https://www.scmp.com/rss/308601/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China has emerged as a credible challenger to the US in artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery, where advantage depends not only on computing prowess but also on the ability to effectively mine data, from genomes to clinical trial results, according to Leung Chuen-yan, a private equity investor and life sciences scientist. “Globally, the way companies develop and use AI to discover drugs is similar, from finding the drug target and designing the molecule to planning clinical trials,” said... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:30:11 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese investment bank Citic Securities took the top position for overall investment banking fees in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan, in 2025, driven by its strong business performance in bond and initial public offering (IPO) underwriting, according to a report released on Tuesday by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). The Beijing-based brokerage generated US$1.45 billion in investment banking fees during the last year, accounting for 5.8 per cent of the total Asia-Pacific investment banking... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3338888/citic-securities-tops-asia-pacific-investment-banking-ranks-us145-billion-fees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3338888/citic-securities-tops-asia-pacific-investment-banking-ranks-us145-billion-fees?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 07:01:11 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Mainland China’s 17 million Alzheimer’s patients can, for the first time, pay less out of pocket for a costly drug touted as “historic” and “the beginning of the end” for the memory-robbing disease after Beijing launched a commercial insurance innovative drug list in an effort to make medicines more accessible and affordable. Leqembi, developed by Japan’s Eisai and costing a mainland Chinese patient about US$28,400 a year, could see its price cut by half after it was added to the inaugural... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336397/chinas-new-drug-insurance-lifeline-patients-or-squeeze-big-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336397/chinas-new-drug-insurance-lifeline-patients-or-squeeze-big-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:30:07 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese companies expanding overseas are increasingly using the yuan for financing and payments to build their international operations, boosting the currency’s growing clout in international trade and investment. “Based on my calculation, 10 per cent of our company’s total orders were priced and settled in renminbi,” said Yang Feng, finance director for overseas marketing at Sieyuan Electric, in a panel discussion organised by Standard Chartered at the China International Import Expo in... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3333034/yuan-rapidly-gaining-ground-chinese-firms-plot-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3333034/yuan-rapidly-gaining-ground-chinese-firms-plot-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 06:38:44 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China’s top securities watchdog appeared in public just hours after he was reported to have offered his resignation, in what analysts said could be an effort by authorities to prevent market destabilisation. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said in a statement on Thursday that its chairman Wu Qing was travelling to France and Brazil from November 10 to 13. It also displayed photos on its website of Wu taking part in meetings in the two countries. The prompt and rare publicity of... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3332701/chinas-market-regulator-wu-qing-appears-public-after-resignation-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3332701/chinas-market-regulator-wu-qing-appears-public-after-resignation-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:41:19 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Multinational corporations including French beauty giant L’Oréal and Canadian sportswear brand Lululemon have pledged continued investment in China at the world’s largest trade fair in Shanghai, signalling confidence in the world’s second-largest economy amid signs of a consumer recovery. Speaking on the sidelines of the China International Import Expo (CIIE), L’Oréal chief executive Nicolas Hieronimus said “investing in China is investing in the future”, citing the country’s recovering luxury... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3331810/luxury-and-lifestyle-giants-signal-renewed-confidence-chinas-consumer-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3331810/luxury-and-lifestyle-giants-signal-renewed-confidence-chinas-consumer-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 11:29:58 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang This is the sixth and final part of the exclusive Capital Connectors series in which influential Chinese and global bankers reveal the opportunities and challenges for Hong Kong in its evolution as an international financial hub. If history serves as a guide, Hong Kong’s continued reign as a premier international financial centre depends on a time-tested formula: adapting to meet evolving needs, particularly in response to the development of China’s economy, according to Wang Lei, CEO of Huatai... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3328550/hong-kongs-financial-future-hinges-adapting-chinas-hi-tech-pivot-huatai-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3328550/hong-kongs-financial-future-hinges-adapting-chinas-hi-tech-pivot-huatai-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Foreign investment in China is going through a significant structural transformation as multinational companies move capital towards the country’s new-economy industries, according to HSBC Holdings’ co-CEO for Asia and the Middle East. Multinational companies (MNCs) were increasing investment allocations to sectors such as high-end manufacturing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, David Liao Yi-chien said on Tuesday, adding that MNCs also remained optimistic about consumption-related industries... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3324834/chinas-new-economy-sectors-high-end-manufacturing-draw-mnc-investments-hsbc-co-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3324834/chinas-new-economy-sectors-high-end-manufacturing-draw-mnc-investments-hsbc-co-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:00:17 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Shares of Chinese cancer drug developer Akeso slumped on Monday despite the company receiving a second marketing approval from the mainland’s drug regulator for an innovative medicine. The shares tumbled 11.8 per cent to HK$87.20 at the close of trading, after surging 20.8 per cent in the previous four sessions on the back of a string of favourable clinical trial results announcements. The shares traded as high as HK$105.50 on Friday, 6.5 times their initial public offering price of HK$16.18... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3308177/chinas-akeso-hailed-biotechs-deepseek-moment-falls-despite-nod-cancer-drug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3308177/chinas-akeso-hailed-biotechs-deepseek-moment-falls-despite-nod-cancer-drug?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:11:18 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng When the stock markets in Hong Kong and mainland China resumed trading after a long weekend on Monday, traders knew they were in for a world of pain. Only a few niche healthcare companies emerged unscathed. Pacific Shuanglin Bio-pharmacy, Beijing Tiantan Biological Products and China Resources Boya Bio-pharmaceutical Group – involved in processing human blood plasma into high-value medical products – gained 10.6 to 16.6 per cent in two days after Beijing announced a matching 34 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3306136/trump-vs-china-biotech-who-will-emerge-victorious-tariff-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3306136/trump-vs-china-biotech-who-will-emerge-victorious-tariff-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Apr 2025 03:00:10 +0000 US House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan on Sunday demanded EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera clarify how she enforces the European Union’s rules reining in Big Tech, saying they appear to target US companies. The request came two days after US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum warning that his administration would scrutinise the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act “that dictate how American companies interact with consumers in the European Union”. The Digital... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3299835/us-demands-eu-antitrust-chief-clarify-rules-reining-big-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3299835/us-demands-eu-antitrust-chief-clarify-rules-reining-big-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 20:01:02 +0000 Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will unveil Hong Kong’s budget on February 26. Recent indications that funding for Hong Kong’s eight public universities will be adjusted over the next three years have intensified the funding debate ahead of the city’s fiscal reforms. As the government grapples with a significant deficit, these funding cuts raise critical questions: should public funding priorities shift away from universities with substantial reserves, or does this risk undermining Hong... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3299032/why-hong-kong-must-be-careful-about-cutting-university-funding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3299032/why-hong-kong-must-be-careful-about-cutting-university-funding?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Shanghai has taken a big step towards reclaiming the title as the country’s largest vehicle production hub following Toyota Motor’s plan to make cars in the city. The metropolis, which has been eclipsed by Shenzhen and Guangzhou since 2022 in car production, announced on Wednesday that the Japanese marque would start building pure electric vehicles (EVs) from 2027 at its wholly owned plant in the southwestern Jinshan district. Toyota’s investment “fully reflects China’s attractiveness to foreign... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3297606/shanghai-aims-reclaim-chinas-top-carmaking-crown-100000-unit-toyota-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3297606/shanghai-aims-reclaim-chinas-top-carmaking-crown-100000-unit-toyota-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2025 23:30:07 +0000 A Hong Kong organisation for the blind has called on budget carrier HK Express to investigate after two visually impaired passengers said they were forcibly removed from a flight, an accusation the company has denied. The Hong Kong Blind Union on Sunday urged the airline, part of city flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, to launch an inquiry and hold to account the crew members who made the “insulting and offensive” decision. The airline apologised to Andy Chui Man-chun, 34, and John Li... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3269489/hong-kong-union-wants-investigation-after-hk-express-pulls-2-blind-passengers-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3269489/hong-kong-union-wants-investigation-after-hk-express-pulls-2-blind-passengers-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 07:44:49 +0000 Swire Properties will open the first phase of its Zhangyuan redevelopment project in Shanghai next July, kicking off the renewal of one of most important – and storied – landmarks in China’s commercial hub. About 20,000 square metres (215,278 square feet) will open in July 2022, featuring retail shops, restaurants, co-working space for start-ups, and contemporary art installations, said Swire, the 60 per cent shareholder of a venture with Zhangyuan’s owner Shanghai Jing’an Real Estate Group.... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3144396/swire-turn-zhangyuans-shikumen-cluster-shanghais-covent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3144396/swire-turn-zhangyuans-shikumen-cluster-shanghais-covent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Aug 2021 00:30:17 +0000 A clause has been added to China’s draft data security law that will punish Chinese companies for handing over domestically stored data to foreign police, courts and investigators without Beijing’s consent, a move that will make it harder for overseas law enforcement agencies to get data out of China. China’s top lawmaking body, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, began a second review of the draft law this week, following its initial reading last June, according to Chinese state... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3131453/china-punish-data-exports-overseas-courts-beijing-beefs-defence-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3131453/china-punish-data-exports-overseas-courts-beijing-beefs-defence-against?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Apr 2021 10:30:56 +0000 China Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), the biggest Chinese investor in the Czech Republic, will be bailed out from its debt-fuelled shopping spree in Europe with a haircut, the first of a trio of mainland asset buyers that are being forced into holding fire sales for their acquisitions. CEFC is negotiating to sell its Czech portfolio of luxury hotels, a football club, a brewery and a broadcaster to Chinese state conglomerate Citic Group for a combined 6.7 billion yuan (US$980 million), a 44... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2162216/chinas-leveraged-asset-buyers-must-now-brace-discounts-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2162216/chinas-leveraged-asset-buyers-must-now-brace-discounts-their?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:15 +0000 Last year would have gone down in Chinese history as an important year for politics and the economy. The successful completion of the 19th Party Congress for the Communist Party has further cemented President Xi Jinping’s political authority and ushered in a new generation of leaders who are ready to take China to the next stage of development. On the macroeconomic front, a combination of revived exports, resilient consumption, and a surprisingly solid real-estate market has led the economy to... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2128605/dont-be-too-discouraged-slowing-chinese-economy-healthier-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2128605/dont-be-too-discouraged-slowing-chinese-economy-healthier-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2018 04:47:25 +0000 The Hong Kong government is taking a cautious approach in the plans to review its mortgage policy for first-time buyers, according to James Lau, the secretary for financial services and the treasury – but any such move must be carefully thought out, so as not to add further fuel to what is an already overheating property market in the city. “The government needs to be very cautious in launching any mortgage policy aimed at helping youngsters or any other members of the public to buy their own... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2128266/hong-kong-government-pledges-cautious-approach-easing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2128266/hong-kong-government-pledges-cautious-approach-easing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jan 2018 05:37:20 +0000 DJI, the world’s largest recreational drones maker, has introduced a so-called local data mode, which will let users fly their devices without any data exchanged with the pilot and the internet during flights. The new safety mode could stop internet traffic being accessed to and from its DJI Pilot app, which is designated to provide enhanced data privacy assurances for sensitive government and private corporate customers, DJI said in a statement on Monday. The DJI Pilot app is specifically for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-tech/article/2113799/dronemaker-dji-introduces-privacy-mode-after-us-army-bans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-tech/article/2113799/dronemaker-dji-introduces-privacy-mode-after-us-army-bans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Oct 2017 07:00:30 +0000 Two former senior military officers have been expelled from the Communist Party for alleged ­corruption, according to state-run Xinhua. In a statement released late on Thursday at the end of the Central Committee’s sixth plenum in Beijing, the party said Fan Changmi, former deputy political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Area Command, and Niu Zhizhong, a former deputy commander of the People’s Armed Police, were expelled over “serious discipline violations”, usually a euphemism for graft. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2041082/communist-party-expels-two-former-senior-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2041082/communist-party-expels-two-former-senior-military?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2016 15:36:36 +0000 It seemed too shocking and warped to be true: that there exists an "unspoken rule" among Chinese drivers that it is better to leave a pedestrian dead than alive if they are accidentally run over by one's vehicle. But Geoffrey Sant, an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University and special counsel at the Dorsey & Whitney law firm in New York, argued just that. Writing in Slate, he said that mainland China's "perverse" victims compensation law meant the cost of recompensing an injured but... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1856923/do-some-chinese-drivers-prefer-kill-just-injure-pedestrians-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1856923/do-some-chinese-drivers-prefer-kill-just-injure-pedestrians-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2015 08:15:15 +0000 Chinese social media erupted in mockery and jokes - amid the praise and applause - during China's military parade on Thursday, marking 70 years since the end of the second world war. Internet users found plenty to talk about, from former president Jiang Zemin's hands to Mao Zedong's rotund grandson looking deflated from the heat - even if much of the chatter was eventually blocked by the internet police. Deletions of posts on Weibo - the Twitter-like service massively popular in China - picked... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1855254/jiang-zemin-has-how-many-fingers-twitter-jokes-and-censored-weibo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1855254/jiang-zemin-has-how-many-fingers-twitter-jokes-and-censored-weibo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:30:45 +0000 They've been all over the world from Cairo to London and even the moon, helping their villainous boss Gru commit dastardly deeds. But the comical henchmen Minions have now struck out on their own, this time for a more innocuous stop in China. Stuart, Kevin and Bob, the stars of the new Minions movie, went on a promotional jaunt on the Great Wall of China ahead of the film's release on September 13. Minions, a spin-off from the successful Despicable Me series and which tells the story of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1853847/despicable-mes-famous-minions-go-bananas-great-wall-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1853847/despicable-mes-famous-minions-go-bananas-great-wall-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2015 11:30:45 +0000 A resident in Tianjin city, China, got an unexpected front-row view of the massive explosion that sliced through an industrial area, killing at least 50 people and triggering destructive shockwaves kilometres away. The video, posted on social media and filmed from a balcony in a building close to the Binhai New Area, starts immediately after the chemicals ignited at a warehouse owned by Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics. At first, the man and woman heard in the footage think... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1849442/face-face-fireball-tianjin-resident-films-close-terrifying-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1849442/face-face-fireball-tianjin-resident-films-close-terrifying-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2015 04:45:00 +0000 In the aftermath of deadly explosions at a chemicals warehouse, parts of Tianjin city in China looked like scenes from an apocalyptic film or a war zone, with destroyed buildings and homes, torched cars and pillars of thick smoke. Testament to the devastation, eyewitnesses compared the strength of the blasts to military bombs. “Our building is shaking. Is this an atomic bomb?” a frenzied voice is heard saying in amateur footage posted on YouTube from what appeared to be an apartment building... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1849157/nuclear-bomb-apocalyptic-scenes-tianjin-china-after-industrial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1849157/nuclear-bomb-apocalyptic-scenes-tianjin-china-after-industrial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2015 04:00:45 +0000 China's 10th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities opened on Sunday with colourful traditional music and dance performances. A total of 6,240 athletes from 31 provinces and ethnic groups - including teams from Tibet, Mongolia, Taiwan and the Chinese military - will compete in a variety of traditional sporting events like "bamboo drifting" and "camel ball". It will be held for nine days in the city of Ordos, Inner Mongolia. There are 17 competitive events and up to 178 demonstrations of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1848892/bamboo-drifting-camel-ball-china-kicks-10th-national-ethnic-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1848892/bamboo-drifting-camel-ball-china-kicks-10th-national-ethnic-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:00:45 +0000 Dog-hunters in Zhejiang province have been prosecuted by the authorities last week for selling over 3500 kilograms of poisoned dog meat, most of which have made their way to restaurants. Police investigations uncovered three dog-hunting gangs in Anji county who would intentionally poison dogs in local villages with sodium cyanide, and then sell them for dog meat, in what has become Anji county’s largest food safety problem, local media reports say. Last week, authorities in Anji county pressed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1840215/dog-meat-lovers-beware-your-favourite-delicacy-may-be-poisoned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1840215/dog-meat-lovers-beware-your-favourite-delicacy-may-be-poisoned?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jul 2015 09:30:45 +0000 Doctors in Shanghai have separated three-month-old conjoined twins – fused by soft tissues at the hip and lower spine – with the help of 3D printing technology, Xinhua reports. The twins were born in Ganzhou city, Jiangxi province, on March 17. They had largely separate digestive systems but shared a lower intestine. Before the surgery, the infants were pictured sharing a diaper. To prepare for the delicate surgery, the doctors used 3D printing to construct two models of the babies’ connected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1820208/chinese-conjoined-twins-successfully-separated-help-3-d-printing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1820208/chinese-conjoined-twins-successfully-separated-help-3-d-printing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:15:15 +0000 A petrol station employee in northeastern China surprised a car dealership recently when he bought an SUV with 660,000 yuan worth of coins, state media reported. The man, who only gave his surname as Gan, called a salesman at a car dealership in Shenyang on Monday in Liaoning province, saying he wanted to buy a Toyota SUV in cash. But Gan added: “My 660,000 yuan [HK$835,000] are all in one-yuan coins and I have another 20,000 yuan in one yuan banknotes.” Gan said many clients at his petrol... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1816326/chinese-petrol-station-worker-buys-680000-yuan-car-massive-stash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1816326/chinese-petrol-station-worker-buys-680000-yuan-car-massive-stash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2015 09:30:00 +0000 Kathy Gao Kathy Gao Chinese millennials – having experienced the country’s great economic boom and having grown up in the post-Tiananmen era – have been generally written off as nationalistic, materialistic and indifferent to politics. But in a new book, China’s Millennials: The Want Generation, Eric Fish, an American millennial who spent seven years working and studying in China, tells the stories of some 30 Chinese youth who are far from satisfied with the status quo. “Chinese millennials are up against a lot... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1813150/want-generation-author-spotlights-discontent-and-desires-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1813150/want-generation-author-spotlights-discontent-and-desires-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 May 2015 06:31:38 +0000 Eight people were injured when a stage holding 80 choir members collapsed during a rehearsal for a singing contest at a city theatre in Guizhou province on Saturday, according to state media and local government reports. Bijie municipal government said in a news report that all the injured - including two in a serious condition - had been sent to hospital, and that police were investigating the case. WATCH: Eight injured as stage suddenly collapses during a singing contest rehearsal in China A... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1792886/rehearsal-nightmare-80-choir-members-fall-when-stage-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1792886/rehearsal-nightmare-80-choir-members-fall-when-stage-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2015 10:30:15 +0000 XINJIANG Long locks a winner A Kazakh woman's 1.8 metre-long locks have won her a "longest hair" competition at a tourist festival last weekend, China News Service reports. The 33-year-old, from Yining county, who defeated 20 other ethnic minority women taking part, said it took two hours to wash her hair, and she had not had it cut for the past 10 years. Census of 1pc of population Authorities in the autonomous region are to carry out a survey of 400,000 residents - 1 per cent of the region's... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1756911/around-nation-chinese-woman-celebrates-victory-thanks-her-18?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1756911/around-nation-chinese-woman-celebrates-victory-thanks-her-18?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2015 11:15:30 +0000 BEIJING Hospital 'hearse' fury Many hospitals in the capital have allowed unlicensed vehicles to carry dead bodies to funeral homes, The Beijing News reports. The newspaper received numerous complaints after hospital staff introduced bereaved families to individual drivers charging more than 1,000 yuan (about HK$1,200) for a trip. Drivers working for licensed hearses charged only 100 yuan. Part-blame for fatal crash A man from Fangshan, who invited a friend for a drink shortly before he died... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1755422/around-nation-fury-beijing-hospitals-help-unlicensed-hearses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1755422/around-nation-fury-beijing-hospitals-help-unlicensed-hearses?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2015 10:00:45 +0000 BEIJING Forbidden in the City The Palace Museum, in the Forbidden City, has banned tour guides from using loudhailers since the start of the month to help cut down on excessive noise, The Mirror reports. The museum has provided lockers at the entrance for guides to store their loudhailers. 'Knife attack' on child A man in his 60s has gone on trial in Tongzhou district after reportedly attacking the three-year-old grandchild of his neighbour for "making too much noise", The Beijing News reports.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1754506/around-nation-tour-guides-find-their-loudhailers-forbidden-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1754506/around-nation-tour-guides-find-their-loudhailers-forbidden-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2015 10:45:30 +0000 HUBEI Public exhibitionists Two young people were spotted taking showers in their swimsuits in a fountain in front of Wuhan's landmark Guanggu Square, the Chutian Metropolis Daily reports. Witnesses said the pair were in their early 30s and remained at the scene for about 10 minutes despite the intervention of a nearby security guard. They brought body wash, and left only after a group of security guards were called to the scene to help. Family homes destroyed Two families from Wuhan were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1753575/around-nation-couple-bath-famed-fountain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1753575/around-nation-couple-bath-famed-fountain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2015 10:15:45 +0000 SICHUAN Needle found in bun A man was pricked inside his mouth by a 3cm-long needle after biting into one of six steamed meat buns he bought for 10 yuan (HK$12) at a supermarket, the West China City Daily reports. The Xichang resident suffered only a slight injury. The supermarket that sold the bun has refused to pay any compensation until the police have investigated the incident. 'Donations paid for car' Microbloggers claim the father of a child suffering from cancer in Yancheng township, near... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1752584/around-nation-supermarkets-chinese-steamed-meat-bun-offers-less-tasty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1752584/around-nation-supermarkets-chinese-steamed-meat-bun-offers-less-tasty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2015 11:30:45 +0000 SICHUAN Stampede kills butterflies Hundreds of butterflies released as part of a shop’s promotional event were killed in a stampede by excited children, West China City Daily reports. Ten Chengdu families won a lucky draw to release thousands of the insects caught in Yunnan province. But hundreds landed on the ground and were promptly crushed to death as a crowd of children rushed in to get a closer look. Pedlar hit by urine bottle A woman selling goods outside an apartment block was unhurt... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1751647/around-nation-stampede-excited-chinese-children-kills-hundreds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1751647/around-nation-stampede-excited-chinese-children-kills-hundreds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2015 13:00:15 +0000 HAINAN Many coins, little value A farmer in Haikou has found 60kg of ancient coins dating back 1,000 years buried deep in the soil on his farmland, the Nanguo City News reports. The coins were excavated from the land, but archaeologists said they were not valuable as a large amount of similar coins had also been discovered across the province over the years. The farmer said that back in the 1980s, his family had also dug up another 80kg of such ancient coins, which they later sold off as regular... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1750436/around-nation-chinese-farmer-finds-60kg-ancient-coins-buried-deep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1750436/around-nation-chinese-farmer-finds-60kg-ancient-coins-buried-deep?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2015 13:45:45 +0000 HENAN 30 year search for parents A woman who was abducted 30 years ago has been looking for her real family for the past three years, the Zhengzhou Evening News reports. The woman, who is now about 35 years old, said she went to work with her mother one morning, and when her she was busy, a passer-by asked her whether she wanted to play. After a while, she fell asleep and woke up on a train. Three years ago, she began to look for her family, but she cannot remember any details about her... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1748677/around-nation-woman-searches-family-30-years-after-her-abduction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1748677/around-nation-woman-searches-family-30-years-after-her-abduction?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2015 10:30:15 +0000 ZHEJIANG Xi inspires model maker A villager has built a life-sized clay model of President Xi Jinping, news portal Dfic.cn reports. Zheng Hongkang, from Yuyao, said he had never had any artistic training, but had always enjoyed painting and moulding clay. He said he was inspired by Xi’s “China dream” to turn figures from his imagination into real-life models. Zheng has also built a collection of characters from the Chinese 16th century novel, Journey to the West. Row ends in baby’s death A... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1748048/around-nation-president-xi-jinpings-china-dream-fires-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1748048/around-nation-president-xi-jinpings-china-dream-fires-model?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2015 09:30:00 +0000 CHONGQING An arresting policeman A police officer in Chongqing unintentionally disrupted a marathon – because of his film-star good looks, the news website China.org.cn reports. The officer, who looks like Hong Kong actor Wallace Chung, was mobbed by female runners, who abandoned the race to take selfies with him. Other police were sent to escort the officer away so the race could resume. Failed kidnap scam A Chongqing man allegedly tried to swindle money from his brother-in-law by faking his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1747293/around-nation-chinese-policemans-looks-bring-female-marathon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1747293/around-nation-chinese-policemans-looks-bring-female-marathon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2015 14:00:30 +0000 ZHEJIANG ‘Naked’ marriage vows Ten couples covered in body paint wearing only their underwear have celebrated their “naked weddings” at Hangzhou Paradise amusement park in Zhejiang province, news website China.org.cn reports. The couples, some of whom have been married for many years, said they were rejecting modern Chinese values, which place greater value on money than love. In China, a naked wedding involves a couple marrying without owning a house or car. Cash theft at hotel A man who... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-digest/article/1746571/around-nation-chinese-naked-wedding-celebrations-focus-love-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-digest/article/1746571/around-nation-chinese-naked-wedding-celebrations-focus-love-not?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2015 14:45:00 +0000 SHAANXI DIY submariner eyes funds Shenmu county inventor Du Xiutang, 53, who has spent 300,000 yuan building his own submarine, is looking for new investors, news website Hsw.cn reports. Du has always been fascinated by machinery and technology, but had to quit his second-year studies at secondary school and start work as a farmer when his family could not pay his fees. Since 2005 he has studied submarine design by himself. He was granted three national patents after inventing a submarine... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1745557/around-nation-chinese-diy-inventor-searches-investors-help-finish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1745557/around-nation-chinese-diy-inventor-searches-investors-help-finish?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:00:30 +0000 Yunnan Highway confusion Thousands of people were stuck in massive traffic jams on Saturday morning as the highway linking Kunming and Songming closed for its first day of reconstruction works, Kunming.cn reports. Drivers said there was confusion as there were no signs about how to bypass the closed highway. The reconstruction project is expected to be completed on June 20, the authorities said. Bungling burglar A burglar who swam across a river to rob a home in a high-end gated community in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1744744/around-nation-march-23-2015?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1744744/around-nation-march-23-2015?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2015 16:00:00 +0000 JIANGXI Somefin the matter? Physical examinations of finless porpoises are being carried out on a boat on Poyang Lake, Jiangxi province, Xinhua reports. The exams are aimed at gaining an insight into the health issues facing the marine mammals. The porpoises, which are related to whales and dolphins, are an endangered species, with only about 1,000 left in China. Pollution, poaching and construction projects are blamed for their decline. Accidentally-on-porpoise? Investigators are probing the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1743080/around-nation-chinese-teacher-shot-head-was-mistaken-wild-boar-free?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1743080/around-nation-chinese-teacher-shot-head-was-mistaken-wild-boar-free?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2015 12:00:45 +0000 ANHUI Phone trumps son A mother was so caught up in playing with her mobile phone while boarding a train at Shuijiahu station on Sunday that she left her six-year-old son behind on the platform, Anhuinews.com reports. An officer on patrol at the station found the boy running after the moving train, crying. Police later tracked down the woman by calling the boy's teacher, whose contact number was written in a textbook in the child's bag, and returned the boy to his mother. Lucrative trade for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1740486/around-nation-china-builds-57-storey-skyscraper-just-19-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1740486/around-nation-china-builds-57-storey-skyscraper-just-19-days?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2015 13:30:00 +0000 HUBEI Selfie sticks banned Several museums in Wuhan have banned selfie sticks as they pose a threat to the preservation of museum objects and may disturb other visitors, the China News Service reports. The museums, including the Hubei Museum of Art, now prohibit the selfie stick as well as tripods and monopods from being used during tours in the buildings. Those who go against the rules will be stopped at security checks. Gullible man scammed A 22-year-old man allowed himself to be cheated of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1739410/around-nation-chinese-museums-ban-use-selfie-sticks-protect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1739410/around-nation-chinese-museums-ban-use-selfie-sticks-protect?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2015 12:45:30 +0000 SHAANXI Farmer keeps antique find A farmer in Shangluo found an antique shovelhead in his courtyard and has refused to donated it to the state or sell it, the Huashang Daily reports. Expert said the shovel dated to the Han dynasty (206BC-AD220). The farmer turned away antique collectors who offered 10,000 yuan for the item. Local authorities tried to persuade the famer to donate it, but he has refused. Bedside vigil ends happily A father in Qishan county remained at the bedside of his stepson... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1736921/around-nation-farmer-says-hands-my-han-dynasty-relic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1736921/around-nation-farmer-says-hands-my-han-dynasty-relic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:45:45 +0000 SHANGHAI Driver kills traffic officer A traffic police officer was dragged to his death by a driver in a red BMW who sped away after police stopped the vehicle for running a red light in Minhang district, the news website Cqnews.net reports. The officer was pulled along by the car for about 10 metres, and suffered fatal head injuries. His family was in deep grief as the wife is due to give birth next month. The driver is in police custody. ANHUI Body found under bed A man in Bengbu was cleaning... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1736142/around-nation-bmw-driver-drags-cop-his-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1736142/around-nation-bmw-driver-drags-cop-his-death?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2015 13:45:15 +0000