https://www.scmp.com/rss/517885/feed The latest news on Chinese environmental scientist and politician, Chen Jining, ex-mayor of Beijing and currently the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary of Shanghai, including political stories and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The number of members from China’s leading scientific and engineering institutes in the top ranks of the Communist Party has doubled over the course of a decade, according to a new report. It said the number of academicians in the party’s 18th Central Committee, selected in 2012, stood at 15, accounting for around 3.5 per cent of the total membership. But when the 20th Central Committee started its five-year term in 2022, this total had risen to 30, around 8 per cent of the total, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350757/why-leading-chinese-scientists-are-rising-top-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350757/why-leading-chinese-scientists-are-rising-top-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:00:07 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen Shanghai has announced a slew of new investments in hi-tech industries ranging from chips to artificial intelligence (AI) and aviation, becoming the latest Chinese city to unveil ambitious plans to boost local innovation amid an intensifying US-China tech race. The city’s Pudong district unveiled 50 big-ticket projects worth more than 70 billion yuan (US$10 billion) combined on Monday, with most of the investment earmarked to flow into key industries including microchips, AI, biopharmaceuticals,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338940/shanghai-unveils-us10-billion-investment-spree-us-china-tech-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338940/shanghai-unveils-us10-billion-investment-spree-us-china-tech-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:16 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest stories about scientists in China this year. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. After decades in the US, star Chinese mathematician couple returns home Mathematician Chen Min has left Purdue University’s maths department to join the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo as a full-time faculty member, the latest Chinese academic to return home from the US. 2. Maths star Joshua Zahl leaves Canada for China after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336730/7-scientists-mathematicians-physicists-and-experts-who-moved-china-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336730/7-scientists-mathematicians-physicists-and-experts-who-moved-china-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong has attracted about 500 local and mainland Chinese enterprises to its first major promotional event across the border through a newly established task force dedicated to helping businesses expand overseas, the city’s trade promoter has said. Officials went all out to promote Hong Kong’s role as a global connector in Shanghai this week, including at a conference on Thursday titled “Hong Kong – The Ideal Platform for Mainland Enterprises in Going Global”. The event was organised by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3331807/goglobal-task-force-draws-500-firms-trade-event-promoting-hong-kong-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3331807/goglobal-task-force-draws-500-firms-trade-event-promoting-hong-kong-base?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 11:15:59 +0000 Orange Wang,Holly Chik Orange Wang,Holly Chik Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a wreath to the funeral on Friday of Chen-ning Yang, a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist who died in Beijing last Saturday at the age of 103. Cai Qi, the president’s chief of staff, was also among the Communist Party dignitaries to offer floral tributes for the ceremony at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in western Beijing, where many of the country’s leaders are interred. The farewell ceremony began at around 9am, with the late professor draped in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3330306/china-bids-farewell-nobel-prize-winning-physicist-chen-ning-yang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3330306/china-bids-farewell-nobel-prize-winning-physicist-chen-ning-yang?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:29:50 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Geoffrey Hinton is a British-Canadian computer scientist often called the “godfather of AI” because of his revolutionary neural network models inspired by the structure of the human brain. His research brought about a paradigm shift that enabled today’s machine learning technology. He won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University. Hinton holds the title of university professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. A company he co-founded with two graduate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323824/geoffrey-hinton-preventing-ai-takeover-and-very-worrying-china-us-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323824/geoffrey-hinton-preventing-ai-takeover-and-very-worrying-china-us-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 22:00:24 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Geoffrey Hinton has been dubbed the “godfather of AI” because of his revolutionary neural network models, which were inspired by the structure of the human brain. He shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.” Hinton quit Google in 2023 to speak freely about the risks posed by AI. He joined the technology giant’s AI research team, Google Brain, a decade earlier through the acquisition of a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323440/godfather-ai-hinton-making-computers-care-about-humans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323440/godfather-ai-hinton-making-computers-care-about-humans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 07:00:12 +0000 Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen China has “no fundamental conflict of interest” with New Zealand, President Xi Jinping told New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Beijing on Friday while calling for the constructive management of differences. “Both sides should adhere to mutual respect, seek common ground while acknowledging differences, and correctly view and manage their differences and disagreements,” Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Just ahead of Luxon’s arrival in the Chinese capital... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315257/china-new-zealand-have-no-conflict-interest-xi-jinping-tells-christopher-luxon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315257/china-new-zealand-have-no-conflict-interest-xi-jinping-tells-christopher-luxon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 10:57:42 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China has stepped in to police street tests of driver-assistance systems, as well as marketing claims about such technologies, after a fatal accident involving a Xiaomi electric vehicle (EV) killed three people last month. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) convened officials from 60 companies for a conference in Beijing on Wednesday, urging them to fully comply with regulations governing the development of preliminary self-driving technologies, it said in a statement on... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3306963/china-crack-down-ev-self-driving-technology-autonomous-driving-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3306963/china-crack-down-ev-self-driving-technology-autonomous-driving-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:46:58 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s leading lidar sensor makers Hesai Group and RoboSense Technology stand to benefit in the aftermath of a fatal accident involving autonomous driving as safety-conscious consumers become more aware of their technologies, analysts said. Autonomous-driving systems in high-end electric vehicles (EVs) tend to use lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors, which employ laser beams to measure distances to objects. The car that crashed in China’s central Anhui province on Saturday, killing... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3305126/chinas-lidar-sensor-makers-hesai-robosense-stand-gain-after-fatal-xiaomi-su7-ev-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3305126/chinas-lidar-sensor-makers-hesai-robosense-stand-gain-after-fatal-xiaomi-su7-ev-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:43:01 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal,Enoch Yiu Cheryl Arcibal,Enoch Yiu Futu Securities International (Hong Kong) has scooped up a prime retail space in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, according to market sources, as one of China’s fastest-growing online brokers doubles down in one of the world’s most expensive retail areas to prepare for a bull run in the stock market. Futu will occupy the street-level space in Soundwill Plaza on Russell Street that was left vacant since February by the Transformers: The Ark restaurant. The broker could be paying HK$1.2 million... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3304955/futu-rents-prime-causeway-bay-address-online-broker-prepares-stock-market-bonanza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3304955/futu-rents-prime-causeway-bay-address-online-broker-prepares-stock-market-bonanza?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese carmaker Zeekr Intelligent Technology, which is controlled by Geely Auto, has joined the autonomous-driving bandwagon, after completing a merger with its sister brand Lynk. The development comes after BYD, the world’s No 1 electric vehicle (EV) maker, said this week that it would offer an autopilot system in all its cars, ­making autonomous driving affordable for all Chinese ­customers. New York-listed Zeekr said on Friday that its in-house developed level 3 (L3) self-driving technology... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3298778/zeekr-joins-chinas-autonomous-driving-race-plans-unveil-tech-shanghai-car-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3298778/zeekr-joins-chinas-autonomous-driving-race-plans-unveil-tech-shanghai-car-show?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 12:53:56 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren BYD plans to offer an autopilot system in nearly all its cars for free, making autonomous driving affordable to all mainland Chinese customers as the world’s largest electric-vehicle (EV) maker seeks a competitive edge in an escalating price war. At least 21 models – including the Seagull hatchback priced from as low as 69,800 yuan (US$9,554) – will be fitted with its indigenous advanced driver assistance system, or ADAS, which enables cars to navigate on highways and conduct self-parking, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3298118/byd-add-autopilot-system-evs-gain-edge-amid-chinas-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3298118/byd-add-autopilot-system-evs-gain-edge-amid-chinas-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:49:32 +0000 Veteran Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao has pledged to promote “Track 1.5 diplomacy” to help build stable, healthy and sustainable US-China relations as both countries pursue a thaw in bilateral ties. At a talk hosted by the Asia Society in New York on Monday, Liu said the US and China “should do more to enhance understanding and promote cooperation and continue the positive momentum created by the leaders’ meetings”. Liu, who heads the International Department, the Communist Party’s diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247838/veteran-chinese-diplomat-pledges-stronger-ties-us-both-countries-pursue-thaw-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247838/veteran-chinese-diplomat-pledges-stronger-ties-us-both-countries-pursue-thaw-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:00:11 +0000 Tesla has bought a parcel of land in Shanghai for a factory where it will build its Megapack large-scale batteries, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. The US carmaker will produce 10,000 massive batteries a year at the Megafactory in Shanghai’s Lingang free-trade zone (FTZ) when construction of the plant is complete. A land acquisition agreement was signed on Friday morning, Xinhua said. “After securing the site, Tesla will officially launch the project with substantial steps taken to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3246029/tesla-secures-site-shanghai-build-its-megapack-energy-storage-battery-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3246029/tesla-secures-site-shanghai-build-its-megapack-energy-storage-battery-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Dec 2023 09:00:18 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the top Chinese leaders who paid tribute at a memorial on Tuesday to Tang Xiao’ou, a leading expert on facial recognition, and the mastermind behind the US-sanctioned artificial intelligence giant SenseTime. The ceremony for Tang, who died on Friday from an undisclosed illness at the age of 55, featured an unusually high-profile list of mourners for a private citizen in China. Li and Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, both members of the seven-member Politburo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3245786/chinas-premier-among-top-officials-pay-tribute-late-ai-visionary-tang-xiaoou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3245786/chinas-premier-among-top-officials-pay-tribute-late-ai-visionary-tang-xiaoou?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 14:00:09 +0000 In the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco, pundits wheeled out the usual superficial tropes used to analyse US-China relations: discussion of the politics of the island of Taiwan, even though experts doubt any present danger; negative statistics about Chinese growth; seemingly unrelated prognostications about former US president Donald Trump. Blow away the fog of war, though, and the issue at the root of US-China rivalry is dominance in scientific research. The United... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243446/us-china-rivalry-its-science-stupid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243446/us-china-rivalry-its-science-stupid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2023 21:30:10 +0000 Two top education bodies in China and the United States will reboot cooperation on academic exchanges as Beijing and Washington seek to ease strained relations. In a joint statement on Monday, the China Education Association for International Exchange and the Institute of International Education said the two sides would encourage “their respective higher education institutions to re-engage as well as grow and deepen their cooperation”. “The two sides affirm their commitment to support the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241540/xi-biden-summit-china-and-us-pledge-revive-academic-ties-confidence-building-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241540/xi-biden-summit-china-and-us-pledge-revive-academic-ties-confidence-building-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:00:22 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has urged the strengthening of economic ties between Shanghai and Hong Kong as he envisions building world-class technology start-ups by tapping talent pools in both cities. On his first visit to mainland China’s commercial and financial hub since becoming Hong Kong’s top official in July 2022, Lee expressed confidence in the prospects of creating synergies between both cities to bolster technological innovation. “Hong Kong has our own advantages in... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3240422/ciie-2023-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-pursues-stronger-economic-ties-shanghai-saying-two-cities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3240422/ciie-2023-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-pursues-stronger-economic-ties-shanghai-saying-two-cities?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:30:29 +0000 Shanghai’s economy, rocked by mainland China’s troubled property sector and the nation’s tumbling stock market this year, has better growth prospects in 2024 when the US is widely expected to begin its interest rate-cutting cycle, according to an economic adviser to the local government. Yang Jianwen, a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Post on Monday that stability should be given a priority by the city government, which runs the local economy, as a slowdown in the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3238919/shanghais-economy-under-pressure-weak-property-and-stock-markets-home-banks-external-demand-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3238919/shanghais-economy-under-pressure-weak-property-and-stock-markets-home-banks-external-demand-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 23:00:16 +0000 Admitting economic turbulence ahead, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng exuded confidence after the city beat its growth target for the year, amid stepped-up efforts to draw foreign investment. The mayor said more landmark deals similar to Tesla’s Megapack energy-storage plant and Boston Scientific’s biotech factory are in the pipeline, which will bolster the local economy and burnish Shanghai’s image as an investment magnet. “Global investors are constantly increasing investment, delivering votes of... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3238024/shanghai-mayor-vows-attract-even-more-foreign-business-after-tesla-and-boston-scientific-factories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3238024/shanghai-mayor-vows-attract-even-more-foreign-business-after-tesla-and-boston-scientific-factories?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2023 13:30:21 +0000 China’s commerce minister “specifically” raised concerns over American restrictions on trade and technology during a meeting in Beijing with visiting US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to a statement by China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday. During discussions on Monday that were described as “rational and pragmatic”, Wang Wentao said China hoped the US could “precisely define security boundaries and avoid overgeneralising and politicising security issues, and weaponising... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237428/chinas-commerce-chief-presses-us-senate-leader-schumer-over-trade-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237428/chinas-commerce-chief-presses-us-senate-leader-schumer-over-trade-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Oct 2023 08:32:30 +0000 China and the United States do not necessarily have to head to a confrontation, President Xi Jinping told visiting American senators on Monday. It was the strongest sign yet that he might attend the Apec summit in San Francisco next month, raising hopes also for a meeting with US counterpart Joe Biden. “The Thucydides Trap is not inevitable,” Xi told the bipartisan delegation headed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, referring to the concept of confrontation between a rising and a dominant... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237303/chinese-president-xi-jinping-meeting-us-senate-majority-leader-chuck-schumer-sign-xi-may-head-apec?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237303/chinese-president-xi-jinping-meeting-us-senate-majority-leader-chuck-schumer-sign-xi-may-head-apec?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Oct 2023 08:16:27 +0000 Nearly a decade ago, when Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to the United States, he told the highest ranking US lawmakers that the two countries should leave a much better relationship to future generations. As Xi was welcomed to Capitol Hill, he invited Nancy Pelosi to China to “come see for yourself” after the then-House Democratic leader expressed concerns over the country’s human rights records. Now, after a four-year pause in visits by US lawmakers to China, a bipartisan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237169/us-senators-defy-backlash-home-test-chinas-engagement-first-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237169/us-senators-defy-backlash-home-test-chinas-engagement-first-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Oct 2023 04:23:17 +0000 A prominent motor engineer has been promoted to the leadership of a central Chinese province as Beijing seeks to install more cadres with science and technology background in key positions of power. Shao Xinyu, who was made a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering for his research achievements, has been appointed to the standing committee of Hubei’s provincial Communist Party committee, the newspaper Hubei Daily reported on Thursday. Shao, 55, was named a vice governor of Hubei last... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3236333/leading-chinese-car-engineer-given-provincial-leadership-role-hubei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3236333/leading-chinese-car-engineer-given-provincial-leadership-role-hubei?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Sep 2023 13:23:49 +0000 US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hailed “an important beginning” for Beijing and Washington to manage tensions on Wednesday, while also calling on China to address market concerns for American firms. She made the remarks hours before wrapping up her four-day trip to China, which yielded the establishment of working groups to facilitate further bilateral communication. But during a press conference after a visit to the Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services joint venture on Wednesday, Raimondo did... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3232853/gina-raimondo-hails-important-beginning-us-china-ties-wraps-trip-boeing-disneyland-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3232853/gina-raimondo-hails-important-beginning-us-china-ties-wraps-trip-boeing-disneyland-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:54:36 +0000 Kerry Properties has broken ground on a massive mixed-use project in Shanghai, just two months after it won a tender for a prime site in the city centre, and it comes amid a property crisis that has engulfed dozens of mainland Chinese developers. The Hong Kong developer said the project, comprising residential units, offices, shops and hotels, is its largest investment in China. Located in the central Huangpu district, close to landmarks including The Bund, Yu Garden, East Nanjing Road... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3232076/hong-kong-developer-kerry-confident-chinas-prospects-it-starts-work-landmark-shanghai-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3232076/hong-kong-developer-kerry-confident-chinas-prospects-it-starts-work-landmark-shanghai-project?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Aug 2023 00:00:17 +0000 A former prominent Chinese TV reporter who disappeared from the public eye eight years ago after releasing a documentary about air pollution in China has resurfaced overseas with a new series – on terrorism. Chai Jing, who became a household name in China as a reporter for state broadcaster CCTV before financing her own productions, announced her return to journalism by releasing a trailer for the series Stranger – Talking to Jihadists on various Chinese social media platforms on Sunday. But the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3231049/chinese-eco-warrior-reporter-chai-jing-back-censorship-spotlight-terrorism-series?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3231049/chinese-eco-warrior-reporter-chai-jing-back-censorship-spotlight-terrorism-series?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Aug 2023 11:05:13 +0000 Foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing to Shanghai grew at a slower-than-expected pace in the first half of 2023, adding to evidence that the mainland’s financial and commercial hub is losing its allure as a regional hub for multinational companies. The city, dubbed the “dragon head” of China’s economy, received foreign funds worth US$12.78 billion from January to June, up 7.1 per cent on year, mainly due to a low base in 2022 when a citywide Covid-19 lockdown severely disrupted manufacturing... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3229541/shanghai-fdi-inflows-miss-expectations-despite-end-zero-covid-policy-sparking-concern-city-has-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3229541/shanghai-fdi-inflows-miss-expectations-despite-end-zero-covid-policy-sparking-concern-city-has-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jul 2023 22:30:13 +0000 Shanghai’s top legislator is under investigation for corruption, making him the most senior official to be disgraced since the Communist Party wrapped up a major reshuffle in October. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Wednesday that Dong Yunhu, head of the city’s lawmaking body, is being investigated for suspected violations of discipline and law – the usual euphemism for corruption. No further details were given. Dong is the first minister-level official to be purged... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3227516/shanghai-legislation-chief-dong-yunhu-purged-china-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3227516/shanghai-legislation-chief-dong-yunhu-purged-china-corruption-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jul 2023 04:32:12 +0000 This year’s edition of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai opened on Thursday with Chinese government officials presenting a unified front on pushing the country’s AI development ambitions, despite the threat of potential new tech restrictions by the United States government. China’s Vice-Minister for Industry and Information Technology, Xu Xiaolan, said in a keynote speech at the conference, which concludes this Saturday, that the country is moving to develop a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3226808/china-asserts-ai-development-goals-shanghai-conference-beijing-braces-potential-new-us-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3226808/china-asserts-ai-development-goals-shanghai-conference-beijing-braces-potential-new-us-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:00:21 +0000 US vaccine maker Moderna is expected to sign an agreement with the Shanghai government as early as Wednesday to invest about US$1 billion in the commercial hub of China as it promotes mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid)-based products in the world’s second-largest economy. The company’s CEO Stephane Bancel has landed in Shanghai to seal the investment deal, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The signing of the foreign direct investment (FDI) deal comes after Moderna set up a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3226614/us-vaccine-maker-moderna-set-sign-us1-billion-investment-deal-shanghai-it-takes-steps-tap-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3226614/us-vaccine-maker-moderna-set-sign-us1-billion-investment-deal-shanghai-it-takes-steps-tap-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jul 2023 06:40:32 +0000 A number of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s pet projects have been given a new lease on life as he seeks to reset his policy agenda. Since Xi started an unprecedented third term as state president in March – completing a leadership shake-up that put key supporters in leading positions – analysts say that some of the policies he has focused on suggest that social development will take greater prominence. ‘I place my hopes on the American people’, China’s Xi tells ‘old friend’ Gates This does not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3224581/how-chinas-leader-xi-jinping-resetting-his-agenda-greater-focus-bread-and-butter-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3224581/how-chinas-leader-xi-jinping-resetting-his-agenda-greater-focus-bread-and-butter-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jun 2023 22:00:19 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong China is determined to support Honduras’ economic growth, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Honduran counterpart Xiomara Castro in their first meeting since the Central American country switched its allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing. China rolled out the red carpet for Castro on Monday in Beijing, with Xi receiving her personally at the Great Hall of the People. Xi praised the “historic decisiveness” and “strong political will” that Castro showed as she fulfilled her election campaign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223841/xi-jinping-says-beijing-will-support-honduras-economy-while-stressing-one-china-principle-foundation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223841/xi-jinping-says-beijing-will-support-honduras-economy-while-stressing-one-china-principle-foundation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jun 2023 14:30:15 +0000 Honduran President Xiomara Castro has arrived in Shanghai on her first trip to mainland China since the Central American nation established diplomatic ties with Beijing in March. Castro was met at the airport on Friday by Hua Yuan, Shanghai’s deputy mayor, and assistant foreign minister Hua Chunying, and welcomed by the Old Jazz Band performing a Honduran song at the Peace Hotel, where she is staying. Castro is expected to spend two days in the financial hub before heading to Beijing where she... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223587/honduran-leader-xiomara-castro-starts-first-china-trip-after-establishing-diplomatic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223587/honduran-leader-xiomara-castro-starts-first-china-trip-after-establishing-diplomatic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:00:14 +0000 Tesla chief executive Elon Musk left Shanghai for Texas on Thursday morning after meeting Shanghai Communist Party boss Chen Jining, wrapping up a three-day visit to China amid souring relations between Beijing and the West. But no concrete deals or agreements were signed during this trip, despite mounting speculation about Tesla’s plan to expand its Shanghai Gigafactory. Musk met Chen in the morning before leaving by his private jet from Hongqiao International Airport at 11.23am, according to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3222596/elon-musk-china-tesla-ceo-leaves-texas-after-meeting-shanghai-communist-party-boss-visit-yields?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3222596/elon-musk-china-tesla-ceo-leaves-texas-after-meeting-shanghai-communist-party-boss-visit-yields?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:27:37 +0000 Tesla chief executive Elon Musk is expected to meet Shanghai Communist Party secretary Chen Jining on either Thursday or Friday amid heightened speculation about an expansion of the electric-car maker’s production facilities in the mainland’s commercial capital. Musk will fly in by private jet from Beijing on Wednesday evening as part of a high-profile China visit that comes as already fraught relations between Beijing and Washington sour further, according to three people with knowledge of his... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3222483/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-meet-shanghai-communist-party-boss-chen-jining-amid-talks-gigafactory-3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3222483/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-meet-shanghai-communist-party-boss-chen-jining-amid-talks-gigafactory-3?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 12:30:23 +0000 The high-profile Lujiazui financial forum returns to Shanghai next month after last year’s event was suspended a day before the start because of Covid-19 restrictions. The two-day gathering on June 8 and 9 will feature seven plenary and three night sessions, and will be held under the theme of global financial opening and cooperation as the new driver for the economic recovery, Yin Xin, a spokeswoman for the Shanghai government, said at a media briefing on Wednesday. More than 70 speakers will... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3222466/shanghai-set-host-lujiazui-financial-forum-june-after-last-minute-cancellation-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3222466/shanghai-set-host-lujiazui-financial-forum-june-after-last-minute-cancellation-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 10:30:12 +0000 Singapore’s No 2 leader Lawrence Wong’s five-day visit to China offered airtime between emerging leaders and allowed Beijing to deepen ties with the city state amid growing wariness from the West, analysts said. Wong, who is deputy prime minister and finance chief, had on Tuesday met Chinese Premier Li Qiang, where they took stock of bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to further collaboration in areas including energy and sustainability. Both sides “reaffirmed the long-standing and strong... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3220889/singapores-no-2-leader-lawrence-wong-cements-ties-chinas-emerging-leaders-timely-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3220889/singapores-no-2-leader-lawrence-wong-cements-ties-chinas-emerging-leaders-timely-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 May 2023 10:40:25 +0000 When President Xi Jinping went on inspection tours around China during the past five years, he was always accompanied by Chen Xi, director of the Communist Party’s Central Organisation Department. It is a post that wields enormous power over party personnel changes and one that has a profound influence on how China manages its apparatchiks. In the months following the party’s national congress in October, there was a changing of the guard at the most important party organs, with the notable... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3218592/chen-xi-presidential-aide-who-built-chinas-new-technocracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3218592/chen-xi-presidential-aide-who-built-chinas-new-technocracy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2023 23:00:10 +0000 Stern environmental enforcer-turned Shandong Communist Party boss Li Ganjie has been appointed to run the powerful Central Organisation Department, overseeing the appointments and promotions of senior apparatchiks. The appointment was confirmed on Wednesday – after a surprising six-month delay following his promotion to the Politburo in October – when Li received his Vietnamese party counterpart Truong Thi Mai in Beijing. In its report on the meeting, state news agency Xinhua referred to Li by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3202058/china-puts-scientist-charge-partys-human-resources-department?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3202058/china-puts-scientist-charge-partys-human-resources-department?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2023 04:00:21 +0000 Taiwan’s former president Ma Ying-jeou visited a deep water port in Shanghai on the last leg of his historic mainland trip, as the Chinese navy launched patrols near the self-ruled island. The “joint cruise and patrol operation” in the Taiwan Strait came as the island’s current leader, Tsai Ing-wen, prepared to meet the US House speaker on her second American stopover in less than a week. Ma, who is visiting the mainland in a personal capacity, flew into Shanghai from Chongqing on Wednesday and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3216097/former-taiwanese-leader-ma-ying-jeou-shanghai-pla-navy-launches-strait-patrols?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3216097/former-taiwanese-leader-ma-ying-jeou-shanghai-pla-navy-launches-strait-patrols?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:51:23 +0000 Apple chief executive Tim Cook’s latest whistle-stop tour of partners in China has brought him to the Shanghai headquarters of video gaming company miHoYo, the studio behind App Store blockbuster and 2020 “iPhone Game of the Year” winner Genshin Impact. “Fun meeting with the creators behind award-winning iPhone and iPad games like Genshin Impact,” Cook wrote in a selfie that he posted on Chinese microblogging service Weibo on Thursday, as he continued to bolster Apple’s commitment to the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3215605/apple-ceo-tim-cooks-whistle-stop-tour-shanghai-bolsters-ties-genshin-impact-creator-mihoyo-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3215605/apple-ceo-tim-cooks-whistle-stop-tour-shanghai-bolsters-ties-genshin-impact-creator-mihoyo-other?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:33:21 +0000 The Year of the Rabbit may also be the year of the yuan. China’s economy is reopening and investors will not wish to miss the boat. As capital flows into China in pursuit of good returns, it should buoy the value of the yuan on foreign exchanges, and in particular, versus the US dollar. With the government clearly pushing economic growth in China, the desire of investors not to miss out is likely to trump coronavirus fears. Investors have to be in to win and the fear of missing out can be a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3206171/reopening-china-chases-foreign-capital-may-be-year-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3206171/reopening-china-chases-foreign-capital-may-be-year-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2023 16:30:18 +0000 After three years of tough pandemic controls, China’s sudden U-turn on its zero-Covid policy last month has brought relief but also anxiety that the country is unprepared for the surge in cases. In the first of a five-part series on the policy change and its impact, William Zheng looks at the political factors behind Beijing’s decision to reopen. In the last two months of 2022, the world watched in astonishment as China made an abrupt U-turn on its strict zero-Covid strategy, calling off three... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3206089/how-political-and-economic-pressure-led-beijings-abrupt-u-turn-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3206089/how-political-and-economic-pressure-led-beijings-abrupt-u-turn-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2023 22:00:17 +0000 China’s regional economic powerhouses such as Beijing and Shanghai are ramping up efforts to attract foreign investment by meeting with multinational companies to drive up consumption for post-Covid economic recovery. “[Beijing] will unswervingly promote a higher level of opening up to the outside world and make greater efforts to attract and utilise foreign investment, which will provide more opportunities and broader space for foreign enterprises to develop in Beijing,” Yin Li, the newly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3205872/china-economy-beijing-looks-comcast-aid-post-covid-recovery-while-shanghai-officials-meet-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3205872/china-economy-beijing-looks-comcast-aid-post-covid-recovery-while-shanghai-officials-meet-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 12:45:11 +0000 Prestigious Beijing-based Tsinghua University, a cradle of China’s political elites, has sought to pacify its students by addressing their concerns over Covid-related restrictions after they staged a weekend protest calling for “rule of law and freedom of expression”. To placate the students, the university authorities held a meeting, both in-person and virtually, with students on Monday afternoon to discuss Covid-related measures, according to a Tsinghua student who asked for anonymity because... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3201419/chinas-elite-tsinghua-university-meets-students-after-weekend-protest-against-covid-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3201419/chinas-elite-tsinghua-university-meets-students-after-weekend-protest-against-covid-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:16:38 +0000 Shi Taifeng, a Politburo newcomer and a close ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been confirmed as head of the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, a signal that Xi intends to give the body a bigger role in his national rejuvenation programme. Shi, 66, was at a meeting of the department on Thursday in his new role as its party secretary, state media reported. The department is responsible for dealing with Chinese who are not members of the Communist Party, as well as religious... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3197609/xi-jinping-ally-helm-communist-partys-influence-machine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3197609/xi-jinping-ally-helm-communist-partys-influence-machine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2022 09:47:50 +0000 Beijing mayor Chen Jining has been promoted to Communist Party chief of Shanghai, confirming an earlier report by the South China Morning Post. The official announcement was made on Friday morning by state news agency Xinhua. Chen had arrived in Shanghai on Thursday evening, sources told the Post. Yin Yong, deputy party chief of Beijing, was named acting mayor of the city. At 53 he is one of the youngest ministerial-level cadres in China. Chen, 58, is an environmental scientist who studied... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3197505/beijing-mayor-chen-jining-tipped-surprise-promotion-top-job-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3197505/beijing-mayor-chen-jining-tipped-surprise-promotion-top-job-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Oct 2022 23:00:34 +0000 China’s new top decision-making body unveiled over the weekend comprises an unprecedented number of leaders with extensive links to Hong Kong in their previous roles and an ideologue who had long studied the city, making for a line-up analysts have suggested can lead to a smoother implementation of Beijing’s key policies related to Hong Kong. Pro-Beijing heavyweight Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai also said the new team would be “an asset” for Hong Kong as it could guide the city through an increasingly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3197106/hong-kong-connection-what-6-chinas-top-leadership-team-including-xi-jinping-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3197106/hong-kong-connection-what-6-chinas-top-leadership-team-including-xi-jinping-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:00:17 +0000