Politics

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Taiwanese Vice President William Lai plans to make a stop in the U.S. city on his way to Honduras.
US-China tensions

Taiwan VP to stop in Los Angeles and San Francisco during trip abroad

China objects to William Lai's U.S. stopovers on his way to Honduras

21 January 2022
Honduras' president-elect, Xiomara Castro, gestures during a ceremony to receive her presidential credentials at the Plaza Juan Carlos hotel, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Dec. 30. 
International relations

Taiwan to send VP Lai to Honduran President Castro's inauguration

Taipei says it will work with new leader to deepen relations

19 January 2022
Prior to winning November's presidential election in Honduras, Xiomara Castro of the leftist Liberty and Refoundation Party said if victorious, she would open diplomatic ties with China. But her team has since backtracked on that stance.
15 January 2022
Wellheads painted in Ecuador's national colors at an oil rig of state oil company Petroamazonas.
Trade

Ecuador applies for CPTPP membership to diversify trade

South American nation seeks to reduce reliance on oil

29 December 2021
Chile's President-elect Gabriel Boric delivers a speech on Dec. 19 to supporters in Santiago, Chile, after his victory.
Politics

Chile's CPTPP membership in limbo with leftist win

Millennial Boric scores presidency by tapping into frustrations over inequality

21 December 2021
"The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory," Nicaragua's foreign ministry said in a statement issued in Spanish and English.
International relations

Nicaragua severs ties with Taiwan, switches allegiance to China

Taipei now has just 14 formal diplomatic allies; US calls for expanded engagement

10 December 2021
Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro speaks at an event in Tegucigalpa. She has pledged to end 80 years of relations between Honduras and Taiwan.
International relations

As China campaigns to cut off Taiwan, Honduras poised to flip next

Beijing woos Central America and Caribbean with vaccines and infrastructure

3 November 2021
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the BRICS summit via a video link in Moscow on Sept. 9.
Afghanistan turmoil

BRICS summit: Putin blasts US over Afghanistan 'crisis'

Leaders urge 'inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue' to ensure stability, law and order

10 September 2021
Activists shout slogans during a protest against Indian government of using Pegasus spyware in New Delhi on Aug. 2: mistrust among the government, opposition and local leaders has rarely been higher.
Opinion

Pegasus spyware threatens to chip away our freedoms

Tech companies are already playing a larger and more destabilizing role

17 August 2021
U.S. lawmakers warn that the political turmoil in Haiti may open doors to "political interference by the People's Republic of China."
International relations

US-China rivalry hangs over Haiti a month after president's killing

Beijing looks to sway Taiwan-aligned country in Washington's backyard

7 August 2021
Cuban and Japanese flags fly on top of the plane bringing Japan's then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Havana in 2016.
International relations

Japan's top diplomat kicks off tour of Central America and Cuba

Tokyo to push back against Beijing with infrastructure and vaccine aid

16 July 2021
Tawian, led by President Tsai Ing-wen, above, has diplomatic relations with only 14 countries.
International relations

Taiwan blames Chinese 'bullying' for Guyana revoking rep office

South American nation nixes done deal after China criticizes 'mistake'

5 February 2021
Biden has suggested three agenda items for his summit: fighting corruption, anti-authoritarianism, and human rights.
Opinion

Asia's wise heads are wrong to dismiss Biden's big idea

President-elect's democracy push is worth considering

9 December 2020
Queen Elizabeth II meets Scott Morrison and his wife Jennifer at Buckingham Palace in June 2019: the existence of monarchies in the 21st century is antithetical to democracy.
Opinion

Asia's monarchies are no longer earning their keep

Hereditary rule undermines humanity's relentless quest for equality

13 November 2020
A worker performs a quality check on Sinovac Biotech's experimental coronavirus vaccine.
International relations

China injects vaccine diplomacy into Latin America

Beijing expands influence amid region's limited drugmaking capabilities

27 October 2020
Mauricio Claver-Carone became the first American elected president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on Sept. 12.
Interview

New Inter-American bank chief eyes fresh funds for Latin America

IDB's first US leader concerned by China's clout in pandemic-hit neighbors

29 September 2020
Ecuadorian Navy vessels surround a fishing boat after detecting a fishing fleet of mostly Chinese-flagged ships in an international corridor that borders the Galapagos Islands' exclusive economic zone on Aug. 7. Similar fishing vessels were detected this week by Peruvian naval forces some 370 km off their country.
International relations

Fleet of 250 Chinese fishing boats monitored by Peru navy

Washington and Beijing engage in Twitter war over nature of the ships

26 September 2020
A submarine-cable laying ship in the Caribbean Sea. Chile picked a route that would take the cable to New Zealand and Australia, not Shanghai.
29 July 2020
Eight candidates are running to fill the top job at the World Trade Organization.
Interview

Good listener or strong negotiator? WTO candidates make case for top job

Nigeria's Okonjo-Iweala and Mexico's Seade have different prescriptions for US-China rift

13 July 2020
A Chinese flag placed on a street in Belgrade, Serbia, pictured on Apr. 13: countries which are reliant on China are being required to thank Beijing for the medical supplies.
Opinion

Winning compensation from China for coronavirus is a long shot

Legal claims stand no chance, but there are other kinds of punishment

22 May 2020
COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising in countries such as Brazil and Russia, even as they contemplate loosening restrictions on private business activity. (Reuters and AP)
Datawatch

Russia and Brazil becoming new epicenters of coronavirus

Outbreaks in heavily indebted countries pose risk to global economy

11 May 2020
Chan Chun Sing, Singapore's minister for trade and industry, center, holds the signed joint statement for the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement with counterparts from New Zealand and Chile.
International relations

Singapore and TPP trailblazers now turn to digital rule-setting

Partners seek to draw global standards for AI, fintech and personal data

22 January 2020
Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, left, and opposition candidate Alberto Fernandez at the end of a presidential debate on Oct. 20: The opposition has made no secret of its desire for closer ties with Beijing.
International relations

Argentina slouches toward China debt reliance on eve of election

Buenos Aires may pivot from Washington-based lenders to Beijing

26 October 2019
Juan Guaido says the crippling U.S. sanctions are "pertinent and necessary." (Photo by Naoyuki Toyama)
Interview

Venezuela's Juan Guaido asks China and Russia to back him

Opposition leader offers 'possibility of rapid recovery' after Maduro departure

1 October 2019
Steel wires at a plant in Dalian, China. The Trump administration has been on guard against Chinese steel going through other countries to avoid U.S. tariffs.
Trade war

US government to investigate if Chinese steel is evading tariffs

Commerce Department will check corrosion-resistant products from five countries

15 August 2019