Kathrin Hille

The Chinese Communist party was never going to trust Lai Ching-te. Taiwan's new president has long viewed his homeland as an independent country — a stance irreconcilable with Beijing's insistence that the island is part of China and must come under its control sooner rather than later.

China has kicked off its largest military exercises around Taiwan in more than a year, calling the drills "punishment" for what it claimed was a "provocation" from Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te, who took office last Monday.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has met his Chinese counterpart for the first time as Washington and Beijing take steps to reopen military communication channels as part of a broad effort to stabilise relations.

China has become one of the largest bilateral infrastructure lenders to the Philippines, but its finance commitments swing wildly with the two

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim surprised many when he sought closer ties with China after coming to power in 2022 in an effort to boost his country's flagging economic growth.

The absence of President Xi Jinping, who sent his number two in his place, has dejected some in the government, according to Malaysian officials and observers.

Taipei seeks to ‘close loopholes’ that allowed trade to undermine UN sanctions

The maritime force's actions in extending Beijing's grip over disputed territory are challenging the international maritime legal order and raising fears of armed conflict.

The supply chain of devices used in the attacks in Lebanon involves a confused Taiwan CEO, a mysterious Hungarian academic and a wave of Middle East destruction.