Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Cargo containers and ships at a port in Qingdao, Shandong province, on March 3. Photo: AFP

Developing | Trade boom: China’s exports surge 21.8% in first 2 months of year

Despite an 11 per cent drop in US exports, China’s trade soared, buoyed by robust demand from Asean, the EU and other markets.

42 minutes ago

How China is using its economic clout to give the US dollar a run for its money

China exports

Politics

Could foreign judges give China’s legal system the expertise to go global?

The country’s arbitration bodies are not plugged into the international system, a former justice official says.

2 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

Trump and Putin discuss ‘quick’ ending to Iran war

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards says it ‘will determine the end of the war’, rejecting remarks by Trump.

35 minutes agovideocam

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong tipped to be world’s top financial hub amid global yuan expansion plan

National People’s Congress deputy Li Yinquan says Hong Kong to gain substantially from Beijing’s push to internationalise yuan’s reach.

4 hours ago

Focus

Why China’s cadres must master rare earths as economic security becomes a KPI

China Economy

What 2 new laws at ‘two sessions’ mean for China’s financial superpower push

Two new laws may prove wide-ranging, spanning yuan’s global status to green finance and turning ambition into codified rules, analyst says.

2 hours agovideocam

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, speaks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. Photo: AP

China Economy

China-US trade relations may reach a ‘tactical truce’, as 2 superpowers talk

Foreign companies in China quietly confident on US ties, but are bracing for ongoing geopolitical tensions.

6 hours agovideocam

Economics

‘Ghost projects’ push Philippines to record US$26.5 billion budget deficit

A widening deficit and falling revenue are ‘direct, quantifiable effects’ of an investigation into the flood-control scandal, economists say.

16 minutes agovideocam

Business

How Standard Chartered’s SME Banking helps Hong Kong arts and crafts design firm’s growth

Deepa Jivan, CEO of J.Gordhan & Co, says bank’s tailored financial solutions and expertise give it the agility to navigate global marketplace.

In partnership with:

Standard Chartered

Deepa Jivan is the founder and CEO of Hong Kong-based arts and crafts products company J.Gordhan & Co.

Society

Hong Kong couple’s HK$50,000 exit from Dubai after ‘biggest blunder’

Like many other travellers, construction consultant Yen Kwok and her husband were stranded in the Middle East when war started.

5 hours agovideocam

The couple said they were worried about going outside while in Dubai. Photo: AP

Economics

South Korea pulls rare move in bid to shield residents from Iran oil shock

As a nation that imports nearly every drop of oil it consumes, South Korea is hitting the panic button to shield citizens from rising prices.

2 hours agovideocam

Politics

China eyes cross-border corruption law. Will it blunt the ‘long arm’ of the US?

Beijing to pass law aimed at preventing corruption by Chinese companies operating overseas after courts recover billions in illegal gains.

9 Mar 2026 - 9:30PMvideocam

Politics

Exclusive | Trump’s China visit confined to Beijing due to schedule, security needs: sources

‘Given the situation [in the Middle East], the visit’s security arrangements must be extremely careful’.

9 Mar 2026 - 8:02PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet at the Forbidden City in Beijing on November 8, 2017, the last time Trump – or any US president – visited China. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

US to counter China’s critical minerals dominance with innovative upgrades

New improvements in recycling electronic waste, refining and processing can close the gap on China, says Department of Energy official.

6 hours agovideocam

Critical minerals have become a point of contention in the US-China relationship, with Beijing dominating the sector. Photo: Reuters

Science

China can’t buy Elon Musk’s theory on space-based AI centres: experts

Beijing urged to focus on installing computing system in orbit to analyse data from satellites making information gathering more effective.

10 Mar 2026 - 1:12AMvideocam

China Business

China investors energise Hong Kong biotech stocks. Is foreign money missing out?

Stock Connect reshuffle reflects biotech sector’s growing role on international stage, though overseas funds remain cautious.

5 hours ago

Middle East

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘on hold’ as Iran war halts disarmament talks

The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative.

46 minutes agovideocam

Palestinians walk past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the two-year Israeli offensive, in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters

Trending in China

China ‘996’ culture goes back 2,200 years; work-life balance struggle is not new

From prison terms to the lash, punishments for laziness at work were harsh centuries ago when emperors and farmhands faced similar pressures.

3 hours ago

China’s so-called “996” work culture imposes immense stress, a trend rooted in history that Chinese people have long struggled with. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Baidu

Politics

Hong Kong Legco to explore mainland-style oversight system for bills enforcement

Legco president Starry Lee’s proposal follows Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang’s call for city’s legislature to deliver more ‘practical outcomes’.

5 hours ago

United States & Canada

Wealth, drugs and rape: US luxury real estate stars convicted of sex trafficking

Once the kings of high-stakes property, Alexander twins Oren and Alon and brother Tal face life in prison after a trial exposed a pattern of drugged assaults.

2 hours ago

OPINION

Letters

Letters | Iran war has underlined benefits of China’s ‘energy realism’ approach

49 minutes ago

Kun Tian

Opinion | Why China’s economic reset is a credibility test for Hong Kong

3 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | High-level US-China dialogue is good for global stability

5 hours ago

Matt Terrell

Opinion | Journalists must confront the real risks of AI: fabricated facts

5 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong must do more to unlock women’s full economic potential

6 hours ago

Harry’s View | 10 Mar 2026

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4 minutes ago

Travel & Leisure

5 top Instagram spots by Huizhou’s Highway 218 blending nature and architecture

8 minutes ago

Video | Australian hitmen guilty in Bali murder

Australian suspect Paea-I-Middlemore Tupou (R) and Australian suspect Mevlut Coskun (L) attend a hearing as part of a trial at a courtroom in Denpasar on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on December 1, 2025. The trial of three Australians accused of plotting the murder of a compatriot at a villa in Bali continues, with all facing the death penalty. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP)

02:10

19 minutes ago

Economics

‘Ghost projects’ push Philippines to record US$26.5 billion budget deficit

19 minutes ago

Diplomacy

Why China and South Africa have a US$17 billion gap on trade data

33 minutes ago

Transport

E-payments to attract more riders, cut fare disputes: Hong Kong taxi industry

46 minutes ago

Middle East

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘on hold’ as Iran war halts disarmament talks

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SCMP Series

‘Two sessions’: China’s economic agenda

China Inc. goes global

Challenges and pathways in the South China Sea

Year of the Horse 2026

Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy

Staff members dispense medicines at a pharmacy in Wuhan, in central China’s Hubei province, on February 27, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

SCMP Series ‘Two sessions’: China’s economic agenda

Healthcare investors keeping an eye on ‘two sessions’ for clarity on drug pricing

Healthcare and insurance sectors will see policy fine-tuning, ‘moral support’ rather than ‘groundbreaking news’ from Beijing, analysts say.

4 Mar 2026 - 9:05AM

Can China’s ‘two sessions’ find a strategy to fix the property rot?

4 Mar 2026 - 9:18AM

Investors lock onto NPC as markets seek policy lift amid AI jitters

3 Mar 2026 - 7:30AM

Open Questions series

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Strikes on Iran not the biggest threat to China’s belt and road goals: Pan Guang

Mainland academic assesses the risks to Chinese investment and diplomacy in the region and what it means for the other main players.

9 Mar 2026 - 10:02AMvideocam

Global Economy

Open Questions | Top shipbuilding voice Li Yanqing rebukes Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative

China’s national shipbuilding association official calls US port fees ‘absurd’ and politically motivated, while asserting China’s market lead is solid despite global fluctuations.

5 Mar 2026 - 5:24PM

Diplomacy

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

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

23 Feb 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

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.

5 Mar 2026 - 5:25PMvideocam

Key Industries:

Policy

China’s 5-year plan emphasises ‘orderly’ AI development amid market volatility

First announced in 2024, the AI Plus initiative includes a target of integrating AI into 90 per cent of China’s economy by 2030.

5 Mar 2026 - 11:57PMvideocam

People watch as robots perform a dance during Lunar New Year celebrations in Beijing on February 18. Photo: Reuters

China Business

China investors energise Hong Kong biotech stocks. Is foreign money missing out?

Stock Connect reshuffle reflects biotech sector’s growing role on international stage, though overseas funds remain cautious.

5 hours ago

Tech

China’s chip bosses endorse semiconductor push in next 5-year plan

Industry leaders say the draft blueprint underscores Beijing’s determination to reduce reliance on foreign technology.

5 hours ago

Big Tech

China’s chip industry seeks more state support for AI dominance

Scholars and entrepreneurs in semiconductor sector urge Beijing to regulate prices of AI computing power, leverage strategic raw materials and fund tech solutions for self-reliance.

9 Mar 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

A worker handles materials at a factory producing semiconductor chips for export in China’s Shandong province. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

As US universities retreat from China, who is filling the academic void?

Many elite Sino-American ventures have ended under the strain of geopolitics but other, more diverse, programmes are emerging.

8 Mar 2026 - 6:04AMvideocam

China Economy

China works to build slow, steady stock markets, rejecting norm of boom and bust

Beijing is emphasising gradual growth in its policies for capital markets, encouraging dividend payouts and drawing a contrast with the West.

7 Mar 2026 - 8:16AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Takeaways from Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s government work report

Li raises the curtain on the annual session of the National People’s Congress with a series of targets for the economy.

5 Mar 2026 - 4:18PMvideocam

Science

Why China’s anti-corruption push in academia is key to its science and tech aims

Ahead of country’s annual ‘two sessions’ meetings, scientists urge more institutionalised and effective mechanisms to curb abuses of power.

5 Mar 2026 - 6:50AMvideocam

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Developing | Trade boom: China’s exports surge 21.8% in first 2 months of year

Despite an 11 per cent drop in US exports, China’s trade soared, buoyed by robust demand from Asean, the EU and other markets.

How China is using its economic clout to give the US dollar a run for its money

Could foreign judges give China’s legal system the expertise to go global?

The country’s arbitration bodies are not plugged into the international system, a former justice official says.

Trump and Putin discuss ‘quick’ ending to Iran war

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards says it ‘will determine the end of the war’, rejecting remarks by Trump.

Hong Kong tipped to be world’s top financial hub amid global yuan expansion plan

National People’s Congress deputy Li Yinquan says Hong Kong to gain substantially from Beijing’s push to internationalise yuan’s reach.

Why China’s cadres must master rare earths as economic security becomes a KPI

What 2 new laws at ‘two sessions’ mean for China’s financial superpower push

Two new laws may prove wide-ranging, spanning yuan’s global status to green finance and turning ambition into codified rules, analyst says.

China-US trade relations may reach a ‘tactical truce’, as 2 superpowers talk

Foreign companies in China quietly confident on US ties, but are bracing for ongoing geopolitical tensions.

‘Ghost projects’ push Philippines to record US$26.5 billion budget deficit

A widening deficit and falling revenue are ‘direct, quantifiable effects’ of an investigation into the flood-control scandal, economists say.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}How Standard Chartered’s SME Banking helps Hong Kong arts and crafts design firm’s growth

Deepa Jivan, CEO of J.Gordhan & Co, says bank’s tailored financial solutions and expertise give it the agility to navigate global marketplace.

Hong Kong couple’s HK$50,000 exit from Dubai after ‘biggest blunder’

Like many other travellers, construction consultant Yen Kwok and her husband were stranded in the Middle East when war started.

South Korea pulls rare move in bid to shield residents from Iran oil shock

As a nation that imports nearly every drop of oil it consumes, South Korea is hitting the panic button to shield citizens from rising prices.

China eyes cross-border corruption law. Will it blunt the ‘long arm’ of the US?

Beijing to pass law aimed at preventing corruption by Chinese companies operating overseas after courts recover billions in illegal gains.

Exclusive | Trump’s China visit confined to Beijing due to schedule, security needs: sources

‘Given the situation [in the Middle East], the visit’s security arrangements must be extremely careful’.

US to counter China’s critical minerals dominance with innovative upgrades

New improvements in recycling electronic waste, refining and processing can close the gap on China, says Department of Energy official.

China can’t buy Elon Musk’s theory on space-based AI centres: experts

Beijing urged to focus on installing computing system in orbit to analyse data from satellites making information gathering more effective.

China investors energise Hong Kong biotech stocks. Is foreign money missing out?

Stock Connect reshuffle reflects biotech sector’s growing role on international stage, though overseas funds remain cautious.

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘on hold’ as Iran war halts disarmament talks

The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative.

China ‘996’ culture goes back 2,200 years; work-life balance struggle is not new

From prison terms to the lash, punishments for laziness at work were harsh centuries ago when emperors and farmhands faced similar pressures.

Hong Kong Legco to explore mainland-style oversight system for bills enforcement

Legco president Starry Lee’s proposal follows Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang’s call for city’s legislature to deliver more ‘practical outcomes’.

Wealth, drugs and rape: US luxury real estate stars convicted of sex trafficking

Once the kings of high-stakes property, Alexander twins Oren and Alon and brother Tal face life in prison after a trial exposed a pattern of drugged assaults.

Letters | Iran war has underlined benefits of China’s ‘energy realism’ approach

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Why China’s economic reset is a credibility test for Hong Kong

Editorial | High-level US-China dialogue is good for global stability

Opinion | Journalists must confront the real risks of AI: fabricated facts

Editorial | Hong Kong must do more to unlock women’s full economic potential

5 top Instagram spots by Huizhou’s Highway 218 blending nature and architecture

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Australian hitmen guilty in Bali murder

‘Ghost projects’ push Philippines to record US$26.5 billion budget deficit

Why China and South Africa have a US$17 billion gap on trade data

E-payments to attract more riders, cut fare disputes: Hong Kong taxi industry

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘on hold’ as Iran war halts disarmament talks

Healthcare investors keeping an eye on ‘two sessions’ for clarity on drug pricing

Healthcare and insurance sectors will see policy fine-tuning, ‘moral support’ rather than ‘groundbreaking news’ from Beijing, analysts say.

Can China’s ‘two sessions’ find a strategy to fix the property rot?

Investors lock onto NPC as markets seek policy lift amid AI jitters

Open Questions | Strikes on Iran not the biggest threat to China’s belt and road goals: Pan Guang

Mainland academic assesses the risks to Chinese investment and diplomacy in the region and what it means for the other main players.

Open Questions | Top shipbuilding voice Li Yanqing rebukes Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative

China’s national shipbuilding association official calls US port fees ‘absurd’ and politically motivated, while asserting China’s market lead is solid despite global fluctuations.

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

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

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.

China’s 5-year plan emphasises ‘orderly’ AI development amid market volatility

First announced in 2024, the AI Plus initiative includes a target of integrating AI into 90 per cent of China’s economy by 2030.

China investors energise Hong Kong biotech stocks. Is foreign money missing out?

Stock Connect reshuffle reflects biotech sector’s growing role on international stage, though overseas funds remain cautious.

China’s chip bosses endorse semiconductor push in next 5-year plan

Industry leaders say the draft blueprint underscores Beijing’s determination to reduce reliance on foreign technology.

China’s chip industry seeks more state support for AI dominance

Scholars and entrepreneurs in semiconductor sector urge Beijing to regulate prices of AI computing power, leverage strategic raw materials and fund tech solutions for self-reliance.

As US universities retreat from China, who is filling the academic void?

Many elite Sino-American ventures have ended under the strain of geopolitics but other, more diverse, programmes are emerging.

China works to build slow, steady stock markets, rejecting norm of boom and bust

Beijing is emphasising gradual growth in its policies for capital markets, encouraging dividend payouts and drawing a contrast with the West.

Takeaways from Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s government work report

Li raises the curtain on the annual session of the National People’s Congress with a series of targets for the economy.

Why China’s anti-corruption push in academia is key to its science and tech aims

Ahead of country’s annual ‘two sessions’ meetings, scientists urge more institutionalised and effective mechanisms to curb abuses of power.

Developing | Trade boom: China’s exports surge 21.8% in first 2 months of year

How Standard Chartered’s SME Banking helps Hong Kong arts and crafts design firm’s growth

Opinion | Why China’s economic reset is a credibility test for Hong Kong

Video | Australian hitmen guilty in Bali murder