Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Inside the Chinese town you’ve never heard of that shapes the modern world

From car components to keyboards, this little-known industrial district in eastern China is crafting the small parts the world relies on.

20 minutes agovideocam

Explaining China’s supply chain security rules

China exports

Science & Technology

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’: Lutnick tells lawmakers

US commerce chief says export curbs remain under review as Washington weighs tech controls against broader ties with Beijing.

47 minutes agovideocam

Diplomacy

US visa system ‘rolls out red carpet’ for Chinese spies, hearing told

US senators pointed to legal channels, including work visas and university research, as potential pathways for China-linked espionage.

9 minutes agovideocam

Law and Crime

Tough penalties planned to stop unapproved fire system shutdowns in Hong Kong

Security Bureau plans to propose legal amendments to improve oversight following deadly Tai Po fire last November.

4 hours ago

Diplomacy

Observers say pressure on Trump will rise as the war continues, and Beijing’s leverage in any talks with the US will also grow. Photo: EPA

As Iran talks go nowhere, will Donald Trump still go to Beijing?

Military

Warning over Taiwan? PLA warships make rare transits off southwest Japan

‘Rare passage is a direct deterrent’ to the Japanese military bases along the coast, former PLA instructor says.

22 Apr 2026 - 9:07PM

The PLA’s Type 052DL upgraded guided-missile destroyer Baotou, which led the 133rd task force in western Pacific exercises this week. Photo: Handout

United States & Canada

Trump’s top Navy official out, with US still locked in war with Iran

Navy Secretary John Phelan will leave office ‘immediately’, soon after the sudden exit of the top US Army general and other senior officers.

25 minutes agovideocam

China Economy

‘Bigger winners’: why China’s battery firms stand to gain from the Iran war

Manufacturers are expected to see stronger overseas orders even as price wars hurt profits at home.

22 Apr 2026 - 10:00PM

Business

How Hong Kong’s role as innovation hub helps healthcare and biotech firms

Government initiative OASES supports GSK and Tigermed as they expand clinical trials and collaboration in mainland China and beyond.

In partnership with:

OASES

Hong Kong has introduced a range of measures to nurture biotechnology start-ups and attract more clinical research projects as part of its plan to become a global health and medical innovation hub. Photo: Shutterstock

United States & Canada

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

2 hours agovideocam

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP

Diplomacy

Washington’s ‘psyop’ propaganda push could backfire, analysts say

Amid slipping global approval, the US is risking its credibility by turning to tactics it once condemned.

22 Apr 2026 - 9:00PM

Tech

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

22 Apr 2026 - 11:20PM

United States & Canada

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

The plan is an attempt to mend ties with Italian PM Meloni, after she and Trump fell out over his attacks against Pope Leo.

37 minutes ago

US President Donald Trump greets Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2025. Photo: AP

Middle East

Iran fires on 3 ships in Strait of Hormuz after Trump extends ceasefire

Iran state TV says two ships were attacked by the Revolutionary Guard and are in Iranian custody.

22 Apr 2026 - 11:15PMvideocam

Commuters drive past a giant billboard referring to the Strait of Hormuz along a busy street in Tehran on Wednesday. Photo: WANA via Reuters

Politics

‘Vindication’: ICC chamber rules case against Rodrigo Duterte to proceed

Duterte’s lawyers argue that the crimes against humanity case targeting him should not proceed as the Philippines is not an ICC member.

23 Apr 2026 - 12:04AMvideocam

Law and Crime

Families seek review of coroner’s findings in Lamma ferry disaster inquest

Application for judicial review seeks to quash coroner’s findings that missing watertight door on ferry was a deliberate design choice.

5 hours agovideocam

China EVs

China’s low-cost EVs to be fitted with lidar systems, usually saved for lux cars

Intense competition, rapid tech advancement and falling costs allow the superior driving systems to be fitted into budget-price vehicles.

22 Apr 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

An exhibitor introduces a dynamic perception lidar which can be applied to self-driving systems and robots at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Centre, Beijing, on March 25, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

Trending in China

The Devil Wears Prada 2 slammed for offending China with nerdy ‘Chin Chou’ role

Sequel to hit Hollywood film accused of using ‘racist’ name reminiscent of xenophobic Western tropes of earlier times.

22 Apr 2026 - 7:21PM

The Devil Wears Prada 2 has been criticised for offending China by introducing a character named “Chin Chou”, which some say resembles the derogatory term “Ching Chong.” Photo: SCMP composite/IMDb/YouTube/IG@dip_magazine

Americas

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US fighter jet deal

Interim president Balcazar has put off buying the F-16s, saying he would leave it up to the country’s next leader to finalise the agreement.

4 hours ago

Europe

Second French peacekeeper dies in Lebanon after ambush blamed on Hezbollah

Anicet Girardin is the third French soldier to die since the start of the fighting in the Middle East.

22 Apr 2026 - 10:48PM

OPINION

Kun Tian

Opinion | What Hong Kong’s conservative stablecoin licence roll-out reveals

16 minutes ago

Wang Huiyao

Opinion | How China’s patient diplomacy can help secure peace in Iran

22 Apr 2026 - 8:30PM

Warwick Powell

Opinion | Iran crisis casts light on energy security from the US to Asia

22 Apr 2026 - 5:30PM

Jinghan (Michael) Zeng

Opinion | It’s time to unlock Hong Kong’s international relations potential

22 Apr 2026 - 10:34AM

Letters

Letters | Hong Kong can’t just build a monorail in Kai Tak and hope for the best

22 Apr 2026 - 11:30AM

Harry’s View | 23 Apr 2026

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Opinion | What Hong Kong’s conservative stablecoin licence roll-out reveals

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United States & Canada

Trump’s top Navy official out, with US still locked in war with Iran

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United States & Canada

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

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Inside the Chinese town you’ve never heard of that shapes the modern world

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Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’: Lutnick tells lawmakers

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How craft-focused brands are rewriting fashion’s future with traditional skills

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Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US fighter jet deal

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SCMP Series

US-Israel war on Iran

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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

Diplomacy

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

20 Apr 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

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

Key Industries:

China Business

China’s drug makers are speeding up – will AI be their secret weapon?

Chinese biotech firms are striking big global deals as drug makers, but could artificial intelligence take them to the next level?

18 Apr 2026 - 11:05AM

Tech

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

22 Apr 2026 - 11:20PM

China EVs

China’s low-cost EVs to be fitted with lidar systems, usually saved for lux cars

Intense competition, rapid tech advancement and falling costs allow the superior driving systems to be fitted into budget-price vehicles.

22 Apr 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Banking & Finance

Biotech-led boom as 8 China firms flock to Hong Kong’s thriving stock market

AI-powered drug developer Metis TechBio leads group that includes developers of autonomous driving technology and industrial robots.

22 Apr 2026 - 4:53PM

Healthcare led liquidity growth on the Hong Kong stock market over the past decade, with trading turnover for the sector surging more than 11-fold between 2015 and 2025. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Congressional resistance, war costs and industrial limits could constrain ambitions, even as Beijing expands its naval capacity.

22 Apr 2026 - 12:55AMvideocam

Politics

How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure

New rules take aim at sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could provide a high-stakes testing ground.

21 Apr 2026 - 6:46AM

Diplomacy

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

Many believed the transatlantic alliance could weather another term of Trump, but a year and a half on those hopes have largely faded.

19 Apr 2026 - 1:32AMvideocam

Sport

Rugby’s greatest weekend: 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens - an infographic

See the world’s top teams compete at Kai Tak Stadium on April 17-19 and celebrate 50 years of Hong Kong Sevens history, tries and triumphs.

16 Apr 2026 - 8:15PM

Rugby’s greatest weekend: 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens - an infographic

Inside the Chinese town you’ve never heard of that shapes the modern world

From car components to keyboards, this little-known industrial district in eastern China is crafting the small parts the world relies on.

Explaining China’s supply chain security rules

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’: Lutnick tells lawmakers

US commerce chief says export curbs remain under review as Washington weighs tech controls against broader ties with Beijing.

US visa system ‘rolls out red carpet’ for Chinese spies, hearing told

US senators pointed to legal channels, including work visas and university research, as potential pathways for China-linked espionage.

Tough penalties planned to stop unapproved fire system shutdowns in Hong Kong

Security Bureau plans to propose legal amendments to improve oversight following deadly Tai Po fire last November.

As Iran talks go nowhere, will Donald Trump still go to Beijing?

Warning over Taiwan? PLA warships make rare transits off southwest Japan

‘Rare passage is a direct deterrent’ to the Japanese military bases along the coast, former PLA instructor says.

Trump’s top Navy official out, with US still locked in war with Iran

Navy Secretary John Phelan will leave office ‘immediately’, soon after the sudden exit of the top US Army general and other senior officers.

‘Bigger winners’: why China’s battery firms stand to gain from the Iran war

Manufacturers are expected to see stronger overseas orders even as price wars hurt profits at home.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}How Hong Kong’s role as innovation hub helps healthcare and biotech firms

Government initiative OASES supports GSK and Tigermed as they expand clinical trials and collaboration in mainland China and beyond.

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

Washington’s ‘psyop’ propaganda push could backfire, analysts say

Amid slipping global approval, the US is risking its credibility by turning to tactics it once condemned.

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

The plan is an attempt to mend ties with Italian PM Meloni, after she and Trump fell out over his attacks against Pope Leo.

Iran fires on 3 ships in Strait of Hormuz after Trump extends ceasefire

Iran state TV says two ships were attacked by the Revolutionary Guard and are in Iranian custody.

‘Vindication’: ICC chamber rules case against Rodrigo Duterte to proceed

Duterte’s lawyers argue that the crimes against humanity case targeting him should not proceed as the Philippines is not an ICC member.

Families seek review of coroner’s findings in Lamma ferry disaster inquest

Application for judicial review seeks to quash coroner’s findings that missing watertight door on ferry was a deliberate design choice.

China’s low-cost EVs to be fitted with lidar systems, usually saved for lux cars

Intense competition, rapid tech advancement and falling costs allow the superior driving systems to be fitted into budget-price vehicles.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 slammed for offending China with nerdy ‘Chin Chou’ role

Sequel to hit Hollywood film accused of using ‘racist’ name reminiscent of xenophobic Western tropes of earlier times.

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US fighter jet deal

Interim president Balcazar has put off buying the F-16s, saying he would leave it up to the country’s next leader to finalise the agreement.

Second French peacekeeper dies in Lebanon after ambush blamed on Hezbollah

Anicet Girardin is the third French soldier to die since the start of the fighting in the Middle East.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | What Hong Kong’s conservative stablecoin licence roll-out reveals

Opinion | How China’s patient diplomacy can help secure peace in Iran

Opinion | Iran crisis casts light on energy security from the US to Asia

Opinion | It’s time to unlock Hong Kong’s international relations potential

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Hong Kong can’t just build a monorail in Kai Tak and hope for the best

Editorial | New curriculum guide will bolster national identity in Hong Kong

US visa system ‘rolls out red carpet’ for Chinese spies, hearing told

Opinion | What Hong Kong’s conservative stablecoin licence roll-out reveals

Trump’s top Navy official out, with US still locked in war with Iran

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

Inside the Chinese town you’ve never heard of that shapes the modern world

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’: Lutnick tells lawmakers

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

How craft-focused brands are rewriting fashion’s future with traditional skills

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US fighter jet deal

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 | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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.

China’s drug makers are speeding up – will AI be their secret weapon?

Chinese biotech firms are striking big global deals as drug makers, but could artificial intelligence take them to the next level?

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

China’s low-cost EVs to be fitted with lidar systems, usually saved for lux cars

Intense competition, rapid tech advancement and falling costs allow the superior driving systems to be fitted into budget-price vehicles.

Biotech-led boom as 8 China firms flock to Hong Kong’s thriving stock market

AI-powered drug developer Metis TechBio leads group that includes developers of autonomous driving technology and industrial robots.

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Congressional resistance, war costs and industrial limits could constrain ambitions, even as Beijing expands its naval capacity.

How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure

New rules take aim at sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could provide a high-stakes testing ground.

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

How Hong Kong’s role as innovation hub helps healthcare and biotech firms

Opinion | What Hong Kong’s conservative stablecoin licence roll-out reveals

Letters | Hong Kong can’t just build a monorail in Kai Tak and hope for the best