Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

The Japanese government reportedly expressed concern to Beijing over conducted around Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Tokyo expresses concern to Beijing over military drills around Taiwan: report

Amid tension over Takaichi’s comments, Japan says Chinese coastguard patrolled near Diaoyu Islands for a record number of days this year.

2 hours agovideocam

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

China-Japan relations

China Economy

China’s factory activity breaks 8-month contraction, but headwinds persist

China’s manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in December, but analysts said it was too early to point to a sustained recovery.

4 hours ago

Science

China builds a record-breaking hypergravity machine to compress space and time

CHIEF1900 will help to recreate catastrophic events such as dam failures and earthquakes inside a lab, university says.

5 hours agovideocam

China Business

Hong Kong, mainland China stocks finish year with world-leading gains

City’s benchmark Hang Seng Index ends 2025 up 28 per cent, while the CSI 300 Index of mainland stocks rises 18 per cent.

32 minutes ago

Economy

Aircraft operated by Air China are parked at an airport in Beijing. The state-owned Chinese airline is one of several buyers in China to place orders for Airbus passenger jets in recent days. Photo: AFP

Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 145 A320 aircraft

Science

How China cracked US ‘super code’, health benefits of lard: 7 science highlights

From China building world’s largest smart transformer to health benefits of lard, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.

1 hour ago

China’s Southern Regional Electricity Market, the world’s largest unified power market, has fully switched to the homegrown Tianquan solver, which is 14 per cent faster than US rivals. Photo: EPA-EFE

Big Tech

Exclusive | ByteDance to pour US$14 billion into Nvidia chips in 2026 as AI demand surges

Chinese unicorn’s computing needs have climbed across its portfolio of popular apps, cloud unit Volcano Engine and large language models.

31 Dec 2025 - 9:00AM

Economics

Muslim businesses in China target Malaysia as global halal gateway

The growing presence of China’s Muslim entrepreneurs at a festival in Kuala Lumpur reflects their trust in Malaysia’s strong halal standards.

2 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

CIA behind drone strike on ‘big facility’ in Venezuela: sources

Sources divulge details of a US strike mentioned by Trump, as Colombia’s president says US bombed a suspected cocaine factory.

4 minutes ago

Personnel work on a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Puerto Rico. Photo: Reuters

Policy

Xi renews call to boost grain output after trade war sharpens food security push

Beijing renews push to fortify domestic crop supplies and modernise agriculture amid a tense geopolitical climate.

31 Dec 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

Society

Hong Kong to step up inspections as new smoking bans take effect on Thursday

Some residents aware of new rules banning smoking while queuing or near certain facilities, while less informed tourists say they will comply.

53 minutes ago

IPO Quote Profile

China’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market

Listing aims to fund wafer expansion and DRAM upgrades as Beijing drives tech self-reliance.

52 minutes ago

CXMT is China’s largest and the world’s fourth-largest DRAM manufacturer. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong restaurants, bars gear up for packed 2026 countdown parties

Lan Kwai Fong’s restaurants and bars nearly 90 per cent booked, while seaview eateries in Kowloon could take a hit from cancelled fireworks show.

23 minutes ago

The countdown event and light show on Charter Road are expected to draw large crowds of residents and tourists. Photo: Edmond So

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.

5 hours ago

Health & Environment

In India, New Delhi’s smog crisis exposes the high price of clean air

The winter smog has widened the affordability gap among residents, with many lower-income families lacking the means to buy an air purifier.

6 hours agovideocam

Politics

Takaichi is shaping up as Japan’s Thatcher. How long can she last?

The prime minister has defied the odds by winning back LDP voters with sweeping immigration, economic policies and a tough stance on Beijing.

31 Dec 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi prepares to welcome Central Asian leaders during a summit in Tokyo on December 20. Photo: Reuters

Travel & Leisure

2026 is a stellar year for supermoons and eclipses: what to look out for

The coming year is packed with cosmic events, from a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse to two six-planet line-ups to several supermoons.

15 minutes ago

A “ring of fire” solar eclipse seen from Tahai, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile, in 2024. In 2026, another will occur in February, but over the Antarctic. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

US envoy hosts Quad meeting in Beijing as PLA’s drills around Taiwan continue

Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.

31 Dec 2025 - 6:34AMvideocam

Health & Environment

Low-income patients call for more help as steeper Hong Kong hospital fees loom

From January 1, patients will need to pay more for certain services, and while safety net will also be widened, some people have fallen through the cracks.

5 hours ago

OPINION

Chow Chung-yan

Opinion | Be a potato: the lesson of the resilient staple resonates as 2026 approaches

31 Dec 2025 - 9:04AM

Letters

Letters | Annual spending cap protects the medically and financially at risk

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Alex Lo

As I see it | Why China is Myanmar’s only real hope

31 Dec 2025 - 9:30AM

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Powerful PLA drill shows US arms sales don’t help Taiwan Strait stability

31 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

SCMP Editorial

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31 Dec 2025 - 6:45AM

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SCMP Series

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SCMP Series Beijing’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.

25 Dec 2025 - 9:58AMvideocam

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

24 Dec 2025 - 9:53PMvideocam

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

23 Dec 2025 - 3:43PMvideocam

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.

29 Dec 2025 - 9:04AMvideocam

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.

22 Dec 2025 - 10:02AMvideocam

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

Key Industries:

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.

17 Dec 2025 - 7:00AM

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

IPO Quote Profile

China’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market

Listing aims to fund wafer expansion and DRAM upgrades as Beijing drives tech self-reliance.

52 minutes ago

Tech Trends

China-founded Tripo AI updates 3D content platform as users more than double

‘This shows that we’re on the right track,’ founder and CEO Simon Song Yachen says.

31 Dec 2025 - 7:00AM

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.

30 Dec 2025 - 9:00PM

ByteDance lifted pay floors and ceilings across all job roles to remain globally competitive in talent compensation. Photo: Shutterstock Images

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.

31 Dec 2025 - 8:23AMvideocam

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.

30 Dec 2025 - 9:01AMvideocam

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 11:00PMvideocam

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.

28 Dec 2025 - 6:00AMvideocam

The development could given China an edge in the development of 6G technology. Photo: Shutterstock

Tokyo expresses concern to Beijing over military drills around Taiwan: report

Amid tension over Takaichi’s comments, Japan says Chinese coastguard patrolled near Diaoyu Islands for a record number of days this year.

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

China’s factory activity breaks 8-month contraction, but headwinds persist

China’s manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in December, but analysts said it was too early to point to a sustained recovery.

China builds a record-breaking hypergravity machine to compress space and time

CHIEF1900 will help to recreate catastrophic events such as dam failures and earthquakes inside a lab, university says.

Hong Kong, mainland China stocks finish year with world-leading gains

City’s benchmark Hang Seng Index ends 2025 up 28 per cent, while the CSI 300 Index of mainland stocks rises 18 per cent.

Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 145 A320 aircraft

How China cracked US ‘super code’, health benefits of lard: 7 science highlights

From China building world’s largest smart transformer to health benefits of lard, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | ByteDance to pour US$14 billion into Nvidia chips in 2026 as AI demand surges

Chinese unicorn’s computing needs have climbed across its portfolio of popular apps, cloud unit Volcano Engine and large language models.

Muslim businesses in China target Malaysia as global halal gateway

The growing presence of China’s Muslim entrepreneurs at a festival in Kuala Lumpur reflects their trust in Malaysia’s strong halal standards.

.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.

CIA behind drone strike on ‘big facility’ in Venezuela: sources

Sources divulge details of a US strike mentioned by Trump, as Colombia’s president says US bombed a suspected cocaine factory.

Xi renews call to boost grain output after trade war sharpens food security push

Beijing renews push to fortify domestic crop supplies and modernise agriculture amid a tense geopolitical climate.

Hong Kong to step up inspections as new smoking bans take effect on Thursday

Some residents aware of new rules banning smoking while queuing or near certain facilities, while less informed tourists say they will comply.

China’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market

Listing aims to fund wafer expansion and DRAM upgrades as Beijing drives tech self-reliance.

Hong Kong restaurants, bars gear up for packed 2026 countdown parties

Lan Kwai Fong’s restaurants and bars nearly 90 per cent booked, while seaview eateries in Kowloon could take a hit from cancelled fireworks show.

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.

In India, New Delhi’s smog crisis exposes the high price of clean air

The winter smog has widened the affordability gap among residents, with many lower-income families lacking the means to buy an air purifier.

Takaichi is shaping up as Japan’s Thatcher. How long can she last?

The prime minister has defied the odds by winning back LDP voters with sweeping immigration, economic policies and a tough stance on Beijing.

2026 is a stellar year for supermoons and eclipses: what to look out for

The coming year is packed with cosmic events, from a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse to two six-planet line-ups to several supermoons.

US envoy hosts Quad meeting in Beijing as PLA’s drills around Taiwan continue

Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.

Low-income patients call for more help as steeper Hong Kong hospital fees loom

From January 1, patients will need to pay more for certain services, and while safety net will also be widened, some people have fallen through the cracks.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Be a potato: the lesson of the resilient staple resonates as 2026 approaches

Letters | Annual spending cap protects the medically and financially at risk

As I see it | Why China is Myanmar’s only real hope

Editorial | Powerful PLA drill shows US arms sales don’t help Taiwan Strait stability

Editorial | China provides substance to Cambodia-Thailand peace efforts

2026 is a stellar year for supermoons and eclipses: what to look out for

Who wins at Sha Tin? Circuit Grand Slam can be a knockout bet

Meet Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova – Ilya’s friend Svetlana in Heated Rivalry

Gallery | The most striking photos from SCMP photographers in 2025

Hong Kong police officer jailed over forging statements to close 10 cases

Gallery | In pictures: scores of purple tabebuia in full bloom in Hong Kong

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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’.

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.

China’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market

Listing aims to fund wafer expansion and DRAM upgrades as Beijing drives tech self-reliance.

China-founded Tripo AI updates 3D content platform as users more than double

‘This shows that we’re on the right track,’ founder and CEO Simon Song Yachen says.

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.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

Exclusive | ByteDance to pour US$14 billion into Nvidia chips in 2026 as AI demand surges

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

Opinion | Be a potato: the lesson of the resilient staple resonates as 2026 approaches