UK

Escape from the British Museum follows the story of a jade teapot, played by Xiatian Meimei, that "escaped" and encountered Chinese reporter Zhang Yong-an, played by Jianbing Guozai, in the UK.

When a Chinese teapot wants to 'escape from the British Museum'

A short video series featuring Chinese artefacts in the British Museum has gone viral on social media in China, with viewers being moved by the story of a teapot trying to go home to China. But even as critics highlight the heavy sentiment and patriotism in the series, it has prompted calls by China and other countries for the British Museum to return artefacts to their rightful owners.
An exterior view of the proposed site for the new China embassy, near Tower Bridge in London, Britain, on 23 June 2023. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)

It's complicated: Relocating the Chinese embassy in UK

The Chinese embassy in the UK seems to have missed the appeal deadline against a local council’s decision to block the embassy’s planned relocation to a historic site near the Tower of London. Will this affair mushroom into a larger diplomatic issue warranting reciprocal measures, with the UK government’s silence on the matter further grating on Beijing?
People walk past the central business district, in Beijing, China, on 21 June 2023. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

China’s application to join CPTPP comes to the fore, after the UK’s entry

​With the UK’s addition to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the question of the next applicant, China, joining comes front and centre. Other applicants like Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Uruguay are also keen to be part of a grouping that could become the largest free trade area in the world. Academic Min-Hua Chiang outlines the stakes involved.
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.
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 President Joe Biden (centre), British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) hold a press conference during the AUKUS summit on 13 March 2023, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego California. (Jim Watson/AFP)

If at first you don’t succeed: Australia woos the Indo-Pacific on AUKUS

Australia made extensive diplomatic overtures to Asia prior to its March update about the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine arrangement with the UK and the US, note researchers Blake Herzinger and Alice Nason. Canberra appears to have gained some traction in the region, but it should not rest on its laurels.
A woman hands out sheet of paper in protest over Covid-19 restrictions in mainland China, during a commemoration of the victims of a fire in Urumqi, at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), in Hong Kong, China, 29 November 2022. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Why first-generation Chinese immigrants in the UK fear speaking up

Freelance writer He Yue muses about why first-generation Chinese immigrants in the UK are keeping silent about Chinese politics, even for those who have opinions about what is happening in China. It seems that the opportunities for democracy and freedom while living abroad are still not enough to get them to share how they really feel, even in private chat groups among friends.
A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during his first Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London on 26 October 2022. (Jessica Taylor/AFP)

The UK's 'tilt' towards the Indo-Pacific may not be sustainable

The UK has launched a robust “tilt” towards the Indo-Pacific. To its credit, it has executed a series of high-profile diplomatic engagements and military deployments to the region. The question, however, is not about London’s desire to engage with the dynamic region but whether this tilt can be sustained.
This photo taken on 16 October 2022 shows subway staff watching the opening session of the 20th Party Congress in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. (AFP)

China and the West continue sparring during party congress

China’s American and European partners do not seem keen on granting China a “stable external environment” during the 20th Party Congress. With diplomatic sparring ratcheting up, Xi’s new team will have its work cut out when the congress ends in a few days’ time.