North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made the South its “principal enemy” in proposed changes to the country’s constitution. He has also ended hopes of reunification, while intensifying missile tests. Is the Korean peninsula on the brink of war? Former CIA analyst and North Korean expert Soo Kim has more. Read the full story: https://sc.mp/u6mb

One year after Russia's disastrous attempt to invade Ukraine and overthrow its government, Vladimir Putin finds his military bogged down in a stalemate, and his nation economically and diplomatically isolated. Yet one ally stands with Russia: one year after declaring a "no limits" friendship, Xi Jinping is about to announce a 'peace plan'. But how has China's reticence to condemn Russia's war changed its relationship with Europe? And what is Beijing getting out of the Sino-Russian relationship…

Kinling Lo analyses a change of tone amid a staff change for Beijing’s senior diplomats; Rob Delaney on the future of US-China relations with Kevin McCarthy as Speaker; Zhou Xin reveals the deeper complexity of South Korean and Japanese  involvement in US chip sanctions; Kandy Wong reports on a series of moves showing China might be ending its sanctions on Australian coal, barley, wine and lobsters; and a Chinese-Australian partnership in lithium mining and processing.

Brussels-based SCMP correspondent Finbarr Bermingham recaps how Russia’s Ukraine invasion changed Europe’s relationship with China, and previews how the EU may change its tact to Chinese investment and trade; London-based correspondent Chad Bray analyses UK PM Rishi Sunak’s changing tone on China and the year ahead for HSBC; Lucio Blanco Pitlo III looks at Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s visit to Beijing and the dawn of “durian diplomacy”. as he balances US security and Chinese…

Post reporter Jack Lau analyses the energy and weapons deals signed by Saudi Arabia and China during Xi Jinping’s visit to Riyadh; hear about the historic Arab-China summit, and China’s push to expand the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; New York-based reporter Khushboo Razdan discusses Joe Biden’s “America first” push, in a week where Taiwan’s TSMC opened its first US semiconductor plant and the EU agreed to subsidise its own vehicle industry to compete with Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. …

How has the death of China’s former president Jiang Zemin inspired nostalgic memories of a different era of Beijing-Washington ties? Post North America bureau chief Rob Delaney gives his analysis on that, and reports on the spread of zero-Covid protests by Chinese students at US college campuses. Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham reports in increasing friction among European allies over the Biden administration’s efforts to curb China’s access to semiconductors and its role in the global…

Kinling Lo reports from Bali after three days of speeches and sideline meetings, including the first face-to-face talks of presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden since China-US ties worsened. Shi Jiangtao looks at the optics of Xi’s mask-free public appearance; what China watchers are saying was achieved in Xi’s meetings with Biden and other world leaders; and whether they signal a change in the US-China narrative or merely a ray of light in the storm.

Asia desk editor Bhavan Jaipragas previews a crucial Asean summit that will include US President Joe Biden sparring for relevance amid soaring Chinese investment in Southeast Asia, the ongoing Myanmar crisis, and tumultuous Malaysian elections. Political economy reporter Kandy Wong reports on China’s plan to expand private security forces overseas to protect its Belt and Road investments, and a special meeting in Beijing encouraging US multinationals to invest in China.  

A week on from the harshest US sanctions yet on China’s access to semiconductor technology, Post tech-desk editor Zhou Xin unpacks the effect on China’s economy, the implications for American manufacturers and the dilemma faced by South Korean tech firms with big investments in China. Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham analyses the European Commission’s leaders meeting, where the focus is on Germany’s decision to allow Chinese shipping giant Cosco to invest in its biggest port and…

When the head of the US Navy declares his forces must be ready to “fight tonight” over the Taiwan Strait, is he referring to intelligence reports or the seasonal fight for funding? Hear from North America bureau chief Rob Delaney about this and on an unconfirmed report of a US-Taiwan weapons production deal as US midterm elections approach. Senior Asia correspondent Maria Siow analyses the historic Japan-Australia defence and energy deal announced over the weekend, and what it means for East…

Washington-based Post journalist Kinling Lo analyses the latest US national security strategy, which focuses on China and climate change as the biggest threats. New York-based deputy bureau chief Mark Magnier unpacks new sanctions on China’s access to US technology and their global reach, and to claims they are aimed at stifling China’s economic development. Post columnist Lucio Blanco Pitlo III analyses how Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr must carefully balance US and China interests…

Post journalist and North America deputy bureau chief Mark Magnier details the rejection of a proposed vote at the UN Human Rights Council to debate the High Commissioner for Human Rights report into alleged abuses in Xinjiang and what that says about China's influence inside the United Nations. Also, analysis of Washington’s escalating sanctions on Chinese tech companies and US companies doing business with them, and a review of Henry Kissinger's statements about Xi Jinping at the latest Asia…

The US announced a historic US$810 million-aid package for 14 Pacific nations after a two-day conference in Washington. Post China desk reporter Kawala Xie reports on the reaction from China watchers and analysts, and recaps Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's bid to get nations on board a similar deal in early 2022. Brian YS Wong, founding editor-in-chief of the Oxford Political Review and Rhodes scholar from Hong Kong, discusses reports that US businesses are making exit plans from China if…

In-depth analysis of the speech by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the 77th United Nations General Assembly, and China's relationship with the UN, from Professor Rosemary Foot, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Politics and International Relation at Oxford University and author of China, the UN, and Human Protection: Beliefs, Power, Image.

In a week dominated by the UN General Assembly in New York, Post correspondent Khushboo Razdan analyses the distinct chill between China and India, and the ambiguity both have shown towards Russia over its Ukraine invasion; Carnegie Endowment for Peace fellow Temur Umarov unpacks Xi Jinping’s visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and how Moscow’s war has pushed Central Asian nations to pivot towards China for economic stability and security.

Post diplomacy expert Shi Jiangtao pulls apart the language of the Xi-Putin meeting in Uzbekistan and looks at the agendas at play, how they relate to China’s troubled domestic politics and what this means for the future of the Sino-Russian partnership. Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham looks at the state-of-the-union speech from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and how it targets new aspects of the EU relationship with China.

What does it mean for Russia and China to declare they will use the ruble and the yuan instead of US currency for their oil and gas deals? Have Chinese refineries decided they can avoid sanctions and buy cheap Russian crude? Siqi Ji analyses the growing Sino-Russian energy relationship, while William Zheng looks at the geopolitics of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting and how Xi Jinping will use it to form an anti-US alliance. Chad Bray looks at the new UK government and PM…

Post journalists Finbarr Bermingham and Mimi Lau unpack the UN human rights report on conditions in China’s Xinjiang region and subsequent vehement rejection of it by Beijing; Kinling Lo on worries about drones flying over Taipei-controlled islands west of Taiwan as the US reaches another big arms deal; Japan-based correspondent Julian Ryall analyses Tokyo's concerns over Sino-Russian military drills on its doorstep and its plans to develop long-range missiles that could reach Russia and China. 

Post North American bureau chief Rob Delaney looks at two announcements that may feature highly in the US-China political narrative to come. What is the agenda behind a proposed formal trade deal between Washington and Taipei? Has a lone Republican in Dakota proposed legislation that could blacklist Chinese agribusiness investment? London correspondent Chad Bray unpacks the anti-China rhetoric coming from the two contenders for Boris Johnson’s job as well as the blocking of the sale of a…

Beijing ends its massive military exercises around Taiwan and issues a white paper laying out exactly its ambitions for when it "re-unifies" the self-ruled island with the mainland. The US Congress moves forward its Taiwan Act which declares Taiwan to be an important non-NATO ally. Post journalists Jacob Fromer and Shi Jiangtao analyse the reactions from each side, and Brussels based correspondent Finbarr Bermingham reports on an increasingly concerned Europe, as Baltic nations suddenly pull…

What are the political and diplomatic ramifications of Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan? Post US Bureau chief Rob Delaney analyses how the House Speaker’s visit has changed US politics, the G7 reaction and if her agenda included lobbying Taiwan’s semiconductor industry; Post diplomacy expert Shi Jiangato unpacks the nationalist and political pressures on Xi Jinping and how mainland analysts view the visit; Asia correspondent Maria Siow reports on reaction from Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the…

US-based Post journalist Owen Churchill goes beyond the "playing with fire" headlines to analyse what was discussed – and what was not – in the 2.5-hour phone call between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, as well as the domestic pressures from Nancy Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan. Post diplomacy expert Shi Jiangtao looks at political scientist Graham Allison's theory of the 'Thucydides Trap', its forecast of war between the US and China and its relevance to the current state of Sino-US relations.

Post North America bureau chief Rob Delaney looks into the hype around US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s reported plans to fly to Taiwan, as  preparations continue for US President Joe Biden’s vital call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, and US lawmakers consider legislation targeting Beijing. Indonesia-based reporter Resty Woro Yuniar analyses President Joko Widodo's visit to Beijing amid concerns over rising costs for a Belt and Road-funded high-speed rail project and his need to draw…

The Post's Beijing-based diplomacy correspondent Laura Zhou analyses Beijing's political and economic relationship with Sri Lanka, “debt traps” and the Hambantota port; tech desk editor Zhou Xin discusses the US pressure on Netherlands-based ASML, the world's premier builder of semiconductor-making machines, to ban exports to China and its impact on China's tech industry.

Post political economy editor Wendy Wu reports from Beijing on China’s reaction to the assassination of Shinzo Abe. Wendy analyses the complex relationship the former Japanese prime minister had with Xi Jinping and the legacy Abe leaves of economic cooperation and heightened militarism; Professor James Laurenceson of the Australia-China Relations Institute analyses the Wang Yi/Penny Wong meeting at the G20, whether claims of Beijing’s “demands” were lost in translation as Australia embarks on a…

Grave warnings on China from the FBI and MI5 on the eve of the G20 conference in Bali: how will this affect the agenda? SCMP correspondent Mark Magnier and Beijing-based political economy editor Wendy Wu analyse the pressures on Joe Biden to reduce tariffs to lessen inflation while not looking “weak” on China and what Beijing will do in response; veteran trade lawyer Ben Kostrzewa analyses how four years of tariffs and trade war has changed trade between the US and China.

Veteran SCMP diplomacy correspondent Shi Jiangtao reports on Beijing's response to US president Joe Biden's trip to South Korea and Japan, with angry phone calls to Tokyo, warnings to Jake Sullivan and corresponding incursions of Chinese bombers and naval vessels amid increasing concerns among Chinese analysts of a "NATO for Asia" being assembled. Trade expert Dr Deborah Elms unpacks the reality of Biden's IPEF trade agreement and how it might (or might not) work within the existing RCEP and…

What comes next after the historic election of Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jnr as the Philippines' new president, with Sara Duterte as his VP? Veteran analyst Lucio Blanco Pitlo III unpacks what to expect for Sino-Philippine ties, economic development and how the US will seek to wedge Beijing over fishing disputes and island development in the South China Sea. Global fisheries expert Prof Rashid Sumaila looks at the science of China’s recently announced fishing ban in the disputed “nine-dash…

SCMP's Washington-based corrrespondent Kinling Lo reports on the diplomatic full-court press delivered by the White House for the two day ASEAN summit, and picks up on the significant omissions in the offers of support from the US. Korea Times journalist Kim Bo-eun analyses the inauguration ceremony of South Korea's new president Yoong Suk-yeol and why the attendance of China's vice premier and Japan's foreign minister made history, amid plans for US president Joe Biden to fly personally to…

SCMP tech desk editor Zhou Xin looks at reports the US Treasury is about to sanction the world’s biggest maker of surveillance tech and why this worries Wall Street and China’s tech sector. Analyst Edward Cavanough, specialising in ties between the Solomon Islands and China, looks at comments by PM Sogavare on China’s links to Christian communities and why Australia’s Pentecostal PM Scott Morrison is now wedged, with few options to redress his foreign policy failure.

Finbarr Bermingham reports onthe EU's legislative tools aimed at trade with China; why Xi Jinping phoned French president Macron; and complications for the UN human rights mission headed to Xinjiang. Hear a deep-dive into the security pact signed by Beijing and Solomon Islands: Dr Anna Powles, geopolitics and security expert analyses the Pacific balance of power; former Solomon Islands diplomat and Melanesian diplomacy expert Mihai Sora on why climate change, not military power, is the primary…

SCMP senior Asia correspondent Maria Siow analyses the geopolitical bombshell deal signed by the Solomon Islands with Beijing for security and a possible military base. What does this mean for the US Asia-Pacific pivot, and is this Australia’s single biggest foreign policy failure? Mark Magnier in New York looks at Chinese ambassador to the US Qin Gang’s courting of conservative opinion over China’s stance on the Russian war in Ukraine, and what actually happened with US House Speaker Nancy…

SCMP Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham analyses the fallout of the meeting between the EU senior leadership and China’s Li Keqiang and Xi Jinping, labelled a ‘dialogue of the deaf’ by one attendee. While Beijing refuses to discuss the Ukraine war or China’s state media amplifying alleged Russian disinformation and war crimes denials, Bermingham reveals the US is actively modelling the types of sanctions employed against Russia for use on China’s financial system. Hear also of how the…

SCMP's Brussels-based reporter Finbarr Bermingham previews the China-EU summit, and what the EU leaders want from Xi Jinping regarding the Ukraine war. China desk reporter Shi Jiangtao analyses Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. China desk senior editor Peter Langan reports from Tokyo about Japan’s recent discussions on nuclear weapons, and how Japan being (still) officially at war with Russia since WW2 complicates its multi-billion dollar…

Beijing is under growing pressure to offer diplomatic assistance for peace negotiations as Nato issues a historic statement taking aim at China’s state media for pushing Russian misinformation. Mumbai-based journalist Kunal Purohit unpacks the agenda of Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi as he visits the Taliban before landing in India. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping makes an unprecedented call to South Korean president-elect Yoon Seok-yeol after North Korea’s latest missile launch…

The Post’s Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham reports on the one-year anniversary of China’s sanctions on European politicians and diplomats over Xinjiang, as the EU’s foreign and defence ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the war in Ukraine and Beijing’s support for Moscow. North America bureau chief Rob Delaney analyses the words used by Chinese ambassador Qin Gang on US television to balance Beijing’s refusal to condemn Putin’s war, and what Joe Biden had to say about the Russian…

SCMP's EU reporter Finbarr Bermingham analyses Xi Jinping’s phone call with his French and German counterparts and provides the latest on the UN human rights chief visit to Xinjiang. Chad Bray analyses sanctions on Russian oil, its financial system and high-profile resignation of Huawei executives. China foreign policy expert Dr Courtney Fung analyses China’s abstention at the UN General Assembly vote and explains why the ‘no-limits’ Sino-Russian partnership comes with costs for Beijing’s UN…

When China’s foreign minister Wang Yi held his annual extended press conference on the sidelines of the Two Sessions this week, there was one pressing question: what will China do about Russia and Ukraine? SCMP’s Beijing-based reporter Shi Jiangtao analyses Wang’s comments on Ukraine and Russia as well as what his words revealed about Beijing's policy for the EU, India, South Korea and Japan, amid growing international calls for Beijing to step in to end the worsening humanitarian crisis in…

SCMP specialist digital editor Jarrod Watt speaks with NY-based reporter Mark Magnier about China’s telling abstention from the UN vote on Ukraine, Joe Biden’s China remarks in his State of the Union, and reports that Xi Jinping was told by Vladmir Putin of his plans to invade Ukraine after the Beijing Winter Olympics. Brussels-based reporter Finbarr Bermingham discusses EU’s plea for Beijing to broker peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, and the importance of the Beijing-based AIIB development…

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, SCMP reporters Finbarr Bermingham and Mai Jun explore how tectonic policy shifts by Germany and others toward Moscow sanctions will change China's European relationships; Zhou Xin looks at how China's banks are reckoning with Swift bans on Russia, and how China's tech companies are navigating the tricky issue of Western sanctions and Beijing's firm opposition to such moves.

Brussels-based reporter Finbarr Bermingham and the Post’s Mai Jun from Beijing detail the diplomatic tensions between the EU and Beijing. Sino-Russian affairs expert Dr Stefan Auer analyses the end of “soft power” in Europe and how 50 years after Nixon played the “China card” against the USSR, Putin has done the same against the US. Taiwan-based academic Weng-Ti Sung analyses Russia’s actions and the response on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Get our podcast newsletter: sc.mp/c56a65

SCMP’s North America correspondent Mark Magnier analyses the agenda and impact of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s unofficial summit with Central Asian leaders at the Beijing Winter Olympics, as the geopolitics of citizenship weigh on Chinese-American athletes competing for gold. Political economy journalist Kandy Wong looks at what two years of Trump’s tariffs and the phase-one trade deal have brought to the US, and how Australian exporters are calling for a new approach to relations with China…

With his military massed on the Ukraine border, Russian President Vladmir Putin is in Beijing to sign a new agreement with Xi Jinping with huge implications for global geopolitics. SCMP reporter Laura Zhou unpacks the evolving relationship between the two nations; China desk senior editor Peter Langan reports from Tokyo on Japan's historic resolution on human rights for Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and how the Xi-Putin meeting resonates for Japan's establishment. Get our podcast newsletter: https:/…

Hear from Post correspondent in Washington, Jacob Fromer, about the US House of Representatives proposing a huge bundle of legislation known as the America Competes Act of 2022, with action proposed on everything from semiconductors to Xinjiang, Taiwan, the Quad and replacing Confucius Institutes in American universities with language centres that teach Mandarin, Cantonese, Mongolian and Uyghur. Brussels-based correspondent Finbarr Bermingham returns with analysis of the European Union's…

SCMP Brussels correspondent Finbarr Bermingham analyses the data showing Lithuania's exports to China have collapsed and asks: does this mean Beijing's trade coercion works? Meanwhile the European Parliament proposes measures to punish Hong Kong over media freedom. East Asia reporter Maria Siow unpacks the high-level meeting between Japan and France on defense co-operation, as the Philippines announces a purchase of cruise missiles from India. Get our podcast newsletter: https://sc.mp/c56a65

Hear how Beijing is making big inroads to Middle East diplomacy this week, meeting with foreign ministers of Turkey and Iran right after a five-day meeting with ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and other oil-rich Gulf nations. Learn more of Beijing’s agenda and how they connect to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Also, dive deep into China’s connection with Kazakhstan and amid the recent unrest. Subscribe to the Listening Post podcast newsletter: https://www.scmp.com…

The SCMP's European correspondent Finbarr Bermingham unpacks the new 'anti-coercion instrument' announced by the EU, and its relevance to what looks like the weaponisation of trade with China, in a year where European attitudes to Beijing have dramatically changed. SCMP China desk editor Peter Langan reports from Tokyo with analysis on Japan's policy shift and changing military stance towards Beijing, and warnings over any future incursions in Taiwan.

Owen Churchill from the SCMP US bureau and William Zheng from the SCMP China desk discuss landmark US sanctions announced over products sourced from Xinjiang. They analyse a year in US-China relations from the start of Joe Biden’s presidency and his promise of a change in style from Donald Trump’s Twitter-based diplomacy. From confrontations in Alaska and Tianjin to new ambassadors in Washington and Beijing, it's been a rollercoaster ride for Sino-US relations. For podcast reviews and news…

In a year celebrating the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party, this week saw the unveiling of the concept of ‘Chinese democracy’, days before Joe Biden hosted his Democracy Summit. Hear analysis from Post reporters in SCMP Beijing and New York bureaus, contrasting contesting claims over legitimate democracy. You’ll also hear an extraordinary moment during a report from Brussels-based reporter Finbarr Bermingham as a senior Lithuanian minister calls in to respond to China’s economic…

The SCMP’s Rob Delaney previews the coming “democracy summit” called by US President Biden and the opportunity Taiwan sees to further its legitimacy; Biden’s Asia advisor Kurt Campbell declares China’s trade war on Australia lost, amid revelations the US profited from Beijing’s sanctions; and Asia desk correspondent Maria Siow analyses Solomon Islands unrest. Are the Honiara riots over switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, or linked to Beijing and Washington vying for…

SCMP’s Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham details his trip to Lithuania where he found himself at an event that has outraged Beijing: the ‘Taiwan Representative Office’ opening - a de facto embassy and the first to bear the name "Taiwan" in Europe. Hear what went on and the deep historic symbolism Lithuanian MPs attached to the event; hear an in-depth interview with foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on why his government chose this course amid its border crisis. Presented by Chad…

Chad Bray speaks with SCMP North American bureau chief Rob Delaney and Beijing-based news editor Mai Jun to compare and contrast the details and reactions of American and Chinese media and audiences to this week's Xi-Biden summit. Bhavan Jaipragas reports from the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on what was being talked about on and offstage, including: is the US trying to lobby for a new regional trade deal?  

Chad Bray presents an episode in a week of historic announcements: US-based correspondent Owen Churchill analyses the US-China deal at COP26, the surprise visit to Taiwan of US Congress members ahead of a new arms deal and ongoing moves to pick the next US ambassador to China. Senior China correspondent William Zheng unpacks the politics and agenda behind Xi Jinping’s “historic resolution” and his moves toward a third term as President.

Chad Bray speaks with SCMP US bureau chief Rob Delaney and European correspondent Finbarr Bermingham about the increasing prominence of Taiwan on the agenda of the White House and the European Parliament. Hear about the upcoming G20 meeting in Rome and how Xi Jinping's absence is being seen as a missed opportunity for face to face diplomacy - and what will replace it.

SCMP’s Tokyo-based correspondent Julian Ryall analyses China and Russia exploiting a loophole to send a navy group on a historic passage between Japan’s main island of Honshu and northern island of Hokkaido. How will this play in upcoming Japanese elections and what has been the reaction from new Prime Minister Fumio Kisihida? Former Australian PM Kevin Rudd speaks in-depth with SCMP chief news editor Yonden Lhatoo on China’s relationship with Australia, the Aukus deal and prospects for a new…

As the US, UK and other nations deal with supply chain issues, how are traders at the top of the global supply chain faring in the world’s largest wholesale market? SCMP reporter Luna Sun details what she's seen and heard at China’s massive Yiwu wholesale market as it deals with power outages,  soaring container costs and ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, and New York correspondent Mark Magnier reports on the US return to the UN Human Rights Council amid escalating tensions with China. 

SCMP's US reporter Owen Churchill analyses USTR Katherine Tai’s speech on the US-China trade deal, the new ‘China office’ of the CIA and the reality behind news reports of US Marines in Taiwan; China desk reporter William Zheng discusses China’s increasing PLA aircraft deployments across the Taiwan Strait in the leadup to 10/10 day, and Brussels-based reporter Finbarr Bermingham analyses the recent EU leadership summit and its pivot from China policy to crisis talks about the Aukus military…

Chad Bray speaks with Sarah Zheng in the SCMP’s Beijing office as China’s “golden week” holiday begins against a backdrop of power outages and factory shutdowns. Hear how Meng Wanzhou’s homecoming has affected US-China relations, with talk of a Xi Jinping-Joe Biden summit. Brussels-based reporter Finbarr Bermingham analyses Germany’s election results with Chinese characteristics, and why Taiwan was the focus of the EU-China strategic dialogue, amid growing calls for Europe to increase…

The SCMP’s Washington bureau chief Rob Delaney analyses speeches from Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly, and calls for the Quad to expand membership; Beijing-based reporter Laura Zhou on an ex-diplomat's calls for China to change its policy regarding nuclear weapons and missile proliferation, including its first-strike nuclear strategy towards the US, and the University of Tasmania’s James Chin explores Southeast Asian tension and Asean affairs.

SCMP Washington bureau chief Rob Delaney unpacks the week’s surprise announcement of 'AUKUS' - a new military pact between the US, UK and Australia promising increased US troops, hardware and a new fleet of nuclear submarines to be stationed in Australia. Brussels-based reporter Finbarr Bermingham analyses the shocked European response as well as how China’s economic relationship with Germany is influencing the upcoming German elections. Special tribute: John Carter RIP. Presented by Chad Bray.

Post Asia reporter Bhavan Japraigas unpacks the goals of US Vice President Kamala Harris upon her visits to Singapore and Vietnam this week and looks at what was missing, contrasting her announcement of a new US embassy in Hanoi with China's massive economic influence. Mumbai-based journalist Kunal Purohit analyses India's changing relationship with the US following events in Afghanistan, how India views China's relationship with the Taliban, and how months of intensive military build-up on its…

SCMP's Beijing-based correspondent Sarah Zheng discusses how Chinese state media portrayed the chaos in Kabul amid the US withdrawal, China’s strategic plans for Afghanistan and how some are using the crisis to query US loyalty to Taiwan; Asia correspondent Bhavan Jaipragas unpacks Malaysia’s constitutional crisis after its prime minister resigned, and how PLA aggression in the South China Sea complicates Malaysia’s deep economic reliance on China.      

Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham unpacks why China has expelled Lithuania’s ambassador from Beijing and recalled its ambassador to Lithuania; China desk editor Teddy Ng on new PLA exercises off Hainan island and with the Russian military in western China; Lowy Institute director Sam Roggeveen discusses its new study on the PLA’s expanded capability to strike Australia and dominate the South China Sea.

Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham analyses Germany's diplomatic faux pas with China over sending a warship to the South China Sea as analysts ponder a Germany without Angela Merkel; what’s behind the boom in exports to the EU from Xinjiang; Dr Euan Graham from the International Institute of Strategic Studies unpacks the extent of military build-up in the South China Sea; and the potential for mistakes and the recent escalation of US diplomacy in Southeast Asia.

Hear from the SCMP’s New York and Beijing correspondents on the meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, chasing common ground, yet finding stalemate. Now, US vaccine diplomacy is under way in SE Asia and a new "wolf warrior" ambassador is in Washington. Asia correspondent John Power analyses Australia’s potential US$1 billion bid to keep China Mobile from buying a Pacific phone network serving island nations.

A special feature-length episode looking at China's 50 year relationship with the United Nations marking the month in 1971 when 17 members of the UN requested a vote on the "Restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations". How has China's relationship with the UN changed since taking its seat, how is that relationship changing under Xi Jinping?  Professor Rosemary Foot is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Department of Politics and…

Hear analysis from US correspondent Owen Churchill and Beijing-based correspondent Kinling Lo after this week's claims and counter-claims of state-sponsored hacking attacks, and why NATO's involvement is significant. How will this affect the first face-to-face meeting of senior US and China diplomats after the terse Alaska meeting in March? Sports editor Paul Ryding calls in from Tokyo with insights on the events to watch destined to bring patriotic fervour from Chinese, American and Indian…

The South China Morning Post political economy team analyse the latest economic data from China, delve deep into the ongoing US-China trade and tech war, and examine China's changing economic relationship with Europe, Africa and the Indo-Pacific. Hear deep background on Beijing's political machinations and how they affect policy and global diplomacy, and hear how nations are responding to the new era of 'wolf warrior' diplomacy, and pandemic-related politics.

SCMP Hong Kong desk editor Denise Tsang joins Chad Bray to discuss the reaction among Hong Kong-based American business leaders to Joe Biden's warning, amid fears Hong Kong’s new anti-doxxing laws may lead to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram being blocked in the city. Also, as Beijing continues to reject the South China Sea international court ruling, Beijing-based reporter Sarah Zheng analyses rising hostilities between Philippine fisherman and Chinese coastguard vessels in the disputed waters.

Following the official call from the Taliban welcoming Chinese investment, the SCMP’s Zhou Xin analyses China's past relationship with Afghanistan and its strategic and historic importance to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. In the wake of US investor uproar over the Didi IPO, business reporter Georgina Lee unpacks the new rules for Chinese companies listing on US stock markets, and how Hong Kong stands to benefit.

Chad Bray speaks with SCMP desk editors Zhou Xin and Peter Langan; analysing Xi Jinping's speech for China's Communist party centenary, and what was missed in the headlines about 'bloodied heads'; how China's relationship with Japan, South Korea and North Korea is changing amid calls for NATO to expand to East Asia Brussels-based correspondent Finbarr Bermingham reports on moves in the European Parliament to sanction Hong Kong over the closure of the Apple Daily newspaper and what he's hearing…

Washington correspondent Jacob Fromer details the Post exclusive that investigates how some of America's biggest investment funds are making millions from companies in Xinjiang, as the Biden administration escalates sanctions on companies involved in solar cell manufacturing. Political Economy desk editor Zhou Xin contrasts the style and career of Beijing's veteran ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai with incoming, relatively inexperienced diplomat Qin Gang and this means for US-China relations.

Analysis of US President Joe Biden's Europe visit and Beijing's response from the SCMP's Rob Delaney in Washington and Zhou Xin in Hong Kong. Also, how will the global "B3W" programme work and how does it differ from China's belt and road strategy? Brussels-based correspondent Finbarr Bermingham contrasts the language of the EU and the US over what Biden achieved, and unpacks the newly announced US-Europe trade and technology council to confront China and promote "digital governance". Produced…

SCMP’s political economy editor Zhou Xin and Washington bureau chief Rob Delaney analyse a week when Beijing and Washington targeted each other with bills on sanctions, competition and technology. Also in this week’s podcast, our European correspondent Finbarr Bermingham reports from Brussels on EU sentiment towards Biden's agenda at the G7 meeting, Nato’s push into the Indo-Pacific region, and the unveiling of a rival programme to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Finbarr Bermingham and the team analyse the European Parliament's vote to freeze ratification of its agreement on investment with China; why the rekindled alliance of China and Russia is all about the G7 and why Biden's Endless Frontiers Act is more like Trump than a new era. Feature interview with Bernd Lange member of the European Parliament and Germany's Social Democratic Party, discussing the EU's changing relationship with China.

China forcefully defended its Xinjiang policy at a UN forum it labeled an “anti-China event”, where Germany and Turkey joined with the US and UK to ask for “immediate, meaningful and unfettered” access. SCMP reporters Simone McCarthy and Masha Borak examine how India's Covid crisis is impacting the global tech supply chain for Apple products as well as vaccine, PPE and medical supply-based diplomacy with China.

Is the G7 ganging up on China? This week, the team looks at how that perception may be pushing Beijing into a corner, causing it to double down. China’s suspension of economic talks with Australia may already be proof of that, as Canberra is made an example to the world. Hear also about Beijing's choice as its new ambassador to the United States and Tamas Matura, China expert from the Corvinus University of Budapest analyses why Hungary is China’s staunchest defender in the EU.

China, according to US President Joe Biden, is “deadly earnest” about becoming the world’s most “consequential” nation. In this week’s podcast, the team analyses Biden’s first speech to a joint session of Congress. Also, reports of China’s “declining” population are refuted by Beijing even though it has yet to release new figures. And SCMP China Desk reporter Sarah Zheng looks behind mask diplomacy and India’s snub of pandemic relief from border rival China.

The talks were virtual, but the promises were not just hot air at this week’s climate summit organised by US President Joe Biden. Finbarr Bermingham joins Zhou Xin and John Carter from the SCMP Political Economy team to recap the pledges leaders made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and what seemed like a measure of cooperation between Washington and China. Also this week: the strange story of censorship involving former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s personal article about his mother, the UK…

Taiwan has been in the headlines during a week that a delegation sent by US President Biden visited the self-ruled island, and when Beijing mounted what was seen as an aggressive show of force towards Taipei. This week’s China Geopolitics podcast also looks into the pressure on Japanese PM Suga, how Taiwan company TSMC emerged as top global semiconductor supplier, and why the EU refuses to bail out Montenegro’s massive debt to China for a highway conencting Montenegro's capital with Serbia.

In a week that the US State Department openly flirted with – then pulled back from – the idea of a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, SCMP political economy editors Zhou Xin and John Carter discuss the significance of the Games to China's image-building efforts, the dilemma it would create for potential sponsors and the realpolitik of Washington's mixed messaging. Also in this edition of China Geopolitics: the roles Beijing and Hong Kong might play in US Treasury Secretary Janet…

The fallout from a lightning blitz of sanctions between Western nations and China over alleged abuses in Xinjiang continues. China's stinging official retaliation raises huge questions about its investment deal with Europe, while China's netizen army has risen up against Western brands in response.    H&M, Nike, Hugo Boss, and Adidas and their stances on Xinjiang-made cotton have lead to mass boycotts in China. Political economy editors John Carter and Zhou Xin unpack the political…

Finbarr Bermingham and the SCMP political economy team delve beneath the opening bluster of the US-China meeting in Anchorage and analyse the bigger picture. What of the US opening gambit on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan? What will the agreement on action to confront climate change mean? Zhou Xin looks at the media coverage in mainland China media framing this as demonstrating China's superpower status; John Carter looks at the upcoming NATO meeting and the significance of the European Union…

Finbarr Bermingham, Zhou Xin and John Carter look at the coming high-level meeting between the US and China in Alaska, and compare what each team of negotiators are looking to get from the occasion, while Biden's calling together of the 'Quad' raises more questions of what India, Japan and Australia have in common. Hear analysis from Beijing-based reporters Mai Jun and Kinling Lo of China's National People's Congress, its announced electoral changes for Hong Kong's electoral system, and how the…

Finbarr Bermingham speaks with SCMP political economy editors Zho Xin and John Carter about the latest Hong Kong crackdown on pro-democracy figures, and delve deep into the latest policy announcements at the National People's Congress in Beijing concerning economic growth and technology. Hear an in-depth interview with Reinhard Butikofer, German politician and chair of the European Union parliamentary delegation to China.

Finbarr Bermingham and political economy editors John Carter and Zhou Xin look at the upcoming announcement of Beijing's five year plan and how it will address the rising middle income trap for China's economic growth. Hear analysis of the Biden administration inquiry into 'supply chains' that didn't mention China and the push by US tech companies back into the mainland now Trump has gone. Special guest is Philippe LeCorre, EU specialist with Harvard University, discussing the EU strategy…

A special ICYMI recap of an interview between Finbarr Bermingham and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, back when she was one of two candidates vying for the position of director general of the World Trade Organization. Hear her talk about her vision for the WTO regarding Covid-19 vaccines, how to repair US-China trade relations and exactly what reforms she thinks are needed for this organisation to be effective.

John Carter unpacks how fresh outbreaks of Covid-19 in mainland China will impact the Chinese economy, as the nation prepares for the Lunar New Year holiday. SCMP China desk edtor Wiliam Zheng analyses Beijing's top diplomat's first policy speech since the Biden inauguration; senior Asia correspondent Bhavan Jaipragas looks at China's relationship with Myanmar, the reaction from Beijing and Washington to the coup and how it contrasts with how the ASEAN nations have reacted.

Finbarr Bermingham and the team discuss Xi's Davos speech. How is it different from his speech in 2017, when he spoke just after Trump took office and pitched China as the saviour of multilateralism? He also made an important play for the global south, pitching China as the power that will support the developing world. In the second part of the show economist Nick Marro from the Economist Global Trade Intelligence Unit discusses the furore around the EU China investment deal, signed in December…

Analysis of China's economy following its GDP announcement; it was one of few in the world to exit 2020 with growth, but what of the growing inequality between rich and poor. Has its economic model reached a plateau, and how will it continue to grow its nation's wealth? John Carter and Zhou Xin look at China's economy in 2021 and its challenges, and find contrast in how the US and China approach Big Tech. Washington correspondent Jacob Fromer analyses what he has witnessed in the confirmation…

The headlines have been on Washington this week as riotous Trump supporters laid siege on the US capital, but it has not gone unnoticed in Beijing, where Chinese media and officials have been relishing the chaos. John Carter and Zhou Xin join Finbarr Bermingham to discuss a blistering start to the year. Financial reporter Chad Bray makes his podcast debut to discuss the regulatory hokey cokey facing big Chinese telecoms firms, which may be about to exit the New York Stock Exchange.

The US is about to pass a bill demanding Chinese companies submit to American audit standards or be de-listed from US stock exchanges. Finbarr Bermingham, John Carter and Zhou Xin analyse the impact this will have on the trillions of dollars invested by Chinese companies, and what potential escalations this might lead to. Hear also about the impact of new bans on American made silicon chips to Chinese companies. Our feature interview is with Long Yongtu, one of the pre-eminent veterans of China…

Just days after signing the RCEP trade deal, China's president Xi Jinping shocked analysts and the global trade community with his support for the CPTPP - the agreement once thought to be the highest grade trade deal excluding China in existence, and described as 'the anti-China club' by some Chinese commentators. Why would he do this? Finbarr Bermingham sits down with SCMP political economy editors Zhou Xin and John Carter to look at Xi Jinping's motives and how they fit in a broader…

Fifteen countries from Asia Pacific this week signed the world's biggest trade deal, led by ASEAN but crucially including China. Hear expert analysis from journalists who have covered this every step of the way. Does RCEP represent a lost opportunity for the US and a strategic win for China? Will China's regional sparring partners be able to ratify it? Finbarr Bermingham is joined by Bhavan Jaipragas, Zhou Xin and John Carter to get the details. We've also rifled through Barack Obama's new book…

The SCMP's political economy team take a break from updating the live blog to discuss this week's dramatic, elongated US election. What does it mean for China? What kinds of jokes are going around Chinese social media? What do the Beijing newspapers say - or not say? And what do China watchers think about the state of the relationship? Zhou Xin, John Carter and Finbarr Bermingham discuss this - as well as implications for upcoming negotiations on finance and trade involving Europe and Japan…

In this very special edition, the SCMP Political Economy team count down to a seismic day in the global calendar - November 3. China will release details of its next five-year plan, the same day of the US presidential election. John Carter and William Zheng draw a line between the two events - including a specific detail from a Beijing press conference with huge symbolic meaning for China. Economist Andy Rothman explores China's economic recovery and frisks three post-election scenarios, while…

The SCMP team discuss the Biden-Trump debate and its minimal focus on trade, and compare it with the much more impactful speech given by China's president Xi Jinping for the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, asking the Chinese people to reclaim the 'Korean Spirit'. Hinrich Foundation research fellow and former USTR and WTO negotiator Stephen Olson gives his analysis of Trump and Biden trade policies; in-depth discussion about the future of post-pandemic world trade with Nigerian WTO nominee…

Analysis of China’s trade surge as its tech sector prepares for US sanctions, and the food supply crisis resulting from swine flu and floods spurs food imports.

The SCMP political economy team analyse China's 'entity list' and its potential implications for firms such as HSBC. Hear analysis of how floods and typhoons mean China continues to struggle with food security issues, and Shehzad Qazi, managing director of China Beige Book, discusses the explosive report claiming the Chinese economy is technically in recession, with recovery in places like Beijing and Shanghai but deep malaise elsewhere.

The SCMP team analyse the watered-down US import controls on Xinjiang products and nations of the European Unions sharpening their focus on human rights in China. Former WTO official Tatiana Prazeres, now based in Beijing, discusses China's 'hollow victory' in a dispute over Trump's trade war tariffs at the WTO. We'll also hear about one company's manufacturing journey in the age of Trump, and the reality of 'decoupling' and 'reshoring'.

Both Trump and Biden are trying to force US firms to leave China but is the gravitational pull of the Chinese market too strong? The team analyse the growing consensus in America's presidential candidates' policies as well as the impending threat of a new global trade alliance against China. Hear why the impending US bans on cotton from Xinjiang that uses forced labour might just blow up the phase one trade deal and leave both economies  much worse for wear. #scmppodcasts #tradewar