https://www.scmp.com/rss/510333/feed Joining the Post in 2021, Xinlu Liang covers China politics with a special interest in China's governance philosophy, social justice, and ethnic minorities issues. Previously, she interned at the Los Angeles Times and Reuters in Shenzhen. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelor's degree in English from Sun Yat-sen University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alcott Wei,Xinlu Liang Alcott Wei,Xinlu Liang A senior Chinese official who oversees religious and ethnic minority affairs has called for China to “strengthen” the education, training and management of Tibetan Buddhist personnel. Li Ganjie, head of the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department and a member of the now 22-man Politburo, made the call during a trip to Tibetan areas in western China, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. He visited several religious organisations and study institutions in the Tibetan autonomous... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351181/china-must-strengthen-education-tibetan-buddhists-beijing-official-says-after-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351181/china-must-strengthen-education-tibetan-buddhists-beijing-official-says-after-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Lawrence Chung,Xinlu Liang Lawrence Chung,Xinlu Liang Beijing has praised the decision by three African countries to deny overflight clearance for Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, whose trip to eSwatini was cancelled a day before his scheduled departure. Lai had been due to leave on Wednesday for a five-day trip to eSwatini, the only African country that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati’s accession and his 58th birthday. But Lai’s office announced late on Tuesday that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351028/does-william-lais-cancelled-eswatini-trip-show-beijings-reach-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351028/does-william-lais-cancelled-eswatini-trip-show-beijings-reach-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:01:10 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has released new regulations that aim to counter the “unjustified” extraterritorial use of foreign laws, the latest move to protect its interests from external threats. Analysts view the move as a shift from diplomatic protests to legal warfare, and some warn it could have wide-ranging applications. The European Chamber of Commerce in China raised concern that the “broad scope, vague language and wide discretion” of the rules went far beyond similar statutes in the West. Amid the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350743/how-china-reinforcing-its-legal-shield-against-foreign-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350743/how-china-reinforcing-its-legal-shield-against-foreign-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A mega dam under construction in Tibet must prioritise ecological integrity and safety, Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing said during a visit to the project. The dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo will be the world’s largest hydropower facility. It is a key element of China’s plans to exploit the potential of the Tibetan Plateau by boosting regional growth through green energy and infrastructure. India has frequently expressed concerns that the project could lead to water shortages and ecological... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349889/safety-and-quality-top-priorities-chinas-highly-sensitive-megadam-tibet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349889/safety-and-quality-top-priorities-chinas-highly-sensitive-megadam-tibet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:24:51 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, the Kuomintang, highlighted the need for peace as she spoke to the media in Beijing on Friday afternoon after her historic meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping. It is the first time the leaders of the KMT and the Communist Party have met in nine years and comes at a time of heightened cross-strait military tensions. Here are the main takeaways from the press conference. A ‘choice of war or peace’ In a clear reference to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349640/takeaways-cheng-li-wuns-press-conference-about-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349640/takeaways-cheng-li-wuns-press-conference-about-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:25:02 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Beijing has ordered a sweeping national inventory of all state-owned museum collections following a high-profile scandal at a top museum, where former officials illegally sold donated national treasures for personal gain over several decades. The National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) announced the nationwide campaign on Wednesday. It mandates that every state-owned museum conduct a meticulous, piece-by-piece physical count of its collections this year, verifying every artefact against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348682/china-orders-nationwide-museum-audit-after-nanjings-us12-million-ming-artwork-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348682/china-orders-nationwide-museum-audit-after-nanjings-us12-million-ming-artwork-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang As one of the biggest targets of wartime looting in centuries past, China is now positioning itself as a global pioneer in repatriating lost cultural artefacts. In this article, the second in a two-part series, Xinlu Liang looks at how China is wielding law, diplomacy and a Global South coalition to rewrite the rules of restitution, filling a void left by a retreating US. In January, as the United States was withdrawing from a raft of heritage and science bodies around the world, China was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A former top official of Guangdong province, widely seen as a “right-hand man” of former provincial governor Ma Xingrui, is under investigation for corruption. The investigation into Guo Yonghang, Communist Party secretary for Guangzhou from June 2023 until December, deepens the uncertainties about the fate of Ma, who was abruptly removed as Xinjiang’s party secretary in July and has since vanished from public life. Guo was named vice-chairman of the Guangdong provincial committee of the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348206/china-puts-ma-xingrui-protege-guo-yonghang-under-investigation-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348206/china-puts-ma-xingrui-protege-guo-yonghang-under-investigation-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang As one of the biggest targets of wartime looting in centuries past, China is now positioning itself as a global pioneer in repatriating lost cultural artefacts. In this article, the first in a two-part series, Xinlu Liang looks at whether a stolen 1,300-year-old Chinese stone now housed in Japan’s Imperial Palace can become a test case for a reckoning over wartime plunder. In 1945, following Japan’s surrender to the Allies, supreme commander General Douglas MacArthur ordered the country to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348164/why-chinas-demand-japan-return-ancient-tablet-could-mark-historical-reckoning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348164/why-chinas-demand-japan-return-ancient-tablet-could-mark-historical-reckoning?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:00:29 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China’s leadership has passed new rules on the work carried out by local committees of the ruling Communist Party and called for upholding a “correct view” of political performance. The party’s 24-member Politburo met in Beijing on Friday to review the latest regulations for local party committees, part of its push to align regional governance with the central leadership’s strategic priorities. Chaired by President Xi Jinping, the meeting laid bare a dual mandate for local officials: absolute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348184/what-do-chinas-new-correct-view-rules-local-communist-party-officials-mean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348184/what-do-chinas-new-correct-view-rules-local-communist-party-officials-mean?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:30:23 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A senior Chinese financial regulator and former graft fighter has been placed under investigation for corruption, officials announced on Tuesday, marking one of the highest-profile purges among China’s financial regulatory apparatus in recent years. Zhou Liang, vice-chairman of the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption, bribery and abuse of power, according to an announcement by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347731/senior-chinese-financial-regulator-and-ex-graft-fighter-zhou-liang-under-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347731/senior-chinese-financial-regulator-and-ex-graft-fighter-zhou-liang-under-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:58:44 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A White House photo of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appearing to break into a dance at an official function ignited a wave of mockery across Chinese social media on the weekend, with commenters framing her as Washington’s biggest cheerleader. The photograph, the first in an official White House gallery from her summit with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, captures Takaichi in a moment of unbridled exuberance during a welcome reception. Making her first trip to Washington since... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347471/trumps-biggest-cheerleader-why-japans-takaichi-making-waves-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347471/trumps-biggest-cheerleader-why-japans-takaichi-making-waves-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has passed a new law on ethnic unity, creating a legal framework that analysts say is designed to counter Western ideological influence and provide a statutory mandate for assimilating the country’s minority groups. The Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress was formally endorsed by the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, at the end of the annual “two sessions” on Thursday. The law was adopted by a near-unanimous vote of 2,756 in favour, with just three against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346348/china-codifies-ethnic-assimilation-new-unity-law-it-counters-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346348/china-codifies-ethnic-assimilation-new-unity-law-it-counters-west?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:04:06 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China should bring in judges from overseas and expand arbitration pilot programmes to extend the international reach of its legal system, according to a former senior justice official. Xiong Xuanguo, who was vice-minister of justice from 2016 to 2023, said China’s legal system was not integrated with others around the world, making it difficult for the country to enforce its court judgments abroad. To tackle the problem, China should train its arbitrators to meet global standards and also hire... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346003/could-foreign-judges-give-chinas-legal-system-expertise-go-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346003/could-foreign-judges-give-chinas-legal-system-expertise-go-global?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese military academics have stepped up calls to overhaul defence language training, arguing that linguistic proficiency has become as critical as firepower in modern warfare – a lesson starkly underscored by the Ukraine war. Among them is Lu Danyun, a professor at the military-affiliated National University of Defence Technology and a representative on China’s top lawmaking body, the National People’s Congress. In a report published in the official People’s Liberation Army (PLA) newspaper,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345144/language-weapon-pla-academics-push-training-overhaul-cite-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345144/language-weapon-pla-academics-push-training-overhaul-cite-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The United States has appointed a new official to oversee its policy on Tibet, a move analysts say signals Washington’s interest in playing up the issue while dealing with Beijing. The appointment is set against US President Donald Trump’s cuts to foreign aid and global advocacy, as well as a strategic detente with Beijing. On February 17, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Riley Barnes, the assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labour, would assume the role of US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345029/us-names-official-tibet-policy-it-eyeing-china-its-minority-groups-or-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345029/us-names-official-tibet-policy-it-eyeing-china-its-minority-groups-or-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:01:42 +0000 Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Xinlu Liang Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Xinlu Liang Beijing and Washington should expand cooperation and reduce their disputes, China’s foreign minister told his US counterpart on Friday, with preparations under way for a summit in the Chinese capital in April. “Dialogue is better than confrontation, cooperation better than conflict, and win-win better than zero-sum,” Wang Yi said to Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Both countries should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343523/china-us-top-diplomats-wang-yi-marco-rubio-meet-munich?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343523/china-us-top-diplomats-wang-yi-marco-rubio-meet-munich?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:46:04 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese authorities say their investigation of a high-profile scandal at one of the country’s leading state-run museums has revealed systemic mismanagement and alleged corruption over decades that allowed national treasures to be funnelled into the private art market. The scandal broke in late December when reports alleged that Nanjing Museum in eastern Jiangsu province had secretly sold donated paintings, prompting an investigation that focused on a former director accused of mishandling the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343035/chinese-probe-nanjing-museum-scandal-alleges-historic-mismanagement-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343035/chinese-probe-nanjing-museum-scandal-alleges-historic-mismanagement-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Wang Huning, mainland China’s top official on Taiwan affairs, told the vice-chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT), the island’s main opposition party, that Beijing sought to promote cross-strait exchanges and peace. KMT vice-chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen was received by Wang, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Beijing’s No 4 official, and Song Tao, head of the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. According to official... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342389/wang-huning-urges-cross-strait-peace-and-exchanges-talks-taiwans-kmt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342389/wang-huning-urges-cross-strait-peace-and-exchanges-talks-taiwans-kmt?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:41:37 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The sudden and catastrophic collapse at a major bridge construction site in China’s eastern Jiangsu province has left five workers dead, after the bodies of three missing people were recovered on Tuesday morning. At 5.46pm on Monday, a significant section of the under-construction Yuegang Bridge collapsed in Yancheng City’s Xiangshui County when the main span – measuring 95 metres (312 feet) – of the unfinished bridge suddenly gave way. Two people pulled from the wreckage with severe injuries... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342177/unfinished-bridge-collapses-eastern-china-leaving-2-dead-and-others-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342177/unfinished-bridge-collapses-eastern-china-leaving-2-dead-and-others-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:08:54 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A Chinese court has executed 11 people, including several citizens of Myanmar, linked to a notorious telecoms fraud group based in the Southeast Asian country for crimes including fraud, drug trafficking and murder. The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in eastern Zhejiang province carried out the executions of people who formed the core leadership of the Ming family crime syndicate and associated telecoms fraud groups, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. According to China’s Supreme... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341710/china-executes-11-core-members-myanmar-based-telecoms-fraud-ring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341710/china-executes-11-core-members-myanmar-based-telecoms-fraud-ring?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:17 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Former top Chinese intelligence official Gao Yichen has been expelled from the Communist Party for corruption after being accused of receiving bribes and interfering with judicial matters. Gao, 75, former vice-minister of the Ministry of State Security, was found to have “seriously violated party discipline”, according to an official announcement by top anti-corruption watchdog Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Tuesday. He also served as deputy director of the party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340540/china-expels-former-intelligence-official-gao-yichen-communist-party-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340540/china-expels-former-intelligence-official-gao-yichen-communist-party-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:44:23 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago. The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage. Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340263/chinese-japanese-groups-issue-joint-call-japan-return-tang-dynasty-stele?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340263/chinese-japanese-groups-issue-joint-call-japan-return-tang-dynasty-stele?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese President Xi Jinping has refocused national anti-corruption efforts on illegal villas and “private resorts”, luxury developments that have come to symbolise excess and graft over the past two decades. According to newly released excerpts of a speech, Xi singled out the developments for special mention at the central urban work conference in July, highlighting them as examples of the need to improve governance, combat corruption and promote sustainable urban development. “[Officials must]... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340163/why-chinas-xi-jinping-putting-political-heat-back-illegal-villas-and-resorts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340163/why-chinas-xi-jinping-putting-political-heat-back-illegal-villas-and-resorts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:18:07 +0000 Xinlu Liang,Yuanyue Dang Xinlu Liang,Yuanyue Dang China’s anti-corruption watchdog has detailed how disgraced former banker and Communist Party chief of Hubei province Jiang Chaoliang received bribes for favours, ultimately landing himself and his brothers under investigation. The revelations came in an episode of a CCTV documentary series that aired on Tuesday night during the fifth plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). Held at the beginning of each year, the session aims to sum up the achievements of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339899/chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog-reveals-how-former-banker-fell-bribery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339899/chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog-reveals-how-former-banker-fell-bribery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:08:22 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China’s top counter-espionage agency has warned that overseas entities are attempting to steal the country’s geographic data through covert mapping operations that threaten national security. Foreign “anti-China hostile forces” have been deploying “various clandestine methods” to gather, steal and exploit China’s foundational mapping and geographic information, the Ministry of State Security said in a social media article on Tuesday. It said the data, crucial for infrastructure planning,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339780/china-warns-covert-mapping-foreign-forces-steal-sensitive-geodata?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339780/china-warns-covert-mapping-foreign-forces-steal-sensitive-geodata?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China said on Friday it would continue to offer its firm support to Venezuela after its ambassador met the country’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez. She described her meeting with Chinese ambassador Lan Hu as “cordial” and thanked Beijing for its condemnation of the abduction of former leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. “We value China’s firm and consistent stance in strongly condemning the serious violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty,” Rodriguez... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339375/china-says-it-still-deeply-committed-venezuela-ambassador-meets-new-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339375/china-says-it-still-deeply-committed-venezuela-ambassador-meets-new-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:30:24 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has criticised the US seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker on the high seas, describing it as a serious breach of international law. US European Command announced via social media that it had seized the tanker in the North Atlantic on Wednesday due to “violations of US sanctions” on Venezuela. It was swiftly followed by the seizure of a second vessel in the Caribbean. The first ship, formerly the Bella 1, was followed across the Atlantic for two weeks after it tried to evade a US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339213/china-says-us-seizure-russian-flagged-oil-tanker-severely-violated-international-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339213/china-says-us-seizure-russian-flagged-oil-tanker-severely-violated-international-law?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:46:04 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has denounced the United States for its “blatant interference” in Venezuela, accusing it of violating international law and infringing upon the country’s sovereignty following Donald Trump’s statement that America would take its oil. On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning described the US’ actions in the South American country as breaching international norms. “Venezuela is a sovereign state and has full permanent sovereignty over all its natural resources and economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339083/china-blasts-us-blatant-interference-after-donald-trump-claims-venezuelas-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339083/china-blasts-us-blatant-interference-after-donald-trump-claims-venezuelas-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:14:39 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China remained committed to its energy partnership with Venezuela and stressed that the cooperation between the two countries was protected by international law, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Following this weekend’s raid that saw President Nicolas Maduro captured and taken to the United States, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian was asked whether the country, the largest customer for Venezuelan oil, would continue the imports. He did not answer directly, but said:... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338798/china-says-it-still-committed-ties-venezuela-and-energy-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338798/china-says-it-still-committed-ties-venezuela-and-energy-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:00:22 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Police in multiple Chinese cities have issued pre-emptive notices stating that no official New Year’s Eve countdowns will be held at popular landmarks, as they prioritise public safety and order ahead of the holiday. This coordinated messaging, consistent with recent years, emerged through a flurry of police notices issued on Tuesday and Wednesday. It reflects a cautious strategy by authorities to prevent a recurrence of tragedies like the 2014 Shanghai stampede. Authorities in major Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338297/multiple-chinese-cities-curb-public-new-years-eve-countdowns-police-stress-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338297/multiple-chinese-cities-curb-public-new-years-eve-countdowns-police-stress-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:34:33 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has unveiled new legislation to promote ethnic unity and the use of standard Chinese, warning of legal penalties for those who obstruct the use of the national language and linking its approach with national security policy. A draft Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress underwent its second review by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s top legislative body, last week and will be open for public consultation until January 25. Meanwhile, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338136/china-unveils-new-ethnic-unity-and-language-laws-national-security-perspective?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338136/china-unveils-new-ethnic-unity-and-language-laws-national-security-perspective?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang On August 6 last year, atomic bomb survivors held their annual commemorative lantern-floating ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan. Two months later, their group, Nihon Hidankyo, won the Nobel Peace Prize for decades of campaigning against nuclear weapons. Fifteen years earlier, in Chongshan village in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, Wang Jinti took his last breath. Wang died in near-total obscurity, never having received an apology or compensation for the suffering he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337900/why-chinese-victims-unit-731-and-japans-wwii-bio-warfare-are-still-waiting-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337900/why-chinese-victims-unit-731-and-japans-wwii-bio-warfare-are-still-waiting-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The world’s longest expressway tunnel has opened to traffic in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, capping five years of construction on a project designed to increase China’s links with Central Asia. The 22.13km (13.75-mile) Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the centrepiece of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, officially opened on Friday, creating a 20-minute drive through the Tianshan Mountains that divide northern and southern Xinjiang. The tunnel halves the travel time between the regional capital Urumqi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337815/chinas-mega-expressway-tunnel-opens-xinjiang-halves-north-south-travel-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337815/chinas-mega-expressway-tunnel-opens-xinjiang-halves-north-south-travel-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:11 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has cut short his planned visit to a joint forum in Shanghai to better focus on security concerns following a deadly stabbing incident in the Taiwanese city last week. Chiang was originally scheduled to attend the Shanghai-Taipei City Forum over Saturday and Sunday. He will now only fly over for the main forum on Sunday morning before returning to Taipei to oversee heightened security operations, according to a press release from the municipal government on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337640/taipei-mayor-cuts-shanghai-visit-short-oversee-security-following-deadly-stabbing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337640/taipei-mayor-cuts-shanghai-visit-short-oversee-security-following-deadly-stabbing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese authorities are investigating reports that cultural treasures from a leading state-run museum were secretly sold on the market by museum staff in an alleged scam that has been described as making the Louvre thieves look “dumb”. The scandal first came to light when a 16th-century painting that had been donated by the family of an art collector appeared for auction earlier this year. A former director of the museum has since come under scrutiny after a former underling claimed that he had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337533/china-probes-museum-art-theft-claims-make-louvre-thieves-look-dumb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337533/china-probes-museum-art-theft-claims-make-louvre-thieves-look-dumb?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:28:32 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China’s official military newspaper has accused Japan of distorting the record of its wartime aggression, denouncing the island nation’s lack of “respect for history” and warning that such actions risk repeating past tragedies. In a commentary on Monday, the PLA Daily said Japanese right-wing forces were systematically whitewashing the country’s wartime atrocities as the international community was commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the global victory against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337336/chinas-military-newspaper-pla-daily-accuses-japan-showing-no-respect-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337336/chinas-military-newspaper-pla-daily-accuses-japan-showing-no-respect-history?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 09:01:24 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang In October, as Simon Li finished speaking at an international conference about embracing technological innovation in education, several Chinese history educators approached him with a potent, pressing question: could a virtual reality (VR) project about the 1937 Nanking massacre become the next pedagogical frontier? Li, executive director of the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre, recalled it as an electrifying moment. “They were genuinely energised, saying that such a programme could help... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336345/virtual-reality-and-nanking-massacre-where-does-historical-immersion-become-trauma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336345/virtual-reality-and-nanking-massacre-where-does-historical-immersion-become-trauma?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 02:00:15 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang When Elyn MacInnis first moved to Nanjing in the late 1980s, she was greeted by a wholly unexpected connection. Local elderly residents would look at the American newcomer, pause and tell her she resembled Minnie Vautrin: a middle-aged woman with round glasses and centre-parted hair often pinned up. MacInnis, who goes by the Chinese name Mu Yanling, knew the name only vaguely then. Vautrin was an American missionary who led Jinling Women’s College during the Nanking massacre, in the city now... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336246/how-american-familys-wartime-bond-china-bringing-countries-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336246/how-american-familys-wartime-bond-china-bringing-countries-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang They promise consistency, cost savings and the speed demanded by modern life. But in a culture that reveres freshness and the wok hei benchmark for Chinese dishes, the rapid rise of industrially processed pre-made meals has stirred a heated debate – and simmering anger. The recent public outcry has been driven not by food safety fears, but by a perceived lack of transparency. Diners at restaurants are increasingly incensed about paying premium prices for reheated factory packets served without... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3334532/plate-expectations-why-chinas-pre-made-meal-boom-hard-swallow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3334532/plate-expectations-why-chinas-pre-made-meal-boom-hard-swallow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 06:00:16 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A district in China’s northern city of Tianjin, the site of one of the country’s worst industrial disasters a decade ago, has launched a comprehensive fire hazard inspection campaign. The drive by the Binhai New Area district comes days after a catastrophic high-rise blaze in Hong Kong claimed more than 120 lives. District officials attending a fire safety meeting on Saturday were shown footage and a preliminary report from the blaze in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, which took firefighters more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334667/blast-scarred-district-tianjin-takes-profound-lessons-deadly-hong-kong-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334667/blast-scarred-district-tianjin-takes-profound-lessons-deadly-hong-kong-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 09:03:25 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A highly anticipated animated crossover between a Chinese mythological hero and American pop culture icons will debut early next month, marking a significant collaborative release as bilateral tensions continue to ease. Many see My Ne Zha and Transformers – a 52-episode co-production between China’s CCTV Animation and US toy giant Hasbro – as the latest sign of stabilising relations amid soft-power diplomacy. The series features the popular boy deity joining forces with the Autobots in a rare... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333944/ne-zha-meets-autobots-us-china-animation-set-debut-diplomatic-frictions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333944/ne-zha-meets-autobots-us-china-animation-set-debut-diplomatic-frictions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 12:15:14 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has loosened its civil service medical rules so that sufferers from three chronic diseases will no longer be barred, a move hailed by campaigners and legal groups as a landmark in the fight against unfair employment practices. The updated rules were issued on November 14 by the General Office of the Central Committee’s Organisation Department, which oversees the recruitment process, and the National Health Commission. Amid a tough job market in China, many qualified candidates for civil... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3333814/china-overhauls-unfair-rules-excluded-chronic-disease-carriers-civil-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3333814/china-overhauls-unfair-rules-excluded-chronic-disease-carriers-civil-service?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 02:00:17 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China has offered its condolences on the passing of Tomiichi Murayama, a former Japanese prime minister who gave a landmark statement expressing “deep remorse” at the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Murayama, who led Japan from June 1994 to January 1996, died on Friday at the age of 101. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Friday conveyed “deep condolences” and “sincere sympathies” to Murayama’s family. “Mr Murayama was China’s old friend,” Lin said. “He will always be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329460/china-hails-ex-japanese-pm-tomiichi-murayama-who-stated-deep-remorse-over-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329460/china-hails-ex-japanese-pm-tomiichi-murayama-who-stated-deep-remorse-over-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 12:49:31 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China’s top political advisory body has brought new attention to President Xi Jinping’s ideas on balancing diversity and unity ahead of a key conclave of the Communist Party. It also threw punches at Western-style multiparty political systems, championing the consultation mechanism led by the ruling party in China. “The united front is a combination of unity and diversity,” the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) wrote in an article published in the party mouthpiece... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329288/top-advisory-body-revives-xis-ideas-diversity-and-unity-ahead-fourth-plenum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329288/top-advisory-body-revives-xis-ideas-diversity-and-unity-ahead-fourth-plenum?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 13:20:29 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Several officials in China’s Tibet autonomous region have been punished after being held responsible for a controversial fireworks show at the foot of the Himalayas, an ecologically fragile region. Outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx worked with Chinese artist Cai Guo-qiang to set off the fireworks as part of a publicity stunt last month. The controversial show triggered widespread debate over environmental preservation and government oversight, leading to an official investigation. According to an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329149/heads-roll-china-over-fireworks-publicity-stunt-ecologically-fragile-tibet-plateau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3329149/heads-roll-china-over-fireworks-publicity-stunt-ecologically-fragile-tibet-plateau?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:00:49 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang More than a hundred government employees in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan have been caught illegally claiming benefits for the unemployed. In a rare report on grass-roots corruption, the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said on Friday that 119 officials under the supervision of the city of Shifang, which is about 50km (30 miles) from the provincial capital Chengdu, were found to have been collecting welfare payments while receiving public salaries. The scam had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328523/over-100-chinese-village-officials-caught-making-illegal-jobless-benefit-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328523/over-100-chinese-village-officials-caught-making-illegal-jobless-benefit-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang On October 10, 1925, the Forbidden City in Beijing became the Palace Museum. The massive complex of ancient imperial palaces that was home to the royalty of the Ming and Qing dynasties for centuries became a museum for the people. Today, there are four Palace Museums: the original in Beijing, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, with a Southern branch in Chiayi which opened in 2015, and the Hong Kong Palace Museum which opened in 2022. In this series, we explore the stories behind the centenary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328262/how-wartime-trek-chinas-palace-museum-treasures-binds-national-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328262/how-wartime-trek-chinas-palace-museum-treasures-binds-national-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Martin Powers, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, is a renowned art historian and sinologist specialising in the history of social justice in China. He is the author of four books (including two that won the Levenson Prize for best book in premodern Chinese studies) and numerous articles. His recent work, China and England: The Preindustrial Struggle for Justice in Word and Image, explores visual and verbal evidence of the English Enlightenment response to imperial China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327910/how-imperial-chinas-political-ideas-inform-todays-western-societies-martin-powers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327910/how-imperial-chinas-political-ideas-inform-todays-western-societies-martin-powers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 22:00:17 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Martin Powers, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, is a renowned art historian and sinologist specialising in the history of social justice in China. He is the author of four books (including two that won the Levenson Prize for best book in premodern Chinese studies) and numerous articles. His recent work, China and England: The Preindustrial Struggle for Justice in Word and Image, explores visual and verbal evidence of the English Enlightenment response to imperial China’s... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3327608/martin-powers-imperial-chinas-influence-over-western-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3327608/martin-powers-imperial-chinas-influence-over-western-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:15:15 +0000