https://www.scmp.com/rss/514500/feed Yuanyue reports on Chinese politics, defence and foreign affairs from Beijing. Prior to joining the Post in 2022, he was a feature writer in Chinese. He studied journalism in Hong Kong and anthropology in London. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mark Magnier,Yuanyue Dang Mark Magnier,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump and other top US leaders were evacuated from an annual White House correspondents dinner in Washington on Saturday night after a gunman fired several shots at the glitzy, high-profile event. The president, first lady Melania Trump, Vice-President J.D. Vance and cabinet members were uninjured as the event broke up and the first family returned to the White House. A member of the White House press pool reported hearing the shots as Secret Service officers swarmed the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351447/trump-evacuated-white-house-correspondents-dinner-after-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351447/trump-evacuated-white-house-correspondents-dinner-after-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:53:20 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s next-generation “drone-carrier” amphibious assault ship is en route to the South China Sea for critical sea trials, the military announced on Tuesday, in the same waters where the US, the Philippines and Japan are conducting large-scale joint military exercises and the aircraft carrier Liaoning is apparently sailing to. “The Sichuan, our country’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, has set sail from Shanghai for relevant waters in the South China Sea to carry out scientific research... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350932/chinas-new-type-076-drone-carrier-take-part-south-china-sea-training-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350932/chinas-new-type-076-drone-carrier-take-part-south-china-sea-training-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:09:29 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump’s long-standing obsession with sea power was underscored by his pledge to rebuild the US Navy into what he called a “Golden Fleet” as he returned to the White House. His financial year 2027 budget released on April 3 puts a price tag on the ambition: US$65.8 billion for 34 warships, including initial funding for a next-generation battleship he wants to name after himself, part of the largest US$1.5 trillion defence-spending request in history. But analysts say the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3350866/trumps-military-push-confronts-us-lawmakers-and-chinas-shipbuilding-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3350866/trumps-military-push-confronts-us-lawmakers-and-chinas-shipbuilding-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China “has to be involved” in nuclear arms control talks, while the US must step up its nuclear modernisation, including deploying more bombers, a senator responsible for overseeing American strategic forces said on Monday. “We need to be able to have a verifiable [treaty] and ensure accountability under treaties, and have them enforced with Russia and with China,” said Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican and chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee. The US has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350791/china-has-be-involved-any-nuclear-arms-control-talks-us-senator-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350791/china-has-be-involved-any-nuclear-arms-control-talks-us-senator-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:55:13 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US military leaders painted a picture of Chinese military threats, spanning Taiwan and space, as they briefed Congress on the military readiness for the financial year 2027 on Wednesday. The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) “invasion rehearsals and live-fire exercises near Taiwan and around the region” had illustrated “the need for combat-ready naval forces in the Indo-Pacific”, according to James Kilby, vice chief of Naval Operations. “[The US Navy therefore] remains committed to partnering and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350232/china-threat-used-convince-congress-need-bolster-us-military-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350232/china-threat-used-convince-congress-need-bolster-us-military-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:08:57 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Dewey Sim Yuanyue Dang,Dewey Sim US President Donald Trump on Friday pressed Iran to meet US demands, as Vice-President J.D. Vance travelled to Pakistan to lead high-stakes negotiations seen as a key effort to end the more than month-long Middle East conflict. The talks between the US and Iran, taking place during the agreed two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, are expected to begin on Saturday morning in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Clouding the talks were Iranian demands, namely a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349714/us-presses-iran-talks-gear-pakistan-under-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349714/us-presses-iran-talks-gear-pakistan-under-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:24:00 +0000 Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang The US-Israel war on Iran could push Nato closer to becoming a “nominal” alliance, although it was unlikely to disband any time soon, a Chinese observer said. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the transatlantic defence alliance since returning to the White House last year, accusing allies of “free‑riding” on US security and demanding greater military and financial contributions. That rhetoric has only intensified in recent weeks, with accusations that Nato was failing to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349551/will-trumps-iran-war-loyalty-test-spell-end-nato?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349551/will-trumps-iran-war-loyalty-test-spell-end-nato?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The two-week ceasefire the United States agreed to with Iran on Tuesday not only sets a deadline to seal a deal with Tehran, but leaves just days before the expiration of the 60-day legal limit for waging war without congressional authorisation that is set out under America’s War Powers Resolution. This has left open the question of how the conflict will proceed if diplomacy fails and the legal clock runs out. “Almost all the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349437/us-ceasefire-iran-sets-diplomatic-clock-war-powers-deadline-nears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349437/us-ceasefire-iran-sets-diplomatic-clock-war-powers-deadline-nears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:17:26 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump is seeking congressional approval for US$1.5 trillion in defence spending in his new budget proposal, underscoring his administration’s focus on military investment as the country remains engaged in conflict in the Middle East. The blueprint released by the White House on Friday for the financial year 2027 proposes a 44 per cent increase in the US defence budget – implementing the widely controversial plan first unveiled by Trump in a January social media post. If... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349007/trump-administration-seeks-us15-trillion-defence-new-budget-request?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349007/trump-administration-seeks-us15-trillion-defence-new-budget-request?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:26:42 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Ma Xingrui, a member of China’s Politburo and the former Communist Party boss of Xinjiang, is being investigated by the anti-corruption watchdog, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. He is the third member of the ruling party’s elite political body to come under investigation in the current term that began in 2022, a situation unseen in decades. He Weidong, former vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), is also being investigated and was expelled from the party... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348968/ma-xingrui-third-politburo-member-investigated-chinas-anti-corruption-bodies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348968/ma-xingrui-third-politburo-member-investigated-chinas-anti-corruption-bodies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:05:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Direct trade between China and the United States continues its shrinking trend, new US government data showed on Thursday, as the anniversary of “Liberation Day” highlights how last year’s tariff escalations deepened tensions between the two global powers. The figures come ahead of a planned leaders’ meeting in Beijing next month, where both sides are expected to explore ways to stabilise relations after a period of renewed economic strain, and just hours before he announced a fresh set of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:25:26 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the US‑Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict heavy damage on targets in the country. “We are going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing,” he said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:22:04 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The mayor of China’s southwestern metropolis of Chongqing has been placed under investigation by the country’s top anti-corruption agency. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) issued a statement on Friday saying that Hu Henghua, mayor of Chongqing and deputy secretary of the city’s Communist Party municipal committee, was under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law” – a term commonly used to refer to corruption. Chongqing is among China’s four centrally... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347347/chongqing-mayor-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-crackdown-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347347/chongqing-mayor-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-crackdown-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:52:41 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Beijing has accused Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of “glorifying Japanese colonial rule” in a recent speech. The People’s Liberation Army also stepped up the number of sorties by aircraft around the island after Lai made the comments on Saturday at an event to mark the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct elections. Lai, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, told the event that the early days of Kuomintang (KMT) rule over Taiwan under Chiang Kai-shek were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347164/taiwan-leader-william-lai-glorifying-japanese-colonial-rule-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347164/taiwan-leader-william-lai-glorifying-japanese-colonial-rule-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:17:40 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s highest court says that while it handles AI-related cases with care it has allowed room for the country’s artificial intelligence industry to innovate and make mistakes, according to its annual report. Supreme People’s Court president Zhang Jun told the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislative body, on Monday that the court had “promoted the orderly development of artificial intelligence” last year. Delivering the supreme court’s work report, Zhang said China’s courts... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345999/chinas-top-court-says-it-treats-ai-cases-care-without-stifling-growth-or-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345999/chinas-top-court-says-it-treats-ai-cases-care-without-stifling-growth-or-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:12:01 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Chinese President Xi Jinping has again sought to shore up the military’s ideological defences, demanding absolute loyalty to the Communist Party from all ranks, just weeks after the country’s top general came under investigation for corruption. “There must be no room within the military for those harbouring disloyalty towards the party, nor any shelter for corrupt individuals,” Xi told a meeting of military and armed police lawmakers on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345830/xi-jinpings-zero-fail-mission-chinas-military-total-loyalty-no-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345830/xi-jinpings-zero-fail-mission-chinas-military-total-loyalty-no-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang China has earmarked a 7 per cent increase in defence spending this year, keeping the growth rate largely stable even as the White House aims to ramp up expenditure for the military. In a budget released on Thursday at the start of the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Beijing said it would allocate 1.91 trillion yuan (US$277 billion) for defence. The 7 per cent is a shade down from the 7.2 per cent rise last year but still above the 4.5 to 5 per cent GDP growth target set... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345588/china-keeps-defence-budget-growth-steady-modernisation-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345588/china-keeps-defence-budget-growth-steady-modernisation-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The US’ decapitation of Iran’s leaders highlights America’s superior military strength and runs counter to the popular view in China that the United States is in decline, according to international relations specialists. The weekend operation, conducted with Israel, killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior commanders within the country’s armed forces, just weeks after a US Special Forces team abducted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Those two incidents –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345445/us-decline-after-iran-strikes-maybe-not-chinese-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345445/us-decline-after-iran-strikes-maybe-not-chinese-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng In the run-up to this year’s ‘two sessions’ – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body – high-level policymakers have stressed the need to defuse financial risks and root out political corruption, two of President Xi Jinping’s long-term priorities. As part of a series, Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng look at why the fight against graft is the new normal. As early as the start of President Xi Jinping’s second term in 2018, the Chinese leadership declared an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Yuanyue Dang Seong Hyeon Choi,Yuanyue Dang The US and Israel’s air strikes against Iran, supported by electronic and cyber capabilities, serve as a “wake-up call” for China’s intelligence strategy and its military’s approach to deploying advanced technologies in modern warfare, analysts say. In weekend air strikes against Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the US struck over 1,000 targets with an array of advanced weaponry, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighters and bombers. And for the first time... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345123/iran-attack-seen-wake-call-chinas-electronic-warfare-and-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345123/iran-attack-seen-wake-call-chinas-electronic-warfare-and-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:42:23 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A Chinese consulate in Russia has issued a rare reminder to Chinese nationals about a new, little-discussed Russian law requiring foreign men under 65 applying for long-term residency to agree to do at least a year of military service for Moscow. In a notice on its social media account on Sunday, the Chinese consulate in Vladivostok advised Chinese nationals to “take note of” new regulations on the processing of Russian long-term residence permits. It said that under these provisions, foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344760/why-china-reminding-its-male-citizens-russia-about-moscows-military-service-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344760/why-china-reminding-its-male-citizens-russia-about-moscows-military-service-law?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:03:20 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang A Chinese private company has drawn the attention of security watchers after detailing US military deployments near Iran, a move experts say underlines Beijing’s intelligence abilities. MizarVision, a Chinese commercial intelligence analysis firm, has consistently published monitoring posts regarding American military movements on social media over the past two years. But it has attracted fresh attention in the past month with an increase in the frequency and granularity of its posts and by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344638/china-flexing-its-intelligence-muscle-tracking-us-military-moves-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344638/china-flexing-its-intelligence-muscle-tracking-us-military-moves-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after he cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party. Xi said Kim’s reselection as general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Monday reflected the “high trust and wholehearted support” of the country’s “party, government and people”, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Xi said he was ready to work with Kim to “open a new chapter in China-DPRK [Democratic People’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344350/xi-jinping-expresses-hope-china-can-open-new-chapter-relations-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344350/xi-jinping-expresses-hope-china-can-open-new-chapter-relations-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:57:45 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang In the cutthroat world of Chinese civil service exams, the most dangerous opponent is not necessarily the person in the next seat: it is the “ghost” candidate designed to scare you away before you even show up. A bizarre case of inflating applicant numbers to deter potential candidates has become a national talking point, as tougher job prospects raise interest in civil service examinations on the mainland. First reported by state media in December, the case involved the illegal purchase of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344010/chinas-tight-economy-fake-exam-takers-scheme-has-touched-nerve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344010/chinas-tight-economy-fake-exam-takers-scheme-has-touched-nerve?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 02:00:16 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China has announced visa-free entry for Canadian and British nationals, leaving the United States as the only Five Eyes nation without this privilege. The new policy takes effect on Tuesday and will remain in place until the end of the year, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Tuesday also marks the start of the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, China’s biggest annual celebration marked by large-scale travel and family reunions. Announcing the move on Sunday, the ministry said passport... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343632/china-allows-visa-free-entry-british-canadian-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343632/china-allows-visa-free-entry-british-canadian-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:24:58 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s official military paper has revealed another incident in which PLA fighter jets radar-locked a foreign stealth aircraft, four months after state media reported a similar encounter. A social media account affiliated with the PLA Daily said in an article published on Wednesday that Eastern Theatre Command fighter jets locked their radar onto a foreign stealth aircraft at a distance of 800 metres (2,624 feet). The article did not say when or where the encounter took place. Military... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343509/chinese-fighter-jets-locked-radar-foreign-stealth-plane-800-metres-pla-daily?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343509/chinese-fighter-jets-locked-radar-foreign-stealth-plane-800-metres-pla-daily?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:47:18 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China has deployed a section of its mysterious cyberspace force to the South China Sea to remain “ready for action”, with the unit making a rare appearance in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Lunar New Year greeting to the military. Xi conveyed his Lunar New Year message to multiple branches of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) via video on Wednesday from Beijing’s Bayi Building – the headquarters of the powerful military command body, the Central Military Commission – according to state... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343312/xis-new-year-message-military-reveals-pla-cyberspace-force-post-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343312/xis-new-year-message-military-reveals-pla-cyberspace-force-post-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The US has established a new army foothold in the Philippines with a rotational deployment designed to sustain the Typhon missile system and contain China, according to military analysts. The US Army has commenced rotational deployments in the Philippines, according to a post published on January 29 on the Defence Visual Information Distribution Service, the US military’s image and video hosting website. The photographs showed exchanges on January 12 between the Army Rotational Force-Philippines... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343214/us-armys-new-presence-philippines-and-push-contain-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343214/us-armys-new-presence-philippines-and-push-contain-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang An international organisation responsible for monitoring global nuclear testing has denied allegations by the United States that China has conducted secret nuclear tests. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the global body tasked with detecting nuclear explosions, said its monitoring system “did not detect any event consistent with the characteristics of a nuclear weapon test explosion” at the time of the alleged Chinese test. Robert Floyd, the body’s executive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342957/why-chinas-nuclear-arsenal-under-fire-us-russia-pact-falls-apart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342957/why-chinas-nuclear-arsenal-under-fire-us-russia-pact-falls-apart?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:00:28 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Beijing’s bold move to remove top generals accused of corruption reflects its strategic assessment that overhauling the armed forces is more urgent, and that the issue of Taiwan can wait, according to military analysts. The investigation into China’s top commanders, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, has left the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country’s highest military command body, with just two members at present – President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the CMC, and vice-chairman Zhang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:00:48 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A veteran Chinese investigative journalist has been detained by police in Sichuan province after publishing an article critical of local officials, raising fresh concerns about the abuse of power. On Monday evening, police in Jinjiang district in Sichuan’s capital city of Chengdu issued a notice on social media on the matter. It stated that a person surnamed Liu, 50, and one surnamed Wu, 34, had been “subjected to criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law” on suspicion of lodging... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342245/chinese-journalist-liu-hu-detained-sichuan-after-report-scrutinising-local-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342245/chinese-journalist-liu-hu-detained-sichuan-after-report-scrutinising-local-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:28:15 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Beijing has revealed how its graft-busters are investigating bribes paid in hard-to-trace cryptocurrencies by tracking the ways in which corrupt officials have been spending the proceeds. A documentary shown on state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday highlighted the case of Yao Qian, the former director of the digital currency institute at the People’s Bank of China. Investigators became suspicious when Yao bought a villa in Beijing for more than 20 million yuan (around US$2.9 million) under the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340038/how-chinese-corruption-busters-are-tracking-down-bribes-paid-cryptocurrency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340038/how-chinese-corruption-busters-are-tracking-down-bribes-paid-cryptocurrency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:51:31 +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 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Taiwan has appointed a senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politician and former liaison officer to Japan to head the semi-official group that manages cross-strait ties – a move Beijing has met with scepticism. Su Jia-chyuan, former head of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association under Taipei’s foreign ministry, will chair the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), according to Karen Kuo, spokeswoman for the office of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, on Tuesday. The SEF is managed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339888/taiwan-names-senior-dpp-politician-new-cross-strait-chief-amid-beijings-scepticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339888/taiwan-names-senior-dpp-politician-new-cross-strait-chief-amid-beijings-scepticism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:15:48 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang In the daytime the temperature in northern China often stays below freezing, but for many rural villagers the prohibitive cost of heating means that they have little choice but to endure the cold. “We dare not turn on the heating during the day,” one woman from Guan county in Hebei named Wang said. The 75-year-old’s home is around 70km (43 miles) from the centre of Beijing, but running the heating all day would cost between 60 and 90 yuan (US$8-13), an expense that could soar over the course of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339631/north-china-farmers-pay-heavy-price-winter-beijings-clean-air-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339631/north-china-farmers-pay-heavy-price-winter-beijings-clean-air-success?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 01:00:16 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Chinese authorities have again stressed that hiking on the deadly Aotai Line in northwest China is illegal after three more people died on what Chinese media have described as the country’s “most dangerous hiking route”. “It is strictly forbidden to conduct unauthorised hiking traverses and similar activities [on the Aotai trail],” the General Administration of Sport’s mountaineering management centre said in a notice on Friday. “Recently, five individuals undertook an unauthorised crossing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339504/strictly-forbidden-china-warns-hikers-aotai-line-after-3-die-infamous-trail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339504/strictly-forbidden-china-warns-hikers-aotai-line-after-3-die-infamous-trail?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:45:03 +0000 Alcott Wei,Yuanyue Dang Alcott Wei,Yuanyue Dang A proposal by Taiwanese lawmakers to amend legislation relating to cross-strait affairs is a move aimed at “de jure independence” for the island and heightens the risk of war, Beijing has warned. “This proposal disregards the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan … publicly challenges the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China, and blatantly promotes ‘de jure Taiwan independence’,” Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua said on Sunday. “Taiwan independence means war. We have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338741/beijing-warns-war-over-taiwan-ruling-partys-move-rebrand-cross-strait-relations-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338741/beijing-warns-war-over-taiwan-ruling-partys-move-rebrand-cross-strait-relations-law?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 07:04:42 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang American novelists Ken Liu and Rebecca F. Kuang were the undisputed stars of the annual Singapore Writers Festival last month. Their sessions were packed to capacity, with audiences eager to hear their thoughts on artificial intelligence, education, and even Singaporean cuisine. Days before the 10-day festival, which started on November 7, the leaders of China and the United States held key talks in Busan, South Korea, sending conciliatory signals amid an intense geopolitical rivalry. Yet in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338127/no-fixed-cultural-identity-new-chinese-american-writers-are-telling-their-own-stories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338127/no-fixed-cultural-identity-new-chinese-american-writers-are-telling-their-own-stories?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang,Yuanyue Dang Sylvie Zhuang,Yuanyue Dang The People’s Liberation Army fired rockets at waters near Taiwan on Tuesday during a second day of large-scale drills, as Beijing threatened to block cargo ships carrying US-made weapons to the island. According to statements and videos released by the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, live-fire drills were conducted north, south and east of the island, highlighting the PLA’s capacity to seize or impose a blockade on the island using various tactics. The videos showed troops preparing for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338084/pla-begins-second-day-exercises-around-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338084/pla-begins-second-day-exercises-around-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:18:08 +0000 Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang,Sylvie Zhuang Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang,Sylvie Zhuang The People’s Liberation Army mobilised stealth fighters, destroyers and missile launchers on the first day of live-fire drills around Taiwan, soon after Washington approved the largest-ever arms sale to Taiwan. Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, said on Monday that the exercise was a warning to “independence forces” and against external interference. He said the drills – dubbed Justice Mission 2025 – were taking place in waters and airspace in the Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337963/pla-holds-drill-near-taiwan-warning-independence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337963/pla-holds-drill-near-taiwan-warning-independence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:14:22 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Images of a cargo ship in Shanghai carrying containerised vertical launchers, sensors and self-defence systems have spread online and prompted discussion for apparently showing China’s capacity to convert civilian cargo vessels to military purposes. The circulated images show vertical launch systems, rotary phased-array radars, over-the-horizon radars, close-in weapon systems and decoy launchers mounted atop containers on a cargo vessel. This configuration appears to be a temporary installation,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337842/china-quietly-preparing-cargo-ships-transform-military-vessels-case-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337842/china-quietly-preparing-cargo-ships-transform-military-vessels-case-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 13:00:14 +0000 Amber Wang,Seong Hyeon Choi,Yuanyue Dang Amber Wang,Seong Hyeon Choi,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump’s new battleship plan, apparently aimed at deterring China, faces huge implementation hurdles and could cause Beijing to double down on its anti-ship weapons, according to analysts. Trump unveiled a new class of navy battleships on Monday. These “Trump-class” ships will be larger, faster and “100 times more powerful” than any previously built, according to the American leader, forming the centrepiece of what he called an expanded “Golden Fleet” aimed at cementing US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337739/golden-fleet-will-trumps-battleship-plan-deter-china-or-it-just-pipe-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337739/golden-fleet-will-trumps-battleship-plan-deter-china-or-it-just-pipe-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Mark Magnier,Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang Mark Magnier,Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang A Pentagon report contends that China’s development of its aircraft carriers, sixth-generation fighters and nuclear arsenal illustrates Beijing’s “historic” growth in military power and has left the US “increasingly vulnerable”. The annual report, to be submitted to the US Congress, also stated that Washington was not pursuing a forceful strategy towards Beijing. “We do not seek to strangle, dominate or humiliate China … We seek only to deny the ability of any country in the Indo-Pacific to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337559/pentagon-says-chinas-historic-military-build-has-made-us-increasingly-vulnerable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337559/pentagon-says-chinas-historic-military-build-has-made-us-increasingly-vulnerable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 02:21:37 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The key to achieving wartime victory through expendable drones lies in “saturation attacks based on numerical superiority”, the official paper of the People’s Liberation Army has said as the Chinese military speeds up its development of unmanned systems. In a commentary on Tuesday titled “Exploring the Winning Formula for Unmanned Attrition Warfare”, the PLA Daily said that it would be imperative to “flexibly deploy low-cost unmanned systems to continuously deplete the opponent’s high-value... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337513/saturation-attacks-drone-swarms-key-wartime-victory-chinese-military-outlet-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337513/saturation-attacks-drone-swarms-key-wartime-victory-chinese-military-outlet-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:38:33 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China has objected to India’s efforts to celebrate a 17th-century Dalai Lama well known for his love of poetry, seeing it as an attempt to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the region and its control over Tibetan Buddhism, according to experts. India hosted an international symposium on the sixth Dalai Lama in Tawang, his birthplace, from December 3 to 6. Pema Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, inaugurated the event, which was attended by local officials and scholars of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337072/china-warns-india-over-poet-monk-dont-even-think-about-stealing-our-6th-dalai-lama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337072/china-warns-india-over-poet-monk-dont-even-think-about-stealing-our-6th-dalai-lama?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China is looking to the United Arab Emirates to help speed up negotiations for a free-trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Wang met his Emirati counterpart in Abu Dhabi on Friday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on its website. He told Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan that China supported the UAE’s “measures to safeguard national security and development” and its “increased role in international and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336341/chinas-wang-yi-urges-uae-help-close-free-trade-deal-gulf-cooperation-council?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336341/chinas-wang-yi-urges-uae-help-close-free-trade-deal-gulf-cooperation-council?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 13:10:47 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A top official warned against moves to revive Japanese militarism as China held its annual national commemoration of the Nanking massacre amid tense ties with Tokyo. Speaking at a memorial ceremony in the eastern city of Nanjing on Saturday, Shi Taifeng, head of the ruling Communist Party’s organisation department, said that any attempt to revive militarism, challenge the post-war international order or undermine global peace and stability was “doomed to failure”, according to state broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336337/china-marks-nanking-massacre-anniversary-warning-against-japans-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336337/china-marks-nanking-massacre-anniversary-warning-against-japans-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 11:18:31 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an is set to visit Shanghai for a joint forum, an event that will be watched closely by Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Chiang will travel to Shanghai on December 27 and 28 for the Shanghai-Taipei City Forum, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported on Thursday. On Friday, mainland state news agency Xinhua said the annual forum would convene in Shanghai on December 28 and be based on the theme “Technology Transforming Life”. The forum, which was first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336251/taipei-mayor-chiang-wan-attend-annual-forum-shanghai-under-taiwans-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336251/taipei-mayor-chiang-wan-attend-annual-forum-shanghai-under-taiwans-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:18 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s massive aerial drone carrier the Jiu Tian has completed its first flight, adding to the potential swarming capacities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The Jiu Tian, which is itself a large drone, took to the air for the first time in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday. The report did not mention when this took place. Designed by the First Aircraft Institute of the state-owned aerospace giant Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC),... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336098/first-flight-chinas-giant-drone-carrier-jiu-tian-signals-pla-swarm-capacity-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336098/first-flight-chinas-giant-drone-carrier-jiu-tian-signals-pla-swarm-capacity-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:20:05 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Reincarnation must follow Chinese laws and be endorsed by Beijing, Tibetan Buddhist leader Panchen Lama has said in an apparent reference to the succession of the Dalai Lama. Speaking at an official symposium in Shigatse on Monday, the Panchen Lama – the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism after only the Dalai Lama – stated that reincarnated “living Buddhas” must be identified within China and approved by the central government. This must be done “without any interference or control from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335933/panchen-lama-says-reincarnation-must-follow-chinese-laws-be-endorsed-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335933/panchen-lama-says-reincarnation-must-follow-chinese-laws-be-endorsed-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 01:00:13 +0000