https://www.scmp.com/rss/518971/feed Coy graduated from the University of Hong Kong's master of journalism programme. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China is building a network of vocational training centres across Africa and Asia as part of its efforts to foster ties with Global South countries and expand its soft power. There are now 33 Luban workshops – named after a 5th century BC master craftsman and inventor – spread across 29 countries, offering training in fields ranging from advanced manufacturing technologies to Chinese cuisine and medicine. More than 10,000 students who studied at the centres have gone on to graduate with degrees... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274892/why-china-looking-vocational-training-build-bridges-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274892/why-china-looking-vocational-training-build-bridges-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2024 04:00:30 +0000 China has finished construction of a giant offshore oil and gas platform, state media reported on Monday. The platform, which took three years to build, is 24 storeys high, weighs more than 17,000 tonnes and has a deck that is the same size as 15 basketball courts, according to state broadcaster CCTV. It has one of the world’s biggest transmission capacities and will be capable of delivering 24 million tonnes of crude oil and 7.4 billion cubic metres of gas every year once fully operational, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3274183/china-finishes-work-mega-oil-and-gas-platform-destined-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3274183/china-finishes-work-mega-oil-and-gas-platform-destined-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2024 01:00:12 +0000 China says it will press ahead with legislation to protect its interests in deep-sea areas, a new arena of competition in its rivalry with the United States. In a commentary in Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily on Thursday, Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong said Beijing would “proactively push forward national security legislation in crucial areas such as space, deep-sea and data security”. Wang’s comments reflect the stress on national security to come out of last month’s third... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3273848/china-pushes-preserve-deep-sea-interests-national-security-legislation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3273848/china-pushes-preserve-deep-sea-interests-national-security-legislation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Aug 2024 02:00:12 +0000 China has been investing heavily in scientific research in the South China Sea in recent years, opening up a new front in its push to establish sovereignty in the areas as tensions with other claimant countries have escalated. One of the clearest cases has emerged in recent months with a Chinese study reporting on the degradation of an ecosystem around a Philippine-controlled reef. That research was soon followed by a separate and contrasting study that described the “excellent” environmental... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3270831/south-china-sea-beijing-bankrolls-science-missions-conflict-heats-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3270831/south-china-sea-beijing-bankrolls-science-missions-conflict-heats-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 01:00:10 +0000 It was 3.44am on June 19 and Tang Kaili, a housewares retailer in China’s southern city of Guilin, was sound asleep – when a short message from the local government appeared on her phone. It was an official alert that an upstream reservoir would begin releasing floodwater at 5am. Tang slept through it. For a week, torrential rain had been soaking Guilin, a tourist destination in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, known for its tranquil lakes, winding rivers and karst caves. Several... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270686/can-china-balance-climate-and-energy-concerns-it-endures-more-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270686/can-china-balance-climate-and-energy-concerns-it-endures-more-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 22:00:14 +0000 China has launched a five-year action plan to strengthen care services for children with autism and solve the “urgent, difficult and anxious” problems faced by their families when seeking support. The Autism Children Care Promotion Action plan was jointly released last week by the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, the Ministry of Education, and top public health bodies, with a pledge to increase rehabilitation services. According to the notice announcing the plan, some regions and departments... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3272953/china-unveils-5-year-plan-better-rehab-schooling-autistic-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3272953/china-unveils-5-year-plan-better-rehab-schooling-autistic-children?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 06:00:17 +0000 China has ratcheted up scrutiny of degrees from lower-ranked universities overseas in a bid to crack down on academic short-cuts often taken to boost careers. A total of 13 universities in the Philippines, Mongolia and India have been singled out for more stringent verification of master’s and PhD degrees, the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), under the Ministry of Education, announced last week. The centre is responsible for certifying academic qualifications obtained... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3272610/significant-anomalies-china-tightens-scrutiny-over-dubious-degrees-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3272610/significant-anomalies-china-tightens-scrutiny-over-dubious-degrees-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:31:20 +0000 With one-fifth of Chinese aged 6-17 deemed overweight or obese, Beijing is looking to increase physical exercise and improve nutrition to safeguard the health of young people. On Monday, the Ministry of Education, top public health bodies and the General Administration of Sport rolled out national technical guidelines for the prevention and control of overweight and obesity in primary and middle school pupils. According to the guidelines, urgent intervention is needed to address the “major... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3271713/china-targets-childhood-obesity-urgent-new-guidelines-food-and-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3271713/china-targets-childhood-obesity-urgent-new-guidelines-food-and-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:19:44 +0000 China is stepping up its use of technology such as satellites and radar in disaster relief work as extreme weather events become more frequent. Lessons have been learned from the rescue efforts of the devastating 2008 earthquake in Sichuan that killed more than 69,000 people and wounded more than 370,000, according to Weng Qihao, chair professor at the department of land surveying and geo-informatics of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. At the time, satellite coverage of the area affected was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3271523/china-seeking-hi-tech-solutions-disaster-relief-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3271523/china-seeking-hi-tech-solutions-disaster-relief-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:00:18 +0000 China has extended its visa-free transit policy to more cities in its latest move to boost inbound tourism and regain its allure for foreigners. China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy has been expanded to three more entry ports, bringing the number of ports covered by the policy to 37, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on Monday. The three new ports are Lijiang Sanyi International Airport and Mohan railway port, both in the southwestern province of Yunnan, and Zhengzhou... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270535/china-expands-visa-free-access-foreign-visitor-numbers-begin-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270535/china-expands-visa-free-access-foreign-visitor-numbers-begin-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:47:28 +0000 A Chinese construction team in charge of excavating a tunnel in one of the longest mountain ranges in the world has embarked on the most challenging part of the mega project – slicing several kilometres through a glacial area. The 15.7km (9.8 mile) long West Tianshan Super-long Tunnel is part of a major highway connecting southern and northern areas of China’s vast western Xinjiang region. It is expected to help boost trade and tourism and provide a vital link to Central Asia under the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269194/chinese-crews-drill-under-xinjiang-glacier-super-long-highway-tunnel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269194/chinese-crews-drill-under-xinjiang-glacier-super-long-highway-tunnel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2024 04:00:10 +0000 A county in the central Chinese province of Hunan has been hit with the most severe flooding seen in 70 years after torrential storms, with local authorities declaring it a “wartime” emergency situation. The Miluo River – which flows through Pingjiang county and eventually joins the Yangtze – had reached 77.7 metres (255 feet) by 12.30am on Tuesday, the county government said. That was the highest water level recorded since 1954, and it exceeded the alert level by more than 7 metres. Pingjiang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3268822/wartime-situation-worst-flooding-70-years-hits-county-central-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3268822/wartime-situation-worst-flooding-70-years-hits-county-central-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:00:10 +0000 A senior US official has sent chills down Chinese students and their families by suggesting that their studies at American universities will be restricted to the humanities by geopolitics. Deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said on Monday that his country needed to recruit more international students in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) – but not from China. Instead, Washington is setting its sights on attracting students from India – an increasingly important... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268441/us-arrogant-say-it-prefers-indian-stem-students-chinese-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268441/us-arrogant-say-it-prefers-indian-stem-students-chinese-nationals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jun 2024 14:00:09 +0000 An influential financial newspaper in Beijing has warned that China must improve its disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities to counter the impact of more frequent extreme weather events on the country’s agricultural production. “Meteorological disasters are the most important factor in reducing food production,” a commentary published by the state-owned Economic Daily said on Tuesday. Over the past 10 years, China has lost an average of more than 30 million tonnes of grain per year... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267994/china-must-be-better-prepared-extreme-weather-and-disasters-influential-newspaper-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267994/china-must-be-better-prepared-extreme-weather-and-disasters-influential-newspaper-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:14 +0000 China’s increased focus on nuclear-powered submarines is aimed at boosting long-distance naval combat and deterrence power amid growing risks of high-seas confrontation with the US, according to military analysts. The People’s Liberation Army has for the first time publicly acknowledged a strategic shift away from conventional submarines, as Beijing pushes to build a modernised military by 2027. “The current development of China’s submarine fleet is dual-capable, both nuclear-powered and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3267590/chinese-military-focusing-nuclear-powered-subs-eye-us-navy-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3267590/chinese-military-focusing-nuclear-powered-subs-eye-us-navy-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:00:09 +0000 China’s first nuclear-powered steam generation project for industrial use has begun production, as Beijing accelerates its diversification of nuclear energy and promotes a low-carbon transformation of energy. The project, named Heqi No 1, officially went into operation on Wednesday, according to its constructor, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a state-owned enterprise with a complete nuclear technology industry framework. Through a 23.3km (14.5 miles) above-ground pipeline, CNNC... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267446/chinas-first-industrial-nuclear-powered-steam-generation-project-goes-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267446/chinas-first-industrial-nuclear-powered-steam-generation-project-goes-line?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 05:00:09 +0000 After seven years of construction, a massive connector spanning the Pearl River Delta – known as the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link – the newest component of a sprawling infrastructure plan for the Greater Bay Area, is due to open at the end of June, with hopes that it will stimulate closer economic integration in the mega city cluster. The 24km (15 mile) cross-sea span, which will connect the city of Zhongshan with the tech hub of Shenzhen across the Pearl River estuary, comprises two bridges, two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3267100/chinas-new-shenzhen-zhongshan-mega-link-carries-high-hopes-greater-bay-area-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3267100/chinas-new-shenzhen-zhongshan-mega-link-carries-high-hopes-greater-bay-area-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 01:00:15 +0000 China’s leading aircraft manufacturer said it successfully conducted the maiden flight of a new commercial aerial freight drone in northwestern China, as Beijing moves to strengthen the uncrewed vehicle market and boost its potential. The HH-100 prototype took off on Wednesday from Lantian general aviation airport in Xian, capital of Shaanxi province, said the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), an aerospace conglomerate. During the flight, the HH-100 performed normally and completed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3266611/chinas-aviation-leader-puts-cargo-drone-test-beijings-push-strategic-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3266611/chinas-aviation-leader-puts-cargo-drone-test-beijings-push-strategic-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2024 07:59:53 +0000 The Chinese embassy in Spain has lodged a protest with Real Madrid, a football club that has millions of fans in China, after a blogger reported being subjected to racist and sexist remarks during a postgame street interview. “The remarks were vulgar and offensive in nature,” the embassy said in a statement on its website on Sunday. On June 2, a Chinese blogger on Showmi, a TikTok account about soccer culture, was conducting a post-match interview on the streets of Britain. The blogger called... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266141/chinese-embassy-protests-real-madrid-after-fans-racist-and-sexist-video-interview?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266141/chinese-embassy-protests-real-madrid-after-fans-racist-and-sexist-video-interview?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:35:20 +0000 A county level official in northern China who was previously responsible for housing has allegedly been stabbed to death by a man the government said was illegally occupying a state asset. On Wednesday, the government website of Qin county in Shanxi province released an obituary stating that Qin county Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference party secretary and chairman Guo Jianyu, aged 58, was killed around 7am on Monday while he was on duty. The obituary said Guo was responsible... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3265606/chinese-local-official-dies-alleged-stabbing-after-housing-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3265606/chinese-local-official-dies-alleged-stabbing-after-housing-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2024 08:00:08 +0000