Argentina’s top central banker sat down with his Chinese counterpart in Shanghai, a quiet overture towards Beijing months after Buenos Aires moved to unwind a currency lifeline that Washington had pushed it to abandon. Santiago Bausili, president of the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic, met People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng on the sidelines of an international symposium organised by the Bank for International Settlements and China’s central bank, according to a statement from...

A senior US official on Monday said that President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance had signed the memorandum of understanding electronically with Iran to formally reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the American blockade of Iranian ports. The official also claimed Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed the document on Tehran’s behalf. Trump “wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show his dedication to the process and dedication to seeing this through to...

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that the bloc has verified reports that China’s military has been “training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine”, a development that could deepen tensions between the two sides. Kallas, speaking after chairing a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said that the EU was “carefully assessing the implications” of the assessment, adding that the ministers had agreed to sanction several Chinese entities...

One of China’s largest defence contractors displayed a model of a drone assembly line at a leading international defence exhibition, hinting that the firm is planning to make more of the weapons overseas. The state-run North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) displayed the model during this year’s Eurosatory, one of the world’s largest exhibitions of army weaponry, which is being held in Paris this week. The miniature depicted the manufacture of several Norinco drones, such as the BZK-005E...

The announcement of an impending Iran deal could not have been a better birthday gift for President Donald Trump – but celebrations could be short-lived if fragile details of the agreement fail to hold. Obstacles will not be easy to overcome, Chinese observers say. Any lasting framework must navigate uncertainties around the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme under its new regime, the mechanisms of sanction relief for Tehran and a rattled Israel, which has vowed to remove what Prime Minister...

China’s official military newspaper has warned of an arms race over low-Earth satellites, citing developments such as SpaceX’s latest contract with the US Space Force. Low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellations typically operate at 300km to 1,500km (185-930 miles) above the Earth and are becoming increasingly important in areas such as communications and satellite navigation. But in a series of articles covering a full page on Monday, PLA Daily warned: “The era of the militarised application of...

The United States and Iran are set to sign an interim peace deal on Friday that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially end a nearly four-month-long conflict that has killed thousands and upended the global economy. “The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump said on social media on Sunday, which was also his 80th birthday. “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” along with the “immediate removal” of the US...

By many historical accounts, the Ming dynasty’s doom was sealed when Li Zicheng, the leader of a peasant rebel army, invaded Beijing in 1644. Less than 24 hours after the rebel forces breached Beijing’s inner defences, Chongzhen, the Ming dynasty’s emperor, hanged himself on Jing Hill behind the Forbidden City. The moment marked the end of 276 years of Ming rule. The Ming dynasty’s eunuch dictatorship, factionalism among civil officials, devastating peasant uprisings and the rise of the Manchus...

The United States, Iran and their mediator Pakistan each announced on Sunday that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement intended to end the conflict between them that has lasted more than 100 days. Writing on social media on Sunday, US President Donald Trump stated: “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region.” Representatives for the warring countries said they would formally sign a document in Switzerland on Friday that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council...

In China’s premier coal province Shanxi, a massive project that converts ultra-hard coal waste into high-value industrial materials has begun operations, bringing the country’s zero waste goal for the fossil fuel industry a step closer. The project – in Gaoping, a county-level city in Shanxi’s southeast – is producing 1,000 tonnes per day of building and industrial materials, including sand and gravel aggregates used in construction, according to the local government. In an article published in...

The Abu Dhabi government is fast-tracking its push to extensively tap into China’s technologies, from renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) to robotics, as it pursues a greener economy, according to its energy chief. Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi department of energy, told the SCMP that his department was in talks with 22 Chinese firms, including Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), during a recent visit to Shanghai, and expected a deepened tie-up with China’s...

US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday that a landmark agreement has been reached with Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump posted on social media without providing any details of the agreement. “I hereby fully authorise the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorise the...