https://www.scmp.com/rss/511495/feed Meredith Chen joined the Post in 2023 and covers China politics and diplomacy. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Hong Kong. Previously, she had stints with both international and Chinese-language media outlets, focusing on affairs in Asia. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A hybrid propulsion system designed to make small battlefield drones stealthier and go further has passed its flight tests, according to Chinese state media. The system’s motor is driven by fuel-powered electricity, combining two systems to make the best of both, according to a report on Friday on CCTV-7, China’s military television channel. Drone propulsion has largely followed two distinct paths. Fuel-powered systems are typically used in bigger uncrewed aircraft, offering strong performance... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348309/quieter-stealthier-further-new-hybrid-unit-power-chinas-small-battle-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348309/quieter-stealthier-further-new-hybrid-unit-power-chinas-small-battle-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen US President Donald Trump’s war on Iran has not only exposed White House decision-making flaws but also “clear cracks” within the Republican Party and his political base, observers in China say, warning of the risks posed to the party’s midterm prospects. As the US-Israel war with Iran enters its fifth week, mixed signals from Trump and his administration continue to trigger questions about the trajectory of Operation Epic Fury and the exit strategy. Trump has repeatedly claimed victory, most... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348205/trumps-iran-war-could-republican-rift-and-maga-discontent-doom-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348205/trumps-iran-war-could-republican-rift-and-maga-discontent-doom-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing-based high-school teacher Jiang Xueqin may not seem like an obvious candidate for a geopolitical “prophet”. Dressed casually in a polo shirt, the greying Chinese-Canadian looks unassuming. But through his hugely popular Predictive History YouTube channel, Jiang has become known as “China’s Nostradamus”, gaining a following for his outlook on world affairs. While most of his fans are outside China, his lectures and interviews have been translated and uploaded on Chinese social media... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348289/jiang-xueqin-viral-prophet-predicting-worlds-fate-beijing-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348289/jiang-xueqin-viral-prophet-predicting-worlds-fate-beijing-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen An AI-generated animation by China’s state broadcaster satirising the US-Israel war on Iran has gone viral, triggering a wave of user-made sequels online. First posted by CCTV on Wednesday, the wuxia-style allegory centres on a war between the “White Eagle” and the “Persian Cat” – clearly representing the US and Iran. Though it does not explicitly mention the war, the animated short closely mirrors the conflict, which started on February 28, when the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347626/white-eagles-and-persian-cats-chinese-ai-satire-us-war-iran-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347626/white-eagles-and-persian-cats-chinese-ai-satire-us-war-iran-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:34:48 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China will enact a law to combat cross-border corruption this year, according to the top legislature’s work report released on Monday – a move aimed at preventing corruption by companies overseas, which some experts said could shield them from foreign “long-arm jurisdiction”. The work report, submitted by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee to the fourth session of the 14th NPC for deliberation, provided no details or specific timeline for the legislation. The law is expected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346010/china-eyes-cross-border-corruption-law-will-it-blunt-long-arm-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346010/china-eyes-cross-border-corruption-law-will-it-blunt-long-arm-west?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:30:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Despite US-led sanctions, Xinjiang’s textile industry expanded last year to create tens of thousands of jobs, a senior official said, pledging stronger support for companies affected by the restrictions. Wang Kuiran, secretary general of the far western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region government, said yarn output rose more than 20 per cent in 2025. According to Wang, fabric production increased 36 per cent year on year and the sector – a key target of Western sanctions – created 46,800 new jobs... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345813/46800-jobs-xinjiang-official-says-textile-industry-growing-despite-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345813/46800-jobs-xinjiang-official-says-textile-industry-growing-despite-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:42:23 +0000 Holly Chik,Jane Cai,Shi Jiangtao,Meredith Chen,Amber Wang Holly Chik,Jane Cai,Shi Jiangtao,Meredith Chen,Amber Wang This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The US-Israel joint military campaign against Iran, now on day 3, has widened rapidly, with Iranian retaliatory missile and drone waves hitting Israel, American bases and Gulf states. Casualties include at least 555 people in Iran, four US service members killed, at least nine Israeli civilians dead, three in the United Arab Emirates and dozens in Lebanon.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345089/iran-strikes-day-3-markets-open-sharp-sell-futures-and-asian-shares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345089/iran-strikes-day-3-markets-open-sharp-sell-futures-and-asian-shares?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:39:58 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s top court has hailed a mediated resolution to an international shipbuilding dispute as a landmark example of the country’s anti-sanctions law working to protect domestic industry. In a social media post on Friday, the Supreme People’s Court said the case was a milestone in China’s legal response to foreign “bullying” and “long-arm jurisdiction”. “Its ruling’s principles demonstrate China’s firm commitment to safeguarding the multilateral trading system and offer judicial insight towards... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344885/maritime-court-case-model-chinas-anti-sanctions-law-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344885/maritime-court-case-model-chinas-anti-sanctions-law-action?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Chinese AI tools have come under fire for allowing deepfake images that critics say are a form of “digital public shaming” targeting women. Free Nora, a grass-roots feminist media collective in China, reported last week that many internet users had been exploiting the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Doubao to generate non-consensual pornographic images of real women. “In the shadowy corners of social media, a large-scale ‘digital public shaming’ campaign targeting ordinary women has quietly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344740/digital-public-shaming-chinese-ai-tools-under-fire-pornographic-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344740/digital-public-shaming-chinese-ai-tools-under-fire-pornographic-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:00:57 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Abraham Newman is an American political scientist and a professor in the School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University. His research focuses on the ways in which economic interdependence and globalisation have transformed international politics. Along with Henry Farrell, he is co-author of the book Underground Empire: How America Weaponised the World Economy, published in 2023. In this interview, he discusses how the concept of weaponised interdependence has... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3344287/how-can-world-resist-us-china-economic-coercion-abraham-newman-explains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3344287/how-can-world-resist-us-china-economic-coercion-abraham-newman-explains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 03:24:58 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Abraham Newman is an American political scientist and a professor in the School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University. His research focuses on the ways in which economic interdependence and globalisation have transformed international politics. Along with Henry Farrell, he is co-author of the book Underground Empire: How America Weaponised the World Economy, published in 2023. In this interview, he discusses how the concept of weaponised interdependence has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344243/trumps-neo-royalist-world-order-and-weaponised-interdependence-abraham-newman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344243/trumps-neo-royalist-world-order-and-weaponised-interdependence-abraham-newman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Relatives, colleagues and residents gathered in a county in central China on the weekend to pay tribute to six firefighters who died after putting out a blaze during the Chinese New Year holidays. The firefighters were killed on Thursday afternoon when their truck ran off a cliff in Xinhua county, Hunan province, as they were returning from extinguishing a house fire in the hills. A seventh firefighter in the truck was injured and transferred to a hospital in the capital city of Changsha that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344251/tributes-paid-6-firefighters-killed-central-china-after-truck-veers-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344251/tributes-paid-6-firefighters-killed-central-china-after-truck-veers-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen For overseas researchers, policymakers, businesses and casual users alike, access to China’s public information is quietly shrinking as a growing number of official websites go dark outside the country, a new study has found. The contraction is far from marginal. A number of Chinese government websites were inaccessible from outside the country, the findings showed, indicating the emergence of a “reverse Great Firewall”. This suggests a deliberate effort by Beijing to prevent foreign data mining... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344100/chinas-reverse-great-firewall-quietly-blocking-global-access-official-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344100/chinas-reverse-great-firewall-quietly-blocking-global-access-official-data?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim Seong Hyeon Choi,Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi highlighted what she called Chinese “coercion” as she delivered her first parliamentary speech since her party’s landslide victory about two weeks ago, while also calling for continued communication with Beijing. Analysts say this indicates Tokyo will prioritise its ties with Washington but also attempt to maintain pragmatic engagement with Beijing as a strategic hedge. Takaichi said on Friday that Beijing’s growing “coercion” was driving the island nation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344178/japans-takaichi-targets-chinese-coercion-us-ties-first-speech-after-landslide-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344178/japans-takaichi-targets-chinese-coercion-us-ties-first-speech-after-landslide-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:51 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Two Chinese investigative journalists detained in Sichuan province earlier this month after accusing a local Communist Party official of corruption have been released on bail pending further investigation. Liu Hu, 50, a veteran Chinese investigative reporter, and his colleague, Wu Yingjiao, 34, were taken into custody on suspicion of “making false accusations” and conducting “illegal business operations”, police in Chengdu’s Jinjiang district said on February 2. In an article posted last month... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343751/chinese-journalists-who-accused-communist-party-official-corruption-released-bail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343751/chinese-journalists-who-accused-communist-party-official-corruption-released-bail?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:30:09 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Artificial intelligence (AI) is a battleground for the United States and China, but it can also be an area for dialogue and cooperation on regulation and global governance, according to researchers in Hong Kong and Singapore. The team highlighted “policy convergence” on AI at the local level and challenged the “conventional and stereotypical” expectations of policy models in China and the United States that mainly focused on divergence. “Despite fierce competition between the two AI superpowers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343497/how-policy-convergence-could-pave-way-us-china-cooperation-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343497/how-policy-convergence-could-pave-way-us-china-cooperation-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Drinking hot water, eating warm congee and dressing in red to pray for good luck are daily rituals shared by social media users across the globe who have embraced a new lifestyle trend, declaring: “You met me at a very Chinese time in my life.” The phrase has been popularised over the past year by influencers on TikTok and Instagram who post themselves performing stereotypically Chinese activities. The trend reflects a positive shift in how China, or “Chineseness”, is perceived globally. This... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342819/very-chinese-time-how-memes-are-paving-way-soft-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342819/very-chinese-time-how-memes-are-paving-way-soft-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343286/family-reunion-case-china-reveals-troubling-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343286/family-reunion-case-china-reveals-troubling-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A proposal to build a Boston campus of Tsinghua University, China’s most prestigious tertiary institution, with the help of Harvard University faculty was unexpectedly revealed in Friday’s release of emails related to Jeffrey Epstein. The plan eventually fell through and has little chance of revival as the US and China engage in a heated science and technology rivalry. Tsinghua is now a bastion of China’s efforts to break US tech sanctions and controls. But the proposal offers a glimpse at how... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342420/epstein-files-reveal-proposal-tsinghua-university-campus-boston?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342420/epstein-files-reveal-proposal-tsinghua-university-campus-boston?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:17:18 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen It started out as a family reunion story but soon took a darker turn. A 45-year-old woman, identified only by her surname Bu, had lost contact with her family for more than a decade. She was found in late 2024 in a rural area in Heshun county in the central Chinese province of Shanxi, more than 100km (62 miles) from her home. Bu had an advanced university education but she also had a history of mental illness, and the discovery that she had given birth to several children with a villager raised... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341989/china-family-becoming-legal-shield-rape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341989/china-family-becoming-legal-shield-rape?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 07:59:11 +0000 Meredith Chen,William Zheng Meredith Chen,William Zheng A former Communist Party chief of the resource-rich Inner Mongolia autonomous region, who was also China’s first veterans affairs minister, is under investigation amid the country’s continuing anti-corruption campaign. Sun Shaocheng, 65, is being investigated by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption, the top disciplinary body said on Thursday. Sun serves as vice-chairman of the Social Development... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341764/former-inner-mongolia-party-chief-veterans-minister-investigated-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341764/former-inner-mongolia-party-chief-veterans-minister-investigated-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s leadership has paid tribute to Liao Xilong, praising the late general for his loyalty to the Communist Party and military service. Liao, 85, who was in charge of overhauling military logistics, died on January 23, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday, the day of his funeral. “[Liao was] a time-tested and loyal communist warrior, an outstanding military commander, and an exemplary leader in advancing the comprehensive modernisation of military logistics,” the report said. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341735/communist-warrior-chinas-leaders-pay-tribute-late-general-liao-xilong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341735/communist-warrior-chinas-leaders-pay-tribute-late-general-liao-xilong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:00:22 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun urged closer strategic coordination between Beijing and Moscow and bolstering joint capacity to respond to risks and challenges in a video call with his Russian counterpart on Tuesday. Dong told Andrei Belousov that Beijing was willing to “enrich the substance of cooperation, improve communication and exchange mechanisms, jointly enhance the ability to respond to various risks and challenges and work hand in hand to inject positive energy into global security... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341451/china-and-russia-bolster-defence-ties-counter-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341451/china-and-russia-bolster-defence-ties-counter-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:13:55 +0000 Orange Wang,Meredith Chen Orange Wang,Meredith Chen When US President Donald Trump gave his blessing to sales of Nvidia’s powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, he sparked a national security backlash in both countries. Rather than seeing it as an olive branch, many Chinese commenters interpreted the move as a sophisticated Trojan horse-style trap that aimed to make Beijing dependent on American technologies in advanced semiconductors and other chokepoint sectors. Trump’s green light for the H200 – a template that he said would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339866/does-trumps-nvidia-chip-flip-reveal-anxieties-both-sides-china-us-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339866/does-trumps-nvidia-chip-flip-reveal-anxieties-both-sides-china-us-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing should exercise “strategic patience” in managing its maritime disputes, with provocations to be expected from the Philippines in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea, according to a leading Chinese analyst. Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), delivered his message in an article published this month in the latest issue of defence journal Modern Ship. There have been continuous tensions between Beijing and its uneasy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339734/strategic-patience-key-beijing-south-china-sea-and-other-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339734/strategic-patience-key-beijing-south-china-sea-and-other-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang,Jane Cai,Meredith Chen Orange Wang,Jane Cai,Meredith Chen Zheng Yongnian is a leading Chinese political scientist and government adviser, with a focus on the country’s transformation and foreign relations. In his third interview for the Open Questions series, Zheng discusses the “Donroe Doctrine” and its implications for the existing world order – and an emerging one. For other interviews in the series, click here. On Venezuela, you have noted that the US pivot to Latin America could reshape the regional order and that Donald Trump’s warnings to other... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339480/zheng-yongnian-trump-venezuela-and-why-china-doesnt-want-separate-kitchen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339480/zheng-yongnian-trump-venezuela-and-why-china-doesnt-want-separate-kitchen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:00:31 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen US President Donald Trump has revived his ambition to take control of Greenland, whether by buying it or through military action, arguing that it would be in the interests of his nation’s security. Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of US Nato ally Denmark and the idea of buying it was widely dismissed as absurd when Trump first suggested it in 2019. This time, in the aftermath of the weekend abduction of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, the proposition sent shock waves across Europe and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339339/greenland-greenland-greenland-why-trump-so-fixed-us-having-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339339/greenland-greenland-greenland-why-trump-so-fixed-us-having-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:12:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen BBC journalists have reportedly been instructed not to describe America’s abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as a “kidnapping”, according to a British newspaper columnist. The editorial instruction was unveiled on Monday by Owen Jones, a commentator with more than a million followers on social media. Jones said a memo from BBC management had been passed to him. According to an image Jones uploaded with his post, the guidelines told BBC journalists to use “captured” when referring to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338946/bbc-journalists-reportedly-told-avoid-saying-us-kidnapped-venezuelan-leader-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338946/bbc-journalists-reportedly-told-avoid-saying-us-kidnapped-venezuelan-leader-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 11:12:32 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Ahead of his state visit to China, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that while security cooperation with the US was an “unavoidable reality” for Seoul, its relations with Beijing should not move towards confrontation. In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday, Lee called for more frequent leader-level dialogues – at least annually – to explore mutually beneficial opportunities amid an increasingly complex global environment. His four-day trip to China, set to begin... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338605/conflict-china-wont-benefit-south-korea-lee-jae-myung-says-ahead-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338605/conflict-china-wont-benefit-south-korea-lee-jae-myung-says-ahead-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 07:01:34 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing will continue to push for peaceful reunification with Taiwan with the “utmost sincerity”, according to a new year’s message from a senior official delivered days after the People’s Liberation Army concluded large-scale drills around the island. Mainland China had strengthened its capacity to safeguard peace and security over the past year and would take more forceful action to oppose separatism and external interference this year, Song Tao, the head of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338545/beijing-pledges-utmost-sincerity-continue-push-reunite-peacefully-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338545/beijing-pledges-utmost-sincerity-continue-push-reunite-peacefully-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 11:21:07 +0000 Vanessa Cai,Meredith Chen Vanessa Cai,Meredith Chen Tensions over the Taiwan Strait are likely to persist in 2026, but analysts expect Washington and Beijing to manage risks to ensure that reciprocal state visits planned for the new year are not derailed. Beijing launched massive live-fire drills around Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday, less than a fortnight after Washington announced its largest-ever arms sale to the self-ruled island. The People’s Liberation Army said the drills served as a warning to “independence forces” and against external... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338384/can-beijing-and-washington-shield-their-planned-state-visits-taiwan-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338384/can-beijing-and-washington-shield-their-planned-state-visits-taiwan-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Chinese state media outlets have ramped up criticism of what they characterise as Japan’s growing “neo-militarism”, warning that Beijing has sufficient policy tools in reserve to respond should Tokyo endanger China’s core interests. People’s Daily, a mouthpiece for China’s ruling Communist Party, said that “neo-militarism” – the resurgence of Japanese militarism after the end of the second world war – had dealt a serious blow to bilateral relations and undermined regional peace and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337723/china-sharpens-criticism-japans-neo-militarism-signals-readiness-respond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337723/china-sharpens-criticism-japans-neo-militarism-signals-readiness-respond?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 10:00:25 +0000 Meredith Chen,Phoebe Zhang Meredith Chen,Phoebe Zhang A wave of online discussion blaming China’s last imperial dynasty for national historical sufferings has prompted official criticism after touching on sensitive questions, and ignited debate over historical narrative, nationalism and social governance. What began as a fringe literary interpretation of an 18th-century classical novel has evolved in recent weeks to become a viral internet topic, known as the “1644 historical perspective”. The main claim – which has exposed sharp divisions online –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337326/fringe-view-chinas-history-sparks-official-rebuke-after-going-viral-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337326/fringe-view-chinas-history-sparks-official-rebuke-after-going-viral-online?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:00:23 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China extended its support to Venezuela and opposed “unilateral bullying” in a foreign ministers’ phone call on Wednesday amid rising US pressure on the South American country. Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil that China and Venezuela were strategic partners and that mutual trust and support were a tradition of bilateral ties. In a veiled swipe at the US, Wang said “China opposes all forms of unilateral bullying and supports countries in safeguarding their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336879/china-fm-wang-yi-reaffirms-beijings-backing-venezuela-us-pressure-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336879/china-fm-wang-yi-reaffirms-beijings-backing-venezuela-us-pressure-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:00:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Mainland Chinese state media has called for the demolition of a wartime monument in Japan, rekindling a long-standing source of bilateral tension as Beijing and Tokyo remain locked in a diplomatic row over Taiwan. Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account run by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, said on Saturday that Japan seized more than 370 stones from the countries it invaded during the second world war – mostly from China – and used them to build Hakko Ichiu Tower, which the account described as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336660/tower-peace-or-sin-why-china-demands-japanese-wartime-monument-be-demolished?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336660/tower-peace-or-sin-why-china-demands-japanese-wartime-monument-be-demolished?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:00:19 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has set a deadline for local governments to settle outstanding payments owed to companies, calling it essential for improving the country’s business environment amid an economic slowdown. All arrears below 500,000 yuan (US$70,870) must be cleared by the end of the year, said Xiao Weiming, deputy secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner. “The biggest step in improving the business environment right now is clearing the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336395/china-orders-local-governments-settle-bills-companies-year-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336395/china-orders-local-governments-settle-bills-companies-year-end?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 11:49:59 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Mary Roettger was just one of millions of Americans seeking a social media life raft when she warily logged onto China’s RedNote platform for the first time in January. As fears loomed over a threatened US ban on TikTok, the Florida writer braced for a clumsy, spam-filled experience full of “negative people”. Instead, she was struck by a starkly different culture. Roettger was “blown away with the amount of tenderness and excitement” of the online community suddenly before her. “That was new,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335401/soft-power-hard-work-can-china-harness-social-media-apps-rewire-its-global-image?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335401/soft-power-hard-work-can-china-harness-social-media-apps-rewire-its-global-image?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 03:10:47 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen South Korea has designated Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” on its online registration form for arriving tourists, visitors from the island recently discovered. This comes as Beijing and Tokyo are locked in a diplomatic spat over the Japanese prime minister’s remarks on a hypothetical Taiwan contingency. Taiwan has protested the “unfriendly” designation, with its foreign ministry on Wednesday citing multiple reports from Taiwanese travelling to South Korea and urging that Seoul correct the “apparently... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335373/taipei-protests-after-south-korea-tourist-arrival-card-lists-taiwan-china-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335373/taipei-protests-after-south-korea-tourist-arrival-card-lists-taiwan-china-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:21:28 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing has condemned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, not only as a violation of the one-China principle but also as a challenge to the post-war international order. Takaichi suggested on November 7 that Tokyo could respond militarily to a potential attack on the island, making her the first sitting Japanese leader since World War II to publicly link a Taiwan contingency with the possible deployment of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces. Beijing regards Taiwan’s restoration... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335302/why-beijing-thinks-takaichis-taiwan-remarks-challenge-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335302/why-beijing-thinks-takaichis-taiwan-remarks-challenge-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:18:57 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A 7.5 billion yuan (US$1.06 billion) hydroelectric project in southeastern China is under investigation for alleged corner-cutting and legal violations, prompting concerns among experts about serious safety issues and a demand for answers from state media. The Yongan power station in Fujian province is a priority project under the national pumped-storage development goals of the five-year plan covering 2021 to 2025, aimed at safeguarding regional power stability and taking forward the green... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334780/scandal-hits-yongan-hydro-construction-project-china-media-demands-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334780/scandal-hits-yongan-hydro-construction-project-china-media-demands-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:57:10 +0000 Meredith Chen,Fan Chen Meredith Chen,Fan Chen Limiting AI use in military applications and ensuring global AI governance could ease collaboration and dialogue between China and the US as they vie for influence over the transformative technology, according to experts at a forum in Hong Kong on Monday. Their remarks came as artificial intelligence is being increasingly adopted in the defence sector, including for weapon-related functions. It raises serious ethical and accountability concerns, further elevates the US-China AI race to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333303/chinese-and-us-experts-agree-ai-use-defence-sector-must-be-restricted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333303/chinese-and-us-experts-agree-ai-use-defence-sector-must-be-restricted?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Fan Chen,Meredith Chen Fan Chen,Meredith Chen China’s ambassador to the United States has come to the defence of the country’s students and academics, saying they have been “smeared” as a threat to national security. “A few individuals in the United States have seen Chinese students, scholars, and friendly organisations … as national security threats through a biased lens and have tried every means to smear and obstruct them,” Xie Feng said in a video message to the US-China Hong Kong Forum. “People with vision in China and the US need to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333080/stop-stigmatising-chinese-students-and-researchers-ambassador-us-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333080/stop-stigmatising-chinese-students-and-researchers-ambassador-us-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:00:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s next-generation “drone-carrier” amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, completed its first sea trials on Sunday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV said. The three-day trial marks a major step forward for the People’s Liberation Army to take delivery of its first Type 076 amphibious assault carrier, seen as a key asset for China’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations. The trials, which began on Friday morning, aimed to test the reliability and stability of the supersized warship’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333001/chinas-076-amphibious-assault-ship-sichuan-completes-first-sea-trials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333001/chinas-076-amphibious-assault-ship-sichuan-completes-first-sea-trials?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 14:41:20 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Local authorities have formally approved the arrest of the former head of China’s famous Shaolin Temple, four months after he was placed under criminal investigation for alleged financial and sex scandals. Shi Yongxin’s arrest had been approved “on suspicion of embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, and accepting bribes as a non-state functionary”, the Xinxiang Procuratorate announced in a statement on Sunday. Xinxiang, in China’s central Henan province, is about two hours’ drive from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332977/disgraced-shaolin-temple-abbot-shi-yongxin-closer-prosecution-over-money-scandals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332977/disgraced-shaolin-temple-abbot-shi-yongxin-closer-prosecution-over-money-scandals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 09:02:48 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Supporters erupted in joy last week as Zohran Mamdani won a commanding victory in the New York mayoral race, becoming the first Muslim elected to lead the US financial capital. The young politician’s complex identity as an African-born person of South Asian heritage, his political positions and the broader implications of his win have resonated far beyond New York. In China, his victory quickly became a talking point, both online and among scholars. According to Chinese observers, the rise of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332871/zohran-mamdanis-new-york-win-stirs-hope-and-uncertainty-china-over-future-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332871/zohran-mamdanis-new-york-win-stirs-hope-and-uncertainty-china-over-future-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 14:00:12 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A recent furore over the future of a popular independent bookstore has shone a fresh spotlight on concerns that the space for public debates and cultural events in China is shrinking. The announcement that the You Xing Bookstore in Chengdu – a venue that had hosted a number of events featuring prominent Chinese and foreign speakers – would shut later this month followed the closure of a number of other bookshops as well as cancelled cultural events and film screenings across the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332045/how-fight-chinese-bookstores-future-heightened-concerns-over-cultural-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332045/how-fight-chinese-bookstores-future-heightened-concerns-over-cultural-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Meredith Chen,Liu Zhen Meredith Chen,Liu Zhen China should more actively pursue the global lead in quantum governance to secure a strategic edge, an influential mainland think tank has urged, as dual-use quantum tech emerges as an increasingly important front in the country’s wide-ranging rivalry with the United States. China could also diversify its technological partnerships by deepening cooperation with EU countries and the United Arab Emirates, according to Grandview Institution, as the country prepares for its next five-year... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331377/china-must-more-actively-seek-global-lead-quantum-race-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331377/china-must-more-actively-seek-global-lead-quantum-race-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 02:00:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen More than a century ago, the world of Chinese women was a private one. Bound by a rigid patriarchal order and Confucian codes of propriety, hierarchy and submission, they were confined to the inner chambers of the home to be virtuous wives, self-sacrificing mothers and dutiful daughters, while men ruled the outer world. That began to change in the May Fourth era early in the 20th century, which marked a period of unprecedented intellectual and cultural awakening in modern China. Reformers sought... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3331206/we-have-new-women-no-new-men-feminist-evolution-unfinished-china-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3331206/we-have-new-women-no-new-men-feminist-evolution-unfinished-china-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 04:01:55 +0000 Meredith Chen,Zhao Ziwen,Fan Chen Meredith Chen,Zhao Ziwen,Fan Chen US President Donald Trump hailed his high-stakes meeting on Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “great success”, marked by progress on thorny trade issues. Trump agreed to reduce America’s fentanyl-related tariffs on China by 10 percentage points and cut the overall tariff rate on Chinese imports from 57 per cent to 47 per cent. For its part, Beijing will resume buying US farm products, including soybeans, and delay by one year the implementation of its most sweeping export controls on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331093/how-are-leading-western-think-tanks-unboxing-xi-trump-summit-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331093/how-are-leading-western-think-tanks-unboxing-xi-trump-summit-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:40:56 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s “institutional strength” will help the country tackle “major tests” over the course of the next five-year plan, analysts and state media have said. The country’s latest development plan, which is due to start next year and run until 2030, comes at a time when Beijing is facing increasing obstacles to its long-term ambitions both at home and abroad – particularly its intense rivalry with the United States. China’s first five-year plan was introduced in 1953. The country has since... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3330584/why-china-may-be-banking-institutional-strength-implement-next-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3330584/why-china-may-be-banking-institutional-strength-implement-next-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:16:02 +0000