Advertisement
US President Donald Trump has threatened “very strong action” if Iranian authorities begin executing anti-government protesters. Photo: AFP

Could the Iran crisis push Global South blocs to deepen security ties?

A lack of response from the SCO and Brics could have a negative impact on the groups – but the crisis could also bring them closer.

videocam

Why the US may find Iran’s air defence system harder to break than Venezuela’s

Brics
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

China Economy

Why mortgage subsidies could be key to getting China’s consumers spending

Beijing is striving to boost household spending amid an economic slowdown. But first it needs to stabilise the housing market, scholars say.

videocam

Global Economy

Why China may buy Nvidia’s AI chips as US eases curbs – and replace them later

As the US reverses Biden-era restrictions, Beijing likely to take advantage – without compromising own industry, analysts say.

videocam
12

Hong Kong Economy

Proportion of young Hongkongers owning subsidised flats halves in 30 years: study

Buying a 500 sq ft private flat now costs the equivalent of 18.4 years of median household income, compared with 5.6 years in 2002, study shows.

Diplomacy
Despite the need to stay vigilant, China should be confident of its strength and capabilities in managing its maritime issues with its neighbours, a Chinese expert has said. Photo: Xinhua

‘Strategic patience’ key for Beijing in South China Sea and other disputes

United States & Canada

Trump says ‘unacceptable’ if US does not control Greenland

Trump’s latest comments come hours before Vice-President J.D. Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

11
US President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One on January 4. Photo: TNS
Advertisement

Policy

Beijing opens antitrust investigation into Trip.com before Lunar New Year break

The Trip.com case shows how China’s regulatory inquiries into various online platforms have become the norm.

Science

Zheng Yu, ‘rising star’ in chemical engineering from MIT, quits US for China

The researcher who specialises in wearable devices has taken up a position at Peking University.

4

People & Culture

How this year’s Yidan Prize laureates reshape modern literacy and skills worldwide

Mamadou Amadou Ly and Uri Wilensky help transform teaching and learning through multilingual education and computational thinking.

In partnership with:
Yidan Prize Foundation
The 2025 Yidan Prize laureates Professor Uri Wilensky (left) and Mamadou Amadou Ly help remove barriers to education by transforming how learners access and engage with knowledge.

Middle East

Explainer | Who are Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and what is their role in the crackdown?

Reporting directly to Ayatollah Khamenei, this ‘empire within an empire’ wields immense wealth, intelligence, and suppresses dissent.

Members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps give a military salute during a military parade in the capital Tehran in 2019. Photo: Iranian Presidency/AFP

Banking & Finance

Growth in sovereign investors’ China exposure slows amid political tensions

Inflows fall 58 per cent as sovereign wealth funds grow cautious, yet outlook signals selective opportunities ahead, experts say.

12

Politics

Taiwan names DPP stalwart new cross-strait chief amid Beijing’s scepticism

Taipei touts former speaker of the island’s legislature as having ‘laid a solid foundation for Taiwan-Japan friendship’ in his previous role.

videocam

Politics

China’s anti-corruption body reveals how ex-banker fell in bribery scandal

Documentary details the downfall of Jiang Chaoliang and his brothers as disciplinary commission holds key session.

videocam
Jiang Chaoliang is among the most prominent figures caught in the Communist Party’s decade-long anti-corruption campaign, which snared a record 65 high-ranking officials last year. Photo: CCTV

Politics

Singapore MPs back motion deeming Pritam Singh unfit to be opposition leader

The 11 WP MPs present opposed the motion, while the rest of the House, mainly PAP MPs, voted to remove Singh in his role.

4
Pritam Singh, secretary general of the Singaporean opposition Workers’ Party, leaves the Supreme Court in November during an appeals hearing against his conviction and sentence for lying to a committee. Photo: AFP

Politics

South Korea’s Yoon could become ‘martyr’ if given death penalty: analysts

While prosecutors have demanded death for the disgraced ex-president over his martial law debacle, a life imprisonment sentence is seen as more likely.

videocam

Middle East

Iran signals fast trials and executions for detained protesters

As the death toll surpasses 2,500, Iran’s judiciary chief calls for fast action for suspects arrested over protests.

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.

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

Russia & Central Asia

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Kremlin during their May 2025 meeting in Moscow. Photo: Reuters

China Economy

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

videocam
7

China Business

China’s stock rally on AI optimism to stretch fundraising frenzy in 2026

Tech companies on Shanghai, Shenzhen exchanges now trade nearly 40 per cent above the Nasdaq 100, boosting the appeal of going public.

Advertisement
Advertisement
OPINION
Jon Yuan Jiang

Opinion | Why Russia is gambling on a protracted war in Ukraine

Jon Yuan Jiang
Michael Han

Opinion | China’s new property pivot is coming. Expect full stabilisation ahead

Michael Han
Alex Lo

As I see it | The Chinese century may already be here

Alex Lo
14
Letters

Letters | The strategic calculations behind Trump’s Venezuela raid

Letters
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Review of Meta-Manus deal a reminder of what’s at stake in US-China rivalry

SCMP Editorial
Harry’s View | 14 Jan 2026
January 14, 2026
MORE COMMENT
LATEST

Other Sport

Tiger’s lost tooth, Bode Miller’s one-ski show among tales from Olympic slopes

Diplomacy

Could the Iran crisis push Global South blocs to deepen security ties?

Law and Crime

Hong Kong customs arrests 62, seizes HK$431 million of drugs in joint operation

China Economy

Why mortgage subsidies could be key to getting China’s consumers spending

Banking & Finance

Alibaba, JPMorgan said to back Chinese chip firm’s Hong Kong listing

Policy

Beijing opens antitrust investigation into Trip.com before Lunar New Year break

MORE LATEST NEWS
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
SCMP Series
China Inc. goes global
Year of the Horse 2026
Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy
Revisiting US-China relations
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
SCMP SeriesChina Inc. goes global

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.

videocam

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

videocam

Chinese companies expand globally

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.

videocam
14
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

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.

videocam

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.

videocam
4

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.

videocam
9
Illustration: Henry Wong
China Future Tech
China Future Tech
Key Industries:
EVs
AI
Semiconductors
Aerospace
Robotics
Biomedicine
Live Q&A webinars

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.

14
The questions in FAI-C were reviewed by a panel of Biblical experts, including theologians, pastors, psychologists and scholars of ethics. Photo: SCMP

Banking & Finance

Alibaba, JPMorgan said to back Chinese chip firm’s Hong Kong listing

Montage Technology could raise up to US$900 million in an IPO as soon as this month, sources say.

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.

Tech Trends

Video-generation boom sees China’s Kling AI post US$240 million revenue run rate

Kling AI is widely adopted in the fields of marketing and e-commerce, as well as in films, television and animation, owner Kuaishou says.

Kling AI adoption has expanded amid the growing use worldwide of artificial intelligence video tools. Photo: Shutterstock

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.

videocam
20
Illustration: Henry Wong

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.

videocam
37

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.

videocam
27

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.

Illustration by Henry Wong
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement