https://www.scmp.com/rss/283367/feed Chow Chung-yan began his journalistic career at the South China Morning Post and rose to become editor-in-chief in 2025. He has been running the SCMP’s day-to-day news operations since 2011. He led the newsroom’s organisational restructuring, streamlined its production workflows and set up dedicated teams for both the print and digital products to facilitate the newspaper’s digital transformation. He also assembled an award-winning infographics desk and spearheaded the redesign of the newspaper.... en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan A popular Soviet joke goes like this: a factory worker was caught stealing parts, piece by piece, to assemble a sewing machine for his wife at home. When the interrogator asks whether he ever managed to put it together, the worker sighs: “No matter how many times I reassemble it, I keep ending up with a Kalashnikov [machine gun].” The crushing dominance of the military-industrial complex, known in Russian as the VPK, was a decisive factor in the Soviet Union’s collapse. At its peak, it devoured... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3372977/can-china-tame-its-war-machine https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3372977/can-china-tame-its-war-machine Wed, 04 Nov 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan When I first watched Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs in 1992, I was struck by its inventive opening. Tarantino launched a gritty crime thriller not with a gunfight or a heist but with eight mobsters in a diner, finishing breakfast while bickering over Madonna and tipping etiquette. By depicting hardened criminals as ordinary men carping about daily trivialities, Tarantino dispensed with the genre’s macho clichés, rendering the characters disarmingly authentic. Decades later, the subject of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3372177/what-quentin-tarantinos-reservoir-dogs-says-about-us-midterms https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3372177/what-quentin-tarantinos-reservoir-dogs-says-about-us-midterms Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan The British Army’s miraculous escape from Nazi Germany’s encirclement at Dunkirk is considered by some to be the greatest military retreat in modern history and a prime example of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Yet years before Dunkirk, the military retreat by the Chinese Red Army, known as the Long March, was more impressive and consequential. While the Dunkirk evacuation remains in Hollywood fare and a staple of World War II folklore, the Long March is taught at military academies... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371344/evolution-chinas-active-defence-doctrine https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371344/evolution-chinas-active-defence-doctrine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Beijing is building a gold-backed monetary architecture to accelerate yuan internationalisation. In this three-part series, Part 1 traces China’s path as a gold superpower, while Part 2 explores the crucial role of Hong Kong’s offshore vaulting infrastructure. Hong Kong’s ambition to become an international gold trading centre rests not only on serving the nation’s financial needs, but also on China’s booming consumer market for gold. As the world’s largest gold producer and importer, China... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370195/game-changer-hong-kongs-gold-ambition-shenzhens-jewellery-hub https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370195/game-changer-hong-kongs-gold-ambition-shenzhens-jewellery-hub Mon, 12 Oct 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan This year’s Chinese National Day reception in Washington felt noticeably jollier than those I have attended in recent years. The mood was more relaxed and Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng’s opening speech was upbeat. He even joked about the panda ambassadors at his own expense. The cheerful tone followed President Xi Jinping’s short but successful state visit to the US, during which his counterpart, President Donald Trump, gave him an unprecedented high-level reception that would have flattered even... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369893/beyond-summit-how-us-china-relations-could-still-unravel https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369893/beyond-summit-how-us-china-relations-could-still-unravel Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Beijing is building a gold-backed monetary architecture to accelerate yuan internationalisation. In this three-part series, Part 1 traces China’s path to becoming a gold superpower, while Part 3 explores Hong Kong’s unique role in the emerging gold trading ecosystem. In 2013, one-third of the world’s traded gold passed through Hong Kong. That year, the city imported 1,158 tonnes of bullion, overtaking India, the traditional top buyer. For all our love of the glittering metal, little of it stayed... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369468/hong-kongs-bridge-gold-completes-chinas-yuan-ambition https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369468/hong-kongs-bridge-gold-completes-chinas-yuan-ambition Tue, 06 Oct 2026 01:00:05 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Beijing’s push to build a gold-backed monetary architecture serves a larger goal: yuan internationalisation. While this article traces China’s path to becoming a gold superpower, Part 2 and Part 3 focus on Hong Kong’s vital role in safeguarding the nation’s financial security. Perhaps no story illustrates the secret of China’s industrial success better than its rise as the world’s gold superpower. China has revered the metal for millennia, yet it has never had a gold-based economy. Its own... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369170/how-china-became-worlds-gold-superpower https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369170/how-china-became-worlds-gold-superpower Thu, 01 Oct 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Arthur Schopenhauer’s classic parable of relationships may help us understand today’s China-US ties. The reclusive German philosopher famously described how wintering porcupines need to cluster together to survive the biting cold, but hurt one another with their quills if they get too close. In the end, the porcupines must learn to balance the need for shared warmth against the pain of pricking each other. Chinese President Xi Jinping received an unprecedentedly lavish reception from Donald... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3368873/porcupine-dilemma-why-us-china-diplomacy-about-distance-not-deals https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3368873/porcupine-dilemma-why-us-china-diplomacy-about-distance-not-deals Fri, 25 Sep 2026 23:35:56 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan At the heart of Hong Kong’s first five-year plan lies the Northern Metropolis – a massive tract of land spanning roughly a third of our entire city. Much ink has been spilled over what this project represents and why it matters, but if I had to summarise it in a single sentence, I would call it the “Shenzhen of Hong Kong”. To me, Shenzhen stands as the most miraculous growth story on Earth. Forty-eight years ago, it was a sleepy fishing village with a single muddy main road and just tens of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367836/shenzhen-northern-metropolis-animated-spirit-experimentation https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367836/shenzhen-northern-metropolis-animated-spirit-experimentation Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan In any conversation about Hong Kong’s future, one question often emerges: when will the city pivot away from national security and back to economic development? To most, Hong Kong is fundamentally a commercial hub. After the turmoil of 2019, most reasonable people agreed that restoring public order was imperative. Today, the orchestrators of that unrest and the radicals are largely imprisoned or have fled. While occasional flare-ups and various forms of “soft resistance” persist, society at... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367391/why-hong-kongs-economic-future-still-hinges-national-security https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367391/why-hong-kongs-economic-future-still-hinges-national-security Tue, 15 Sep 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan The Chinese export juggernaut shows no signs of slowing, rising by a quarter year-on-year in August and putting the nation well on track for another record annual trade surplus after becoming the first in history to surpass the US$1 trillion mark last year. While much of the world remains preoccupied with debating China’s so-called overcapacity, an equally consequential phenomenon is frequently overlooked: the profound impact of Beijing’s trade strategy on the internationalisation of the yuan... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367018/why-china-steering-clear-us-exorbitant-privilege-model https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367018/why-china-steering-clear-us-exorbitant-privilege-model Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Elon Musk called it a fundamental catalyst for SpaceX. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman credited it with shaping his career. Newt Gingrich made it required reading for his congressional staff, and even Japanese cult leader Shoko Asahara was reportedly inspired by it. Isaac Asimov’s Foundation was published as a book series 75 years ago this week, and it has lost none of its relevance or poignancy today. Unlike Frank Herbert’s Dune, which is evocative, poetic and elegantly composed, Asimov’s style was... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3364964/why-asimovs-foundation-series-still-resonates-ai-era https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3364964/why-asimovs-foundation-series-still-resonates-ai-era Wed, 26 Aug 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan In every civilisation, certain stories capture the psyche so profoundly that they are retold across centuries. In the West, Homer’s Odyssey is the one. Countless adaptations have emerged over millennia, inspiring literary giants from Dante Alighieri to James Joyce. Christopher Nolan’s cinematic adaptation is merely the latest. While it reflects the British-American filmmaker’s personal vision, it also offers a glimpse into the anxieties and self-reflections of today’s Western elite. Homer’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3363689/what-nolans-odysseus-tells-us-about-western-elites-existential-angst https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3363689/what-nolans-odysseus-tells-us-about-western-elites-existential-angst Fri, 14 Aug 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Dear Readers, Few industries have been as profoundly transformed by the advent of artificial intelligence as the media. This technological revolution is fundamentally reshaping how we gather, produce, and distribute information. As a news organisation with 123 years of history, learning to adapt has always been part of our DNA. But adaptation is only half the equation; the other half is remaining steadfast in our core values – focusing on our readers’ needs and earning your trust. These guiding... https://www.scmp.com/announcements/article/3362376/news-age-ai-new-print-and-digital-experience-scmp-readers https://www.scmp.com/announcements/article/3362376/news-age-ai-new-print-and-digital-experience-scmp-readers Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Mainstream media, particularly in Hong Kong, have historically been conservative in their research and development spending. Media executives prefer to shop for off-the-shelf solutions, treating technology as back-office support rather than a core growth engine. This mode of operation now faces an existential challenge amid the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI), large language models and Web3 technologies. Concurrently, these developments offer Hong Kong’s media industry fresh... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3360373/why-and-how-media-industry-can-fit-hong-kongs-first-5-year-plan https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3360373/why-and-how-media-industry-can-fit-hong-kongs-first-5-year-plan Wed, 15 Jul 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan “Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, published the sayings of Confucius in his colonial newspaper and today’s sculpture recognising that ancient Chinese age is carved into the face of the United States Supreme Court very proudly,” said US President Donald Trump in Beijing last month. It took two-and-a-half centuries for an American president to explicitly acknowledge the profound Chinese impact on the US founding fathers. Trump’s recent declaration could be a historical first. Unless archival... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3358034/how-chinese-philosophy-influenced-us-founding-fathers https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3358034/how-chinese-philosophy-influenced-us-founding-fathers Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) appears sudden and revolutionary, yet its origins stretch deep into history, revealing a profound and forgotten intellectual exchange between China and the West. Long before Alan Turing, Claude Shannon, or even Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, there was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz – the German polymath born exactly 380 years ago next week. Among his monumental contributions to science is the binary numeral system, which serves as the bedrock of modern... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3357612/i-ching-leibniz-and-ai-how-old-china-west-links-shaped-modern-science https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3357612/i-ching-leibniz-and-ai-how-old-china-west-links-shaped-modern-science Tue, 23 Jun 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Some may feel a lump in their throats as they watch Hong Kong’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, make history, but few see it as anything more than an inspirational story for our youth. In reality, space, which can feel lofty and far away to pragmatic Hongkongers, could hold the key to our city’s economic future. In my previous column, we discussed why Hong Kong represents China’s best chance to build an alternative global maritime insurance system, but also why that remains mission impossible for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356657/can-hong-kong-make-giant-leap-commercial-space-insurance https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356657/can-hong-kong-make-giant-leap-commercial-space-insurance Wed, 17 Jun 2026 01:00:05 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan The once-mighty Royal Navy is now but a shadow of its former self, plagued by years of budget cuts and management scandals. It has shrunk to its smallest size since the Napoleonic Wars. Lord Nelson must be turning in his grave. Yet despite the sorry state of its fleet, Britain remains the lord of the seven seas, albeit in a different fashion. Together, the Anglo-Saxons on either side of the Atlantic control the oceans and global shipping without needing to deploy a single vessel – a phenomenon... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356503/can-hong-kong-break-londons-maritime-insurance-grip https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356503/can-hong-kong-break-londons-maritime-insurance-grip Tue, 16 Jun 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Our report that China’s landmark Pinglu Canal is set for trial operations in September was one of the most read the week it was published. Interestingly, most of those who read the report were from the United States, followed by Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. The report had three times as many Singaporean readers as local ones. I find this disparity concerning and not for reasons of editorial vanity. While the Pinglu Canal is a global story – representing one of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355865/why-hong-kong-should-be-very-interested-pinglu-canal https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355865/why-hong-kong-should-be-very-interested-pinglu-canal Thu, 11 Jun 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan In my travels around the world, I’m often asked if the best days of Hong Kong are behind us. My answer is always an emphatic “no” – and this is not merely a pep talk. When you step back and take a broad macroeconomic view, it becomes clear that, structurally speaking, our greatest opportunities lie just ahead. While many commentators scramble to draw parallels between Japan’s “lost decades” and China’s economic headwinds, they miss a far more apt and profound comparison: the phenomenon known as... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355765/hong-kong-must-be-ready-chinese-firms-great-repatriation-wealth https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355765/hong-kong-must-be-ready-chinese-firms-great-repatriation-wealth Tue, 09 Jun 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan It is hard not to be impressed by the sheer energy Donald Trump displayed during his whirlwind visit to Beijing. Within just 43 hours, the 79-year-old president held two meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, inspected troops, attended a state banquet and walked around the Temple of Heaven in sweltering heat – not to mention making his characteristic social media postings in the wee hours of the morning. Showing no signs of jet lag, Trump seemed to be in high spirits, glad-handing everyone... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353808/how-trumps-china-visit-may-hint-2-eyes-world-are-learning-live-together https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353808/how-trumps-china-visit-may-hint-2-eyes-world-are-learning-live-together Sat, 16 May 2026 07:15:22 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan As the world watches in horror at death raining from the skies in the Middle East, millions of Chinese are glued to the television watching a turbulent drama that unfolded in their own country, albeit some eleven centuries ago. Swords into Ploughshares, a historical TV drama set during the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, has emerged as an unexpected smash hit coming into China’s festive season. Yet it is more than just a television phenomenon. In some ways, it sheds light on the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345366/what-historical-smash-hit-tells-us-about-chinas-strategic-focus https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345366/what-historical-smash-hit-tells-us-about-chinas-strategic-focus Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:41:52 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan This year’s Munich Security Conference arrived as less of a shock to Europeans, who have largely accepted that the good old days are gone for good. A few might still have got teary-eyed when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described America as eternally “the child of Europe”, but most in the audience understood the underlying message: “You are on your own now, Granny.” The difference between Rubio’s more measured phrasing and Vice-President J.D. Vance’s blunt remarks last year is largely a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344695/europe-ready-strategic-autonomy-what-cost https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344695/europe-ready-strategic-autonomy-what-cost Fri, 27 Feb 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan In today’s chaotic world, we can sum up the shift in the global economy and geopolitics with a single number: 1 trillion. The year 2024 will be remembered as the first time in history that a national government’s interest payments on its debt exceeded US$1 trillion, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis. Despite US President Donald Trump’s pledge to cut federal spending and his aggressive global trade war, the United States is now adding US$1 trillion in national debt every... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339507/forget-venezuela-and-greenland-here-real-trillion-dollar-question https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339507/forget-venezuela-and-greenland-here-real-trillion-dollar-question Mon, 12 Jan 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan As families and friends gather to bid farewell to a turbulent 2025, the unassuming potato will, no matter where you live, almost certainly find its place on the dinner table. Domesticated nearly 10,000 years ago in Peru, it did not voyage beyond the Americas until the 16th century. Yet no vegetable has played a more significant role in human history and politics than this humble tuber. Dubbed the calorie king, potatoes produce more calories and nutrients per unit of land than any other major... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338149/be-potato-lesson-resilient-staple-resonates-2026-approaches https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338149/be-potato-lesson-resilient-staple-resonates-2026-approaches Wed, 31 Dec 2025 01:00:12 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Between the Lines, from SCMP Plus, provides in-depth analysis and context for key Chinese government documents. This is the official English translation of the original Chinese document released by Xinhua. https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330147/chinas-fourth-plenum-communique https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330147/chinas-fourth-plenum-communique Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:00:16 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan As next-generation tanks and fighter jets roll past the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, many in China will be swept up in a sense of national pride. The Chinese leadership has set a target for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to emulate the American military – often described as the greatest fighting force in history – by 2049. The futuristic hardware on show by the PLA will prompt optimism at home that China is on track to meet that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323606/chinas-military-closes-gap-us-economic-front-opens-race-security https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323606/chinas-military-closes-gap-us-economic-front-opens-race-security Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan As next-generation tanks and fighter jets roll past the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, many in China will be swept up in a sense of national pride. The Chinese leadership has set a target for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to emulate the American military – often described as the greatest fighting force in history – by 2049. The futuristic hardware on show by the PLA will prompt optimism at home that China is on track to meet that... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323615/chinas-military-closes-gap-us-economic-front-opens-race-security https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323615/chinas-military-closes-gap-us-economic-front-opens-race-security Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:02:10 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan The global economy breathed a collective sigh of relief as China and the US stepped back from the brink of a damaging trade decoupling. The better-than-expected results from their Geneva negotiations sent ripples of confidence through financial markets. Yet beneath the surface optimism lingers the sobering reality that this is merely a 90-day reprieve rather than a lasting resolution. Given the intricate and often contentious nature of their economic interdependence, the prospect of a sweeping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311006/us-china-tariff-truce-offers-hope-resolution-fentanyl-and-other-issues https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311006/us-china-tariff-truce-offers-hope-resolution-fentanyl-and-other-issues Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan From Sun Tzu to Carl von Clausewitz, strategists have long emphasised that the key to winning a war lies in the clear alignment of purpose, goal and means, coupled with a deep understanding of the adversary. Without these, a stronger opponent will inevitably lose to a weaker foe who possesses them. This is the immutable law of war. A month into Donald Trump’s global tariff war, even the president’s closest associates have struggled to agree on or articulate a coherent purpose, goal or strategy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3308657/us-fixated-beating-china-it-needs-stop-beating-itself https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3308657/us-fixated-beating-china-it-needs-stop-beating-itself Fri, 02 May 2025 01:00:13 +0000 Relying on brute strength has never been the Chinese way of fighting. A smaller fighter with superior inner balance and core strength can overcome a larger opponent. As China faces an escalating economic war with the United States, this ancient wisdom also applies. Beijing is not eager to negotiate and is not under any illusion that the tariff war with Donald Trump’s America will end soon. The Chinese leadership now recognises that unlike the trade disputes of Trump’s first term, America’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307226/could-trumps-tariffs-make-china-faster-leaner-and-stronger https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307226/could-trumps-tariffs-make-china-faster-leaner-and-stronger Mon, 21 Apr 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Dear friends, This month marks the third anniversary of our small but dynamic science reporting team. To celebrate, I’d like to share a story with you. In 2014 – a year after Edward Snowden’s exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post – we published a follow-up. Our science reporter, Stephen Chen, wrote that China was developing a “hack-proof” quantum communication network that would revolutionise encryption. The story was met with scepticism. Few people knew what quantum... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3307160/science-fiction-reality-charting-unexplored-aspect-chinas-rapid-rise https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3307160/science-fiction-reality-charting-unexplored-aspect-chinas-rapid-rise Sun, 20 Apr 2025 01:00:22 +0000 When US President Donald Trump signed the historic tariff orders that launched the global tariff war on April 2, the pen he used could well have been made in China. Even if we leave aside that particular pen, the paperwork that follows will mainly be processed with tools sourced from Chinese factories, which now face an accumulated American tariff of around 125 per cent. The irony underscores a deeper truth about the US-China trade relationship: tariffs meant to punish Beijing often end up... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305890/why-chinas-grip-american-life-will-stay-unshaken-trump-tariffs-or-not https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305890/why-chinas-grip-american-life-will-stay-unshaken-trump-tariffs-or-not Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:36 +0000 Speed is the essence of warfare and the global trade war launched by US President Donald Trump is no exception. Trump’s Liberation Day of reciprocal tariffs was historic. No major economy in modern history has tried such a daring move. But despite the name, the US tariffs offer no liberation and are not reciprocal. However, they should not have come as a surprise. Most politicians are condemned for not fulfilling their election promises, but Trump has got it the other way around – explicitly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305469/picking-trade-war-china-donald-trump-may-find-time-not-his-side https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305469/picking-trade-war-china-donald-trump-may-find-time-not-his-side Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Never before have we faced such rampant information manipulation in our daily lives – and with the rise of artificial intelligence, this may only be the beginning. To navigate this relentless onslaught of misinformation, we should take a lesson from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the immortal Sherlock Holmes. Since his debut in 1887, Holmes has become one of history’s most beloved fictional characters; the epitome of logical reasoning, sharp observation, and scientific deduction. Doyle,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305233/chinas-collapse-or-domination-avoid-mistakes-sherlock-holmes-creator https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305233/chinas-collapse-or-domination-avoid-mistakes-sherlock-holmes-creator Sat, 05 Apr 2025 01:00:19 +0000 Much has been said about Thucydides’ trap, but few talk about Pericles’ walls. Yet, if we look for historical lessons from the Peloponnesian war some 2,500 years ago, the story of the Long Walls is more relevant. The story of the war between Athens and Sparta in the fifth century BC – narrated masterfully by Athenian general and historian Thucydides – was unfamiliar to most modern readers until American scholar Graham Allison coined the term “Thucydides’ trap” to describe the “inevitable” clash... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3304162/us-china-war-inevitable-why-its-time-set-thucydides-aside-and-talk-about-pericles https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3304162/us-china-war-inevitable-why-its-time-set-thucydides-aside-and-talk-about-pericles Fri, 28 Mar 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan Chinese strategists love to draw lessons from the country’s rich history, just as Cesare Borgia inspired Niccolo Machiavelli in Renaissance Italy. The downfall of Viscount Xiang of Zhi (Zhi Bo) in the fourth century BC was often told as a cautionary tale and an example of diplomacy over force. Such a dramatic story bears retelling, and 2,473 years later, we can still learn a thing or two from it. The powerful central kingdom of Jin, one of the hegemonic powers in the late Zhou dynasty, was on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3303414/could-start-chinas-warring-states-period-have-lessons-present-day https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3303414/could-start-chinas-warring-states-period-have-lessons-present-day Sat, 22 Mar 2025 01:00:24 +0000 Last Wednesday, the leaders of the world’s two greatest powers laid out starkly different visions for their countries. The outcomes of these conflicting doctrines may impact the global balance of power and even settle a centuries-old debate on economics and public governance. In Washington, US President Donald Trump, in his first address to Congress of his second term, gave a speech that would please the followers of his 1980s predecessor Ronald Reagan or free-market economist Milton Friedman –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302121/can-trump-and-chinas-contrasting-economic-visions-finally-settle-state-vs-market-debate https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302121/can-trump-and-chinas-contrasting-economic-visions-finally-settle-state-vs-market-debate Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:00:14 +0000 History is a series of pendulum swings, and we have just witnessed a major oscillation – less than a century after the world order was last rearranged. In 1944, months before the Allied powers secured their final victory over Germany and Japan, the top leaders had already begun thinking about the post-war world order and how to secure long-lasting peace. British prime minister Winston Churchill flew to Moscow that October to discuss with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin how to divide up Europe. What... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3301181/old-world-order-new-again-and-time-us-leading-retreat https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3301181/old-world-order-new-again-and-time-us-leading-retreat Thu, 06 Mar 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Even for those who take no interest in traditional Chinese mythology, the phenomenal success of the animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 deserves attention. The story of a rebellious “demon” boy who dared to challenge the celestial order and take destiny into his own hands has captivated millions in China. The animation, loosely based on traditional Chinese mythology, is set to become the first Chinese film to gross 10 billion yuan (US$1.37 billion). This goes beyond a successful business story. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3297913/what-success-wukong-nezha-and-deepseek-holds-future-china-us-rivalry https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3297913/what-success-wukong-nezha-and-deepseek-holds-future-china-us-rivalry Sat, 08 Feb 2025 13:30:07 +0000 Until now, November 5 has been remembered chiefly for the gunpowder plot of 1605, when a group of fanatical Catholics in England tried to blow up the Protestant establishment to bring back “the good old days”. Future generations in the United States may mark this date for Donald Trump’s stunning presidential election victory, with a similar gambit. The populist leader stormed to an odds-defying second term on the promise to “Make America Great Again” – and to deliver on that, Trump needs to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286596/there-method-madness-donald-trumps-gunpowder-gambit https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286596/there-method-madness-donald-trumps-gunpowder-gambit Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:12 +0000 Some 25 years before Deng Xiaoping first proposed “one country, two systems” as a creative political solution to facilitate Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau’s return to China, Mao Zedong tasked him with finding an answer to the Tibet issue. It was 1957, six years after Beijing and Lhasa signed the Seventeen-Point Agreement that confirmed Tibet as part of the People’s Republic of China and its autonomous status. Tensions started to flare between the two sides shortly afterwards. The central leadership... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3276947/how-deng-xiaopings-one-country-two-systems-dates-back-1957-tibet https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3276947/how-deng-xiaopings-one-country-two-systems-dates-back-1957-tibet Wed, 04 Sep 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Some 25 years before Deng Xiaoping first proposed “one country, two systems” as a creative political solution to facilitate Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau’s return to China, Mao Zedong tasked him with finding an answer to the Tibet issue. It was 1957, six years after Beijing and Lhasa signed the Seventeen-Point Agreement that confirmed Tibet as part of the People’s Republic of China and its autonomous status. Tensions started to flare between the two sides shortly afterwards. The central leadership... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3276952/how-deng-xiaopings-one-country-two-systems-dates-back-1957 https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3276952/how-deng-xiaopings-one-country-two-systems-dates-back-1957 Tue, 03 Sep 2024 04:42:14 +0000 As China commemorates the 120th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping’s birth, the Post examines his legacy across generations. In the first of a three-part series, we look at Deng’s continuing resonance with the ruling Communist Party’s leadership. Chairman Mao Zedong called him the “steel factory” for his uncompromising resolve. Yet he was also a master of charm – winning the hearts and minds of the American public in one swoop by donning a cowboy hat on the first visit by a Chinese communist leader to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3275339/china-celebrates-deng-xiaopings-legacy-country-again-crossroads https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3275339/china-celebrates-deng-xiaopings-legacy-country-again-crossroads Wed, 21 Aug 2024 22:00:19 +0000 Patricia Flor, German ambassador to China, talks to the Post in the wake of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s pivotal visit to China in April. The conversation delves into the spectrum of shared understandings and points of contention between the two countries, including overcapacity, Ukraine, climate change and the sensitive topic of espionage arrests. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China generated a lot of discussion. Some said it was very successful while others criticised him for not being tough... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3262185/german-carmakers-want-compete-china-it-must-be-fair-fight-envoy https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3262185/german-carmakers-want-compete-china-it-must-be-fair-fight-envoy Sun, 12 May 2024 22:00:30 +0000 A year after taking up his appointment as French ambassador to China, Bertrand Lortholary sits down with the Post to share his views on China-France relations – from trade frictions and technology competition to cooperation in global challenges, as well as people-to-people exchanges and the celebrations that will mark 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In a lot of ways, France is important to China, not only because economically it is a great partner but also in the political... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258215/france-europe-engage-china-their-terms-their-own-interests-envoy https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258215/france-europe-engage-china-their-terms-their-own-interests-envoy Mon, 08 Apr 2024 22:00:31 +0000 The new buzzword in China’s politics is “new quality productive forces”. First used by President Xi Jinping last September, the cryptic phrase is now on every official’s lips, seemingly becoming the answer to China’s economic troubles. Unfortunately, few outside the establishment understand what it means. Some have dismissed it as a wordplay to mask Beijing’s inadequacies to revive its growth trajectory. History will tell whether the Chinese leadership can succeed in creating these forces, but... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254844/what-does-xis-hi-tech-push-mean-china https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254844/what-does-xis-hi-tech-push-mean-china Tue, 12 Mar 2024 01:30:10 +0000 The biggest surprise to emerge at this year’s gathering of the two top Chinese government bodies came at a news conference on Monday, a day ahead of the meeting of the National People’s Congress: Premier Li Qiang will not be holding a press conference at the end of the meeting of the top legislative body this year, or in coming years, barring unforeseen circumstances, a parliament spokesman said. So ends 30 years of tradition. This move immediately sparked concerns about opacity, as the annual... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3260432/two-sessions-premier-lis-workaday-report https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3260432/two-sessions-premier-lis-workaday-report Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:21:03 +0000 We introduce this inaugural edition of the Daily Pulse by previewing the once-a-year gathering of China’s two main political bodies in early March, an event at which the country’s premier will unveil the government’s policy agenda for the next year. The main theme to emerge from last year’s “two sessions” was the Chinese Communist Party’s further centralisation of control over key sectors. This included the establishment of the Central Financial Commission, for example, to strengthen supervision... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3260431/two-sessions-inside-chinas-corridors-power https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3260431/two-sessions-inside-chinas-corridors-power Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:12:22 +0000