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China’s purchasing managers’ index is an important monthly gauge of economic activity. Photo: AFP

Developing | China’s factory activity contracts for sixth straight month in September

Manufacturing purchasing managers’ index hits 49.8 in September, beating August’s figure but staying in contraction range.

China rate cuts likely in fourth quarter amid growth concerns: Goldman Sachs

China manufacturing
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China

China’s US ambassador chides Washington for ‘closing doors’, enacting tariffs

Hitting a friendlier note, Xie announced that Americans will soon be able to apply for a Chinese visa in just several clicks.

China

US slaps new tariffs on furniture imports, widens blacklist of Chinese companies

Duties of up to 200 per cent threaten Asian furniture exporters, Washington also expands ‘entity list’ in a move Beijing calls ‘malicious’.

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Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong’s tightened imported labour rules still vex local workers

The city faces a paradox where business leaders repeatedly sound the alarm over labour shortages, yet many locals are struggling to find jobs.

Science
On May 20, US President Donald Trump announced he had selected the path forward for his ambitious Golden Dome missile defense shield. A Chinese team has announced it has its own working prototype of a global defence system. Photo: EPA-EFE

China fields Golden Dome prototype before the US can come up with a plan

United States & Canada

Trump says Netanyahu agreed to US-sponsored Gaza peace proposal at US talks

The 20-point plan does not require people to leave Gaza and calls for the war to end immediately if both sides accept it.

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US President Donald Trump, left, welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington on Monday. Photo: Zuma Press Wire / dpa
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Banking & Finance

Asian firms shift investment to Europe in ‘realignment’, ING says

Amid US-China decoupling, Chinese firms in EVs, consumer electronics, appliances lead first big jump in FDI towards Europe since 2016.

Politics

As Apec summit nears, analysts see ‘possibility’ of a fourth Trump-Kim meeting

Pyongyang’s UN delegation is a ‘positive signal’ that the US and North Korea could initiate contact for high-level talks, analysts say.

Business

Singapore’s IMDA Accreditation programme helps tech start-ups grow

Follow the journey of three accredited companies – Kong, Yugabyte and Confluent – from market entry to achieving success in the city state and Southeast Asia.

In partnership with:
IMDA
IMDA, a Singaporean government agency under the city state’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information, helps develop and regulate tech, media and communication innovation to promote a vibrant economy and digitally inclusive society.

Diplomacy

Argentina’s soy exports to China soar, angering US

China’s soybean buyers turn to Argentina after tax drop, leaving US farmers sidelined and Washington unhappy.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent checks a text message regarding Argentina’s relations with the US during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. Photo: AP

Military

Military journal reveals details about LY-1, China’s new shipborne laser weapon

Article argues output of laser weapon unveiled at Beijing military parade exceeds American Helios and LWSD Mark 2 MOD 0 laser weapons.

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Society

Hong Kong welcomes 2 PLA Navy vessels for National Day celebrations

Training vessel Qi Jiguang and amphibious landing ship Yimeng Shan sailed into city’s waters on Tuesday morning for a four-day port call.

Big Tech

Alibaba transfers AI scientist Steven Hoi to Tongyi Lab, boosting Qwen efforts

At Tongyi Lab, Hoi is expected to help further develop Qwen, the world’s largest open-source AI ecosystem.

Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen family of models is the world’s largest open-source AI ecosystem. Photo: Shutterstock

Science

Princeton AI electronics scientist Li Haoran dies aged 28

Award-winning Chinese engineer was found dead in his New Jersey home last week.

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The death last week of 28-year-old Li Haoran is at least the eighth death of a current or former Princeton student in the past four years. Photo: Shutterstock Images

United States & Canada

YouTube to pay US$24.5 million to settle Trump account suspension lawsuit

Trump brought the legal action against the company after his account was suspended following the US Capitol riots in January 2021.

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Politics

Hong Kong Legco president Andrew Leung to step down

Veteran lawmaker Leung, 74, has been in the role for nine years and says he will not seek re-election in December.

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Big Tech

China’s DeepSeek unveils experimental version of its AI foundation model

The industry is paying close attention to DeepSeek’s new products after the start-up said it would tailor its models for Chinese-made AI chips.

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DeepSeek has launched an experimental version of its V3 model. Photo: AP

Americas

Venezuela’s Maduro ready to declare state of emergency over US ‘aggression’

Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez said President Maduro had signed a decree giving himself ‘special powers’ to act if the US ‘dares to attack’.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. Photo: AFP

China Economy

Efficiency, not involution: China curbs metals sector to fight extreme competition

The anti-involution drive expands to non-ferrous metals, as Beijing prioritises quality over quantity.

Southeast Asia

Islamic school in Indonesia collapses, killing 1 pupil and injuring 83

At least three pupils are believed to be trapped alive at the boarding school in East Java. Rescuers say the death toll is likely to rise.

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OPINION
Brian Y. S. Wong

Opinion | Hong Kong should be China’s gateway to the United Nations

Brian Y. S. Wong
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | China forges own path to AI ecosystem free from US dominance

SCMP Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | To remain competitive, international schools must be more transparent

SCMP Editorial
Mohammad Yunus

Opinion | Asia must enlist nature’s defences against fury of extreme weather

Mohammad Yunus
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Opinion | Why China should lead commission for a phased Rohingya repatriation

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Harry’s View | 30 Sep 2025
September 30, 2025
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Developing | China’s factory activity contracts for sixth straight month in September

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SCMP Series
China’s 15th 5-year plan
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Illustration: Henry Wong
SCMP SeriesChina’s 15th 5-year plan

How Hong Kong’s role in Beijing’s economic strategy could evolve in the next 5 years

From stablecoins to yuan internationalisation, analysts weigh the city’s place – and Taiwan’s – in the coming five-year plan.

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Why weak links in China’s unrivalled supply chains may not exist in 5 years

Can China’s next 5-year plan restore consumption confidence?

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Open Questions series

Politics

Open Questions | ‘Literary anarchist’ Yan Lianke on Chinese writers, the Nobel prize and censorship

Former soldier and award-winning author discusses the ‘tolerance and protection’ he has received and the state of Asian literature.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Policy

Open Questions | Dong Yu on why ‘every chapter’ of China’s 5-year plans boils down to income

Drafter of earlier plans speaks on why China continues the tradition - and why other countries are now trying to emulate it.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on why China must look beyond the West to build a better AI

Political analyst says strong narrative based on factual Chinese framework must be included in artificial intelligence knowledge feed.

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Global Economy

Open Questions | Oxford’s Ian Goldin on the biggest challenges for China’s transitioning economy

Professor and former World Bank official says globalisation will become ‘more Asian’ in wake of US policy, with China as a potential leader.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
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China Future Tech
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Big Tech

Alibaba model tops global AI rankings as Chinese open systems flourish

Alibaba’s open-source models make up half of the top 10 spots on Hugging Face’s trending rankings.

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Alibaba’s new multimodal model has become the most popular open-source system on Hugging Face. Photo: Shutterstock

Big Tech

Alibaba transfers AI scientist Steven Hoi to Tongyi Lab, boosting Qwen efforts

At Tongyi Lab, Hoi is expected to help further develop Qwen, the world’s largest open-source AI ecosystem.

Big Tech

China’s DeepSeek unveils experimental version of its AI foundation model

The industry is paying close attention to DeepSeek’s new products after the start-up said it would tailor its models for Chinese-made AI chips.

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Tech Trends

Chinese display manufacturing giant BOE makes foray into robotics, AI software

The company’s push into robotics reflects China’s position as the world’s largest market for industrial robots in 2024.

Beijing-based BOE Technology Group’s biggest customers include Apple and Huawei Technologies. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

50 years on, has China left Europe behind in the race for a hi-tech future?

Chinese firms have caught up with and in some cases overtaken their European rivals, putting the EU on the defensive.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Tech War

How Huawei and DeepSeek are tending the garden of China’s AI aspirations

Amid growing AI rivalry with the US, the two companies are leading China’s drive to shake off the nation’s dependence on Nvidia processors.

10

China Economy

How Hong Kong’s role in Beijing’s economic strategy could evolve in next 5 years

From stablecoins to yuan internationalisation, analysts weigh the city’s place – and Taiwan’s – in the coming five-year plan.

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Global Economy

Why weak links in China’s unrivalled supply chains may not exist in 5 years

While China’s manufacturing resilience remains formidable, vulnerabilities in high-end technologies, geopolitical tensions suggest that there are still chokepoints.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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