For a decade, former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan stood out as a political survivor while colleague after close colleague fell in China’s far-reaching anti-corruption campaign. Throughout that time, including his seven years as the megacity’s mayor from 2009 to 2016, Huang was seen as a “tumbler” in Chinese politics – a weighted doll that wobbles but never falls over. The nickname was well-deserved – he served under six municipal Communist Party secretaries, watching two of them – Bo Xilai and...

For a decade, former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan stood out as a political survivor while colleague after close colleague fell in China’s far-reaching anti-corruption campaign. Throughout that time, including his seven years as the megacity’s mayor from 2009 to 2016, Huang was seen as a “tumbler” in Chinese politics – a weighted doll that wobbles but never falls over. The nickname was well-deserved – he served under six municipal Communist Party secretaries, watching two of them – Bo Xilai and...

Senior American diplomats, administration officials and Indo-Pacific military commanders met in Tokyo earlier this month in what one source called an “unusual” gathering ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in November. People familiar with the meeting said it represented an evolution of a long-standing practice in which US ambassadors stationed across Asia and the Pacific gathered to exchange intelligence, coordinate diplomatic reporting and align regional priorities. The...

Senior American diplomats, administration officials and Indo-Pacific military commanders met in Tokyo earlier this month in what one source called an “unusual” gathering ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in November. People familiar with the meeting said it represented an evolution of a long-standing practice in which US ambassadors stationed across Asia and the Pacific gathered to exchange intelligence, coordinate diplomatic reporting and align regional priorities. The...

Some senior American executives are lukewarm about attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and related business events in Shenzhen next month, according to people familiar with the matter. They cited limited scheduling details, few expected breakthroughs and a lack of opportunity for meaningful engagement. Beijing has invited multiple US business leaders – particularly those who joined President Donald Trump’s May trip to China and later attended the White House state dinner for...

Kurt Campbell is a veteran US diplomat and strategist who has played a leading role in shaping Washington’s approach to China and the Indo-Pacific for more than a decade. He served as the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs from 2021 to 2024 and as US deputy secretary of state from 2024 to 2025. Previously, he served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2009 to 2013 and was a key architect of the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia”. Often...

Kurt Campbell is a veteran US diplomat and strategist who has played a leading role in shaping Washington’s approach to China and the Indo-Pacific for more than a decade. He served as the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs from 2021 to 2024 and as US deputy secretary of state from 2024 to 2025. Previously, he served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2009 to 2013 and was a key architect of the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia”. Often...

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent may skip a meeting of Apec finance ministers in Hong Kong later this month to focus on preparing for President Donald Trump’s historic visit to Shenzhen in November, sources told the South China Morning Post. Bessent is expected to meet Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Shenzhen ahead of Trump’s visit – when Trump will again hold talks with President Xi Jinping – as the two sides look to secure a longer extension of the bilateral trade truce, which is due to...

Chinese President Xi Jinping projected a message of confidence about the country’s ability to overcome challenges during his annual National Day address, issuing a rallying call for robust economic growth and more certainty amid geopolitical complications. Xi’s address, delivered at a state reception in Beijing on Wednesday evening to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, was his first to the nation following his state visit to the US last week. It came weeks ahead...

President Xi Jinping has ordered China’s security and legal apparatus to relentlessly eliminate risks and build a “safer” country a year ahead of the pivotal 21st Communist Party congress, which will usher in a major leadership reshuffle. The latest instruction, published by state news agency Xinhua on Monday night, is also the Chinese leader’s first major domestic directive since his state visit to Washington last week, signalling a pivot back to the domestic agenda – especially stability. In a...

Amid the polished silverware and fine crystal stemware on display at the state dinner in the White House on Thursday sat the vacuum flasks brought by Chinese President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan. The couple’s flasks, black for Xi and white for Peng, were spotted on their table during the formal dinner, signalling a subtle self-assurance as cultural authenticity met high diplomacy. Extending this everyday practice to the White House banquet was in tune with the host nation’s own...

China’s ambassador to the United States has hailed President Xi Jinping’s coming state visit as a “historic milestone” for bilateral and international relations. Xie Feng’s remarks came just as Beijing unveiled stringent new regulations on fentanyl, in a clear move to build diplomatic momentum ahead of the Xi-Trump summit in Washington. Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, the “giant ship” of China-US relations would continue to “break waves and sail ahead” along a trajectory of “mutual...

When Xi Jinping sits down with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday, the Chinese leader’s side of the table will be filled with senior aides bringing extensive policy expertise. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday that Xi would pay a state visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday. The trip – Xi’s first state visit to Washington since 2015 – will also mark his second face-to-face meeting this year with Trump, as the world’s top two economies seek to...

The Communist Party has set a date for its most important political gathering this autumn, the news coming shortly before Beijing confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the US. The fifth plenary session of the party’s 20th Central Committee will be held from October 26 to October 29, according to official news agency Xinhua on Monday. The meeting of political elites is likely to be the most important gathering ahead of next autumn’s national party congress, a five-yearly event...