https://www.scmp.com/rss/2647/feed Josephine Ma is China news editor and has covered China news for the Post for more than 20 years. As a correspondent in Beijing, she reported on everything from the 2003 Sars outbreak to the riots in Lhasa and the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She has been based in Hong Kong since 2009. She has a master’s degree in development studies from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree in English language from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Fan Chen,Josephine Ma Fan Chen,Josephine Ma US President Donald Trump said on Friday night he was looking forward to his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next month and predicted it would be “special”. Trump posted on social media: “China’s President Xi is very happy that Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening; I look forward to meeting Xi. “Our meeting ‌in China will ‌be a special ⁠one and, potentially, Historic. I ⁠look forward to being with President ‌Xi – ‌Much will be accomplished!” Trump was originally... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350555/donald-trump-predicts-meeting-xi-jinping-will-be-special-ahead-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350555/donald-trump-predicts-meeting-xi-jinping-will-be-special-ahead-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:06:34 +0000 Josephine Ma,Wendy Wu,Fan Chen Josephine Ma,Wendy Wu,Fan Chen Chinese analysts have cautioned about any possible role for Beijing as a security guarantor in the Middle East, after the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday voiced hopes that China would help secure regional peace. Addressing reporters in Beijing hours after the US declared a brief ceasefire, Iranian envoy Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said: “We hope different sides could guarantee that the US would not resume the war, we hope the UN Security Council, big countries like China and Russia, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349347/iran-hopes-china-can-be-security-guarantor-middle-east-envoy-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349347/iran-hopes-china-can-be-security-guarantor-middle-east-envoy-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:38:23 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma William Klein worked for more than two decades as a US diplomat, including in several senior roles at the United States’ embassy in Beijing from 2016 to 2021. He worked at the American Institute in Taiwan and on the US State Department’s China desk in Washington, and occupied US diplomatic posts in South Asia, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. He is based in the Berlin office of FGS Global, a strategic advisory and communications firm. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347497/trump-xi-summits-inside-view-us-ex-diplomat-william-klein?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347497/trump-xi-summits-inside-view-us-ex-diplomat-william-klein?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma William Klein worked for more than two decades as a US diplomat, including in several senior roles at the United States’ embassy in Beijing from 2016 to 2021. He worked at the American Institute in Taiwan and on the US State Department’s China desk in Washington, and occupied US diplomatic posts in South Asia, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. He is based in the Berlin office of FGS Global, a consultancy with a focus on US-China and EU-China relationships. SCMP Plus readers get early... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347242/inside-look-trump-xi-summits-ex-diplomat-william-klein?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347242/inside-look-trump-xi-summits-ex-diplomat-william-klein?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Song Ping, a veteran Chinese revolutionary who lived through five generations of Communist Party leaders, has died at the age of 108. He died at 3.36pm in Beijing on Wednesday, state news agency Xinhua reported, describing him as a loyal communist fighter, and an outstanding state and party leader. Song’s career began in the 1930s before the founding of the People’s Republic including a spell as political secretary to the future premier Zhou Enlai. Song held many important positions during the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345438/song-ping-veteran-chinese-communist-dies-aged-108-after-career-spanned-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345438/song-ping-veteran-chinese-communist-dies-aged-108-after-career-spanned-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:56:06 +0000 Vanessa Cai,Laura Zhou,Josephine Ma,Alcott Wei,Dannie Peng Vanessa Cai,Laura Zhou,Josephine Ma,Alcott Wei,Dannie Peng Donald Trump called on the Iranian people to overthrow their government after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran early on Saturday in what the US president described as “major combat operations”. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally … obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy. We’re going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region or the world and attack... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3344963/israel-launches-preemptive-strike-against-iran-saying-it-seeks-remove-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3344963/israel-launches-preemptive-strike-against-iran-saying-it-seeks-remove-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:46:02 +0000 Frank Chen,Josephine Ma Frank Chen,Josephine Ma US President Donald Trump will travel to China from March 31 to ⁠April 2 for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the White House has announced. The summit between Trump and Xi, the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies, will be watched closely, particularly in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Observers noted that the court’s decision could leave Trump with less leverage against China during negotiations and might give a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344195/date-set-us-president-donald-trumps-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344195/date-set-us-president-donald-trumps-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 04:09:52 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Lawrence J. Lau is a Hong Kong economist specialising in economic development and East Asian economies. He was a professor of economics at Stanford University before serving as vice-chancellor and president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong until 2010. Lau has held the Ralph and Claire Landau Professor of Economics chair at the university since 2007. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. What is your take on China’s drive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341984/lawrence-lau-why-china-must-work-smarter-and-how-it-can-invent-scratch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341984/lawrence-lau-why-china-must-work-smarter-and-how-it-can-invent-scratch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma China’s unrelenting anti-corruption drive will improve – not compromise – the military’s fighting strength, two signed commentaries published in the PLA Daily have argued. The articles – one on Friday and the other on Saturday – in the People’s Liberation Army mouthpiece called corruption the “number one killer” of battle effectiveness and cautioned against both “unrealistic optimism” and “harmful pessimism” about the anti-graft campaign – suggesting the crackdown on corruption will not end any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341947/chinas-military-redoubles-corruption-fight-wake-zhang-youxias-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341947/chinas-military-redoubles-corruption-fight-wake-zhang-youxias-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:56:49 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Lawrence J. Lau is a Hong Kong economist specialising in economic development and East Asian economies. He was an economics professor at Stanford University in the United States before becoming vice-chancellor and president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong until 2010. Lau has held the Ralph and Claire Landau Professor of Economics chair at the university since 2007. For other interviews in the series, click here. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series.... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3341714/china-needs-more-education-higher-wages-advance-lawrence-lau-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3341714/china-needs-more-education-higher-wages-advance-lawrence-lau-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma The last two giant pandas in Japan are set to leave for China on January 27, one month ahead of schedule as bilateral tensions continue to worsen. The return of the twins, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, marks the first time in about half a century that Japan will be without any pandas. Beijing first sent two of the animals to Tokyo to mark the normalisation of diplomatic relations in 1972. The four-year-olds were born at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo but technically all giant pandas and their offspring in overseas... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340574/japans-last-2-giant-pandas-set-early-trip-home-china-tensions-spiral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340574/japans-last-2-giant-pandas-set-early-trip-home-china-tensions-spiral?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:35:26 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma John Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war. In this, our 100th Open Questions interview,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340309/john-mearsheimer-trump-and-why-iran-isnt-venezuela-and-venezuela-isnt-panama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340309/john-mearsheimer-trump-and-why-iran-isnt-venezuela-and-venezuela-isnt-panama?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 22:00:17 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma John Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war. In this interview, Mearsheimer discusses the US raid on... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3340023/china-wins-if-venezuela-ensnares-imperialist-trump-mearsheimer-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3340023/china-wins-if-venezuela-ensnares-imperialist-trump-mearsheimer-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 02:00:27 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Nie Weiping, a legendary Go master in China, died in Beijing at the age of 73 on Wednesday. Nie is best remembered for his dramatic victory in the first Japan-China Super Go in 1985. Few had hope that China would win because its players had long lagged behind Japanese competitors in the strategy board game. By the time it was Nie’s turn to play in Tokyo, Japan’s top player, Kobayashi Koichi, had already won six straight games against his Chinese counterparts. Nie was the only Chinese player left... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340042/nie-weiping-chinese-go-master-known-dramatic-victory-over-japanese-rival-dies-73?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340042/nie-weiping-chinese-go-master-known-dramatic-victory-over-japanese-rival-dies-73?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:57:06 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma When Zeng Jinghan accepted an offer to lead the Confucius Institute at Lancaster University in England in 2018, he already had a plan to write a book. “I thought it would be very interesting if I could write about something that I know a lot about and participate in it personally, like Richard Crossman’s The Diary of a Cabinet Minister,” Zeng said, referring to the British politician’s memoirs published half a century ago. The job did not offer higher pay, and he was still an international... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337265/chinese-spy-propagandist-former-confucius-institute-director-tells-his-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337265/chinese-spy-propagandist-former-confucius-institute-director-tells-his-story?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma George Yeo is a visiting scholar at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He started his career in the military before entering politics in 1988. During his 23 years with the Singaporean government, Yeo held ministerial portfolios ranging from arts to health, trade and – for seven years – foreign affairs. After he left politics, Yeo was vice-chairman of Kerry Group in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2021 and chairman and executive director of its logistics arm from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337074/george-yeo-superpower-headaches-and-why-us-dollar-could-crack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337074/george-yeo-superpower-headaches-and-why-us-dollar-could-crack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:00:17 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma George Yeo was Singapore’s foreign minister for seven years, ending in 2011, after earlier holding ministerial portfolios related to technology, health and trade. Before entering politics, he served in the city state’s military. He is now a visiting scholar at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He was also vice-chairman of Kerry Group in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2021 and chairman and executive director of its logistics arm from 2012 to 2019. SCMP Plus... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336863/yeo-how-trump-wants-avoid-taiwan-upending-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336863/yeo-how-trump-wants-avoid-taiwan-upending-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 04:28:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma A research project about changes in family life over three generations has found that traditional values still play a key role in sexual relations in China, and women often struggle amid tensions between old and new. One of the areas of conflict is what researcher Liu Jieyu has called a “virginity battle”. Influenced by Western liberal attitudes, many younger Chinese men are open to premarital sex, and they often pressure their girlfriends to have sex while dating, according to Liu’s new book,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335508/virginity-battle-chinese-women-caught-between-old-and-new-sexual-values?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335508/virginity-battle-chinese-women-caught-between-old-and-new-sexual-values?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism in international relations, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war. In this interview,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330356/john-j-mearsheimer-unavoidable-anarchy-and-what-trump-gets-right-china-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330356/john-j-mearsheimer-unavoidable-anarchy-and-what-trump-gets-right-china-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 22:00:26 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism in international relations, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war. In this interview,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330088/john-mearsheimer-taiwan-us-china-rivalry-trump-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330088/john-mearsheimer-taiwan-us-china-rivalry-trump-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:47:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma China has accused the nine generals expelled from the Communist Party on Friday of seriously undermining the principle that the military should be loyal to the party, saying that they dealt a serious blow to the unity of the armed forces and the image of senior officers. In an editorial published on Saturday, military mouthpiece PLA Daily said the disgraced nine – including He Weidong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and a member of the 24-man Politburo – had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329511/expelled-chinese-generals-disloyal-and-dealt-serious-blow-army-pla-daily?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329511/expelled-chinese-generals-disloyal-and-dealt-serious-blow-army-pla-daily?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 08:30:26 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Today’s world has been shaped by a series of major agreements and the key developments that followed them towards and after the end of World War II. A number of international institutes and global governing mechanisms are credited with helping to prevent another world war and bring about trade globalisation over the past 80 years. In recent years, however, the West and China have both claimed that the other side has undermined the post-war world order. The following is a look at the major... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324157/why-wests-post-wwii-order-being-challenged-and-how-china-could-reshape-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324157/why-wests-post-wwii-order-being-challenged-and-how-china-could-reshape-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:00:10 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma China crowned a busy week of grand diplomacy with a spectacular military parade on Wednesday, sending a message to the world that it has the determination and strength to champion a multipolar global order as geopolitical challenges rise. Flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and leaders from 26 countries, President Xi Jinping gave a keynote speech on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324233/china-parades-statecraft-and-hardware-world-faces-critical-choices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324233/china-parades-statecraft-and-hardware-world-faces-critical-choices?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 14:01:03 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Geoffrey Hinton is a British-Canadian computer scientist often called the “godfather of AI” because of his revolutionary neural network models inspired by the structure of the human brain. His research brought about a paradigm shift that enabled today’s machine learning technology. He won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University. Hinton holds the title of university professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. A company he co-founded with two graduate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323824/geoffrey-hinton-preventing-ai-takeover-and-very-worrying-china-us-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323824/geoffrey-hinton-preventing-ai-takeover-and-very-worrying-china-us-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 22:00:24 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Geoffrey Hinton has been dubbed the “godfather of AI” because of his revolutionary neural network models, which were inspired by the structure of the human brain. He shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.” Hinton quit Google in 2023 to speak freely about the risks posed by AI. He joined the technology giant’s AI research team, Google Brain, a decade earlier through the acquisition of a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323440/godfather-ai-hinton-making-computers-care-about-humans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323440/godfather-ai-hinton-making-computers-care-about-humans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 07:00:12 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Since the emergence of ChatGPT, tech companies have been pouring enormous resources into artificial intelligence (AI) tools as they compete for market share. In just a few months, even average users may have noticed the immense improvements in the quality of the content generated by AI. The tools now make it easy to create videos and music, while AI articles and commentaries are also becoming more common. The latter are particularly common in mainland China. For example, a search of social and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322404/why-media-must-try-hold-its-credibility-age-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322404/why-media-must-try-hold-its-credibility-age-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:08:10 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Chinese social media has a unique ecology. On one hand, it is strictly controlled and censored. On the other hand, it has the world’s largest number of users, and many are willing to get feisty about the topics they are allowed to debate online. Making this ecology even more complex are the huge commercial benefits involved. According to Chinese government statistics, there were about 1.1 billion internet users last year, and experts believe most use social media. That also means there is an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320862/chinas-online-gender-wars-wont-stop-without-space-healthy-debate-social-issues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320862/chinas-online-gender-wars-wont-stop-without-space-healthy-debate-social-issues?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:29:10 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Jeffrey Sachs is an economics professor and director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He is president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He was a special adviser to the UN Secretary General and has advised multiple governments on economic transition, debt crisis solutions and poverty alleviation policies. Part 1 of the Sachs interview, published in July last year, can be found here. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320575/jeffrey-sachs-says-us-sabre-rattling-china-can-become-self-fulfilling-prophecy-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320575/jeffrey-sachs-says-us-sabre-rattling-china-can-become-self-fulfilling-prophecy-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma A young woman expelled from university for having sex with a foreigner. A man jailed for raping his fiancée after paying her the bride price. And a video game portraying women as gold diggers. These are among the cases fuelling heated debate, and outrage, on Chinese social media in recent months over sexism, misogyny and gender stereotypes. The discussion started in April when a court in Datong, Shanxi province upheld the guilty verdict and three-year prison sentence of a man who had raped his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320433/sex-lies-and-video-games-heated-debate-over-sexism-and-misogyny-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320433/sex-lies-and-video-games-heated-debate-over-sexism-and-misogyny-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Jeffrey Sachs is an economics professor and director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He is president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He was a special adviser to the UN Secretary General and has advised multiple governments on economic transition, debt crisis solutions and poverty alleviation policies. The Post’s previous interview with Sachs, published in July last year, can be found here. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3320220/jeffrey-sachs-dictatorial-trump-his-gift-china-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3320220/jeffrey-sachs-dictatorial-trump-his-gift-china-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:01:12 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma China is now busy drafting the next five-year plan, which will run from 2026 to 2030, and that analysts say will be crucial to determining whether the country can fulfil President Xi Jinping’s Vision 2035. Under the blueprint, China should make a major leap in economic and technological prowess by 2035, as well as see a rise in rural and urban incomes. It also envisages breakthroughs in core technologies, a modern military, modern governance, and narrowing of the urban-rural divide to achieve... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3318330/dont-overlook-mental-health-quest-chinas-innovative-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3318330/dont-overlook-mental-health-quest-chinas-innovative-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:23:40 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Suicide rates among adolescents in China reveal an unusual pattern: some studies show that those from more affluent families and with better-educated parents are at a higher risk of taking their own lives compared with those from less privileged backgrounds. This stands in stark contrast to trends observed in many other countries, where children from poorer families and those exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt suicide. However, this does not imply that children from poorer... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3317433/chinas-youth-facing-unique-academic-pressures-age-ai-need-helping-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3317433/chinas-youth-facing-unique-academic-pressures-age-ai-need-helping-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:40:29 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Within hours, the Israel-Iran ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump appears to have collapsed. Initially, there was a glimmer of hope for de-escalation. Israel confirmed its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal and even reopened its airspace for emergency flights, while Iranian state media said a ceasefire had been “imposed on the enemy” after Tehran’s missile attacks on an American base in Qatar. Iran reportedly issued a warning before launching the strikes in response to “blatant... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315691/does-iran-need-change-thats-iranians-decide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315691/does-iran-need-change-thats-iranians-decide?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2025 13:17:29 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Ryan Hass is director of the John L. Thornton China Centre and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is also a senior fellow at the think tank’s Centre for Asia Policy Studies. He is a former diplomat with a focus on China and served as a key member of the National Security Council during the administration of former US president Barack Obama. He served as a foreign service officer in the US embassies in Beijing, Seoul and Ulaanbaatar, and in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3314521/trump-and-xi-will-act-tough-wont-allow-free-fall-us-china-ties-ryan-hass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3314521/trump-and-xi-will-act-tough-wont-allow-free-fall-us-china-ties-ryan-hass?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 22:00:22 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Ryan Hass is director of the John L. Thornton China Centre and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is also a senior fellow at the think tank’s Centre for Asia Policy Studies. He is a former diplomat with a focus on China and served as a key member of the National Security Council during the administration of former US president Barack Obama. He served as a foreign service officer in the US embassies in Beijing, Seoul and Ulaanbaatar, and in... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3314138/trump-and-xi-wont-allow-free-fall-relations-hass-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3314138/trump-and-xi-wont-allow-free-fall-relations-hass-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2025 08:10:56 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma While the US has resumed processing of student and exchange visitor visas, the future of Chinese students who are attending Harvard remains uncertain. The resumption followed a federal judge’s decision last week to temporarily block a ban on Harvard’s qualification to enroll international students. The judge set a June 16 hearing for further arguments in the case. Harvard also vowed to continue its legal battle, while working to ensure its international students and scholars can “fully” pursue... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3313885/us-risks-hard-won-soft-power-alienating-chinese-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3313885/us-risks-hard-won-soft-power-alienating-chinese-students?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:47:30 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma A heart-wrenching suicide note left by an 18-year-old girl who killed herself in April has reignited discussion online about the heavy academic burden placed on children in China. In the letter, the girl – who was in her final year at a top high school in Bengbu, a city in the central province of Anhui – wrote about the pressure she felt to do well and said she had been broken by relentless exams, particularly maths and physics. “I cannot bear how you meticulously checked the scores of all the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3313633/chinese-teens-suicide-puts-crushing-academic-pressure-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3313633/chinese-teens-suicide-puts-crushing-academic-pressure-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Most analysts would agree that the trade truce between Beijing and Washington is a temporary de-escalation of tension as fundamental factors, such as their economic and tech rivalries, remain much the same. However, the 90-day tariff pause is an important period for the two countries to prepare for strategic moves in the next stage, including speeding up the diversification of supply chains and markets to reduce the shock of potential tariff hikes once the truce ends. The easing of tension is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311093/us-should-change-narrative-about-opioid-crisis-if-it-wants-chinas-full-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311093/us-should-change-narrative-about-opioid-crisis-if-it-wants-chinas-full-support?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 May 2025 12:00:11 +0000 One line in particular in a strongly worded speech by Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs, drew widespread attention last week. The pre-recorded speech covered a wide range of issues and reiterated many of Beijing’s official lines about Hong Kong’s security. Xia also condemned the US tariffs on Hong Kong, claiming they were not just about trade but aimed at taking away the city’s life itself. “Despite Hong Kong being the largest source of the US trade surplus, the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307483/can-us-tariffs-targeting-hong-kongs-very-survival-really-choke-life-out-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307483/can-us-tariffs-targeting-hong-kongs-very-survival-really-choke-life-out-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Apr 2025 12:30:19 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping told Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday that Beijing was ready to enhance trade and economic ties with Asean countries to combat decoupling and protectionism. He said Beijing was ready to upgrade the free-trade zone between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and – in an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s tariffs – called for cooperation to respond “the law of the jungle with Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3306768/chinas-xi-malaysias-anwar-meet-closed-door-talks-beijing-courts-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3306768/chinas-xi-malaysias-anwar-meet-closed-door-talks-beijing-courts-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:01:54 +0000 Chen Xiaokai, a marketing trainer for wedding photography companies, has been paying a lot of attention to the demographic changes in various Chinese cities. “Our clients set their sales targets based on the population and the demographic structure of their cities. It is very important for us,” he said. Chen has spent more than a decade in the wedding photo industry and travels to different cities to train clients. Over the years he has sensed differences between cities with growing populations... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3306240/can-chinas-urban-giants-compete-population-declines-accelerate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3306240/can-chinas-urban-giants-compete-population-declines-accelerate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Apr 2025 04:38:54 +0000 In a rare video posted on his social media account last Friday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned that the world was entering an era which was “more arbitrary, protectionist and dangerous” following the “seismic change” of the world order brought by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The remarks, five minutes long, were made two days after the US leader announced sweeping tariffs on all of its trading partners that ranged from 10 to 50 per cent, sparking a global sell-off of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3305653/trumps-tariffs-roil-world-markets-will-new-global-trade-order-bypass-us-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3305653/trumps-tariffs-roil-world-markets-will-new-global-trade-order-bypass-us-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:17:44 +0000 China will impose a 34 per cent tariff on imported American goods in addition to existing duties in response to similar moves by the United States, further escalating trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies. The Chinese tariff will apply from April 10, according to the State Council, China’s cabinet. The retaliation announced on Friday came two days after the US unveiled a 34 per cent tariff on Chinese goods. The swift response suggests that Beijing is going to play tough,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3305260/china-hits-back-us-34-tariff-american-imports-retaliation-trumps-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3305260/china-hits-back-us-34-tariff-american-imports-retaliation-trumps-move?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Apr 2025 10:13:51 +0000 Aid is pouring into Myanmar following the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country on Friday, resulting in at least 1,700 deaths and thousands more people injured. However, it is widely believed the final toll will be much higher because of poor communications networks and the fragmentation of the country that has resulted from years of civil war. Many roads and bridges have also collapsed, making it hard for equipment and rescuers to arrive. Many people have reportedly had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3304756/china-leads-relief-quake-hit-myanmar-will-civil-war-stymie-aid-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3304756/china-leads-relief-quake-hit-myanmar-will-civil-war-stymie-aid-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:09:04 +0000 The ripples from DeepSeek continue to spread in China, where the government has embraced the tech start-up’s unexpected success by speeding up the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI). The rise of DeepSeek, developed by home-grown tech talent, is evidence that Beijing’s strategy of pouring resources into training the next generation of innovators over the past decade has worked out. Apparently encouraged by the AI company’s swift ascent, President Xi Jinping said on the sidelines... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3302873/chinas-ai-revolution-should-promote-equality-not-just-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3302873/chinas-ai-revolution-should-promote-equality-not-just-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 11:10:05 +0000 Every March, the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – together known as the “two sessions” – offer a rare opportunity for overseas journalists to catch a glimpse into the opaque world of Chinese politics. The two sessions are very different from the legislative meetings of Western countries. For example, foreign journalists are only granted access to certain panels and events during China’s annual parliamentary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3300971/chinas-two-sessions-chance-boost-beijings-image-more-transparency-needed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3300971/chinas-two-sessions-chance-boost-beijings-image-more-transparency-needed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 07:23:53 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has refocused attention on national security and risk reduction, telling the Communist Party’s inner circle that safeguarding the political system is the top priority. Addressing the Politburo on Friday, Xi said the party would advance the Peaceful China Initiative to an “even higher level”, despite changing conditions. “To adapt to changes [in circumstances and targets], the Peaceful China Initiative can only be strengthened, and it cannot be weakened,” state news... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3300677/safeguarding-chinas-regime-top-priority-xi-jinping-tells-politburo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3300677/safeguarding-chinas-regime-top-priority-xi-jinping-tells-politburo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Mar 2025 10:38:37 +0000 China’s purchasing managers’ index, a key indicator for manufacturing activity, reached a three-month high in February and returned to positive territory as the country ramped up measures to boost the economy. The PMI in February was 50.2 compared with 49.1 in January and 50.1 in December. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below 50 reflects contraction. Analysts said the January PMI had been hit by a slow season in the manufacturing sector due to the Lunar New Year holiday. PMI... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3300656/chinas-pmi-data-returns-positive-territory-february?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3300656/chinas-pmi-data-returns-positive-territory-february?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Mar 2025 05:05:41 +0000 The blow-up between the presidents of the US and Ukraine at the White House on Friday not only shocked the world in real time, but left Ukraine in an even more precarious position, according to observers. The meeting with Donald Trump had been seen as a potential diplomatic win for Volodymyr Zelensky in his pursuit of a security guarantee from the United States in return for joint investment in Ukraine’s critical minerals – a move that could also counter Chinese dominance of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3300637/trump-and-ukraines-zelensky-clash-oval-office-shouting-match?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3300637/trump-and-ukraines-zelensky-clash-oval-office-shouting-match?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:48:56 +0000 The growing use of artificial intelligence tools by Chinese schoolchildren has triggered a debate about how to guide pupils to use the technology while ensuring they do not lose critical thinking skills. A survey conducted in one secondary school in northern China by Banyuetan, a biweekly magazine affiliated with the state news agency Xinhua, found that 40 per cent of the 700 or so respondents had used mainland chatbots such as DeepSeek, Doubao and Kimi for their winter break homework this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299860/chatbots-children-china-grapples-how-teach-use-and-ethics-ai-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299860/chatbots-children-china-grapples-how-teach-use-and-ethics-ai-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Feb 2025 06:00:13 +0000