https://www.scmp.com/rss/330125/feed The politics and economics behind Asia's big-ticket infrastructure projects. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alice Li Alice Li China’s landmark Pinglu Canal has entered its final phase of construction and is set to begin trial operations as early as September, with a first shipping route linking the country’s heartlands to the free-trade port of Hainan, according to Chinese state media reports. The Pinglu Canal – China’s most ambitious waterway project in centuries – will stretch 134km (83 miles) from Nanning, capital of the southern Guangxi region, to the Gulf of Tonkin, known as the Beibu Gulf in China. The aim is to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354380/chinas-vast-new-canal-link-southeast-asia-set-open-earlier-expected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354380/chinas-vast-new-canal-link-southeast-asia-set-open-earlier-expected?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 03:00:06 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Bangkok residents were digesting yet another avoidable tragedy on Monday after eight people were killed when a goods train ploughed into a city bus at a busy level crossing on Saturday afternoon. The train driver, who later tested positive for drugs, had also not received a valid operator’s licence from the Department of Rail Transport. A fireball erupted as the train struck the bus at the Asok-Dindaeng intersection, in a notoriously congested part of Thailand’s capital, igniting the vehicle’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353933/thailand-reels-deadly-bangkok-train-crash-its-latest-avoidable-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353933/thailand-reels-deadly-bangkok-train-crash-its-latest-avoidable-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 04:54:06 +0000 Minh Tran Minh Tran Ahead of next year’s Apec summit, Vietnam has a grand plan to transform Phu Quoc, its largest island, into Southeast Asia’s leading conference and exhibition hub. The 137 trillion dong (US$5.2 billion) blueprint includes an airport overhaul, a light-rail line, clusters of luxury hotels and a brand-new sewerage system – much of it paid for by one of the country’s largest conglomerates, in return for tracts of land, operating concessions and the cachet of building national landmarks. But problems... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353741/vietnams-us5-billion-apec-island-running-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353741/vietnams-us5-billion-apec-island-running-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has moved early to help Laos plan its longest highway, the latest project in Beijing’s push to expand transport connectivity in Southeast Asia. The initiative underscores Beijing’s broader effort to strengthen its economic footprint in the region through roads and railway infrastructure, as it seeks alternative trade routes amid a fractious relationship with the United States. Laos is conducting route surveys for an expressway linking the capital Vientiane to its northeastern border with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352896/how-china-backed-highway-may-turn-landlocked-laos-trade-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352896/how-china-backed-highway-may-turn-landlocked-laos-trade-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 23:00:11 +0000 Yogi Putranto Yogi Putranto Beneath the surface of the world’s oceans lies an infrastructure so essential, modern life would stall without it – yet so invisible it rarely enters public debate. Submarine cables, slender fibre-optic systems laid across the seabed, carry over 95 per cent of global internet traffic, transmitting the data that underpins financial markets, diplomatic exchanges and everyday communication. What appears to be neutral infrastructure is, in fact, a deeply political system – one that exposes a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352215/power-flows-through-submarine-cables-law-sea-must-evolve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352215/power-flows-through-submarine-cables-law-sea-must-evolve?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 12:52:34 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Sri Lanka’s loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport will need a complete overhaul if it wants to attract investors, analysts warn, after a 30-year lease agreement with an Indo-Russian joint venture failed commercially. The nation’s second international airport, built with Chinese loan, is located near a wildlife sanctuary on the island’s southern coast. It has no regular flights. Since opening in 2013, the small airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351962/sri-lankas-investor-call-worlds-emptiest-airport-struggling-get-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351962/sri-lankas-investor-call-worlds-emptiest-airport-struggling-get-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:03:44 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand’s vision for a land bridge splits opinion: some see it as a crucial new Asian trade route for a global economy held hostage by geography, while others view it as an expensive and environmentally ruinous distraction for a kingdom with plenty already on its plate. But to its backers, the proposed road and rail corridor, bookended by ports on the Gulf of Thailand and another 90km (56 miles) away on the Andaman Sea, to bypass a vital chokepoint, has never felt more urgent. Iran’s virtual... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351797/hormuz-crisis-revives-thailands-land-bridge-plan-business-case-still-lacking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351797/hormuz-crisis-revives-thailands-land-bridge-plan-business-case-still-lacking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:08:21 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen As the US-Israeli war with Iran chokes off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the “Middle Corridor” is being held up as a critical alternative lifeline linking East Asia to Europe. Also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the Middle Corridor is a multimodal logistics route that connects China and Europe via Kazakhstan in Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Turkey. Waqar Ahmad, president of Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev University,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351191/us-iran-war-chokes-hormuz-can-central-asias-middle-corridor-rise-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351191/us-iran-war-chokes-hormuz-can-central-asias-middle-corridor-rise-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:30:29 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A mega dam under construction in Tibet must prioritise ecological integrity and safety, Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing said during a visit to the project. The dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo will be the world’s largest hydropower facility. It is a key element of China’s plans to exploit the potential of the Tibetan Plateau by boosting regional growth through green energy and infrastructure. India has frequently expressed concerns that the project could lead to water shortages and ecological... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349889/safety-and-quality-top-priorities-chinas-highly-sensitive-megadam-tibet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349889/safety-and-quality-top-priorities-chinas-highly-sensitive-megadam-tibet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:24:51 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s incoming government has signalled it will pursue a more pragmatic foreign policy centred on national interests, as the newly victorious Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) seeks to recalibrate relations with both China and India after years of shifting political alignments. In its election manifesto, RSP pledged to pursue “balanced and dynamic diplomacy” with both neighbours, emphasising economic cooperation, cross-border connectivity and trade while transforming Nepal from a “buffer state... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:03:07 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran An investigation into allegedly corrupt flood-control projects worth billions of pesos is beginning to ripple through the Philippines’ public finances, slowing infrastructure spending and adding uncertainty to the government’s investment-driven growth strategy. The budget deficit widened 4.68 per cent to 1.58 trillion pesos (US$26.5 billion) in 2025, Treasury Bureau data showed, surpassing 2024’s record of 1.51 trillion pesos. Despite slowing disbursements amid tighter scrutiny of public works... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346029/philippines-budget-deficit-hits-record-us265-billion-corruption-probe-bites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346029/philippines-budget-deficit-hits-record-us265-billion-corruption-probe-bites?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Central Asia has long been someone else’s crossroads. Squeezed between an overbearing Russia to the north and an increasingly unstable Iran to the west, the region’s landlocked ex-Soviet republics have settled on a different solution: send railways south, through Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, all the way to the Arabian Sea. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – Central Asia’s two largest economies – have in recent months struck preliminary multilateral agreements for the construction of two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344798/central-asias-plan-bypass-russia-and-iran-railways-through-afghanistan-and-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344798/central-asias-plan-bypass-russia-and-iran-railways-through-afghanistan-and-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese railway giants look set to scout Eurasia in the years ahead to build high-speed train lines as the domestic market matures and some countries are more prepared than others for capital-intensive yet transformative ventures, analysts said. Inspired by China-invested projects such as the 142km (88-mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed line in Indonesia and the partly finished 350km (217-mile) Budapest-Belgrade railway, Chinese construction and engineering firms are expected to expand their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has almost finished building the US$10 billion Pinglu Canal to deepen trade ties between its southwestern provinces and Southeast Asia. Now, it is considering an even more ambitious – and expensive – project further inland. The Xianggui Canal would be a 300km (186 mile) waterway that effectively acts as an extension of the new Pinglu Canal, giving cities right at the heart of the Chinese interior direct access to the Gulf of Tonkin, known in China as the Beibu Gulf. Like the earlier... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342669/time-ripe-why-china-eyeing-another-vast-canal-link-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342669/time-ripe-why-china-eyeing-another-vast-canal-link-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:00:25 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has plans to increase its investments in Nepal to take advantage of the country’s rich hydropower resources, according to a Nepalese official. Nepal’s hydropower sector is particularly attractive to Chinese investors because there is potential to sell some of the power generated to India, said Hong Kong-based Consul General Bindeswar Prasad Lekhak. The Himalayan nation, which borders China and India, has vast untapped hydropower resources and it is keen to attract more foreign investment... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341838/china-step-investment-nepals-hydropower-sector-nepalese-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341838/china-step-investment-nepals-hydropower-sector-nepalese-official?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 02:30:12 +0000 Jiang Jiani Jiang Jiani At Davos this year, a familiar but sobering warning echoed through the slopes: the global order is fracturing into closed loops. In Western capitals, “de-risking” remains the dominant keyword, framing the global economy as a series of strategic high walls. Yet, beyond these barriers, a more tangible crisis is unfolding across the Global South. The infrastructure deficit continues to widen, estimated at a staggering US$1.7 trillion annually for Asia alone. This is a crisis of global governance.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341126/china-grows-it-reshaping-how-global-public-goods-are-delivered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341126/china-grows-it-reshaping-how-global-public-goods-are-delivered?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China is tightening approvals for intercity railways and urban metro projects – long-standing pillars of fixed-asset investment – as policymakers pay closer attention to debt risks while shifting the growth model towards consumption. The move comes as President Xi Jinping has specifically flagged operational strains at some high-speed rail stations and subway lines – a sign that the old growth driver may be further curtailed in the coming years. According to an online statement on Sunday by the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341412/china-tightens-rail-approvals-xi-warns-overbuilding-waste-and-operational-trouble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341412/china-tightens-rail-approvals-xi-warns-overbuilding-waste-and-operational-trouble?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is expected to finish construction on the landmark Pinglu Canal before the end of this year, taking just four years to complete the 72.7 billion yuan (US$10.4 billion) project to boost trade links with the country’s top export destination: Southeast Asia. The mega-project will provide China’s landlocked southwestern provinces with direct access to global shipping lanes, making it faster and cheaper to transport goods between the Chinese interior and neighbouring countries. The 134km (83... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341277/china-close-opening-us10-billion-canal-linking-heartlands-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341277/china-close-opening-us10-billion-canal-linking-heartlands-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto reiterated his commitment to a US$32 billion project to build the country’s new capital city as he ‌made his first overnight stay there as president, the government said. Questions about ‍the fate of the Nusantara capital city project have lingered since Prabowo took office in October 2024. The project is a legacy of his predecessor, Joko Widodo, who first announced his plan to move the ⁠capital 1,200km (745 miles) away from overcrowded and sinking Jakarta on Java... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339706/indonesias-prabowo-quells-us32-billion-capital-doubts-first-nusantara-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339706/indonesias-prabowo-quells-us32-billion-capital-doubts-first-nusantara-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:38:11 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Beijing is looking to expand China’s world-leading network of high-speed trains by 19 per cent within five years in an ongoing bid to boost connectivity across the country. The national railway operator unveiled the blueprint on Sunday to expand the country’s operational rail network to around 180,000km (112,000 miles) by 2030 – with high-speed routes totalling 60,000km and accounting for one-third of the full network – as part of the country’s infrastructure push under the nation’s 2026–2030... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338778/china-plans-19-high-speed-rail-expansion-2030-amid-global-dominance-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338778/china-plans-19-high-speed-rail-expansion-2030-amid-global-dominance-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:32:16 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The world’s longest expressway tunnel has opened to traffic in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, capping five years of construction on a project designed to increase China’s links with Central Asia. The 22.13km (13.75-mile) Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the centrepiece of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, officially opened on Friday, creating a 20-minute drive through the Tianshan Mountains that divide northern and southern Xinjiang. The tunnel halves the travel time between the regional capital Urumqi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337815/chinas-mega-expressway-tunnel-opens-xinjiang-halves-north-south-travel-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337815/chinas-mega-expressway-tunnel-opens-xinjiang-halves-north-south-travel-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:11 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine government is weighing whether a United Nations anti-corruption treaty can help track down and extradite a former lawmaker accused of being one of the masterminds behind the billion-peso flood control scandal and believed to be hiding overseas. Presidential press officer and undersecretary Claire Castro said Manila was studying a proposal by Senator Panfilo Lacson to tap the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to help locate and extradite former congressman Zaldy Co. Co, who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:04:32 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Philippines deferred the awarding of a project that is part of a plan to build one of the world’s longest marine bridges after local opposition over the potential involvement of a Chinese company due to national security fears. The proposals were “undergoing thorough review” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which acts as a lender and an overseer of the project to ensure it meets international environmental and governance standards, Manila’s public works department said in a statement on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334941/philippines-delays-manila-bay-bridge-project-amid-china-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334941/philippines-delays-manila-bay-bridge-project-amid-china-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:20:42 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A new Philippine commission tasked with investigating alleged corruption in thousands of public flood control projects has begun issuing its first findings, but analysts warn the body was designed with too little power and independence to deliver real accountability. Created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to mounting public anger over so-called ghost projects – flood control works that were paid for but either poorly built or did not exist at all – the Independent Commission for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332889/philippine-body-too-passive-deliver-real-accountability-anti-corruption-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332889/philippine-body-too-passive-deliver-real-accountability-anti-corruption-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 07:00:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s anti-corruption watchdog has launched a preliminary investigation into the construction of the US$7.3 billion Jakarta–Bandung High-speed Railway that analysts say could implicate senior figures in the administration of former president Joko Widodo. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confirmed last week that it was gathering evidence related to alleged irregularities in how the China-funded project, popularly known as “Whoosh”, was awarded and managed. “The investigation into... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3331489/indonesias-china-funded-whoosh-railway-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3331489/indonesias-china-funded-whoosh-railway-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:30:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A government plan to spend nearly US$1 million on decorative lights and other cosmetic upgrades in Kuala Lumpur’s famed Bukit Bintang district has drawn fierce backlash, with residents questioning the priorities of city planners as floods and ageing infrastructure continue to plague the Malaysian capital. The Housing and Local Government Ministry on Wednesday unveiled the “I Lite U” initiative – a 4 million ringgit (US$950,000) project to illuminate Bukit Bintang and spruce up its streets ahead... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3331096/singapores-orchard-road-malaysias-plan-bukit-bintang-upgrade-draws-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3331096/singapores-orchard-road-malaysias-plan-bukit-bintang-upgrade-draws-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:02:36 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong With an eye to transforming Cambodia into a Southeast Asian travel and cargo hub, a new US$2.3 billion airport – developed by a venture affiliated with one of the country’s wealthiest men – was opened at a grand ceremony near Phnom Penh, where officials and business leaders praised the project for enhancing regional connectivity and deepening links with Hong Kong and mainland China. Techo International Airport (TIA), which has replaced the Cambodian capital’s previous facility, has been forecast... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329952/new-phnom-penh-airport-opens-fanfare-cambodia-touts-regional-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329952/new-phnom-penh-airport-opens-fanfare-cambodia-touts-regional-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 23:30:14 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The collapse of two bridges in the northern Philippines just months apart has cast a harsh spotlight on the country’s ageing infrastructure and stirred renewed scrutiny of corruption in public works projects. While officials have pinned the latest incident on overloaded trucks, critics and engineering experts warn that poor maintenance and cost-cutting in construction may be to blame, potentially undermining President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s push to clean up the country’s infrastructure... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328671/philippines-crumbling-bridges-hinder-marcos-infrastructure-clean-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328671/philippines-crumbling-bridges-hinder-marcos-infrastructure-clean-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 05:30:08 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and how infrastructure spending and investment could evolve to meet the demands of a new era. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year-plan and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328549/will-chinas-next-5-year-plan-rewrite-its-infrastructure-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328549/will-chinas-next-5-year-plan-rewrite-its-infrastructure-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:00:14 +0000 Moritz Kraemer Moritz Kraemer For developing nations, the storm clouds of deglobalisation and climate change grow darker by the day. These challenges demand an increasingly prominent role for the state, not only as a buffer against the economic shocks that disproportionately harm the most vulnerable but also as an architect of resilience. Governments in poorer countries must fund vast investments in infrastructure, sustainable energy, healthcare and education to inject dynamism into their economies. But the unresolved... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328125/developing-economies-face-tough-reforms-global-aid-and-credit-shrink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328125/developing-economies-face-tough-reforms-global-aid-and-credit-shrink?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The Bali heat proved too much for Zhang Min, a 30-year-old tourist from Chengdu, one afternoon last month. She had made it to a cliff above one of the Indonesian holiday destination’s most sought-after scenic spots, but was exhausted by the journey. “The roads are really poor,” Zhang said as her group stopped above the T. Rex-shaped headland – a unique land mass that has made Kelingking one of the world’s most photographed beaches. Her group opted against hiking down a steep, sun-exposed trail... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328027/will-chinese-firms-bali-beach-lift-project-alter-local-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328027/will-chinese-firms-bali-beach-lift-project-alter-local-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 03:00:08 +0000 Ashfaq Zaman Ashfaq Zaman The Rohingya people have endured one of the world’s most protracted, yet least visible, humanitarian crises. Nearly one million Rohingya refugees live in what were supposed to be temporary camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. They still have little prospect of returning to Myanmar’s Rakhine state. But at a recent conference in Dhaka, the Rohingya people were, for the first time, given a voice. Their message was clear: they do not want more aid. They need to go home. China is well placed to help... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327042/why-china-should-lead-commission-phased-rohingya-repatriation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327042/why-china-should-lead-commission-phased-rohingya-repatriation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:30:09 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Singapore’s acting transport minister Jeffrey Siow has told parliament that while “zero disruptions” across the city state’s rail network is an unrealistic expectation, the government is boosting efforts to strengthen rail reliability and provide better support for commuters when incidents occur. “Train delays happen in every system, in every city,” Siow said during a parliamentary sitting on Monday. “Our phones, our computers have to be restarted every now and then. Cars will break down too. So... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3326426/zero-disruptions-unrealistic-singapore-vows-stronger-rail-reliability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3326426/zero-disruptions-unrealistic-singapore-vows-stronger-rail-reliability?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:44:07 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In his policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said he remained “deeply concerned” about the progress of the Northern Metropolis mega project. And so he might be. With plans first unveiled almost four years ago and a detailed “action agenda” released two years ago, there is still barely any concrete evidence of its existence. It is intended to transform 30,000 hectares (about a third of Hong Kong’s land area), adding 500,000 homes so the area can accommodate a population of up... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326038/speed-northern-metropolis-construction-get-bamboo-scaffolders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326038/speed-northern-metropolis-construction-get-bamboo-scaffolders?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Lee Hwok-Aun Lee Hwok-Aun Development plans are rarely page-turners. But Malaysia’s latest, covering the years 2026 to 2030, carries unusual weight. Compact and rooted in two simple yet powerful concepts, it may prove consequential for the country’s progress. The 13th Malaysia Plan, launched under the striking mission of “redesigning development”, extends a planning tradition that is now seven decades old but continues to anchor the nation’s development strategy and public investment. The plan seeks to answer two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325374/malaysias-13th-plan-offers-pocket-sized-reforms-middle-income-quagmire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325374/malaysias-13th-plan-offers-pocket-sized-reforms-middle-income-quagmire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 04:08:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bangladesh is boosting power imports from India and output from fuel oil-fired power plants in a scramble to meet rising electricity demand as it grapples with constraints on gas supply and coal plant maintenance, industry officials and analysts say. Power imports, mainly from an Adani Power-run coal-fired plant in eastern India, rose 70 per cent in the seven months through July and helped satisfy most of the rising demand, government data showed. Natural gas accounted for about two-thirds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3325203/bangladesh-buys-more-power-india-lifts-fuel-oil-use-meet-rising-electricity-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3325203/bangladesh-buys-more-power-india-lifts-fuel-oil-use-meet-rising-electricity-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 09:45:40 +0000 Geoffrey Chan,Brad Kininmonth Geoffrey Chan,Brad Kininmonth For cities around the world, hosting the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games is often seen as both a prestigious honour and a daunting economic burden. The need to construct sports complexes, modernise transport networks and expand accommodation capacity can saddle hosts with debt and infrastructure that often falls into disuse post-Games. But what if the host has the DNA for hosting a successful Olympics and can surmount this financial strain? What comes to mind is the Greater Bay Area – a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324566/why-greater-bay-area-should-host-2036-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324566/why-greater-bay-area-should-host-2036-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong should be very concerned about the recent flurry of cases involving misbehaviour in the construction industry. It would be too easy to write them off as isolated incidents when they could just as easily be straw in the wind, indicating a serious underlying malaise. One high-profile case is the Anderson Road quarry redevelopment by CK Asset Holdings. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested 10 suspects earlier this year for allegedly paying or receiving bribes in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324375/hong-kong-cant-let-its-construction-sector-be-captured-bad-actors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324375/hong-kong-cant-let-its-construction-sector-be-captured-bad-actors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang Hong Kong is poised to gain from mainland China’s expanding Belt and Road Initiative, as new projects under the effort to build a China-centred economic network increasingly focus on green development, digital transformation and trade-corridor connectivity, according to HSBC. Hong Kong, with its strengths in green finance and status as the world’s largest offshore yuan hub, was set to play a bigger role as the 12‑year‑old belt and road plan shifted towards more private sector-led projects across... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3324330/chinas-ramp-belt-and-road-investments-plays-hong-kongs-strengths-hsbc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3324330/chinas-ramp-belt-and-road-investments-plays-hong-kongs-strengths-hsbc?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 08:30:27 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Investments under China’s Belt and Road Initiative surged in the first half of the year – particularly for projects in Central Asia related to metals and mining – leading some analysts to conclude Beijing is seeking access to critical natural resources as a precaution against escalatory trade restrictions from the United States. The 150 countries taking part in the global infrastructure initiative received a combined US$124 billion in investments and construction contracts from January to June,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323354/china-steps-belt-and-road-initiative-funding-focus-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323354/china-steps-belt-and-road-initiative-funding-focus-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang From giant dams to sprawling railways, Beijing has pledged to step up investments along the so-called roof of the world, led by state-owned enterprises, as China marks the 60th anniversary of the Tibet autonomous region’s establishment. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac), China’s top state asset regulator, is calling for more targeted measures to boost industries, with more capital flowing into grass-roots projects and a greater promotion of cultural and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323352/china-elevates-infrastructure-push-tibet-aiming-raise-investments-worlds-roof?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323352/china-elevates-infrastructure-push-tibet-aiming-raise-investments-worlds-roof?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:00:18 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to visit China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, the world is watching closely. Modi’s visit will be a historic opportunity to usher in a new era of cooperation between two ancient civilisations whose populations account for just under 35 per cent of humanity, representing the world’s second- and soon-to-be third-largest economies. During Modi’s recent meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, both seemed to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322841/how-modis-visit-china-can-reshape-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322841/how-modis-visit-china-can-reshape-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Coco Feng,Mia Nulimaimaiti Coco Feng,Mia Nulimaimaiti The explosive growth in artificial intelligence (AI) requires a corresponding increase in data centres and energy infrastructure to host and power new applications. This boom will fuel compound growth in the global scale of computing power of 50 per cent per year between 2023 and 2030, according to research firm International Data Corporation. Computing power refers to the capacity of computer processors to perform tasks. The US-China tech war is stoking huge investments in data centres, which... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3322356/china-us-lead-ai-fuelled-data-centre-construction-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3322356/china-us-lead-ai-fuelled-data-centre-construction-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 08:10:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Floods that damaged hydropower dams in Nepal and destroyed the main bridge connecting the country to China show the vulnerability of infrastructure and the need for smart rebuilding in a region bearing the brunt of a warming planet, experts say. The flooding of the Bhotekoshi River on July 8 also killed nine people and damaged an inland container depot that was being built to support increasing trade between the two countries. The 10 damaged hydropower facilities, including three under... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3320750/deadly-floods-sever-nepal-china-trade-exposing-cost-climate-vulnerable-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3320750/deadly-floods-sever-nepal-china-trade-exposing-cost-climate-vulnerable-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 02:47:34 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial When Premier Li Qiang broke ground for the construction of the Yarlung Tsangpo mega-dam, he marked the start of one of the most extraordinary infrastructure projects in world history. Located in Medog, a remote county on the Tibetan Plateau, the super-dam could produce, when completed, three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze and will play a decisive role in China’s commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2060. It will be a big part of the renewable energy mix that includes... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319833/transparency-key-easing-regional-concerns-over-tibet-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319833/transparency-key-easing-regional-concerns-over-tibet-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The United States has ended its months-long freeze on foreign assistance with a 3 billion-peso (US$60 million) pledge to the Philippines – a modest sum that analysts say carries outsize strategic significance for Washington’s Indo-Pacific priorities under President Donald Trump. Analysts say the aid package, while limited in monetary terms, highlights the Philippines’ growing importance to US economic and security strategy, offering a window into how Washington may reward aligned partners even... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3319888/what-us60-million-aid-package-means-philippines-us-ties-it-speaks-volumes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3319888/what-us60-million-aid-package-means-philippines-us-ties-it-speaks-volumes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:21:22 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has officially broken ground on what is set to become the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Tibetan Plateau. The dam is being built on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Medog – a remote yet geopolitically significant county close to the disputed border with India. As well as becoming a major energy source, the dam is a key element in Beijing’s plans to develop the region and strengthen its border security. However, it could also aggravate tensions with India as a result of a long-running border... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319485/what-do-we-know-about-site-chinas-mega-dam-tibet-and-what-its-significance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319485/what-do-we-know-about-site-chinas-mega-dam-tibet-and-what-its-significance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 22:00:20 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang China hopes to speed up work on a trans-Himalayan network project to connect it with Nepal, a development that may raise concerns from regional rival India. On a three-day trip to Nepal, Chen Xiaodong, the head of China International Development Cooperation Agency, said China was willing to further align development strategies with Nepal and accelerate the construction of a trans-Himalayan network. “[We] should implement more projects in areas such as agriculture, new energy, health and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319399/china-seeks-boost-trans-himalayan-project-amid-contest-india-win-over-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319399/china-seeks-boost-trans-himalayan-project-amid-contest-india-win-over-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:59:26 +0000 Vanessa Cai,Sylvie Zhuang,Meredith Chen Vanessa Cai,Sylvie Zhuang,Meredith Chen China’s latest mega dam on the Tibetan Plateau could help draw neighbouring countries closer into its economic orbit by supplying electricity and boosting growth, analysts have argued. According to some estimates, the dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo will be the world’s biggest, producing up to 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam. State news agency Xinhua said over the weekend that its output would “primarily deliver electricity for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319326/could-chinas-tibet-mega-dam-help-boost-its-sway-south-asian-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319326/could-chinas-tibet-mega-dam-help-boost-its-sway-south-asian-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 22:00:11 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China has begun construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant on the Tibetan Plateau, which Premier Li Qiang hailed as the “project of the century” at a groundbreaking ceremony at the weekend. The 1.2 trillion yuan (US$167 billion) project to dam the Yarlung Tsangpo River in a deep canyon near Nyingchi has raised concerns about water resources downstream in India, where it is called the Brahmaputra, and in Bangladesh, which calls it the Jamuna, as well as over seismic risks and... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319279/chinas-mega-dam-tibet-power-surrounding-regions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319279/chinas-mega-dam-tibet-power-surrounding-regions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 09:00:37 +0000