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A display promoting the record-breaking animated hit Ne Zha 2 is seen in China’s Liaoning province on February 13. Photo: Xinhua

China’s box office up 22% in 2025 to US$7.4 billion, led by smash hit Ne Zha 2

World’s second-largest movie market sees domestic films capture nearly 80 per cent of sales, while Disney’s Zootopia sequel sets new high for imported titles.

How the ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump’s tariffs – and grew even stronger

China consumption
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Military

US Navy aircraft crashes offer lessons for PLA carrier operations, analysts say

Chinese military could learn from rival’s strengths in search and rescue response, but also its weaknesses in maintenance and training.

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China Economy

China must take action to avoid Japan-style deflation spiral, scholars warn

Unless Beijing introduces more forceful policies, consumers could get locked into a mindset that is ‘nearly impossible to break’, scholars say.

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Politics

Veteran Hong Kong lawmakers Starry Lee, Ronick Chan to vie for Legco presidency

Lee and Chan are running to succeed Andrew Leung as Legco president, with a vote on January 8.

Science
The ancient Chinese loom may well be recognised as the world’s earliest computer, according to the China Association for Science and Technology. Photo: China Silk Museum

Could 2,000-year-old machine from tomb in China be earliest binary computer?

China EVs

China’s EV sector doubles down on discounts and cheap financing as growth cools

Carmakers are shifting from straight price cuts to subsidised loans and feature-packed models, as China’s EV price war drags on.

Beijing has urged the sector to rein in price wars since July amid deflationary pressures, with even market leader BYD reporting its biggest net profit drop in more than four years. Photo: Xinhua
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Diplomacy

In the new world order, market power trumps military might. Can China compete?

Changing metrics of competition are reshaping the international systems built around Western dominance, analysts say.

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Politics

Why the Philippines’ military is betting on South Korean defence systems

The US$27.7 million contract covers combat management systems for two next-generation Philippine Navy frigates.

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People & Culture

How this year’s Yidan Prize laureates reshape modern literacy and skills worldwide

Mamadou Amadou Ly and Uri Wilensky help transform teaching and learning through multilingual education and computational thinking.

In partnership with:
Yidan Prize Foundation
The 2025 Yidan Prize laureates Professor Uri Wilensky (left) and Mamadou Amadou Ly help remove barriers to education by transforming how learners access and engage with knowledge.

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong receives twice as many mainland Chinese visitors on New Year’s Day

Lawmaker attributes year-on-year jump to three-day holiday on mainland, while strained Beijing-Tokyo ties have also drawn some to city instead of Japan.

Tourists outside the Peninsula in Tsim Sha Tsui on New Year’s Day. Photo: Jelly Tse

Markets

Hong Kong’s IPO dominance in 2025 set to carry on into new year

The city’s exchange secures global bragging rights after 114 companies raised US$37.22 billion on the main board in 2025, according to LSEG.

China

China’s record hypergravity machine, Nepal’s ‘bride buying’ probe: 7 highlights

From Beijing defending Taiwan drills to a Chinese snack stall drawing crowds of support, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Diplomacy

US urges Beijing to end military pressure against Taiwan

New Year’s Day message from the US State Department follows drill around island that saw over 30 warships deployed, according to Taipei.

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Warships are seen in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, on Tuesday. Photo: ZUMA Press Wire via dpa

Military

Just how close did a PLA drone come to the heart of Taipei during drill?

Footage shared by a mainland military social media account shows Taipei 101 but it’s not clear when it was taken.

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A PLA social media account posted imagery showing Taipei 101, purportedly taken from a PLA military drone during military exercises around Taiwan this week. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong’s retail recovery extends into November with sales up 6.5%

Sector’s growth marks third consecutive month recording above 6 per cent level year on year.

Food & Drink

C-Y Chia’s plant-based dishes from Lion Dance Cafe coming to Singapore

Chef C-Y Chia, who is returning to Singapore after 13 years in the US, has put some favourite plant-based dishes into a new recipe book.

South Asia

Air India pilot taken off duty over intoxication allegations in Canada

Canada’s transport regulator called the incident a ‘serious matter’ and demanded answers from the airline amid safety concerns.

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Air India is facing scrutiny after a pilot in Canada failed breathalyser tests. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong Economy

Could 2026 be the make-or-break year of CK Hutchison’s Panama ports deal?

What began as a strategic exit for a Hong Kong conglomerate has devolved into a high-stakes stand-off between Washington and Beijing.

The Panama port deal still hung in the balance by the close of 2025. Photo: AFP

Politics

‘More than a beloved child’: palace visit renews debate on Pyongyang succession

State media has released images of the first recorded visit of Kim Ju-ae, the teen daughter of Kim Jong-un, to the country’s most sacred site.

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Southeast Asia

Singapore defies Trump’s tariffs as manufacturing drives growth

The city state’s economy grew 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter from a ‌year earlier, according to data from the trade ministry.

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OPINION
David Dodwell

Outside In | 2025 was the year of denial. What now?

David Dodwell
Letters

Letters | How universities can rein in the abuse of AI

Letters
Cheng Xianyue

Opinion | How Hong Kong can take on a more frontier role in China’s development

Cheng Xianyue
Richard Harris

Opinion | Rising markets, falling interest rates and more: 5 investment myths for 2026

Richard Harris
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Expectations for Hong Kong’s newly sworn-in legislators are clear

SCMP Editorial
Harry’s View | 2 Jan 2026
January 2, 2026
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Society

Hong Kong trade office head picked to lead body coordinating Northern Metropolis

China EVs

China’s EV sector doubles down on discounts and cheap financing as growth cools

Video | Vigil held for victims of Switzerland’s deadliest fire

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Politics

Veteran Hong Kong lawmakers Starry Lee, Ronick Chan to vie for Legco presidency

Video | 13-year-old arrested after New Year brawl in Hong Kong

Police arrest 13-year-old girl over fight with teen during New Year countdown at Kwun Tong Promenade.
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SCMP Series
Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy
Revisiting US-China relations
Year of the Horse 2026
China Inc. goes global
Illustration: Henry Wong
SCMP SeriesBeijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy

Why has Beijing turned down the heat in the Taiwan Strait in the second half of 2025?

PLA warplanes and ships have been less active around the island in the second half of the year, Taiwanese data shows.

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Beijing is pinning hopes for Taiwan reunification on KMT – but not all of them

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‘Urgent’: has mainland China changed tone for Taiwan peaceful reunification?

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Open Questions series

Diplomacy

Open Questions | How new C100 chief plans to foster ties between Chinese-Americans and China

The Committee of 100’s president Paul Cheung has high hopes for Chinese-Americans’ relationship with China in these uncertain times.

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Paul Cheung, the new president of the Committee of 100, is hoping his organisation can provide context and nuance to the fractious US-China relationship for Chinese-Americans. Photo: Handout

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Political scientist Ivan Krastev on European vertigo in a post-American world

While melancholy Europe frets that the US and China will shape the future, middle powers are jostling for a place at the big table.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | George Yeo on superpower ‘headaches’ and why the US dollar could crack

Singapore’s former foreign minister also discusses Trump, the latest China-Japan dust-up, and rivalry between Hong Kong and the city state.

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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.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
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China Future Tech
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Tech

China’s Qwen and DeepSeek edge out US AI models in Christian values benchmark

US start-up Gloo’s Flourishing AI Christian benchmark tested how the output of AI models ‘help people flourish’, CEO Pat Gelsinger said.

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The questions in FAI-C were reviewed by a panel of Biblical experts, including theologians, pastors, psychologists and scholars of ethics. Photo: SCMP

Semiconductors

Baidu spin-off Kunlunxin joins wave of Chinese semiconductor IPOs in Hong Kong

Last year, 20 Chinese semiconductor IPOs raised over 45 billion yuan (US$6.4 billion), with six of them listing in December.

Big Tech

DeepSeek opens 2026 with paper signalling race to train bigger models for less

DeepSeek has published a technical paper co-authored by founder Liang Wenfeng proposing a rethink of its core deep learning architecture.

China EVs

China’s EV makers to corner one-third of global market by 2030, UBS says

Analysts see China’s EV edge enduring, citing overseas profits and supply chain strengths despite tariffs and Western protectionism.

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China’s carmakers are projected to generate most of their profits overseas. Photo: Reuters

Law and Crime

Hong Kong’s sex offence laws are to be overhauled. What needs to be updated?

Consent and gender issues are key areas the government will look at when it starts the review process.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China Economy

How the ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump’s tariffs – and grew even stronger

Yiwu, one of China’s biggest export hubs, was expected to take a hit from US tariffs. Instead, it has seen trade surge.

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Military

Is China’s truck-mounted catapult system enabling merchant aircraft carriers?

Scalable truck-based launch track pictured on modified cargo ship raises questions about drone war potential.

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Politics

‘No fixed identity’: new Chinese-American writers are telling their own stories

They’re not shaped by history like the previous generation, and observer says US-China tensions can give them ‘more space’ to explore issues.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
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