appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

SCMP

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. China’s economy grows 5.4% in first quarter ahead of full-blown US trade war
China’s economy beat expectations to expand by 5.4 per cent in the first quarter, keeping it broadly on track to meet this year’s official target even as uncertainty remains high over how the economy will fare amid an unprecedented trade war with the United States.
2. China appoints new trade representative as US tariff war heats up
China appointed a new international trade representative at the Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom) on Wednesday amid its trade war with the United States.
3. China’s new tech boosts sub hunt capabilities near Alaskan waters

Chinese researchers have unveiled a key development in underwater acoustic technology that could chart a new course for the country’s underwater defence capabilities. The innovation allowed scientists to pinpoint the depth of a low-frequency sound source with near-perfect accuracy in the Arctic’s Beaufort Sea – a critical gateway to Alaska and a focal point of US naval operations.
4. Trump’s scorning of Europe forces bloc to reconsider its ties with China
A slew of top-level visits, a string of “constructive” video calls and a repopulation of a previously sparse diplomatic calendar. The unintended consequence of US President Donald Trump’s scorning of Europe is the old continent’s re-engagement with China.
5. After Made in China 2025, could foreign firms lose tech edge, market share?

With Beijing having spent the past decade finding ways to bolster the nation’s technological independence through its “Made in China 2025” initiative, European companies with a stake in the world’s second-largest economy have watched with growing concern – fearful of becoming further marginalised.
6. China’s trade with Asia could plug hole left by US tariffs, economists say
China’s growth could drop by as much as one percentage point this year if soaring US import tariffs hold up, but its increasingly deep ties with Southeast Asia can help offset that loss, a regional economic surveillance body said on Tuesday.
7. From MIT to PKU: rising Chinese scholar Wang Jiangtao comes home

The Tsinghua University alumnus, who is known for a number of research breakthroughs, is now a principal investigator and doctoral adviser at Peking University.


Tokyo Sézanne’s missing stars; Hongkonger shed 32kg in 8 months: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Chinese carmakers race Tesla on humanoid robots; BYD launches ‘God’s Eye’: 7 EV reads

Philippines’ deadly quake, India’s rise in critical minerals: 7 Asia highlights

China turns African port into tourist spot, students rethink Hong Kong: 5 weekend reads

SCMP Highlights

China’s economy beats expectations, new sub-hunting tech: SCMP daily highlights

A worker is seen at CRRC Qiqihar Co. Ltd. in China’s Heilongjiang province, April 16, 2025. The country’s economy beat expectations according to the latest figures. Photo: Xinhua

A breakthrough in underwater acoustics has helped Chinese scientists achieve nearly perfect depth discrimination in difficult oceanographic conditions. Photo: Xinhua 

A “Made in China” display of electronics is seen at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong on Friday. Photo: Elson Li

The west gate of Peking University in Beijing. It is the latest institution to lure a top Chinese scholar back to China. Photo: Shutterstock

Tesla halts US-made models in China, Xpeng eyes Europe sales for MPV: 7 EV reads

Tesla’s Model 3 on display at a showroom in Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFE

Xpeng aims to start selling the new X9 in Europe from the second half of this year. Photo: Sun Yeung

A sign of battery manufacturer CATL is pictured at its booth at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing on April 25, 2024. Photo: Reuters

An assembly line inside an electric vehicle (EV) factory owned by Li Auto in Changzhou in eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Xinhua

CEO He Xiaopeng will unveil Xpeng’s 2025 X9 at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Photo: Sun Yeung

Trump’s tariff exemption for tech, Asia’s best restaurant: 5 weekend reads you missed

A woman poses with her smartphone displaying the @realdonaldtrump TikTok page, in Washington, US, on January 19. Photo: Reuters

Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer. Photo: Reuters

Illustration: Henry Wong

China and the US have traded tariff blows over the past week but the exchanges could end quickly if talks resume, some observers say. Photo: AFP

Eateries in Toa Payoh, central Singapore. Chinese food and drink brands have been expanding throughout the city state. Photo: Jean Iau

Gaggan Anand’s restaurants in Bangkok, Thailand, showcase the chef-owner’s cooking and his theatrical skills. Above: the dish at Gaggan called “rat brains”. Photo: Gaggan

Crocodile auction, China’s ‘demon teacher’, Chinese calligraphy: 5 trending stories

A court in China is auctioning off 100 tonnes of live crocodiles at a starting price of US$550,000, sparking much amusement online. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

A Hong Kong actress who puts her four-year-old daughter through a rigorous daily educational regime has been labelled a “monster parent”. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

Liu Xiaoyan is regarded as a highly influential English teacher on social media, particularly known for her tough-love teaching style to prepare students for China’s competitive postgraduate entrance exam. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/RedNote

An artist in China has paid off his parent’s massive debts by teaching calligraphy and writing ornate scrolls. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

A woman with a master’s degree in journalism from the esteemed Peking University has ignited significant discussions on social media about the career choices of young people today. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

News

China

Economy

World

From surprise growth in China and the EU facing Trump pressure to new submarine-finding tech, here’s a round-up from today’s China coverage


From surprise growth in China and the EU facing Trump pressure to new submarine-finding tech, here’s a round-up from today’s China coverage.


China’s economy beats expectations, new sub-hunting tech: SCMP daily highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From surprise growth in China and the EU facing Trump pressure to new submarine-finding tech, here’s a round-up from today’s China coverage

1. China’s economy grows 5.4% in first quarter ahead of full-blown US trade war

From surprise growth in China and the EU facing Trump pressure to new submarine-finding tech, here’s a round-up from today’s China coverage