Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he warns of potential escalation ahead of a deadline for Iran to accept a peace deal. Photo: AP

Trump says China helped get Iran to the negotiating table for ceasefire deal

Washington receives ‘10-point proposal from Iran’ with US president claiming it could serve as ‘a workable basis on which to negotiate’.

20 minutes agovideocam

183

‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’: Donald Trump heightens Iran threats

US-Israel war on Iran

China Business

Global drug makers face pricing pressure as China targets affordable healthcare

As pharmaceutical firms navigate China’s aggressive pricing reforms, their profits could be squeezed further this year.

2 hours ago

World

Russia and China veto UN resolution aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

Beijing and Moscow blocked Gulf-backed resolution hours before the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

3 hours ago

LIVE

‘No water flowed through the hoses,’ plumber says as Tai Po fire hearings resume

Director and engineer of contractor responsible for estate’s fire service equipment suspects renovation workers drew water from tanks, calling it a serious problem.

3 minutes ago

Focus

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

Military

Indonesian fisherman nets surprise catch – a Chinese underwater drone

The device was discovered near the Lombok Strait, a strategically vital deepwater passage closely watched by the US and Australia.

3 hours ago

Local police haul the item ashore. Photo: Handout

China Business

Hong Kong stocks jump as risk appetite returns after US, Iran agree on ceasefire

Hang Seng Index rose 2.7 per cent after a two-week ceasefire was reached, subject to Tehran’s vow to completely reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

51 minutes agovideocam

People

Japan’s deportation drive strikes fear into asylum seekers, foreign residents

Rights groups warn the government’s push to remove more undocumented migrants clashes with its duty to protect refugees.

2 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

US

Only virtual talks, no new investment push before Xi-Trump summit: Greer

US Trade Representative underscores US seeks substantial tariffs, unhindered rare earth access, and a stability-preserving leaders’ meeting.

6 hours agovideocam

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks to reporters outside the White House. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

Brazil blacklists China EV giant BYD for its slave labour conditions

Government officials said staff were working excessively long hours while being kept in degrading circumstances in their accommodation.

8 Apr 2026 - 4:49AMvideocam

Politics

Why Cambodia’s new law may do little to combat its scam centres

Analysts warn the lack of provisions addressing the role officials and networks play in enabling scams may limit the law’s effectiveness.

3 hours agovideocam

Hong Kong Economy

New research institute to ramp up efforts as Hong Kong pursues ‘AI for all’

Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute’s first meeting will be held as early as this month to formulate city’s AI road map.

3 hours ago

A panoramic view of the San Tin Technopole and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Northern Metropolis. Photo: Eugene Lee

Diplomacy

‘Paper tiger’: what’s behind Trump’s renewed Greenland threat?

Europe is likely to stay neutral in the Iran war and could even benefit if America fares poorly in its military campaign, analyst says.

7 Apr 2026 - 11:02PMvideocam

A demonstration against US President Donald Trump’s plans to acquire Greenland, in the capital Nuuk on January 17. Photo: AFP

Big Tech

China taps offshore wind, subsea data centres to ease AI computing bottleneck

The underwater data centre, located 10 kilometres off Shanghai’s eastern coast, was built by Shanghai HiCloud Technology.

4 hours ago

Southeast Asia

Wake-up call: Philippines’ declining literacy risks outsourcing business

A three-year review of the country’s education system shows that nine in 10 children cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10.

19 minutes ago

United States & Canada

Artemis crew snap historic Earthset photo and call ISS on way home

Earth-bound Nasa astronauts share striking photo and conduct the first moonship-to-spaceship radio link-up ever.

30 minutes ago

Artemis II’s Earthset photo was reminiscent of Apollo 8’s Earthrise shot from 1968. Photo: Nasa via dpa

Europe

Mussolini’s summer villa on Italian coast to be a cultural space

Italian seaside town pays US$1.3 million to prevent property from becoming a site for far-right sympathisers.

9 minutes ago

Villa Mussolini on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Photo: Comune di Riccione via dpa

Middle East

Iran allows 2 French former detainees to leave country

The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations amid the Iran war.

7 Apr 2026 - 11:13PM

Tech

Chinese memory giants seen grabbing market share on lower prices, more capacity

Firms like YMTC and CXMT are scaling NAND and DRAM production, leveraging cost advantages and subsidies to challenge global leaders.

7 Apr 2026 - 9:30PMvideocam

LATEST

9 minutes ago

Europe

Mussolini’s summer villa on Italian coast to be a cultural space

19 minutes ago

Southeast Asia

Wake-up call: Philippines’ declining literacy risks outsourcing business

47 minutes ago

Law and Crime

‘No water flowed through the hoses,’ plumber says as Tai Po fire hearings resume

48 minutes ago

Health & Wellness

Diagnosed with autism at 2, Hong Kong violinist twins found joy in music

51 minutes ago

China Business

Hong Kong stocks jump as risk appetite returns after US, Iran agree on ceasefire

1 hour ago

People

Woman faces jail over Singapore crash that killed Indonesian girl in Chinatown

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SCMP Series

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Traditional Russian wooden dolls depict Chinese President Xi Jinping, then US president-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a souvenir shop in St Petersburg, Russia, on November 21, 2024. Photo: AP

SCMP Series Trump’s 2026 trip to China

Exclusive | What does it mean for China if Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin visit back to back?

Expected trips in close succession highlight Beijing’s strategic effort to manage relations with the two in turbulent times, analysts say.

27 Mar 2026 - 11:40PMvideocam

Exclusive | What are the real reasons behind the change of date for Trump’s China visit?

21 Mar 2026 - 2:39PMvideocam

Exclusive | Trump ally Steve Daines will be first US senator to visit Hong Kong since 2019

20 Mar 2026 - 6:28PMvideocam

Open Questions series

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

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Trump-Xi summits: an inside view with US ex-diplomat William Klein

Former diplomat posted to Beijing speaks on Iran, Taiwan and global supply chains as details of Xi-Trump meeting are worked out.

23 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

Chinese memory giants seen grabbing market share on lower prices, more capacity

Firms like YMTC and CXMT are scaling NAND and DRAM production, leveraging cost advantages and subsidies to challenge global leaders.

7 Apr 2026 - 9:30PMvideocam

China Business

More foreign marques face a do-or-die moment as Chinese buyers shun petrol cars

Following Skoda’s exit from China, other carmakers with falling sales are also likely to close shop this year, analysts say.

6 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

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

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

Society

Is it time to call an end to Hong Kong’s boar war?

Wild boar numbers have dropped by half in recent years, prompting calls from experts for an end to aggressive control measures such as culling.

2 Apr 2026 - 8:30AM

Science

Inside the shadowy practices plaguing China’s science awards

Beijing has rolled out new rules for investigating violations in scientific activities. So why are critics still pessimistic?

1 Apr 2026 - 9:50AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

31 Mar 2026 - 6:03AMvideocam

Trump says China helped get Iran to the negotiating table for ceasefire deal

Washington receives ‘10-point proposal from Iran’ with US president claiming it could serve as ‘a workable basis on which to negotiate’.

‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’: Donald Trump heightens Iran threats

Global drug makers face pricing pressure as China targets affordable healthcare

As pharmaceutical firms navigate China’s aggressive pricing reforms, their profits could be squeezed further this year.

Russia and China veto UN resolution aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

Beijing and Moscow blocked Gulf-backed resolution hours before the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

‘No water flowed through the hoses,’ plumber says as Tai Po fire hearings resume

Director and engineer of contractor responsible for estate’s fire service equipment suspects renovation workers drew water from tanks, calling it a serious problem.

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

Indonesian fisherman nets surprise catch – a Chinese underwater drone

The device was discovered near the Lombok Strait, a strategically vital deepwater passage closely watched by the US and Australia.

Hong Kong stocks jump as risk appetite returns after US, Iran agree on ceasefire

Hang Seng Index rose 2.7 per cent after a two-week ceasefire was reached, subject to Tehran’s vow to completely reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Japan’s deportation drive strikes fear into asylum seekers, foreign residents

Rights groups warn the government’s push to remove more undocumented migrants clashes with its duty to protect refugees.

.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.

Only virtual talks, no new investment push before Xi-Trump summit: Greer

US Trade Representative underscores US seeks substantial tariffs, unhindered rare earth access, and a stability-preserving leaders’ meeting.

Brazil blacklists China EV giant BYD for its slave labour conditions

Government officials said staff were working excessively long hours while being kept in degrading circumstances in their accommodation.

Why Cambodia’s new law may do little to combat its scam centres

Analysts warn the lack of provisions addressing the role officials and networks play in enabling scams may limit the law’s effectiveness.

New research institute to ramp up efforts as Hong Kong pursues ‘AI for all’

Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute’s first meeting will be held as early as this month to formulate city’s AI road map.

‘Paper tiger’: what’s behind Trump’s renewed Greenland threat?

Europe is likely to stay neutral in the Iran war and could even benefit if America fares poorly in its military campaign, analyst says.

China taps offshore wind, subsea data centres to ease AI computing bottleneck

The underwater data centre, located 10 kilometres off Shanghai’s eastern coast, was built by Shanghai HiCloud Technology.

Wake-up call: Philippines’ declining literacy risks outsourcing business

A three-year review of the country’s education system shows that nine in 10 children cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10.

Artemis crew snap historic Earthset photo and call ISS on way home

Earth-bound Nasa astronauts share striking photo and conduct the first moonship-to-spaceship radio link-up ever.

Mussolini’s summer villa on Italian coast to be a cultural space

Italian seaside town pays US$1.3 million to prevent property from becoming a site for far-right sympathisers.

Iran allows 2 French former detainees to leave country

The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations amid the Iran war.

Chinese memory giants seen grabbing market share on lower prices, more capacity

Firms like YMTC and CXMT are scaling NAND and DRAM production, leveraging cost advantages and subsidies to challenge global leaders.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Chinese youth are embracing Ching Ming with cultural confidence

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Hong Kong’s under-enrolled primary schools can be overhauled more painlessly

Opinion | To beat Cambodia’s scam gangs, US must work with China – not blame it

Editorial | Supporting women in research helps Hong Kong’s gender equality push

As I see it | Why Donald Trump now needs a ‘forever war’

Mussolini’s summer villa on Italian coast to be a cultural space

Wake-up call: Philippines’ declining literacy risks outsourcing business

‘No water flowed through the hoses,’ plumber says as Tai Po fire hearings resume

Diagnosed with autism at 2, Hong Kong violinist twins found joy in music

Hong Kong stocks jump as risk appetite returns after US, Iran agree on ceasefire

Woman faces jail over Singapore crash that killed Indonesian girl in Chinatown

Exclusive | What does it mean for China if Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin visit back to back?

Expected trips in close succession highlight Beijing’s strategic effort to manage relations with the two in turbulent times, analysts say.

Exclusive | What are the real reasons behind the change of date for Trump’s China visit?

Exclusive | Trump ally Steve Daines will be first US senator to visit Hong Kong since 2019

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.

Open Questions | Trump-Xi summits: an inside view with US ex-diplomat William Klein

Former diplomat posted to Beijing speaks on Iran, Taiwan and global supply chains as details of Xi-Trump meeting are worked out.

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.

Chinese memory giants seen grabbing market share on lower prices, more capacity

Firms like YMTC and CXMT are scaling NAND and DRAM production, leveraging cost advantages and subsidies to challenge global leaders.

More foreign marques face a do-or-die moment as Chinese buyers shun petrol cars

Following Skoda’s exit from China, other carmakers with falling sales are also likely to close shop this year, analysts say.

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.

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.

Is it time to call an end to Hong Kong’s boar war?

Wild boar numbers have dropped by half in recent years, prompting calls from experts for an end to aggressive control measures such as culling.

Inside the shadowy practices plaguing China’s science awards

Beijing has rolled out new rules for investigating violations in scientific activities. So why are critics still pessimistic?

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

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

Opinion | Chinese youth are embracing Ching Ming with cultural confidence

Letters | Hong Kong’s under-enrolled primary schools can be overhauled more painlessly