https://www.scmp.com/rss/326182/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai A shadowy go-between known as “Aunt Mei” allegedly involved in a notorious child trafficking case has been arrested, according to police in southern China. Police in the city of Guangzhou said the woman, surnamed Xie, had been identified last year, and the case was still under investigation, state media reported on Saturday. The reports did not specify when the arrest was made. For years, police were aware an intermediary had been involved in the trafficking case, but Aunt Mei remained at large... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347429/chinas-infamous-aunt-mei-arrested-after-decade-long-hunt-child-trafficker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347429/chinas-infamous-aunt-mei-arrested-after-decade-long-hunt-child-trafficker?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:16:58 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang In ancient China there was a unique and quirky profession: if someone committed a crime and was sentenced to flogging, they could hire another person to take the punishment on their behalf. During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), flogging was a form of punishment in which court officials were publicly beaten with heavy rods. The striking end of the rod was carved into a hammer-like shape and wrapped in iron and sometimes even fitted with barbs, making the punishment extremely brutal. There were... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3346861/ancient-chinese-people-sentenced-flogging-could-hire-substitutes-endure-punishment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3346861/ancient-chinese-people-sentenced-flogging-could-hire-substitutes-endure-punishment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Beijing has hailed as a success the sentencing and execution of leaders of a Myanmar crime syndicate, vowing to punish all who harm the rights of Chinese citizens overseas. During a plenary meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Monday, Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People’s Court, said in a report that Chinese courts closed 41,000 criminal cases related to telecoms and online fraud last year, up 1.2 per cent from 2024. “Sixteen principal criminals of the ‘four families’ crime... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345977/china-extols-myanmar-gang-executions-pledging-protect-citizens-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345977/china-extols-myanmar-gang-executions-pledging-protect-citizens-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:17:13 +0000 Ying Xia Ying Xia Public awareness of animal welfare on the Chinese mainland is at an all-time high. The country now has the world’s second-largest pet population, estimated at 430 million in 2024 and growing strongly. The cultural shift was on full display last year when the justice ministry solicited public feedback on its legislative plans. In a massive show of support, an online survey pushing for anti-cruelty legislation attracted over 4.2 million votes, with 96 per cent voting in favour. Yet despite rising... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344884/quiet-revolution-animal-rights-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344884/quiet-revolution-animal-rights-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen A spy thriller backed by a Chinese intelligence agency has become one of the biggest box office hits of the Lunar New Year. Scare Out, directed by Zhang Yimou, who is best known internationally for films such as Raise the Red Lantern and House of Flying Daggers, was produced under the direct supervision of the Ministry of State Security, which said the film was based on real-life cases. The film features a tense game of cat and mouse as counter-espionage agents track down a researcher who leaked... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344033/chinese-state-sponsored-spy-thriller-comes-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344033/chinese-state-sponsored-spy-thriller-comes-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:50:17 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian prosecutors and police launched an extensive crackdown on a Chinese electronics distribution network accused of laundering more than one billion reais (US$190 million) over seven months through a system allegedly related to one of Latin America’s most powerful crime syndicates. The Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC, syndicate allegedly sold imported consumer electronics throughout Brazil via a Chinese e-commerce platform called “Knup Brasil”, including mobile phone chargers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343545/brazil-breaks-china-linked-us190m-money-laundering-ring-tied-top-crime-syndicate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343545/brazil-breaks-china-linked-us190m-money-laundering-ring-tied-top-crime-syndicate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:32:56 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese authorities say their investigation of a high-profile scandal at one of the country’s leading state-run museums has revealed systemic mismanagement and alleged corruption over decades that allowed national treasures to be funnelled into the private art market. The scandal broke in late December when reports alleged that Nanjing Museum in eastern Jiangsu province had secretly sold donated paintings, prompting an investigation that focused on a former director accused of mishandling the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343035/chinese-probe-nanjing-museum-scandal-alleges-historic-mismanagement-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343035/chinese-probe-nanjing-museum-scandal-alleges-historic-mismanagement-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China’s top medical watchdog has ordered a nationwide review of the country’s psychiatric institutes following media reports that multiple hospitals in central China had locked up patients – including people who were not suffering from mental illness – as part of an insurance scam. The National Healthcare Security Administration said on Wednesday that its provincial bureaus should hold talks with directors of all psychiatric institutes in their area by Sunday. They were also told to ensure that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342493/china-probes-mental-hospitals-over-reports-patients-are-being-locked-insurance-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342493/china-probes-mental-hospitals-over-reports-patients-are-being-locked-insurance-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:22:14 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang China is looking to escalate measures against cybercriminals operating inside and outside its borders by banning convicted citizens from leaving the country, even after they have completed their sentences. The draft Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law bill comes as China doubles down on working with Southeast Asian countries to crack down on cross-border online fraud. The bill, which aims to impose an exit ban on Chinese people found guilty of cross-border online crimes for up to three years... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342128/china-moves-boost-cybercrime-penalties-adding-exit-ban-after-sentences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342128/china-moves-boost-cybercrime-penalties-adding-exit-ban-after-sentences?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:34:58 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A Chinese court has executed 11 people, including several citizens of Myanmar, linked to a notorious telecoms fraud group based in the Southeast Asian country for crimes including fraud, drug trafficking and murder. The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in eastern Zhejiang province carried out the executions of people who formed the core leadership of the Ming family crime syndicate and associated telecoms fraud groups, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. According to China’s Supreme... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341710/china-executes-11-core-members-myanmar-based-telecoms-fraud-ring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341710/china-executes-11-core-members-myanmar-based-telecoms-fraud-ring?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:17 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Sylvie Zhuang Phoebe Zhang,Sylvie Zhuang When a film about an investigation into a phone scam in Cambodia debuted at the Busan International Film Festival in 2018, it was not the cast or the plot that drew attention in China. Instead, the focus was on the film’s executive producer, Chen Zhi – a billionaire Chinese businessman who has himself been accused of running a sprawling online scam network in Cambodia. In The Prey – touted as Cambodia’s “first million-dollar action movie” – an undercover Interpol operative ends up in jail. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341096/why-china-was-so-keen-get-alleged-cybercrime-boss-chen-zhi-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341096/why-china-was-so-keen-get-alleged-cybercrime-boss-chen-zhi-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese man who flaunted his cash savings online triggered envy in a former colleague who disguised himself as a woman, then broke into his home to steal the entire amount. The case recently drew public attention after the Huli District People’s Procuratorate in Xiamen, Fujian province, southern China, handled a residential theft case. In April 2024, a man surnamed Xu was scrolling through social media when a video posted by his former colleague, surnamed Yang, caught his eye. The details of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339845/chinese-man-flaunts-cash-online-envious-ex-colleague-disguises-woman-steals-us10500?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339845/chinese-man-flaunts-cash-online-envious-ex-colleague-disguises-woman-steals-us10500?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 06:00:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang In a landmark case in China, two AI chatbot developers have appealed against their convictions on pornography charges over software that generated sexual content for paid users. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court began on Wednesday hearing the appeal by the two defendants against an earlier decision by a lower court to sentence one of the developers to four years and the other to 1½ years in prison for “creating pornographic material for profit”. The hearing has been adjourned,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339908/jailed-chinese-ai-chatbot-developers-appeal-landmark-pornography-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339908/jailed-chinese-ai-chatbot-developers-appeal-landmark-pornography-case?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China’s top counter-espionage agency has warned that overseas entities are attempting to steal the country’s geographic data through covert mapping operations that threaten national security. Foreign “anti-China hostile forces” have been deploying “various clandestine methods” to gather, steal and exploit China’s foundational mapping and geographic information, the Ministry of State Security said in a social media article on Tuesday. It said the data, crucial for infrastructure planning,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339780/china-warns-covert-mapping-foreign-forces-steal-sensitive-geodata?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339780/china-warns-covert-mapping-foreign-forces-steal-sensitive-geodata?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese teenager has been sentenced to six years in prison after he exploited a loophole in an online shopping platform’s refund policy to make thousands of fraudulent claims. The 17-year-old made 11,900 bogus refund applications without returning the goods and made four million yuan (US$570,000) from doing so. It was recently reported that a court in Shanghai issued a verdict in his case in July 2025. In March 2024, a cosmetics shopping platform reported to the police that it had become a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339047/china-teen-makes-fraudulent-returns-cosmetics-platform-profiting-us570000-resale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339047/china-teen-makes-fraudulent-returns-cosmetics-platform-profiting-us570000-resale?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese woman who thought she married and had a child with a People’s Armed Police (PAP) officer found out seven years later that he was in fact a convicted murderer. In 2014, a woman in northern China’s Hebei province, who uses the pseudonym Pang, married a PAP officer, Jia Bin, who had been introduced to her by her uncle. The couple soon had a son but Jia spent a dwindling amount of time at home, saying he was on “special missions”. He initially disappeared for days, then for months before... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3338878/china-wife-shocked-learn-peoples-armed-police-officer-husband-convicted-murderer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3338878/china-wife-shocked-learn-peoples-armed-police-officer-husband-convicted-murderer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has highlighted its success in joint law enforcement with the US, with state media publishing a rare report on a drugs-related money laundering case triggered by a tip-off from American authorities. Two men were sentenced in September in the case spanning both nations, the People’s Daily reported last week. This comes amid renewed US-China momentum against drug crimes, showcasing steady bilateral progress in anti-narcotics enforcement. Officers in Shenyang, in northeast China’s Liaoning... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337299/china-praises-joint-effort-us-after-pair-sentenced-drug-related-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337299/china-praises-joint-effort-us-after-pair-sentenced-drug-related-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:15:12 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu A Chinese court has convicted 27 individuals of smuggling more than 166 tonnes of antimony, a critical mineral used in weapons, semiconductors and flame retardants, in a significant enforcement action under Beijing’s tighter export controls for dual-use items. The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court in Guangdong province ruled that the group had illegally shipped the critical mineral without obtaining export licences, according to a statement released on Tuesday. Lead defendant Wang Wubin was... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336917/china-jails-smugglers-weapon-metal-antimony-taking-tough-stance-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336917/china-jails-smugglers-weapon-metal-antimony-taking-tough-stance-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese authorities last month intercepted 430kg (948lbs) of cocaine aided by tip-offs from the United States, indicating possible progress on the issue following an agreement on counternarcotics cooperation reached by the leaders of the two countries in October. The drugs were found inside an international container at Yantian port in Shenzhen, southern China, on November 26, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. The case is under investigation and no other details were given. Drug... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336590/china-seizes-430kg-cocaine-aided-us-intel-sign-anti-drug-agreement-may-be-working?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336590/china-seizes-430kg-cocaine-aided-us-intel-sign-anti-drug-agreement-may-be-working?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:19:41 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Chinese woman who recently recovered from injuries she suffered in an assault by a stranger in a public toilet has been diagnosed with leukaemia, attracting widespread sympathy on social media. The 22-year-old, known as Xu, first came to public attention when she was savagely beaten by a man of the same age in Yongkang, Zhejiang province, eastern China on October 30, 2022. The assault, which lasted more than 20 minutes, left Xu with serious injuries to her head and eyes. She also lost teeth in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3333383/chinese-woman-brutally-attacked-3-years-ago-battles-leukaemia-needs-funds-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3333383/chinese-woman-brutally-attacked-3-years-ago-battles-leukaemia-needs-funds-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang Widespread rumours claiming that former K-pop idol Kris Wu had died in prison after failing to meet gang demands have rocked mainland social media. Chinese-Canadian actor and singer Wu, who debuted in 2012 as a member of EXO before launching a solo career in China as a singer, artist, actor and fashion ambassador, saw his career collapse in 2021 after he was charged with sex crimes involving minors. In 2023, a Beijing court sentenced him to 13 years in prison followed by deportation. His appeal... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3333231/rumours-about-prison-death-ex-rapper-and-rapist-kris-wu-shock-china-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3333231/rumours-about-prison-death-ex-rapper-and-rapist-kris-wu-shock-china-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A 14-year-old girl in northern China has written to a court begging it to be lenient with her father who electrocuted her mother to death while she was taking a shower. The case has sparked a heated discussion on mainland social media after the judgment made by a court in Hebei province was released to the public in early November. The man, surnamed Yang, 36, was sentenced to life in jail for killing his wife, Yin, by electrocution in March 2023, Red Star News reported. The couple married in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332494/chinese-daughter-writes-court-pleading-leniency-dad-who-electrocuted-mum-shower?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332494/chinese-daughter-writes-court-pleading-leniency-dad-who-electrocuted-mum-shower?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The US and China are ramping up crackdowns on cryptocurrency-related cross-border crimes with a flurry of actions against the suspected ringleaders of scam networks operating in Southeast Asia. In recent years, the border areas between Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have become hubs for online fraud operations, in which syndicates either trick or coerce their targeted victims to invest in bogus schemes and transfer money via bitcoin, ether or stablecoins before these are processed through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3332675/us-chinese-authorities-ramp-actions-against-transnational-syndicates-running-crypto-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3332675/us-chinese-authorities-ramp-actions-against-transnational-syndicates-running-crypto-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:00:20 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A man in southeastern China, upset after discovering his wife’s affair, conspired with his cousin to kill his biological son in order to claim an insurance payout. The Fujian Provincial Court recently released details of the case, which took place in 2020, drawing widespread attention online. In April of that year, Zhang, from Sanming city in Fujian province, frequently argued with his wife over financial issues and her infidelity. In a fit of rage, he devised a plan to kill their seven-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332431/chinese-man-stages-car-crash-kill-son-7-claims-payout-after-dispute-over-wifes-infidelity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332431/chinese-man-stages-car-crash-kill-son-7-claims-payout-after-dispute-over-wifes-infidelity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:00:16 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has been quietly restricting the widespread abuse of a form of detention legal critics believe is a key source of illegal interrogation that has led to multiple deaths and blocked suspects’ access to lawyers. There has been no official announcement of the changes. But last month, a leaked file of new guidelines circulated online, adding supervision and restricting the way the measure, known as residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL), is approved and executed. RSDL was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332047/china-quietly-curbs-abuse-detention-procedure-linked-suspect-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332047/china-quietly-curbs-abuse-detention-procedure-linked-suspect-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 08:00:19 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A young man in China who teamed up with his friends to kill his mother in a fake road accident to pocket her insurance has shocked the nation. The 23-year-old son, surnamed Lu, and his friend, identified as Yang, were sentenced to death for intentional killing. Another man, Cheng, was sentenced to seven years in jail for assisting in the crime. The verdict was handed down by Taizhou Intermediate People’s Court in eastern Zhejiang province in April but was only made public recently, the news... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330757/china-son-sentenced-death-killing-mum-running-her-over-car-insurance-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330757/china-son-sentenced-death-killing-mum-running-her-over-car-insurance-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 10:00:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Chinese police are working with UK law enforcement authorities to track down fugitives and illicit funds involved in a massive cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering case, but experts see little likelihood for victims to recoup their losses. According to a statement, police in the northern city of Tianjin were “doing everything possible” to help more than 128,000 Chinese investors recoup funds caught in a web of fraudulent wealth schemes perpetrated between 2014 and 2017 by a syndicate, which... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3331111/china-uk-police-join-forces-recover-funds-massive-crypto-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3331111/china-uk-police-join-forces-recover-funds-massive-crypto-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:25:02 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao Iris Deng,Ann Cao Police in Shenzhen, the technology hub in southern China’s Guangdong province, have smashed a syndicate selling counterfeit imported chips to mainland manufacturers, according to local media, exposing an underground market for high-end semiconductors amid US export controls. The syndicate’s modus operandi was to collect discarded chips, which were laser-polished and relabelled, and sold as imported products from Infineon Technologies, Texas Instruments and Analog Devices, according to a report... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3330921/shenzhen-police-busts-syndicate-selling-counterfeit-infineon-and-texas-instruments-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3330921/shenzhen-police-busts-syndicate-selling-counterfeit-infineon-and-texas-instruments-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese man attempted a “Trojan horse” trick to infiltrate a residential building and steal gold worth 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) but was caught within a week. The 46-year-old man, surnamed Zhao, concealed himself in a wooden box and hired a delivery worker to transport the crate into the exit passageway of a building in central China’s Hunan province on October 9. This was meant to evade surveillance cameras. Once inside, Zhao climbed out of the box and followed a woman returning home, claiming... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330393/chinese-man-hides-box-enter-housing-block-steals-woman-leaving-crate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330393/chinese-man-hides-box-enter-housing-block-steals-woman-leaving-crate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Chinese women are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) generated footage of vagabonds at their homes to test how much their partners love them. The unusual trend has sparked concerns over the abuse of AI-generated content. On mainland social media platforms, several women said that they asked AI to generate images and videos of homeless men inside their room and send the footage to their husband or boyfriend. Some also generated a set of images and made up a story of them seeing a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329912/china-wives-use-ai-generated-videos-homeless-men-breaking-homes-test-husbands-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329912/china-wives-use-ai-generated-videos-homeless-men-breaking-homes-test-husbands-love?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A group of US Republican lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping at an expected summit next week about Americans they view as unjustly detained or barred from leaving China, framing Beijing’s use of exit bans and detention as “tools” to gain leverage. In a letter released on Thursday, three Republicans – Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Representatives Chris Smith of New Jersey and John Moolenaar of Michigan – highlighted the cases of two Americans,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3330123/us-lawmakers-urge-trump-press-xi-american-detainees-exit-bans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3330123/us-lawmakers-urge-trump-press-xi-american-detainees-exit-bans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:54:06 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A jealous Chinese man tried to stab his wife of 30 years to death because she received a discount from the local butcher. The victm, surnamed Zhao, later pleaded for leniency by saying that her husband always “brings all his money home”. The attack happened in March in Songyuan, Jilin province, northeastern China, when Zou, driven by unfounded suspicion, tried to murder his wife in their living room. Zou became convinced that Zhao was having an affair simply because she received a discount from... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329102/chinese-man-stabs-wife-after-suspecting-her-infidelity-butcher-over-meat-discount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329102/chinese-man-stabs-wife-after-suspecting-her-infidelity-butcher-over-meat-discount?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Gift cards, one of the most basic financial products in the US retail market, have become the backbone of a billion-dollar criminal economy that investigators say is moving American money into China. Homeland Security Investigations agents say Chinese organised-crime groups have built a laundering network that uses US retailers, mobile wallets and cryptocurrency to steal and export wealth. Operatives inside the US drain compromised gift cards, buy high-value goods such as iPhones and laptops,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329541/gangs-china-exploiting-us-gift-cards-move-stolen-cash-dhs-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329541/gangs-china-exploiting-us-gift-cards-move-stolen-cash-dhs-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 20:46:29 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A woman in Taiwan has been jailed for using the fingerprints of a dead man after approaching his body under the pretence of viewing the remains and forging a promissory note issued by him. The 59-year-old woman, surnamed Li, was caught red-handed in a funeral centre in Hsinchu, northwestern Taiwan after the dead man’s family called the police as a result of her abnormal behaviour, the news outlet SETN reported. Li and the man, identified as Peng, previously had debt disputes. When she heard that... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328922/taiwan-woman-caught-taking-fingerprints-dead-man-using-them-forge-loan-agreement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328922/taiwan-woman-caught-taking-fingerprints-dead-man-using-them-forge-loan-agreement?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Criminal gangs in northern Myanmar targeted Chinese citizens with the support of local political and military leaders, state media has reported. On Wednesday, the national broadcaster CCTV aired a confession from the head of an alleged crime family Wei Huairen, who is also known as Wai San. Wei was handed over to Chinese law enforcement in January. A police officer told the broadcaster that the criminal activities of the Wei family – one of the main ethnically Chinese crime gangs in Kokang – had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329160/china-airs-confession-northern-myanmar-crime-boss-wei-hauiren?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329160/china-airs-confession-northern-myanmar-crime-boss-wei-hauiren?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:35:50 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A woman in northeastern China woke from a coma to reveal that her boyfriend, who had spent 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) on her care, was the one who had beaten her into unconsciousness. Lin Yingying, 20, from Liaoning province, met her boyfriend, Liu Fenghe, online in 2013, as reported by the Liaoshen Evening News. The two quickly fell in love and started running a bakery together. However, their story took a dark turn when Liu called Lin’s father, claiming she had “fallen” at the shop and hit her... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328965/china-woman-wakes-coma-reveals-boyfriend-who-spends-us28000-her-care-abuser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328965/china-woman-wakes-coma-reveals-boyfriend-who-spends-us28000-her-care-abuser?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:00:15 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A court in China has granted the divorce application of a woman who survived after being pushed off a cliff in Thailand by her husband six years ago, sparking massive cheers on social media. Wang Nan, 38, better known online as Wang Nuannuan, suffered severe injuries after Yu Xiaodong pushed her off a 34-metre-high cliff while they were on holiday in a national park in Thailand in June 2019. She was pregnant for three months at the time and thus lost her unborn child in the autumn. Yu, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3328930/chinese-court-grants-woman-divorce-6-years-after-husband-pushed-her-thai-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3328930/chinese-court-grants-woman-divorce-6-years-after-husband-pushed-her-thai-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 06:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese man was arrested for stealing 380,000 yuan (US$53,000) in wedding gift money from a household shortly after their wedding, which he discovered through social media posts about their celebrations. The man, identified by the surname Peng, was apprehended on October 2 at his home in Jiangxi province, eastern China. Peng targeted the victim, also surnamed Peng, after viewing videos of the wedding festivities. He used Douyin, the mainland version of TikTok, to find wedding posts nearby and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328589/wig-donning-china-thief-steals-us53000-newlyweds-after-learning-about-pair-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328589/wig-donning-china-thief-steals-us53000-newlyweds-after-learning-about-pair-online?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:00:11 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China, working with the United States and Thailand, has seized a record haul of illegal drugs near a disputed South China Sea reef, state media said on Friday. The Chinese anti-drug agency and the China Coast Guard, acting on a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Royal Thai Police, intercepted the vessel Ji Sheng around 130 nautical miles (240km) southwest of Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China, People’s Daily reported. The operation took place... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328612/china-us-and-thailand-seize-record-meth-haul-near-disputed-south-china-sea-reef?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328612/china-us-and-thailand-seize-record-meth-haul-near-disputed-south-china-sea-reef?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:18 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang The heartbroken Chinese mother whose son and daughter were killed when they were thrown from their 15th-floor home by their father five years ago has announced a new romantic relationship, sparking controversy online. Tragedy struck on November 2, 2020, when Chen Meilin’s children, her two-year-old daughter Xuexue and one-year-old son Ruirui, were thrown out of the window of their father’s 15th-floor flat in southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality. The father, Zhang Bo, committed the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326966/chinese-mum-whose-young-kids-were-thrown-15th-floor-their-dad-reveals-new-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326966/chinese-mum-whose-young-kids-were-thrown-15th-floor-their-dad-reveals-new-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 01:00:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Cross-border crime syndicates are becoming increasingly sophisticated, taking advantage of technological developments to enable them to perpetrate offences ranging from hacking attacks to scams. They exploit differences between jurisdictions to evade justice and often escape with substantial proceeds. Law enforcement agencies around the world need to stay one step ahead, and that requires close cooperation. Hong Kong’s Police Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming met top security officials from... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3327769/hong-kongs-growing-cross-border-cooperation-against-crime-bearing-fruit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3327769/hong-kongs-growing-cross-border-cooperation-against-crime-bearing-fruit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:15:13 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A woman in China who was raped by her boss on a business trip and later sacked has had her ordeal ruled an “industrial injury” by the authorities. She subsequently sued the company and is demanding it pay her two million yuan (US$280,000) in compensation. The classification of her sexual assault as such is the first of its kind in China. The case, heard on September 23, at the Jinnan District People’s Court in Tianjin, northern China, gripped the nation, according to the news outlet Kankan... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326657/china-rape-victim-becomes-first-have-sex-assault-recognised-industrial-injury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326657/china-rape-victim-becomes-first-have-sex-assault-recognised-industrial-injury?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:17:10 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China has showcased and marketed a range of new public security equipment, including AI-assisted facial recognition surveillance devices, in an exhibition for police forces in developing countries. The equipment was displayed at the three-day Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, which runs in the coastal city of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, until Thursday. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the exhibition’s theme is “Security Sharing, Development Integration”. “Through this showcase,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang Two Chinese teenagers have been ordered to pay 2.2 million yuan (US$308,000) in compensation after filming themselves urinating into a hotpot dish at a popular restaurant. The pair posted a video of their “prank” online, and the outlet, one of the Haidilao nationwide chain, was forced to refund more than 4,000 diners. The incident took place on February 24, when two 17-year-olds, surnamed Tang and Wu, were dining in a private room at one of the chain’s restaurants in Shanghai. The drunken duo... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325691/china-teens-fined-us308000-over-hotpot-pee-video-led-4000-diner-refunds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325691/china-teens-fined-us308000-over-hotpot-pee-video-led-4000-diner-refunds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A man in the central province of Hubei was detained for allegedly making “inappropriate comments” about China’s Victory Day military parade and spreading rumours. According to cyber police in the city of Xiangyang, the 47-year-old man, surnamed Meng, made slanderous and derogatory remarks on Wednesday while commenting on a social media post about the parade held in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. When others expressed patriotic sentiment, Meng “insulted them and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324497/chinese-man-detained-inappropriate-comments-about-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324497/chinese-man-detained-inappropriate-comments-about-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:02:47 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese man became so obsessed with tomb-robbing fiction that he carried out a real-life heist, breaking into an ancient burial site and stealing 20 cultural relics dating back to 771 BC. The mastermind, surnamed Yu from Hubei province in central China, read tomb-robbing novels every day. When reading fiction no longer satisfied him, he began meticulously verifying details described in the stories, often cross-checking them with local county records when he came across questionable or vague... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3323365/tomb-raiding-fiction-fixated-chinese-thief-breaks-burial-site-steals-20-cultural-relics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3323365/tomb-raiding-fiction-fixated-chinese-thief-breaks-burial-site-steals-20-cultural-relics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese man who broke into a woman’s home, sedated her and drew her blood has claimed he did it to relieve stress. The home invader has been jailed for two years, and his bizarre actions have sparked outrage online. The disturbing incident took place in the early hours of January 1, 2024, when the man, surnamed Li, broke into the home of a woman called Yu in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, southeastern China. At the time, Yu was asleep in her bedroom while her husband was out. Li gained entry by... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322638/chinese-man-jailed-breaking-womans-home-drawing-her-blood-stress-relief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322638/chinese-man-jailed-breaking-womans-home-drawing-her-blood-stress-relief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 01:00:09 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A young Chinese rapper, Apmozart, paused his performance to assist a woman in capturing a molester, earning the title of “Captain Justice” online. During a live show at a venue in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in eastern China, Apmozart was interrupted by a female audience member who urgently called for help. Due to the loud music, the rapper initially did not hear her and handed his microphone to her. Speaking into the mic, the woman revealed that she had been molested by a male stranger,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322600/go-catch-him-chinese-musician-stops-show-help-woman-capture-sexual-assailant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322600/go-catch-him-chinese-musician-stops-show-help-woman-capture-sexual-assailant?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 08:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese woman who kept becoming pregnant to avoid jail has finally been brought to justice. The woman, who is known by the pseudonym Chen Hong, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for fraud in December 2020 in central China’s Shanxi province, the Shanxi Evening News reported. However, she was never properly incarcerated. Instead, Chen kept getting pregnant, having three children with one man in four years. In China, convicts who suffer serious illnesses, are pregnant and nursing their... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3321676/chinese-woman-keeps-getting-pregnant-has-3-kids-4-years-avoid-5-year-jail-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3321676/chinese-woman-keeps-getting-pregnant-has-3-kids-4-years-avoid-5-year-jail-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan The 90-year-old mother of a defendant in a 117 million yuan (US$16 million) extortion case in China was so devoted to her son that she self-learned the law and appeared in court to defend him. The case was heard at Zhoushan Municipal Intermediate Court in Zhejiang province, eastern China, on July 30, the Huashang News reported. The defendant, a 57-year-old man known as Lin, was arrested in April 2023 for blackmailing a local entrepreneur surnamed Huang out of 117 million yuan, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3320844/china-mum-90-self-learns-law-defend-accused-son-us16-million-extortion-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3320844/china-mum-90-self-learns-law-defend-accused-son-us16-million-extortion-case?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 10:00:09 +0000