Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who was president of Iceland from 1996 to 2016, said there was evidence that Russian and Chinese ships and aircraft were closer to the “American part of the Arctic”. Photo: Getty Images

Exclusive | Trump’s claim of Chinese, Russian ships near Greenland ‘not supported by facts’

Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the ex-president of Iceland, also says it’s ‘important not to use scaremongering to justify major policy changes’.

37 minutes agovideocam

Explainer | Trump says Greenland is ‘surrounded’ by Chinese ships. What’s the real story?

Arctic

China Business

China’s biotech boom sends price of lab monkeys for drug tests climbing

The cost of a single monkey exceeds the average annual salary in China and approaches a pandemic-era spike amid growth in drug licensing deals.

2 hours ago

China Economy

China and South Korea team up on a vexing issue: their fast-ageing populations

After years of tense relations, the two nations are finding common ground over their need to adapt to an era of ‘super-aged societies’.

5 hours ago

Society

Hong Kong marks start of Lunar New Year with surge of visitors

Visitor numbers hit 153,383 on first day of holiday, up by 10 per cent year on year, with more than 120,000 coming from mainland China.

2 hours ago

Infographic

All you need to know about the Year of the Horse

Tech

Colour matters: how AI is changing car premiums and services in China

Car colour, driving habits and location influence insurance premiums, according to a digital solutions provider using ByteDance’s AI model.

3 hours ago

Rush hour in Beijing. White vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident, according to data from a digital solutions provider. Photo: AFP

China EVs

CATL’s sodium-ion breakthrough, Tesla’s AI training centre: 7 EV reads

From China banning carmakers from selling below cost to Chinese brands’ dominance in Brazil, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

3 hours ago

Politics

‘Knowing your friend’: Japan to join US-Philippines drills for first time

Australia also joins the fray as the US and its allies shift away from simple bilateral deals towards tighter regional security networks.

2 hours ago

Business

The secret ingredient in your daily life: why Malaysian palm oil is used around the world

Found everywhere from food products to biofuel, this vegetable oil is preferred for its versatility, safety and sustainable production.

In partnership with:

MPOC

Palm oil is a versatile ingredient found in a wide range of everyday items, from ice cream and cake to lipstick and biofuel.

Military

English language instruction in Chinese military is outdated, unbalanced: report

Senior lecturers warn that troops are not being given the communication skills they need to operate on the international stage.

18 Feb 2026 - 10:56AMvideocam

The report said English language skills were important for UN peacekeeping missions. Photo: Simon Song

Diplomacy

Chinese missions in Vietnam, Singapore warn citizens to stay away from gambling

Consulate and embassy issue statements after two separate incidents in which Chinese men fell to their deaths, allegedly after gambling.

3 hours agovideocam

Companies

Sofa so bad: China’s home-furnishing sector hits a do-or-die stretch

Falling home prices and relentless price competition are forcing small decor firms into a battle for survival.

18 Feb 2026 - 10:00AM

Business

Budweiser and Heineken face polar opposite fates in China as punters stay home

Beer drinkers in China are veering away from bars and high-end restaurants, instead opting for cheaper stay-at-home options, analysts say.

18 Feb 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Heineken beers are becoming a popular choice for stay-at-home drinkers in China, according to the end of year sales results. China was one of the top three contributors to Heineken’s net profit in 2025. Photo: Reuters

China Economy

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan plunge 41% in January amid simmering tensions

Impact ripples through Japan’s retail sector, with falling duty-free sales at top department stores highlighting the pain for the industry.

2 hours agovideocam

Chinese tourists in kimonos seen at the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on November 15, 2025. Photo: AFP

Politics

Speaking Trump’s language: Iran frames nuclear deal as ‘trillion-dollar’ US win

Tehran is dangling access to its vast oil, gas and mineral reserves, but analysts warn that even this may fail to ‘move the needle’ in talks.

5 hours agovideocam

Society

‘Stay vigilant even in peace,’ rural leader says in Lunar New Year prophecy

Kenneth Lau also calls on city to embrace innovation after drawing ‘neutral’ No 22 fortune stick at Che Kung Temple.

3 hours ago

United States & Canada

US actor Shia LaBeouf arrested for battery after Mardi Gras brawl in New Orleans

The Hollywood star is accused of hitting one man with closed fists and punching another in the nose in the city’s French Quarter.

12 minutes ago

Shia LaBeouf arrives for the screening of “The Phoenician Scheme” in Cannes on May 18, 2025. Photo: Getty Images / AFP

SERIES: Year of the Horse 2026

When should you open your Lunar New Year red packets? The luckiest time, and why

It is considered rude to open lai see in front of the giver but don’t leave the red packets unopened for more than a couple of months.

18 Feb 2026 - 8:15AMvideocam

Giving red packets (also called lai see or hong bao) is a Lunar New Year tradition, but when should you open them? Photo: Getty Images

Americas

‘This is great’: first-ever Antarctic sleeper shark filmed in frigid waters

Filmed at 490-metre depth, the sighting challenges beliefs about shark habitats in the Southern Ocean.

4 hours ago

Blockchain

‘Sentiment is bleak’: bitcoin declines amid geopolitical tensions

Bitcoin prices drop as much as 3.2 per cent to US$66,604 on Tuesday, before paring the decline.

5 hours ago

OPINION

Futao Huang

Opinion | Universities in Japan and China are becoming tools of national strategy

18 Feb 2026 - 9:30AM

Lijia Zhang

Opinion | Why trade alone won’t make China beloved in South America

18 Feb 2026 - 7:06AM

Chang Zi Qian

Being Chinese | The great Lunar New Year divide and how I bridged it

17 Feb 2026 - 9:30AM

Liu Zongyi

Opinion | Bangladesh’s BNP could struggle to enact reforms despite election win

17 Feb 2026 - 9:51AM

Sophie Wushuang Yi

Opinion | Can Manila’s South China Sea strategy of defiance and diplomacy hold?

16 Feb 2026 - 5:30AM

Harry’s View | 18 Feb 2026

MORE COMMENT

LATEST

8 minutes ago

People

‘Wake-up call’: child deaths in Indonesia spotlight gaps in social aid

12 minutes ago

United States & Canada

US actor Shia LaBeouf arrested for battery after Mardi Gras brawl in New Orleans

38 minutes ago

Diplomacy

Exclusive | Trump’s claim of Chinese, Russian ships near Greenland ‘not supported by facts’

38 minutes ago

100 Top Tables

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for February 21-23

38 minutes ago

Celebrities

Meet Branden Cook, who plays Evan in drama series Tell Me Lies

41 minutes ago

Football

Senior Shield final: Tai Po survive scare to break 10-man Rangers’ hearts

MORE LATEST NEWS

SCMP Series

Year of the Horse 2026

Challenges and pathways in the South China Sea

Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy

China Inc. goes global

SCMP Series Year of the Horse 2026

When is the best time to open Lunar New Year red packets in the Year of the Horse 2026?

It is considered rude to open lai see in front of the giver but don’t leave the red packets unopened for more than a couple of months.

18 Feb 2026 - 8:15AMvideocam

Feng shui advice for Rabbits for luck in money, health and romance

18 Feb 2026 - 7:15AMvideocam

Which zodiac signs must appease the tai sui in the Year of the Horse 2026?

17 Feb 2026 - 2:15PMvideocam

Open Questions series

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.

13 Feb 2026 - 9:03AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

9 Feb 2026 - 1:10PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau on why China must ‘work smarter’ and how it can invent from scratch

China must shift from quantity to quality by focusing on 12-year schooling, more basic research and GBA integration, renowned economist says.

2 Feb 2026 - 10:02AMvideocam

China

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

29 Jan 2026 - 11:50AMvideocam

Key Industries:

China’s AI arms race sees sector brace for major flagship model launch week

A ‘stealth’ model has emerged, while advancements by Alibaba’s Qwen-3.5 and Zhipu’s GLM-5 aim to spur domestic competition following releases by US heavyweights.

9 Feb 2026 - 8:02PM

China’s AI sector is bracing for a monumental week, with a flurry of anticipated model releases. Photo: Shutterstock

China Business

China’s biotech boom sends price of lab monkeys for drug tests climbing

The cost of a single monkey exceeds the average annual salary in China and approaches a pandemic-era spike amid growth in drug licensing deals.

2 hours ago

Tech

Colour matters: how AI is changing car premiums and services in China

Car colour, driving habits and location influence insurance premiums, according to a digital solutions provider using ByteDance’s AI model.

3 hours ago

China EVs

CATL’s sodium-ion breakthrough, Tesla’s AI training centre: 7 EV reads

From China banning carmakers from selling below cost to Chinese brands’ dominance in Brazil, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

3 hours ago

CATL’s new Naxtra battery will be installed in China Changan Automobile Group EVs for winter testing in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Photo: Weibo

Big Tech

Humanoids go mainstream as China’s robotics champions appear at CCTV spectacle

ByteDance, Unitree, RedNote, Bilibili and Kuaishou among the firms involved in the unparalleled nationwide marketing opportunity.

17 Feb 2026 - 4:46PMvideocam

Bot the star of the show: a dancing robot delights during China Central Television’s Spring Festival Photo: CCTV

Military

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

15 Feb 2026 - 7:00AM

Companies

Pop Mart balances boom and bust: can Labubu’s leap match Molly’s momentum?

As Labubu’s meteoric rise cools, Molly’s longevity highlights the challenge Pop Mart faces in turning hype into stable intellectual property.

14 Feb 2026 - 10:01AM

Diplomacy

How Manila’s ‘naming and shaming’ challenges Beijing’s South China Sea stance

Analysts say the Philippines’ approach of ‘assertive transparency’ may be wearing thin at home and in the region.

12 Feb 2026 - 11:07AMvideocam

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Trump’s claim of Chinese, Russian ships near Greenland ‘not supported by facts’

Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the ex-president of Iceland, also says it’s ‘important not to use scaremongering to justify major policy changes’.

China’s biotech boom sends price of lab monkeys for drug tests climbing

The cost of a single monkey exceeds the average annual salary in China and approaches a pandemic-era spike amid growth in drug licensing deals.

China and South Korea team up on a vexing issue: their fast-ageing populations

After years of tense relations, the two nations are finding common ground over their need to adapt to an era of ‘super-aged societies’.

Hong Kong marks start of Lunar New Year with surge of visitors

Visitor numbers hit 153,383 on first day of holiday, up by 10 per cent year on year, with more than 120,000 coming from mainland China.

All you need to know about the Year of the Horse

Colour matters: how AI is changing car premiums and services in China

Car colour, driving habits and location influence insurance premiums, according to a digital solutions provider using ByteDance’s AI model.

CATL’s sodium-ion breakthrough, Tesla’s AI training centre: 7 EV reads

From China banning carmakers from selling below cost to Chinese brands’ dominance in Brazil, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

‘Knowing your friend’: Japan to join US-Philippines drills for first time

Australia also joins the fray as the US and its allies shift away from simple bilateral deals towards tighter regional security networks.

.css-f84qeq{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;font-style:italic;}The secret ingredient in your daily life: why Malaysian palm oil is used around the world

Found everywhere from food products to biofuel, this vegetable oil is preferred for its versatility, safety and sustainable production.

English language instruction in Chinese military is outdated, unbalanced: report

Senior lecturers warn that troops are not being given the communication skills they need to operate on the international stage.

Chinese missions in Vietnam, Singapore warn citizens to stay away from gambling

Consulate and embassy issue statements after two separate incidents in which Chinese men fell to their deaths, allegedly after gambling.

Sofa so bad: China’s home-furnishing sector hits a do-or-die stretch

Falling home prices and relentless price competition are forcing small decor firms into a battle for survival.

Budweiser and Heineken face polar opposite fates in China as punters stay home

Beer drinkers in China are veering away from bars and high-end restaurants, instead opting for cheaper stay-at-home options, analysts say.

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan plunge 41% in January amid simmering tensions

Impact ripples through Japan’s retail sector, with falling duty-free sales at top department stores highlighting the pain for the industry.

Speaking Trump’s language: Iran frames nuclear deal as ‘trillion-dollar’ US win

Tehran is dangling access to its vast oil, gas and mineral reserves, but analysts warn that even this may fail to ‘move the needle’ in talks.

‘Stay vigilant even in peace,’ rural leader says in Lunar New Year prophecy

Kenneth Lau also calls on city to embrace innovation after drawing ‘neutral’ No 22 fortune stick at Che Kung Temple.

US actor Shia LaBeouf arrested for battery after Mardi Gras brawl in New Orleans

The Hollywood star is accused of hitting one man with closed fists and punching another in the nose in the city’s French Quarter.

When should you open your Lunar New Year red packets? The luckiest time, and why

It is considered rude to open lai see in front of the giver but don’t leave the red packets unopened for more than a couple of months.

‘This is great’: first-ever Antarctic sleeper shark filmed in frigid waters

Filmed at 490-metre depth, the sighting challenges beliefs about shark habitats in the Southern Ocean.

‘Sentiment is bleak’: bitcoin declines amid geopolitical tensions

Bitcoin prices drop as much as 3.2 per cent to US$66,604 on Tuesday, before paring the decline.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Universities in Japan and China are becoming tools of national strategy

Opinion | Why trade alone won’t make China beloved in South America

Being Chinese | The great Lunar New Year divide and how I bridged it

Opinion | Bangladesh’s BNP could struggle to enact reforms despite election win

Opinion | Can Manila’s South China Sea strategy of defiance and diplomacy hold?

‘Wake-up call’: child deaths in Indonesia spotlight gaps in social aid

US actor Shia LaBeouf arrested for battery after Mardi Gras brawl in New Orleans

Exclusive | Trump’s claim of Chinese, Russian ships near Greenland ‘not supported by facts’

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for February 21-23

Meet Branden Cook, who plays Evan in drama series Tell Me Lies

Senior Shield final: Tai Po survive scare to break 10-man Rangers’ hearts

When is the best time to open Lunar New Year red packets in the Year of the Horse 2026?

It is considered rude to open lai see in front of the giver but don’t leave the red packets unopened for more than a couple of months.

Feng shui advice for Rabbits for luck in money, health and romance

Which zodiac signs must appease the tai sui in the Year of the Horse 2026?

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.

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau on why China must ‘work smarter’ and how it can invent from scratch

China must shift from quantity to quality by focusing on 12-year schooling, more basic research and GBA integration, renowned economist says.

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

China’s AI arms race sees sector brace for major flagship model launch week

A ‘stealth’ model has emerged, while advancements by Alibaba’s Qwen-3.5 and Zhipu’s GLM-5 aim to spur domestic competition following releases by US heavyweights.

China’s biotech boom sends price of lab monkeys for drug tests climbing

The cost of a single monkey exceeds the average annual salary in China and approaches a pandemic-era spike amid growth in drug licensing deals.

Colour matters: how AI is changing car premiums and services in China

Car colour, driving habits and location influence insurance premiums, according to a digital solutions provider using ByteDance’s AI model.

CATL’s sodium-ion breakthrough, Tesla’s AI training centre: 7 EV reads

From China banning carmakers from selling below cost to Chinese brands’ dominance in Brazil, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

Humanoids go mainstream as China’s robotics champions appear at CCTV spectacle

ByteDance, Unitree, RedNote, Bilibili and Kuaishou among the firms involved in the unparalleled nationwide marketing opportunity.

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

Pop Mart balances boom and bust: can Labubu’s leap match Molly’s momentum?

As Labubu’s meteoric rise cools, Molly’s longevity highlights the challenge Pop Mart faces in turning hype into stable intellectual property.

How Manila’s ‘naming and shaming’ challenges Beijing’s South China Sea stance

Analysts say the Philippines’ approach of ‘assertive transparency’ may be wearing thin at home and in the region.

Exclusive | Trump’s claim of Chinese, Russian ships near Greenland ‘not supported by facts’

The secret ingredient in your daily life: why Malaysian palm oil is used around the world

Opinion | Universities in Japan and China are becoming tools of national strategy