https://www.scmp.com/rss/330300/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ada Li Ada Li Hainan’s local government has signalled its intention to bring a Formula 1 race to the southern island, after it unveiled development plans aimed at securing motorsport’s premier event for the province. Announcing a partnership with Dingji Automotive Culture Co, the Hainan Provincial International Cultural Exchange Centre said the cooperation would focus on “bringing Formula 1 racing events to Hainan, planning and building professional circuits, developing commercial race operations, creating an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3349543/hainan-hopes-make-formula-1-race-its-core-engine-it-develops-automotive-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3349543/hainan-hopes-make-formula-1-race-its-core-engine-it-develops-automotive-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Chances are, the Hainanese chicken rice served at your local restaurant is not the real deal. In the same way that champagne must come from Champagne, Hainanese chicken rice must technically be made with Wenchang chicken from Hainan, an island province of China in the South China Sea. These birds are small, free-range and famous for being fed a diet of fallen banyan seeds, coconut pulp and peanut bran. The breed was shaped by the region’s natural environment, which gives the meat natural... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Investment opportunities in cutting-edge technologies are increasingly concentrated in mainland China and Hong Kong, according to Clara Chan Ka-chai, CEO of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC). As the Hong Kong government’s investment arm, the HKIC aimed to play a stronger role in attracting capital into high-potential projects and scaling investments through broader funding participation, Chan said during a panel session at the Boao Forum for Asia on Friday. Founded in 2022, the HKIC... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348227/hkic-chief-sees-growing-opportunities-cutting-edge-tech-across-china-and-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348227/hkic-chief-sees-growing-opportunities-cutting-edge-tech-across-china-and-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 03:29:52 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Whenever a place rises up economically on the mainland, some observers inevitably portray it as a potential competitor with Hong Kong. This view misunderstands the crucial role the city plays as a global financial hub in Beijing’s “opening up” liberalisation. Hainan’s new status as a free-trade port is a case in point. The usual suspects warn that the island – more than 30 times the size of Hong Kong – could become a duty-free competitor. In reality, besides being Hainan’s biggest source of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347962/hainans-arrival-free-trade-port-opens-new-doors-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347962/hainans-arrival-free-trade-port-opens-new-doors-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong and Hainan should forge a strong partnership and explore new models of cooperation, the city’s leader has said, urging the business sector to capitalise on the mainland Chinese province’s free-trade port status by offering professional services in areas such as finance, law and accounting. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s call followed a meeting with Feng Fei, the Communist Party secretary of the Hainan provincial committee, on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia annual... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3347807/hong-kong-hainan-can-forge-strong-partnership-build-strengths-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3347807/hong-kong-hainan-can-forge-strong-partnership-build-strengths-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:36:42 +0000 Danny Mok,Natalie Wong Danny Mok,Natalie Wong Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will arrive in Hong Kong on Thursday for a three-day visit, meeting the city’s leader, politicians and businesspeople, and will also examine key sites in the Northern Metropolis megaproject to explore collaboration opportunities. It will be Wong’s first working visit to Hong Kong since he assumed office as Singapore’s fourth prime minister in May 2024. The visit will follow Wong’s attendance at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan province,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3347743/singapores-lawrence-wong-visit-hong-kong-after-boao-forum-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3347743/singapores-lawrence-wong-visit-hong-kong-after-boao-forum-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:54:37 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As China undergoes a sweeping economic transition, its regions are also in the process of embracing change. The powerhouses of yesteryear must adapt or risk falling behind, as traditional industries become less reliable growth drivers and new sectors take prominence. In this series, we explore three representative areas of the country as they attempt to navigate this rapidly changing environment. After Joyce Wu moved from Hainan province to Hong Kong in 2013, she marvelled for years at the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347581/chinas-hainan-wants-more-beach-tourism-will-new-customs-rules-cause-sea-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347581/chinas-hainan-wants-more-beach-tourism-will-new-customs-rules-cause-sea-change?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Ji Siqi Mia Nurmamat,Ji Siqi As Hainan pushes ahead with its free-trade port, the tropical island is emerging as a potential rival to Hong Kong’s long-standing role as a regional shopping and low-tax hub – even as both sides signal interest in closer cooperation. Since launching a separate customs regime three months ago, Hainan – now a gateway to the Chinese market – has positioned itself as a “super partner” to Hong Kong across industry chains, finance, tourism and other sectors, according to officials. “Hong Kong serves... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347323/chinas-hainan-free-trade-hub-reinvents-itself-hong-kongs-rival-and-partner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347323/chinas-hainan-free-trade-hub-reinvents-itself-hong-kongs-rival-and-partner?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:27:05 +0000 Lavender Au Lavender Au I WAS BORN in Guangzhou in 1979. In the 1980s and 90s, Guangzhou was a relatively special city in China. Many of my classmates had relatives in Hong Kong. It was more open, more connected to the outside world. People generally valued profit and were practically minded. The direct comparison with Hong Kong coupled with the continuous transmission of a kind of folk culture means that Guangdong has always had a very secular society. Even during the political movements of the 50s, 60s and 70s,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3342638/author-hu-anyan-work-writing-and-overcoming-inferiority-complex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3342638/author-hu-anyan-work-writing-and-overcoming-inferiority-complex?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:00:09 +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 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China’s new dry dock near the South China Sea could help it avoid having an aircraft carrier “gap” in the disputed waterway and pave the way for military outreach to the Indian Ocean, analysts said. According to a report by American geospatial intelligence company AllSource Analysis, satellite imagery on January 21 showed the first use of a new dry dock at Yulin Naval Base in the southern Chinese province of Hainan, for the likely maintenance of PLA Navy aircraft carriers. The report said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341270/shandongs-use-plas-newest-dry-dock-near-south-china-sea-suggests-carrier-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341270/shandongs-use-plas-newest-dry-dock-near-south-china-sea-suggests-carrier-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:36:10 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen China’s commercial space sector logged 50 launches last year – more than half of the country’s total – underscoring the growing role of private players alongside the state-led space programme, with Beijing highlighting aerospace as a strategic industry. Commercial launches accounted for 54 per cent of the country’s total in 2025, according to data released on Tuesday by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Of the total, 25 launches were carried out by commercial launch vehicles.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3340597/chinas-commercial-space-sector-soars-50-launches-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3340597/chinas-commercial-space-sector-soars-50-launches-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:14:01 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu Previously, I put forward the argument that Hong Kong’s relevance in China’s opening up lies less in guarding its gateway role and more in developing new forms of partnership. Since then, Hainan has set up distinct island-wide customs operations from December 18. This is a turning point – one that invites Hong Kong to think not only about how to cooperate, but how to co-design the next phase of China’s engagement with the world. Hainan’s transformation is ambitious. Around 6,600 types of goods... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338196/how-hong-kong-can-work-hainan-ease-entry-chinas-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338196/how-hong-kong-can-work-hainan-ease-entry-chinas-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Devin Lin Devin Lin On December 18, China made a bold move on the global economic chessboard. It launched a massive free-trade experiment by turning the entire island province of Hainan – an area, comparable in size to Belgium, whose gross domestic product was US$113 billion last year – into a duty-free customs zone. A new narrative has now taken hold: with its free-trade port status, Hainan is on track to rival or even supplant Hong Kong. Having followed this development closely, I believe this comparison is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338100/hainan-next-hong-kong-thats-wrong-question-ask?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338100/hainan-next-hong-kong-thats-wrong-question-ask?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 21:30:10 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun A customs scheme covering the entirety of Hainan, China’s southern island province, appears to have triggered a surge in consumption since its inception last week, with the province’s tourism hub Sanya recording more than 500 million yuan (US$71.25 million) in duty-free sales over five days. Analysts cautioned, however, that the greater significance of the policy lies less in short-term spending boosts than in whether Hainan can diversify its economy beyond its previous reliance on real estate... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338035/chinas-hainan-hosts-duty-free-shopping-spree-under-new-customs-regime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338035/chinas-hainan-hosts-duty-free-shopping-spree-under-new-customs-regime?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong China Jinmao Holdings, the property development arm of state-backed Sinochem Holdings, has sold a tourism subsidiary that owns the five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel on Hainan Island for 2.26 billion yuan (US$322 million), as it pursues asset restructuring amid a prolonged downturn in mainland China’s real estate market. Shanghai Jinmao, the developer’s wholly owned unit, reached an agreement with Sanya Luanmao on Tuesday to sell its 100 per cent stake in Sanya Tourism, which solely owned the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337614/china-jinmao-sells-five-star-ritz-carlton-hotel-hainans-sanya-us322-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337614/china-jinmao-sells-five-star-ritz-carlton-hotel-hainans-sanya-us322-million?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 09:00:15 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hainan free trade port has launched a separate customs territory, exempting most goods from duties and taxes. This expands China’s opening up to trade and economic cooperation, with Hainan envisioned as a primary gateway for goods to enter the mainland market. It is also a challenge to Hong Kong to develop its advantages as a free port under “one country, two systems”. Under the new customs regime, about 75 per cent of taxable imports qualify for duty-free entry. Goods imported duty-free and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3337274/hong-kong-can-and-must-remain-competitive-hainan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3337274/hong-kong-can-and-must-remain-competitive-hainan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s southern Hainan province implemented a separate customs regime on Thursday, as Beijing seeks to develop the island into an offshore financing and duty-free hub and position it as a strategic hedge against rising external trade barriers. The new customs regime creates two distinct customs boundaries for Hainan: one separating the island from overseas markets, and another dividing it from the rest of mainland China. Most overseas goods entering the island – which is roughly the size of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336928/chinas-hainan-launches-separate-customs-regime-allowing-tariff-free-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336928/chinas-hainan-launches-separate-customs-regime-allowing-tariff-free-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:01:12 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China is about to switch on a satellite “super factory” able to produce 1,000 units annually – a major step in Beijing’s race to build low Earth orbit constellations as part of its ambition to one day rival Elon Musk’s Starlink. The facility, located inside the Wenchang spaceport in China’s southernmost Hainan province, integrates a “factory-to-launch” pipeline that assembles, tests and pairs satellites with rockets. This makes it the only base of its kind in the country and Asia’s largest... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335926/china-launches-satellite-super-factory-bid-rival-elon-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335926/china-launches-satellite-super-factory-bid-rival-elon-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:13 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When President Xi Jinping commissioned the Fujian on November 5, China became only the second nation to have an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. It is also notable that, last month, two navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea. These events crystallise a strategic reality often obscured by aggregate force comparisons: the relevant naval balance is not between the 11 US aircraft carriers and China’s three, but between what the United States can... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332517/south-china-sea-how-third-pla-navy-aircraft-carrier-changes-dynamics-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332517/south-china-sea-how-third-pla-navy-aircraft-carrier-changes-dynamics-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 12:30:10 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi With nearly one month before Hainan, China’s southern island province, launches a separate customs regime, President Xi Jinping has urged officials to ensure the process goes smoothly so the region can spearhead the country’s opening up. “The strategic goal of building the Hainan Free Trade Port is to establish it as a significant gateway leading China’s opening up in the new era,” Xi said on Thursday in Sanya, a city in southern Hainan, during his tour of the tropical island. “This is an... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331801/chinas-xi-jinping-says-hainan-free-trade-zone-will-spearhead-new-era-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331801/chinas-xi-jinping-says-hainan-free-trade-zone-will-spearhead-new-era-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour injected an estimated US$5 billion into the US economy, it showed how music can move markets – and China took note. Now the country’s tropical island of Hainan is testing its own version of the “Swift effect”. Over the past year, Hainan has quietly evolved from a laid-back beach retreat into a stage for hip-hop’s global elite. It began with Kanye West (aka Ye)’s headline-making performance last September, which was followed by Travis Scott’s explosive show this... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/travel-hotels/article/3331347/how-hainan-using-hip-hop-rebrand-luxury-china-help-kanye-west-travis-scott-and-maybe-cardi-b?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/travel-hotels/article/3331347/how-hainan-using-hip-hop-rebrand-luxury-china-help-kanye-west-travis-scott-and-maybe-cardi-b?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 06:00:10 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing On a recent weekend, the members-only Lantau Yacht Club in Hong Kong hosted a high-profile boat show, with Rolls-Royce limousines, luxury Jacob & Co timepieces, drones and live music all part of the package to tempt well-heeled guests. The privately owned yacht club, in Lantau’s Island’s resort-like Discovery Bay neighbourhood, was a pioneer in reconfiguring operations to target high-end superyachts in 2020 and has 148 wet berths and associated facilities. Franklin Mak, executive vice-president... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330963/hong-kong-has-set-course-join-yacht-club-asia-can-it-find-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330963/hong-kong-has-set-course-join-yacht-club-asia-can-it-find-way?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:30:09 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong The world’s first commercial underwater data centre is now operational in China’s Hainan, as the island province pushes to attract foreign investment by expanding the blue economy in the country’s largest pilot free-trade zone. The servers manage digital services from restaurant recommendations to travel hacks, and will be installed in a 1,300-tonne underwater data cabin – equivalent to the weight of 1,000 passenger cars – after the first phase of construction was completed in Lingshui county... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328063/china-launches-worlds-first-commercial-underwater-data-centre-hainan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328063/china-launches-worlds-first-commercial-underwater-data-centre-hainan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:00:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Cities in China’s southern provinces are bracing for Ragasa, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, with Shenzhen warning of “disastrous calamities” ahead and preparing to relocate hundreds of thousands of people. The National Meteorological Centre said on Sunday that Ragasa, the 18th typhoon this year, had intensified into a super typhoon on Sunday morning and was expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to wide areas of the country’s southern and eastern regions. It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326357/super-typhoon-ragasa-china-braces-disaster-shenzhen-set-evacuate-400000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3326357/super-typhoon-ragasa-china-braces-disaster-shenzhen-set-evacuate-400000?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 06:19:55 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu The memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year between Hainan province and Hong Kong is more than a mere policy document. It’s a signal that two of China’s key gateways have entered a new phase of two-way coordination and shared ambition. Spanning multiple sectors such as finance, trade and investment, data, tourism and talent exchange, the memorandum underscores the deeply intertwined future of both places. In August, China launched a cross-border asset management pilot in the Hainan... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3325041/how-hainan-and-hong-kong-can-build-each-others-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3325041/how-hainan-and-hong-kong-can-build-each-others-success?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong could experience windy and wet weather from the coming weekend under the influence of a low-pressure area that may become a tropical cyclone, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Thursday that the low-pressure area might turn into a tropical... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3324356/hong-kong-could-face-windy-wet-weekend-potential-tropical-cyclone-forms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3324356/hong-kong-could-face-windy-wet-weekend-potential-tropical-cyclone-forms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:50:50 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Typhoon Kajiki brought torrential rains to Vietnam’s north central coast on Monday, felling trees and flooding homes, despite wind speeds tapering off from earlier in the day. Typhoon Kajiki’s wind speeds eased from 166km/h (103 mph) to 118-133km/h (73-83mph) as the storm hit the coast of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, according to the country’s weather agency. “It’s terrifying,” said Dang Xuan Phuong, a 48-year-old resident of Cua Lo, a tourism town in Nghe An province directly hit by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323097/terrifying-typhoon-kajiki-batters-vietnam-blowing-roofs-homes-causing-widespread-floods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323097/terrifying-typhoon-kajiki-batters-vietnam-blowing-roofs-homes-causing-widespread-floods?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 11:29:14 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi China’s tropical island province of Hainan will have an independent customs regime by the end of the year, the central government announced on Wednesday. Starting from December 18, a separate customs zone will be established in Hainan, which Beijing wants to transform into a free-trade port, as well as a centre for offshore financing and duty-free shopping that will lure tourists and businesses with an internationally competitive tax regime and relaxed visa requirements. A key part of the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319273/expansion-tariff-free-access-chinas-hainan-big-boost-trade-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319273/expansion-tariff-free-access-chinas-hainan-big-boost-trade-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:47:04 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie Chen Feng, a founder of the defunct Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison and is subject to a penalty of 221 million yuan (US$30.8 million), nearly four years after he was detained by police. The 72-year-old businessman was charged with harming the interests of a listed company, fraudulently obtaining loans and a breach of duty through misappropriation, according to a court document. The government said 40 million yuan in personal assets were ordered to be... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3318643/chen-feng-founder-chinese-conglomerate-hna-sentenced-12-years-prison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3318643/chen-feng-founder-chinese-conglomerate-hna-sentenced-12-years-prison?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:39:57 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang Hong Kong could serve as a stablecoin test bed to boost the internationalisation of the yuan as Beijing puts more focus on the digital version of its currency, according to the chairman and CEO of HashKey Group. “Due to its ‘one country, two systems’ characteristics, Hong Kong’s stablecoins can serve as a testing ground for the mainland, providing both experience and lessons,” said Xiao Feng, who heads one of the city’s licensed cryptocurrency exchange operators, on Wednesday. Earlier in the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3314956/hong-kong-could-serve-stablecoin-test-bed-amid-chinas-effort-raise-yuans-profile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3314956/hong-kong-could-serve-stablecoin-test-bed-amid-chinas-effort-raise-yuans-profile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:57:11 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China’s southernmost province of Hainan is piloting a programme to grant select corporate users broad access to the global internet, a rare move in a country known for having some of the world’s most restrictive online censorship, as the island seeks to transform itself into a global free-trade port. Employees of companies registered and operating in Hainan can apply for the “Global Connect” mobile service through the Hainan International Data Comprehensive Service Centre (HIDCSC), according to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3313224/chinas-hainan-offers-global-internet-access-some-boost-free-trade-port-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3313224/chinas-hainan-offers-global-internet-access-some-boost-free-trade-port-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:30:08 +0000 Thomas Bird Thomas Bird When American travel writer Paul Theroux rolled around China researching seminal travelogue Riding the Iron Rooster (1988), the country was still a technological backwater. “The Chinese are the last people in the world still manufacturing spittoons, chamber-pots, treadle sewing-machines, bed-warmers, claw-hammers, ‘quill’ pens (steel nibs, dunk-and-write), wooden yokes for oxen, iron ploughs, sit-up-and-beg bicycles,” he observed, “and steam engines.” Theroux, of course, couldn’t have predicted... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3309561/4-rail-journeys-modern-day-china-far-cry-riding-iron-rooster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3309561/4-rail-journeys-modern-day-china-far-cry-riding-iron-rooster?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 05:00:10 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The intensifying trade war with the United States has created a crisis for businesses across China, as sky-high tariffs dampen trade, disrupt supply chains and raise concerns about a wave of job losses. But one island province could stand to benefit. Hainan, a tropical haven off China’s southern coast, has emerged as a major shopping destination over the past few years, with special policies allowing its duty-free stores to maintain unbeatable prices. Now, local shops are set to gain an even... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3309726/duty-free-island-trying-lure-chinese-shoppers-amid-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3309726/duty-free-island-trying-lure-chinese-shoppers-amid-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 May 2025 04:00:21 +0000 One of China’s biggest and most advanced warships is going on show on the mainland for the first time as part of this week’s events to mark the 76th anniversary of the PLA Navy. The People’s Liberation Army’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship will lower its gangplank to welcome the public aboard in Hainan, its namesake home port, on Thursday during one of a series of open days in more than 10 coastal cities, according to state news agency Xinhua. More than 30 active-duty warships will be open to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307591/chinese-navy-introduces-one-its-biggest-warships-public-open-day-celebration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307591/chinese-navy-introduces-one-its-biggest-warships-public-open-day-celebration?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:00:51 +0000 From dawn to midnight, Huang Qijun nurtures and tends to 10,056 durian trees, every day. By late March, the mild weather in China’s southernmost province of Hainan – with occasional overcast skies and light showers – ushered in the flowering season for durian trees. And Huang got to work. On this nearly 40-hectare (99-acre) durian orchard that is mostly managed by only one caretaker, much of the work is handled by machines: each tree is equipped with sensors that monitor temperature and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3307087/1-man-10000-durian-trees-chinas-planting-pains-give-way-golden-home-grown-bounty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3307087/1-man-10000-durian-trees-chinas-planting-pains-give-way-golden-home-grown-bounty?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Apr 2025 22:00:22 +0000 In a high-profile meeting with representatives of the international business community on Friday, President Xi Jinping took aim at forces seeking to politicise trade while reassuring that “China will remain fertile land for foreign investment for a long time to come”. His meeting was Beijing’s latest salvo in its charm offensive directed at bringing more foreign operations – and economy-driving cash – back to China, and it also represented Beijing’s pushback against external forces weighing on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3304208/chinas-xi-meets-international-business-reps-beijing-turns-charm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3304208/chinas-xi-meets-international-business-reps-beijing-turns-charm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Mar 2025 03:28:55 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong is devoted to deepening its foreign ties, the city’s leader has said, while urging economies in Asia to promote bilateralism and reject protectionism amid a fast-changing geopolitical environment. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also called for more collaboration between the city and mainland China’s Hainan province to promote free trade and market liberalisation. “Hong Kong is a global city that thrives on connecting the world … We are devoted to deepening international... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3303848/hong-kong-devoted-bolstering-foreign-ties-john-lee-says-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3303848/hong-kong-devoted-bolstering-foreign-ties-john-lee-says-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Mar 2025 12:03:33 +0000 Champagne flows, mega yachts glide by and the high seas beckon with the promise of adventure – marinas are more than just a place to dock. From first-class facilities to spectacular locations, here are six that serve as destinations in their own right. 1. Port Hercules, Monaco The ultimate in exclusivity, Port Hercules, aka Billionaires’ Harbour, has long been a symbol of wealth and extravagance. Located in the heart of Monte Carlo, it has been Monaco’s main anchorage since ancient Greek and... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3300562/6-marinas-around-world-are-destinations-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3300562/6-marinas-around-world-are-destinations-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China has created an underwater data centre with enough computing power to support 7,000 conversations with DeepSeek per second, according to state media. A new data centre capsule was added to an existing energy efficient data processing cluster near China’s southernmost Hainan island on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV said. The addition boosted the computing power of the submerged cluster to the equivalent of 30,000 high-end gaming computers operating simultaneously and could support 7,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299313/chinas-subsea-data-centre-could-power-7000-deepseek-conversations-second-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299313/chinas-subsea-data-centre-could-power-7000-deepseek-conversations-second-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:57:20 +0000 Russia plans to add additional direct flights from St Petersburg to Beijing and Shanghai by next year, according to an airport executive and aviation analysts, while the route between its second-largest city and the island province of Hainan will also be resumed, amid growing demand for flights to China for business and tourism. Asiyat Khalvashi, director of aviation commerce at the Northern Capital Gateway consortium that runs St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, told Russian newspaper Vedomosti... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3289333/china-russia-flights-take-beijing-shanghai-and-hainan-radar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3289333/china-russia-flights-take-beijing-shanghai-and-hainan-radar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 14:30:07 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng For Rick Lui, a decision to take a one-year break from university in 2021 is starting to pay off. A stint during the gap year as a rodent-control specialist serving Hong Kong’s public housing provider has helped him launch a business with global targets. The 24-year-old biotechnology graduate from Hong Kong University of Science Technology is the founder and CEO of Plasticvore Chain, a maker of natural pest repellents, which won a competition organised by the university in October. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3288764/hong-kong-biotech-start-eyes-global-pest-control-market-scent-based-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3288764/hong-kong-biotech-start-eyes-global-pest-control-market-scent-based-products?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 04:00:22 +0000 China’s visa-free policy for visitors, introduced last year, is quickly becoming its largest visa liberalisation since the founding of the People’s Republic. Last week, it added nine more countries to the scheme, including Japan, taking the total to 38. Effective from the end of the month, travellers from Japan, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia and Latvia can visit China visa-free for up to 30 days. This is a doubling of the 15 days the scheme granted... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3287806/chinas-visa-free-initiative-shows-it-choosing-openness-over-isolation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3287806/chinas-visa-free-initiative-shows-it-choosing-openness-over-isolation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 01:30:10 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding raised US$5 billion from a multi-tranche dual-currency bond offering, the Chinese e-commerce giant said on Wednesday, an initiative that looks to enhance Hong Kong’s role as an international financial centre. Hangzhou-based Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post, concurrently issued US$2.65 billion in US dollar-denominated notes and 17 billion yuan (US$2.35 billion) in offshore yuan-denominated notes, following the firm’s announcement on Monday of a bond offering... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287432/alibaba-raises-us5-billion-dual-currency-bond-issue-boosting-hong-kongs-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287432/alibaba-raises-us5-billion-dual-currency-bond-issue-boosting-hong-kongs-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:30:13 +0000 Airlines from China and Canada began adding back regular direct flights this week, connecting Toronto and Vancouver with four Chinese cities following a deal between aviation regulators that is expected to ease demand. At least five airlines would increase their frequencies within the next two months, the Chinese aviation regulator has said via state-backed media outlets since October 30, connecting two of Canada’s major cities with Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Hainan Airlines led... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3286394/china-canada-direct-flights-surge-meet-demand-talks-yield-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3286394/china-canada-direct-flights-surge-meet-demand-talks-yield-results?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 13:30:09 +0000 China is considering another inland site as it makes plans for a massive commercial spaceport – despite the advantages of its coastal facility in the southern island province of Hainan. According to the official Sichuan Daily newspaper, the new spaceport could be built in Mianning county in the southwestern province’s Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, in line with China’s strategy of strengthening its “strategic hinterland”. The strategy was adopted by the third plenum – the party’s key policy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3282391/extreme-situations-chinas-space-superpower-goals-are-being-shaped-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3282391/extreme-situations-chinas-space-superpower-goals-are-being-shaped-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2024 06:00:10 +0000 Multiple sightings of Type 094 submarines transiting in the Taiwan Strait may be a sign that the PLA’s nuclear submarines and missile technology has matured, according to an influential mainland magazine. The sightings also suggest that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has at least two ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) with four crews on standby around the clock to act as a nuclear deterrent and counter-strike force. The assessments were reported in the July edition of Ordnance Industry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3278656/sight-chinas-type-094-taiwan-strait-suggest-evolved-nuclear-sub-programme-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3278656/sight-chinas-type-094-taiwan-strait-suggest-evolved-nuclear-sub-programme-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2024 06:00:22 +0000 China’s southern province of Guangdong and the tropical island province of Hainan are working to restore power and communications after severe damage caused by Super Typhoon Yagi. Electricity and water supplies have been “basically restored” in Zhanjiang, the southernmost city in Guangdong, the city’s official outlet Zhanjiang Daily reported on Monday. But electricity has not been restored in Xuwen, which was hit head-on by Yagi, it said. Local officials were still repairing damaged... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3277760/super-typhoon-yagi-officials-military-southern-china-push-restore-power-services?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3277760/super-typhoon-yagi-officials-military-southern-china-push-restore-power-services?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 07:42:03 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen With the aid of the world’s most powerful radar of its kind, Chinese scientists have detected plasma bubbles appearing over both the Egyptian pyramids and the Midway Islands, almost simultaneously. Equatorial plasma bubbles are anomalous weather phenomena in low-latitude regions, caused by the sudden disappearance of a large number of charged particles in the ionosphere – part of the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Resembling a bubble, this electron-depleted region can play havoc with GPS positioning... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277286/chinas-super-radar-detects-plasma-bubble-over-pyramids-giza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277286/chinas-super-radar-detects-plasma-bubble-over-pyramids-giza?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Sep 2024 08:00:08 +0000 China’s death toll from Super Typhoon Yagi – the world’s second-strongest tropical cyclone this year – has climbed to four, with 95 people injured in three southern provinces, state news agency Xinhua reported. More than 1.2 million people in Hainan, Guangdong and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region were affected by the storm, and large-scale power outages and telecoms service disruptions were reported. After sweeping Hong Kong, Yagi, the 11th typhoon in the Pacific region this year, made... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3277595/super-typhoon-yagi-pummels-chinas-hainan-killing-2-and-injuring-92?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3277595/super-typhoon-yagi-pummels-chinas-hainan-killing-2-and-injuring-92?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Sep 2024 05:20:57 +0000