Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

How China’s global investment model is changing – and what it means for the yuan

The trade war, weak domestic demand and stronger policy support push more firms to invest overseas, with growing implications for currency.

2 hours ago

China’s wealthy swap real estate for insurance, gold as retirement looms

Chinese offshore investment

Big Tech

Review of Meta-Manus deal underscores China’s tightening grip on AI exports

AI agent start-up may face half a year of regulatory checks on data security, dual-use technologies and overseas investment rules: analysts.

4 hours ago

Military

How PLA could use ‘decapitation’ strike to counter Taiwan’s ‘porcupine’ strategy

Mainland Chinese military magazine warns of ‘threat’ posed by island’s asymmetric warfare plan and calls for multipronged response.

10 Jan 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

Society

Rebuilding fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court ‘not practical’, Hong Kong officials say

Authorities plan to repurpose Tai Po site for community use, citing decade-long delays and HK$6 billion in acquisition costs before rebuilding.

2 hours ago

Lifestyle

Those born in the Year of the Horse can expect a turbulent Year of the Horse, with good wealth prospects mixed with less luck predicted in the areas of health and romance. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why the Year of the Horse will be a profitable but turbulent one for Horses

Science

China-led team replicates human embryo ‘invasion’ of the womb for the first time

Scientists create a ‘mini-womb’ 3D model on a microfluidic chip which could lead to treatments for women affected by infertility.

4 hours agovideocam

A China-led team has created the world’s first mini-womb 3D model on a microfluidic chip which could help women struggling with fertility to get pregnant. Photo: Getty Images

Diplomacy

US government abandons plan to blacklist Chinese-made drones

Commerce Department, FCC make U-turn after barring imports of new Chinese drone models in December to address national security concerns.

10 Jan 2026 - 8:34AMvideocam

Health & Environment

As healthcare costs soar in the Philippines, are doctors’ fees to blame?

Doctors have hit back, saying that they are being unfairly blamed for deeper systemic failures in healthcare financing.

32 minutes ago

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.

Politics

‘Something has to give’: Iran on the brink as protest fury mounts

Weakened by conflict with Israel and a plummeting currency, analysts say the regime faces a choice between radical reform or collapse.

2 hours agovideocam

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran, on Thursday. Photo: TNS

Diplomacy

Trump-Xi diplomacy put to test thanks to contentious tit-for-tat Covid lawsuits

Unpaid billions of dollars in judgments against China sucks US State Department into escalating legal dispute, but Beijing remains defiant.

10 Jan 2026 - 2:13AMvideocam

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.

6 hours ago

Economics

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

Becoming the No 4 economy is a source of pride. Now, the race is on to turn statistical success into 8 million new jobs a year.

10 Jan 2026 - 8:52AM

Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP

Australasia

‘Leave, go’: Australia declares state of disaster amid bushfires

Emergency crews can now force evacuations as conditions rivalled the infamous ‘Black Summer’ blazes of 2019-2020.

1 hour agovideocam

Smoke shrouds a home in Longwood, Australia’s Victoria state, on Friday as firefighters attempt to douse the flames. Photo: AAP/Reuters

Big Tech

The great chip leap: China’s semiconductor equipment self-reliance beats targets

Domestic suppliers capture 35 per cent share as China accelerates push for semiconductor self-sufficiency.

9 Jan 2026 - 10:00PM

Lifestyle & Culture

‘No taste’: Malaysia’s Life of Pi and Squid Game artists warn against AI rush

After viewers slammed AI-enhanced films for looking ‘cheap’, local experts warn that algorithms serve profit, not storytelling.

4 hours agovideocam

Americas

Greenland parliament tells US: ‘We do not want to be Americans’

In a joint statement, the island’s political parties condemned the US’ ‘disdain’ – as Trump says he’s prepared to do things ‘the hard way’.

3 hours agovideocam

The town of Aasiaat, Greenland. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

Analysts dismiss the ‘implausible’ breach involving low-tech devices as a ploy, backing Seoul’s denial that its military was involved.

4 hours ago

An image released by North Korean state media that claims to show one of the drones Pyongyang’s military said it had intercepted from South Korea. Photo: KCNA/Handout

Lifestyle & Culture

Meow arriving: Japan railway’s newest cat stationmaster clocks in

Yontama is the third cat to become stationmaster on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama prefecture after the death of her predecessor last year.

5 hours ago

Tech Trends

Chinese smart eyewear makers shine at CES with focus on challenging Meta

‘The rise of smart glasses is riding directly on advances in AI,’ LLVision founder and CEO Wu Fei says.

2 hours ago

LATEST

17 minutes ago

K-drama

Latest K-drama casting news about Park Min-young, Song Joong-ki and more

28 minutes ago

Southeast Asia

System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border leaves thousands stranded

32 minutes ago

Health & Environment

As healthcare costs soar in the Philippines, are doctors’ fees to blame?

39 minutes ago

Racing

Hewitson and Orman look to continue momentum with strong Sha Tin books

48 minutes ago

Companies

Hong Kong’s SHKP set to continue sell-out streak at Sierra Sea: agents

1 hour ago

Australasia

‘Leave, go’: Australia declares state of disaster amid bushfires

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SCMP Series

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Year of the Horse 2026

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SCMP Series Beijing’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.

25 Dec 2025 - 9:58AMvideocam

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

24 Dec 2025 - 9:53PMvideocam

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

23 Dec 2025 - 3:43PMvideocam

Open Questions series

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.

29 Dec 2025 - 9:04AMvideocam

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.

22 Dec 2025 - 10:02AMvideocam

Key Industries:

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.

17 Dec 2025 - 7:00AM

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

Tech Trends

Chinese smart eyewear makers shine at CES with focus on challenging Meta

‘The rise of smart glasses is riding directly on advances in AI,’ LLVision founder and CEO Wu Fei says.

2 hours ago

Tech Trends

Chinese firms, led by AgiBot, outpace US rivals in 2025 humanoid robot shipments

‘Chinese vendors are setting benchmarks in large-scale production,’ Omdia analyst Lian Jye Su says.

9 Jan 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Tech Trends

MiniMax and Zhipu’s stellar Hong Kong IPOs supercharge China’s AI ambitions

Zhipu’s coding assistant is wooing subscribers with a monthly fee of about US$3, a fraction of what Anthropic charges for Claude.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:00PM

MiniMax became a darling of investors with its gain of 80 per cent when the stock debuted on Friday. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Military

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

Seoul’s calls for Chinese mediation seen to underscore Beijing’s central role in preserving stability between two Koreas.

8 Jan 2026 - 11:04AMvideocam

China Economy

Shanghai unveils US$10 billion investment spree as US-China tech race heats up

Shanghai announces 50 new projects across an array of hi-tech industries as China’s cities heed Beijing’s call to double down on innovation.

7 Jan 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Military

‘Real and accelerating’: China-Japan military tensions surge amid missile race

Analysts hold out little hope that security pressures will ease, given US insistence that regional allies boost first island chain defences.

8 Jan 2026 - 8:34AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Why China is turning down the nationalist heat in its row with Japan

With economic stakes high, Beijing seen as ‘more cautious in handling external frictions’, avoiding fanning of ‘uncontrollable’ nationalism.

4 Jan 2026 - 6:06AMvideocam

How China’s global investment model is changing – and what it means for the yuan

The trade war, weak domestic demand and stronger policy support push more firms to invest overseas, with growing implications for currency.

China’s wealthy swap real estate for insurance, gold as retirement looms

Review of Meta-Manus deal underscores China’s tightening grip on AI exports

AI agent start-up may face half a year of regulatory checks on data security, dual-use technologies and overseas investment rules: analysts.

How PLA could use ‘decapitation’ strike to counter Taiwan’s ‘porcupine’ strategy

Mainland Chinese military magazine warns of ‘threat’ posed by island’s asymmetric warfare plan and calls for multipronged response.

Rebuilding fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court ‘not practical’, Hong Kong officials say

Authorities plan to repurpose Tai Po site for community use, citing decade-long delays and HK$6 billion in acquisition costs before rebuilding.

Why the Year of the Horse will be a profitable but turbulent one for Horses

China-led team replicates human embryo ‘invasion’ of the womb for the first time

Scientists create a ‘mini-womb’ 3D model on a microfluidic chip which could lead to treatments for women affected by infertility.

US government abandons plan to blacklist Chinese-made drones

Commerce Department, FCC make U-turn after barring imports of new Chinese drone models in December to address national security concerns.

As healthcare costs soar in the Philippines, are doctors’ fees to blame?

Doctors have hit back, saying that they are being unfairly blamed for deeper systemic failures in healthcare financing.

.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.

‘Something has to give’: Iran on the brink as protest fury mounts

Weakened by conflict with Israel and a plummeting currency, analysts say the regime faces a choice between radical reform or collapse.

Trump-Xi diplomacy put to test thanks to contentious tit-for-tat Covid lawsuits

Unpaid billions of dollars in judgments against China sucks US State Department into escalating legal dispute, but Beijing remains defiant.

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.

India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind

Becoming the No 4 economy is a source of pride. Now, the race is on to turn statistical success into 8 million new jobs a year.

‘Leave, go’: Australia declares state of disaster amid bushfires

Emergency crews can now force evacuations as conditions rivalled the infamous ‘Black Summer’ blazes of 2019-2020.

The great chip leap: China’s semiconductor equipment self-reliance beats targets

Domestic suppliers capture 35 per cent share as China accelerates push for semiconductor self-sufficiency.

‘No taste’: Malaysia’s Life of Pi and Squid Game artists warn against AI rush

After viewers slammed AI-enhanced films for looking ‘cheap’, local experts warn that algorithms serve profit, not storytelling.

Greenland parliament tells US: ‘We do not want to be Americans’

In a joint statement, the island’s political parties condemned the US’ ‘disdain’ – as Trump says he’s prepared to do things ‘the hard way’.

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

Analysts dismiss the ‘implausible’ breach involving low-tech devices as a ploy, backing Seoul’s denial that its military was involved.

Meow arriving: Japan railway’s newest cat stationmaster clocks in

Yontama is the third cat to become stationmaster on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama prefecture after the death of her predecessor last year.

Chinese smart eyewear makers shine at CES with focus on challenging Meta

‘The rise of smart glasses is riding directly on advances in AI,’ LLVision founder and CEO Wu Fei says.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | 5 years on, digital banks are taking root in Hong Kong

Reflections | How ancient Chinese dental practices were often similar to those used today

Opinion | Northern Metropolis can combine best of central planning and free market

As I see it | Welcome, world, to the American jungle

Latest K-drama casting news about Park Min-young, Song Joong-ki and more

System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border leaves thousands stranded

As healthcare costs soar in the Philippines, are doctors’ fees to blame?

Hewitson and Orman look to continue momentum with strong Sha Tin books

Hong Kong’s SHKP set to continue sell-out streak at Sierra Sea: agents

‘Leave, go’: Australia declares state of disaster amid bushfires

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Chinese smart eyewear makers shine at CES with focus on challenging Meta

‘The rise of smart glasses is riding directly on advances in AI,’ LLVision founder and CEO Wu Fei says.

Chinese firms, led by AgiBot, outpace US rivals in 2025 humanoid robot shipments

‘Chinese vendors are setting benchmarks in large-scale production,’ Omdia analyst Lian Jye Su says.

MiniMax and Zhipu’s stellar Hong Kong IPOs supercharge China’s AI ambitions

Zhipu’s coding assistant is wooing subscribers with a monthly fee of about US$3, a fraction of what Anthropic charges for Claude.

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

Seoul’s calls for Chinese mediation seen to underscore Beijing’s central role in preserving stability between two Koreas.

Shanghai unveils US$10 billion investment spree as US-China tech race heats up

Shanghai announces 50 new projects across an array of hi-tech industries as China’s cities heed Beijing’s call to double down on innovation.

‘Real and accelerating’: China-Japan military tensions surge amid missile race

Analysts hold out little hope that security pressures will ease, given US insistence that regional allies boost first island chain defences.

Why China is turning down the nationalist heat in its row with Japan

With economic stakes high, Beijing seen as ‘more cautious in handling external frictions’, avoiding fanning of ‘uncontrollable’ nationalism.

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

Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

Letters | 5 years on, digital banks are taking root in Hong Kong