Vietnam Leader Seeks China-Style Powers at Party Conclave

By Ty McCormick Vietnam's top leader To Lam is expected to address a twice-a-decade congress of the Communist Party on Tuesday, where he is seeking expanded powers similar to China's political structure. The Southeast Asian ...

China’s Trade Surplus Hit Record $1.2 Trillion in 2025

China reported strong trade numbers for 2025 on Wednesday, as its surplus rose year-on-year to a record $1.2 trillion despite a slump in exports to the United States after President Donald Trump hiked tariffs. Last year's bruising trade war between Washington ...

Japan to Test Deep Sea Rare Earth Mining to Cut China Reliance

Japan embarks Sunday on what it says is the world's first bid to tap deep sea rare earths at a depth of 6,000 metres -- greater than the height of Mount Fuji -- to curb dependence on China. A Japanese deep-sea ...

Fresh From China, South Korea President to Visit Japan

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Japan next week for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Seoul said Friday, days after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. The visit to Takaichi's picturesque hometown of Nara on Tuesday ...

South Korea’s Lee Snaps Xi Selfie With Chinese ‘Backdoor’ Phone

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung snapped a selfie with Xi Jinping using a smartphone gifted to him by the Chinese leader, who had joked at their last meeting that the device might be capable of spying. Lee posted three selfies ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

2026: Africa-China Relations in a World Shaped by North-South Geopolitics

When talking about Africa–China relations, one is always moving along a sliding scale. There are myriad interactions with Chinese entities that concern only individual African countries, segueing into trends affecting the whole continent and sliding further into global dynamics shaping the developing world, of which Africa is the heart.

The Africa-China relationship is its own thing, but Africa’s fate can’t easily be separated from factors affecting the wider Global South, ...

S. Korean President Heads to China, Hoping to Sidestep Taiwan Tensions

By Hieun Shin South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung heads to China on Sunday, eager to boost economic ties with Seoul's largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan. ...

China Mediates in Cambodia-Thailand Crisis

China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that it is dispatching an envoy to mediate in the growing border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, as the peace deal for which U.S. President Donald Trump took credit threatens to fall apart.

China, Japan in Fresh Incident Around Disputed Islands

Japanese and Chinese vessels engaged in a fresh standoff around disputed islands on Tuesday, the two countries' coast guards said. Relations have been strained since Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested last month that her country could intervene militarily in ...

China Escalates Pressure on Japan and the Philippines With Coordinated Military Moves

China put on a major show of military force across its maritime periphery over the course of three days beginning on Friday in a bid to send a warning to its rivals in both Japan and the Philippines. Beijing deployed ...

South Korea Hosts Xi as Chinese Leader Rekindles Fraught Ties

By Claire Lee South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted Xi Jinping for their first meeting on Saturday as the Chinese head of state took center stage and reforged old ties at an Asian summit from which U.S. leader Donald Trump ...

Pentagon Chief Hegseth Set for Multi-Country Asia Tour

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit four Asian countries in the coming days, the Pentagon announced Sunday, his second tour of the "priority" region where Washington is urging increased spending by allies to counter China. The Pentagon said in a ...

Japan Sidelines Chinese Immigrants as It Opens Door to India, Says Chinese Commentator

In August, India and Japan finalized a significant human resources partnership, agreeing to facilitate the exchange of 500,000 people over the next five years, including 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled Indian workers who will be employed in Japan.  Recently, popular online ...
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