https://www.scmp.com/rss/502363/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Once dubbed the world’s tallest abandoned skyscraper, Goldin Finance 117 in northern China appears to be in the homestretch of a marathon construction effort – after nearly a decade of dormancy and a year of resumed work – even as the nation’s property market struggles to leg out a sustained recovery. Late last month, workers began installing a diamond-shaped crown on top of the building – designed to be 596 metres (1,955 feet) tall upon completion – in the port city of Tianjin, according to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348901/chinas-long-delayed-skyscraper-goldin-finance-117-nears-completion-amid-property-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348901/chinas-long-delayed-skyscraper-goldin-finance-117-nears-completion-amid-property-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Japanese retailers are scaling back in north China as fierce competition and weak pricing power erode profitability, forcing store closures in major cities and prompting calls for a sharper localisation strategy. Groups such as Aeon and Ito-Yokado have closed outlets in Chinese cities in recent years, highlighting mounting pressure from domestic rivals and shifting consumer habits in the region. Aeon said it closed three supermarkets in Tianjin and one in neighbouring Hebei province after March... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348978/japanese-chains-aeon-ito-yokado-retreat-north-china-instant-retail-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348978/japanese-chains-aeon-ito-yokado-retreat-north-china-instant-retail-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:00:07 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China is doubling down on mega chemical plants to secure the “industrial gold” needed for its green technology and to scale the coal-based production of chemicals whose global supply is stalled by conflict in the Middle East. On March 20, construction began on the world’s largest coal-to-ethylene glycol project in Xinjiang’s Turpan prefecture, which is expected to produce 2.4 million tonnes per year, according to state news agency Xinhua. China’s first 100,000-tonne/year solution process-based... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348522/china-doubles-down-chemical-plant-expansion-tech-breakthrough-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348522/china-doubles-down-chemical-plant-expansion-tech-breakthrough-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is stepping up its efforts to build Beijing and its environs, along with other major city clusters, into “international technological innovation centres”, according to a high-ranking official – part of the country’s accelerated push for tech self-sufficiency. Speaking at the opening of the state-backed Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said the country would intensify its campaign to achieve “high-level self-reliance in science and technology”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347816/china-names-beijing-other-city-clusters-global-tech-hubs-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347816/china-names-beijing-other-city-clusters-global-tech-hubs-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:15:20 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu The northern Chinese city of Tianjin is the only place in the country that has road signs warning drivers not to make jokes while driving for their safety. The sign features a cartoon of a driver and a passenger cracking jokes, with a slogan that says “Making jokes while driving is a safety hazard”. It went viral after several tourists spotted it and posted it online, and came as a shock to both travellers and locals. “It is true that only Tianjin needs a sign like this,” said one tourist. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345421/china-city-humour-only-place-nation-safety-road-signs-warning-drivers-against-joking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345421/china-city-humour-only-place-nation-safety-road-signs-warning-drivers-against-joking?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have developed a flexible and safe organic lithium-ion battery that could be suitable for use in wearable electronics and in extreme conditions. The breakthrough stems from an innovative organic cathode material that enables efficient and stable performance across an extreme temperature range, from far below freezing to as hot as 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit). Conventional lithium-ion batteries typically use inorganic minerals such as lithium cobalt oxide or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344985/why-chinese-teams-flexible-organic-battery-could-change-face-wearables?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344985/why-chinese-teams-flexible-organic-battery-could-change-face-wearables?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 06:00:27 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo China is gearing up to harness the extended Lunar New Year holiday to attract more spending by international tourists, as the country looks to shake off a recent economic slowdown and pivot towards consumption-driven growth. In a rare joint initiative by nine central government departments, Beijing announced plans earlier this month to turn the holiday – which this year began on Sunday and runs through February 23 – into a “consumption feast that links regions and engages everyone”. The move... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343743/china-targets-foreign-tourists-lunar-new-year-consumption-feast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343743/china-targets-foreign-tourists-lunar-new-year-consumption-feast?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma India and China opened a new round of strategic dialogue as US tariffs on their exports spur the two Asian giants to broaden global trade ties and move beyond past disputes. Both countries “uphold the strategic perception that China and India are cooperative partners instead of rivals”, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement after Tuesday’s meeting in New Delhi between Executive Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “China and India should deepen mutual... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:07:47 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial In the age of social media, any faux pas can backfire seriously. Yet there are those who cannot resist the temptation of showing off their lavish lifestyles. In the case of Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, it was more than a critical lapse of sensitivity and judgment. The top Hong Kong government representative in the mainland city of Tianjin was immediately sacked after his online posts showed him flaunting alleged travel perks. Whether the former director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit breached bribery... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340949/civil-service-misconduct-hong-kong-must-be-handled-resolutely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340949/civil-service-misconduct-hong-kong-must-be-handled-resolutely?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:45:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have increased the yield of a carbon dioxide-to-starch conversion method by more than 10 times, potentially paving the way for industrial starch production without the need for agriculture. In 2021, researchers from the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (TIB) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the world’s first method to synthesise starch from carbon dioxide with the help of enzymes. In a peer-reviewed Science paper at the time, the team reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341032/chinese-scientists-turn-carbon-dioxide-starch-10-fold-productivity-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341032/chinese-scientists-turn-carbon-dioxide-starch-10-fold-productivity-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Oscar Liu,Leopold Chen,Danny Mok Oscar Liu,Leopold Chen,Danny Mok The head of the Hong Kong government’s liaison office in Tianjin has been fired and will face a criminal probe after his online posts showed him enjoying alleged perks such as a private ferry cabin upgrade on a trip to Macau. The government said in a late-night statement on Wednesday that following concerns arising from posts by Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit, it had conducted further investigations. “It has been considered that the incident in which Mr Cheng’s seat... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340620/calls-probe-after-hong-kong-official-posts-about-alleged-ferry-hotel-perks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340620/calls-probe-after-hong-kong-official-posts-about-alleged-ferry-hotel-perks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:39:06 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang In the daytime the temperature in northern China often stays below freezing, but for many rural villagers the prohibitive cost of heating means that they have little choice but to endure the cold. “We dare not turn on the heating during the day,” one woman from Guan county in Hebei named Wang said. The 75-year-old’s home is around 70km (43 miles) from the centre of Beijing, but running the heating all day would cost between 60 and 90 yuan (US$8-13), an expense that could soar over the course of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339631/north-china-farmers-pay-heavy-price-winter-beijings-clean-air-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339631/north-china-farmers-pay-heavy-price-winter-beijings-clean-air-success?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 01:00:16 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing On a sunny afternoon in late November, hundreds of onlookers gathered beside a picturesque lake near Shanghai as a massive silver drone lifted off silently from the deck of a cutting-edge vessel, marking the dawn of a new chapter for the low-altitude economy in both mainland China and Hong Kong. The demonstration at Dianshan Lake, which straddles the border between Shanghai and Suzhou, felt like a scene from a science fiction film as the “Sunship”, a mobile water-based vertiport, made its global... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3339236/drone-age-hi-tech-wizardry-propels-hong-kong-towards-lift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3339236/drone-age-hi-tech-wizardry-propels-hong-kong-towards-lift?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:30:14 +0000 Michael Tai Michael Tai When President Xi Jinping hosted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin earlier this year, the choreography was familiar: smiles, handshakes and talk of a “multipolar world order”. Yet beneath the symbolism lies an imbalance impossible to miss. China radiated the poise of a civilisation sure of its trajectory; Russia exuded the defiance of a power seeking reassurance. The meeting, intended to display Eurasian unity, instead... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3334916/while-china-exudes-confidence-russia-held-back-yearning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3334916/while-china-exudes-confidence-russia-held-back-yearning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Early in the morning in cities across China, groups of people gather in public squares, moving as one in slow, deliberate tai chi routines. Many are in their sixties or seventies – an age group that has long defined the rhythm of daily life in much of the country. While these dedicated practitioners have been a part of the national routine for decades, their ubiquity carries new connotations as the country undergoes a profound shift in population dynamics: China is growing old, fast. As of last... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332223/more-china-becomes-moderately-aged-how-will-its-economy-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332223/more-china-becomes-moderately-aged-how-will-its-economy-change?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 22:00:09 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng The Canton Fair, considered a barometer of China’s foreign trade and manufacturing outlook for the next six to nine months, has concluded in Guangzhou as dramatically as it began. Three weeks ago, the exhibition hall was shrouded in gloom. Just days before China’s largest and oldest trade exhibition opened on October 15, US President Donald Trump had threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on Chinese goods. The announcement sent shock waves through the fair, plunging exporters... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331625/how-us-china-trade-war-roller-coaster-played-out-canton-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331625/how-us-china-trade-war-roller-coaster-played-out-canton-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Hong Kong stocks rose on Monday as US-China trade tensions were soothed after Beijing said it would suspend new export controls on rare earth metals and terminate investigations into US firms in the semiconductor supply chain. The Hang Seng Index closed 1 per cent higher at 26,158.36. The Hang Seng Tech Index added 0.2 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index strengthened 0.3 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.5 per cent. Leading the gainers, online travel-booking agency... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3331270/hong-kong-stocks-rise-trade-agreement-soothes-fears-rare-earths-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3331270/hong-kong-stocks-rise-trade-agreement-soothes-fears-rare-earths-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 02:21:15 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Chinese police are working with UK law enforcement authorities to track down fugitives and illicit funds involved in a massive cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering case, but experts see little likelihood for victims to recoup their losses. According to a statement, police in the northern city of Tianjin were “doing everything possible” to help more than 128,000 Chinese investors recoup funds caught in a web of fraudulent wealth schemes perpetrated between 2014 and 2017 by a syndicate, which... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3331111/china-uk-police-join-forces-recover-funds-massive-crypto-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3331111/china-uk-police-join-forces-recover-funds-massive-crypto-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:25:02 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Carol Yang Xinyi Wu,Carol Yang Xiongan, China’s “city of the future” – a project years in the making, championed by President Xi Jinping – is slowly coming to life, as major state-owned enterprises (SOEs) begin relocating to the new metropolis in Hebei province. Sinochem Holdings and China Huaneng Group are among the latest to officially relocate their headquarters to Xiongan this month, each bringing about 1,000 employees, according to local authorities. They join other SOEs like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Railway Company, which... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329950/chinas-soes-breathe-life-xi-jinpings-city-future-xiongan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329950/chinas-soes-breathe-life-xi-jinpings-city-future-xiongan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei In a rare public display, China has showcased the advanced capabilities of the cutting-edge Z-20T assault helicopter at a military exhibition in Tianjin this week, demonstrating precision manoeuvres by the all-weather aircraft. The helicopters performed a hover salute, a backward ascent and a vertical climb and also fired jamming flares at the 7th China Helicopter Exposition, which wraps up on Sunday. The last time the Z-20T was seen in public was on September 3, when seven of the aircraft flew... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329464/stronger-wings-chinas-z-20t-assault-helicopter-thrills-rare-military-show-demo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329464/stronger-wings-chinas-z-20t-assault-helicopter-thrills-rare-military-show-demo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:00:13 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Apple’s iPhone Air sold out within minutes of its launch in China on Friday, underscoring the device’s popularity among Chinese consumers despite competition from Android devices. The strong sales followed CEO Tim Cook’s visit this week to promote the product in the world’s largest smartphone market amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between China and the US. As chairman of an advisory body at Tsinghua University’s management school, Cook also met Vice-Premier He Lifeng on Thursday. Pre-sales... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329336/apples-iphone-air-sells-out-minutes-china-after-ceo-tim-cooks-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329336/apples-iphone-air-sells-out-minutes-china-after-ceo-tim-cooks-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian In a fast and furious year of devastating wars and high-stakes diplomacy, the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a potential harbinger of a new global order. In his first visit to China in seven years, Modi agreed with Xi that Asia’s two powers should be “partners” rather than “rivals”, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. Modi stressed that “their differences should not turn into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo How much do financial incentives and other means of support influence the decision to have children, or how many to have? In China, the connection appears weak. Despite being the country’s top contributor of newborns, the southern economic powerhouse of Guangdong offers one of the poorest environments for childbirth, Chinese researchers said in a recent study. The most populous province and a rare bright spot amid a national fertility downturn, Guangdong placed second to last in a composite... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328545/researchers-find-mismatch-between-chinas-fertility-incentives-local-birth-rates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328545/researchers-find-mismatch-between-chinas-fertility-incentives-local-birth-rates?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 05:00:08 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen In the Terminator films, humanity launches an all-out assault in 2029 on Skynet’s central node deep within Cheyenne Mountain – only to realise that the artificial intelligence has no single point of failure. Skynet is not a monolithic system, but a distributed, self-healing network, capable of surviving total infrastructure collapse and resurrecting itself almost instantly. Today, China appears to be building a real-world analogue – a highly resilient, AI-driven combat kill web composed of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3326773/could-plas-ai-powered-kill-web-evolve-skynet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3326773/could-plas-ai-powered-kill-web-evolve-skynet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing and New Delhi should maintain a long-term strategic vision and make sure their border row does not define relations or hinder cooperation, China’s top envoy to India said at an event marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. “As two major ancient civilisations and developing countries, the relationship between China and India has long transcended the bilateral scope, bearing global and strategic significance,” ambassador Xu Feihong said on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326818/china-india-boundary-legacy-should-not-define-relations-beijing-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326818/china-india-boundary-legacy-should-not-define-relations-beijing-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 08:33:30 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India and China, recently seen moving towards rapprochement after years of strained ties, held separate meetings with Global South countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, highlighting a quiet rivalry for leadership of the developing world. The world’s two most-populous countries had been expected to present a united front as global trade and multilateralism face increasing headwinds under US President Donald Trump’s second term. Instead, their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:11:23 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had a last-minute change of plan when he travelled to Beijing to attend China’s military parade in Tiananmen Square, just hours before it began. Prabowo had earlier decided to cancel the trip because of widespread protests at home. But he showed up for the parade in a grey suit on the morning of September 3, taking a seat at the rostrum beside Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who was to the right of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Sources said the Indonesian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325969/how-southeast-asia-showed-its-support-china-and-sent-message-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325969/how-southeast-asia-showed-its-support-china-and-sent-message-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:00:20 +0000 Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen China’s defence minister summoned familiar talking points as he took aim at Western nations during a security conference on Thursday, urging nations to stand up against “bullying” and describing military alliances as groups with “selfish interests”. Dong Jun did not name any country but his calls appeared to resonate with defence chiefs from Southeast Asia, as they took turns criticising unilateral action, including tariffs, and calling for greater efforts to advance multilateralism. Dong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325991/chinas-defence-minister-warns-against-western-bullying-rallies-regional-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325991/chinas-defence-minister-warns-against-western-bullying-rallies-regional-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:14:41 +0000 Alfons Futterer,Zhonghua Sheng Alfons Futterer,Zhonghua Sheng Hong Kong is emerging as a possible contender to host China’s proposed World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, potentially challenging Beijing’s early preference for Shanghai. We believe the choice of Hong Kong, with its evolving role in the international technological arena, could reflect a nuanced strategy on Beijing’s part to navigate escalating US-China tech tensions. The initiative was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in July. Hosting such a centre carries both... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324794/why-hong-kong-should-seek-co-host-chinas-global-ai-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324794/why-hong-kong-should-seek-co-host-chinas-global-ai-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao Eighty years after World War II ended, the multilateral system is faltering. The United Nations, once the symbol of post-war peace and cooperation, is increasingly sidelined by unilateral actions and trade wars, amid the marginalisation of the Global South in decision-making. We are at risk of a world where tariffs and sanctions replace negotiation, conflicts multiply and the very principles of international law are often ignored. If the international community is to avoid drifting further into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324936/china-led-sco-critical-salve-ailments-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324936/china-led-sco-critical-salve-ailments-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin on August 31 may not have resulted in bold... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3324431/china-india-message-tianjin-perpetual-hostility-unsustainable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3324431/china-india-message-tianjin-perpetual-hostility-unsustainable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 03:30:08 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar The two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit that concluded in Tianjin on September 1 was a significant diplomatic triumph for President Xi Jinping and Beijing. The forum sought to burnish China’s geopolitical profile as a reliable interlocutor and an alternative voice for stability in global governance. SCO summits tend to be low-key and do not garner much notice. This time, though, China used the opportunity to signal it had arrived at the global high table at a time when US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324348/summit-full-symbolism-china-lays-out-vision-multipolar-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324348/summit-full-symbolism-china-lays-out-vision-multipolar-order?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley This time, it was not America’s Franklin D. Roosevelt, Britain’s Winston Churchill and the Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin meeting in the Crimean city of Yalta to carve up a defeated Germany and reshape the post-war European order. Instead, it was China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and India’s Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin to consider the implications of a new and non-US-dominated global order. It was a historic occasion... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324344/shanghai-spirit-new-world-order-needs-be-matched-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324344/shanghai-spirit-new-world-order-needs-be-matched-west?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that India is drifting towards China’s orbit, even as his assertive tariffs and public rebukes have tested ties with New Delhi. Aides are warning that India could soon regret its stance and even face new curbs. “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together,” the “America first” president wrote on social media. His remarks were posted alongside a photo of Indian Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324576/trump-suggests-india-moving-towards-deepest-darkest-china-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324576/trump-suggests-india-moving-towards-deepest-darkest-china-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:26:58 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Global trade tensions are coming back into focus after a week dominated by the power and spectacle of a huge military parade in Beijing. Chinese manufacturers may face tariffs in Mexico, a key gateway to the US, as part of Plan Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum’s initiative to boost domestic industry. The duties, covering all countries without a trade deal, would also ease pressure from US President Donald Trump on Sheinbaum amid the US-China trade war. Trump separately pressed European... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324429/tariff-threats-xi-hosts-putin-kim-parade-trade-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324429/tariff-threats-xi-hosts-putin-kim-parade-trade-data?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:00:07 +0000 Peiman Salehi Peiman Salehi At the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged member states to accelerate the creation of an SCO development bank, a proposal that could mark a turning point in Asia’s financial landscape. While headlines focused on the high-profile presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xi’s proposal points to the SCO’s evolution from a security bloc into a financial actor. Xi also pledged US$1.4... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324123/how-sco-development-bank-could-shift-global-financial-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324123/how-sco-development-bank-could-shift-global-financial-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 22:30:07 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Chinese President Xi Jinping doubled down on his support for Iran to “safeguard its national sovereignty” and vowed to promote a widely accepted solution to the Iranian nuclear issue as Tehran faces mounting Western pressures over its nuclear programme. “China attaches importance to Iran’s repeated affirmation that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, respects Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Xi told his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, according to state-owned... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324103/xi-jinping-reiterates-support-iran-nuclear-programme-amid-western-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324103/xi-jinping-reiterates-support-iran-nuclear-programme-amid-western-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:33:15 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin stood shoulder to shoulder at this week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, fuelling speculation about their countries’ “no limits” partnership. But beyond the optics, many analysts focused on energy: specifically, the long-delayed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. Valued at US$13.6 billion, the project was expected to be high on the bilateral agenda and would likely have featured when China, Russia and Mongolia – whose... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324084/major-china-russia-gas-pipeline-deal-spotlight-sco-summit-faces-key-obstacle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324084/major-china-russia-gas-pipeline-deal-spotlight-sco-summit-faces-key-obstacle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:30:07 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li At this year’s meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), President Xi Jinping said China will launch 10 additional Luban Workshops in the organisation’s member countries over the next five years, providing training slots for 10,000 individuals. Named after the ancient architect and inventor Lu Ban, the project is somewhat low profile compared to others in Beijing’s infrastructure-heavy Belt and Road Initiative. But the vocational education programme has quietly expanded across... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324058/chinas-xi-jinping-wants-more-luban-workshops-worldwide-what-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324058/chinas-xi-jinping-wants-more-luban-workshops-worldwide-what-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:15 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi A slew of foreign leaders took China’s signature high-speed railway from the northern port city of Tianjin to Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, having departed from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to attend a Victory Day parade. Seven state leaders arrived on Monday night: President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Maldives Mohamed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324061/foreign-leaders-ride-rapid-rails-chinas-technological-prowess-after-sco-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324061/foreign-leaders-ride-rapid-rails-chinas-technological-prowess-after-sco-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:31:46 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China agreed to build a new gas pipeline with Russia, and signed a 30-year supply deal, giving the country cheap and secure energy supplies in return for boosting its sanctions-hit neighbour’s economy. The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline will be capable of delivering 50 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year from western Siberia to China’s Xinjiang region via Mongolia, Gazprom head Alexei Miller told Russian media, according to Reuters. Few other details were released about the 2,600-kilometre... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324048/russia-wins-china-gas-deal-trump-fails-divide-no-limits-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324048/russia-wins-china-gas-deal-trump-fails-divide-no-limits-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:01:17 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was founded in 2001 as a Eurasian security bloc by China, Russia and the four Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It now has 10 full member states, with the addition of Belarus, India, Iran and Pakistan in the past decade. In all, the bloc now brings together 26 countries across Asia, Europe and Africa, including observer states Mongolia and Afghanistan and 14 dialogue partners: Sri Lanka, Turkey, Cambodia,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324033/sco-summit-2025-china-showcase-how-far-bloc-has-come-nearly-quarter-century?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324033/sco-summit-2025-china-showcase-how-far-bloc-has-come-nearly-quarter-century?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:40:15 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China and Russia have withstood the test of international changes and will continue to support each other, President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a high-profile meeting that demonstrated solidarity amid growing pressure from the United States and its allies. “Chinese-Russian relations have stood the test of international circumstances and serve as a model of interstate relations, eternal good-neighbourliness, friendship, comprehensive strategic interaction, mutually... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323994/xi-and-putin-meeting-talks-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323994/xi-and-putin-meeting-talks-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 03:31:09 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to strengthen their collective financial security and voice in the world as pressure mounts from the United States and its allies. Without naming any country, President Xi Jinping told the SCO state leaders – many of them facing blanket sanctions and punitive tariffs from the US – that the organisation needed to speed up and achieve “real results” to better protect themselves from “hegemonic” bullying. To that end, Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323954/us-sanctions-take-toll-xi-jinping-presses-sco-target-bullying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323954/us-sanctions-take-toll-xi-jinping-presses-sco-target-bullying?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 14:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the two countries should deepen cooperation “in all sectors”. The remark was a strong indication that New Delhi would not cut back on crude oil imports from Russia despite pressure from the US. Modi also expressed strong enthusiasm for welcoming Putin to India, in a subtle rebuke of US President Donald Trump. As they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Modi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323957/india-signals-no-oil-import-cut-russia-eagerly-awaits-putin-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323957/india-signals-no-oil-import-cut-russia-eagerly-awaits-putin-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 13:11:45 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Three major world powers – China, India and Russia – all with various frictions with the United States, projected an image of solidarity on Monday in front of the international media during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. During his first visit to China in seven years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the hands of his counterparts – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping – and pulled them closer. As... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323934/xi-putin-and-modi-are-grinning-and-smiling-whom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323934/xi-putin-and-modi-are-grinning-and-smiling-whom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:11:44 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese President Xi Jinping called on members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to uphold international fairness and justice while pursuing mutually beneficial economic and cultural cooperation. Xi made the remarks at the official meeting of the SCO leaders during their annual summit in China’s northern city of Tianjin on Monday. Alongside a keynote speech by Xi, leaders from Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia gave... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323877/6-takeaways-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-summit-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323877/6-takeaways-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-summit-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 05:30:00 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai China and the US should manage their differences and expand cooperation through “equal dialogue and consultation”, senior Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang said during a visit to the United States amid a trade war truce between the two powers. Li wrapped up his three-day visit on Friday after meeting with officials from the US Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative, according to a statement from the Chinese commerce ministry on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323753/chinas-senior-trade-negotiator-calls-equal-dialogue-during-us-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323753/chinas-senior-trade-negotiator-calls-equal-dialogue-during-us-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday signalled a further warming of ties with Beijing, urging the two Asian giants to collaborate in shaping a multipolar world, even as New Delhi remains wary of China’s growing military might and tries to finesse its own recent estrangement from the White House. “Stable, predictable and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, the two largest nations on Earth, can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity,” he told... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323730/modi-says-close-ties-between-india-and-china-are-crucial-multipolar-asia-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323730/modi-says-close-ties-between-india-and-china-are-crucial-multipolar-asia-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:08:04 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean head Kim Jong-un and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among world leaders set to visit China next week as the country hosts a major military parade and a regional forum. Putin and Kim – on his first China trip in six years – will join Chinese President Xi Jinping for Wednesday’s parade in Beijing, setting up a potential photo of the three upon the Gate of Heavenly Peace. A total of 26 leaders will watch the parade, which marks the 80th... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323639/putin-kim-xi-military-parade-modi-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323639/putin-kim-xi-military-parade-modi-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:00:08 +0000