Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

War distractions and limited goals risk turning Beijing talks into optics over substance, as expectations shrink and planning falters.

2 hours agovideocam

Trump-Xi summit: US trade chief casts doubt on pre-meeting Beijing visit

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Diplomacy

Israel-Lebanon talks a rare historic moment amid hopes of conflict resolution

Trump urges dismantling Hezbollah as Washington navigates strains on Iran ceasefire and wider regional tensions.

2 hours agovideocam

China

Brazil to US and China: want our rare earths? Process them here

Move comes as Washington locks US$565 million deal with Brazil’s only operating rare earth mine.

2 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

Xi’s meeting with Abu Dhabi crown prince highlights Gulf turn towards China

Analysts said the trip was a sign that the UAE was seeking ‘more reliable partners’ in the wake of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

5 hours agovideocam

Science

Chinese researchers say a small-scale quantum system can outperform large AI data centres at less than 1 per cent of the cost. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Chinese team shows quantum tech can disrupt AI in a real-world task

Big Tech

China’s AI world model edge: abundant data and faster deployment, executive says

China’s strong industrial base, abundance of factory data give its world models a decisive push, says executive from leading start-up GigaAI.

14 Apr 2026 - 8:00PM

GigaAI, a company specialising in embodied intelligent models, has secured another round of financing. Photo: Handout

China Business

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

14 Apr 2026 - 9:02PM

Society

Discovery Bay developer eyes longer taxi trial amid safety fears

Islands District Council’s Traffic and Transport Committee holds meeting on proposals by Hong Kong Resort Company in presence of more than 20 residents.

4 hours ago

Business

SMEs leverage Standard Chartered’s global network and expertise to achieve growth

Bank’s financial services and partnership with consultancy Altios help Singapore-headquartered company TFE expand into India.

In partnership with:

Standard Chartered

Economics

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

14 Apr 2026 - 6:09PM

A liquefied natural gas tanker is seen at a port in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, on April 8. Photo: AFP

United States & Canada

Trump’s son Eric to join father’s state visit to China

The move could raise concerns in Washington, given that the US president’s personal wealth and business dealings are managed ‌by his family.

2 hours ago

Diplomacy

Xi calls on Spain to jointly resist ‘law of the jungle’ in a turbulent world

Chinese leader meets visiting Spanish PM who is in Beijing looking to strengthen bilateral ties amid tensions with US.

14 Apr 2026 - 7:32PMvideocam

Europe

Germany jails Chinese student in Pelicot-like rape case

Zhongyi J. repeatedly drugged, assaulted and filmed his girlfriend, sometimes sedating her so heavily that she stopped breathing.

2 hours ago

A protester at a rally against sexual violence in Hanover, Germany, in March holds a sign with the Gisele Pelicot quote “shame must change sides”. Photo: dpa

Diplomacy

Exclusive | EU to cut funding for Chinese inverters amid change of tack towards Beijing

Without fanfare, Brussels will stop funding for projects that use the Chinese-made devices as part of a ‘do more, say less’ strategy.

14 Apr 2026 - 6:54PMvideocam

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Photo: Reuters

Economics

Nepal’s trekking trade looks east as Iran war disrupts Western tourist flow

Flight disruptions through Gulf hubs have cut Western arrivals, prompting tourism operators to chase travellers from Asia-Pacific markets.

14 Apr 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Europe

Trump turns on Italy’s Meloni, says he is ‘shocked’ by her

Meloni had been a supporter of Trump, but has criticised his decision to go to war with Iran and denounced his weekend ‌criticism of Pope Leo.

2 hours ago

Diplomacy

China hits out at ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ US blockade of Iran’s ports

Beijing says American move will ‘inflame tensions, escalate the situation and undermine an already fragile ceasefire’.

14 Apr 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

A cargo ship is pictured off the UAE city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz, in February. The US has begun a naval blockade of all Iranian ports after talks with Tehran collapsed. Photo: AFP

Europe

Men with higher IQs are less conservative, study finds

Those of average ability tend to support values associated with tradition and strict social order, German researchers say.

1 hour ago

Study participants placed themselves politically on a left-to-right scale and completed a detailed questionnaire on political orientation. Image: Shutterstock

Europe

Stunned Frenchman wins US$1 million Picasso with US$117 raffle ticket

Sales engineer Ari Hodara wondered if it was a hoax when he got a call after the draw at Christie’s auction house in Paris.

11 minutes ago

Society

New York’s Met to debut glittering global jewellery exhibition in Hong Kong

From golden headdresses to diamond brooches, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will showcase some 200 pieces spanning 4,000 years and five continents.

14 Apr 2026 - 7:03PM

OPINION

Asad Ullah

Opinion | You’re not asking the right question about the Iran war

14 Apr 2026 - 9:24PM

Jianlu Bi

Opinion | The strategic logic of Xi’s historic meeting with Taiwan’s Cheng Li-wun

14 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

Francis Neoton Cheung

Opinion | 4 identities Hong Kong must embrace to provide global leadership

14 Apr 2026 - 5:39PM

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Path to rehabilitation of those arrested in 2019 unrest is welcome

14 Apr 2026 - 6:45AM

Letters

Letters | An AI twister is brewing on the legal horizon

14 Apr 2026 - 11:30AM

Harry’s View | 15 Apr 2026

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Stunned Frenchman wins US$1 million Picasso with US$117 raffle ticket

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Icons & Influencers

Designer Filippo Sorcinelli on dressing the last three popes – interview

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Europe

Men with higher IQs are less conservative, study finds

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United States & Canada

Trump’s son Eric to join father’s state visit to China

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China

Brazil to US and China: want our rare earths? Process them here

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Europe

Germany jails Chinese student in Pelicot-like rape case

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Diplomacy

Israel-Lebanon talks a rare historic moment amid hopes of conflict resolution

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Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

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Trump turns on Italy’s Meloni, says he is ‘shocked’ by her

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Hong Kong landlords face HK$17,000 inspection bill over ignored water seepage

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SCMP Series US-Israel war on Iran

Iran war: is the US shifting away from its strategy of precision strikes?

As the conflict has intensified, more energy and civilian sites have been targeted in what is seen as a broader approach.

9 Apr 2026 - 9:26AMvideocam

What is the war on Iran teaching China about the United States’ resilience?

8 Apr 2026 - 11:10AMvideocam

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

7 Apr 2026 - 2:20AMvideocam

Open Questions series

Science

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

13 Apr 2026 - 8:15AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

6 Apr 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

30 Mar 2026 - 10:03AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Dialogue | Gary Liu and Liu Xiaochun on the US and China’s divergent paths for stablecoins

As investors await Hong Kong’s first stablecoin licences, two experts discuss the assets’ integration with the city’s economy – and the world’s.

25 Mar 2026 - 10:02AMvideocam

Key Industries:

Tech Trends

Chinese AI rivals clash over Anthropic’s OpenClaw exit amid global token crunch

Chinese companies are competing to offer the cheapest alternatives to premium US services from the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic.

6 Apr 2026 - 3:58PM

A lobster-shaped cutout representing OpenClaw stands outside the Baidu offices in Beijing, March 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Tech Trends

Why Sigenergy’s IPO ignited market frenzy with oversubscription of 1,000 times

Sigenergy and Guoxia are gaining traction as investors eye a major shift to AI in the renewable energy storage sector.

6 hours ago

China Business

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

14 Apr 2026 - 9:02PM

Big Tech

China’s AI world model edge: abundant data and faster deployment, executive says

China’s strong industrial base, abundance of factory data give its world models a decisive push, says executive from leading start-up GigaAI.

14 Apr 2026 - 8:00PM

Diplomacy

Why the US may need more than just fixing gaps to rival China on rare earths

Washington’s mining ambitions may be complicated by the erosion of industrial know-how and a weak education pipeline, experts say.

14 Apr 2026 - 8:55AMvideocam

China Economy

Vocational schools a new front as China backs businesses’ global expansion

Earlier programmes focused on infrastructure, but new wave is shaped by demand in e-commerce, digital services and advanced manufacturing.

11 Apr 2026 - 6:06AM

Military

The US could be moving away from precision strikes in the Iran war. Here’s why

As the conflict has intensified, more energy and civilian sites have been targeted in what is seen as a broader approach.

9 Apr 2026 - 9:26AMvideocam

Politics

What next for the struggling rural mothers in China who helped to build AI?

Data-labelling workshops once hailed as a solution in the country’s poverty alleviation campaign face a painful reckoning.

5 Apr 2026 - 6:10AMvideocam

Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

War distractions and limited goals risk turning Beijing talks into optics over substance, as expectations shrink and planning falters.

Trump-Xi summit: US trade chief casts doubt on pre-meeting Beijing visit

Israel-Lebanon talks a rare historic moment amid hopes of conflict resolution

Trump urges dismantling Hezbollah as Washington navigates strains on Iran ceasefire and wider regional tensions.

Brazil to US and China: want our rare earths? Process them here

Move comes as Washington locks US$565 million deal with Brazil’s only operating rare earth mine.

Xi’s meeting with Abu Dhabi crown prince highlights Gulf turn towards China

Analysts said the trip was a sign that the UAE was seeking ‘more reliable partners’ in the wake of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Chinese team shows quantum tech can disrupt AI in a real-world task

China’s AI world model edge: abundant data and faster deployment, executive says

China’s strong industrial base, abundance of factory data give its world models a decisive push, says executive from leading start-up GigaAI.

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

Discovery Bay developer eyes longer taxi trial amid safety fears

Islands District Council’s Traffic and Transport Committee holds meeting on proposals by Hong Kong Resort Company in presence of more than 20 residents.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}SMEs leverage Standard Chartered’s global network and expertise to achieve growth

Bank’s financial services and partnership with consultancy Altios help Singapore-headquartered company TFE expand into India.

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

Trump’s son Eric to join father’s state visit to China

The move could raise concerns in Washington, given that the US president’s personal wealth and business dealings are managed ‌by his family.

Xi calls on Spain to jointly resist ‘law of the jungle’ in a turbulent world

Chinese leader meets visiting Spanish PM who is in Beijing looking to strengthen bilateral ties amid tensions with US.

Germany jails Chinese student in Pelicot-like rape case

Zhongyi J. repeatedly drugged, assaulted and filmed his girlfriend, sometimes sedating her so heavily that she stopped breathing.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | EU to cut funding for Chinese inverters amid change of tack towards Beijing

Without fanfare, Brussels will stop funding for projects that use the Chinese-made devices as part of a ‘do more, say less’ strategy.

Nepal’s trekking trade looks east as Iran war disrupts Western tourist flow

Flight disruptions through Gulf hubs have cut Western arrivals, prompting tourism operators to chase travellers from Asia-Pacific markets.

Trump turns on Italy’s Meloni, says he is ‘shocked’ by her

Meloni had been a supporter of Trump, but has criticised his decision to go to war with Iran and denounced his weekend ‌criticism of Pope Leo.

China hits out at ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ US blockade of Iran’s ports

Beijing says American move will ‘inflame tensions, escalate the situation and undermine an already fragile ceasefire’.

Men with higher IQs are less conservative, study finds

Those of average ability tend to support values associated with tradition and strict social order, German researchers say.

Stunned Frenchman wins US$1 million Picasso with US$117 raffle ticket

Sales engineer Ari Hodara wondered if it was a hoax when he got a call after the draw at Christie’s auction house in Paris.

New York’s Met to debut glittering global jewellery exhibition in Hong Kong

From golden headdresses to diamond brooches, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will showcase some 200 pieces spanning 4,000 years and five continents.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | You’re not asking the right question about the Iran war

Opinion | The strategic logic of Xi’s historic meeting with Taiwan’s Cheng Li-wun

Opinion | 4 identities Hong Kong must embrace to provide global leadership

Editorial | Path to rehabilitation of those arrested in 2019 unrest is welcome

Letters | An AI twister is brewing on the legal horizon

Stunned Frenchman wins US$1 million Picasso with US$117 raffle ticket

Designer Filippo Sorcinelli on dressing the last three popes – interview

Men with higher IQs are less conservative, study finds

Trump’s son Eric to join father’s state visit to China

Brazil to US and China: want our rare earths? Process them here

Germany jails Chinese student in Pelicot-like rape case

Israel-Lebanon talks a rare historic moment amid hopes of conflict resolution

Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

Trump turns on Italy’s Meloni, says he is ‘shocked’ by her

Hong Kong landlords face HK$17,000 inspection bill over ignored water seepage

Iran war: is the US shifting away from its strategy of precision strikes?

As the conflict has intensified, more energy and civilian sites have been targeted in what is seen as a broader approach.

What is the war on Iran teaching China about the United States’ resilience?

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

Open Dialogue | Gary Liu and Liu Xiaochun on the US and China’s divergent paths for stablecoins

As investors await Hong Kong’s first stablecoin licences, two experts discuss the assets’ integration with the city’s economy – and the world’s.

Chinese AI rivals clash over Anthropic’s OpenClaw exit amid global token crunch

Chinese companies are competing to offer the cheapest alternatives to premium US services from the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic.

Why Sigenergy’s IPO ignited market frenzy with oversubscription of 1,000 times

Sigenergy and Guoxia are gaining traction as investors eye a major shift to AI in the renewable energy storage sector.

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

China’s AI world model edge: abundant data and faster deployment, executive says

China’s strong industrial base, abundance of factory data give its world models a decisive push, says executive from leading start-up GigaAI.

Why the US may need more than just fixing gaps to rival China on rare earths

Washington’s mining ambitions may be complicated by the erosion of industrial know-how and a weak education pipeline, experts say.

Vocational schools a new front as China backs businesses’ global expansion

Earlier programmes focused on infrastructure, but new wave is shaped by demand in e-commerce, digital services and advanced manufacturing.

The US could be moving away from precision strikes in the Iran war. Here’s why

SMEs leverage Standard Chartered’s global network and expertise to achieve growth

Exclusive | EU to cut funding for Chinese inverters amid change of tack towards Beijing

Opinion | You’re not asking the right question about the Iran war