https://www.scmp.com/rss/502846/feed Melissa Zhu has a Master of Science in Computational and Data Journalism from Cardiff University. She previously worked as an editor at SCMP's China and Technology desks, and as a digital producer at Channel NewsAsia in Singapore. She is interested in data, gender equality and AI. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com At China’s largest AI event, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, in July, 20 speakers were scheduled to speak. Only one of them, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Lisa Su, was a woman. This is disappointing but not surprising. Women in technology have long been sidelined, despite their significant contributions to the field. Earlier this month, The New York Times drew flak for an article listing a Who’s Who of AI that mentioned 12 men and zero women. With ChatGPT still the hottest topic... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245744/why-missing-womens-voices-ai-conferences-should-spark-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245744/why-missing-womens-voices-ai-conferences-should-spark-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Dec 2023 21:30:16 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3177637/bongbong-marcos-hugely-popular-among-overseas-filipinos-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3177637/bongbong-marcos-hugely-popular-among-overseas-filipinos-why?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 May 2022 08:14:52 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3176320/answers-china-eastern-plane-crash-still-elusive-one-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3176320/answers-china-eastern-plane-crash-still-elusive-one-month?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3175207/singapores-egg-freezing-policy-cautious-step-right-direction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3175207/singapores-egg-freezing-policy-cautious-step-right-direction?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Apr 2022 09:41:15 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3172020/trafficking-violence-and-poverty-remain-issues-despite-women-making-great?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3172020/trafficking-violence-and-poverty-remain-issues-despite-women-making-great?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Mar 2022 12:00:00 +0000 One of the key tasks after Monday’s plane crash in southern China is to search and retrieve data from the two “black boxes” that could provide vital information about what caused China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 to crash into a hillside in the southern Chinese region of Guangxi. None of the 132 people on board are expected to have survived the country’s deadliest air disaster in decades. One of the black boxes – more accurately known as flight recorders – was found on Wednesday, and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3171536/china-eastern-airlines-flight-mu5735-what-are-black-boxes-or?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3171536/china-eastern-airlines-flight-mu5735-what-are-black-boxes-or?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Mar 2022 12:00:16 +0000 International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 8. In mainland China, the government advises employers to give women half a day off work, and e-commerce platforms promote “Goddesses’ Day” or “Queens’ Day” sales. Women in Italy traditionally receive bouquets of yellow mimosa flowers – symbolising strength and solidarity – from loved ones. In the US, a presidential proclamation about gender equality is issued ahead of March every year, designated Women’s History Month in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3169726/gender-equality-work-how-do-hong-kong-mainland-china-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3169726/gender-equality-work-how-do-hong-kong-mainland-china-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Mar 2022 12:15:28 +0000 As the world marks International Women’s Day on Tuesday, the South China Morning Post joined the UN Women’s Media Compact – a global alliance of media outlets committed to scaling up the focus on women’s rights and gender equality issues. Launched in 2016, the compact has over 80 media partners including the BBC, Politico and the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The Post is the first Hong Kong-based news outlet to join the alliance. “We are delighted the Post is partnering with UN Women to champion... https://www.scmp.com/announcements/article/3169581/south-china-morning-post-joins-un-womens-media-compact-advance-gender?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/announcements/article/3169581/south-china-morning-post-joins-un-womens-media-compact-advance-gender?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 23:00:25 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3158703/once-chinas-golden-flower-tennis-star-peng-shuai-now-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3158703/once-chinas-golden-flower-tennis-star-peng-shuai-now-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Dec 2021 12:00:00 +0000 The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is willing to pull the plug on its business in China – worth hundreds of millions of US dollars – if Chinese star player Peng Shuai’s whereabouts are not fully accounted for and her sexual assault allegations are not properly investigated, according to its head Steve Simon. “We’re at a crossroads with our relationship, obviously, with China and operating our business over there,” he told CNN in an interview on Thursday. “We’ve had a lot of success over there.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3156652/womens-tennis-association-willing-pull-out-china-if-peng-shuai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3156652/womens-tennis-association-willing-pull-out-china-if-peng-shuai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Nov 2021 08:01:50 +0000 In this issue of Global Impact, looks back at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rome. https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3155221/xi-jinpings-absence-felt-g20-rome-summit-delivers-few-new-climate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3155221/xi-jinpings-absence-felt-g20-rome-summit-delivers-few-new-climate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Nov 2021 12:00:00 +0000 In mid-September, the United States, Britain and Australia announced a “historic” security pact to strengthen military capabilities in the Pacific, allowing them to share advanced defence technologies and equipping Australian forces with the know-how to build nuclear-powered submarines. The “Aukus” partnership – an amalgamation of the three member countries’ names – is seen as targeting China but has also angered several other countries. The US has scrambled to patch up relations with its oldest... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3151700/aukus-alliance-what-it-what-does-it-have-do-china-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3151700/aukus-alliance-what-it-what-does-it-have-do-china-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Oct 2021 02:30:18 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3142491/what-make-xis-speech-communist-party-centenary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3142491/what-make-xis-speech-communist-party-centenary?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jul 2021 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3132003/will-olympic-spirit-burn-bright-chinas-2022-winter-games-amid-boycott-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3132003/will-olympic-spirit-burn-bright-chinas-2022-winter-games-amid-boycott-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 May 2021 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3128422/jury-still-out-chinas-legal-reform-and-judicial-independence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3128422/jury-still-out-chinas-legal-reform-and-judicial-independence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000 More than 5,000 members of China’s political elite are expected to converge on Beijing in early March for the biggest event on the political calendar. Known as the “two sessions”, or lianghui , the annual gatherings of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC) are a window on the central government’s priorities and plans for the coming year. This year’s two sessions commence on March 4, and will wrap up on March 11. The 2021... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3123587/two-sessions-2021-five-things-you-need-know-about-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3123587/two-sessions-2021-five-things-you-need-know-about-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:30:10 +0000 Hi, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk rounding up our top stories on China technology. This week, we covered the central bank’s proposed definition of monopoly in China’s third-party online payments market, Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma’s first public appearance in nearly three months and WeChat’s future outlook after a decade of influence. Marking boundaries For the first time, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has outlined how it will define monopoly among third-party online... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3118841/inside-china-tech-chinas-central-bank-defines-monopoly-amid-antitrust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3118841/inside-china-tech-chinas-central-bank-defines-monopoly-amid-antitrust?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jan 2021 11:00:08 +0000 Hello, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong with a round-up of our top stories in the world of China technology. This week, we look at how some recent innovations have taken inspiration from history: a video game developer has used artificial intelligence (AI) to recreate the faces of ancient Chinese emperors, while China’s online microlenders are putting a digital twist on the age-old practice of moneylending. And in other news, Chinese regulators have removed TripAdvisor and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3113570/inside-china-tech-tracing-historical-roots-recent-ai-moneylending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3113570/inside-china-tech-tracing-historical-roots-recent-ai-moneylending?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Dec 2020 22:00:13 +0000 Hello, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong rounding up some of our top stories about China tech. This week, we focus on two high profile deals involving Chinese tech companies. First, Huawei Technologies announced that it was selling its budget smartphone brand Honor amid tough US sanctions. Second, Chinese search giant Baidu is also buying social media firm Joyy’s live-streaming business YY Live, but short seller Muddy Waters released a report calling Joyy “a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3110729/inside-china-tech-matter-honor-and-muddy-waters-allegation-joyys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3110729/inside-china-tech-matter-honor-and-muddy-waters-allegation-joyys?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Nov 2020 23:00:23 +0000 China may already have been home to most of the world’s most monitored cities before the coronavirus pandemic, but surveillance technologies, and in particular facial recognition software, have seen a new surge in popularity as governments scramble for ways to identify potential cases and maintain security while reducing human-to-human contact. Around the world, the artificial intelligence-based technology has been increasingly deployed by law enforcement and border control to secure access and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3108742/what-facial-recognition-and-why-more-relevant-ever-during-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3108742/what-facial-recognition-and-why-more-relevant-ever-during-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 22:00:22 +0000 Good morning, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong rounding up our leading stories about China tech. This week, we have China calling the US an “empire of hacking”, legendary Apple guru Kuo Ming-chi’s assessment of the iPhone 12’s prospects, and how Huawei’s woes have put a dent in its founder’s personal wealth. The empire strikes back? China’s foreign ministry has called the US an “empire of hacking”, saying a US National Security Agency (NSA) cybersecurity advisory warning of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3106802/inside-china-tech-china-us-trade-barbs-over-cybersecurity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3106802/inside-china-tech-china-us-trade-barbs-over-cybersecurity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:00:08 +0000 Hello, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong with your Saturday morning round-up of this week’s biggest stories about China tech: more complications surrounding the US TikTok deal, Huawei’s chip supply situation and advancements that could pave the way for safer organ transplants from pigs to humans. An unpopular agreement The deal between ByteDance, Oracle and Walmart over TikTok’s US operations – pending approval from both the Trump administration and Beijing authorities – has... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3103071/inside-china-tech-tiktok-deal-happening-or-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3103071/inside-china-tech-tiktok-deal-happening-or-not?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2020 21:30:18 +0000 Hello, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong with a round-up of some of our most important stories this week. Following India’s initial ban of 59 Chinese apps including ByteDance’s TikTok and Tencent Holdings’ WeChat in June, the government announced on Wednesday that it was banning another 118 apps. The latest list of blocked apps includes Tencent’s hit mobile game PUBG Mobile , Chinese search engine Baidu and Ant Group’s mobile payment app Alipay. (Ant Group, which runs... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3100290/inside-china-tech-protectionism-rise-india-app-ban-china-tech-export?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3100290/inside-china-tech-protectionism-rise-india-app-ban-china-tech-export?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2020 22:30:08 +0000 Good morning, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong with our weekly summary of our top stories. First up: more than half of computer malware attacks in China from overseas entities last year originated in the US, according to data from a government-affiliated cybersecurity team. From a total of more than 62 million computer malware attacks captured by the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team (CNCERT), around 53.5 per cent of foreign attacks were from the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3097430/inside-china-tech-us-hackers-responsible-more-half-all-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3097430/inside-china-tech-us-hackers-responsible-more-half-all-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2020 23:00:11 +0000 Good morning, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong rounding up some of our most important stories this week. India’s pushback on Chinese tech – following a deadly border clash and amid recriminations over the Covid-19 pandemic – has created opportunities for US firms to fill the void, according to analysts. US firms, which already have a strong foundation in India, are among the most well-positioned to benefit from the backlash against Chinese technology. Following Google’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3094587/inside-china-tech-who-wins-indias-pushback-china-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3094587/inside-china-tech-who-wins-indias-pushback-china-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2020 21:00:10 +0000 Hello, this is Melissa Zhu from SCMP’s tech desk in Hong Kong with a round-up of some of our most important stories this week. We kicked off the week with big news: India has banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including the wildly popular TikTok and WeChat, saying that they “are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”. The move comes after a deadly clash between the Indian Army and Chinese troops... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3091751/inside-china-tech-indias-app-bans-and-us-reshoring-are-chinese-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3091751/inside-china-tech-indias-app-bans-and-us-reshoring-are-chinese-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2020 23:00:10 +0000 Good morning, this is Melissa Zhu from the SCMP tech desk in Hong Kong rounding up some of our key stories from the week. In the past, contact tracing was done through in-person interviews with medical professionals. Now smartphones have the power to streamline and automate that process, making it a plausible way to help tackle the global coronavirus pandemic that has sickened millions and brought the world economy to its knees. The one problem? Data privacy. Our reporters Josh Ye, Coco Feng and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3087734/inside-china-tech-privacy-vs-urgency-covid-19-contact-tracing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3087734/inside-china-tech-privacy-vs-urgency-covid-19-contact-tracing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2020 03:18:24 +0000 Good morning, this is Melissa Zhu from the SCMP tech desk in Hong Kong with a wrap of some of our best stories from this week. First, the bad news. After Wuhan lifted its lockdown in early April and Beijing downgraded its emergency response level last month, satellite images and air quality index (AQI) data are showing a return of air pollution to parts of China, as Coco Feng reports. China's air quality had improved in recent months as result of recent lockdowns and industrial stoppages related... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/3083354/inside-china-tech-chinas-business-and-smog-comes-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/3083354/inside-china-tech-chinas-business-and-smog-comes-back?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2020 00:00:28 +0000 Good morning, this is Melissa Zhu from the SCMP tech desk in Hong Kong with a quick round-up of our top stories this week. Chinese robotics companies have seen a surge in demand for their products during the coronavirus outbreak, Tracy Qu and Coco Feng reported this week. Robots process data more efficiently and eliminate unnecessary human-to-human contact, thus reducing cross-infections, according to Leo Chen, vice-president of OrionStar. For example, doctors can use machines connected to the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3080418/inside-china-tech-when-all-over-will-robots-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3080418/inside-china-tech-when-all-over-will-robots-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:26 +0000 Hi, this is Melissa Zhu from the SCMP tech desk in Hong Kong rounding up some of our best stories this week. If data is the new oil … China’s economy may have suffered drastic effects from the coronavirus pandemic, but “ it would be a mistake” to assume the country has lost its influence, according to a US think tank. “China has a rapidly-expanding middle class, an educated and trained workforce and a government that executes on long-term plans,” Future Today Institute said in its 2020 Tech... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3076160/inside-china-tech-china-continue-asserting-prolific-dominance-tech-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3076160/inside-china-tech-china-continue-asserting-prolific-dominance-tech-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2020 15:04:32 +0000 If Chinese President Xi Jinping personally asked TikTok’s chief to take down a video or hand over user data, what would he do? “I would turn him down,” Alex Zhu said without hesitation, according to an interview with The New York Times published Monday. Zhu heads viral short video app TikTok, the most recent Chinese-owned target of scrutiny by US lawmakers. He co-founded US teen karaoke app Musical.ly, which was bought by TikTok owner ByteDance in a US$1 billion deal that is now reportedly the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3038343/tiktok-distances-itself-china-amid-pressure-us-while-branching-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3038343/tiktok-distances-itself-china-amid-pressure-us-while-branching-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Nov 2019 03:35:13 +0000