Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Beijing has funded a new satellite data ground station near Windhoek, Namibia – the latest in a growing network of space facilities across Africa built with help from China. Photo: Handout via Xinhua

How China is building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions

Analysts say Beijing is gifting space infrastructure as a form of soft power on the continent.

54 minutes agovideocam

Why China is being told to integrate commercial space tech with military systems

China-Africa relations

China Economy

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

2 hours ago

Diplomacy

China prioritises regional expertise over language fluency in academic shift

Some 450 regional studies centres have been set up across more than 180 institutions nationwide since Ministry of Education launched project.

38 minutes ago

Law and Crime

Hong Kong 47: court dismisses appeals by 12 activists in national security trial

Appellate court also upholds acquittal of barrister Lawrence Lau in the subversion case.

1 hour ago

Open Questions

Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

World

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

From global reach of China’s highspeed rail to an unearthed temple in Nepal, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

25 minutes ago

The US Supreme Court building in Washington, where justices released on Friday their opinion striking down US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Photo: Reuters

Markets

Why is the Hang Seng Tech Index underperforming while AI shares soar?

The gauge has fallen 5.5 per cent this year, while newly listed AI firms Zhipu AI, MiniMax and Beijing Haizhi are up at least fivefold.

2 hours ago

Economics

Trump’s big tariff defeat puts Asia’s hard-fought US trade deals in doubt

India has already paused trade talks with Washington as other Asian nations are left to question the validity of their recent agreements.

2 minutes ago

Travel & Leisure

How use of AI will help travel operators transform behaviour of holidaymakers

Experts explore innovative technology’s role in industry’s evolution at ‘Limitless: Dida Engage 2026’ in Shenzhen.

In partnership with:

Dida

Tech Trends

From Doraemon to dexterous hands: LinkerBot equips robots with human skills

The start-up is revolutionising humanoid robotics with ultra-dexterous hands, ushering in a new era of humanlike robotic capability.

44 minutes ago

Robots play the piano and drums in Shenzhen. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

Politics

How Trump’s Beijing bargaining could derail Taiwan’s defence budget

US leader’s talk of consulting Xi Jinping on arms sales could hand Taiwan’s opposition a ‘lifeline’ to reshape spending bill, experts say.

22 Feb 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Lifestyle & Culture

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

2 hours agovideocam

Military

Satellite images show first glimpse of China’s Type 095 nuclear submarine

Next-generation SSN features advanced acoustic stealth and strike capacity, narrowing tech gap with rival US.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:00PM

The Chinese navy has been rapidly expanding its SSN fleet amid an intensifying underwater arms race in the region. Photo: Shutterstock

Middle East

Iran in secret deal with Russia for shoulder-fired missiles: report

Report of a deal for 2,500 advanced anti-aircraft missiles emerges as the US weighs military action against Iran.

2 hours ago

A vehicle firing a missile during a military exercise by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Photo: Sepah News via AFP

Business

Hong Kong home sales head for 22-year high as developers test price resilience

Deep discounts that were offered by developers to reduce unsold inventory may be a thing of the past, analysts say.

1 hour ago

China Business

China’s EV insurers move towards profitability on higher premiums, AI adoption

Chinese insurers are turning to AI as the technology cuts labour costs and enhances pricing accuracy.

2 hours ago

China Business

Hong Kong stocks jump as investors bet US tariff changes will help Chinese exports

‘China and Hong Kong are the biggest beneficiaries,’ Goldman Sachs strategists and economists say.

12 minutes ago

US President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House on February 20, 2026, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that his tariffs exceeded his authority. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

‘I am getting more scared’: Tehranis brace for ‘inevitable’ US-Iran war

‘I don’t want war to happen, but one should not fool around with the realities on the ground,’ a resident in the Iranian capital says.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:45AMvideocam

Motorists drive past an anti-US billboard on a street in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

China

Written in the snow: Wang Xindi, Xu Mengtao embrace role as China’s golden couple

Teammate Li Tianma has urged the pair to start a family, with netizens saying they could name a child ‘Wang Erjin’, meaning two gold medals.

4 hours ago

Trending in China

‘Shameless’: China influencer slammed for profiting from wife’s childbirth video

Graduate from top US university keeps filming as wife gets emergency treatment for severe bleeding; even adds advert voice-over during recording.

53 minutes ago

OPINION

Christine Choi

Opinion | Bridging East and West, Hong Kong offers talent the best of both worlds

3 hours ago

Letters

Letters | As geopolitical tensions rise, Hong Kong needs clear, confident messaging

1 hour ago

Alice Wu

Opinion | Hong Kong’s finance chief must return to his original aspirations

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Genevieve Donnellon-May

Opinion | How China’s national food security push could reshape global markets

22 Feb 2026 - 9:43PM

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Clearer skies allow Hong Kong budget to go beyond balancing the books

6 hours ago

Harry’s View | 23 Feb 2026

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Economics

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East Asia

Tokyo Skytree tower closed after 20 trapped in lift for 5 hours

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Society

Some Tai Po fire survivors doubtful over government’s ‘unfair’ rehousing plan

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World

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

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Arts

‘Unconventional bodies’: inclusive dance team’s upcoming Hong Kong show

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Year of the Horse 2026

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China Inc. goes global

Customers choose colored glaze snake handicrafts for the coming Chinese New Year, the Year of Snake, in Xiye Colored Glaze Studio in Boshan district, Zibo city, Shandong province, China, on Jan. 9, 2025. With a long history of colored glaze, Boshan is regarded as China’s Hometown of Colored Glaze and has 12 colored glaze enterprises and 65 art studios. (Xinhua)
新华社照片，淄博（山东），2025年1月9日
1月9日，消费者在淄博市博山区西冶工坊展销厅内挑选蛇年主题琉璃工艺品。
春节临近，山东省淄博市博山区的琉璃生产企业推出众多蛇年主题创意琉璃制品，受到市场青睐。博山区被誉为“中国琉璃之乡“，琉璃生产历史悠久，当地已发展琉璃生产企业12家、工作室65个。
新华社记者朱峥摄

SCMP Series Year of the Horse 2026

Year of the Horse 2026 feng shui advice for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs to enjoy good luck

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares where each Chinese zodiac sign can place items for good luck in the Year of the Fire Horse.

21 Feb 2026 - 7:15AMvideocam

Feng shui advice for Snakes for luck in money, health and romance

20 Feb 2026 - 7:15AMvideocam

Why do Chinese love water chestnuts? All about the lucky ‘horse’s hoof’

19 Feb 2026 - 11:15AM

Open Questions series

Global Economy

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

The American Chamber of Commerce in China chairman says this year’s expected Trump-Xi meetings can put countries on a ‘visionary’ path.

13 Feb 2026 - 9:03AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

9 Feb 2026 - 1:10PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau on why China must ‘work smarter’ and how it can invent from scratch

China must shift from quantity to quality by focusing on 12-year schooling, more basic research and GBA integration, renowned economist says.

2 Feb 2026 - 10:02AMvideocam

China

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

29 Jan 2026 - 11:50AMvideocam

Key Industries:

Big Tech

How Chinese AI put a new spin on Winter Olympics action

Chinese tech firms have been using the Milano Cortina Games to showcase their capabilities to a global audience.

20 Feb 2026 - 7:00PM

Figure skater Ilia Malinin, from the United States, competes in the men’s singles free skating team event at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on February 8. Photo: AFP

China Economy

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

2 hours ago

China Business

China’s EV insurers move towards profitability on higher premiums, AI adoption

Chinese insurers are turning to AI as the technology cuts labour costs and enhances pricing accuracy.

2 hours ago

Markets

Why is the Hang Seng Tech Index underperforming while AI shares soar?

The gauge has fallen 5.5 per cent this year, while newly listed AI firms Zhipu AI, MiniMax and Beijing Haizhi are up at least fivefold.

2 hours ago

The Hang Seng Tech Index, which includes Tencent Holdings, Alibaba Group Holding and Meituan, has fallen 5.5 per cent this year. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Diplomacy

K-pop’s big freeze: are cracks in China’s cultural blockade a thaw?

A decade-long geopolitical chill has kept South Korean entertainers largely locked out of the Chinese market, but fans find ways to connect.

22 Feb 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

Global K-pop phenomenon BTS has just unveiled plans for their biggest tour yet, but it will not include any stops in mainland China. Photo: Reuters

Science

Chinese scientists create new battery with electrolyte as safe as tofu brine

Moving beyond flammable lithium-ion batteries, Chinese scientists have developed a long-lasting battery that uses a non-toxic electrolyte.

21 Feb 2026 - 11:15AMvideocam

Hong Kong Economy

What’s at stake for Hong Kong as reflected in budget 2026-27?

Analysts are upbeat amid city’s booming IPO sector and thriving financial market, but warn of geopolitical headwinds.

20 Feb 2026 - 8:36AM

Military

Everything we know about China’s mysterious, futuristic Nantianmen Project

Is it a storytelling vehicle for imaginative military hardware, blending science fiction with reality, or is it a glimpse of the future?

17 Feb 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

A CCTV report said the “space-sky integrated” fighter jets of the sci-fi Nantianmen Project would one day become reality. Photo: CCTV

How China is building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions

Analysts say Beijing is gifting space infrastructure as a form of soft power on the continent.

Why China is being told to integrate commercial space tech with military systems

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

China prioritises regional expertise over language fluency in academic shift

Some 450 regional studies centres have been set up across more than 180 institutions nationwide since Ministry of Education launched project.

Hong Kong 47: court dismisses appeals by 12 activists in national security trial

Appellate court also upholds acquittal of barrister Lawrence Lau in the subversion case.

Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

From global reach of China’s highspeed rail to an unearthed temple in Nepal, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Why is the Hang Seng Tech Index underperforming while AI shares soar?

The gauge has fallen 5.5 per cent this year, while newly listed AI firms Zhipu AI, MiniMax and Beijing Haizhi are up at least fivefold.

Trump’s big tariff defeat puts Asia’s hard-fought US trade deals in doubt

India has already paused trade talks with Washington as other Asian nations are left to question the validity of their recent agreements.

.css-f84qeq{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;font-style:italic;}How use of AI will help travel operators transform behaviour of holidaymakers

Experts explore innovative technology’s role in industry’s evolution at ‘Limitless: Dida Engage 2026’ in Shenzhen.

From Doraemon to dexterous hands: LinkerBot equips robots with human skills

The start-up is revolutionising humanoid robotics with ultra-dexterous hands, ushering in a new era of humanlike robotic capability.

How Trump’s Beijing bargaining could derail Taiwan’s defence budget

US leader’s talk of consulting Xi Jinping on arms sales could hand Taiwan’s opposition a ‘lifeline’ to reshape spending bill, experts say.

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

Satellite images show first glimpse of China’s Type 095 nuclear submarine

Next-generation SSN features advanced acoustic stealth and strike capacity, narrowing tech gap with rival US.

Iran in secret deal with Russia for shoulder-fired missiles: report

Report of a deal for 2,500 advanced anti-aircraft missiles emerges as the US weighs military action against Iran.

Hong Kong home sales head for 22-year high as developers test price resilience

Deep discounts that were offered by developers to reduce unsold inventory may be a thing of the past, analysts say.

China’s EV insurers move towards profitability on higher premiums, AI adoption

Chinese insurers are turning to AI as the technology cuts labour costs and enhances pricing accuracy.

Hong Kong stocks jump as investors bet US tariff changes will help Chinese exports

‘China and Hong Kong are the biggest beneficiaries,’ Goldman Sachs strategists and economists say.

‘I am getting more scared’: Tehranis brace for ‘inevitable’ US-Iran war

‘I don’t want war to happen, but one should not fool around with the realities on the ground,’ a resident in the Iranian capital says.

Written in the snow: Wang Xindi, Xu Mengtao embrace role as China’s golden couple

Teammate Li Tianma has urged the pair to start a family, with netizens saying they could name a child ‘Wang Erjin’, meaning two gold medals.

‘Shameless’: China influencer slammed for profiting from wife’s childbirth video

Graduate from top US university keeps filming as wife gets emergency treatment for severe bleeding; even adds advert voice-over during recording.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Bridging East and West, Hong Kong offers talent the best of both worlds

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | As geopolitical tensions rise, Hong Kong needs clear, confident messaging

Opinion | Hong Kong’s finance chief must return to his original aspirations

Opinion | How China’s national food security push could reshape global markets

Editorial | Clearer skies allow Hong Kong budget to go beyond balancing the books

Trump’s big tariff defeat puts Asia’s hard-fought US trade deals in doubt

Tokyo Skytree tower closed after 20 trapped in lift for 5 hours

Some Tai Po fire survivors doubtful over government’s ‘unfair’ rehousing plan

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

‘Unconventional bodies’: inclusive dance team’s upcoming Hong Kong show

How China is building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions

Year of the Horse 2026 feng shui advice for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs to enjoy good luck

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares where each Chinese zodiac sign can place items for good luck in the Year of the Fire Horse.

Feng shui advice for Snakes for luck in money, health and romance

Why do Chinese love water chestnuts? All about the lucky ‘horse’s hoof’

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

The American Chamber of Commerce in China chairman says this year’s expected Trump-Xi meetings can put countries on a ‘visionary’ path.

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau on why China must ‘work smarter’ and how it can invent from scratch

China must shift from quantity to quality by focusing on 12-year schooling, more basic research and GBA integration, renowned economist says.

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

How Chinese AI put a new spin on Winter Olympics action

Chinese tech firms have been using the Milano Cortina Games to showcase their capabilities to a global audience.

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

China’s EV insurers move towards profitability on higher premiums, AI adoption

Chinese insurers are turning to AI as the technology cuts labour costs and enhances pricing accuracy.

Why is the Hang Seng Tech Index underperforming while AI shares soar?

The gauge has fallen 5.5 per cent this year, while newly listed AI firms Zhipu AI, MiniMax and Beijing Haizhi are up at least fivefold.

K-pop’s big freeze: are cracks in China’s cultural blockade a thaw?

A decade-long geopolitical chill has kept South Korean entertainers largely locked out of the Chinese market, but fans find ways to connect.

Chinese scientists create new battery with electrolyte as safe as tofu brine

Moving beyond flammable lithium-ion batteries, Chinese scientists have developed a long-lasting battery that uses a non-toxic electrolyte.

What’s at stake for Hong Kong as reflected in budget 2026-27?

Analysts are upbeat amid city’s booming IPO sector and thriving financial market, but warn of geopolitical headwinds.

Everything we know about China’s mysterious, futuristic Nantianmen Project

Is it a storytelling vehicle for imaginative military hardware, blending science fiction with reality, or is it a glimpse of the future?

How use of AI will help travel operators transform behaviour of holidaymakers

Opinion | Bridging East and West, Hong Kong offers talent the best of both worlds

Letters | As geopolitical tensions rise, Hong Kong needs clear, confident messaging