Shi Jiangtao

6 days ago | scmp.com | Shi Jiangtao |Luna Sun

Donald Trump’s trade war may be a threat to China’s economy, but it may also offer a chance to improve relations with Europe and its neighbours in Asia, as well as “rehabilitating” its image internationally, according to analysts. Beijing has already started working to improve relations with these countries and forge alternative trade agreements and partnerships.

1 week ago | scmp.com | Shi Jiangtao

President Xi Jinping first spoke of “profound changes unseen in a century” reshaping the world during a meeting in late 2017 with senior Chinese diplomats and envoys. Over the years since then it has been dismissed by many as rhetoric. But several Chinese experts and policy analysts have recently said that Donald Trump’s turbulent return to power seems to have bolstered Beijing’s prophecy, signalling a seismic global reordering where American influence wanes and new powers rise.

1 week ago | scmp.com | Shi Jiangtao

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to visit Russia in the coming months, according to the Kremlin, prompting speculation that he might join his Chinese and Russian counterparts in Moscow’s Red Square for Victory Day on May 9. If Kim did take to the podium with presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, it would be the first time for the three leaders to appear together in public, and would be a strong signal of solidarity and defiance of US pressure, pundits said.

1 week ago | scmp.com | Shi Jiangtao

As Washington singles out China for its biggest tariff squeeze, Beijing’s efforts to stabilise its periphery and bolster ties with the neighbours have an added urgency, according to observers. This week saw the ruling Communist Party’s first central conference dedicated to neighbourhood diplomacy since 2013, just days ahead of President Xi Jinping’s first overseas trip of the year – a Southeast Asian tour of Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.

2 weeks ago | scmp.com | Shi Jiangtao

For nearly 30 years, China and Southeast Asian nations have wrestled to craft a set of rules to tame persistent tensions in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest and most contested waterways. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi declared a milestone last month when announcing the completion of the third reading of the long-awaited Code of Conduct (COC), adding to hopes that Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship this year could speed up the protracted negotiations ahead of a 2026 deadline.