Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

People choose food at an AI-powered canteen in Hebei province’s Xiongan New Area last month. Photo: Xinhua

Policy body urges China to confront economic challenges, confident of recovery

Official cites headwinds from imbalances between supply and demand, but says outlook is bright.

8 minutes ago

China can sustain 5 to 6% GDP growth through 2035: economist

China consumption

Science

How Chinese scientists turn allergy into a powerful weapon against cancer

Mast cell platform can expand to carry other payloads, such as molecules, viruses, proteins and drug-loaded nanoparticles.

39 minutes agovideocam

China Business

MetaX stock soars 700% in Shanghai debut as traders snap up Chinese GPU maker

MetaX closes at 829.90 yuan on Wednesday, from its IPO price of 104.66 yuan, after gaining as much as 755 per cent in intraday trading.

14 minutes ago

Politics

Peking University keen to start research lab in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis

City leader John Lee meets university’s party secretary on final day of duty visit to Beijing and shares plans to accelerate project’s development.

26 minutes ago

Focus

Surviving the shocks: what China and the US learned from 2025’s trade war

Americas

Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela

Venezuelan government condemns blockade as ‘irrational’ after the US president demands it ‘return’ oil, land and assets to the US.

1 hour agovideocam

The crude oil tanker Skipper, which was seized by the US off the coast of Venezuela last week. Photo Vantor via AP

Companies

OpenAI in talks to raise US$10 billion from Amazon and adopt Trainium chips

The deal is under discussion could value OpenAI upwards of US$500 billion, a source said.

18 minutes ago

People

South Korean court rules Yoon’s ‘self-coup’ illegal as walls close in

Judges are fast-tracking verdicts to beat statutory time limits, dashing the ex-president’s faint hopes of walking free early next year.

1 hour agovideocam

Travel & Leisure

The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

AI travel technology company Dida’s innovative solutions aim to bridge the gap between the industry and travellers.

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Dida

Companies

Why retailers are beating a hasty retreat from mainland China

Hong Kong retailer Mannings will cease online operations from December 26 and close its physical stores after January 15.

28 minutes ago

Mannings is one of Hong Kong’s largest health and beauty retailers. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Politics

Hong Kong Bar Association chief urges critics to assess Jimmy Lai verdict fairly

Jose-Antonio Maurellet insists the city’s rule of law remains ‘alive and strong’ despite scrutiny over former media boss’s conviction.

35 minutes ago

United States & Canada

Homicide investigation launched after MIT professor fatally shot at home

Police are seeking a suspect who murdered Nuno Loureiro, the director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Centre.

1 hour ago

Politics

Taiwan government accused of trying to ‘bypass legislature’ amid bitter row

A dispute over how funds are allocated has triggered a stand-off in which both sides accused the other of undermining the constitution.

3 hours agovideocam

Taiwanese leader William Lai has been accused by the opposition of “misusing” the constitution. Photo: EPA

Europe

Miss Finland ‘racism’ scandal is damaging country, PM says

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo weighs in as Finnish politicians mimic a racist gesture in solidarity with stripped beauty queen.

3 hours ago

Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce competes during the Miss Universe pageant on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, in November. Photo: EPA

China Economy

‘Invest in people’: how a new slogan signals a pivot in China’s economic policy

Beijing is expected to strengthen investment in welfare, pensions, education and other public services to unleash domestic demand, analysts say.

5 hours ago

Health & Environment

Nepal rolls out delayed tourist tracking system to keep tabs on foreign visitors

Starting next year, hotels and travel companies must begin automatically reporting visitor locations to a central government database.

5 hours ago

Science

China’s research paper boom could be a ‘false prosperity’, academician warns

Senior biologist Zhang Hong, a member of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences, fears genuine innovation may be at risk.

6 hours agovideocam

Chinese scientists are publishing a growing number of papers in top international journals and have led the world in research output since 2019. Photo: Handout

Australasia

Alleged Bondi shooter Naveed Akram charged with terrorism, murder

Akram, who regained consciousness after being in a coma, also faces multiple charges related to other offences.

8 minutes agovideocam

Family members react at the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a victim in the Bondi Beach shooting, during his funeral at a synagogue in Sydney on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Law and Crime

Open court, detailed ruling in Lai trial ‘prove Hong Kong rule of law strong’

Lawyers urge members of public to study the court’s judgment before drawing conclusions after Western countries hit out at Lai verdict.

17 Dec 2025 - 8:30AMvideocam

Banking & Finance

China Vanke unveils proposal to extend US$366 million bond after 3 failed bids

Bondholders will vote on the revised plan from Thursday to Monday, and it requires over 90 per cent of the total voting rights to take effect.

3 hours agovideocam

OPINION

Ronny Tong

Opinion | End of the road for Hong Kong’s democracy movement? There’s still hope

17 Dec 2025 - 9:30AM

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Align with national goals, Xi urges Hong Kong with pat on back for Lee

17 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

Letters

Letters | As Greater Bay Area shifts to carbon-free trade, Hong Kong must catch on

5 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | World must heed UN’s appeal for aid funding to ease suffering of millions

17 Dec 2025 - 6:45AM

Gabriela Bernal

Opinion | As Doha Forum made clear, Europe is losing its seat at the table

17 Dec 2025 - 5:30AM

Harry’s View | 17 Dec 2025

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Why the Philippine Army is turning to locally built remote weapons systems

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China Economy

Policy body urges China to confront economic challenges, confident of recovery

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Asia

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Football

Fifa overturns three Malaysia matches amid player eligibility scandal

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Companies

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Simon Li, executive director of the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre, with students (from second left) Kavira S. Kazimoto, Gem Peduche and Josue Camarena, at Andrews University’s Hong Kong campus. Photo: Handout

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After The War | Virtual reality and the Nanking massacre: where does historical immersion become trauma?

Amid push in China for museum digitalisation, one educator seeks to help students ‘feel history without being flooded by it’.

14 Dec 2025 - 4:20PM

After The War | How the post-WWII order was formed and why China wants to reshape it

8 Sep 2025 - 4:11PMvideocam

After The War | Chinese scholars slam Western ‘historical nihilism’ on World War II

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Open Questions series

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.

15 Dec 2025 - 10:05AMvideocam

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’.

8 Dec 2025 - 10:07AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo on Taiwan reunification, lessons from the Ukraine war

Commentator and former senior colonel on Beijing’s row with Japan, lessons from the Ukraine war and why playing global policeman is a trap.

1 Dec 2025 - 3:57PMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | ‘A mistaken view’: US economist Nicholas Lardy on the ‘peak China’ hypothesis

The veteran China watcher talks Beijing’s need for financial reform and how US-China economic convergence could still be on the horizon.

24 Nov 2025 - 10:09AMvideocam

Key Industries:

Big Tech

China’s DeepSeek challenges Google DeepMind with new AI model

DeepSeek’s V3.2-Speciale equals Google’s Gemini 3 Pro in reasoning capabilities, the Chinese start-up says.

2 Dec 2025 - 4:51PM

A shop advertising DeepSeek in Hong Kong. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

China Business

MetaX stock soars 700% in Shanghai debut as traders snap up Chinese GPU maker

MetaX closes at 829.90 yuan on Wednesday, from its IPO price of 104.66 yuan, after gaining as much as 755 per cent in intraday trading.

14 minutes ago

China Business

China’s new drug insurance: lifeline for patients or squeeze on big firms?

New insurance formulary trims costs of Alzheimer’s and cancer therapies and marks a small win for global novel drug makers.

17 Dec 2025 - 7:30AM

Tech

AMD chief Lisa Su visits Lenovo in Beijing as US hints at easing chip curbs

Su’s visit to China – including a whistle-stop at Lenovo’s headquarters – comes as Washington signals a shift on export restrictions.

16 Dec 2025 - 8:00PM

AMD’s Lisa Su visits Beijing. Photo: Sina

Diplomacy

Why ‘relative stability’ in US-China ties is unlikely to last

The temperature has lowered after a downward spiral since Trump’s return to the White House, but relations may face ‘strong headwinds’ again.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:18AMvideocam

Military

Why has reference to Taiwan attending Rimpac been removed from US defence bill?

Senators’ bid to ‘strongly encourage’ invitation is removed from compromise bill, raising questions in Taipei.

14 Dec 2025 - 8:40PMvideocam

Tech Trends

Sea change: China narrows AI gap with US 3 years after ChatGPT shock

The turning point came when DeepSeek released its V3 and R1 models, which were on par with OpenAI’s GPT and Meta’s Llama models at the time.

14 Dec 2025 - 12:57AM

Science

US green tech retreat echoes mistake of China’s Qing dynasty before collapse

While Washington pulls back on climate, Beijing is making it possible for developing nations to leapfrog into a cleaner energy era.

13 Dec 2025 - 7:07AMvideocam

Policy body urges China to confront economic challenges, confident of recovery

Official cites headwinds from imbalances between supply and demand, but says outlook is bright.

China can sustain 5 to 6% GDP growth through 2035: economist

How Chinese scientists turn allergy into a powerful weapon against cancer

Mast cell platform can expand to carry other payloads, such as molecules, viruses, proteins and drug-loaded nanoparticles.

MetaX stock soars 700% in Shanghai debut as traders snap up Chinese GPU maker

MetaX closes at 829.90 yuan on Wednesday, from its IPO price of 104.66 yuan, after gaining as much as 755 per cent in intraday trading.

Peking University keen to start research lab in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis

City leader John Lee meets university’s party secretary on final day of duty visit to Beijing and shares plans to accelerate project’s development.

Surviving the shocks: what China and the US learned from 2025’s trade war

Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela

Venezuelan government condemns blockade as ‘irrational’ after the US president demands it ‘return’ oil, land and assets to the US.

OpenAI in talks to raise US$10 billion from Amazon and adopt Trainium chips

The deal is under discussion could value OpenAI upwards of US$500 billion, a source said.

South Korean court rules Yoon’s ‘self-coup’ illegal as walls close in

Judges are fast-tracking verdicts to beat statutory time limits, dashing the ex-president’s faint hopes of walking free early next year.

.css-f84qeq{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;font-style:italic;}The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

AI travel technology company Dida’s innovative solutions aim to bridge the gap between the industry and travellers.

Why retailers are beating a hasty retreat from mainland China

Hong Kong retailer Mannings will cease online operations from December 26 and close its physical stores after January 15.

Hong Kong Bar Association chief urges critics to assess Jimmy Lai verdict fairly

Jose-Antonio Maurellet insists the city’s rule of law remains ‘alive and strong’ despite scrutiny over former media boss’s conviction.

Homicide investigation launched after MIT professor fatally shot at home

Police are seeking a suspect who murdered Nuno Loureiro, the director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Centre.

Taiwan government accused of trying to ‘bypass legislature’ amid bitter row

A dispute over how funds are allocated has triggered a stand-off in which both sides accused the other of undermining the constitution.

Miss Finland ‘racism’ scandal is damaging country, PM says

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo weighs in as Finnish politicians mimic a racist gesture in solidarity with stripped beauty queen.

‘Invest in people’: how a new slogan signals a pivot in China’s economic policy

Beijing is expected to strengthen investment in welfare, pensions, education and other public services to unleash domestic demand, analysts say.

Nepal rolls out delayed tourist tracking system to keep tabs on foreign visitors

Starting next year, hotels and travel companies must begin automatically reporting visitor locations to a central government database.

China’s research paper boom could be a ‘false prosperity’, academician warns

Senior biologist Zhang Hong, a member of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences, fears genuine innovation may be at risk.

Alleged Bondi shooter Naveed Akram charged with terrorism, murder

Akram, who regained consciousness after being in a coma, also faces multiple charges related to other offences.

Open court, detailed ruling in Lai trial ‘prove Hong Kong rule of law strong’

Lawyers urge members of public to study the court’s judgment before drawing conclusions after Western countries hit out at Lai verdict.

China Vanke unveils proposal to extend US$366 million bond after 3 failed bids

Bondholders will vote on the revised plan from Thursday to Monday, and it requires over 90 per cent of the total voting rights to take effect.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | End of the road for Hong Kong’s democracy movement? There’s still hope

Editorial | Align with national goals, Xi urges Hong Kong with pat on back for Lee

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | As Greater Bay Area shifts to carbon-free trade, Hong Kong must catch on

Editorial | World must heed UN’s appeal for aid funding to ease suffering of millions

Opinion | As Doha Forum made clear, Europe is losing its seat at the table

Why the Philippine Army is turning to locally built remote weapons systems

Policy body urges China to confront economic challenges, confident of recovery

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Sydney mourns Bondi victims, as shooter emerges from coma

Fifa overturns three Malaysia matches amid player eligibility scandal

OpenAI in talks to raise US$10 billion from Amazon and adopt Trainium chips

Gallery | Sydney crowds mourn victims of Bondi Beach mass shooting

After The War | Virtual reality and the Nanking massacre: where does historical immersion become trauma?

Amid push in China for museum digitalisation, one educator seeks to help students ‘feel history without being flooded by it’.

After The War | How the post-WWII order was formed and why China wants to reshape it

After The War | Chinese scholars slam Western ‘historical nihilism’ on World War II

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.

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’.

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo on Taiwan reunification, lessons from the Ukraine war

Commentator and former senior colonel on Beijing’s row with Japan, lessons from the Ukraine war and why playing global policeman is a trap.

Open Questions | ‘A mistaken view’: US economist Nicholas Lardy on the ‘peak China’ hypothesis

The veteran China watcher talks Beijing’s need for financial reform and how US-China economic convergence could still be on the horizon.

China’s DeepSeek challenges Google DeepMind with new AI model

DeepSeek’s V3.2-Speciale equals Google’s Gemini 3 Pro in reasoning capabilities, the Chinese start-up says.

MetaX stock soars 700% in Shanghai debut as traders snap up Chinese GPU maker

MetaX closes at 829.90 yuan on Wednesday, from its IPO price of 104.66 yuan, after gaining as much as 755 per cent in intraday trading.

China’s new drug insurance: lifeline for patients or squeeze on big firms?

New insurance formulary trims costs of Alzheimer’s and cancer therapies and marks a small win for global novel drug makers.

AMD chief Lisa Su visits Lenovo in Beijing as US hints at easing chip curbs

Su’s visit to China – including a whistle-stop at Lenovo’s headquarters – comes as Washington signals a shift on export restrictions.

Why ‘relative stability’ in US-China ties is unlikely to last

The temperature has lowered after a downward spiral since Trump’s return to the White House, but relations may face ‘strong headwinds’ again.

Why has reference to Taiwan attending Rimpac been removed from US defence bill?

Senators’ bid to ‘strongly encourage’ invitation is removed from compromise bill, raising questions in Taipei.

Sea change: China narrows AI gap with US 3 years after ChatGPT shock

The turning point came when DeepSeek released its V3 and R1 models, which were on par with OpenAI’s GPT and Meta’s Llama models at the time.

US green tech retreat echoes mistake of China’s Qing dynasty before collapse

While Washington pulls back on climate, Beijing is making it possible for developing nations to leapfrog into a cleaner energy era.

The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

Opinion | End of the road for Hong Kong’s democracy movement? There’s still hope

Letters | As Greater Bay Area shifts to carbon-free trade, Hong Kong must catch on

Video | Sydney mourns Bondi victims, as shooter emerges from coma