Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

A legal expert in Beijing said tighter national security legislation was needed to make China more “resilient”. Photo: Shutterstock

The US has sent a ‘dangerous’ message and China must act, legal expert warns

Beijing think tank expert calls for legislation to protect against ‘external suppression’ and to safeguard technology and supply chains.

3 hours agovideocam

Why China fears Trump’s Nvidia H200 deal is a sophisticated Trojan horse

US-China relations

Diplomacy

China and Canada at ‘new starting point’ as Mark Carney makes state visit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang says the two countries have worked together to achieve a turnaround in relations.

5 hours agovideocam

Politics

Singapore’s PM Lawrence Wong removes Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition

Wong invites the Workers’ Party to nominate another elected MP to serve as the next Leader of the Opposition.

15 Jan 2026 - 8:04PM

Law and Crime

Hong Kong police shoot and kill man wielding meat cleaver in Tuen Mun

Police say officers on scene at Tuen Mun Town Plaza shopping centre had no choice but to shoot man to save passer-by.

1 hour agovideocam

Exclusive

C919s at the Singapore Airshow in February 2024. Photo: Xinhua

European test pilots put China’s C919 airliner through paces in Shanghai

Diplomacy

China warns against ‘law of the jungle’ amid anti-government protests in Iran

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that Beijing was willing to mediate.

5 hours agovideocam

The wave of protests in Iran may be the most significant since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Photo: AP

Politics

Exclusive | 3 new Hong Kong lawmakers fail to declare company shareholdings

Newcomers blame omissions on heavy workloads or misunderstandings.

5 hours ago

Military

US aircraft carrier steams from South China Sea to Mideast as Iran in turmoil

Pentagon orders USS Abraham Lincoln on new mission after live-fire drills near Scarborough Shoal.

15 Jan 2026 - 5:05PMvideocam

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 Economy

China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

Big data is used to flag income gaps for top online stars and overseas earners, as regulators recover billions in unpaid levies amid slumping land sales and value-added tax revenue decline.

15 Jan 2026 - 8:00PM

China is cracking down on live-streamers who are not paying their fair share of taxes. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech War

Chinese firms to incur higher costs for deploying AI chips from US: analysts

‘Beijing has made it politically unpalatable for private firms to rely too much on imported AI chips,’ EIU senior analyst Chim Lee says.

6 hours ago

United States & Canada

US charges 20 people with rigging university, Chinese basketball games: NBC

The ‍suspects sought to ‘fix’ Chinese Basketball Association men’s games by ‘point ‍shaving’, prosecutors said. Charges include bribery.

2 hours ago

Politics

How Chinese corruption busters are tracking down bribes paid in cryptocurrency

A documentary on state television highlights how a senior central bank official was bribed with a digital currency.

6 hours agovideocam

Yao Qian’s corruption case featured in a documentary broadcast on state television. Photo: Capco

United States & Canada

Astronauts splash down on Earth after first-ever medical evacuation

The crew’s mission on the International Space Station was cut short by over a month.

6 hours agovideocam

In this screengrab, recovery vessels approach the SpaceX Crew-11 capsule to evacuate a crew member after a pre-dawn splashdown near San Diego on Thursday. Photo: Nasa/AP

Russia & Central Asia

Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms

The Kremlin insists Ukraine is running out of options as US-led talks stall, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’ for Kyiv daily.

6 hours ago

Europe

UK Conservative lawmaker Robert Jenrick defects to Farage’s Reform UK

Earlier, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Jenrick had been sacked after his plans to switch ⁠allegiance to Reform UK were leaked.

12 minutes ago

China Business

China’s subsidy change adds to EV makers’ stress, while petrol cars gain

Typical subsidy on an EV drops by around US$1,150, changing buyer calculations and exacerbating the sector’s profitability woes.

6 hours ago

Customers check out an EV at a shopping center in Wuhan, in central China’s Hubei province, on January 14, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

United States & Canada

Minneapolis on edge as Trump threatens Insurrection Act to end protests

The act lets the president deploy the military or federalise the National Guard for policing, even over state governors’ objections.

48 minutes ago

US federal agents use tear gas, pepper balls and flash bangs to secure a perimeter as protests erupted after an ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis. Photo: dpa

Tech Trends

Uber’s WeChat tie-up pays off as demand from Chinese tourists rises overseas

Uber will offer a discount of at least 40 per cent during Lunar New Year for new mainland users who join via its WeChat mini-program.

15 Jan 2026 - 8:00PM

United States & Canada

US appeal court reverses order that freed pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

Federal officials detained Mahmoud Khalil over unproven claims of alignment with Hamas and beliefs deemed a threat to US foreign policy.

1 hour ago

OPINION

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Opinion | An internally split Europe can never fully engage China and Asia

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Macroscope | Investors are giving Trump a free pass

15 Jan 2026 - 5:10PM

Lijia Zhang

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

15 Jan 2026 - 9:30AM

James Borton

Opinion | High Seas Treaty will both boost China’s power and hold it accountable

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Letters

Letters | Japan should put more eggs in the renewable basket

15 Jan 2026 - 11:30AM

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The US has played its hand in Latin America. Will China’s firms there cash out?

After the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, many Chinese entrepreneurs in the region say they are staying put – for now.

13 Jan 2026 - 9:55AMvideocam

Why overseas residency is a ‘practical advantage’ for Chinese firms going global

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Open Questions series

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

Political scientist says the Western-led global order remains useful, and the Belt and Road Initiative isn’t a geopolitical project.

12 Jan 2026 - 10:06AMvideocam

Global Economy

Open Questions | ‘Embrace the moment’: on China, Daniel Kritenbrink puts pragmatism first

Former US ambassador to Vietnam says a return to the past for US-China relations is unrealistic, but both economic powers benefit from ties.

5 Jan 2026 - 9:11AMvideocam

Diplomacy

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

The Committee of 100’s president Paul Cheung has high hopes for Chinese-Americans’ relationship with China in these uncertain times.

9 Jan 2026 - 12:37PMvideocam

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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Tech War

Zhipu AI breaks US chip reliance with first major model trained on Huawei stack

Zhipu claims GLM-Image achieved industry-leading scores among open-source models for text rendering and Chinese character generation.

14 Jan 2026 - 8:00PM

Zhipu said the achievement proved the feasibility of developing powerful multimodal models without US chips. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Tech War

Chinese firms to incur higher costs for deploying AI chips from US: analysts

‘Beijing has made it politically unpalatable for private firms to rely too much on imported AI chips,’ EIU senior analyst Chim Lee says.

6 hours ago

China Business

China’s subsidy change adds to EV makers’ stress, while petrol cars gain

Typical subsidy on an EV drops by around US$1,150, changing buyer calculations and exacerbating the sector’s profitability woes.

6 hours ago

Tech Trends

SpacemiT to launch server-class RISC-V processor following capital injection

CEO Chen is betting on Edge AI – which can run AI algorithms locally rather than in the cloud – to boost the adoption of RISC-V chips.

15 Jan 2026 - 3:00PM

Shipments of processors based on the RISC-V architecture are forecast to grow 50 per cent each year between 2024 and 2030. Photo: Shutterstock Images

China Economy

Can China’s cheap, renewable energy help it outrun the US in the AI race?

China’s energy buildout means cheap, green and reliable electricity fuels its manufacturing and tech industries, giving it an edge over rivals.

14 Jan 2026 - 9:14AMvideocam

Diplomacy

How the US raid in Venezuela has triggered Brazilian fury and a Chinese opening

Latin America’s largest economy seeks ‘delicate balance’ between Trump’s ambitions and boosting ties with Beijing, its top trading partner.

11 Jan 2026 - 6:04AMvideocam

Global Economy

‘Expansion to defence’: China firms strategise in Latin America after Venezuela

After the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, many Chinese entrepreneurs in the region say they are staying put – for now.

13 Jan 2026 - 9:55AMvideocam

Banking & Finance

What does HSBC’s buyout of Hang Seng Bank mean for its future and investors?

HSBC’s historic US$13.6 billion buyout of Hang Seng Bank aims to cut costs, tackle bad debts and fuel growth, but challenges abound.

10 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

The US has sent a ‘dangerous’ message and China must act, legal expert warns

Beijing think tank expert calls for legislation to protect against ‘external suppression’ and to safeguard technology and supply chains.

Why China fears Trump’s Nvidia H200 deal is a sophisticated Trojan horse

China and Canada at ‘new starting point’ as Mark Carney makes state visit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang says the two countries have worked together to achieve a turnaround in relations.

Singapore’s PM Lawrence Wong removes Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition

Wong invites the Workers’ Party to nominate another elected MP to serve as the next Leader of the Opposition.

Hong Kong police shoot and kill man wielding meat cleaver in Tuen Mun

Police say officers on scene at Tuen Mun Town Plaza shopping centre had no choice but to shoot man to save passer-by.

European test pilots put China’s C919 airliner through paces in Shanghai

China warns against ‘law of the jungle’ amid anti-government protests in Iran

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that Beijing was willing to mediate.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | 3 new Hong Kong lawmakers fail to declare company shareholdings

Newcomers blame omissions on heavy workloads or misunderstandings.

US aircraft carrier steams from South China Sea to Mideast as Iran in turmoil

Pentagon orders USS Abraham Lincoln on new mission after live-fire drills near Scarborough Shoal.

.css-f84qeq{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;font-style:italic;}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.

China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

Big data is used to flag income gaps for top online stars and overseas earners, as regulators recover billions in unpaid levies amid slumping land sales and value-added tax revenue decline.

Chinese firms to incur higher costs for deploying AI chips from US: analysts

‘Beijing has made it politically unpalatable for private firms to rely too much on imported AI chips,’ EIU senior analyst Chim Lee says.

US charges 20 people with rigging university, Chinese basketball games: NBC

The ‍suspects sought to ‘fix’ Chinese Basketball Association men’s games by ‘point ‍shaving’, prosecutors said. Charges include bribery.

How Chinese corruption busters are tracking down bribes paid in cryptocurrency

A documentary on state television highlights how a senior central bank official was bribed with a digital currency.

Astronauts splash down on Earth after first-ever medical evacuation

The crew’s mission on the International Space Station was cut short by over a month.

Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms

The Kremlin insists Ukraine is running out of options as US-led talks stall, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’ for Kyiv daily.

UK Conservative lawmaker Robert Jenrick defects to Farage’s Reform UK

Earlier, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Jenrick had been sacked after his plans to switch ⁠allegiance to Reform UK were leaked.

China’s subsidy change adds to EV makers’ stress, while petrol cars gain

Typical subsidy on an EV drops by around US$1,150, changing buyer calculations and exacerbating the sector’s profitability woes.

Minneapolis on edge as Trump threatens Insurrection Act to end protests

The act lets the president deploy the military or federalise the National Guard for policing, even over state governors’ objections.

Uber’s WeChat tie-up pays off as demand from Chinese tourists rises overseas

Uber will offer a discount of at least 40 per cent during Lunar New Year for new mainland users who join via its WeChat mini-program.

US appeal court reverses order that freed pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

Federal officials detained Mahmoud Khalil over unproven claims of alignment with Hamas and beliefs deemed a threat to US foreign policy.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | An internally split Europe can never fully engage China and Asia

Macroscope | Investors are giving Trump a free pass

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

Opinion | High Seas Treaty will both boost China’s power and hold it accountable

Letters | Japan should put more eggs in the renewable basket

UK Conservative lawmaker Robert Jenrick defects to Farage’s Reform UK

O’Neil bullish about LIV’s future, reveals plan for International Series growth

US charges 20 people with rigging university, Chinese basketball games: NBC

US appeal court reverses order that freed pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

‘Hong Kong lawyers should not aim just to compete but specialise in Greater Bay Area’

Minneapolis on edge as Trump threatens Insurrection Act to end protests

The US has played its hand in Latin America. Will China’s firms there cash out?

After the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, many Chinese entrepreneurs in the region say they are staying put – for now.

Why overseas residency is a ‘practical advantage’ for Chinese firms going global

Chinese companies expand globally

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

Political scientist says the Western-led global order remains useful, and the Belt and Road Initiative isn’t a geopolitical project.

Open Questions | ‘Embrace the moment’: on China, Daniel Kritenbrink puts pragmatism first

Former US ambassador to Vietnam says a return to the past for US-China relations is unrealistic, but both economic powers benefit from ties.

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

The Committee of 100’s president Paul Cheung has high hopes for Chinese-Americans’ relationship with China in these uncertain times.

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.

Zhipu AI breaks US chip reliance with first major model trained on Huawei stack

Zhipu claims GLM-Image achieved industry-leading scores among open-source models for text rendering and Chinese character generation.

Chinese firms to incur higher costs for deploying AI chips from US: analysts

‘Beijing has made it politically unpalatable for private firms to rely too much on imported AI chips,’ EIU senior analyst Chim Lee says.

China’s subsidy change adds to EV makers’ stress, while petrol cars gain

Typical subsidy on an EV drops by around US$1,150, changing buyer calculations and exacerbating the sector’s profitability woes.

SpacemiT to launch server-class RISC-V processor following capital injection

CEO Chen is betting on Edge AI – which can run AI algorithms locally rather than in the cloud – to boost the adoption of RISC-V chips.

Can China’s cheap, renewable energy help it outrun the US in the AI race?

China’s energy buildout means cheap, green and reliable electricity fuels its manufacturing and tech industries, giving it an edge over rivals.

How the US raid in Venezuela has triggered Brazilian fury and a Chinese opening

Latin America’s largest economy seeks ‘delicate balance’ between Trump’s ambitions and boosting ties with Beijing, its top trading partner.

‘Expansion to defence’: China firms strategise in Latin America after Venezuela

After the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, many Chinese entrepreneurs in the region say they are staying put – for now.

What does HSBC’s buyout of Hang Seng Bank mean for its future and investors?

HSBC’s historic US$13.6 billion buyout of Hang Seng Bank aims to cut costs, tackle bad debts and fuel growth, but challenges abound.

Exclusive | 3 new Hong Kong lawmakers fail to declare company shareholdings

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

Opinion | An internally split Europe can never fully engage China and Asia