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China’s system is designed to serve thousands of institutions nationwide. Photo: Shutterstock

China launches super-powered AI system to take on Trump’s Genesis Mission

The network, designed to run without human oversight, was launched a month after Trump outlined plans for an ‘AI Manhattan Project’.

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Over 10 years in the making: China launches 2,000km-wide AI computing hub

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Global Economy

China’s January 1 silver curbs to deepen global crunch amid volatility: analysts

Beijing’s new export-licensing system seen squeezing foreign buyers, pushing price towards US$100 an ounce; Elon Musk joins warning chorus.

AI

How Chinese robotaxi giants are steering Middle East towards a driverless future

WeRide, Baidu and Pony.ai expand operations in the Middle East as UAE promotes clean energy and reduces dependence on oil and gas.

Health & Environment

Groups welcome updated Hong Kong biodiversity plan but call for more details

Government unveils Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which sets out strategies for the next 10 years.

Open Questions
Paul Cheung, the new president of the Committee of 100, is hoping his organisation can provide context and nuance to the fractious US-China relationship for Chinese-Americans. Photo: Handout

How new C100 chief plans to foster ties between Chinese-Americans and China

World

World welcomes 2026 with fireworks, lightshows and hopes for peace

From Paris to Dubai to Sydney, crowds began ringing in the new year with exuberant celebrations.

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Revelers at Times Square in New York for the annual ball drop. Photo: AP
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China Economy

China’s next decade to cement status as hi-tech manufacturing power: reports

The coming 10 years will see significant advances in cutting-edge sectors, reinforcing industrial dominance, according to new reports.

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People

25 years on, unsolved Setagaya murders continue to haunt Japan

The lack of progress on the case has frustrated authorities and worried the public, amid renewed attention every year.

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Business

The secret ingredient in your daily life: why Malaysian palm oil is used around the world

Found everywhere from food products to biofuel, this vegetable oil is preferred for its versatility, safety and sustainable production.

In partnership with:
MPOC
Palm oil is a versatile ingredient found in a wide range of everyday items, from ice cream and cake to lipstick and biofuel.

China Business

China’s Gen Z consumers drive rise in homestay bookings to ring in the new year

Gen Z travellers made up more than 50 per cent of total homestay bookings for the 2026 New Year’s holiday period.

Bookings for stand-alone villas during the 2026 New Year’s holiday period have surged, according to Tujia. Photo: Shutterstock

Military

Was PLA’s Taiwan drill testing ‘inexpensive’ ways to wear down air defences?

The drills were on a larger scale than previous ones and featured the use of rocket systems that could give mainland Chinese forces an edge.

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Diplomacy

In New Year’s speech, Xi urges growth, vows ‘unstoppable’ Taiwan reunification

President Xi Jinping also praises Chinese innovation, noting advancements in AI, chip development, aerospace and military technology.

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Americas

US Coast Guard searches for survivors after strike on alleged drug boats

US strike in international waters kills three people while others jumped overboard and may have survived.

A strike on one of three boats alleged to be trafficking drugs. Three people are said to have killed, as others jumped overboard. Photo: US Southern Command via AFP

United States & Canada

China buys two-thirds of pledged US soybeans as 2025 closes

Beijing has moved to reduce tariffs on the crop and lifted import bans on three US exporters after talks between Xi and Trump.

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A combine harvests a soybean field in Tracy, Minnesota, in October. Photo: TNS

Politics

Will ‘Made in Europe’ threaten South Korea’s arms export boom?

Observers urge South Korea to integrate itself into European supply chains by increasing production localisation to maintain competitiveness.

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United States & Canada

Trump says National Guard being removed from Chicago, LA and Portland

The US president warned, however, that the troops would ‘come back’ if crime rates went up.

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United States & Canada

Trump issues first vetoes, as ally who backed Epstein vote fears ‘retaliation’

The US president killed two Republican-sponsored bills, including one from Maga lawmaker Lauren Boebert.

US congresswoman Lauren Boebert arrives at the Capitol on December 10. Photo: AFP

Europe

France plans social media ban for children under 15

A draft law to protect minors from ‘inappropriate content’ and online harassment would also call for a ban on cellphone use in schools.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the digital protection of minors is a priority for his government, but enforcement and compliance with international law have been issues. Photo: dpa

Travel & Leisure

7 travel tips for 2026 – one of them is to play board games with locals

Forget TikTok recommendations and soulless one-star restaurants; focus instead on the experiences you want to taste, drink, and enjoy.

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Boxing

Ex-boxing champ Joshua discharged from hospital after surviving fatal car crash

Anthony Joshua is ‘clinically fit’ to be allowed to go home following death of two close friends in Nigeria.

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OPINION
Eva Sit

Legal Tales | The silk road: duties and responsibilities of Hong Kong’s senior counsel

Eva Sit
Wang Huiyao

Opinion | Key lessons from China’s ascent over the past 25 years

Wang Huiyao
Devin Lin

Opinion | Is Hainan the next Hong Kong? That’s the wrong question to ask

Devin Lin
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong must start work on a better future in the new year

SCMP Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong’s IPO market rings in 2026 on a high note

SCMP Editorial
Harry’s View | 1 Jan 2026
January 1, 2026
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SCMP Series
Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy
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Illustration: Henry Wong
SCMP SeriesBeijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy

Why has Beijing turned down the heat in the Taiwan Strait in the second half of 2025?

PLA warplanes and ships have been less active around the island in the second half of the year, Taiwanese data shows.

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Beijing is pinning hopes for Taiwan reunification on KMT – but not all of them

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‘Urgent’: has mainland China changed tone for Taiwan peaceful reunification?

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Open Questions series

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Political scientist Ivan Krastev on European vertigo in a post-American world

While melancholy Europe frets that the US and China will shape the future, middle powers are jostling for a place at the big table.

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Diplomacy

Open Questions | George Yeo on superpower ‘headaches’ and why the US dollar could crack

Singapore’s former foreign minister also discusses Trump, the latest China-Japan dust-up, and rivalry between Hong Kong and the city state.

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Science

Open Questions | Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin on why he’ll be happy if AI surpasses humans

Acclaimed author of the Three-Body trilogy also discusses his ‘dark forest’ theory, and the struggle to come up with original ideas.

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China Economy

Open Questions | Economist Huang Yiping on why China’s AI push must be ‘job-oriented’

Dean of Peking University’s National School of Development says ‘balance’ needed in AI development to protect employment, ‘human well-being’.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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Tech

China’s Qwen and DeepSeek edge out US AI models in Christian values benchmark

US start-up Gloo’s Flourishing AI Christian benchmark tested how the output of AI models ‘help people flourish’, CEO Pat Gelsinger said.

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The questions in FAI-C were reviewed by a panel of Biblical experts, including theologians, pastors, psychologists and scholars of ethics. Photo: SCMP

AI

How Chinese robotaxi giants are steering Middle East towards a driverless future

WeRide, Baidu and Pony.ai expand operations in the Middle East as UAE promotes clean energy and reduces dependence on oil and gas.

Tech Trends

China’s Moonshot AI raises US$500 million in latest funding round: report

The Kimi AI model developer is now valued at US$4.3 billion, with cash reserves worth US$1.4 billion.

China Economy

China’s next decade to cement status as hi-tech manufacturing power: reports

The coming 10 years will see significant advances in cutting-edge sectors, reinforcing industrial dominance, according to new reports.

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Robots carry out welding operations at the FAW-Volkswagen production based in Jimo district, Qingdao, eastern China’s Shandong province, on February 19. Photo: AFP

Politics

‘No fixed identity’: new Chinese-American writers are telling their own stories

They’re not shaped by history like the previous generation, and observer says US-China tensions can give them ‘more space’ to explore issues.

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Diplomacy

How Takaichi’s Taiwan comments fuelled Beijing-Tokyo row with no end in sight

Dispute over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan could ultimately hinge on the US-China-Japan triangle, analysts say.

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Military

A look at China’s ‘Flying Shark’ J-15 jet that made waves near Japan

Fighter in service for more than a decade often patrols potential conflict hotspots including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

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Science

Chinese 6G smart surface could allow stealth jets to use radar as a power source

The technology could help power future communications systems and shift the dynamics of electronic warfare, team says.

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The development could given China an edge in the development of 6G technology. Photo: Shutterstock
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