ‘black’ travel alert for Iran and Israel as conflict escalates

Hongkongers should avoid visiting Iran and Israel because of the “highly unpredictable security situation” in the two warring countries, authorities have warned, raising their outbound travel alert to its highest level. A Security Bureau spokesman said on Thursday that it had upgraded the alert for Israel and Iran to “black”, meaning there was “severe threat” in going to those places and all travel should be avoided. “Due to the highly unpredictable security situation in Israel and Iran, the...

Events

1 week ago China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin discuss Middle East situation

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have spoken by phone about the Middle East situation, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The phone conversation on Thursday afternoon came days after Israel initiated a large-scale military attack on Iran, which led to retaliation by Iran. On Tuesday, Xi called for de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict to avoid further tensions, while emphasising that Beijing was prepared to “play a constructive role” in restoring...

Politics

1 week ago Xi urges Iran and ‘especially Israel’ to cease fire during call with Putin

In a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an end to the fighting between Israel and Iran, urging the countries, “especially Israel”, to cease fire to prevent the situation from escalating and avoid a spillover of the conflict. The phone conversation came days after Israel initiated a large-scale military attack on Iran, which led to retaliation by Iran. “The situation in the Middle East is very critical. It once again proves that the...

Politics

1 week ago China to evacuate citizens from Israel via Egypt border as conflict escalates

China’s embassy in Israel said it will begin evacuating nationals via the Egyptian border from Friday, after hundreds had already left the country, while about 1,600 others had left Iran over the last few days. In a statement on Thursday, the embassy said it was seeking to register Chinese citizens who wished to evacuate in organised groups, which would leave Israel by bus via the Taba border crossing, about 360km (224 miles) from Tel Aviv. Evacuees must hold a valid Chinese passport or valid...

Politics

2 w. ago Survival strategy: how global conflicts harden North Korea’s nuclear resolve

As missiles fly in the Middle East and the world’s attention fixes on Israel vs Iran, the shock waves are being felt in Pyongyang – where North Korea’s leaders, ever watchful, see yet another reason to cling to their nuclear arsenal. While views differ on precisely how Pyongyang is reading the escalating conflict, observers are united on one point: if there is ever to be a chance of drawing North Korea back to the table for denuclearisation talks, the diplomatic door must remain ajar. Since...

Events

2 w. ago China weighs strategic impact as US mulls military response in Iran

China is likely to remain cautious about intervening in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict even if the US engages militarily, a prospect that would bring mixed results for Beijing, according to observers. Speculation over US intervention has grown since last Friday, following Israel’s most intense strikes on Iran in decades. Washington has since sent an aircraft carrier from the South China Sea and deployed a large number of fighter and tanker aircraft to the Middle East. US President Donald...

Events

2 w. ago Filipinos in Israel caught between duty and fear as Iran conflict escalates

About 150 Filipinos in Israel have requested help from Manila to return as the conflict escalates with Iran. However, most of the 30,000-strong community, primarily domestic workers and carers, are reluctant to leave their wards behind. The Philippine embassy in Israel revealed the number of repatriation seekers on Tuesday. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac told ABS-CBN News the same day: “By the very nature of their work, they’re caregivers, 75 per cent of OFWs [overseas foreign workers]...

Events

2 w. ago 2003 all over again? Possible US intervention in Israel vs Iran sparks worries

With President Donald Trump poised to determine whether the United States will plunge into the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, anxiety over the possible consequences is sweeping across the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday broadened his demands for Iranian capitulation, moving beyond calls to dismantle the Islamic Republic’s nuclear enrichment programme. Now, he is insisting Iran scraps its ballistic missile arsenal and abandons support for its...

Politics

2 w. ago Iran’s Khamenei rejects Trump’s demand for surrender as US weighs military options

The Middle East is on the brink as the conflict between Iran and Israel, now in its sixth day, escalates as US President Donald Trump considers whether to deepen US involvement. As Israeli strikes target Iran’s nuclear facilities and other sites, and Iranian missiles light up the skies over Israeli cities, a chilling new dimension has been added to the crisis: a demand from Trump to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for an “unconditional surrender”. Trump’s demand on Tuesday was...

Events

2 w. ago China is deeply concerned about Israel’s attack on Iran that has led to a sudden escalation of military conflict: FM

China is deeply concerned about Israel’s attack on Iran that has led to a sudden escalation of military conflict: FM  Global Times

Events

2 w. ago Chinese envoy urges Israel to halt ‘risky’ Iran attacks, warns of consequences

A senior Chinese diplomat has urged Israel to halt its military actions against Iran as tensions between the two Middle Eastern rivals mount, warning the escalating conflict could have “serious consequences”. Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday that the surging tensions in the region did not serve the interests of any party. “China urges Israel to immediately stop all risky military actions to avoid further escalation of...

Events