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Diplomacy

Diplomacy

Latest news, features and analysis on global diplomatic relations, with a focus on China’s international ties – especially with the US, its Asian neighbours and the European Union.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Debris from a US made long-range ATACMS missile, reportedly used in attacks by Ukrainian forces and shot down in Russia’s Kursk region, is seen in footage released in November. Photo: Russian defence ministry via EPA-EFE

Trump ‘vehemently’ opposed to Ukraine firing US missiles deep into Russia

The US president-elect insisted, however, that he would not abandon Kyiv as he seeks to bring the war to a close.

13 Dec 2024 - 6:12AM

American who says he walked into Syria freed after 7 months in detention

13 Dec 2024 - 5:56AMvideocam

Canada weighs export taxes on uranium and oil If Trump starts trade war

13 Dec 2024 - 5:28AMvideocam

US-China relations

Chinese official praises Trump invitation but does not say if Xi will attend

Trump spokesman confirms inauguration invitation, but Qiu Wenxing of Chinese embassy does not discuss whether Xi Jinping will attend.

13 Dec 2024 - 5:20AMvideocam

Then-US President Donald Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019. Photo: AP

China-France relations

Exclusive | Macron plans China visit amid talk of Beijing helping end Ukraine war

Senior adviser to French leader said to have travelled to Beijing to lay groundwork for 2025 trip as Europeans push for China to sway Russia.

13 Dec 2024 - 4:14AMvideocam

China's economic recovery

How is China seeking to counterbalance trade tensions with US, EU?

Ministry of Commerce officials were active on a number of fronts early this week.

6 hours agovideocam

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US-China relations

Why next year will be ‘critical’ in China’s efforts to attract US students

Academic freedom, visa worries, costs and propaganda are among concerns American youth have about China, US business group says.

13 Dec 2024 - 12:09AMvideocam

As tensions persist between geopolitical rivals China and the US, people-to-people exchanges are seen as increasingly crucial in helping to maintain links between the two countries. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

Xi Jinping tells Medvedev China seeks political solution to Ukraine crisis

China’s president says two countries should ‘promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction’.

12 Dec 2024 - 10:00PMvideocam

India adds Russian-built ship to navy amid rising Indo-Pacific security concerns

The INS Tushil joins the Western Fleet, enhancing naval capabilities and strategic focus in the Indo-Pacific amid growing tensions with China and Pakistan.

12 Dec 2024 - 8:00PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Beijing decries South Korean leader Yoon’s ‘Chinese spy’ defence of martial law

China responds to Yoon Suk-yeol’s remarks about alleged espionage targeting military facilities, calling the comments ‘deeply unsettling’.

13 Dec 2024 - 2:59AMvideocam

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol says his decision to declare martial law was motivated by opposition actions that were “threatening national security and social safety”. Photo: Xinhua

US-China relations

Will Chinese president attend US inauguration at Trump’s invitation?

US outlet reports Trump invited Xi soon after winning election, even though foreign heads of state do not attend presidential inaugurations.

13 Dec 2024 - 3:00AMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US president-elect Donald Trump last met in Japan in June 2019. Analysts say Beijing should invite Trump to the Chinese capital “at a suitable time”. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

Letters | US, China would benefit from having Musk as unofficial envoy

Readers discuss the role the billionaire businessman could play, addressing bias against ethnic minorities, the welcome decline in student withdrawals and Australia’s social media ban for children.

2 hours ago

China-EU relations

China’s envoy to France Lu Shaye heads home in shadow of controversy

Analysts say the delay in moving Lu from Paris shows Beijing did not want to be seen giving in to outside pressure.

12 Dec 2024 - 10:00AMvideocam

Will ties between Japan and South Korea worsen if Yoon Suk-yeol is ousted?

Japan is concerned that South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung might take over Yoon given his stance against Tokyo, analysts say.

12 Dec 2024 - 8:00AMvideocam

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of their meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Lima last month. Photo: dpa

US-China relations

Trump invites China’s Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration, US report says

Report says it is not clear if Xi has accepted the US president-elect’s invitation.

12 Dec 2024 - 10:24AMvideocam

Then-US President Donald Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Osaka, Japan, in June 2019. Photo: AP

Israel-Gaza war

UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands immediate Gaza ceasefire

Only the US, Israel and seven other countries voted against the resolution, while 13 countries abstained.

12 Dec 2024 - 7:06AMvideocam

War and conflict

Opinion | US presidential transition is the thread tying world’s crises together

As US allies face mounting challenges and tensions rise with adversaries, Joe Biden and Donald Trump must work together to manage uncertainties.

12 Dec 2024 - 8:24AMvideocam

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Editorial | Trump a good reason for China, Japan thaw

Crisis of trust between two countries with fragile economies has to be overcome for both their sakes.

11 Dec 2024 - 11:50PM

US president-elect Donald Trump, at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards in Greenvale, New York. The arrival of Trump’s protectionist agenda when he takes power will give both Beijing and Tokyo motivation to improve relations. Photo: AP

China-EU relations

EU to sanction China entities for role in supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine

The latest package will be the first time that targeted entities face direct sanctions for playing a role in the invasion.

11 Dec 2024 - 11:46PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

China’s customs chief and trade warrior Yu Jianhua dies aged 63

Yu, who played a major role in Beijing’s response to Donald Trump’s trade war, had previously led the diplomatic mission at the UN in Geneva.

11 Dec 2024 - 11:11PMvideocam

War and conflict

Opinion | World watches and waits as Islamist group HTS leads a post-Assad Syria

From Russia and the Middle East to the EU and US, the rise of Islamist group HTS is cause for caution over optimism.

12 Dec 2024 - 1:07AMvideocam

Portraits of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad are dumped in a skip in the Damascus suburb of Daraya on December 9. Islamist-led rebels took Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, sending Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. Photo: AFP

‘Paralysed’: South Korea’s diplomacy in limbo after Yoon’s martial law bid

Seoul’s global reputation has been dented as analysts warn of the adverse impact on multiple fronts after Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law saga.

12 Dec 2024 - 1:19PMvideocam

A protester wears a South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol mask during a rally calling for Yoon’s impeachment in Seoul. Photo: Reuters

Indian opposition raises doubts over India-China border deal

Despite opposition concerns, analysts expect the deal to proceed driven by economic necessity and a desire to enhance trade between the two Asian giants.

11 Dec 2024 - 6:00PMvideocam

Belt and Road Initiative

Opinion | Why China’s outreach to Central Asia will only grow

Amid increasing investments and a greater emphasis on security, China’s presence in Central Asia differs from its outreach to other regions.

11 Dec 2024 - 5:44PMvideocam

Pacific nations

Rebel region vows to become Pacific’s newest nation by 2027

Bougainville, home to about 300,000 people, voted to secede from Papua New Guinea five years ago after a bloody decade-long war.

11 Dec 2024 - 2:33PM

A bustling waterway in Bougainville’s capital Buka pictured in 2019. Photo: AFP

China’s naval base handover in Cambodia: a sign of waning US influence?

When the Ream Naval Base’s revamp is completed, analysts say China could get preferential access and increase its regional presence.

11 Dec 2024 - 8:06AM

Cambodian soldiers at Ream Naval Base in 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE

US-China relations

First year of Trump presidency crucial for US-China ties: scholar

If Washington and Beijing can manage tensions in 2025, particularly on Taiwan, ‘we should all celebrate’, says prominent expert Minxin Pei.

11 Dec 2024 - 7:35AMvideocam

Korean peninsula

Opinion | Korea instability should prompt US, China to put aside self-interests

Fresh geopolitical shifts underscore a need for leaders to transcend parochial interests and embrace a more holistic approach to governance.

11 Dec 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

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