Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with Chinese special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui in Moscow, Russia, 26 May 2023. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters)

Peacemaker role in Russia-Ukraine war could be a historic milestone for China

China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui's trip to Europe and Russia to discuss the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis could be a historic milestone for China, says academic Yuan Hang. The country has far played a marginal role in the shaping of European security affairs in the past century, but this could all change if recent approaches are sustained.
A woman shelters from the sun with an umbrella during a hot summer day in Chennai, India, on 16 May 2023. (R. Satish Babu/AFP)

Expanding the BRICS: New challenges for the embattled world order

Voices discussing the expansion of the BRICS are getting louder, leading up to the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to be held this week in Cape Town. While China sees possible expansion of the BRICS as a useful development in growing its influence, other members of BRICS like India may view it with mixed feelings. ISAS academic Amitendu Palit explains.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for the joint press conference of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, Shaanxi province, China, 19 May 2023. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

China strengthens its influence in Central Asia as Russia looks on

The China-Central Asia Summit may have ended last week, but it seems that it is just the beginning for China’s re-consolidated relations with Central Asia and also Russia, with an exchange of visits between Chinese and Russian officials coming up. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that China’s influence in Central Asia is strengthening, not least the result of Russia’s embroilment in the war in Ukraine.
A cargo ship berths at Lianyungang port, in Jiangsu province, China, on 9 May 2023. (AFP)

Chinese exporters turn toward emerging markets

The diverging performance of China’s ports reflects a shift in trade for the world’s largest exporter. A growing proportion of shipments are destined for emerging markets such as countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Middle East and Latin America, and an increasing share of exports consist of intermediate goods and capital items. Meanwhile, the shift in demand for Chinese exports is driving up prices for container shipping, squeezing margins for China’s small, private exporters.
People walk outside Brixton Underground Station, in London, Britain, 6 May 2023. (Emilie Madi/Reuters)

The UK's ambiguity in dealing with China: Ingenuity amid diminishing influence?

While the UK has deftly tried to protect its economic relationship with China while aligning with the US on certain policies, this is a difficult tightrope to balance, especially post-Brexit. Being no longer able to play the role of a political bridge between the US and Brussels, the UK could find its policy of ambiguity leading it closer to isolation.
Shipping containers are seen at a commercial port in Vladivostok, Russia, 15 February 2023. (Tatiana Meel/Reuters)

Russia opening Vladivostok port to China after 163 years

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia has opened the key port of Vladivostok to China, which will enhance the transportation of domestic goods in China’s northeast region. Many see this as an act of goodwill, while some believe that Russia could be turning into a vassal of China. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Wong Siew Fong takes us through what the port opening means for China.
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures during the North Sea summit in Ostend, Belgium, on 24 April 2023. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP)

EU strategic autonomy: Easier said than done

Academic Ye Shengzhou explains why French President Emmanuel Macron has been aggressively pushing for EU strategic autonomy, more so after his visit to China. But even if France puts its weight behind the concept, the path of achieving strategic autonomy is paved with obstacles.
US Capitol Police officers patrol on bicycles at the US Capitol in Washington, US, 21 March 2023. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Peacemakers, not warmongers, are needed in US-China relations now

While it seems that policy makers in both the US and China hold entrenched antagonistic views, making “war talk” commonplace, one should not surrender to that perceived inevitability. Every effort should be made on both sides to start rebuilding trust from less controversial issues, says US academic Zhu Zhiqun.
This combination of pictures created on 26 April 2023 shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Genya Savilov and Vladimir Astapkovich/various sources/AFP)

Mediating the Russia-Ukraine war: China enters the ring

After more than a year since the war in Ukraine broke out, Chinese and Ukrainian presidents have finally spoken for the first time, and the outcome appears promising. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that while sceptics believe that China could still be leaning towards the side of Russia, China has shown that it is taking its role as a mediator seriously and is prepared for it.