https://www.scmp.com/rss/520946/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zongshuai Fan Zongshuai Fan Driven by intensifying competition in advanced manufacturing, the world is waking up to “China shock 2.0”. The first “shock”, associated with China’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, focused on low-tech manufacturing. Of course, this latest “shock” isn’t framed as such by Chinese policymakers. They present it as an upgrade in export strength, often described as a shift from the “old three” of textiles, furniture and home appliances to the “new three” of electric vehicles,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351863/beyond-subsidies-whats-really-driving-chinas-industrial-climb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351863/beyond-subsidies-whats-really-driving-chinas-industrial-climb?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, is pushing deeper into artificial intelligence with Anew Labs, a drug-discovery unit that has begun presenting its AI-designed therapies at international conferences. The unit – also known as Anew Therapeutics or ByteDance AI Drug Discovery – operates from Shanghai, Singapore and San Jose, California. Its official website listed 36 core members, as well as big names on its “scientific advisory board”: Liu Yongjun, former president of Innovent Biologics, Ji... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352032/bytedances-drug-unit-presents-ai-designed-therapies-global-conferences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352032/bytedances-drug-unit-presents-ai-designed-therapies-global-conferences?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is stepping up efforts to secure critical sea lanes and protect its overseas assets, as crises at maritime chokepoints – including the Strait of Hormuz – expose growing vulnerabilities in global trade. In response, Beijing has tasked leading industrial enterprises and academic institutions with spearheading research to safeguard strategic trade corridors and overseas port holdings, amid escalating geopolitical tensions linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran and legal disputes over Panama... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351712/china-orders-maritime-security-research-strait-hormuz-crisis-exposes-trade-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351712/china-orders-maritime-security-research-strait-hormuz-crisis-exposes-trade-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:30:14 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu For the first time, all eight Hong Kong public universities have been ranked among the top 100 in a widely watched Asian league table, with the city’s two oldest tertiary institutions ranking among the region’s top 10. Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer of Times Higher Education (THE), also highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a world-leading education hub, noting it remained the only metropolis with as many as five universities listed in the global top 100 since 2024, an achievement he said no... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3351201/all-hong-kong-public-universities-make-asian-league-table-top-100-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3351201/all-hong-kong-public-universities-make-asian-league-table-top-100-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:02:58 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has developed a world-first high-voltage synchronous condenser, reviving a century-old grid stabiliser technology to support the country’s rapid transition to renewable energy, according to a state media report. The state-run China Electric Power News said on April 10 that a 35-kilovolt direct-connection rotating machine developed by Dongfang Electric Machinery had successfully passed testing earlier that day. The successful test made Dongfang’s synchronous condenser the first in the world... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350684/china-achieves-world-first-updating-stabilisers-renewable-energy-grids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350684/china-achieves-world-first-updating-stabilisers-renewable-energy-grids?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Iran’s small vessels may be able to challenge US blockade operations, Chinese analysts suggest, despite the heavy losses suffered by the Iranian navy during the opening weeks of the US-Israeli offensive. The United States launched a naval blockade on Monday targeting Iranian maritime trade, after peace talks in Pakistan failed over the weekend. US Central Command (Centcom) issued a formal notice on Sunday announcing that its forces would block “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350198/can-irans-small-fast-attack-boats-challenge-us-navy-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350198/can-irans-small-fast-attack-boats-challenge-us-navy-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:01:22 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang China’s world models are benefiting from early integration with the country’s strong industrial base, which gives the domestic ecosystem greater momentum than that of the US, according to an executive at a leading Chinese world model start-up. World models simulate 3D environments and physical dynamics, and are expected to help train the next generation of physical artificial intelligence applications, including robots and autonomous vehicles. Wang Xiaofeng, an algorithm partner at GigaAI, said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Iran’s reclosure of the Strait of Hormuz has strained its tenuous ceasefire with the United States but will not necessarily send the two countries sliding back into war, according to analysts. However, Israel was a wild card, they said, following renewed Israeli strikes on Lebanon. The US and Iran agreed to the ceasefire on Tuesday, just before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the strait or risk being sent back to the “Stone Ages”. Trump said he agreed to “suspend the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349534/strait-hormuz-closed-again-end-iran-us-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349534/strait-hormuz-closed-again-end-iran-us-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:21:26 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese embassy in US confirms death of semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao died at the University of Michigan last month, shortly after being questioned by US federal law enforcement. 2. ‘Impossible for Chinese’: Yale scientist Zhang Kai leaves US for China Zhang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349349/chinese-embassy-confirms-wang-danhao-death-spacex-challenger-fails-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349349/chinese-embassy-confirms-wang-danhao-death-spacex-challenger-fails-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:07 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers unveiled a gravity detector with world-leading precision last month, potentially expanding the military applications of the technology. It uses a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) to detect objects by measuring tiny changes in gravity. The team that developed the instrument says it can be used for scientific research and finding underground resources. It also brings the country one step closer to being able to spot patrolling nuclear submarines. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348984/chinas-gravity-detecting-squid-gets-closer-spotting-us-nuclear-submarines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348984/chinas-gravity-detecting-squid-gets-closer-spotting-us-nuclear-submarines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao By issuing a joint five-point plan on the Iran crisis on Tuesday, China and Pakistan have laid out what Chinese analysts described as a “feasible path” towards a ceasefire and renewed diplomacy. At the same time, the move quietly signalled an early effort to shape the post-war Middle East order in a region where the long-standing US-dominated security framework was already facing growing strain and uncertainty, the observers said. In recent weeks, regional powers have emerged as mediators to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348700/what-does-china-pakistan-plan-iran-crisis-mean-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348700/what-does-china-pakistan-plan-iran-crisis-mean-post-war-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP Navigating the future of education Widely recognised for his monumental contributions to mathematics and his deep academic roots in both the US and China, Professor Shing-Tung Yau, chair of Tsinghua University’s Qiuzhen College, will delve into the critical issues shaping the future of global talent. The event is designed to move beyond general headlines, providing an in-depth understanding of systemic educational differences, the race for fundamental science talent, and his unique educational... https://www.scmp.com/announcements/article/3348545/scmp-plus-exclusive-meet-shing-tung-yau-person?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/announcements/article/3348545/scmp-plus-exclusive-meet-shing-tung-yau-person?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:24:42 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Chinese researchers say they have built an 11-satellite network for a jam-resistant, high-accuracy optical navigation system, designed to provide positioning where GPS is unavailable or disrupted, for everything from self-driving cars and drones to deep-space missions. Optical navigation has also been used in the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, helping drones developed by companies such as Asio Technologies and General Atomics operate in environments where GPS signals are jammed. While... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/lighthouses-space-chinese-jam-proof-satellite-network-fill-gps-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/lighthouses-space-chinese-jam-proof-satellite-network-fill-gps-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:01:05 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela For decades, the United States led the charge in the pursuit of brain-computer interface technology, betting big on bold, high-risk breakthroughs that promised to revolutionise medicine and human-machine integration. In the end, it is China crossing the finish line first. Using a semi-invasive approach that may lend credence to the Confucian “doctrine of the mean” – or the philosophy of seeking a middle path between extremes – a team in China has now come up with a commercially approved product... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348126/doctrine-mean-how-us-lost-2-decade-race-china-brain-implants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348126/doctrine-mean-how-us-lost-2-decade-race-china-brain-implants?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Alcott Wei,Fan Chen Alcott Wei,Fan Chen As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month, another major shipping lane is at risk of closure but the chances of a prolonged conflict remain slim, according to Chinese analysts. The assessment came on Saturday as Iran-backed Houthi rebels joined the fray by firing missiles at Israel from Yemen. The Israeli military said it intercepted one of the projectiles. Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted a Houthi source as saying the missile attack was meant “as a warning”. The Houthis... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:31:19 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung I WAS BORN outside Philadelphia and I lived a typical American East Coast suburban childhood. My grandparents had a business selling African violets, so we would help out in the greenhouses on school holidays. It wasn’t so much art, but it was very much about putting something beautiful into people’s lives. I WENT TO an all-boys’ Jesuit high school in Philadelphia, then I went to Duke University, in North Carolina, as an undergrad. My major was literature and history, but I started to study... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3348136/philip-tinari-his-journey-through-art-and-culture-and-tai-kwuns-potential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3348136/philip-tinari-his-journey-through-art-and-culture-and-tai-kwuns-potential?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Seeram Ramakrishna, a leading researcher at the National University of Singapore and the most cited scientist from the city state, has joined one of China’s leading universities full time. He joined the department of mechanical engineering at Tsinghua University in September, but the university only announced the appointment this week. The Singaporean, who was described by MIT Technology Review China as the “father of electrospinning”, has been appointed as a Xinghua distinguished chair... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348141/top-singaporean-materials-scientist-seeram-ramakrishna-joins-chinas-tsinghua-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348141/top-singaporean-materials-scientist-seeram-ramakrishna-joins-chinas-tsinghua-university?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese computer scientists and researchers have been urged to boycott a major artificial intelligence conference after its organisers barred submissions from US-sanctioned institutions, including leading Chinese tech groups such as Huawei Technologies. The move by the China Computer Federation (CCF) is the latest flashpoint in deepening US-China tensions over AI, a fast-evolving field with far-reaching economic, social and military implications. The influential professional body said on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348006/ai-rift-widens-china-urges-boycott-top-us-conference-over-sanctions-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348006/ai-rift-widens-china-urges-boycott-top-us-conference-over-sanctions-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Chinese government advisers are calling for government-set “red lines” in artificial intelligence development and applications, as mounting threats of job displacement and data security challenges spark concerns in the country. Jiang Xiaojuan, former deputy secretary general of the State Council, said at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan province that precaution was needed when using AI simply to reduce labour costs. “Those that do not improve service quality or promote... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347940/job-fears-security-risks-spark-call-chinese-government-red-lines-ai-applications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347940/job-fears-security-risks-spark-call-chinese-government-red-lines-ai-applications?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China has officially designated ciyuan as the translation for “token” – the computational units that power tools such as Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini – in a move widely seen as devising a new form of global currency for the age of artificial intelligence. In Chinese, ci translates to “word”, while yuan is commonly used as a synonym for “currency”. For instance, the basic unit of the Chinese renminbi is the yuan, and most foreign currencies are referred to as yuan in Chinese, prefixed by their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347887/china-names-trillions-ai-token-after-yuan-should-us-worry-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347887/china-names-trillions-ai-token-after-yuan-should-us-worry-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:00:26 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China and the United States are trying to navigate their differences to ensure that they maintain a basic level of stability in their relationship, an academic conference in Beijing heard last week. At the forum held by Tsinghua University in Beijing on Friday, academics and former officials discussed the need to prevent open confrontation. US President Donald Trump’s planned visit – now postponed for “five or six weeks” as he focuses on his war with Iran – was seen as a key opportunity by many... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347855/are-us-and-china-looking-minimum-stability-after-going-through-rough-patch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347855/are-us-and-china-looking-minimum-stability-after-going-through-rough-patch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:19 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Vanessa Cai Alyssa Chen,Vanessa Cai Beijing has confirmed it remains in communication with Washington about a landmark visit by US President Donald Trump, who has requested to delay the trip by a month due to the US-Israel war on Iran. Chinese analysts characterised the delay as a strategic opportunity to ensure more substantive results. They also suggested the shift in timing was unlikely to derail the momentum towards stabilising ties between the two global powers. The White House previously announced that the trip – the first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346923/why-trumps-china-trip-delay-could-open-door-more-substantive-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346923/why-trumps-china-trip-delay-could-open-door-more-substantive-results?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:11 +0000 Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen The US-Israeli war on Iran could prove difficult to end in the short term, with Israel expected to continue to “fan the flames”, Chinese experts have warned. However, they still believe that the intense back-and-forth attacks and high tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are unlikely to last. They also reject the notion that a prolonged Middle East conflict involving the United States would benefit Beijing. It has been 12 days since the US and Israel launched joint air strikes on Iran on February... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346263/why-war-iran-not-trumps-end-will-israel-fan-flames?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346263/why-war-iran-not-trumps-end-will-israel-fan-flames?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Huang Yiping, a veteran Chinese economist, has attended countless policy forums and high-level summits over his long career. But one event at Peking University a decade ago stands out. Academic debates are often niche, sparsely attended affairs, but that afternoon in November 2016 was different. Seats in the auditorium were snatched up in minutes as people piled in to witness a showdown that had attracted nationwide attention. The public frenzy centred on a rare face-to-face clash between two... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346238/pivot-how-china-turbocharged-its-industrial-policy-and-remade-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346238/pivot-how-china-turbocharged-its-industrial-policy-and-remade-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As US President Donald Trump prepares for his first China trip in nearly a decade, Chinese scholars see an opportunity to steer ties away from confrontation and towards a managed coexistence. Speakers at a seminar hosted by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World last week were cautiously optimistic about prospects for the relationship. That was despite Washington’s strategic pullback, heightened sensitivities over the Taiwan Strait, and intensifying conflict in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346061/love-and-hate-nationalism-can-xi-and-trump-rebalance-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Chinese analysts expect Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, to continue and possibly harden his assassinated father’s policies towards the US and Israel. The appointment of the 56-year-old cleric could signal a sense of continuity inside Iran, as well as stabilise ties between Beijing and Tehran, the analysts added. Iran’s Assembly of Experts confirmed on Monday that the younger Khamenei would succeed the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the supreme leader – a post holding the final say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346134/why-china-sees-stability-hardliner-mojtaba-khameneis-rise-lead-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346134/why-china-sees-stability-hardliner-mojtaba-khameneis-rise-lead-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:15:51 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait remain Beijing’s foremost external security concern for 2026, fuelled by uncertainties surrounding the US midterm elections and the growing involvement of Japan, according to a prominent Chinese think tank. In its latest annual forecast of China’s external security risks, the Centre for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University framed this year as a pivotal moment in the profound reshaping of China’s outer defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345940/taiwan-tensions-no-1-beijings-top-10-geopolitical-risks-2026-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:14:11 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The United States and China could still have a “big year” in bilateral ties despite Washington’s ongoing strikes against Iran, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday, suggesting a planned visit to China by US President Donald Trump remained on track. Uncertainty has been mounting over Trump’s planned meeting with President Xi Jinping – expected to start on March 31 – after US and Israeli forces last month launched major strikes on Iran, one of China’s key strategic partners and oil... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345888/trumps-china-trip-still-despite-iran-wang-yi-sees-potential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345888/trumps-china-trip-still-despite-iran-wang-yi-sees-potential?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Nearly five decades ago, in 1978, a dozen or so professors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) were on a mission to visit their American counterparts as well as research institutes and factories across the United States. The visit, said to be personally approved by then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, was designed to forge academic ties and led to sister-school agreements with four prestigious US universities, including the University of Michigan (UM). It was a pivotal moment in academic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345807/us-universities-retreat-china-partnerships-who-filling-academic-void?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345807/us-universities-retreat-china-partnerships-who-filling-academic-void?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Artificial intelligence will be a focal point of the scientific agenda at Beijing’s annual legislative meeting and coming five-year plan, as China and the US pursue divergent AI paths putting their tech ecosystems at odds. Just over a year ago, Chinese start-up DeepSeek released an open-source AI model that changed how the world viewed the country’s AI capabilities and ambitions. Chinese companies have embraced an open-source approach to AI development, which has rapidly scaled usage of their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345440/two-sessions-two-paths-china-prioritises-ai-integration-amid-us-tech-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345440/two-sessions-two-paths-china-prioritises-ai-integration-amid-us-tech-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:55:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong New Tsinghua University data this week reveals a nearly 20 per cent rise in graduates joining the manufacturing and energy sectors, signalling a major shift in career pursuits in China. The sharp rise seen in Tsinghua’s class of 2025 indicates a renewed interest in traditional industrial sectors among top-tier talent as well as the pull of national strategic priorities. As some of China’s brightest minds enter these fields, the country is poised to intensify its competitive challenge to Western... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345299/manufacturing-talent-boom-why-chinas-smartest-students-are-factory-bound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345299/manufacturing-talent-boom-why-chinas-smartest-students-are-factory-bound?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa The latest season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, which premiered on January 29, is a reimagined Cinderella story. Adapted from author Julia Quinn’s novel series, the new season follows Benedict Bridgerton, the second oldest son of a well-established family in Regency-era society, and his love story with Sophie, who has been made to work as a maid in her own house by her stepmother Araminta Gun, played by Katie Leung. Of course, no Cinderella story is complete without at least one evil stepsister – and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344855/meet-michelle-mao-who-plays-evil-stepsister-rosamund-li-bridgertons-season-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344855/meet-michelle-mao-who-plays-evil-stepsister-rosamund-li-bridgertons-season-4?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:00:19 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have developed a new technique that solidifies liquid into three-dimensional objects in under a second, making for the world’s fastest 3D printing. 3D printing is no longer a novel concept – whether it is tech enthusiasts creating digital objects, metal printing conducted in space, customised bone structures for patients or even military units using 3D-printed parts for weapon repairs. However, these technologies still rely on mechanical scanning by a printing nozzle, building... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344554/quick-blink-chinese-scientists-unveil-3d-printing-under-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344554/quick-blink-chinese-scientists-unveil-3d-printing-under-second?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Communist Party cadres have been put on notice over governance and performance appraisals as the ruling body counts down to leadership changes across the country and the start of the next five-year plan. In a campaign that will continue until July, officials from the county level up have been told to correct any deviations from the “correct” line in their own duties and in assessments of those under their watch. In an article on Wednesday, state news agency Xinhua suggested that breaches of this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344633/why-communist-party-warning-cadres-about-their-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344633/why-communist-party-warning-cadres-about-their-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 01:00:18 +0000 Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen US President Donald Trump pushed a message of economic strength and global leadership in the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday night, seeking to rally voters ahead of the November midterm elections. In the nearly two-hour speech – the longest of its kind – the American leader made no direct mention of China, a move analysts said could be aimed at avoiding fresh friction with Beijing ahead of his visit. Trump’s administration is grappling with a range of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344594/donald-trump-touts-us-golden-age-avoids-direct-mention-china-ahead-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344594/donald-trump-touts-us-golden-age-avoids-direct-mention-china-ahead-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:12:31 +0000 Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong China has added 20 Japanese entities to its export control list and 20 more to a watch list scrutinising the trade of select goods, increasing economic pressure on Tokyo in a move that widens the scope of the countries’ prolonged diplomatic row to include some of Japan’s largest companies. Chinese exporters have been banned from shipping dual-use goods – items with military and civilian applications – to the firms and institutions on the export control list, Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce said... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344394/china-adds-20-japanese-firms-export-control-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344394/china-adds-20-japanese-firms-export-control-list?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 02:12:47 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Universities in China are shifting focus from traditional language degrees to country-specific and regional studies – a move analysts say reflects a broader strategy to craft a uniquely Chinese framework for understanding the world, independent of Western paradigms. The field of regional or area studies examines the politics, economics, culture, military affairs, geography, linguistics and other dimensions of countries and regions worldwide. Ministry of Education data shows that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344091/why-chinese-universities-are-ditching-language-degrees-strategic-regional-expertise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344091/why-chinese-universities-are-ditching-language-degrees-strategic-regional-expertise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Last week, US ambassador to Poland Tom Rose cut off contact with his host country’s parliamentary speaker over what he described as “outrageous and unprovoked insults” against President Donald Trump. Washington would “not permit anyone to harm US-Polish relations nor disrespect” the president, Rose warned, without specifying the insults. However, lower house speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, a left-wing Polish politician, had earlier criticised Trump’s policies and said he would not support an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3343426/trump-style-diplomacy-could-win-friends-china-harm-us-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3343426/trump-style-diplomacy-could-win-friends-china-harm-us-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Denise Tsang,Fiona Sun Denise Tsang,Fiona Sun Safeguarding national security is crucial for Hong Kong to fully implement the “one country, two systems” governing principle and ensure the city’s stability, which will aid its development and attract foreign investors. That was the key takeaway from a high-level meeting hosted by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday to discuss a white paper issued by Beijing earlier this week, only the third such report released by the State Council on local affairs since 2014. The document focused on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343584/protecting-national-security-seen-key-hong-kongs-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343584/protecting-national-security-seen-key-hong-kongs-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:37:37 +0000 Orange Wang,Fan Chen Orange Wang,Fan Chen Taiwan is likely to be “the most critical and contentious” issue when US President Donald Trump meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in less than two months, according to analysts, who called on Beijing and Washington to “turn the page” on trade. They also warned there was little chance the powers would make headway on nuclear arms control – an increasingly important fault line in bilateral ties – during Trump’s visit. While his precise arrival dates were still under discussion, Trump was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343363/taiwan-tensions-poised-be-primary-flashpoint-donald-trumps-beijing-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343363/taiwan-tensions-poised-be-primary-flashpoint-donald-trumps-beijing-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI has launched its latest flagship model, the GLM-5, with a leap in coding capabilities amid a heated race among Chinese tech firms to roll out major new models ahead of the Spring Festival holiday. Zhipu AI, known internationally as Z.ai, said that the GLM-5 represented a shift in AI development from “vibe coding” to “agentic engineering” – AI-automated coding at a larger scale – thanks to its latest model’s enhanced performance. The model’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343239/chinas-zhipu-ai-launches-new-major-model-glm-5-challenge-its-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343239/chinas-zhipu-ai-launches-new-major-model-glm-5-challenge-its-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:22:50 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A proposal to build a Boston campus of Tsinghua University, China’s most prestigious tertiary institution, with the help of Harvard University faculty was unexpectedly revealed in Friday’s release of emails related to Jeffrey Epstein. The plan eventually fell through and has little chance of revival as the US and China engage in a heated science and technology rivalry. Tsinghua is now a bastion of China’s efforts to break US tech sanctions and controls. But the proposal offers a glimpse at how... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342420/epstein-files-reveal-proposal-tsinghua-university-campus-boston?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342420/epstein-files-reveal-proposal-tsinghua-university-campus-boston?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:17:18 +0000 Kavitha Yarlagadda Kavitha Yarlagadda Artificial intelligence (AI) may look automated, but it runs on human labour. Behind every chatbot and image generator are thousands of people labelling images, tagging text, moderating content and training systems to understand language and culture. This invisible workforce has quietly become a critical layer of the global AI economy. India has emerged as a major hub for this work. Its large English-speaking workforce and long history in information technology outsourcing have made it a go-to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341993/great-powers-bet-ai-what-workforce-holding-it-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341993/great-powers-bet-ai-what-workforce-holding-it-together?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s artificial intelligence hyperscalers have quickly added cloud support for Moltbot, formerly known as Clawdbot, an open-source AI agent that has exploded in popularity globally. Billed as the “AI that actually does things”, Moltbot’s ability to autonomously execute tasks without the user directing each action has caused waves in the global developer community, briefly lifting shares of US web infrastructure giant Cloudflare in pre-market trading on Tuesday before they later... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3341701/chinas-cloud-giants-race-support-moltbot-ai-actually-does-things?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3341701/chinas-cloud-giants-race-support-moltbot-ai-actually-does-things?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo After testing Tesla’s driver assistance system FSD earlier this month, Chinese economist Ren Zeping exclaimed that autonomous driving’s large-scale real-world implementation was progressing much faster than he thought. Though driverless taxis are so far only being tested in designated areas in Chinese cities, he prophesied that autonomous driving would soon become widespread. “Autonomous driving will erupt in the next couple of years. Large models enable a unified driving paradigm, letting tens... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341532/ai-driving-seat-china-moves-rein-job-displacement-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341532/ai-driving-seat-china-moves-rein-job-displacement-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng An outbreak of the highly fatal Nipah virus in India’s eastern state of West Bengal has sparked widespread attention and public concern in China ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday when millions will travel. While the virus has infected at least five people in West Bengal, including one in critical condition, Chinese health experts say it is difficult to transmit and less likely to cause an outbreak in China. With a fatality rate of up to 75 per cent and no effective treatment or vaccines... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341299/nipah-virus-outbreak-india-sparks-worry-china-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341299/nipah-virus-outbreak-india-sparks-worry-china-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 02:00:21 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Tsinghua University and Microsoft researchers have developed a synthetic data pipeline for training artificial intelligence models without the need for real-world data, using chips from leading US chip designer Nvidia. The pipeline called SynthSmith was able to develop a small coding model that outperformed a model twice its size, potentially addressing a key bottleneck of real-world data scarcity for improving AI models, according to the paper published on open access repository arXiv on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341238/tsinghua-and-microsoft-researchers-train-ai-model-using-synthetic-data-nvidia-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341238/tsinghua-and-microsoft-researchers-train-ai-model-using-synthetic-data-nvidia-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 07:45:51 +0000 Frank Wilczek Frank Wilczek In the latest instalment of his exclusive series for the South China Morning Post, American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek pays tribute to the mathematical beauty of Yang’s contributions. Read his previous articles here. Chen-ning (Frank) Yang, a towering figure in modern physics, died on October 18, 2025 in Beijing, shortly after his 103rd birthday. Let us celebrate his profound contributions to our understanding of the world, his remarkable life and his living... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340946/revisiting-peaks-nobel-laureate-chen-ning-yangs-remarkable-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340946/revisiting-peaks-nobel-laureate-chen-ning-yangs-remarkable-career?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:00:09 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Hong Kong’s oldest university has been ranked seventh in the latest global league table for education, and has placed among the top 20 for medical and health. Renowned British publication Times Higher Education (THE) released its annual subject rankings on Wednesday. The lists cover 11 subject areas and assess them using 18 performance metrics, such as teaching, research and internationalisation. The latest rankings also saw Peking University and Tsinghua University enter the top 10 rankings for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3340585/puts-university-hong-kong-7th-education-east-asia-climbs-rankings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3340585/puts-university-hong-kong-7th-education-east-asia-climbs-rankings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:25 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The United States is likely to lose its clear edge over China in strategic relations with major nations by 2035, a prominent Chinese political scientist has predicted. Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations, said strategic competition between Beijing and Washington was likely to remain intense in the coming decade and could escalate into a crisis during US President Donald Trump’s second term, but the risk of direct war could decline under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:30:44 +0000