16 h. ago Why Trump’s ‘best for business’ diplomacy will fail with Russia or China

“All I’ve done all my life is deals,” US President Donald Trump told the Gaza peace summit, going on to say “maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all”. Trump has cultivated his image on being the greatest deal-maker, a legacy central to his identity as a business tycoon and now fundamental to his reputation as a world leader. The ceasefire in Gaza has been framed as a crowning achievement in this repertoire. “Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long...

Politics

19 h. ago Trump retreat from soft power hurts US, Kansas — but helps China | Opinion

Trump retreat from soft power hurts US, Kansas — but helps China | Opinion  Wichita Eagle

Politics

20 h. ago Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?

After a video call last Saturday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in Malaysia this week to hopefully ease tensions before US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping potentially meet on the sidelines of this year’s Apec summit. The meeting was in doubt when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, despite later relenting that it might not be sustainable. Washington blamed Beijing for the escalation,...

Events

31 h. ago To avert war, the West must shatter the mirror by which it views China

In the shadow of escalating tensions between the United States and China, Graham Allison’s concept of the Thucydides Trap has become a staple of geopolitical discourse. Coined by the Harvard scholar, the term evokes the ancient Greek historian Thucydides’ observation that “it was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable”. Allison’s study of 16 historical cases, where a rising power challenged a ruling one, found war in 12 instances. He warns that...

Events

46 h. ago 3M at China Wind Power 2025: innovations empowering the future of green energy

3M at China Wind Power 2025: innovations empowering the future of green energy  PR Newswire

Politics

55 h. ago Will today’s great powers heed the example of Richard Nixon and Zhou Enlai?

When Germany emerged as Europe’s industrial powerhouse in the 19th century, the established powers spent years attempting to contain it, culminating in a war no serious statesman desired, yet none proved skilful enough to prevent. Today, as we navigate the transition from American unipolarity, a similar question looms: will this shift follow that tragic pattern, or can it be managed through institutional adaptation as Zhou Enlai and Richard Nixon did in the early 1970s? The multipolar order is...

Politics

4 d. ago US threats to decouple from China only expose its own vulnerability

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. After Beijing announced sweeping export controls last week on rare earths and other critical minerals, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went ballistic. “Maybe there is some Leninist business model where hurting your customers is a good idea, but they are the largest supplier to the world,” he said. Someone from Beijing might have retorted that Washington has been running on some fascist business model whereby it is upending the entire global trade...

Events

5 d. ago Opinion | The US won’t benefit by treating China as an enemy

Opinion | The US won’t benefit by treating China as an enemy  South China Morning Post

Politics

6 d. ago China unleashes battery export controls amid strides in solid

The future of warfare is being powered by a quiet revolution in energy technology, and China has positioned itself at the forefront of this paradigm shift with a new tactic: combining cutting-edge solid-state battery research with strategic export controls on critical battery materials and technology set to take effect next month. China has reported a series of developments in solid-state battery technology, detailed in major research papers published since last month. These advancements include...

Politics

6 d. ago China’s overnight social media stars are discovering the flip side of fame

After weeks of standing in front of a boiling pot, the “chicken steak guy” couldn’t take it any more. Last week, he said in a video posted to his personal Douyin account that he would take a day off. He had grown extremely tired, not only from frying chicken nonstop, but also from the demands of his zealous fans. One news report said that during the week-long National Holiday, cornered by people asking for a picture, he exclaimed, “There’s no air, I’m suffocating.” The “chicken steak guy” had...

Politics

6 d. ago Opinion | China’s overnight social media stars are discovering the flip side of fame

Opinion | China’s overnight social media stars are discovering the flip side of fame  South China Morning Post

Politics

6 d. ago How China can position its K visa for success in race for global tech talent

Could China’s new K visa reshape the global competition for top talent? Beijing certainly aims to do just that. Officially rolled out this month, the visa is aimed at young foreign professionals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. It targets graduates and professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree in STEM from recognised institutions or engaged in relevant education or research. Unlike other Chinese visas for employment or research, the K visa does not...

Politics

6 d. ago Opinion | How China can position its K visa for success in race for global tech talent

Opinion | How China can position its K visa for success in race for global tech talent  South China Morning Post

Politics

7 d. ago After decades of struggle, women in China are rewriting their future

Every Lunar New Year, the urban professional woman – let’s call her Tracy – returns to her rural hometown, where she quickly drops her city identity for her simple rural name Cuihua, helping her family prepare the holiday meal. Funny before-and-after pictures emphasising the contrast between sleek blazers and comfortable pyjamas have captivated Chinese social media users. But these social media memes mask a deeper question. How does “Cuihua” become “Tracy”? Her journey involves more than a...

Politics

7 d. ago Opinion | After decades of struggle, women in China are rewriting their future

Opinion | After decades of struggle, women in China are rewriting their future  South China Morning Post

Politics

8 d. ago Opinion | Why China still has the upper hand in US trade talks

Opinion | Why China still has the upper hand in US trade talks  South China Morning Post

Politics

9 d. ago Why India is hedging its bets on another China charm offensive

In a fast and furious year of devastating wars and high-stakes diplomacy, the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a potential harbinger of a new global order. In his first visit to China in seven years, Modi agreed with Xi that Asia’s two powers should be “partners” rather than “rivals”, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. Modi stressed that “their differences should not turn into...

Politics

1 week ago 6 steps democracies must take to match China on climate action

Global energy investment is projected to reach US$3.3 trillion this year, with some US$2.2 trillion directed towards clean technologies, double the amount flowing into fossil fuels. Yet beneath these impressive figures, a crisis of confidence is unfolding. During the first half of this year alone, companies cancelled or scaled back more than US$22 billion in clean energy projects in the United States. These included high-profile battery facilities, storage systems and electric vehicle factories,...

Politics

1 week ago Opinion | 6 steps democracies must take to match China on climate action

Opinion | 6 steps democracies must take to match China on climate action  South China Morning Post

Politics

1 week ago How US Gulf partnerships could thwart China’s AI leadership plans

In a global first, China has launched a cutting-edge commercial underwater data centre in Hainan. The facility has the potential to upgrade digital service offerings, increase Beijing’s share of global internet traffic and serve as a magnet for foreign direct investment from global technology giants. To make progress, China must find a competitive edge, given the fast-expanding infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, where rivals in the artificial intelligence (AI) race...

Politics