https://www.scmp.com/rss/501448/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jane Lee Jane Lee China’s 15th five-year plan is about to make commercial aerospace a mainstream pillar of national development, and Hong Kong cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Whether the city can translate this national push into concrete local strengths will become a test of its ability to integrate with – and contribute to – China’s next wave of strategic industries. Commercial aerospace has moved to a full-scale strategic policy in just a few years, sitting at the intersection of satellites,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347794/can-hong-kong-hitch-ride-chinas-commercial-aerospace-wave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347794/can-hong-kong-hitch-ride-chinas-commercial-aerospace-wave?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Dong Ting Dong Ting Bangladesh’s garment industry employs around 4 million workers. Their labour built something larger than an export sector – it built a tax base. The industry generates more than 80 per cent of the country’s export earnings and contributes roughly 11 per cent of its GDP. The taxes paid by workers and the wider economy they sustain fund a meaningful share of Bangladesh’s public schools and basic healthcare. Over several decades, a country that once ranked among the world’s poorest has turned... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347472/why-bangladesh-could-be-last-hurrah-asias-development-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347472/why-bangladesh-could-be-last-hurrah-asias-development-model?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Betty Fung Betty Fung The power of arts and culture should not be underestimated. They educate, inform, inspire and bring joy. They open doors to discovery, unite communities and break down barriers between cultures and people. In a broader context, the arts help to define our cities, offering a point of focus for the community and an opportunity to develop a clear cultural identity. Hong Kong has been successful in defining itself as a financial centre, but culture can play as big a role as capital in determining... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347251/realise-hong-kongs-cultural-potential-global-vision-essential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347251/realise-hong-kongs-cultural-potential-global-vision-essential?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The first night I installed OpenClaw on my laptop, I didn’t dare give it much authorisation. From numerous news reports and warnings, I knew that if it made a mistake, there could be serious consequences, like exposing my bank account password, deleting files or sending an offensive message to my boss. I only asked it to do some research, visit a few media websites, find China-centred topics over the past few months and list them, watch some videos and summarise the content for me. It had the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346830/chinas-openclaw-mania-driven-fear-missing-next-tech-gold-rush?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346830/chinas-openclaw-mania-driven-fear-missing-next-tech-gold-rush?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:30:12 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi The US launched its war against Iran on February 28, convinced that decapitating Tehran’s leadership would produce swift political capitulation. A week later, Iran was still firing missiles across the Gulf, some 150 oil tankers were stalled at the Strait of Hormuz and an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander has threatened to set ablaze any vessel attempting passage. A recent analysis in The Diplomat argues the strikes signal the end of China’s westward strategic march. The diagnosis captures... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346051/how-americas-iran-miscalculation-hands-china-strategic-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346051/how-americas-iran-miscalculation-hands-china-strategic-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The annual “two sessions” in Beijing are under way, and this year the annual ritual of reading tea leaves in this city has been made easier for politics watchers. That is because Beijing has been blunt about the problems it thinks our city faces. There is the usual praise for the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s leadership. One striking difference is that Premier Li Qiang included in his annual work report, delivered at the opening session of the National People’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345732/beijings-message-clear-hong-kong-must-shape-and-speed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345732/beijings-message-clear-hong-kong-must-shape-and-speed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Jianxi Liu Jianxi Liu China’s “two sessions” this year presents less of a story of an economic miracle than of transition: from high-speed to high-quality growth, and from dependence on external demand to a more resilient, innovation-driven economy. Against a backdrop of global tensions and fragmenting supply chains, Beijing is using this political moment to signal that it sees opportunity in adversity and is prepared to recalibrate its development model rather than cling to the habits of the boom years. For China,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345552/chinas-two-sessions-show-plans-resilience-stormy-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345552/chinas-two-sessions-show-plans-resilience-stormy-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars Macau filmmaker Tracy Choi Ian-sin revisits the tender, nostalgic tone of her directorial debut, Sisterhood (2016), for this semi-autobiographical lesbian drama. Girlfriends charts a young woman’s coming-of-age experience and ongoing quest to find her place in the world through three episodes from separate periods of her life, unfolding in reverse chronological order and under different names. It opens in 2024 Hong Kong, where the Macau-born director Lok (Fish Liew Chi-yu) has been... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan In a year already brimming with threats of war and unrest, 2026 has brought some health scares for Asia. In January, two cases of the deadly Nipah virus emerged among healthcare workers, both nurses, in West Bengal, India. One of the two nurses has since died. The Nipah virus has one of the highest fatality rates of any known viral disease, typically ranging from 40 to 75 per cent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 1998, when the first outbreak of the disease was recorded... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344544/nipah-and-mpox-expose-asias-urgent-need-stronger-disease-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344544/nipah-and-mpox-expose-asias-urgent-need-stronger-disease-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse To all the women who have heard the frustrating “it’s all in your head” in response to medical maladies, a new study feels your pain. Research published in the journal Science Immunology shows that women actually do experience exacerbated chronic pain compared to men – a gap that can be explained by biological differences in the immune system. “The pain of women has been overlooked in clinical practice, with the idea that it’s more in the mind, or that it’s because women are softer and more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344845/chronic-pain-lasts-longer-women-men-study-finds-and-reason-biological?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344845/chronic-pain-lasts-longer-women-men-study-finds-and-reason-biological?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 23:15:09 +0000 Christine Choi Christine Choi This week, Hong Kong is honoured to play host to the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) Conference and Exhibition, one of the most significant gatherings in the global higher education arena. For us, this is not merely a conference; it is a homecoming for international collaboration and a resounding statement of intent. As delegates from across the globe arrive in our city, we are reminded that education knows no borders, and Hong Kong remains the pivotal bridge... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344080/bridging-east-and-west-hong-kong-offers-talent-best-both-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344080/bridging-east-and-west-hong-kong-offers-talent-best-both-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Maybe it’s because we are riding on the euphoria of good fortune and luck that is associated with the celebration of the Lunar New Year that there hasn’t been much of the noise that we usually hear ahead of the annual budget speech. Typically, the weeks leading up to the speech are filled with groups petitioning and suggesting how the government should be spending its money. Could it be because the start of the Lenten season is coinciding with that of Ramadan? Are we tempered to be less selfish... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344158/hong-kongs-budget-must-help-those-who-need-it-most?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344158/hong-kongs-budget-must-help-those-who-need-it-most?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Chenjie Song Chenjie Song If 2026 were a chess match, critical minerals would be the opening gambit, and both China and the United States are going all out. On January 28, China’s Zijin Mining announced a US$4 billion takeover of Allied Gold’s three African mines. On February 3, Swiss mining giant Glencore entered talks to sell a 40 per cent stake in its Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) copper and cobalt operations to the US-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium. Between the two announcements, US Secretary of State... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343940/pax-sinica-vs-pax-silica-how-china-us-mineral-war-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343940/pax-sinica-vs-pax-silica-how-china-us-mineral-war-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang I remember when I was four or five years old, my great-grandmother would get busy days ahead of Lunar New Year. She would clean the house, pickle vegetables in an enormous jar and start pre-cooking dishes for the New Year’s Eve family meal. One star of the night, called “lion’s head”, is steamed minced pork meat balls that take days to make. My great-grandmother would go to the market ahead of time and pick out pork belly that was the right balance of lean and fat meat, carefully chopping the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343871/why-lunar-new-year-celebrations-are-about-people-not-process?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343871/why-lunar-new-year-celebrations-are-about-people-not-process?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu We are ready to head into the Year of the Horse. But, before we do, let’s take stock of what the Year of the Snake brought Hong Kong. Some say the Year of the Snake is all about change and not meant to be comfortable. For Hong Kong, the past year has been a difficult one of shedding skin, baring our vulnerabilities for all to see. Just weeks into the Year of the Snake, Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, Xia Baolong, made inspection visits, reinforcing the central government’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343484/government-must-reflect-its-failures-we-enter-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343484/government-must-reflect-its-failures-we-enter-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Light brown floodwaters lap at the entrance to Vy’s, a restaurant, market and cooking school in Hoi An, in central Vietnam. Spill-off from the nearby river continues to rise while we spend the afternoon at this popular tourist spot, learning how to make spring rolls and the sizzling Vietnamese crepes known as banh xeo. By the time class ends, the streets look like they are covered in iced coffee throughout Hoi An’s Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage site. We will have to leave Vy’s by boat. “This... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3342590/women-only-travel-tour-vietnam-sparks-adventure-and-sisterhood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3342590/women-only-travel-tour-vietnam-sparks-adventure-and-sisterhood?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 04:20:44 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Six years ago, Ally Pankiw got her first big television breakthrough: she directed the first season of the Netflix comedy-drama Feel Good. But getting there was a slog. The Canadian writer and director recalls being told repeatedly that she could not land such jobs without first having directing experience in TV – a Catch-22 situation shared by many women and people of colour trying to break into the business. Frustrated by that common refrain and motivated to push back against Hollywood’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340843/woman-director-fighting-gender-equality-hollywood-one-mentorship-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340843/woman-director-fighting-gender-equality-hollywood-one-mentorship-time?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:15:09 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh Net-zero commitments are now commonplace across Hong Kong’s property sector. Many major developers have announced targets for 2030 and 2050, often framed around energy efficiency, renewable energy and greener buildings. This is welcome. However, as climate ambition becomes the norm, a more uncomfortable question comes into focus: how many of these commitments are grounded in a serious understanding of what decarbonisation actually entails? What remains largely missing from Hong Kong’s climate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339817/hong-kong-needs-ask-hard-questions-about-its-net-zero-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339817/hong-kong-needs-ask-hard-questions-about-its-net-zero-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A plan by the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party to visit Beijing this year, hoping to meet President Xi Jinping, has fuelled hopes of better dialogue amid soaring cross-strait tensions. But while supporters have hailed Cheng Li-wun’s planned trip as a chance to ease frictions across the Taiwan Strait, critics warn that it risks signalling alignment with Beijing as it increases military pressure on the island. Cheng, who was elected chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT) in October, has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338624/new-kmt-chair-hopes-take-peace-message-beijing-while-taiwan-political-tightrope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338624/new-kmt-chair-hopes-take-peace-message-beijing-while-taiwan-political-tightrope?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan Looking back on 2025, we may be justified in calling it an annus horribilis for the world. There seems to be no end to the bad news: the war in Ukraine, the destruction of Gaza, the terror attack in Australia and the significant economic and political setbacks faced by many nations in Asia and across the world. All these paint a rather grim picture. However, there is more than a glimmer of hope on the horizon. International science cooperation has strengthened significantly this year, in spite... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338041/year-conflict-global-science-cooperation-has-shown-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338041/year-conflict-global-science-cooperation-has-shown-way?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass has finally opened. That is no doubt welcome news to commuters heading west to east across Kowloon, with travel time cut from 30 minutes to just five. That is definitely something to celebrate. We still need to wait for the Kowloon Bay section to open in 2026 to complete the bypass, but Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan hailed the project as a testament to the “Hong Kong spirit”, given the complex construction process. While the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337804/hong-kongs-lack-direction-goes-beyond-road-signs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337804/hong-kongs-lack-direction-goes-beyond-road-signs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang After a pandemic that swept through the world, an economic slump and record-breaking unemployment rate, young Chinese have finally learned to love themselves. The hottest recent trend on Chinese social media has got to be “love you, good old self”. At first glance, it might seem a little schizophrenic – all of a sudden, the internet appears to be full of people answering their own questions. One post says, “Old self, I needed to save money, why did you spend it all?” Underneath it, the same... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336579/how-young-chinese-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336579/how-young-chinese-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu What is success? Three accomplished women in Hong Kong gave their take on the question at a recent event hosted by Chanel, which set out to inspire and encourage young female students to reach for their goals through reading. In many result-driven Asian cultures, young people are often advised to focus on the destination: the medal, the title, the top job. But in separate interviews with the Post, Hong Kong Olympian swimmer Siobhan Haughey, award-winning businesswoman Joanna Hotung and education... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3335907/how-succeed-siobhan-haughey-and-other-hong-kong-women-trailblazers-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3335907/how-succeed-siobhan-haughey-and-other-hong-kong-women-trailblazers-open?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong is going through one of its most difficult times in recent history. From what we have seen of the communities coming together for Tai Po, where the worst fire in decades ripped through a residential block leaving devastation that is almost unimaginable, there is hope that we will come out of this stronger. The loss of lives, including that of a firefighter, and homes that residents have spent decades making is crushing. It will take a good deal of time for those affected to fully... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334533/tai-po-fire-tragedy-brings-out-true-meaning-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334533/tai-po-fire-tragedy-brings-out-true-meaning-community?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Kavitha Yarlagadda Kavitha Yarlagadda Despite years of policy interventions, air pollution in India is rapidly getting worse. By the middle of this month, cities including the capital New Delhi were seeing air quality readings at hazardous levels. A 2024 IQ Air report found India’s particulate matter (PM2.5) levels to be more than 10 times the World Health Organization’s safe limit. In the north, pollution mainly comes from traffic, construction dust, industry and seasonal stubble burning. What began as an environmental issue is now... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334107/if-china-can-cut-its-pollution-why-cant-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334107/if-china-can-cut-its-pollution-why-cant-india?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 dpa dpa We tend to assume that it is fashion designers who perpetuate the tyranny of the size-six silhouette: the rail-thin runway model, small sample sizes and the implied suggestion that women must shrink themselves to fit the clothes. But that certainly is not the case for British-Canadian fashion designer Edeline Lee. “Women don’t fit into five sizes – it’s complete b******t,” she says, with the matter-of-factness of someone who has seen, up close, just how untrue the fantasy really is. Speaking... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3334017/womens-fashion-has-sizing-problem-says-designer-edeline-lee-shes-out-fix-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3334017/womens-fashion-has-sizing-problem-says-designer-edeline-lee-shes-out-fix-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott In a cosy corner of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighbourhood is a new gathering space that is warm and welcoming. Giant cushions invite guests to kick back with a book or chill and chat over a can of kombucha. Hearts and minds are fully open at Queer Room, a new pop-up by Lisa Lam and Patricia Lam, the sisters behind Hong Kong kombucha label Taboocha, and Li Mei-ting, a cultural studies lecturer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. For Li, Queer Room offers a change of pace. “I’m lecturing most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3333933/hong-kong-pop-queer-room-offers-alternative-individuals-place-connect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3333933/hong-kong-pop-queer-room-offers-alternative-individuals-place-connect?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 04:45:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press For Cindy Zhong, like many young Chinese women, a relaxing night used to mean curling up with a steamy story about two men in love. Then her favourite authors, and their tales, started disappearing. Fans of the popular danmei same-sex romance genre, written and read mainly by straight women, say the Chinese government is carrying out the largest crackdown yet on it, effectively neutering the enjoyment. In the vast world of fantasy, danmei is relatively straightforward: two men stand in for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3332773/chinas-crackdown-same-sex-love-stories-leaves-chinese-women-less-happy-without-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3332773/chinas-crackdown-same-sex-love-stories-leaves-chinese-women-less-happy-without-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:15:10 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran 2/5 stars Lead cast: Jeon So-nee, Lee Yoo-mi, Lee Moo-saeng, Jang Seung-jo While gender equality has made significant strides in South Korea over the past decade, the country stubbornly remains a paragon of patriarchy; consequently, it continues to rank at or near the bottom of all of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s gender equality metrics. As You Stood By, a new small-screen K-thriller from Netflix starring Jeon So-nee (Melo Movie) and Lee Yoo-mi (Strong Girl... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3331799/netflix-k-drama-you-stood-review-timely-thriller-domestic-violence-disappoints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3331799/netflix-k-drama-you-stood-review-timely-thriller-domestic-violence-disappoints?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 08:00:11 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Bali-based independent curator Galuh Sukardi had long toyed with the idea of curating an exhibition exploring the rituals and traditions practised in her native Indonesia. Galuh Sukardi spent years championing Southeast Asian art through her roles with Sotheby’s, White Cube and David Zwirner. Now, with Indonesian art having a moment, she felt the time was ripe to celebrate artists connected to the archipelago. Diving deep into the country’s rich culture – which has been influenced by periods... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3331627/artists-indonesia-themed-works-explore-life-death-and-transformation-hong-kong-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3331627/artists-indonesia-themed-works-explore-life-death-and-transformation-hong-kong-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Ren Yan Ren Yan Recently, some major Western media outlets have focused on China’s embrace of clean energy technologies. Between the lines of the rhetoric on China becoming an “electrostate”, there is palpable anxiety about US President Donald Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” approach and the partisan political landscape. The New York Times highlighted one of China’s longest ultra-high-voltage power lines, stretching from the far northwest remote desert to the populous southeast, noting that these power lines are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329944/how-strategic-planning-powering-chinas-green-energy-transition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329944/how-strategic-planning-powering-chinas-green-energy-transition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu On the surface, things may seem to be going well for the Hong Kong government. However, dig a little deeper, and things do not look so good. Two recent news items have been particularly damning. First was the discovery that two government-approved providers of mandatory basic safety courses had violated conditions and had been suspended by the Labour Department. The second was the latest ombudsman investigation that revealed care homes and facilities had failed to deliver respite services to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3328535/gaping-holes-hong-kong-government-oversight-need-be-plugged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3328535/gaping-holes-hong-kong-government-oversight-need-be-plugged?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Nobody talked about mental health when my mother was diagnosed with depression in the 1970s. “What’s she got to be depressed about?” people asked. Today, there is no need for a reason. We now understand that depression – indeed any mental health disorder – can happen for no reason, and it can happen to anyone of any background, education, creed or colour. My daughter battles with OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her pain has been no less than that of someone who struggled with the same... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328308/how-attitudes-towards-mental-health-and-treatment-have-evolved-stigma-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328308/how-attitudes-towards-mental-health-and-treatment-have-evolved-stigma-support?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:15:07 +0000 Gerui Wang Gerui Wang Factories in China installed nearly 300,000 new robots last year, more than the rest of the world combined. This figure suggests that China is building leadership in robotics not merely for industrial efficiency, but as a direct path to achieving independence in core artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The prioritisation of embodied intelligence, or AI-powered robots, at events such as last week’s AI Computing Conference in Beijing signals that the country views robotics as critical... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327142/how-chinas-robotics-push-clearing-path-tech-independence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327142/how-chinas-robotics-push-clearing-path-tech-independence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s bid to be an international education hub is spurring investments in the city’s battered commercial property segment, with hotels being converted to student housing and schools becoming a major driver of leasing in the retail sector, according to analysts. So far this year, investors have spent HK$2.6 billion (US$334 million) in the student accommodation segment, including Hong Kong Metropolitan University’s acquisition of the Urbanwood Hung Hom Hotel, which was converted into student... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3327071/hong-kong-schools-ramp-property-investment-leasing-city-eyes-education-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3327071/hong-kong-schools-ramp-property-investment-leasing-city-eyes-education-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 01:30:12 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Last week, Hong Kong braved the strongest storm of the year in the world as Super Typhoon Ragasa ripped through the city as well as the Philippines, Taiwan, Macau and coastal mainland China, causing havoc. Compared with the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, Hong Kong did well this time. Mangkhut sank boats, damaged infrastructure, left roads strewn with debris, injured hundreds of people and caused economic losses estimated at HK$4.6 billion (US$591.3 million). Economist... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326994/ragasas-wake-brings-pride-and-important-lessons-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326994/ragasas-wake-brings-pride-and-important-lessons-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Wendy Cutler,Stephen Olson Wendy Cutler,Stephen Olson As the United States begins its public consultation process for a 2026 review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Asian economies should pay close attention. The USMCA review will most likely yield one of four results: a renewal of the agreement for another 16 years until 2042, an agreement to allow the pact to expire in 2036, a more immediate termination upon six months’ notice by any party, or a partial or complete overhaul of the agreement. Given the litany of trade complaints levelled... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3326820/why-asia-has-huge-stakes-us-mexico-canada-trade-deal-review?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3326820/why-asia-has-huge-stakes-us-mexico-canada-trade-deal-review?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Angela Huyue Zhang Angela Huyue Zhang After four extensions of the statutory deadline to ban TikTok or force its Chinese owners to divest, US President Donald Trump has now signed an executive order transferring the app to US ownership. The announcement follows years of diplomatic sparring, bureaucratic manoeuvring, repeated efforts by federal and state governments to curtail the platform and even a ruling from the US Supreme Court. Has the fate of America’s most viral social media app finally been decided? Those expecting closure... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327128/why-trumps-tiktok-deal-will-be-music-chinas-ears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327128/why-trumps-tiktok-deal-will-be-music-chinas-ears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 05:09:35 +0000 Surabhi Anand Surabhi Anand The sudden escalation of US tariffs on Indian exports in August, first to 25 per cent and then doubled to 50 per cent, shook India’s export economy and sent shock waves through sectors dominated by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). While diplomatic postures have softened and negotiation appears to be under way, the event shed light on something deeper: the MSME workforce, particularly the young, remains vulnerable to such global trade unrest. The turbulence caused by the tariff might... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3326633/how-indias-small-firms-young-workers-will-bear-brunt-tariff-pain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3326633/how-indias-small-firms-young-workers-will-bear-brunt-tariff-pain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It was good to hear Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu say in last week’s policy address that his “ultimate objective in governance is to improve people’s livelihood” and recognising that the government must prioritise the well-being of the people to improve the health of the economy. It’s good because we are finally recognising that people are behind the success of Hong Kong and those good stories he wants everyone to tell. Reactions to the latest policy address have been generally positive. Lee... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326183/john-lees-policy-address-leaves-some-big-questions-unanswered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326183/john-lees-policy-address-leaves-some-big-questions-unanswered?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 01:30:12 +0000 Natalie Chung Sum Yue,Santiago Millan Natalie Chung Sum Yue,Santiago Millan A century ago, Winston Churchill’s decision to pivot the Royal Navy from coal to oil defined British maritime supremacy. At present, whether nations invest in emerging energy technologies or double down on conventional ones could define who commands the next era of energy. The energy transition today is a technological and geopolitical contest between entrenched fossil powers and rising renewable challengers. As the transition accelerates, we are witnessing a widening divergence in how... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325719/how-chinas-green-energy-edge-puts-it-position-shape-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325719/how-chinas-green-energy-edge-puts-it-position-shape-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott South Korean artist Mooni Perry is fascinated by the rites and rituals surrounding Asian folklore festivals, especially when they have a strong female focus. Her passion for the subject lured her to Hong Kong where, for the past three months, she has been artist in residence at the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (Chat), a non-profit in Hong Kong’s Tsuen Wan district. Perry’s research explores the cultural significance of female communities and rituals in Hong Kong and nearby regions, with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3325930/rituals-chinese-legend-seven-fairies-examined-hong-kong-arts-workshop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3325930/rituals-chinese-legend-seven-fairies-examined-hong-kong-arts-workshop?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:15:07 +0000 Paul Yip,Wendy So Paul Yip,Wendy So September 10 marks World Suicide Prevention Day, a vital global call to action that unites communities worldwide – including individuals, organisations and those with lived experience – to initiate crucial conversations and reaffirm our collective role in preventing suicide. This day is aligned with the 2024-2026 triennial theme, “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”, which urges us to challenge the stigma and misconceptions that too often silence those in need. Although this essential work... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324764/how-safer-hong-kong-can-change-narrative-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324764/how-safer-hong-kong-can-change-narrative-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Cheng Xianyue Cheng Xianyue On September 10-11, Hong Kong hosts the 10th edition of the Belt and Road Summit. This is a milestone gathering aimed at reinforcing the city’s position as both a “superconnector” and a “super value-adder” while fostering the development of an open global economy. Against the backdrop of continuing disruptions to global capital and trade flows under the second administration of US President Donald Trump – whose renewed emphasis on economic nationalism and supply-chain decoupling has deepened the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324832/how-hong-kong-can-bolster-belt-and-road-initiative-uncertain-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324832/how-hong-kong-can-bolster-belt-and-road-initiative-uncertain-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May Could a single shipping route shift both trade flows and geopolitical influence? China’s new “Arctic Express” to Europe leverages melting ice to bypass chokepoints and challenge Western dominance. In a significant step for Arctic commercial shipping, China’s Haijie Shipping Company will launch the first regular container service linking Asia and Northern Europe via the Northern Sea Route on September 20. The Istanbul Bridge, with a 4,890 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity and a low ice... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324046/chinas-arctic-express-shows-its-ambitions-top-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324046/chinas-arctic-express-shows-its-ambitions-top-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak For most of her life, veteran filmmaker Mary Stephen has carried a quiet mystery with her, one embedded in her very name. Born and raised in Hong Kong to what she describes as “a typical Chinese family”, she has a birth certificate that names her parents as Henry Stephen and Yick Chuk-kwan. This anomaly is the driving force behind her new documentary film, Palimpsest: the Story of a Name, which is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 11. “We were, by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324000/hong-kong-born-filmmaker-mary-stephen-digs-her-familys-past-new-documentary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324000/hong-kong-born-filmmaker-mary-stephen-digs-her-familys-past-new-documentary?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Rachel Chan Rachel Chan Hong Kong stands at a crossroads in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. With advanced digital infrastructure, world-class universities and proximity to the mainland’s fast-moving AI industry, the city is well-positioned to serve as a bridge between East and West AI ecosystems. The 2025 budget has set aside HK$1 billion (US$128.4 million) for the establishment of an AI Research and Development Institute, which is set to launch next year. Recent AI studies provide a sobering... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3323290/what-hong-kongs-coming-ai-institute-must-do-make-difference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3323290/what-hong-kongs-coming-ai-institute-must-do-make-difference?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It is quite unimaginable that Hong Kong continues to struggle with basic necessities such as water. However, that is the case, at least when it comes to the government. Ten years ago, opposition lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan found excessive levels of lead in drinking water that was later discovered to have affected 11 public housing estates, involving 29,000 households. That led to an independent, judge-led inquiry in 2016. The investigation yielded 17 recommendations, including for the water... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322960/water-scandal-another-blow-public-trust-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322960/water-scandal-another-blow-public-trust-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang When I first arrived in Beijing in the summer of 2012, I was greeted with what local authorities called “a historically rare storm”. Trains were late, traffic was congested, basements were flooded and a man driving an SUV drowned in logged water under the Guangqumen Bridge. A total of 79 people died and the government vowed to make changes. Then Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong said the disaster had exposed many issues in Beijing’s urban planning, infrastructure and emergency management, stressing the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322315/beijing-floods-deadly-reminder-prepare-climate-changes-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322315/beijing-floods-deadly-reminder-prepare-climate-changes-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Sagina Walyat Sagina Walyat As geopolitical tensions realign global power centres, the trilateral forum of Russia, India and China (RIC) is seeing renewed diplomatic interest. While Moscow has expressed optimism about reviving the grouping and Beijing seems to support the idea, New Delhi has walked a cautious tightrope between signalling openness and managing its strategic autonomy. Against the backdrop of an increasingly transactional and multipolar world, the question arises: Can the elephant, the dragon and the bear... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3320703/can-russia-india-and-china-work-together-stabilise-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3320703/can-russia-india-and-china-work-together-stabilise-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:01:40 +0000