Viktor Orban meets Bank of China chairman amid deepening financial ties with Beijing

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Bank of China chairman Ge Haijiao in Budapest on May 12. The talks focused on expanding the Chinese banking giant’s operations in the country, according to a brief government statement.

COMMENT: China’s quiet power play in Southeast Asia

Singapore sees gold rush as investors flock to bullion amid global uncertainty

Physical gold sales in Singapore surged in the first four months of 2025, with bullion demand reaching 2.5 tonnes in the first quarter, up 35% year-on-year, marking the steepest increase since 2010.

Brazil's Lula leverages US-China tensions for investment windfall during Beijing visit

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has begun a five-day state visit to China, seeking to deepen economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing amid growing US-China trade tensions.

Colombia to join Beijing's Belt and Road initiative

Colombia will join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), President Gustavo Petro Urrego announced during his visit to the Great Wall on May 12.

Brazil poised to challenge China's rare earth dominance

Brazil could emerge as a major competitor to China in the strategically critical rare earths market amid escalating global trade tensions and surging demand for these essential elements in high-tech manufacturing.

COMMENT: Why Asia should not follow the failed European model

Over the past 15 years, Europe’s trade frameworks have faltered, integration has stalled, and a number of its core political and economic ideas have failed under real-world pressure.

ASIA BLOG: Beijing’s South China Sea strategy is about Taiwan — and the world needs to sit up and take notice

Even as Taiwan is described as potentially the most dangerous flashpoint in Asia, it is actually the fulcrum upon which the future of the Indo-Pacific — and by extension the global balance of power — may pivot.

Serbia’s Vucic meets China’s Xi Jinping in Moscow to deepen ties with China

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, to reinforce Belgrade’s strategic alignment with Beijing amid increasing global polarisation and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

COMMENT: Lessons from Ukraine suggest India will not go to war with Pakistan

The vast economic and demographic imbalance between India and Pakistan strongly favours New Delhi in any theoretical war between the two rivals. Yet, lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine suggest that India cannot win a total war.

MOSCOW BLOG: A muted V-day parade on Red Square

I have just been watching the Victory Day parade on Red Square. A few observations.

Turkey and China could mediate Ukraine peace talks if US withdraws, Polish foreign minister says

Turkey and China could act as potential mediators in future Ukraine peace negotiations if the United States reduces its involvement, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.

India and Pakistan continue to hit each other with drones and missiles

The government of India in its May 8 briefing said that Pakistan had launched missiles and drones against its military installations across North India which were all intercepted by its integrated air defence grid on the night of May 7.

Russia backs Beijing's 'One China' claims over Taiwan

Taiwan is a self-governed island democracy that has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party regardless of claims to the contrary by Beijing. Despite this, China views the island as a breakaway province.

China’s central bank unveils 10-point plan to help calm markets, steer growth

Among the most headline-grabbing moves is a 0.5 percentage point cut in the reserve requirement ratio, expected to unleash some CNY1 trillion ($138bn) into the financial system. But that’s just the beginning.

US sanctions Karen National Army leader, two sons over cyber scams and trafficking links

The OFAC stated the sanctions are in response to the trio's alleged involvement in online financial scams, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling operations that have targeted US citizens.

Kremlin to shut down Moscow’s internet during Victory Day parade, as Ukrainian drone attacks cause civil aviation chaos across the country

Widespread disruption is expected across Russia’s capital during the May 9 Victory Day parade after the Kremlin decided to shut down the city’s internet and SMS services for several hours.

India may have lost its most advanced fighter in strikes against Pakistan

While it is unclear exactly how many of the 36 Rafale airframes IAF operates were part of Operation Sindoor or were lost during or after it, unverified images on social media show a mostly intact tail fin segment bearing the markings of the IAF.

From occupied hosts to strategic partners: the evolving role of Japan and South Korea in US Asia Strategy

Incidents ranging from theft and assault to more egregious acts like rape and murder have periodically reignited public anger such as in the case of the 1995 abduction and gang rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three US servicemen.

ASEAN aligns with Japan, China and South Korea in warning against protectionist risks

Meeting on the sidelines of the recent Asian Development Bank’s annual gathering in Milan, Italy, the officials reiterated their support for a rules-based, free and fair multilateral trading system.