Laura Zhou

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Laura Zhou

Vietnam has continued to expand land reclamation on its occupied features in the South China Sea, with military-related construction of new ports and airstrips, according to a Chinese think tank. Citing satellite images, the Beijing-based South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said on Friday that the Southeast Asian nation had reclaimed nearly 0.78 sq km (0.3 square miles) of land on 11 features in the contested Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, over the past six months.

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Laura Zhou |Alyssa Chen

The much-anticipated phone call between the leaders of China and the US could offer a respite for many Asian countries caught in their rivalry, but the detente might also complicate their calculations on how to strike a balance between the two superpowers, according to analysts. More than four months after his return to the White House, US President Donald Trump had what he described as a “very positive” phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday.

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Laura Zhou

Russia’s fresh bid to revive a strategic triangle with China and India as a counterbalance to the Western-led international order faces headwinds given the deep-seated distrust between the two Asian powers, according to observers. However, United States President Donald Trump and his aggressive and unpredictable policies could be the catalyst to bring the three together, one analyst says.

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Laura Zhou

The US should meet China halfway and create the “necessary conditions” for bringing bilateral ties back on track, top diplomat Wang Yi has told the new American ambassador, amid White House expectations that a phone call between the two state leaders could occur this week. In a meeting with David Perdue in Beijing on Tuesday, Wang said that mutual respect and cooperation were the foundation of stable China-US relations, which he said were at a “crucial juncture”.

1 month ago | scmp.com | Laura Zhou

Beijing has pledged to expand its support for Pacific Island countries in building climate resilience, and to continue law enforcement cooperation in the region, during high-level talks in the coastal city of Xiamen in southeastern China’s Fujian province on Wednesday. Top diplomat Wang Yi made the commitment, which included US$2 million for the climate change fund, at the third foreign ministers’ meeting between China and Pacific Island states.