Opinion | A world adrift looks to China for institutional anchors. Enter Hong Kong
The international order is under mounting strain. In recent years, unilateralism, protectionism and the selective application of international law have eroded confidence in the rules-based frameworks that once underpinned global cooperation. The return of Donald Trump to the centre of American politics, along with the policy instincts the US president represents, has only reinforced concerns that the United States may continue to privilege narrow domestic calculations over international responsibility.
This is not merely a matter of style or rhetoric. From tariff escalations and extraterritorial sanctions to military interventions in open disregard of multilateral norms, Washington has repeatedly undermined the global order and, at times, international law, deepening the instability of an already fragile global order.
The effects are cumulative. Over the past year, the US has further retreated from international commitments and organisations. The January 7 presidential memorandum, titled “Withdrawing the United States from International Organisations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States”, ordered US withdrawal from 66 organisations and UN agencies. It also said Trump’s “review” was “ongoing”.
In other words, the world should expect the US to withdraw further. Washington is eager to reduce its commitment to multilateral institutions, increasingly sceptical of global governance and is taking a more transactional approach to alliance management. This has revived a difficult question: where can long-term institutional stability be found?
It is in this context that China’s importance as an anchor of the global order deserves greater recognition. As noted by Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, there is a need to diversify the geography of global governance. His suggestion that major UN operations be established in Beijing or Shanghai reflects a growing recognition that China’s stability, institutional capacity and technological strengths can serve the international community.
Amid geopolitical turbulence, Beijing has projected continuity, strategic patience and support for international cooperation. While other major powers have flirted with disruption, China has steadily expanded its engagement with global institutions, supported South-South cooperation and advocated for a greater role for the United Nations and other multilateral mechanisms in addressing shared challenges.
06:23
Can China claim the leadership mantle after the US quits the WHO and Paris Agreement?
Can China claim the leadership mantle after the US quits the WHO and Paris Agreement?
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, has raised about $5 billion through a major share placement in Hong Kong. The deal strengthens the company’s global expansion plans and highlights growing investor confidence in clean energy and battery technologies. CATL sold 62.385 million new H shares at HK$628.20
A specially themed ferry is bringing Duffy and Friends to guests heading to Hong Kong Disneyland before they even arrive in the park. What’s Happening: Starting today(April 30) and running until June 30, 2026, the Duffy & Friends Themed Express from New World First Ferry will take passengers between Central Six Pier and the Disneyland
Hong Kong’s education authorities will relax rules for under-enrolled public secondary schools that merge with others in a bid to encourage consolidation amid declining student numbers. In a circular sent to all public secondary schools on Wednesday, the Education Bureau said merged schools would be exempt from submitting survival plans in the first three years
A Duffy and friends-themed ferry that brings guests to the park is at Hong Kong Disneyland for a limited time. Duffy and Friends Ferry Starting today, April 30, until June 30, guests can enjoy the Duffy and Friends Themed Fast Ferry from Sun Ferry. It picks up at Central Pier 6 and arrives at the
A former executive director of Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority has been acquitted of misconduct after she was alleged to have coerced insurer Prudential into hiring her daughter-in-law, as the magistrate ruled that her actions did not cause “actual damage” to public trust in the regulator. Magistrate Minnie Wat Lai-man on Thursday found Carol Hui Mei-ying
An official tendering system designed to curb anti-competitive conduct is powerless to combat engineering firms colluding to manipulate Hong Kong’s lucrative building maintenance market, a public inquiry into the city’s deadliest fire in decades has heard. Testifying on the 21st day of an independent committee’s hearing, three Urban Renewal Authority (URA) officials said on Thursday
With Leisure Plus, Redefining Hong Kong’s Bathroom Experience Through AI Smart Toilets and Bathroom Cabinets for a New Era of Intelligent Living HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 April 2026 – As urban life in Hong Kong places growing emphasis on efficiency, health and space utilisation, a truly future-facing bathroom brand has
Hong Kong homebuyers snapped up most of the new flats released on Thursday, with developers beginning to ramp up new construction amid sustained housing demand. All 120 units at the One Victoria Cove I in Hung Hom, jointly developed by Henderson Land Development, Hysan Development and Empire Group, were sold by 5.20pm, according to agents.
Hong Kong Disneyland has reported a drop in attendance after the resort recorded record profit, revenue, attendance and EBITDA in the previous year. The Hong Kong resort has shared its financial results for the fiscal year 2025, revealing attendance of 7.5 million visitors, down from the record 7.7 million in the prior fiscal year, when
The Dec 22, 2025 photo shows buildings in Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. (ADAM LAM / CHINA DAILY) Chinese mainland green energy storage giant HiTHIUM Energy Storage Technology Co Ltd is set to establish a transformation base for cutting-edge battery technologies at the Hong Kong Park
Crafted for the enjoyment of life without compromise, the renewed Dry Crystal features Ryusei Yokohama as the new campaign’s face and is now available in supermarkets and restaurants throughout the region HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 April 2026 – Japan’s number one selling beer brand Asahi Super Dry has unveiled a
The Hong Kong government has planned for legislation allowing terminally ill patients to refuse life-sustaining treatment to start on July 31. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council, authorities said that the Advance Decision on Life-sustaining Treatment Ordinance, passed in November 2024, would provide legal status to patients’ advance care planning while offering protection
AI creates cybersecurity ‘arms race’, Hong Kong firms face rising threat: Blackpanda’s George Wong April 30 2026 by Aidan Gregory Hong Kong companies face a rising tide of AI-driven cybersecurity threats, creating an urgent need to strengthen resilience and preparedness, according to George Wong, Blackpanda’s managing director f… To continue reading the full article and
Hong Kong-Canadian singer Charlene Choi, one half of the Cantopop duo Twins, has announced her marriage to fitness coach Elvis Lam, who is 10 years younger than her, after several months of dating. Choi shared the news on Instagram on Tuesday, posting two photos: one showing their wedding rings and another of the couple in
Operating costs for Hong Kong’s industrial and commercial sectors have jumped 50 per cent since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, according to an oil industry representative, who said distributors would pass on subsidies to customers. A taxi union leader on Thursday also called on the government to extend its subsidy on liquefied
At least two Hong Kong residents have been penalised for vaping in Admiralty as health authorities begin enforcing a new law banning the public use of alternative tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. “We will issue penalty tickets without warning, and step up publicity in high-traffic areas such as business districts,” Head of Tobacco and Alcohol Control
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. An independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po blaze holds its 21st day of evidential hearings on Thursday, with three witnesses from the Urban Renewal Authority set to give evidence. The tragedy at
Tour groups from Hong Kong to mainland China are expected to rise by up to 40 per cent year on year over the Labour Day weekend, with travel agents citing improved safety and hygiene as key factors attracting visitors. The agents also said that slight increases in fuel surcharges for flights to Asian destinations were
Almost everyone has heard of OpenClaw, the late-2025 agentic AI release which takes artificial intelligence technology one step further. Rather than leaving the user to turn answers given in a dialogue box into real life action, the latest AI iteration promises to take the final leap of executing tasks autonomously. Users have raved about the
Where exactly does the buck stop? Senior Hong Kong civil servants are asking themselves that question after the unveiling of a new accountability system targeting department heads. They point to the deadly Tai Po fire last year as an example. An independent committee investigating the tragedy heard evidence officials gave contractors at the blaze-hit Wang
