China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year

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 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

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0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

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our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

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demands

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News

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12 Jul 2019

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12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

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Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

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 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
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 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
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Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

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 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
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The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
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 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
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US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

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Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
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Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
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 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

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People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
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 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
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 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
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Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
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 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
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for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

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Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

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Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
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 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
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centre stage, an opportunity for
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push his economic agenda

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An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
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READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
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 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
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creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
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21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions
Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment
China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?
11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

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News

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Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win
12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

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our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
 China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019
 TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

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Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

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0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage
 Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

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Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

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3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

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China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’
  Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon
as possible and push for better trade and investment
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 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
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8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
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 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
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creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
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READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
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 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

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Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

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Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

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24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

 Floating Antarctic ice plummets from
record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS
 2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects
 Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics
 G20 Osaka: with US vs China on
centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
 Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
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DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
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 Our Products
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 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy
Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite
trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019
News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions
Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment
China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?
11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

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our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019
Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019
News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win
12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
 China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019
 TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage
 Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’
  Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon
as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions
Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment
China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?
11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

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our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019
Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019
News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win
12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
 China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019
 TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage
 Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’
  Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon
as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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rights reserved.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

 Floating Antarctic ice plummets from
record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS
 2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects
 Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics
 G20 Osaka: with US vs China on
centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
 Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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our T&C and Privacy Policy
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy
Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite
trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019
News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
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our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
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Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

 Floating Antarctic ice plummets from
record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS
 2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects
 Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics
 G20 Osaka: with US vs China on
centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
 Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
Products & Services

 Print Subscription
 ePaper Edition
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 RSS Feeds
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About Us

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 Contact Us

Our Sites

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 CPjobs
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 Restaurant Directory

Other

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 Our Products
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 Recruitment Advertising
 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy
Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite
trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019
News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
Products & Services

 Print Subscription
 ePaper Edition
 Mobile Editions
 RSS Feeds
 Newsletters
 Buy SCMP Photos
 Reprints & Licensing

About Us

 SCMP Publishers
 Privacy Policy
 Terms & Conditions
 FAQs
 Work For Us
 Contact Us

Our Sites

 Young Post
 CPjobs
 Abacus
 Inkstone
 Goldthread
 Serviced Apartments
 Restaurant Directory

Other

 Advertise with us
 Our Products
 Morning Studio
 Recruitment Advertising
 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year
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 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions
Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

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0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

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SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019
Economy

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trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

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Prodi says

12 Jul 2019
News

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12 Jul 2019

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12 Jul 2019

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US?

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Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win
12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

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Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
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 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
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 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
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Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
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China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

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track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
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 TOP PICKS

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 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
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Too little, too late for US

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 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
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 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
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 Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

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The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
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 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
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farm goods have declined

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Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

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US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

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Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

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Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

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Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

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Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

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Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
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 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
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 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
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trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
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Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

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 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

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Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

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An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
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China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

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 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions
Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment
China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?
11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

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News

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Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win
12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

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our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
 China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019
 TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

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Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

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0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage
 Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

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Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

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3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

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China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’
  Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon
as possible and push for better trade and investment
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 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
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8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
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 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
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creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
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READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
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 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

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Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

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Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

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24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

 Floating Antarctic ice plummets from
record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS
 2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects
 Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics
 G20 Osaka: with US vs China on
centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
 Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
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DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
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 Our Products
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 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy
Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite
trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019
News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions
Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment
China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?
11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

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our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019
Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019
News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win
12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
 China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019
 TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage
 Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’
  Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon
as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica

voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 Diplomacy

China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II

ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions
Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment
China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?
11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

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our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
Diplomacy
 China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II
ready for Antarctica voyage later this
year
 Home-made polar research vessel commissioned amid rising
tensions with US in the Arctic
 Latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in resource-rich polar
regions

Laura Zhou
Published: 11:00pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019
Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019
News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win
12 Jul 2019

0
China’s first domestically produced polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, also
known as Snow Dragon II, was delivered on Thursday in Shanghai
and will make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year. Photo:
Xinhua

China’s first home-made icebreaker has been delivered and is

expected to make its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year, in
the latest expansion of Beijing’s influence in the resource-rich polar
regions.

The 13,996-tonne Xuelong 2 – or Snow Dragon II – was handed

over to the Polar Research Institute of China, part of the natural
resources ministry, in Shanghai on Thursday, after sailing through its
final 16-day trial last month in the East China Sea.

Qin Weijia, director in charge of polar research with China’s State

Oceanic Administration, told a press conference the vessel was
expected to head for Zhongshan Station on the 36th Chinese
scientific expedition to Antarctica, where it would carry out
scientific research in both physical and chemical oceanography, as
well as maritime biological diversity.

The 122-metre-long vessel would become “an important platform …

for polar oceanic environment investigation and scientific research”,
he said.
Scientific research equipment on the deck of China’s polar
icebreaker Xuelong 2. Photo: Xinhua
Share:

The Xuelong 2 is China’s second icebreaker, and the first to be built

domestically. Its sister ship, the Xuelong, was converted from an ice
breaking cargo vessel built by Ukraine in 1993.
Experts believe the Xuelong 2 will pave the way for China to
construct its own nuclear-powered heavy icebreaker, which could
have global implications.

SUBSCRIBE TO US CHINA TRADE WAR

Get updates direct to your inbox
SUBMIT
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy

The commissioning of Xuelong 2 coincides with an intensification

of geopolitical rivalries between China and the US on multiple
fronts, including in the “High North” – as the Arctic region is also
known.

China’s growing presence there, particularly its cooperation with

Russia, has been described by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as “aggressive behaviours” that have turned the polar region into “an
arena of global power and competition”.

And on Wednesday, in an article for US online defence news portal

Defense One, America’s top naval commander in Europe Admiral
James Foggo III, said China was seeking greater influence in the
Arctic, describing its ambitions as one of the challenges of the
warming High North.

“Though it sits more than 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the
country has long been interested in the region’s resources,” he wrote,
about one week after a visit by ballistic missile submarine the USS
Alaska to the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane in Scotland,
strategically situated near a gateway to the Arctic Ocean.

Foggo said it was “critical” for the US Navy to stay “actively

engaged” in the Arctic as the region becomes “more accessible, to
protect the American people, our sovereign territory and rights, and
the natural resources and interests” of the US and its allies

China has no territorial claims in the Arctic or Antarctica regions,

but that has not stopped Beijing’s ambitions of establishing
footholds in the polar regions that are believed to have vast deposits
of economically valuable mineral resources.
China reveals ‘Polar Silk Road’ ambition in Arctic policy white paper

Beijing has said its main interests in the polar areas are about
scientific research, especially relating to climate change, as part of
the global interest. Since 1985, China has set up four scientific
research stations in Antarctica and another one in the Arctic.

Its sixth station is now under construction on Inexpressible Island in

Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Chinese companies have also been increasingly active in the Arctic

region in recent years, as part of the “Polar Silk Road”, an extension
of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. They are mostly
teaming up with Russian partners to develop ports and other
facilities along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Global warming has
increased the commercial potential of the route, which lies entirely
within Arctic waters.

Russia has also been cautiously luring investment from China to

jointly develop the region as part of an effort to offset sanctions
pressure from the West after its annexation of Crimea in 2013.

According to an earlier reports by Chinese media, Xuelong 2 can

carry 99 people, including 49 scientific researchers, as well as two
helicopters. Its power system can sustain 60-day expeditions and the
vessel is able to break ice up to 1.5 metres thick while travelling
either ahead or astern. Its earthquake monitoring system will also
enable more accurate probes of the oil and gas resources stored in
deep seas of the polar regions.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years
 Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
 China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019
 TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage
 Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’
  Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon
as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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rights reserved.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

 Floating Antarctic ice plummets from
record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS
 2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects
 Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics
 G20 Osaka: with US vs China on
centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
 Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
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our T&C and Privacy Policy
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy
Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite
trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019
News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
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our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
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Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?

United States & Canada

 Floating Antarctic ice plummets from
record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS
 2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects
 Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel

Seven Silk Road destinations, from

China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics
 G20 Osaka: with US vs China on
centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
 Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
Products & Services

 Print Subscription
 ePaper Edition
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 RSS Feeds
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About Us

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 Contact Us

Our Sites

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 CPjobs
 Abacus
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 Restaurant Directory

Other

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 Our Products
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 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019

News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy
Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite
trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019
News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
Products & Services

 Print Subscription
 ePaper Edition
 Mobile Editions
 RSS Feeds
 Newsletters
 Buy SCMP Photos
 Reprints & Licensing

About Us

 SCMP Publishers
 Privacy Policy
 Terms & Conditions
 FAQs
 Work For Us
 Contact Us

Our Sites

 Young Post
 CPjobs
 Abacus
 Inkstone
 Goldthread
 Serviced Apartments
 Restaurant Directory

Other

 Advertise with us
 Our Products
 Morning Studio
 Recruitment Advertising
 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more

Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in

Antarctica?
 United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally

Tashny Sukumaran
 Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
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China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
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 Contact Us

Our Sites

 Young Post
 CPjobs
 Abacus
 Inkstone
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 Restaurant Directory

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 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.

Read more

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from record high to

record lows in 3 years

Read more
 Are China, US jostling for position at the highest point in
Antarctica?

United States & Canada

Floating Antarctic ice plummets from

record high to record lows in three
years, baffling scientists
 Nasa study of satellite data shows levels have dropped
precipitously
 Amount of ice lost between 2014 and 2017 covered area
larger than Mexico

Associated Press
Published: 4:36am, 2 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

1
Sea ice on the ocean surrounding Antarctica in January 2017. Photo:
Ted Scambos/National Snow and Ice Data Centre via AP
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
Products & Services

 Print Subscription
 ePaper Edition
 Mobile Editions
 RSS Feeds
 Newsletters
 Buy SCMP Photos
 Reprints & Licensing

About Us

 SCMP Publishers
 Privacy Policy
 Terms & Conditions
 FAQs
 Work For Us
 Contact Us

Our Sites

 Young Post
 CPjobs
 Abacus
 Inkstone
 Goldthread
 Serviced Apartments
 Restaurant Directory

Other

 Advertise with us
 Our Products
 Morning Studio
 Recruitment Advertising
 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.
China’s new icebreaker Snow Dragon II ready for Antarctica
voyage later this year
SIGN IN/UP
 China Economy

China yet to meet Donald Trump’s

demand to purchase more farm goods as
US-China trade crumbles
 The US trade deficit with China expanded from US$26.90
billion in May to US$29.92 billion in June, an increase of 11
per cent
 American figures show that since a ‘goodwill’ purchase of
soybeans before the G20 summit, China’s purchases of US
farm goods have declined

Finbarr Bermingham
Published: 8:30pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

Economy

China yet to buy more US farm goods despite Donald Trump’s

demands

12 Jul 2019
News

China and Vietnam in stand-off over South China Sea survey

mission

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Chinese manufacturers returning home from Vietnam despite

trade war tariffs

12 Jul 2019

Comment

China’s current trade war strategy: play it cool

12 Jul 2019

News

China should avoid moves seen as ‘trying to split Europe’,

Prodi says

12 Jul 2019

News

Chinese and US scientists hail ‘man-made sun’ breakthrough

12 Jul 2019

Economy

Hardliner’s inclusion in US trade talks ‘normal’, says China

12 Jul 2019

News

Could Huawei be using Trojan circuits to help Beijing spy on

US?

11 Jul 2019

News

Chinese-American engineer guilty of exporting military-grade

semiconductors

3 Jul 2019

This Week in Asia

Anti-China protests mark anniversary of Manila’s South China

Sea legal win

12 Jul 2019

24
US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping met at
the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Photo: AFP
 China Economy

China’s exports and imports both fell in

June, as higher US trade war tariffs
blitzed Chinese economy
 Exports fell by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after tariffs on
US$200 billion of Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent
to 25 per cent by Washington in May
 Over the first half of the year, China’s exports to the US fell by
8.1 per cent to US$199.4 billion, while imports dropped by
29.9 per cent to US$58.9 billion

Sidney Leng
Published:

TOP PICKS

15
Exports performed slightly better than economists polled by
Bloomberg, who had forecast a 1.7 per cent drop, while imports
were lower, with the poll predicting a 4.6 per cent drop. Photo:
Reuters
Southeast Asia

Tempers flare in Malaysia as opposition

MPs slam new terms of China-backed
ECRL project
 Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the
deal was first signed, have hit out at changes to the plans
brought in to bring down costs
 They also called for the proportion of local involvement in the
project to be raised from 40 to 50 per cent – despite it only
being 30 per cent originally
 Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 1:50pm, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

2
People pose with a model of a train during the ground breaking
ceremony for the ECRL in 2017. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia

Beware of ‘grabbing hands’ in Chinese

projects, says Malaysian economist
Terence Gomez
 The political economist called for tighter monitoring of projects
linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political
patronage
 He also addressed anxieties about ‘debt traps’ and insisted
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
renegotiate if needed

Tashny Sukumaran
Published: 5:29pm, 9 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

4
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, looks at a model of
the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project. Photo: AP
China Economy

China must ensure transparency to

boost credibility of Belt and Road
projects, former US diplomat says
 Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa
and Europe has attracted a barrage of criticism
 Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president Daniel Russel calls
for China to work with host countries to avoid corruption
claims and ensure the success of projects

Amanda Lee
Published: 7:30am, 12 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

12
Xi Jinping’s trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred
trading network is now called the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo:
Simon Song
Diplomacy

China, Tanzania in talks to get US$10

billion Bagamoyo Port project back on
track, ambassador says
 Negotiations to restart development of deep water port
‘ongoing’, Mbelwa Kairuki says
 Project was halted last month by African nation’s president
over problems with terms of deal

Sarah Zheng
Published: 8:45pm, 11 Jul, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
Tanzanian President John Magufuli halted the Bagamoyo Port
project over concerns about the terms of the deal. Photo: Reuters
Travel
 Seven Silk Road destinations, from
China to Italy: towns that grew rich on
trade
 Settlements along the route linking Europe and Asia thrived by
providing accommodation and services for countless traders
 Formally established during the Han dynasty, it was a 19th-
century German geographer who coined the term Silk Road

Tim Pile
Published: 9:45pm, 26 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

0
The ruins of a fortified gatehouse and customs post at Yunmenguan
Pass, in China’s Gansu province. Photo: Alamy
Politics

Too little, too late for US

‘recommitment’ to Mekong
countries? China’s already there
 As Beijing floods the Mekong with much-needed cash, the US
finds itself pushing back against the tide to retain influence
 But some nations in the region think the competition can work
to their advantage

Jitsiree Thongnoi
Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

18
 The Greater Mekong Subregion is a 2.6 million sq km area that
covers five Asean countries as well as China’s Guangxi region and
Yunnan province. Photo: AFP
Politics

G20 Osaka: with US vs China on

centre stage, an opportunity for
Indonesia’s Widodo
 While Vietnam has benefited from the trade war between the
economic superpowers, Indonesia has been hurt
 In Osaka, a newly emboldened Widodo has an opportunity to
push his economic agenda

Siwage Dharma Negara

Published: 11:15am, 29 Jun, 2019

TOP PICKS

3
An Indonesian worker cleans the door of a market closed due to
protests over the Indonesian election result. Photo: AFP

Related Articles

China economy
China should promote yuan ‘through cooperation not conflict’

 Beijing should sign a free-trade deal with Britain as soon

as possible and push for better trade and investment
cooperation with the EU, Renmin University says
 Promoting global trade will help stimulate use of yuan
around the world, experts say
READ FULL ARTICLE
8 Jul 2019 - 9:27AM

Belt and Road Initiative

 Europe ignores US fears about China’s global maritime
ambitions
 The hard reality for Trump is that Chinese businesses
are modernising European port infrastructure and
creating jobs as part of belt and road integration. Many in
Europe see US fears about the Chinese navy gaining
greater strategic access as overblown
READ FULL ARTICLE
21 Jun 2019 - 2:55AM
SCMP TODAY: INTL EDITION
SIGN UP
By registering for these newsletters you agree to
our T&C and Privacy Policy
DOWNLOAD THE SCMP APP
Products & Services

 Print Subscription
 ePaper Edition
 Mobile Editions
 RSS Feeds
 Newsletters
 Buy SCMP Photos
 Reprints & Licensing

About Us

 SCMP Publishers
 Privacy Policy
 Terms & Conditions
 FAQs
 Work For Us
 Contact Us

Our Sites

 Young Post
 CPjobs
 Abacus
 Inkstone
 Goldthread
 Serviced Apartments
 Restaurant Directory

Other

 Advertise with us
 Our Products
 Morning Studio
 Recruitment Advertising
 Events

Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All

rights reserved.