https://www.scmp.com/rss/310632/feed William Zheng is a veteran journalist who has served and led major Hong Kong and Singaporean media organisations in his 20-year career, covering greater China. He is now a senior correspondent on the China desk at the Post. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Seong Hyeon Choi,William Zheng Seong Hyeon Choi,William Zheng The rescue of a missing American crew member after Iran shot down an F-15E fighter jet is proof of the United States’ “comprehensive capability” to mount high-risk rescue operations, according to Chinese analysts. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the missing crew member – one of two on the fighter jet shot down over southern Iran on Friday – had been rescued. It was the first manned US aircraft shot down over Iran since the US-Israel war on the country began on February... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349170/while-trump-hails-daring-airman-rescue-iran-chinese-experts-count-us-wins-and-losses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349170/while-trump-hails-daring-airman-rescue-iran-chinese-experts-count-us-wins-and-losses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:13:31 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A Chinese cargo plane powered by a hydrogen-fuelled engine has successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a milestone in China’s push for green aviation. The 7.5-tonne uncrewed aircraft is powered by the world’s most powerful hydrogen turboprop of its kind, capable of generating more than 1 megawatt. The engine operated normally and remained in good condition throughout the 16-minute test flight on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the Aero Engine Corporation of China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349086/chinas-push-hydrogen-powered-planes-takes-step-forward-amid-iran-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349086/chinas-push-hydrogen-powered-planes-takes-step-forward-amid-iran-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Vanessa Cai,William Zheng Vanessa Cai,William Zheng Donald Trump’s threat to seize Kharg Island – a key Iranian oil hub – could be a risky proposition, analysts say, given its strategic location in the Persian Gulf. The small coral island lying about 33km (21 miles) offshore handles around 90 per cent of Iran’s crude shipments. It also sits close to missile and drone ranges stationed on the Iranian mainland and about 660km (410 miles) from the now heavily fortified Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has been considering deploying troops... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348843/how-trumps-plan-take-irans-kharg-island-could-come-unhinged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348843/how-trumps-plan-take-irans-kharg-island-could-come-unhinged?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:28:37 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The surge in US service members in the Middle East suggests the Iran war could become a protracted, low-intensity conflict as Donald Trump eyes a trip to China in May, Chinese military analysts say. The deployment of elite forces and the US president’s recent tactics in Venezuela indicated Washington was highly aware of and seeking to avoid a costly drawn-out war like Vietnam, the observers added. On Sunday, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that several hundred US Army Rangers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348428/why-donald-trump-needs-short-term-win-iran-he-visits-xi-jinping-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348428/why-donald-trump-needs-short-term-win-iran-he-visits-xi-jinping-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:30:08 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday for taking bribes and misusing political donations, dealing a heavy blow to the opposition party he built. Ko, who founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in 2019 and finished last in a three-way race for the island’s top political job in 2024, did not plead guilty, according to Taiwanese media reports. The TPP is the third-biggest party in Taiwanese politics and has been in talks with the larger Kuomintang (KMT) to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348010/taiwanese-court-jails-former-taipei-mayor-ko-wen-je-17-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348010/taiwanese-court-jails-former-taipei-mayor-ko-wen-je-17-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:07 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Tan Ruisong, the former boss of China’s top military aviation company, has been given a suspended death sentence for reaping over 613 million yuan (US$89 million) from bribes and insider trading. Tan, 64, was the chairman and Communist Party secretary of state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) – China’s leading military aircraft maker – from 2018 until his retirement in March 2023. He is one of the most prominent defence sector executives to come under investigation in President Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347885/former-defence-exec-tan-ruisong-given-death-sentence-exceptional-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347885/former-defence-exec-tan-ruisong-given-death-sentence-exceptional-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A Japanese person who claimed to be an active officer of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces illegally and forcibly entered the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, Beijing said. “China is deeply shocked by this incident and has lodged a strong protest with Japan,” Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday. The person admitted to the illegality of their actions and threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel in the name of god, Lin Jian, spokesman for the foreign ministry, told a regular media... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347694/japanese-soldier-forces-his-way-chinese-embassy-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347694/japanese-soldier-forces-his-way-chinese-embassy-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:01:01 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Beijing has defended ongoing land-reclamation activities in the contested Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, saying they are aimed at improving living conditions and boosting the local economy. “The Xisha Islands are an inherent part of China’s territory and there is no dispute about it,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday, using the Chinese name for the archipelago. “China’s necessary construction activities on its own territory are aimed at improving the living conditions... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347603/no-dispute-about-it-beijing-defends-construction-paracel-islands-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347603/no-dispute-about-it-beijing-defends-construction-paracel-islands-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:01:20 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Republican Senator Steve Daines, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, is expected to visit Hong Kong at the end of this month, according to sources. It would mark the first trip to the city by a sitting US senator since the Covid-19 pandemic. Daines would meet American business leaders in Hong Kong on March 30, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the matter. The senator from Montana has played a prominent role in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347302/trump-ally-steve-daines-will-be-first-sitting-us-senator-visit-hong-kong-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347302/trump-ally-steve-daines-will-be-first-sitting-us-senator-visit-hong-kong-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:00:08 +0000 William Zheng,Sylvie Zhuang William Zheng,Sylvie Zhuang In his decades toiling as a health official in a coastal Chinese province, Alan Chen has rarely had to study a subject about which he knew so little. “Nd is Neodymium. It is needed for almost all modern EV motors. China dominates the refining of Nd oxide. Dy is Dysprosium. It is needed for magnets to operate at high temperatures and is also essential for EV motors.” This was the kind of content Chen pored over in a training course he attended at the Central Party School, the Communist Party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345957/economic-security-101-why-chinas-officials-now-have-study-rare-earths-and-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345957/economic-security-101-why-chinas-officials-now-have-study-rare-earths-and-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng US President Donald Trump will not go to any cities beyond Beijing during his visit to China scheduled for late this month because of his tight schedule and security concerns, according to sources familiar with the matter. Several sources, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said United States “advance parties” arrived in China’s capital in “early March” and their preparations for the high-stakes summit had entered the “final stage”. The South China Morning Post has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345970/trumps-china-visit-limited-beijing-due-tight-schedule-and-security-needs-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345970/trumps-china-visit-limited-beijing-due-tight-schedule-and-security-needs-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:07 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Beijing has built military capacity and strengthened political resolve but needs to project a more credible deterrence as it steps up unification with Taiwan over the next five years, according to a mainland Chinese policy adviser. Li Yihu, dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Peking University, said the reunification process would enter an “accelerated phase” in the next five years and the mainland needed to do more to communicate an understanding of what he said was the inevitability of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345400/whats-one-big-thing-missing-beijings-taiwan-deterrence-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345400/whats-one-big-thing-missing-beijings-taiwan-deterrence-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:00:20 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng In the run-up to this year’s ‘two sessions’ – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body – high-level policymakers have stressed the need to defuse financial risks and root out political corruption, two of President Xi Jinping’s long-term priorities. As part of a series, Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng look at why the fight against graft is the new normal. As early as the start of President Xi Jinping’s second term in 2018, the Chinese leadership declared an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang,William Zheng Sylvie Zhuang,William Zheng Beijing has quietly tightened restrictions on officials with family members overseas in the past year as part of a sweeping anti-corruption drive, according to sources. Three people familiar with the situation said inspections had been carried out since early last year within government bodies and state-owned enterprises to scrutinise the overseas connections of top officials and executives. In the past, such inspections have sought to identify “naked officials” – those whose spouses and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343893/china-widens-anti-corruption-net-catch-quasi-naked-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343893/china-widens-anti-corruption-net-catch-quasi-naked-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:00:10 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The People’s Liberation Army has been urged to overhaul English language teaching at its military schools and recruit professionals to improve soldiers’ communication skills on the international stage. Three senior lecturers from the PLA Air Force Early Warning Academy made the call in an article published in the February edition of official Military-to-Civilian in China magazine, which is administered by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence. Li Yan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343799/chinese-military-urged-overhaul-english-teaching-improve-language-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343799/chinese-military-urged-overhaul-english-teaching-improve-language-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:00:18 +0000 Lawrence Chung,William Zheng Lawrence Chung,William Zheng Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s sweeping victory in Sunday’s snap election has sounded alarm bells in Beijing, which is wary that closer ties between Tokyo and Taipei could complicate its long-term objective of reunifying Taiwan. Beijing’s annual work conference on Taiwan affairs, held on Monday and Tuesday, came just after Japan’s lower-house election, in which Takaichi’s party secured a two-thirds supermajority. At the event, Wang Huning, the Communist Party’s fourth-ranked leader,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343095/how-sanae-takaichis-big-win-japan-may-complicate-beijings-taiwan-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343095/how-sanae-takaichis-big-win-japan-may-complicate-beijings-taiwan-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:00:17 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China on Saturday launched the latest mission of its reusable experimental spacecraft – a potential rival to the US Space Force’s X-37B. It was China’s fourth launch of such a prototype spacecraft since 2020, all of them conducted at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre using the Long March-2F carrier rocket. The official name and technical specifications of the spacecraft have yet to be announced, but Chinese space fans have dubbed it the Shenlong, or “Divine Dragon”. State news agency Xinhua... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342759/china-sends-fourth-shenlong-reusable-spacecraft-mission-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342759/china-sends-fourth-shenlong-reusable-spacecraft-mission-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:30:08 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s top military command body has moved to tighten Communist Party control over the armed forces with updates to disciplinary rules for party members in the People’s Liberation Army. The PLA Daily, the military’s official newspaper, reported on Saturday that the revisions were to “actively respond to key concerns” in disciplinary enforcement practice. It did not specify the changes, but the report came just two weeks after the announcement that top general Zhang Youxia, first vice-chairman... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342755/chinas-military-command-tightens-discipline-top-generals-wake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342755/chinas-military-command-tightens-discipline-top-generals-wake?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 11:00:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Xiao Jie, a senior official in the Chinese province of Hainan who played a leading role in building reefs in disputed territories in the South China Sea, has been detained on suspicion of corruption. Xiao, 66, became the first Communist Party chief and mayor of Sansha when it was established as a prefecture-level city in 2012 to administer territories held by Beijing, including the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands and Macclesfield Bank. He was accused of “serious violations of discipline and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342648/hainan-official-who-played-key-role-building-south-china-sea-reefs-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342648/hainan-official-who-played-key-role-building-south-china-sea-reefs-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Beijing’s bold move to remove top generals accused of corruption reflects its strategic assessment that overhauling the armed forces is more urgent, and that the issue of Taiwan can wait, according to military analysts. The investigation into China’s top commanders, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, has left the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country’s highest military command body, with just two members at present – President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the CMC, and vice-chairman Zhang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:00:48 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The PLA’s anti-corruption investigations into top general Zhang Youxia and others will eliminate a watered-down combat capability resulting from corruption and give new momentum to the armed forces, the official paper of the Chinese military has said. “The resolute investigation and punishment of corrupt officials such as Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli removes obstacles and stumbling blocks that hinder the development of our cause,” the PLA Daily said in a front-page editorial on Monday. “It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342072/zhang-youxia-investigation-end-watered-down-capability-chinas-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342072/zhang-youxia-investigation-end-watered-down-capability-chinas-military?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:01:12 +0000 Meredith Chen,William Zheng Meredith Chen,William Zheng A former Communist Party chief of the resource-rich Inner Mongolia autonomous region, who was also China’s first veterans affairs minister, is under investigation amid the country’s continuing anti-corruption campaign. Sun Shaocheng, 65, is being investigated by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption, the top disciplinary body said on Thursday. Sun serves as vice-chairman of the Social Development... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341764/former-inner-mongolia-party-chief-veterans-minister-investigated-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341764/former-inner-mongolia-party-chief-veterans-minister-investigated-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:12 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng America’s top diplomat in Beijing struck an optimistic note on bilateral ties on Tuesday, telling a closed-door gathering in Hong Kong that risks in the relationship had been controlled effectively and talks were under way for a potential Boeing deal, sources told the South China Morning Post. Sources who were present as David Perdue, the US ambassador to China, spoke at the Goldman Sachs Global Macro Conference Asia-Pacific 2026, said his message was “comforting and reassuring” to global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341442/us-ambassador-china-says-progress-agreements-boeing-deal-among-signs-better-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341442/us-ambassador-china-says-progress-agreements-boeing-deal-among-signs-better-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:59:27 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Top Chinese military leaders Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are under investigation for suspected “serious” disciplinary violations, according to the Ministry of National Defence. Zhang is the first-ranked vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military command body headed by President Xi Jinping, while Liu is chief of its Joint Staff Department. Zhang’s position as CMC No 2 after Xi makes him the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the Chinese military. Zhang and Liu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341098/china-places-top-pla-leaders-zhang-youxia-and-liu-zhenli-under-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341098/china-places-top-pla-leaders-zhang-youxia-and-liu-zhenli-under-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 07:16:56 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng America’s ambassador to China, David Perdue, will visit Hong Kong at the end of January to speak at a business conference, according to sources. Perdue will address the Goldman Sachs Global Macro Conference Asia-Pacific 2026 on January 27, several people familiar with the matter told the South China Morning Post. They said the envoy was expected to spend “several days” in the city. The US consulate in Hong Kong, the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese foreign ministry in Hong Kong and the Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340087/us-ambassador-china-david-perdue-visit-hong-kong-end-january-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340087/us-ambassador-china-david-perdue-visit-hong-kong-end-january-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 02:31:00 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Tian Xuebin, a State Council veteran who worked under several former premiers, has been placed under investigation by the top anti-corruption agency of China’s ruling Communist Party. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s highest political disciplinary and anti-corruption agency, announced on Monday that Tian, 62, had been detained for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption. He last served as vice-minister of water resources... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338796/china-continues-chase-corrupt-tigers-state-council-veteran-put-under-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338796/china-continues-chase-corrupt-tigers-state-council-veteran-put-under-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:04:41 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to press ahead with President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign after a record 65 high-ranking officials were detained by the country’s top anti-graft agency last year. In a front-page editorial on Saturday, the People’s Daily stressed that self-reform and anti-corruption efforts were key to ensuring the longevity of the party’s rule over China. “A new year, a new journey begins,” the party mouthpiece said, urging intensified discipline in the coming... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338596/xi-jinpings-anti-corruption-drive-snares-record-65-tigers-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338596/xi-jinpings-anti-corruption-drive-snares-record-65-tigers-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 10:00:16 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A video released by the People’s Liberation Army during a military drill this week has sparked debate about whether Taiwan failed to detect a J-20 stealth fighter and how close the aircraft might have come to a key military airport on the island. The video was released by the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command on Tuesday – the second day of the “Justice Mission 2025” joint military exercises around Taiwan. The footage shows a PLA J-20 flying near an unidentified landscape that some observers say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338548/did-pla-stealth-fighter-approach-key-taiwan-airbase-new-video-sparks-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338548/did-pla-stealth-fighter-approach-key-taiwan-airbase-new-video-sparks-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 11:31:16 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Beijing has condemned Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s New Year’s Day speech – including his vow to boost the island’s defences – as full of “lies, falsehoods, hostility and malice” and an attempt to “mislead the Taiwanese people and international public opinion”. Chen Binhua, spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), said on Thursday that Lai’s speech “once again peddled the fallacy of ‘Taiwan independence’, incited cross-strait confrontation and reiterated the old tune of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338396/beijing-slams-taiwanese-leader-lais-new-years-speech-lies-and-malice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338396/beijing-slams-taiwanese-leader-lais-new-years-speech-lies-and-malice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:25:50 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng President Xi Jinping has sent a new warning to Chinese cadres – “no one should harbour any illusions” that they can get away with corruption as there will be no let-up in the long-running anti-graft campaign. He told officials at a key political meeting in October there would be no place for the corrupt to hide, according to excerpts from his speech released on Wednesday. “[We must] maintain a high-pressure stance against corruption at all times, investigate and punish corruption cases according... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338375/we-must-not-give-corrupt-officials-any-hiding-place-xi-jinping-tells-cadres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338375/we-must-not-give-corrupt-officials-any-hiding-place-xi-jinping-tells-cadres?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:59:47 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s official national Buddhist association has established its first supervisory body less than six months after the high-profile downfall of the “CEO monk”, former Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin. The move to improve oversight of Chinese Buddhist monks’ conduct was announced on Tuesday, a day after the Buddhist Association of China’s (BAC) 11th national congress concluded in Beijing. Shi Zhengci, the abbot of Wuzu Temple in Huangmei county, Hubei province, was elected as the association’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338165/ceo-monk-scandal-china-creates-new-oversight-body-buddhist-clergy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338165/ceo-monk-scandal-china-creates-new-oversight-body-buddhist-clergy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Images of a cargo ship in Shanghai carrying containerised vertical launchers, sensors and self-defence systems have spread online and prompted discussion for apparently showing China’s capacity to convert civilian cargo vessels to military purposes. The circulated images show vertical launch systems, rotary phased-array radars, over-the-horizon radars, close-in weapon systems and decoy launchers mounted atop containers on a cargo vessel. This configuration appears to be a temporary installation,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337842/china-quietly-preparing-cargo-ships-transform-military-vessels-case-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337842/china-quietly-preparing-cargo-ships-transform-military-vessels-case-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 13:00:14 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to keep up efforts to fight corruption next year after a record 63 high-ranking officials – known as “tigers” – were placed under investigation on suspicion of graft in 2025. During a meeting on Thursday, top decision-making body the Politburo also discussed a plan to improve conduct within the party, strengthen integrity and combat graft, official news agency Xinhua reported. It said officials at the meeting had agreed to “resolutely push forward the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337759/china-vows-keep-fight-after-record-number-tigers-caught-corruption-net?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337759/china-vows-keep-fight-after-record-number-tigers-caught-corruption-net?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:00:12 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Four former defence company bosses have been sacked by China’s top political advisory body amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign in the military and related sectors. They are among eight members removed from the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) under a decision passed by the body’s National Committee in Beijing on Wednesday, according to state news agency Xinhua. Revocation of CPPCC membership – rather than resignation – typically signals suspicions of serious... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337707/china-axes-8-top-advisory-body-cppcc-including-4-defence-firm-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337707/china-axes-8-top-advisory-body-cppcc-including-4-defence-firm-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 08:18:59 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Two top PLA Air Force officers have become the latest military brass to miss a key political event, as the anti-corruption campaign in the Chinese military continues unabated. Footage broadcast by state television CCTV indicated that General Chang Dingqiu and Guo Puxiao, Air Force commander and political commissar, respectively, were not present at a ceremony on Monday to fill top-level vacancies caused by the sweeping crackdown. The event in Beijing was led by President Xi Jinping, who is also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337636/top-pla-air-force-duo-miss-key-military-event-led-xi-corruption-fight-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337636/top-pla-air-force-duo-miss-key-military-event-led-xi-corruption-fight-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:00:45 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The mainland Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command, the corruption-hit division that oversees Taiwan, appears to be headed by two recent additions to the command. The appointments will enable the command to maintain continuity of operations despite the corruption cases among its leadership, according to an analyst. PLA Air Force Lieutenant General Yang Zhibin, 62, and Lieutenant General Zhang Jichun, 57, stood alongside other senior officials at mainland China’s annual commemoration of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336778/pla-division-overseeing-taiwan-sees-newcomers-charge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336778/pla-division-overseeing-taiwan-sees-newcomers-charge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:49:35 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The Communist Party chief of Henan province has made an impromptu visit to the famed Shaolin Temple, whose former abbot was rounded up on corruption charges earlier this year, and called for a clear boundary between the temple and business. Liu Ning made the comments during his first inspection of the temple on Sunday, according to a report by the official Henan Daily. The visit comes nearly five months after former abbot Shi Yongxin – known as “the CEO monk” – was abruptly removed amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336493/chinas-scandal-hit-shaolin-temple-urged-draw-clear-line-between-business-and-religion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336493/chinas-scandal-hit-shaolin-temple-urged-draw-clear-line-between-business-and-religion?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:00:18 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China will expand its national healthcare insurance programme next year to fully cover all out-of-pocket expenses related to childbirth, according to state media reports. It is the country’s latest bid to lift birth rates and avert a looming demographic crisis that threatens to undermine long-term growth prospects. The pledge to widen the medical insurance coverage was unveiled at a national healthcare security conference in Beijing on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported. According to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336383/china-fully-cover-childbirth-costs-all-fertility-crisis-sparks-economic-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336383/china-fully-cover-childbirth-costs-all-fertility-crisis-sparks-economic-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 09:00:18 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Multiple documents on websites run by public institutions in China were found to feature fake names and people, a pattern state media warned could harm government credibility and provide a haven for corruption. The series of blunders unfolded when internet users on December 3 found that a tender document listed what appeared to be a fake judging panel, with the names of all five members coinciding with the first five entries on Baidu’s “10,000 Popular Chinese Names” archive. The proposal was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336266/chinas-fake-name-scandal-sparks-warnings-about-government-credibility-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336266/chinas-fake-name-scandal-sparks-warnings-about-government-credibility-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 02:00:20 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China has executed a former senior banker who was found guilty of taking more than 1.1 billion yuan (US$155 million) in bribes. Bai Tianhui, the former general manager of the asset management firm China Huarong International Holdings, was executed on Tuesday after the Supreme People’s Court approved the sentence, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The state-owned offshore unit Bai ran was taken over by Citic Group and renamed China Citic Financial Asset Management in January last year. It is rare... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335722/former-chinese-senior-banker-bai-tianhui-executed-taking-us155-million-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335722/former-chinese-senior-banker-bai-tianhui-executed-taking-us155-million-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:00:08 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s top espionage official has identified crushing Taiwan independence forces, technology theft, subversion and the defence of strategically important sea lanes as top priorities for the next five years. State Security Minister Chen Yixin identified the issues in an article published in Study Times, the mouthpiece of the Central Party School, which gives ideological and administrative training. In his assessment of international affairs, Chen noted the decline of a “unipolar hegemony”, an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335625/chinas-state-security-chief-hints-us-decline-and-says-tech-theft-major-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335625/chinas-state-security-chief-hints-us-decline-and-says-tech-theft-major-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:14:18 +0000 Willa Wu,William Zheng Willa Wu,William Zheng Hong Kong authorities have made a last-ditch appeal for residents to refocus on the city’s reform and their future by voting in Sunday’s Legislative Council election, as political analysts said public sentiment after the deadly fire in Tai Po would play a decisive role in voter turnout rates. The appeal came as Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong met with foreign media representatives on Saturday. In a statement, the office said some reports had attacked the election and smeared the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335473/last-ditch-effort-get-hongkongers-vote-legco-poll-turnout-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335473/last-ditch-effort-get-hongkongers-vote-legco-poll-turnout-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 14:17:31 +0000 Ng Kang-chung,William Zheng Ng Kang-chung,William Zheng Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong has met representatives from foreign media outlets in the city and warned them against crossing “red lines”, following reports it said smeared the government’s fire relief efforts and attacked the Legislative Council election. According to sources, foreign media outlets that were requested to attend the meeting included Agence France-Presse, the Financial Times, The New York Times and Associated Press. Bloomberg News reported it also attended. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335466/beijing-warns-foreign-media-hong-kong-over-crossing-red-lines-during-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335466/beijing-warns-foreign-media-hong-kong-over-crossing-red-lines-during-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 12:50:31 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s official media has called on disciplinary watchdogs to stop giving low-level officials insulting nicknames that imply they are not doing their jobs properly. The provincial publicity department of the eastern province of Zhejiang became the latest to weigh in on this issue this week. In a commentary posted on its official social media account on Tuesday, it warned that this approach was likely to backfire. It criticised the use of labels such as “refrigerator” officials to describe those... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335383/chinas-official-media-calls-end-name-and-shame-campaign-against-grass-roots-cadres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335383/chinas-official-media-calls-end-name-and-shame-campaign-against-grass-roots-cadres?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 02:00:10 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s deployment this week of a naval fleet led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship in the Philippine Sea has triggered a rapid response from Australia. Canberra deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to track the flotilla, reviving security concerns raised after an unprecedented circumnavigation of the Australian continent by a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fleet nine months ago. US satellite images, first reported by Australian media on Wednesday, confirmed the presence of the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335362/australia-high-alert-pla-naval-flotilla-philippine-sea-sails-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335362/australia-high-alert-pla-naval-flotilla-philippine-sea-sails-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:07:01 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The Chinese military has laid out new rules to strengthen political discipline and party loyalty, vowing to eradicate “erroneous political views and inappropriate remarks” and “fake combat capabilities”. The revisions to the supplementary rules to the implementation of the Communist Party’s disciplinary regulations will come into effect on January 1, 2026, and are part of an ongoing crackdown on corruption that has led to the downfall of several top generals in recent months. On Monday, PLA... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334947/chinese-military-issues-new-rules-prioritise-strict-political-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334947/chinese-military-issues-new-rules-prioritise-strict-political-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 04:00:10 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Another senior official in Xinjiang has been placed under investigation amid Beijing’s vow to resolutely “eradicate the soil for corruption”. Chen Weijun, executive vice-chairman of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was “under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation” for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law”, China’s top anti-graft agency said on Sunday, referencing a euphemism for corruption. The announcement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334793/no-soil-corruption-chen-weijun-joins-list-senior-xinjiang-officials-investigated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334793/no-soil-corruption-chen-weijun-joins-list-senior-xinjiang-officials-investigated?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:25:10 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A test train crashed into railway workers in China’s southwestern Yunnan province early on Thursday morning, killing 11 people and injuring two, state media said. The test train No 55537, which was used to test seismic equipment, collided with construction workers entering the railway line on a curve at Luoyangzhen Station in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Railway and local government authorities immediately activated their emergency response to manage... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334310/11-killed-2-hurt-after-test-train-crashes-workers-southwestern-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334310/11-killed-2-hurt-after-test-train-crashes-workers-southwestern-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 04:29:13 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China has boosted its strategic capacity from land reclamation to deep-sea mining and pipelines, with the successful completion of sea trials for Asia’s largest trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD). The Tongjun – China’s first domestically designed super dredger – completed its five days of testing in the Yellow Sea off the northeastern Chinese coast on Tuesday, three months after its launch, according to state news agency Xinhua. With a hopper capacity of more than 38,000 cubic metres (1.3... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334215/chinas-mega-dredger-joins-ranks-worlds-largest-after-passing-sea-trials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334215/chinas-mega-dredger-joins-ranks-worlds-largest-after-passing-sea-trials?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 10:00:25 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s military has eased stringent physical requirements for pilots, based on the improved cockpits of the People’s Liberation Army’s newest warplanes. Changes to height, weight and limb length requirements are among several revisions made to the physical selection criteria for pilots, military mouthpiece PLA Daily reported on Monday. The report did not include the full revised set of criteria but said the changes had taken into account factors such as aircraft upgrades, advances in medical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333775/chinas-military-eases-physical-requirements-pilots-based-new-cockpits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333775/chinas-military-eases-physical-requirements-pilots-based-new-cockpits?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 10:00:12 +0000