About Asia

Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham analyses Germany's diplomatic faux pas with China over sending a warship to the South China Sea as analysts ponder a Germany without Angela Merkel; what’s behind the boom in exports to the EU from Xinjiang; Dr Euan Graham from the International Institute of Strategic Studies unpacks the extent of military build-up in the South China Sea; and the potential fo...

Hear from the SCMP’s New York and Beijing correspondents on the meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, chasing common ground, yet finding stalemate. Now, US vaccine diplomacy is under way in SE Asia and a new "wolf warrior" ambassador is in Washington. Asia correspondent John Power analyses Australia’s potential US$1 billion bid to keep Chi...

A special feature-length episode looking at China's 50 year relationship with the United Nations marking the month in 1971 when 17 members of the UN requested a vote on the "Restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations". How has China's relationship with the UN changed since taking its seat, how is that relationship changing under Xi Jinping?  Professor...

Hear analysis from US correspondent Owen Churchill and Beijing-based correspondent Kinling Lo after this week's claims and counter-claims of state-sponsored hacking attacks, and why NATO's involvement is significant. How will this affect the first face-to-face meeting of senior US and China diplomats after the terse Alaska meeting in March? Sports editor Paul Ryding calls in from Tokyo with insigh...

The South China Morning Post political economy team analyse the latest economic data from China, delve deep into the ongoing US-China trade and tech war, and examine China's changing economic relationship with Europe, Africa and the Indo-Pacific. Hear deep background on Beijing's political machinations and how they affect policy and global diplomacy, and hear how nations are responding to the new...

SCMP Hong Kong desk editor Denise Tsang joins Chad Bray to discuss the reaction among Hong Kong-based American business leaders to Joe Biden's warning, amid fears Hong Kong’s new anti-doxxing laws may lead to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram being blocked in the city. Also, as Beijing continues to reject the South China Sea international court ruling, Beijing-based reporter Sarah Zheng analyses ris...

Following the official call from the Taliban welcoming Chinese investment, the SCMP’s Zhou Xin analyses China's past relationship with Afghanistan and its strategic and historic importance to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. In the wake of US investor uproar over the Didi IPO, business reporter Georgina Lee unpacks the new rules for Chinese companies listing on US stock markets, and how Hong Ko...

Chad Bray speaks with SCMP desk editors Zhou Xin and Peter Langan; analysing Xi Jinping's speech for China's Communist party centenary, and what was missed in the headlines about 'bloodied heads'; how China's relationship with Japan, South Korea and North Korea is changing amid calls for NATO to expand to East Asia Brussels-based correspondent Finbarr Bermingham reports on moves in the European Pa...

Washington correspondent Jacob Fromer details the Post exclusive that investigates how some of America's biggest investment funds are making millions from companies in Xinjiang, as the Biden administration escalates sanctions on companies involved in solar cell manufacturing. Political Economy desk editor Zhou Xin contrasts the style and career of Beijing's veteran ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai...

Analysis of US President Joe Biden's Europe visit and Beijing's response from the SCMP's Rob Delaney in Washington and Zhou Xin in Hong Kong. Also, how will the global "B3W" programme work and how does it differ from China's belt and road strategy? Brussels-based correspondent Finbarr Bermingham contrasts the language of the EU and the US over what Biden achieved, and unpacks the newly announced U...

SCMP’s political economy editor Zhou Xin and Washington bureau chief Rob Delaney analyse a week when Beijing and Washington targeted each other with bills on sanctions, competition and technology. Also in this week’s podcast, our European correspondent Finbarr Bermingham reports from Brussels on EU sentiment towards Biden's agenda at the G7 meeting, Nato’s push into the Indo-Pacific region, and th...

Finbarr Bermingham and the team analyse the European Parliament's vote to freeze ratification of its agreement on investment with China; why the rekindled alliance of China and Russia is all about the G7 and why Biden's Endless Frontiers Act is more like Trump than a new era. Feature interview with Bernd Lange member of the European Parliament and Germany's Social Democratic Party, discussing the...

China forcefully defended its Xinjiang policy at a UN forum it labeled an “anti-China event”, where Germany and Turkey joined with the US and UK to ask for “immediate, meaningful and unfettered” access. SCMP reporters Simone McCarthy and Masha Borak examine how India's Covid crisis is impacting the global tech supply chain for Apple products as well as vaccine, PPE and medical supply-based diploma...

Is the G7 ganging up on China? This week, the team looks at how that perception may be pushing Beijing into a corner, causing it to double down. China’s suspension of economic talks with Australia may already be proof of that, as Canberra is made an example to the world. Hear also about Beijing's choice as its new ambassador to the United States and Tamas Matura, China expert from the Corvinus Uni...

China, according to US President Joe Biden, is “deadly earnest” about becoming the world’s most “consequential” nation. In this week’s podcast, the team analyses Biden’s first speech to a joint session of Congress. Also, reports of China’s “declining” population are refuted by Beijing even though it has yet to release new figures. And SCMP China Desk reporter Sarah Zheng looks behind mask diplomac...

The talks were virtual, but the promises were not just hot air at this week’s climate summit organised by US President Joe Biden. Finbarr Bermingham joins Zhou Xin and John Carter from the SCMP Political Economy team to recap the pledges leaders made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and what seemed like a measure of cooperation between Washington and China. Also this week: the strange story of...

Taiwan has been in the headlines during a week that a delegation sent by US President Biden visited the self-ruled island, and when Beijing mounted what was seen as an aggressive show of force towards Taipei. This week’s China Geopolitics podcast also looks into the pressure on Japanese PM Suga, how Taiwan company TSMC emerged as top global semiconductor supplier, and why the EU refuses to bail ou...

In a week that the US State Department openly flirted with – then pulled back from – the idea of a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, SCMP political economy editors Zhou Xin and John Carter discuss the significance of the Games to China's image-building efforts, the dilemma it would create for potential sponsors and the realpolitik of Washington's mixed messaging. Also in this edition of...

The fallout from a lightning blitz of sanctions between Western nations and China over alleged abuses in Xinjiang continues. China's stinging official retaliation raises huge questions about its investment deal with Europe, while China's netizen army has risen up against Western brands in response.    H&M, Nike, Hugo Boss, and Adidas and their stances on Xinjiang-made cotton have lead to mass boyc...

Finbarr Bermingham and the SCMP political economy team delve beneath the opening bluster of the US-China meeting in Anchorage and analyse the bigger picture. What of the US opening gambit on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan? What will the agreement on action to confront climate change mean? Zhou Xin looks at the media coverage in mainland China media framing this as demonstrating China's superpower...

Finbarr Bermingham, Zhou Xin and John Carter look at the coming high-level meeting between the US and China in Alaska, and compare what each team of negotiators are looking to get from the occasion, while Biden's calling together of the 'Quad' raises more questions of what India, Japan and Australia have in common. Hear analysis from Beijing-based reporters Mai Jun and Kinling Lo of China's Nation...

Finbarr Bermingham speaks with SCMP political economy editors Zho Xin and John Carter about the latest Hong Kong crackdown on pro-democracy figures, and delve deep into the latest policy announcements at the National People's Congress in Beijing concerning economic growth and technology. Hear an in-depth interview with Reinhard Butikofer, German politician and chair of the European Union parliamen...

Finbarr Bermingham and political economy editors John Carter and Zhou Xin look at the upcoming announcement of Beijing's five year plan and how it will address the rising middle income trap for China's economic growth. Hear analysis of the Biden administration inquiry into 'supply chains' that didn't mention China and the push by US tech companies back into the mainland now Trump has gone. Special...

A special ICYMI recap of an interview between Finbarr Bermingham and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, back when she was one of two candidates vying for the position of director general of the World Trade Organization. Hear her talk about her vision for the WTO regarding Covid-19 vaccines, how to repair US-China trade relations and exactly what reforms she thinks are needed for this organisation to be effectiv...

John Carter unpacks how fresh outbreaks of Covid-19 in mainland China will impact the Chinese economy, as the nation prepares for the Lunar New Year holiday. SCMP China desk edtor Wiliam Zheng analyses Beijing's top diplomat's first policy speech since the Biden inauguration; senior Asia correspondent Bhavan Jaipragas looks at China's relationship with Myanmar, the reaction from Beijing and Washin...