Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Tanks drive past Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Photo: Dpa

China speeds up armour steel production by 30%, US Conshohocken plant folds

Chinese military supplier solves tech snag to boost manufacturing levels, while American counterpart ceases operations due to financial loss.

1 hour agovideocam

Chinese tank, upgraded for high altitudes, could be sent to border with India

Science

Military

Pentagon’s Taiwan war games reflect US anxiety over PLA power: defence experts

Leaked report projects heavy US losses in potential cross-strait conflict and highlights Beijing’s ability to destroy warships and planes.

4 hours ago

Military

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.

20 Dec 2025 - 10:00PMvideocam

Society

Fate of 600 goats in the balance as deadline nears to move for Hong Kong project

Cheung Siu-ling says she has until end of January next year to make way for Northern Metropolis, or her herd will be put down.

1 hour ago

Focus

Are Trump loyalists struggling in US rural heartland ready to say ‘enough’?

Americas

Venezuela slams ‘international piracy’ after US seizes another vessel

Trump has ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers in and out of the area, but the ship is reportedly not one of those blacklisted.

5 minutes agovideocam

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted footage of the operation on social media on Saturday. Image: X/Sec_Noem

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.

20 Dec 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

Economics

Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land

From next year, anyone buying property will have to confirm their nationality – a move some analysts say is overkill.

33 minutes agovideocam

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.

United States & Canada

At least 16 files gone from Epstein release site, including 1 with Trump photo

The missing documents were originally available but no longer accessible a day later, with no reason given.

4 hours ago

The releases so far have been heavy on images of Jeffrey Epstein’s homes in New York and the US Virgin Islands, with some photos of celebrities and politicians. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Worship to witch hunts: how South Korea’s fandoms turn on their idols

When stars shine brightest in the glare of publicity, the darkness that follows can feel absolute. This December, three more lights went out.

2 hours ago

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.

20 Dec 2025 - 8:00PMvideocam

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.

20 Dec 2025 - 11:52PMvideocam

A deadly inferno swept through seven of Wang Fuk Court’s eight blocks in November. Photo: Jonathan Wong

United States & Canada

Will homeless man who helped FBI find Brown shooter get US$50,000 reward?

Investigators struggled for days to locate the suspect – until they got a tip about a Reddit post by a man living in the building’s basement.

2 hours ago

A poster seeking information about the shooting suspect is seen on the campus of Brown University on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Health & Wellness

In top shape at 71, Singapore-based Swede helps people over 50 get stronger

Christer Ekberg started helping people keep fit after noticing that many people aged 50 and above gave up on fitness and physical strength.

3 hours ago

United States & Canada

Trump at ‘risk of becoming the deep state’ after Epstein file omissions

Some Republicans fear the controversy is far from over and the limited disclosures could hurt the party at next year’s midterm election.

7 minutes agovideocam

Tech

Building a humanoid robot without China? Then you better bring a bigger wallet

China has issued five times the number of patents related to humanoid robots than the US, says Morgan Stanley.

3 hours ago

A technician teaches a humanoid robot to use a wrench to tighten a bolt at a data collection pre-training center for humanoid robots in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province. Photo: Xinhua

Trending in China

Chinese firm gifts renovated flats to employees after 5-year service to retain staff

All flats are located within 5km of the company and vary in size from 100 to 150 square metres.

1 hour ago

A Chinese company gained attention for giving flats to employees after five years of service to boost staff retention. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Jimu

United States & Canada

Epstein victims angry over gaps and censorship in long-awaited file release

Survivors wonder if the redactions and blackouts are there to protect them or the ‘elite men’ who associated with the sex offender.

5 hours ago

China

China’s Shi, Wang face French, South Korean foes in badminton’s year-end finale

An Se-young awaits Wang Zhiyi in women’s final, while men’s sees Shi Yuqi play Christo Popov, France’s first to reach title match.

2 hours ago

OPINION

Cui Jianchun

Opinion | West must face the facts of Jimmy Lai’s trial and conviction

33 minutes ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Less hostility towards China in new US security strategy is welcome

3 hours ago

Michael Han

Opinion | China’s property market isn’t so much collapsing as being reconfigured

5 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Disabled athletes’ success an inspiration for all of Hong Kong

3 hours ago

Cliff Buddle

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

20 Dec 2025 - 10:59PM

Harry’s View | 21 Dec 2025

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3 minutes ago

Science

In eastern China, ancient ruins push back the date of Yangtze delta’s earliest cities

3 minutes ago

China Business

Why global luxury brands are switching to shopping streets in China

7 minutes ago

United States & Canada

Trump at ‘risk of becoming the deep state’ after Epstein file omissions

33 minutes ago

Economics

Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land

33 minutes ago

Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | West must face the facts of Jimmy Lai’s trial and conviction

1 hour ago

Society

Fate of 600 goats in the balance as deadline nears to move for Hong Kong project

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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 Series WWII: 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’.

14 Dec 2025 - 4:20PM

After The War | How the post-WWII order was formed and why China wants to reshape it

8 Sep 2025 - 4:11PMvideocam

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

2 Sep 2025 - 5:16PM

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.

15 Dec 2025 - 10:05AMvideocam

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’.

8 Dec 2025 - 10:07AMvideocam

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.

1 Dec 2025 - 3:57PMvideocam

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.

24 Nov 2025 - 10:09AMvideocam

Key Industries:

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.

17 Dec 2025 - 9:16PM

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

Tech

Building a humanoid robot without China? Then you better bring a bigger wallet

China has issued five times the number of patents related to humanoid robots than the US, says Morgan Stanley.

3 hours ago

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.

20 Dec 2025 - 6:00PM

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.

20 Dec 2025 - 4:41PM

ByteDance said its total bonus pool would increase by 35 per cent from a year earlier, while spending on compensation adjustments would rise 1.5 times. Photo: Shutterstock

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.

20 Dec 2025 - 8:57AM

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

Diplomacy

China urged to win ‘hearts and minds’ to fill leadership void as US retreats

Experts pushing Beijing’s vision for a new world order say nation can offer an ‘important alternative’ but it needs to improve its messaging.

19 Dec 2025 - 10:00AMvideocam

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.

18 Dec 2025 - 6:03AM

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.

17 Dec 2025 - 8:07AMvideocam

China speeds up armour steel production by 30%, US Conshohocken plant folds

Chinese military supplier solves tech snag to boost manufacturing levels, while American counterpart ceases operations due to financial loss.

Chinese tank, upgraded for high altitudes, could be sent to border with India

Pentagon’s Taiwan war games reflect US anxiety over PLA power: defence experts

Leaked report projects heavy US losses in potential cross-strait conflict and highlights Beijing’s ability to destroy warships and planes.

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.

Fate of 600 goats in the balance as deadline nears to move for Hong Kong project

Cheung Siu-ling says she has until end of January next year to make way for Northern Metropolis, or her herd will be put down.

Are Trump loyalists struggling in US rural heartland ready to say ‘enough’?

Venezuela slams ‘international piracy’ after US seizes another vessel

Trump has ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers in and out of the area, but the ship is reportedly not one of those blacklisted.

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.

Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land

From next year, anyone buying property will have to confirm their nationality – a move some analysts say is overkill.

.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.

At least 16 files gone from Epstein release site, including 1 with Trump photo

The missing documents were originally available but no longer accessible a day later, with no reason given.

Worship to witch hunts: how South Korea’s fandoms turn on their idols

When stars shine brightest in the glare of publicity, the darkness that follows can feel absolute. This December, three more lights went out.

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.

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.

Will homeless man who helped FBI find Brown shooter get US$50,000 reward?

Investigators struggled for days to locate the suspect – until they got a tip about a Reddit post by a man living in the building’s basement.

In top shape at 71, Singapore-based Swede helps people over 50 get stronger

Christer Ekberg started helping people keep fit after noticing that many people aged 50 and above gave up on fitness and physical strength.

Trump at ‘risk of becoming the deep state’ after Epstein file omissions

Some Republicans fear the controversy is far from over and the limited disclosures could hurt the party at next year’s midterm election.

Building a humanoid robot without China? Then you better bring a bigger wallet

China has issued five times the number of patents related to humanoid robots than the US, says Morgan Stanley.

Chinese firm gifts renovated flats to employees after 5-year service to retain staff

All flats are located within 5km of the company and vary in size from 100 to 150 square metres.

Epstein victims angry over gaps and censorship in long-awaited file release

Survivors wonder if the redactions and blackouts are there to protect them or the ‘elite men’ who associated with the sex offender.

China’s Shi, Wang face French, South Korean foes in badminton’s year-end finale

An Se-young awaits Wang Zhiyi in women’s final, while men’s sees Shi Yuqi play Christo Popov, France’s first to reach title match.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | West must face the facts of Jimmy Lai’s trial and conviction

Editorial | Less hostility towards China in new US security strategy is welcome

Opinion | China’s property market isn’t so much collapsing as being reconfigured

Editorial | Disabled athletes’ success an inspiration for all of Hong Kong

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

In eastern China, ancient ruins push back the date of Yangtze delta’s earliest cities

Why global luxury brands are switching to shopping streets in China

Trump at ‘risk of becoming the deep state’ after Epstein file omissions

Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land

Opinion | West must face the facts of Jimmy Lai’s trial and conviction

Fate of 600 goats in the balance as deadline nears to move for Hong Kong project

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}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

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

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

Building a humanoid robot without China? Then you better bring a bigger wallet

China has issued five times the number of patents related to humanoid robots than the US, says Morgan Stanley.

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.

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.

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.

China urged to win ‘hearts and minds’ to fill leadership void as US retreats

Experts pushing Beijing’s vision for a new world order say nation can offer an ‘important alternative’ but it needs to improve its messaging.

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.

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.

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

Opinion | West must face the facts of Jimmy Lai’s trial and conviction

After The War | Virtual reality and the Nanking massacre: where does historical immersion become trauma?