https://www.scmp.com/rss/330784/feed Latest news and updates on TikTok, the globally popular social media platform. The app, which merged with Musical.ly in 2018, lets users create short videos under a minute long complete with visual effects and background music. It has since come under scrutiny in countries like the US and India because it is owned by a Chinese company. Critics have accused the app of posing a national security risk, a claim that TikTok has repeatedly denied. Known as Douyin in China, the app is owned by... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lisa Cam Lisa Cam Like video games, micro dramas can be super addictive. And Timothy Oh, general manager of the Chinese digital content company COL Group, knows exactly how to get viewers hooked. Also called vertical dramas, micro dramas are a rapidly growing entertainment format featuring serialised short-form videos shot in 9:16 aspect ratio specifically for viewing on mobile devices. Series typically consist of 30 to 70 episodes, each lasting only one to three minutes, designed for fast-paced, addictive and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348612/how-micro-dramas-work-tiktok-trend-leaving-big-studios-their-dust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348612/how-micro-dramas-work-tiktok-trend-leaving-big-studios-their-dust?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Canada’s finance minister will travel to China for a four-day visit, China’s Finance Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. “Following the Prime Minister’s visit, I am travelling to the People’s Republic of China to re-engage with counterparts, strengthen our economic relationship, and advance priorities on trade and investment, building on our existing [Canadian] $118.9B [US$85.7 billion] in two-way trade,” Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a social media post on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3348710/canadas-finance-minister-visits-china-both-countries-seek-bolster-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3348710/canadas-finance-minister-visits-china-both-countries-seek-bolster-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:24:44 +0000 Carolina Malis Carolina Malis At some point in the last few years, the scalp quietly became prime real estate. We now have pre-wash masks, microbiome mists, and entire TikTok rabbit holes dedicated to “scalp cycling”. And yet, for all the newness, one very old character keeps crashing the party: flakes. You think you’ve “handled” them – switched shampoos, maybe bought the fancy scrub, but a few weeks later, there they are again, dusting your shoulders like unrequested confetti. “Recurring flaking is usually a sign that the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3348366/why-your-scalp-care-routine-just-important-hair-care-and-not-just-because-dandruff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3348366/why-your-scalp-care-routine-just-important-hair-care-and-not-just-because-dandruff?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Almost three years ago, New York City joined governments across the country in banning TikTok from its phones over security concerns about the Chinese social media site. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a bona fide social media star, took to the app to announce a reversal: “TikTok, we’re back.” The city will now allow agencies to start posting again on the short-form social media site as long as departments follow a set of security precautions, according to a memo from city cybersecurity... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348591/new-york-mayor-mamdani-puts-citys-government-back-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348591/new-york-mayor-mamdani-puts-citys-government-back-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:57:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ kids in Colorado, one of about two dozen states that ban the discredited practice. An 8-1 High Court majority sided with a Christian counsellor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First Amendment. The justices agreed that the law raises free speech concerns and sent it back to a lower court to decide if it meets a legal standard that few laws pass. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348580/us-top-court-rules-against-state-ban-conversion-therapy-lgbtq-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348580/us-top-court-rules-against-state-ban-conversion-therapy-lgbtq-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:14:39 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow ByteDance has bolstered its controversial video-generation model Seedance 2.0 with “advanced” watermarking and intellectual property (IP) protection guardrails ahead of its global roll-out, the TikTok owner has said. The much-anticipated international release comes amid intense scrutiny from Hollywood studios over alleged IP theft after numerous Seedance-generated videos featuring famous Hollywood actors and characters went viral in February. On Wednesday, ByteDance said its global safety and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348290/bytedance-bolsters-seedance-20-watermarking-ip-safeguards-ahead-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348290/bytedance-bolsters-seedance-20-watermarking-ip-safeguards-ahead-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indonesia on Saturday began implementing a new government regulation approved earlier this month that bans children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction. With the move, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children from having accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. It follows measures that Australia took last year in a world-first social... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348232/indonesia-begins-social-media-ban-children-under-16?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348232/indonesia-begins-social-media-ban-children-under-16?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman because of an addictive design of their social media platforms, ordering the companies to pay US$6 million in damages, including US$3 million in punitive damages. The verdict handed plaintiffs in more than a thousand similar pending cases significant leverage - and signalled to the broader tech industry that juries were prepared to hold social media companies accountable for the mental health toll of their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347912/jury-finds-meta-and-google-liable-us3-million-damages-social-media-addiction-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347912/jury-finds-meta-and-google-liable-us3-million-damages-social-media-addiction-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:07:28 +0000 Teresa Mo Teresa Mo Of the world’s nepo babies, few are as proudly glamorous as heiress Lara Cosima (full name: Lara Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck). The model and socialite’s life is as chic as it is opulent, and she has garnered more than 800,000 followers on Instagram and over 1.2 million on TikTok. Her Parisian apartment is fit for a modern-day royal, and in 2023, she was one of the most highly anticipated attendees at Le Bal des Débutantes, an exclusive debutante ball for the children of the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347874/meet-lara-cosima-who-just-got-engaged-kering-heir-francois-pinault-jr?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347874/meet-lara-cosima-who-just-got-engaged-kering-heir-francois-pinault-jr?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found social media giant Meta liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms and other dangers. The verdict came after roughly a day of deliberations following a six-week trial in which the state accused Facebook and Instagram’s parent company of failing to protect minors from sexual abuse, online solicitation and human trafficking. The state had sought the maximum US$2.2 billion in damages, but the jury awarded a lesser... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347773/meta-ordered-pay-us375-million-over-child-exploitation-and-user-safety-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347773/meta-ordered-pay-us375-million-over-child-exploitation-and-user-safety-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:10:00 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa The internet is at a very Chinese time of its life – and content creator Marcelo Wang is doing his part by teaching popular online phrases such as “gurl periodt” and “slay bestie” in Mandarin to some of your favourite celebrities like Rihanna, Rosalía and Paris Hilton. Here’s the lowdown on social media influencer Marcelo Wang – who was just spotted at Milan Fashion Week – and his rise to fame. He splits his time between Portugal and China Before he rose to TikTok stardom, Marcelo Wang was a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3346703/meet-marcelo-wang-whos-teaching-rihanna-and-more-stars-how-say-phrases-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3346703/meet-marcelo-wang-whos-teaching-rihanna-and-more-stars-how-say-phrases-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:00:11 +0000 CNA CNA A 59-year-old man will be charged in a Singapore court on Wednesday over four videos he posted on TikTok between 2023 and 2025, the police and Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office said on Tuesday. The videos contained content which promoted ill will between different racial groups as well as false statements of fact, police and the POFMA Office said in a joint news release. He will be charged with two counts of defamation and one count of attempting to promote... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346164/singapore-man-be-charged-over-tiktok-videos-race-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346164/singapore-man-be-charged-over-tiktok-videos-race-government?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 02:40:37 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Sarah J. Maas, author of the wildly popular A Court of Thorns and Roses novels, just recently announced not one but two new books in her bestselling romantic fantasy – aka romantasy – series. During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maas told host Alex Cooper that “the story that was finally ready to come out of me was big – really, really big”. She went on to reveal details of her new books, saying the story of ACOTAR would be continued across the two new novels and a third... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346107/meet-sarah-j-maas-author-court-thorns-and-roses-romantasy-novels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346107/meet-sarah-j-maas-author-court-thorns-and-roses-romantasy-novels?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:28 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s corruption trial opened in Kuala Lumpur on Monday with a courtroom fight over the admissibility of TikTok videos, which prosecutors hope will link millions of ringgit in illicit funds to his Bersatu party. Among the most keenly observed cases involving Malaysia’s political elite in years, the proceedings come three years after Muhyiddin was first charged in connection with projects under his administration’s Covid-19 recovery efforts. Malaysian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346110/muhyiddins-corruption-trial-opens-fight-over-tiktok-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346110/muhyiddins-corruption-trial-opens-fight-over-tiktok-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:49:38 +0000 Reuters Reuters For Piper Curda, who voices the animal-loving college student ⁠Mabel Tanaka in Hoppers, caring about the planet does not necessarily make the character an activist. “I think Mabel presents as an activist. I don’t know if she’d call herself one,” Curda says. “She’s just like, ‘I care. Why does that need a label?’” With that said, Curda does hope Mabel’s determination rubs off on audiences. “I do hope her drive to make the world a better place inspires people, whether that’s little girls or... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346062/how-hoppers-star-piper-curda-hopes-inspire-people-pixars-new-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346062/how-hoppers-star-piper-curda-hopes-inspire-people-pixars-new-film?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:11:43 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Canada will allow TikTok to continue operating in the country, a complete reversal after the government had previously ordered the social media company to close its Canadian division for security reasons. In November 2024, under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, Canada ordered ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to wind down its Canadian subsidiary. That would not have banned the app’s use but would have forced its offices in Toronto and Vancouver to close. But in January, that order was set... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346025/tiktok-gets-green-light-stay-canada-reversing-earlier-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346025/tiktok-gets-green-light-stay-canada-reversing-earlier-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 23:31:28 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia will begin restricting access to some social media platforms for users under 16 from March 28, marking one of the region’s toughest moves yet to curb children’s exposure to harmful online content. Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid announced the measure on Friday, saying the government had signed a regulation that would gradually stop children under 16 from holding accounts on platforms deemed “high risk”. Hafid said the rule would apply to platforms such as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters Donald Trump and his attorney general were sued on Thursday by retail investors in two social media rivals of TikTok seeking to reverse the US president’s approval of a deal by the company’s Chinese owner ByteDance to form a majority American-owned joint venture. The lawsuit, the ‌first legal challenge to the deal, argues that Trump’s approval last year violated requirements set out in a 2024 divestiture law. Two California residents who hold shares in Alphabet and Meta Platforms sued, backed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345636/trump-sued-bid-undo-approval-tiktoks-us-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345636/trump-sued-bid-undo-approval-tiktoks-us-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:48:26 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Gladiator actor Russell Crowe surprised fans when it was revealed that he has an unverified TikTok account, igp366 – named after his band, Indoor Garden Party – where he recently posted videos of his impressive watch collection. In one clip, the 61-year-old admits just how deep the obsession runs. “Now, I’m not going to show you my entire watch collection. That would take quite some time because I’m literally obsessed and have been for a long time. But this is my current rotation,” he says in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3345500/russell-crowes-luxury-watch-collection-which-gladiator-star-revealed-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3345500/russell-crowes-luxury-watch-collection-which-gladiator-star-revealed-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:16 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung What happens when two artists fall in love? Here is an unlikely answer: a nugget is born, and a tubby one at that. The Adventures of Tubby Nugget: Escape from Nuggetville, a newly released graphic novel, is the result of a collaboration between illustrator Joshua Jackson and author Jenine Pastores. The pair met in 2015 when the then filmmakers were assigned to work on a short film called Heartsick. Today, they are still creating things together – only now, their canvas has shifted from screen to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345117/how-tubby-nugget-went-silly-doodle-viral-sensation-10-million-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345117/how-tubby-nugget-went-silly-doodle-viral-sensation-10-million-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Lisa Lim Lisa Lim Chinese New Year might soon be concluding, but that doesn’t mean you cannot continue this “very Chinese time” of your life. After all, we are in the thick of a social media trend of “becoming Chinese”, popularised by Gen Z, in which the norms and traditions typically associated with Chinese culture are embraced, particularly by non-Chinese in the West: sipping hot water, wearing house slippers, consuming traditional Chinese medicine, acquiring “made in China” products, practising tai chi … Such... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3344821/gen-z-loves-chinamaxxing-where-does-maxxing-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3344821/gen-z-loves-chinamaxxing-where-does-maxxing-come?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:15:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US private equity firm General Atlantic is selling an equity stake in TikTok owner ByteDance in a deal that raises its valuation of the private Chinese company to US$550 billion, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing two unnamed sources. The deal, still pending, confirms a previous report by the South China Morning Post in December that ByteDance’s valuation had surged to US$500 billion on the private market, up from US$400 billion as recently as the second quarter of 2025. General Atlantic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344631/bytedance-valuation-said-hit-record-us550-billion-proposed-equity-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344631/bytedance-valuation-said-hit-record-us550-billion-proposed-equity-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:17 +0000 CNA CNA Hundreds of AI-generated Chinese-language YouTube videos have been targeting Singapore and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as part of an ongoing disinformation campaign. Seven in 10 videos attack Wong specifically, fabricating narratives about his leadership role being under threat and spreading conspiracy theories about political infighting in Singapore. The videos have racked up millions of views since surfacing late last year, though experts suggested that bot traffic or automation could be... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344522/singapore-prime-minister-attacked-hundreds-chinese-language-fake-ai-videos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344522/singapore-prime-minister-attacked-hundreds-chinese-language-fake-ai-videos?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:31:19 +0000 Carolina Malis Carolina Malis There was a time when a warm bath and a lavender candle represented the height of bedtime preparation. Now, we’ve gone all elemental: swirling magnesium into mocktails, rubbing it onto our calves, frothing it into hot chocolate and counting out gummies like rosary beads. But does the mineral actually help anyone sleep better? Of course, we’ve been tossing and turning over sleep for years: tracking it, hacking it, catastrophising about it – so when TikTok entered its cosy-wellness era, magnesium... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3344472/magnesium-can-help-you-sleep-check-dose-and-most-effective-way-take-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3344472/magnesium-can-help-you-sleep-check-dose-and-most-effective-way-take-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Are you intimidated by personal finance? Vivian Tu wants to help. Tu is known for her TikTok and Instagram social media accounts “Your Rich BFF”, where she makes entertaining videos about personal finance (BFF stands for “best friend forever”). Topics include negotiating your salary and practical tips for managing credit card debt. Referring to herself as “your favourite Wall Street girly”, Tu has 10 million followers across her social media accounts and has published two personal finance... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3344336/need-help-saving-money-your-rich-bff-tiktoks-vivian-tu-has-tips-and-tricks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3344336/need-help-saving-money-your-rich-bff-tiktoks-vivian-tu-has-tips-and-tricks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Yik Wai Chee doesn’t think of himself as a believer. The 33-year-old senior executive at a Malaysia-based AI company is the kind of person who deals in data and decision-making frameworks, not destiny. Yet for years, he has consulted bazi, the ancient Chinese system of elemental forecasting, as a kind of strategic gut check on his life. “For me, it is just a long-term ‘luck check’ to see if there are general strategies I can adapt to get through some life challenges,” he said. “If it doesn’t... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344153/ancient-chinese-astrology-gets-gen-z-rebrand-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344153/ancient-chinese-astrology-gets-gen-z-rebrand-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 03:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Germany’s ruling conservatives on Saturday passed ⁠a motion to ban social media use for under 14s and introduce more stringent digital verification checks for teenagers, building momentum for such limits in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. At a party conference in the city of Stuttgart, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union also called for fines for online platforms that failed to enforce such limits and European ‌Union-wide harmonisation of age standards. A growing number of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344227/germanys-ruling-party-seeks-social-media-ban-children-aged-below-14?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344227/germanys-ruling-party-seeks-social-media-ban-children-aged-below-14?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:49:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday he regretted Meta’s slow progress in identifying underage users on Instagram, as he faced stinging criticism at a landmark social media trial over accusations that his company deliberately hooked children. Asked to comment on complaints from inside the company that not enough was being done to verify whether children under 13 were using the platform, the 41-year-old head of Meta, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, said improvements had been made. But “I... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343945/metas-zuckerberg-grilled-lawyers-landmark-us-social-media-addiction-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343945/metas-zuckerberg-grilled-lawyers-landmark-us-social-media-addiction-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:39:31 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Commission has opened an investigation into Chinese online retailer Shein over, among other things, the alleged sale of “child sexual abuse material” – a move that could see the firm banned from the EU market as a last resort. The probe, launched on Tuesday under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), will look into the systems the Singapore-based company has in place to limit the sale of illegal products. As a next step, the commission will ask Shein for further information and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343833/chinese-e-commerce-giant-shein-could-face-eu-ban-over-childlike-sex-dolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343833/chinese-e-commerce-giant-shein-could-face-eu-ban-over-childlike-sex-dolls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:14:09 +0000 Wency Chen,Vincent Chow Wency Chen,Vincent Chow China’s leading humanoid robotics companies dominated the opening of this year’s Spring Festival Gala, the annual variety spectacle staged by state broadcaster CCTV that offers a rare nationwide marketing platform akin to the US Super Bowl, highlighting the central role of the industry in Beijing’s industrial policy. Four robotics firms – Hangzhou-based Unitree, Wuxi-based Magiclab, Beijing-based Galbot and Noetix – had announced partnerships with this year’s gala in deals said to be valued at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343634/chinas-tech-companies-vie-attention-cctvs-festival-gala-years-biggest-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343634/chinas-tech-companies-vie-attention-cctvs-festival-gala-years-biggest-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Nicole Chan Nicole Chan Across social media, a curious phrase has been circulating: “You met me at a very Chinese time in my life.” It appears under videos of hotpot dinners, DHGate hauls, Chinese streetwear fits and users joking about switching their phone interfaces into Chinese “for the aesthetic”. It has even spawned an ecosystem of spin-offs: “Chinamaxxing”, “you will turn Chinese tomorrow” and countless posts where people half-joke about becoming “more Chinese” by the day. But beneath the humour of what looks... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342421/becoming-chinese-memes-reflect-world-shaped-chinas-ascent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342421/becoming-chinese-memes-reflect-world-shaped-chinas-ascent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen,Dewey Sim,Mark Magnier Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen,Dewey Sim,Mark Magnier China has confirmed that discussions were under way about US President Donald Trump’s planned visit in April, when sources said the two sides were expected to extend their current trade truce by up to one year. Lin Jian, a foreign ministry spokesman, said President Xi Jinping had repeated an invitation to Trump to visit when the pair spoke by phone last week. “The two sides are in communication on this,” Lin added, stressing the importance of talks between the two heads of state. The two reached... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343240/trump-and-xi-expected-extend-trade-truce-beijing-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343240/trump-and-xi-expected-extend-trade-truce-beijing-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:43:33 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As a flurry of European leaders flock to China, a different diplomatic dynamic has taken shape in Brussels, exposing deep-seated problems in the relationship between the EU and China. Several sources described a deliberate slowing of high-level appointments with Chinese diplomats in the Belgian capital – an effort to reciprocate the lack of access EU diplomats receive in Beijing. In the Chinese capital, the EU ambassador, Jorge Toledo, has been effectively frozen out of meetings with relevant... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343198/cold-shoulder-china-and-eu-diplomatic-stand-ahead-munich-showdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343198/cold-shoulder-china-and-eu-diplomatic-stand-ahead-munich-showdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:22:29 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Beijing came under sharp criticism on Tuesday at a highly contentious US Congressional hearing on the influence of foreign funds in US politics – but so did US President Donald Trump. The hearing by the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which shapes tax and tariff legislation, comes amid deep partisanship and Trump’s declining popularity ahead of a November midterm election. “Tax-exempt organisations funded by foreign donors are exploiting very lucrative US tax benefits to incite violence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343119/china-and-trump-targeted-house-hearing-foreign-influence-us-non-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343119/china-and-trump-targeted-house-hearing-foreign-influence-us-non-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:31:04 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso The remarkable evolution of the Chinese retail market over the past two decades has given rise to a new class of creatives who have put the country on the global luxury map. Since starting his communications and creative agency Boh Project, Shenzhen-born, Shanghai-based Bohan Qiu has become one of the world’s most in-demand publicists, while renowned fashion executive Ian Hylton built a storied career across different continents before making mainland China home. Since 2014, he’s served as... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3342984/conversation-bohan-qiu-and-ian-hylton-evolution-chinese-luxury-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3342984/conversation-bohan-qiu-and-ian-hylton-evolution-chinese-luxury-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters A California state court case ‌over whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman’s mental health through addictive app design kicks off on ‍Monday with opening statements, in a test of whether Big Tech platforms can be held liable for harming kids. The 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. filed the lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms and Alphabet’s Google, which owns YouTube. She says the attention-grabbing design of the platforms got her addicted ⁠to them at a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342967/california-court-begins-social-media-trial-amid-mental-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342967/california-court-begins-social-media-trial-amid-mental-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:35:45 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang TikTok parent ByteDance’s pre-release of its latest artificial intelligence video model, Seedance 2.0, over the weekend has sent ripples across the tech and video production sectors as competition among Chinese tech titans’ AI apps intensifies. The model – still in beta and available to select users of Jimeng AI, ByteDance’s AI video platform – delivered enhanced lifelike video outputs that blurred the boundary between AI content and reality, offered smoother camera movement and improved visual... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342932/bytedances-new-model-sparks-stock-rally-chinas-ai-video-battle-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342932/bytedances-new-model-sparks-stock-rally-chinas-ai-video-battle-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:30:11 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo If American users of TikTok think its transition to majority US ownership would make it more secure and freer, they are sorely mistaken. Rather, they should expect the opposite. Some 170 million TikTokkers received a pop-up message telling them that if they wanted to continue with the service, they had to agree to new terms of service and privacy policy under new US majority ownership. Users almost immediately sensed a difference in the online environment. There were news reports that the social... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342846/tiktok-deal-good-chinese-owners-terrible-users-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342846/tiktok-deal-good-chinese-owners-terrible-users-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:15:10 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham TikTok’s “addictive design” has been found to violate EU digital laws – in a move that could land the Chinese-owned company a fine of up to 6 per cent of its global revenue. Preliminary findings of the European Commission investigation, announced on Friday, said the video app’s infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and “highly personalised” recommender systems had addictive properties. Brussels wanted TikTok to change the basic design of its service, it said, including disabling some of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342692/eu-finds-tiktok-addictive-digital-law-probe-6-fine-looms-bytedance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342692/eu-finds-tiktok-addictive-digital-law-probe-6-fine-looms-bytedance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:09:59 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng As the tax filing season approaches, Chinese nationals working for ByteDance overseas have been reminded to report their income to authorities in China. For a second consecutive year, the TikTok owner has notified staff in countries including the United States, Singapore and Japan of their tax obligations – a long-standing rule that has only been enforced more strictly in recent years as Beijing seeks to bolster fiscal revenue. “Chinese nationals are generally considered Chinese tax residents,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342529/tiktok-tax-time-bytedance-encourages-overseas-chinese-staff-declare-income?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342529/tiktok-tax-time-bytedance-encourages-overseas-chinese-staff-declare-income?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Charmaine Mok Charmaine Mok The recent craze that sees white people eagerly claiming that they are “becoming Chinese” is not something we would have ever predicted back in 2020 when very similar people were lambasting Chinese people for eating bats and setting off a global pandemic. This latest trend, epitomised by the performative appreciation for drinking boiled water à la “Chinese baddies”, shows just how the tables have turned. (A “Chinese baddie” is someone who respectfully adopts Chinese traditions to improve their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3342360/how-become-real-chinese-baddie-its-lot-more-just-drinking-hot-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3342360/how-become-real-chinese-baddie-its-lot-more-just-drinking-hot-water?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:15:35 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Back in 2014, high-profile female executives like Sheryl Sandberg were leaning in to rebrand feminism for a new generation, everybody wanted to be a #girlboss, and hustle culture was at its peak. Meanwhile, 16-year-old menstrual care activist Nadya Okamoto was just getting started. “I started a non-profit [and] there were a lot of exciting things happening – awards and a lot of praise,” Okamoto tells me on the phone from New York. In the decade since launching that organisation to combat period... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3341372/menstrual-care-activist-nadya-okamoto-founding-august-and-challenging-norms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3341372/menstrual-care-activist-nadya-okamoto-founding-august-and-challenging-norms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian At Davos, US President Donald Trump declared he had “always had a very good relationship with President Xi” Jinping, calling the Chinese leader “an incredible man”, “highly respected by everybody”. Trump also praised TikTok’s decision to transfer parts of its US business to a consortium of US investors, thanking Xi on social media. This broadly friendly rhetoric is likely to be a signal of Washington’s keen interest in finalising a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy. Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341461/trumps-power-politics-paving-way-g2-world-order-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341461/trumps-power-politics-paving-way-g2-world-order-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:30:11 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen TikTok said on Tuesday that technical issues caused posting problems after California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a probe into the company for allegedly censoring content critical of US President Donald Trump. This came days after the short video app operator closed a deal with the Trump administration to avoid a US ban. Newsom said on Monday via social media that he was launching a review into whether TikTok violated state law, citing another user’s post showing that a message reading... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3341464/californias-newsom-launches-tiktok-probe-accusing-app-suppressing-trump-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3341464/californias-newsom-launches-tiktok-probe-accusing-app-suppressing-trump-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:34:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants his government to fast track the legal process to ensure that a ban on social media for children under the age of 15 can enter into force in September at the start of the next school year. In a video released late on Saturday by French broadcaster BFM-TV, Macron said he had asked his government to initiate an accelerated procedure so that the proposed legislation can move as quickly as possible and be passed by the Senate in time. “The brains of our... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341169/macron-pushes-forward-frances-social-media-ban-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341169/macron-pushes-forward-frances-social-media-ban-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 11:47:41 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance announced on Thursday the official creation of a new US venture – TikTok USDS Joint Venture – to operate the short video app used by 200 million Americans. The deal, the culmination of years of legal and political uncertainty, is part of the effort to comply with a 2024 US law that aimed to push ByteDance to divest TikTok to address national security concerns over the app’s links to Beijing. Without a divestment, the app would have faced a nationwide... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341074/who-are-owners-new-tiktok-us-entity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341074/who-are-owners-new-tiktok-us-entity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:02:59 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng TikTok has officially launched a US joint venture tasked with “safeguarding the American content ecosystem”, with commercial activities such as e-commerce, advertising and marketing remaining under the company’s existing US entities. The arrangement has been widely compared with Apple’s 2018 move to transfer mainland Chinese iCloud user data to Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD), according to Chinese media. GCBD is a project owned by the Guizhou provincial government-backed company AIPO Cloud... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340996/tiktok-us-joint-venture-seen-resembling-apples-china-icloud-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340996/tiktok-us-joint-venture-seen-resembling-apples-china-icloud-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han TikTok and its Chinese owner ByteDance have officially established a venture to transfer parts of its US business to a consortium of mostly US investors, effectively securing the platform’s future for its 170 million American users. The company made the announcement on Thursday, hours ahead of a Friday shutdown deadline. The deal – first outlined by TikTok chief executive Chew Shou Zi in an internal memo last month – was set to close this week, though it had not previously received the formal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340918/tiktok-confirms-deal-create-new-us-venture-averting-shutdown-few-hours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340918/tiktok-confirms-deal-create-new-us-venture-averting-shutdown-few-hours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 01:55:36 +0000 Reuters Reuters Canada’s federal court on ‍Wednesday overturned a government order to close TikTok’s Canadian operations, allowing the short-video app to keep operating for now, and told Ottawa to review the ⁠case. In November 2024, Canada’s industry ministry ordered TikTok’s business to be dissolved, citing national security risks, but added the government was not blocking access or users’ ability to create content. TikTok, which says it ‍has more than 14 million monthly users in Canada, appealed against the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340749/canada-court-overturns-government-order-shut-down-tiktoks-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340749/canada-court-overturns-government-order-shut-down-tiktoks-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:59:50 +0000 Jun Yu Chan Jun Yu Chan As US-China tensions increasingly reshape global business, an old dynamic is re-emerging with the return of the middleman. Multinational firms that once prized direct control are again turning to local partners to navigate political rifts and commercial barriers. The pattern echoes an older era: the same reliance on middlemen that once moved tea and porcelain through old Canton now underpins how TikTok, McDonald’s and Starbucks navigate a divided global economy. Under the Canton system, overseas... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339722/tea-tiktok-middlemans-return-reshaping-china-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339722/tea-tiktok-middlemans-return-reshaping-china-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 01:30:08 +0000