Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet in Busan on October 30 last year. Photo: AFP

US defence strategy omission raises alarm in Taiwan over Trump’s intentions

Document splits opinion, with some experts fearing that the island could become a bargaining chip between Washington and Beijing.

4 minutes agovideocam

US banks on strength – not confrontation – to deny China in Indo-Pacific

Taiwan

Tech Trends

Chinese firms set for market growth as the global memory super cycle heats up

Eye-watering DRAM prices are bad news for consumers and smartphone brands, but present an opportunity for Chinese firms led by CXMT and YMTC.

17 minutes ago

Diplomacy

As Canada and UK hit refresh on China ties, is this the end of Five Eyes?

The White House’s ‘America first’ strategy is prompting alliance members to take another look at their relationship with Beijing.

3 hours agovideocam

Society

‘Rampant like a pandemic’: why Hongkongers struggle to get peace from junk calls

Thousands of residents affected by a surge in junk calls, with 466,000 reported in 2025 alone.

3 hours ago

Focus

How will China respond as US expands foreign ship seizures?

Global Economy

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

China has ‘already proposed some projects’ in Nepal, as it looks to tap the country’s huge hydropower resources and sell power to India.

2 hours agovideocam

The site for one of Nepal’s proposed hydroelectric dams, the Budhi Gandaki project. The country is keen to attract more foreign investment to tap its huge hydropower resources. Photo: SCMP

China

US hails Panama high court ruling against CK Hutchison’s ports concession

Secretary of State Rubio said the decision was encouraging, as it drew support on Capitol Hill and unease among Chinese-linked firms.

31 Jan 2026 - 5:31AMvideocam

Politics

‘Critical point’: can Thailand election pave way for national reset?

With the economy struggling and corruption rife, Thai voters will look to the February 8 election as a chance to turn the country around.

4 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.

Americas

Venezuela proposes to free hundreds of prisoners, close ‘torture’ prison

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez says the proposed law will hopefully ‘heal the wounds’ and restore peace among Venezuelans.

3 hours ago

Relatives of detainees react outside the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas after interim president Delcy Rodriguez announces a proposed “amnesty law” for hundreds of prisoners on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Diplomacy

US may have averted major shutdown by splitting bill, but partial closure is on

House approval still needed, with a funding lapse expected before lawmakers move to pass the spending package early next week.

12 minutes agovideocam

United States & Canada

Ding Linwei convicted of stealing Google AI secrets for Chinese companies

Some of the blueprints were meant to give Google an edge over Amazon and Microsoft and to reduce Google’s reliance on Nvidia chips.

4 hours agovideocam

China

China lifted sanctions on British lawmakers after Starmer–Xi meeting, UK says

Prime minister says Beijing has removed 2021 curbs on MPs as part of a wider reset, though sanctions on others appear to remain.

31 Jan 2026 - 3:46AM

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses Chinese and UK business delegations at a reception in Shanghai on Friday. Photo: AFP

Society

Explainer | Blooming good: where to find cherry blossoms in Hong Kong this spring

Cherry blossom garden run by Airport Authority has expanded with 39 new trees, bringing the total to 160, On King Street Park is another hotspot.

1 hour ago

Cherry blossoms in On King Street Park attract flower lovers. Photo: Eugene Lee

United States & Canada

US Justice Department opens probe into killing of Alex Pretti in ICE incident

Authorities did not explain why investigation was not launched into killing of Minneapolis woman Renee Good by an ICE agent 17 days before.

31 Jan 2026 - 3:59AMvideocam

Transport

Hong Kong shelves cross-border levy plan, marks second policy U-turn in a day

Proposal was part of city government’s efforts to deal with HK$87.2 billion budget deficit.

30 Jan 2026 - 11:05PM

Europe

Chinese hair salon owner arrested in Barcelona for funding Hamas via crypto

The 38-year-old Chinese national faces terror financing charges after allegedly laundering US$715,000 via cryptocurrency to the militant group.

31 Jan 2026 - 12:31AM

Spanish police arrest a salon owner for allegedly funding Hamas with cryptocurrency, seizing assets and freezing accounts. Photo: Shutterstock

United States & Canada

Final set of Epstein files released, with mentions of Trump, Musk and Lutnick

The batch contains over 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

4 hours ago

Documents that were included in the US Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are seen on January 2. Photo: AP

United States & Canada

WTO faults US in dispute brought by China over clean energy subsidies

Large tax credits under Biden’s landmark climate law are inconsistent with WTO agreements and should be withdrawn, a panel ruled.

31 Jan 2026 - 2:11AMvideocam

United States & Canada

Trump DOJ arrests ex-CNN anchor over church protest after judge rebuffed charges

Taken into custody covering the Grammys, Don Lemon’s lawyer calls arrest a ‘First Amendment violation’, saying he was just chronicling a protest.

30 Jan 2026 - 10:42PM

OPINION

Andrew Sheng

Opinion | Central banks are propelling a 21st century global gold rush

28 minutes ago

Wee Kek Koon

Reflections | How Chinese new year cards went from elites’ greetings to bribery instruments

4 hours ago

Sophie Wushuang Yi

Asian Angle | ‘Old order is not coming back’: Trump’s US, not China, threatens status quo

1 hour ago

Letters

Letters | Don’t be too quick to call brands out on cultural appropriation

34 minutes ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Starmer’s visit to China highlights benefits of dialogue over confrontation

5 hours ago

Harry’s View | 31 Jan 2026

MORE COMMENT

LATEST

4 minutes ago

East Asia

Japanese start-up puts elderly women at heart of local economy

4 minutes ago

Tennis

Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai win the Australian Open women’s doubles title

4 minutes ago

Politics

US defence strategy omission raises alarm in Taiwan over Trump’s intentions

1 hour ago

Opinion

Asian Angle | ‘Old order is not coming back’: Trump’s US, not China, threatens status quo

1 hour ago

Travel

From devil-mouth caves to deer-filled parks, these sites deserve more love

2 hours ago

Global Economy

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

MORE LATEST NEWS

SCMP Series

Year of the Horse 2026

China Inc. goes global

Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy

Children learn about how to care for horses as part of a Hong Kong Pony Club activity. The club helps nurture equine respect and skills, and fosters community through events and global connections. Photo: Instagram/HKPC

SCMP Series Year of the Horse 2026

How the Hong Kong Pony Club fosters young riders’ respect and nurtures relationships

Hong Kong Pony Club members learn horsemanship, build lasting friendships, and develop a lasting respect for horses and ponies.

29 Jan 2026 - 12:15PM

Reservations now open for new banknotes for Year of the Horse red packets

28 Jan 2026 - 6:15PM

What does AI predict will happen in the fiery Year of the Horse 2026?

24 Jan 2026 - 5:15PM

Open Questions series

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

Tech Trends

Open Questions | Jeffrey Ding on why diffusion, not innovation, is the secret to AI success

Professor says a ‘diffusion marathon’, where AI is gradually embedded in an economy over decades, will determine the winner of US-China tech war.

26 Jan 2026 - 9:31AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Why US raid on Venezuela could ‘work to China’s advantage’: John Mearsheimer

International relations scholar says US could easily take Greenland, while regime change in Tehran would be more difficult.

19 Jan 2026 - 6:57PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

Political scientist says the Western-led global order remains useful, and the Belt and Road Initiative isn’t a geopolitical project.

12 Jan 2026 - 10:06AMvideocam

Key Industries:

Big Tech

China’s Alibaba, Moonshot claim latest AI models challenge OpenAI, Google

Alibaba says Qwen3-Max-Thinking is its ‘best model so far’, while Moonshot calls Kimi K2.5 the world’s most powerful open-source model.

27 Jan 2026 - 5:30PM

The new models mark the first major Chinese releases this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech Trends

Chinese firms set for market growth as the global memory super cycle heats up

Eye-watering DRAM prices are bad news for consumers and smartphone brands, but present an opportunity for Chinese firms led by CXMT and YMTC.

17 minutes ago

Big Tech

Ant Group’s open-source push aims to move robots from lab demos to real-world work

Flashy robots can dance and backflip on cue, but Ant Group is betting open-source AI can take them beyond scripted moves.

30 Jan 2026 - 9:00PM

Big Tech

China tech giants ByteDance and Alibaba to ramp up AI infrastructure efforts

The two firms’ actions are poised to further intensify the global AI arms race.

30 Jan 2026 - 8:00PM

ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo wants to optimise efficiency across
the firm’s AI infrastructure. Photo: Shutterstock

China Economy

Can China’s AI strategy challenge India’s reign as ‘office of the world’?

Beijing’s ambition to move up the value chain could see it becoming a major exporter of digital services, AI to global high-end providers.

30 Jan 2026 - 8:03AMvideocam

Global Economy

Trump says the US dollar can move like a yo-yo. Will Treasuries be left hanging?

With the US president levelling threats at enemies, allies and his own central bank, alternatives like gold and Chinese assets are gaining appeal.

28 Jan 2026 - 11:18AMvideocam

Diplomacy

European leaders say the quiet part out loud: order no longer constrains power

EU leaders appear to have finally accepted they are facing a new era of great power competition – the question now is how they respond.

27 Jan 2026 - 9:40AMvideocam

China Economy

Exclusive | Maker of China’s C919 airliner set to ramp up production: sources

With 8 of the 15 planes made last year delivered to customers in November and December, a source said supply chain snags seem to be diminishing.

26 Jan 2026 - 9:33AM

A China Eastern Airlines C919 begins taxiing to the runway at Hong Kong International Airport in January last year. Photo: Eugene Lee

US defence strategy omission raises alarm in Taiwan over Trump’s intentions

Document splits opinion, with some experts fearing that the island could become a bargaining chip between Washington and Beijing.

US banks on strength – not confrontation – to deny China in Indo-Pacific

Chinese firms set for market growth as the global memory super cycle heats up

Eye-watering DRAM prices are bad news for consumers and smartphone brands, but present an opportunity for Chinese firms led by CXMT and YMTC.

As Canada and UK hit refresh on China ties, is this the end of Five Eyes?

The White House’s ‘America first’ strategy is prompting alliance members to take another look at their relationship with Beijing.

‘Rampant like a pandemic’: why Hongkongers struggle to get peace from junk calls

Thousands of residents affected by a surge in junk calls, with 466,000 reported in 2025 alone.

How will China respond as US expands foreign ship seizures?

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

China has ‘already proposed some projects’ in Nepal, as it looks to tap the country’s huge hydropower resources and sell power to India.

US hails Panama high court ruling against CK Hutchison’s ports concession

Secretary of State Rubio said the decision was encouraging, as it drew support on Capitol Hill and unease among Chinese-linked firms.

‘Critical point’: can Thailand election pave way for national reset?

With the economy struggling and corruption rife, Thai voters will look to the February 8 election as a chance to turn the country around.

.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.

Venezuela proposes to free hundreds of prisoners, close ‘torture’ prison

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez says the proposed law will hopefully ‘heal the wounds’ and restore peace among Venezuelans.

US may have averted major shutdown by splitting bill, but partial closure is on

House approval still needed, with a funding lapse expected before lawmakers move to pass the spending package early next week.

Ding Linwei convicted of stealing Google AI secrets for Chinese companies

Some of the blueprints were meant to give Google an edge over Amazon and Microsoft and to reduce Google’s reliance on Nvidia chips.

China lifted sanctions on British lawmakers after Starmer–Xi meeting, UK says

Prime minister says Beijing has removed 2021 curbs on MPs as part of a wider reset, though sanctions on others appear to remain.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Explainer | Blooming good: where to find cherry blossoms in Hong Kong this spring

Cherry blossom garden run by Airport Authority has expanded with 39 new trees, bringing the total to 160, On King Street Park is another hotspot.

US Justice Department opens probe into killing of Alex Pretti in ICE incident

Authorities did not explain why investigation was not launched into killing of Minneapolis woman Renee Good by an ICE agent 17 days before.

Hong Kong shelves cross-border levy plan, marks second policy U-turn in a day

Proposal was part of city government’s efforts to deal with HK$87.2 billion budget deficit.

Chinese hair salon owner arrested in Barcelona for funding Hamas via crypto

The 38-year-old Chinese national faces terror financing charges after allegedly laundering US$715,000 via cryptocurrency to the militant group.

Final set of Epstein files released, with mentions of Trump, Musk and Lutnick

The batch contains over 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

WTO faults US in dispute brought by China over clean energy subsidies

Large tax credits under Biden’s landmark climate law are inconsistent with WTO agreements and should be withdrawn, a panel ruled.

Trump DOJ arrests ex-CNN anchor over church protest after judge rebuffed charges

Taken into custody covering the Grammys, Don Lemon’s lawyer calls arrest a ‘First Amendment violation’, saying he was just chronicling a protest.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Central banks are propelling a 21st century global gold rush

Reflections | How Chinese new year cards went from elites’ greetings to bribery instruments

Asian Angle | ‘Old order is not coming back’: Trump’s US, not China, threatens status quo

Letters | Don’t be too quick to call brands out on cultural appropriation

Editorial | Starmer’s visit to China highlights benefits of dialogue over confrontation

Japanese start-up puts elderly women at heart of local economy

Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai win the Australian Open women’s doubles title

US defence strategy omission raises alarm in Taiwan over Trump’s intentions

Asian Angle | ‘Old order is not coming back’: Trump’s US, not China, threatens status quo

From devil-mouth caves to deer-filled parks, these sites deserve more love

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

How the Hong Kong Pony Club fosters young riders’ respect and nurtures relationships

Hong Kong Pony Club members learn horsemanship, build lasting friendships, and develop a lasting respect for horses and ponies.

Reservations now open for new banknotes for Year of the Horse red packets

What does AI predict will happen in the fiery Year of the Horse 2026?

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.

Open Questions | Jeffrey Ding on why diffusion, not innovation, is the secret to AI success

Professor says a ‘diffusion marathon’, where AI is gradually embedded in an economy over decades, will determine the winner of US-China tech war.

Open Questions | Why US raid on Venezuela could ‘work to China’s advantage’: John Mearsheimer

International relations scholar says US could easily take Greenland, while regime change in Tehran would be more difficult.

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

Political scientist says the Western-led global order remains useful, and the Belt and Road Initiative isn’t a geopolitical project.

China’s Alibaba, Moonshot claim latest AI models challenge OpenAI, Google

Alibaba says Qwen3-Max-Thinking is its ‘best model so far’, while Moonshot calls Kimi K2.5 the world’s most powerful open-source model.

Chinese firms set for market growth as the global memory super cycle heats up

Eye-watering DRAM prices are bad news for consumers and smartphone brands, but present an opportunity for Chinese firms led by CXMT and YMTC.

Ant Group’s open-source push aims to move robots from lab demos to real-world work

Flashy robots can dance and backflip on cue, but Ant Group is betting open-source AI can take them beyond scripted moves.

China tech giants ByteDance and Alibaba to ramp up AI infrastructure efforts

The two firms’ actions are poised to further intensify the global AI arms race.

Can China’s AI strategy challenge India’s reign as ‘office of the world’?

Beijing’s ambition to move up the value chain could see it becoming a major exporter of digital services, AI to global high-end providers.

Trump says the US dollar can move like a yo-yo. Will Treasuries be left hanging?

With the US president levelling threats at enemies, allies and his own central bank, alternatives like gold and Chinese assets are gaining appeal.

European leaders say the quiet part out loud: order no longer constrains power

EU leaders appear to have finally accepted they are facing a new era of great power competition – the question now is how they respond.

Exclusive | Maker of China’s C919 airliner set to ramp up production: sources

With 8 of the 15 planes made last year delivered to customers in November and December, a source said supply chain snags seem to be diminishing.

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

Explainer | Blooming good: where to find cherry blossoms in Hong Kong this spring

Opinion | Central banks are propelling a 21st century global gold rush