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The Chinese military released footage on Sunday of the YJ-20 hypersonic missile in a test launch from a Type 055 destroyer. Photo: China Military Bugle

China’s ‘carrier killer’ hypersonic missile YJ-20 in final testing: video

Chinese military’s recently unveiled longest-range missile appears to be nearing mass production.

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China’s PLA simulated battles near Mexico, Cuba and Taiwan, CCTV report shows

China's military weapons
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China Economy

How China is upgrading its digital yuan for the stablecoin era

Beijing is upgrading its digital currency in response to the rise of stablecoins, but the goal is to create a fundamentally different system.

Diplomacy

China and US need new ways to engage for stable ties: Wang Yi

Speaking at a symposium in Beijing, the foreign minister also criticised remarks Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made about Taiwan.

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Hong Kong Economy

All Hong Kong retail banks to offer anti-scam service, locking cash in accounts

‘Money Safe’ users will have to meet a bank employee to undergo verification process to ensure their funds are not going to scammers.

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Economy
The Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haikou, capital of Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua

China’s Hainan hosts duty-free shopping spree under new customs regime

Europe

‘Ocean’s Eleven’-style thieves take US$35 million from German bank

Thieves used a large drill to break into the Sparkasse savings bank, police said, likening the robbery to the crime film Ocean’s Eleven.

A giant hole in a wall of the vault of a Sparkasse bank branch after thieves broke in at the weekend. Photo: Police Gelsenkirchen / AFP / Handout
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South Asia

India overtakes Japan as world’s fourth largest economy, eyes top 3 in 2026

Government data shows India’s GDP at US$4.18 trillion, with projections it will surpass Germany by 2026 despite global trade challenges.

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Military

PLA fires rockets near Taiwan on second day of Beijing’s drills around island

Coastguard releases poster depicting blockade as Eastern Theatre Command conducts live-fire exercises to north and south of island.

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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.

Economics

Mile-high crime club: theft syndicates target Asia’s airlines

Experts say rising passenger volumes, including an influx of Chinese travellers amid visa-free schemes, have attracted gangs operating in the skies.

A man was jailed for 20 months for stealing luggage on a Singapore Airlines flight from Dubai to the city state. Photo: AFP

Law and Crime

18 years jail for Hong Kong man who stole HK$61 million by adding ‘0’ to cheques

Property manager falsified reimbursements issued to him for work done, stealing HK$61.1 million from owners’ corporation over a decade.

Americas

Oil tankers still arriving in Venezuela despite US blockade, data shows

2 vessels approaching the coast are part of a fleet used by China ‌and Venezuela to pay debt service, with crude bound for Chinese ports.

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China Economy

China’s Shenzhen targets AI in ‘every household’ as US tech rivalry heats up

Local officials want to embed cutting-edge tech across society in coming five-year plan.

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China’s leadership has identified the importance of AI to national development, including in the proposals for the 15th five-year plan. Photo: Shutterstock

Society

Who died in 2025? The prominent figures Hong Kong said goodbye to

Henderson Land founder Lee Shau-kee, singer-songwriter Khalil Fong, renowned food critic Chua Lam and toy tycoon Lam Leung-tim – the Post rounds up famous figures who died.

Hong Kong singer-songwriter Khalil Fong. Photo: Handout

Business

Beijing trims property resale tax in fresh push to stabilise housing market

Under new rules, sellers will pay just 3 per cent VAT if they offload a property within two years of purchase, down from 5 per cent.

SERIES: Year of the Horse 2026

7 successful people born in the Year of the Horse, from Ang Lee to Lu Han

Horses are considered to be energetic, capable and driven to succeed. Here are 7 famous, successful Horses who epitomise those characteristics.

Middle East

UAE to withdraw forces from Yemen after Saudi ultimatum over air strike

Decision to withdraw follows Saudi air strike on a supply dock Riyadh claimed was used for weapons, marking a major split between the allies.

A video screengrab show a person gesture toward smoke after a Saudi-led airstrike on Tuesday targeting UAE-backed separatists in Mukalla, Yemen. Photo:.Aden al-Mustakillah TV/Reuters

Entertainment

Review | Back to the Past: Louis Koo, Raymond Lam lead nostalgic film sequel

This big-budget sci-fi fantasy may be an emotional watch for fans of the 2001 Hong Kong show A Step into the Past, even if it falls short.

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Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past.

Politics

China unveils new ethnic unity laws with ‘national security perspective’

The new proposals aim to protect national symbols and threaten action against those obstructing the use of the standard Chinese language.

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Global Economy

China’s lagging basic research calls for core tech pivot, economic adviser urges

Wang Yiming says Beijing must innovate from the ground up to create deterrents against foreign supply cuts, citing missed R&D spending target.

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OPINION
Peter T. C. Chang

Opinion | If Trump wants a deal with China, he must rein in US allies in Asia

Peter T. C. Chang
Kamala Thiagarajan

Opinion | Amid the bad news of 2025, science cooperation has been a beacon of hope

Kamala Thiagarajan
Andy Xie

Opinion | Rise of China’s open source platforms will finally burst the AI bubble

Andy Xie
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Letters

Letters | How government-led building repairs can work in Hong Kong

Letters
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong still needs a waste-charging scheme

SCMP Editorial
Harry’s View | 31 Dec 2025
December 31, 2025
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Americas

Oil tankers still arriving in Venezuela despite US blockade, data shows

Europe

Poland urges EU to probe TikTok over suspected Russian AI-generated content

Europe

‘Ocean’s Eleven’-style thieves take US$35 million from German bank

Business

Beijing trims property resale tax in fresh push to stabilise housing market

Europe

France pushes back plastic cup ban amid industry pressure, green backlash

Entertainment

Review | Back to the Past: Louis Koo, Raymond Lam lead nostalgic film sequel

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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 | 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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Illustration: Henry Wong

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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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’.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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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

Tech Trends

China’s tech giants offer lavish year-end bonuses amid AI talent war

ByteDance is expanding its bonus pool by 35 per cent from a year earlier, as well as increasing the budget for pay rises by 150 per cent.

China Economy

China’s Shenzhen targets AI in ‘every household’ as US tech rivalry heats up

Local officials want to embed cutting-edge tech across society in coming five-year plan.

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Big Tech

China-founded AI start-up Manus acquired by Meta for ‘billions’

Deal will bring Singapore-based Manus’ ‘leading agent to billions of people’, Meta says.

Since its launch, Manus has generated industry buzz for its capabilities as well as its limited and highly sought-after invitation codes. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

How Takaichi’s Taiwan comments fuelled Beijing-Tokyo row with no end in sight

Dispute over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan could ultimately hinge on the US-China-Japan triangle, analysts say.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Military

A look at China’s ‘Flying Shark’ J-15 jet that made waves near Japan

Fighter in service for more than a decade often patrols potential conflict hotspots including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

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Science

Chinese 6G smart surface could allow stealth jets to use radar as a power source

The technology could help power future communications systems and shift the dynamics of electronic warfare, team says.

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China Economy

Wild goose chase? France works to rouse China’s appetite for foie gras imports

French producers hope their famed pate can win a slice of China’s market, but price sensitivities and domestic competition could mean their goose is cooked.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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