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Chinese entrepreneurs are showing greater interest in applying for overseas residency and citizenship as China’s firms accelerate their global expansion. Photo: Shutterstock

As China’s companies expand overseas, entrepreneurs want the passports to match

Local residency is becoming an essential asset for China’s business owners as they go abroad, granting benefits and networking opportunities.

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Why are rich Chinese moving private jets offshore, slumming it in budget seats?

China exports
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Science

China applies to put up 200,000 satellites after calling Starlink a crash risk

US Federal Communications Commission says it approved SpaceX to launch 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites.

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Military

China set to supercharge radar, engine and AI in fifth-gen J-20 stealth fighter

Analyst tells state media Mighty Dragon’s airborne weapons are expected to have a longer range and stronger anti-interference capabilities.

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Law and Crime

Jimmy Lai trial: Hong Kong judges hear mitigation arguments from defence

About 150 people queue for the high-profile national security case amid tightened police presence outside West Kowloon Court.

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Open Questions
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

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

Americas

Cuba defiant after Trump threat to cut off ‘oil and money’ lifeline

Cuban president says island is prepared to ‘defend homeland to last drop of blood’ as Trump ramps up pressure after action in Venezuela.

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Cubans rally in Havana on January 3 in solidarity with Venezuela after the US captured President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country. Photo: AP
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United States & Canada

Trump-Powell conflict escalates with threat of criminal indictment

Jerome Powell calls legal threats against him pretexts to pressure the US Fed.

Politics

‘Gang of hooligans’: rebuke from North Korea signals icy ties with South

The unusually coarse language from Kim Jong-un’s sister shows that Pyongyang has no intention of reconciling with Seoul, experts say.

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.

China Business

Foreign, Hong Kong retailers shut mainland China stores amid fierce competition

High-profile store closures included those of Lane Crawford, Ikea, Triumph, Zara Home and Zara.

Lane Crawford plans to close its store in Chengdu after February 28. Photo: agirlaboutdesign.com

Big Tech

China’s AI unlikely to surpass US soon despite progress, researchers say

China’s top AI scientists warn of chip deficits and resource limits, though some predict breakthroughs within five years.

Politics

Exclusive | Philippine army colonel faces charges after anti-Marcos post goes viral

Audie Mongao will also undergo psychiatric tests after he sparked a political storm by withdrawing support for the president.

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SERIES: Year of the Horse 2026

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Monkeys, from love to health

In the Year of the Fire Horse, Monkeys should focus on travel and avoid places with heavy yin energy, fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha says.

The Year of the Horse 2026 will be a time for those born in the Year of the Monkey to expand networks abroad. But married Monkeys are at risk of feeling alienated from their spouse. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Middle East

Iran rights group reports many dead as government calls counter-protests

Iran’s president accuses arch-foes of trying to escalate unrest as Trump threatens US intervention.

A masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran on Friday. Photo: UGC via AP

Military

Could China execute special forces operation like US precision Maduro abduction?

The Pentagon sees China’s 20,000-30,000 special operation personnel as limited by logistics support and fragmented command structure.

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East Asia

Japan launches world’s first mission to lift rare earth from deep sea

Tokyo has been reducing its dependence on China for the critical minerals amid a major diplomatic dispute with Beijing.

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Diplomacy

China urges Tanzania to back multilateralism, will ‘stand together’ with Africa

Top diplomat Wang Yi also reaffirms support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (second from left) poses with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (second from right), Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo (right) and China’s ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian (left) at the State House in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. Photo: AFP / State House Tanzania

Science

China turns mega-project failure into defining moment in modern engineering

In rendezvous beneath the Yangtze River, a multimillion-dollar tunnel boring machine meets its stalled twin with just 2mm of vertical error.

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The 6.4km (4-mile) Jiangyin-Jingjiang Yangtze River Tunnel is a major infrastructure project in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Handout

Society

Exclusive | Hong Kong surveyor’s undeclared role prompts rule review after deadly Tai Po fire

Arrested surveyor’s undeclared link to Wang Fuk Court triggers move from the government to tighten potential conflict of interest rules.

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Society

31% of scam victims calling Hong Kong helpline had possible suicidal tendencies

Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre says its hotline service handled 3,983 debt-related cases in 2025.

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OPINION
Chow Chung-yan

Opinion | Forget Venezuela and Greenland – here is the real trillion-dollar question

Chow Chung-yan
Alice Wu

Opinion | Hong Kong courts cross-border drivers – then traps them in licence queues

Alice Wu
Kun Tian

Opinion | Hong Kong’s fertile ground for AI IPOs aligns with China’s tech strategy

Kun Tian
Alex Lo

My Take | The days of EU and Nato may be numbered under von der Leyen and Kallas

Alex Lo
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SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong must stay on its toes to keep queues for public services fair

SCMP Editorial
Harry’s View | 12 Jan 2026
January 12, 2026
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People

Next appointment, 2027: US visa squeeze hits India’s tech talent

East Asia

Japan launches world’s first mission to lift rare earth from deep sea

Business

Hong Kong stocks edge higher on tech and pharmaceutical gains

Big Tech

China’s AI unlikely to surpass US soon despite progress, researchers say

Politics

‘Gang of hooligans’: rebuke from North Korea signals icy ties with South

Transport

Over 1,000 apply as online slots for test-free Hong Kong driving licence go fast

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SCMP Series
Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy
Revisiting US-China relations
Year of the Horse 2026
China Inc. goes global
Illustration: Henry Wong
SCMP SeriesBeijing’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.

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

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

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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.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

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.

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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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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.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China Future Tech
China Future Tech
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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.

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

Big Tech

China’s AI unlikely to surpass US soon despite progress, researchers say

China’s top AI scientists warn of chip deficits and resource limits, though some predict breakthroughs within five years.

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.

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.

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Global humanoid robot shipments reached 13,318 units in 2025, led by Chinese manufacturers. Photo: Shutterstock

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.

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Illustration: Brian Wang

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.

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.

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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.

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Shanghai has unveiled a slew of new investments in hi-tech industries worth more than US$10 billion. Photo: AFP
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