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Taiwan’s proposed air defence system is expected to be centred around US-made Patriot missile systems, among others. Photo: AFP

Taiwan’s missile shield plan has ‘critical flaws’, mainland Chinese report says

Military magazine claims the island’s proposed air defence system would be unreliable against an attack by the PLA.

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PLA holds urban warfare drill as Taipei looks to boost ‘asymmetric capabilities’

Taiwan
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Military

Is China’s Fujian gearing up for a dual aircraft carrier exercise?

Satellite images indicate the vessel has docked with the Liaoning at a naval base in the country’s east.

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Politics

China warns India: ‘don’t even think about stealing our 6th Dalai Lama’

A symposium in Tawang prompts allegations of appropriation and attempts to legitimise territorial claims.

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Society

Worried residents demand halt to renovation plan after deadly Hong Kong fire

Residents of Fu Shin Estate, near fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, check renovation documents and find name of man arrested earlier.

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Diplomacy
Visitors take pictures of giant panda Xiao Xiao at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. Photo: EPA

Bearly any time left for Japan’s panda lovers? Row with China threatens to end loans

Science

Targeted jamming incident blinds GPS and BeiDou in east China’s Nanjing

Food delivery, drone control and ride-hailing apps paralysed during satellite navigation blackout in city of nearly 10 million.

A disruption to satellite navigation systems affected daily life and the local economy of Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu province, on Wednesday. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Society

Death toll in Hong Kong fire rises to 161 after new DNA match

‘DNA tests are still being carried out, and we do not rule out the possibility that the DNA of other deceased people may be identified,’ police commissioner says.

Economics

Mexico’s 50% tariff shock shuts Asia’s North American trade bypass

A tariff wall will soon separate protected partners like CPTPP members Singapore and Malaysia from exporters facing a shutout.

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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.

In partnership with:
Dida
Dida is collaborating with the tourism industry to respond to the challenges and opportunities that AI is bringing to the sector.

China Economy

China’s ‘black flying’ drone dilemma: when tech clashes with aviation safety

Videos posted online have shown drones climbing above 8,000 metres, dangerously close to passenger aircraft.

A drone flies over the Khumbu Icefall on the Nepali side of Mount Everest in April last year. Photo: Xinhua

Transport

Hong Kong’s MTR Corp gets green light to plan 7.5km South Island line extension

Transport chief Mable Chan describes the new project as the ‘future power line’ of Southern district.

China Business

Are Chinese biotechs what the doctor ordered as Big Pharma faces ‘patent cliff’?

US drug makers are racing to plug looming ‘patent cliff’ revenue gaps – and increasingly they are turning to China biotechs.

Science

US-based scientist Valery Fokin wins Vyzov Prize, beating fierce Chinese rivals

USC chemistry professor is awarded one of Russia’s top science honours, topping competition from 40 countries.

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Valery Fokin has been awarded the Vyzov Prize for his discovery of a “molecular snap” reaction that has become a widely used tool across scientific disciplines and has enabled the creation of DNA imaging technologies, diagnostic methods and clinical drugs. Photo: Vyzov Foundation

Society

‘No leniency’: Hong Kong minister vows tougher safety laws after Tai Po fire

Development chief Bernadette Linn says authorities must ‘thoroughly review the existing system with a heavy hand’.

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The catastrophic 43-hour blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which broke out on November 26, claimed at least 161 lives and left nearly 5,000 residents displaced. Photo: Sam Tsang

Tennis

Chinese tennis player Pang banned for 12 years, fined US$110,000 for match-fixing

Pang Renlong, who played ITF event in Hong Kong last year, admits to fixing five of his own matches, encouraging others to do same.

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Military

Will Taiwan’s decentralised military model raise more questions than it solves?

Defence ministry briefs lawmakers on ‘heightened risk’ of sudden strike designed to paralyse command and control systems at start of conflict.

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Australasia

Bondi shooter visited Philippine gun shop before attack: police

Police retrace Sydney shooters’ steps in Davao City as CCTV shows Sajid Akram at a gun shop, but officials deny ample time for extremist training.

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People add to a floral tribute outside Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Thursday. Photo: AP

Health & Environment

‘Medical pork’ row exposes political grip over Philippine health assistance

Doctors and health groups say the system allows politicians to influence who receives state medical aid, undermining universal care.

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Doctors and health groups in the Philippines said the “medical pork” system allows politicians to influence who receives state medical aid. Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

Rivals, rain and rising costs: Thailand’s tourism crown slips

As a border war with Cambodia flares and Malaysian tourism surges ahead, Thailand battles to save its holiday image.

Tech

ByteDance raises pay, boosts bonuses to retain staff amid AI talent war

The TikTok owner has announced higher bonuses, wider pay bands and faster equity payouts as it seeks to stay competitive in the global talent race.

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OPINION
Cliff Buddle

My Take | The Christmas spirit of generosity, peace and goodwill could not be needed more

Cliff Buddle
Anthony Rowley

Macroscope | Japan’s economic security push heralds rising protectionism in Asia

Anthony Rowley
Lisa Lim

Language Matters | Word of the Year 2025 choices reflect how virtual our reality has become

Lisa Lim
JC Punongbayan

Asian Angle | Greed and pork barrel politics fuel the Philippines’ fatal floods

JC Punongbayan
Alex Lo

Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West

Alex Lo
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Harry’s View | 20 Dec 2025
December 21, 2025
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Society

Worried residents demand halt to renovation plan after deadly Hong Kong fire

Opinion

My Take | The Christmas spirit of generosity, peace and goodwill could not be needed more

Southeast Asia

31 Malaysians repatriated from Myanmar job scam syndicate

Military

Taiwan’s missile shield plan has ‘critical flaws’, mainland Chinese report says

Health & Environment

Hong Kong teaching hospital investigates staff over viral ‘water fight’ video

Military

Is China’s Fujian gearing up for a dual aircraft carrier exercise?

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SCMP Series
WWII: 80 years on
China Inc. goes global
Chinese scientists return home
How China is telling its own story
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
SCMP SeriesWWII: 80 years on

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

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

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.

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Illustration: Davies Christian

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’.

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5

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.

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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.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China Future Tech
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Tech Trends

China’s open-source AI models rival US giants, making engagement urgent: report

The report calls on US actors to engage with Chinese firms as the AI landscape continues to evolve.

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Chinese AI developers are largely pursuing an open-source approach, releasing the weights of their models for end-users to freely deploy and modify. Photo: Shutterstock

China Economy

China’s ‘black flying’ drone dilemma: when tech clashes with aviation safety

Videos posted online have shown drones climbing above 8,000 metres, dangerously close to passenger aircraft.

Tech

ByteDance raises pay, boosts bonuses to retain staff amid AI talent war

The TikTok owner has announced higher bonuses, wider pay bands and faster equity payouts as it seeks to stay competitive in the global talent race.

China Business

Are Chinese biotechs what the doctor ordered as Big Pharma faces ‘patent cliff’?

US drug makers are racing to plug looming ‘patent cliff’ revenue gaps – and increasingly they are turning to China biotechs.

US drugmakers are increasingly looking to Chinese biotechs as an answer to the revenue gaps left by the looming ‘patent cliff’. Illustration by Henry Wong

Military

Why China’s rapid military build-up is ‘hardly the whole story’

The PLA has been moving fast to modernise its arsenal and warfare strategy, but it’s seen as ‘seriously deficient’ in some areas.

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Illustration: Henry Wong

China Economy

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

Businesses and officials faced a year of disruption – and in some cases, resilience – as tariffs and export controls roiled global markets.

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17

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.

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17

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.

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Some of the naval ships taking part in the 2024 Rimpac exercises, as seen from the Japanese JS Kunisaki. Photo: Reuters
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