Diplomacy

Red flags fly over Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on 12 March 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

Chinese ambassador to Singapore: In a tumultuous world, what should we do?

Chinese ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan explains China’s stand on building global security, premised on its recent position papers on the Global Security Initiative and the Ukraine crisis.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission attends a meeting with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban in Beijing, China, 10 March 2023. (China Daily via Reuters)

Differences between the US and China in Middle East peace advocacy

China’s success in mediating peace between long-term rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has highlighted the major power’s role as a key player in security in the Middle East. While some international media take it as a sign of China’s ambitions, academic Fan Hongda feels that the peace deal has addressed a common need for all parties, and China has its own way of promoting peace in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 20 March 2023. (Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters)

President Xi in Moscow: From wolf warrior to peacemaker?

President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, following on the heels of China’s role in brokering a Saudi-Iran deal, speaks of China’s new-found confidence as a diplomatic rainmaker.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, 4 February 2022. (Sputnik/Aleksey Druzhinin/Kremlin via Reuters)

What to expect from Xi-Putin meeting in Russia

Much attention is on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, with speculation on whether China will drop its neutral stance on the Ukraine war, or stick to strengthening the fundamentals of their bilateral relationship. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan gives his analysis.
A publicity image of the Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems performance. (iSING! Festival/Twitter)

When the arts is more than politics: Reflections on the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s China tour

Learning of a recent performance in the US by Suzhou musicians, SPH Chinese Media Group editor-in-chief Lee Huay Leng muses on the role that the Philadelphia Orchestra’s visit to Beijing had played in US-China relations in the 1970s. While no substitute for hard diplomacy, cultural exchanges can sow seeds of friendship among different peoples, and help the world reap something beautiful in the future.
A US Air Force U-2 pilot looks down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovers over the central continental US on 3 February 2023 before later being shot down by the Air Force off the coast of South Carolina, in this photo released by the US Air Force through the Defense Department on 22 February 2023. (US Air Force/Department of Defense/Handout via Reuters)

Mass hysteria over spy balloons: The pot calling the kettle black?

Former Zaobao editor Lim Jim Koon believes that the balloon saga between China and the US in February gives much food for thought around the role of political leaders and mass media in sensationalising the trivial incidents.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban pose for pictures during a meeting in Beijing, China, 10 March 2023. (China Daily via Reuters)

Saudi-Iran deal: Diplomacy with Chinese characteristics gaining ground

By forging Saudi Arabia-Iran rapprochement based on the message that economic development goes hand in hand with security stabilisation, China has just strengthened its image as an alternative to the West in the global south.
A Ukrainian soldier of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade "Edelweiss" prepares to fire a French MO-120-RT61 mortar towards Russian positions at a front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on 4 March 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP)

Why China's close ally Cambodia is a staunch supporter of Ukraine

While China appears to be getting further embroiled in the Russia-Ukraine war on the side of Russia and may seek to influence close ally Cambodia to follow suit, the latter does not seem to be easily swayed.
A screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking during the closing session of the First Session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on 13 March 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

China's entry into the Middle East: Beginning of China-US full-scale confrontation

A clear theme throughout China’s Two Sessions this year has been its resistance to the US’s attempts at suppression and containment. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that while China’s rhetoric against the US has gotten stronger, it has actively shown itself to be a major global player, even in the Middle East.