https://www.scmp.com/rss/505723/feed Chee Yik-wai is a Malaysia-based intercultural specialist, a serial social entreprenur who co-founded Crowdsukan focusing on sport for good. He is currently the co-founder of Grafilab, a Malaysia-based AI compute power startup. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chee Yik-wai Chee Yik-wai After a series of roller-coaster rides in financial markets, serious concerns remain about the long-term profitability of major artificial intelligence (AI) companies that mostly rely on circular financing – investing in each other to prop up demand. This volatility is worrisome when many Americans’ retirement pensions are closely tied to AI stocks, which have contributed to 80 per cent of the US stock market’s rise and 40 per cent of US GDP growth last year. Amid fears of a bubble, polls... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342808/china-leading-holistic-ai-development-can-us-catch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342808/china-leading-holistic-ai-development-can-us-catch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Michelle Yeoh understood enough Cantonese when it mattered. Even though the name “Sing Lung” didn’t immediately ring a bell, she still accepted her first on-screen gig in 1980s Hong Kong – a commercial with, as it turned out, Jackie Chan – which would lead ultimately to her international film career. Michael Wong was a Chinese-educated choirboy who went on to crack the Mandopop market in 1990s Taiwan and win acclaim as a balladeer in the wider Chinese-speaking world. Like Yeoh and Wong before... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3290487/how-my-malaysian-chinese-education-paying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3290487/how-my-malaysian-chinese-education-paying?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2024 21:30:07 +0000 With the men’s national team suffering consecutive defeats in its 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign, it seems like the only way for Chinese football is up. Losing 7-0 away to Japan was particularly hard to swallow, especially given the geopolitical tensions between the two countries, and losing 2-1 at home to 10-man Saudi Arabia only made things worse. It is clear China’s success in individual Olympic sports has not translated into better results in the world’s most popular team sports,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3278941/how-china-could-benefit-adopting-us-college-sports-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3278941/how-china-could-benefit-adopting-us-college-sports-model?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2024 21:30:07 +0000 Hong Kong’s financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po recently said the city had “competitive advantages” over Singapore in the global talent race. While he made some good points – for example, about the diversity of Hong Kong’s natural landscape – it’s very debatable whether the city fares better in terms of “freedom”. Concern about the latter, together with high housing prices, was probably one reason many left the city. If housing in Hong Kong were cheaper than in Singapore, that would be a real... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3269402/talent-hungry-hong-kong-can-drop-hard-sell-and-learn-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3269402/talent-hungry-hong-kong-can-drop-hard-sell-and-learn-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2024 01:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s tourism struggles appear to have sunk to a new low with the government telling Hongkongers to “smile more” to attract visitors – an idea that is naive, if not absurd. The slow return of tourists has been blamed on false narratives of Hong Kong in the Western media. But the reality is that far less liberal places in the region are enjoying a strong tourism recovery. Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia are making strong progress in attracting more international... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3266754/believe-it-or-not-hong-kongs-culture-and-nature-are-what-will-draw-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3266754/believe-it-or-not-hong-kongs-culture-and-nature-are-what-will-draw-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 01:30:10 +0000 China’s recent announcement that it would extend the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens of 12 countries – 11 in Europe – until December 2025 is a welcome sign to the world that Beijing is interested in furthering intercultural understanding with more countries. This comes as international arrivals continue to lag, with European tourists reportedly entering China at 30 per cent of 2019 levels. Now, the country even allows visa-free entry for foreign tourist groups via cruise ships. But... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3263251/china-welcomes-foreigners-it-just-needs-policies-make-clear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3263251/china-welcomes-foreigners-it-just-needs-policies-make-clear?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2024 21:30:08 +0000 For the first time, a majority in Southeast Asia favour alignment with China over the US, according to “The State of Southeast Asia 2024” survey by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. The survey’s accuracy in reflecting mass opinion has been questioned, given its elite group of respondents – which included government officials, researchers, pundits and businessmen – and the weighting applied to each country’s response. But it still offers valuable insights for leaders in the United... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3258823/survive-us-china-rivalry-asean-must-work-dial-down-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3258823/survive-us-china-rivalry-asean-must-work-dial-down-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Apr 2024 12:30:19 +0000 Plagued by corruption and unpaid wages scandals, China’s football scene hit a new low recently as fans withdrew their support after the national team’s embarrassing draw against a much lower-ranked Malaysia in a friendly game. Clearly, reforms are needed if China is to keep its 2026 World Cup dream alive – after failing to qualify for more than 20 years. The focus so far has been on ridding the sport of corruption with little attention paid to how China’s football performance can be improved.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235099/achieve-its-football-goals-scandal-hit-china-can-learn-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235099/achieve-its-football-goals-scandal-hit-china-can-learn-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Sep 2023 01:30:10 +0000 Many people in Southeast Asia are feeling the effects of El Nino, as regional governments struggle to cope with unprecedented heatwaves. Electricity bills have shot up for many families trying to beat the heat, for example. This raises the question of what can be done to tackle the problem. On that front, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) appears to be lagging behind the developed world in the carbon trading market and also in implementing a carbon tax. The European Union has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223505/climate-change-region-must-follow-singapores-example-and-enact-carbon-tax-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223505/climate-change-region-must-follow-singapores-example-and-enact-carbon-tax-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jun 2023 08:15:17 +0000 French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent comments about the European Union’s strategic independence amid big power conflict, while music to Beijing’s ears, displeased many proponents of closer transatlantic relations. Asean leaders such as Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong have also called for cooperation over destructive rivalry. The centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been championed as a strategy in fending off the pressure the region comes... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218445/only-strong-united-asean-can-withstand-pressure-us-china-great-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218445/only-strong-united-asean-can-withstand-pressure-us-china-great-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2023 19:30:11 +0000 The Chinese “spy” balloon incident seems to have erased all positive gains from the G20 meeting between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in Bali, with domestic furore spilling over onto TikTok as calls grow for a complete ban on the Chinese app. TikTok, already banned from government devices and campuses in almost half of all US states, has over 1 billion users globally, with 94.1 million in the United States alone – roughly 28 per cent of Americans. Research by my team, led by Dr Nuurrianti... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3211029/tiktok-ban-app-may-be-next-casualty-breakdown-us-china-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3211029/tiktok-ban-app-may-be-next-casualty-breakdown-us-china-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:00:11 +0000 One of the year’s biggest highlights is perhaps how the Beijing Winter Olympics and Qatar World Cup have both inspired and outraged so many. The major sporting events attracted boycott calls and elevated the debate on politics in sports. Particularly disappointing was the hypocrisy displayed by sporting nations. Take, for a start, the US-led diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games on human rights grounds. It seemed paradoxical that American athletes were allowed to compete and US officials... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3203883/qatar-world-cup-beijing-olympics-heres-inconvenient-truth-about-sporting-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3203883/qatar-world-cup-beijing-olympics-heres-inconvenient-truth-about-sporting-events?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Dec 2022 17:00:09 +0000 The COP27 UN climate change conference in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh ended with a victory of sorts for developing countries with the “loss and damage” deal. But the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in making the critical transformation to net zero is still not getting the attention it deserves. The global debate on corporate emissions has often focused on big companies, especially fossil fuel producers, when SMEs are a major culprit too. As a group, SMEs are... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202150/net-zero-out-reach-unless-we-help-smes-decarbonise-too?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202150/net-zero-out-reach-unless-we-help-smes-decarbonise-too?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Dec 2022 12:30:05 +0000 Almost three years into the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems a judgment has been reached on the value of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in fighting infections. In the first and largest study of TCM on 64,000 Covid-19 patients in Hong Kong, researchers garnered encouraging results showing that TCM can ease the symptoms of long Covid. This is on top of findings from a study in Pakistan, which showed that TCM can be used to treat mild Covid-19 cases. At the start of the pandemic, allegations that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194910/better-regulation-traditional-chinese-medicine-can-help-bring-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194910/better-regulation-traditional-chinese-medicine-can-help-bring-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:15:12 +0000 Free or nearly-free monthly public transport throughout an entire country sounds too good to be true and, in Asia, it is almost unthinkable. In Europe, however, this solution is being increasingly embraced and could be a new normal to reach climate goals and fight historic levels of inflation. To ease people’s financial burden, typically bureaucratic Germany recently introduced one of its boldest experiments with lightning speed. It offered a €9 (US$9) monthly transport pass for local and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192482/how-free-public-transport-can-help-asian-countries-tackle-climate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192482/how-free-public-transport-can-help-asian-countries-tackle-climate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Sep 2022 01:15:18 +0000 The Chinese ambassador to France’s recent remarks on French television about US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit has reaffirmed that Beijing’s controversial Wolf Warrior diplomacy will remain a feature when dealing with the West. However, Beijing should be wary of applying the same diplomatic approach to Asean countries, some of which have territorial disputes with China. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who often do not see eye to eye on foreign policy because of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3189861/south-china-sea-stakes-are-too-high-china-use-wolf-warrior?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3189861/south-china-sea-stakes-are-too-high-china-use-wolf-warrior?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Aug 2022 21:30:24 +0000 During his speech marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China, President Xi Jinping said “Hong Kong will thrive only when its young people thrive”. His words underscore Beijing’s expectation that new Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will look beyond his predecessors’ “business as usual” approach to the city’s discontented youth, who were the driving force of the 2019 protests. Youth dissatisfaction in Hong Kong primarily stems from a difference in ideology and lack of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186109/hong-kong-needs-its-own-student-exchange-scheme-help-young-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186109/hong-kong-needs-its-own-student-exchange-scheme-help-young-people?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jul 2022 22:45:12 +0000 ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) obligations have been shaking up the world of finance. As governments and societies discuss how to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic stronger and greener, prominent international bodies and organisations such as the United Nations and World Economic Forum are promoting ESG rules as the future of investment focus. Thus, eyebrows were raised when Tesla boss Elon Musk called ESG a “scam” after the company was dropped from the S&P 500 ESG index,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3182470/esg-not-scam-much-work-remains-define-and-standardise-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3182470/esg-not-scam-much-work-remains-define-and-standardise-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2022 08:30:17 +0000 Dubai is having a good year. Not only has it just concluded its Covid-delayed Expo 2020, which attracted over 24 million visitors worldwide, but it was also named Tripadvisor’s Most Popular Destination of 2022. All that without any strict travel restrictions. Dubai shares many characteristics with Hong Kong and Shanghai. All three aspire to be a bridge between East and West, and strive for efficiency and openness, while politically not opting for a Western liberal democracy. Their recent... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3178361/dubai-has-succeeded-its-covid-19-strategy-where-hong-kong-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3178361/dubai-has-succeeded-its-covid-19-strategy-where-hong-kong-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 May 2022 16:30:08 +0000 Chee Yik-wai Chee Yik-wai One of the unintended consequences from the war in Ukraine could be the undermining of US dollar status as the global reserve currency. As sanctions on Russia get tougher, leading to most Russian banks being cut off from the global financial system, some countries could contemplate a geopolitical alternative to the dollar. Some financial analysts have again floated the advantages of a decentralised cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, currently valued at around US$47,000. The likes of Ray Dalio,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3172225/cryptocurrencies-need-more-russia-sanctions-beat-us-dollar-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3172225/cryptocurrencies-need-more-russia-sanctions-beat-us-dollar-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Mar 2022 17:30:20 +0000 With the world suffering from Covid-19 containment fatigue, the star-studded Netflix comedy Don’t Look Up provides a satirical and relatable reality. The film cleverly draws attention to our climate emergency, shaming leaders for failing to respond appropriately. A parallel can be drawn to the world’s collective failure in handling the Covid-19 pandemic. An important takeaway is that the absence of leadership and social justice is a guaranteed path to destruction. A lack of decisive pandemic... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164136/covid-19-and-climate-crises-have-sparked-outcry-social-justice-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164136/covid-19-and-climate-crises-have-sparked-outcry-social-justice-will?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jan 2022 17:30:12 +0000 The late Bruce Lee famously told people to “be water”. That is something desperately needed in Malaysia after at least 48 people died in the government’s latest abysmal performance in flood management. That is 48 lives too many for what is widely seen as predictable, long-term extreme weather. The severity of the flooding has appalled many Malaysians who have never experienced such extreme weather. Flooding claimed more than 300 lives in Henan province last year, while nearly 200 people died in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3161856/malaysia-floods-are-asias-latest-sign-act-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3161856/malaysia-floods-are-asias-latest-sign-act-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jan 2022 01:15:22 +0000 The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked discussions over what should be the priority in our society, providing new perspectives on the debate between individual rights and collective responsibility. Depending on who, where and how we ask the question, different conclusions can be drawn. Either view in its extreme form is unproductive for humanity’s survival and progress. An extreme belief in absolute individual rights would produce some form of anarchy, while the other extreme would result in some... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3159071/covid-19-protests-show-tug-war-between-individual-rights-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3159071/covid-19-protests-show-tug-war-between-individual-rights-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Dec 2021 22:30:15 +0000 That many major economies are facing the prospect of severe energy shortages this winter should sound the alarm that investment in renewable energy alone will not be enough to reduce the effects of climate change. Our current unhealthy dependence on a linear economy where we “make, use and dispose” is no longer sustainable. As the COP26 climate conference comes to an end in Glasgow and amid the pandemic, it is worth thinking about why many parts of the world, particularly Asia, lack the momentum... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3155644/fight-climate-change-asia-must-reinvent-its-economic-wheel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3155644/fight-climate-change-asia-must-reinvent-its-economic-wheel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Nov 2021 01:15:14 +0000 Entertainment is soft power. The global popularity of South Korean Netflix show Squid Game has sparked hot debate in the mainland Chinese online community on why wealthy and resourceful China has yet to produce anything as internationally successful. But no wonder. For decades, China has pursued business and economic success while neglecting the global potential of its entertainment sector, which remains strictly regulated. Meanwhile, neighbouring Japan and South Korea have achieved enormous... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3152926/chinese-culture-be-global-hit-beijing-has-learn-japans-j-pop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3152926/chinese-culture-be-global-hit-beijing-has-learn-japans-j-pop?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Oct 2021 01:15:21 +0000 It’s Olympics season again, as sport fans around the world cheer on their national teams and peacefully project national pride. While the delayed Tokyo Olympics were clouded by disapproval at home over Covid-19 risks, the firm international support for the Games – including the attendance of the World Health Organization director general – speaks volumes. This may provide a strong reference point for Beijing, which could improve its soft power through sports diplomacy as it host its first Winter... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3142984/sports-diplomacy-china-should-try-new-tack-belt-and-road-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3142984/sports-diplomacy-china-should-try-new-tack-belt-and-road-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jul 2021 01:15:17 +0000 July was indisputably the Mars probing season of 2020. Two years after the last probe went to Mars, both the United States and China sent missions to Mars last month, with China launching Tianwen-1 on July 23. News reports have fuelled a narrative of a “space race” between the two superpowers, especially amid increased tensions following the closures of the Chinese consulate in Houston and the US consulate in Chengdu. It is reminiscent of the Cold War, when the US and Soviet Union competed for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3095937/chinas-earthly-concerns-take-priority-over-space-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3095937/chinas-earthly-concerns-take-priority-over-space-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2020 22:00:18 +0000 In the West it is common to portray the Chinese government as being relatively non-transparent compared to many other political institutions and organisations. The Covid-19 pandemic has raised serious questions on whether the rest of the world is paying a price for this perceived lack of transparency. The US, in particular, has argued that it was ill-advised by the World Health Organisation, which it accused of taking the Chinese side and exercising little scrutiny over China’s initial handling... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3081931/western-calls-greater-chinese-transparency-coronavirus-reflect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3081931/western-calls-greater-chinese-transparency-coronavirus-reflect?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2020 21:00:15 +0000