https://www.scmp.com/rss/520947/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com He Huifeng He Huifeng Chinese citizens are facing growing inequality in wages and wealth, constraining the country’s “common prosperity” agenda at a time of slowing economic growth, a prominent economist has warned. Offering a rare glimpse into economic distribution beyond official statistics, research by Li Shi, dean of the Institute for Common Prosperity and Development at Zhejiang University, showed that China’s wealth Gini coefficient – a measure of inequality – rose from 0.45 in 1995 to above 0.7 in 2023. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352248/chinas-common-prosperity-push-faces-reality-check-inequality-rises-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352248/chinas-common-prosperity-push-faces-reality-check-inequality-rises-study?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Resisting rigid career templates, four-time women’s world chess champion Hou Yifan balances a spontaneous lifestyle with clear-eyed purpose – from helping drive women’s competition reforms to her PhD research into the cognitive benefits of her game. Only the third woman to have placed in the world’s top 100, following Maia Chiburdanidze and Judit Polgár, Hou has held the women’s world No 1 ranking since 2015. The 32-year-old secured her first women’s world title 16 years ago, three years after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352175/chinas-hou-yifan-world-chess-champion-who-changes-rules-and-pushes-boundaries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352175/chinas-hou-yifan-world-chess-champion-who-changes-rules-and-pushes-boundaries?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 04:00:24 +0000 Vincent Chow,Minxiao Chang Vincent Chow,Minxiao Chang The potential emergence of a new DeepSeek spokesman has sparked intrigue as speculation over the whereabouts of founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng continues, more than a year after his last public appearance. While the Hangzhou start-up’s latest V4 model did not make the same waves as its breakout moment a year earlier, the much-anticipated release still grabbed headlines through a collaboration with domestic tech giant Huawei Technologies and its remarkably low prices. For the traditionally... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351700/deepseek-mystery-who-speaking-start-ceo-liang-wenfeng-remains-out-sight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351700/deepseek-mystery-who-speaking-start-ceo-liang-wenfeng-remains-out-sight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China’s official media has released a series of guidelines for would-be civil servants, warning them to dress modestly. Candidates were told they should wear “light and elegant” suits, and men were advised to get a haircut. Women were told to have clean nails, avoid jewellery, complicated make-up and make sure their hair did not cover their ears or eyes. Competition for civil service jobs – traditionally seen as an “iron rice bowl” because of the security they offer – has intensified in recent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351411/could-hair-or-cosmetics-be-make-or-break-factors-chinas-would-be-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351411/could-hair-or-cosmetics-be-make-or-break-factors-chinas-would-be-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:35:17 +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 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The West’s narrative of Chinese “overcapacity” is a double standard, said a former chief economist of the World Bank as he urged advanced economies to draw on “Eastern wisdom” rather than protectionism to navigate the rise of hi-tech competition. Justin Lin Yifu, a prominent advocate of Beijing’s industrial policy, dismissed claims that China’s auto-export surge was a sign of industrial imbalance. Speaking at Hong Kong Chu Hai College, Lin drew a contrast with Germany to expose a logical... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350885/economist-justin-lin-urges-west-adopt-eastern-wisdom-china-moves-value-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350885/economist-justin-lin-urges-west-adopt-eastern-wisdom-china-moves-value-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Qiu has been scouring Shanghai’s labour agencies for a job for her 58-year-old father – a former mechanic from neighbouring Jiangsu province caught in a frustrating limbo. While he is still years away from the official retirement age for rural migrants, his struggle to find work underscores a paradox in China’s financial hub: even as the city desperately needs more workers to counter a shrinking population, ageing jobseekers are being met with high fees and physical exhaustion. His search... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350484/more-jobs-elderly-shanghai-eyes-senior-labour-force-amid-china-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350484/more-jobs-elderly-shanghai-eyes-senior-labour-force-amid-china-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:00:13 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 3 satellites to track all? Chinese radar images confirm US military fears Last month, China released a series of undated radar images of the Towa Maru. It marked the first time ever that a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) synthetic aperture... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350385/chinas-3-satellite-surveillance-network-hong-kongs-inflation-surge-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350385/chinas-3-satellite-surveillance-network-hong-kongs-inflation-surge-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:12:07 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A Chinese artificial intelligence framework has autonomously resolved an open problem proposed more than a decade ago by a US mathematician, according to the Peking University-led team that developed it. The dual-agent framework solved the problem posed in 2014 by former University of Iowa professor Dan Anderson – who died in 2022 at the age of 73 – the researchers said in a preprint paper published on April 4. By synthesising decades of mathematical literature, the Chinese team’s AI framework... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349797/chinese-ai-solves-decade-old-maths-problem-hours-no-human-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349797/chinese-ai-solves-decade-old-maths-problem-hours-no-human-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Whether the US-Israeli war on Iran wraps up quickly or drags on, the repercussions will be felt for years, reshaping warfare, geopolitics and energy security as well as how the world sees the United States and its tactical and strategic capabilities. In the final instalment of a three-part series, we look at the move away from precision strikes on limited military assets. When Iran’s South Pars gas field was hit at the start of the US-Israeli war on the country, Tehran retaliated with attacks on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349430/iran-war-us-shifting-away-its-strategy-precision-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349430/iran-war-us-shifting-away-its-strategy-precision-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai When the American sitcom Growing Pains was first broadcast in China in the 1990s, it was the first window for many in the country into American middle-class life. In the series, a doctor father, a journalist mother and four children live in a spacious suburban home with room for mistakes and second chances. While the show lightly touched on serious social issues, it projected a picture of health, stability and security. However, Chinese viewers have had a chance to rethink the show since state... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349077/growing-pains-meets-kill-line-new-chinese-hot-take-american-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349077/growing-pains-meets-kill-line-new-chinese-hot-take-american-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Science and Nature are among the world’s most prestigious journals, which most scientists strive to publish in but never will. By the age of 30, quantum physicist Zhu Zijie had already published in both with significant discoveries on the behaviour of cold atoms. After graduating from Peking University, he went to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) – Albert Einstein’s alma mater – for graduate studies and stayed there as a postdoctoral researcher for over a year. In... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348415/do-something-nobodys-done-quantum-physicist-zhu-zijie-leaves-europe-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348415/do-something-nobodys-done-quantum-physicist-zhu-zijie-leaves-europe-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:18:12 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela As electric vehicle (EV) use surges globally, scientists have raised concerns about the performance of such batteries in high temperatures, including the possible impact of climate change on their usable lifespan. But a study published this month by researchers in China and the US has found that major advances in EV battery technologies will mitigate the impact of future warming. They studied the impact by creating an advanced model that captures future climate change and EV battery degradation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347672/does-climate-change-accelerate-ev-battery-ageing-not-so-fast-researchers-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347672/does-climate-change-accelerate-ev-battery-ageing-not-so-fast-researchers-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:10:26 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have discovered a way to turn cheap coal into valuable ingredients for medicine. This was once a long and difficult process, but now they have found a surprising short cut. In a study published on March 16 in the journal Nature, Jiao Ning’s team at Peking University solved a chemical puzzle that had confounded scientists for over 160 years. They successfully transformed inexpensive and readily available industrial feedstock – olefins – into high-value alkynes under mild and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347300/turning-coal-medicines-chinese-scientists-bring-160-year-old-dream-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347300/turning-coal-medicines-chinese-scientists-bring-160-year-old-dream-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 06:23:14 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi Beijing is launching a pilot programme to expand industrial use of hydrogen energy, at a time when war in the Middle East is exposing the risks of global reliance on fossil fuels. Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid its war with the United States and Israel – now in its third week – has disrupted oil and gas supplies, prompting some nations to re-examine their energy mix, with renewables emerging as a potential hedge against volatility. In a Monday notice, the Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346850/china-targets-hydrogen-push-strait-hormuz-crisis-jolts-energy-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346850/china-targets-hydrogen-push-strait-hormuz-crisis-jolts-energy-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:03:05 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Washington’s redeployment of elements of its missile defence systems from South Korea to the Middle East could be read by China as a short-term capability gap in the region, analysts said. They said the move also underlined US flexibility to move its assets across theatres of operation. A Washington Post report on Tuesday citing two unnamed US government officials said that the United States had been moving parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system stationed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346575/us-shifting-thaad-south-korea-mideast-what-does-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346575/us-shifting-thaad-south-korea-mideast-what-does-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +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 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing could gain a strategic edge in the Taiwan Strait as US military assets are diverted to the Middle East, even though it remains committed to peaceful reunification, a prominent mainland expert on the Taiwan issue said on Tuesday. Li Yihu, dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Peking University and a deputy to China’s National People’s Congress, said Washington’s involvement in multiple conflicts, including the ongoing war in Iran, was straining its armed forces and diminishing its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346239/china-stands-gain-us-moving-military-assets-iran-war-cross-strait-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346239/china-stands-gain-us-moving-military-assets-iran-war-cross-strait-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:30 +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. Could Iran war confirm China’s prediction on US military’s hypersonic nightmare? On the same day the US and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, a research team led by Liao Longwen with the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology published a paper in the Chinese journal Tactical Missile Technology on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346186/iran-war-highlights-us-defence-gaps-mathematician-returns-china-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346186/iran-war-highlights-us-defence-gaps-mathematician-returns-china-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 07:30:08 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Despite its heavy reliance on oil and gas imports, China’s “national strength” insulates its energy security from short-term geopolitical shocks, a prominent petroleum geologist said. Jin Zhijun, dean of the Institute of Energy at Peking University, said that China – as a large country – could ensure its energy security amid a volatile international energy trading landscape, with multiple contingency plans in place. They included tapping more domestic resources by increasing oil and gas... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346173/chinas-size-strength-insulates-its-energy-security-amid-geopolitical-shocks-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346173/chinas-size-strength-insulates-its-energy-security-amid-geopolitical-shocks-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:30:15 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China should not follow SpaceX in launching artificial intelligence data centres into orbit, but instead focus on more practical near-term space-based computing, a senior researcher has said. Gao Wen, a computer scientist at Peking University and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said on Thursday that electricity demand was not a major bottleneck for AI data centres in China, meaning there was little reason to move them into space. In a Sina News interview during the annual “two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345685/china-cant-buy-elon-musks-theory-space-based-ai-centres-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345685/china-cant-buy-elon-musks-theory-space-based-ai-centres-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:30:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. As Iran war closes Middle East skies, how high can Cathay Pacific fares fly? 2. Rising star chip scientist Jiang Jianfeng leaves MIT for Peking University 3. Takeaways from Foreign Minister Wang Yi at China’s ‘two sessions’ 4. Singapore real estate giants feel the heat amid China’s property... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345917/cathay-fares-surge-cuhk-professor-suspended-australia-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345917/cathay-fares-surge-cuhk-professor-suspended-australia-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:37:09 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Most academics take eight to 10 years after earning a PhD to become doctoral supervisors. But semiconductor scientist Jiang Jianfeng has done it in just 18 months. The 30-year-old only earned his PhD in June 2024. After briefly serving as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he has now returned to Peking University to serve as a principal investigator, associate professor and PhD supervisor. Jiang’s research focuses on two-dimensional indium selenide... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345553/rising-star-chip-scientist-jiang-jianfeng-leaves-mit-chinas-peking-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345553/rising-star-chip-scientist-jiang-jianfeng-leaves-mit-chinas-peking-university?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng In the run-up to this year’s ‘two sessions’ – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body – high-level policymakers have stressed the need to defuse financial risks and root out political corruption, two of President Xi Jinping’s long-term priorities. As part of a series, Dannie Peng looks at the fight against corruption in academia. As science and technology become national priorities in China, Beijing has turned its sweeping corruption crackdown on academia,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345414/why-chinas-anti-corruption-drive-academia-vital-its-science-and-tech-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345414/why-chinas-anti-corruption-drive-academia-vital-its-science-and-tech-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +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 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Rising energy costs driven by Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions may provide some relief to China’s years-long struggle with weak prices, but analysts warn that a spike in oil prices could spark a scenario in which stagnant economic growth collides with rising inflation, hindering the nation’s economic recovery. “Rising oil prices [could] lead to stagflation, which helps increase the inflation rate but also leads to a decline in economic growth and an increase in unemployment,” said Su Jian,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345420/mideast-oil-crisis-revives-stagflation-spectre-haunting-chinas-deflation-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345420/mideast-oil-crisis-revives-stagflation-spectre-haunting-chinas-deflation-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:00:40 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Beijing has built military capacity and strengthened political resolve but needs to project a more credible deterrence as it steps up unification with Taiwan over the next five years, according to a mainland Chinese policy adviser. Li Yihu, dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Peking University, said the reunification process would enter an “accelerated phase” in the next five years and the mainland needed to do more to communicate an understanding of what he said was the inevitability of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345400/whats-one-big-thing-missing-beijings-taiwan-deterrence-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345400/whats-one-big-thing-missing-beijings-taiwan-deterrence-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:00:20 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A businesswoman from central China who was raised in a family that prized sons over daughters has built her own e-commerce fashion empire. Huang Xuanni, 44, grew up in a rural family in Binzhou, Hunan province, where she was the overlooked sixth daughter among seven children. Her parents, who lavished attention on their only son, left Huang to eat alone on the doorstep and rarely remembered her name. Mainland reports recount a heartbreaking moment in her childhood when her parents abandoned her... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3344619/china-entrepreneur-abandoned-child-owns-fashion-brand-generates-us36-million-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3344619/china-entrepreneur-abandoned-child-owns-fashion-brand-generates-us36-million-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A team of Chinese scientists has unveiled the world’s smallest and most energy-efficient transistor in a breakthrough poised to anchor the next generation of high-performance AI hardware. The researchers achieved the feat in ferroelectric transistors (FeFETs), which function similarly to neurons in the human brain as they integrate memory and processing in a single unit, thereby reducing the time lost in data transfer. In conventional semiconductor chips, data storage and computation occur in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344495/smaller-faster-smarter-chinese-transistor-ready-future-ai-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344495/smaller-faster-smarter-chinese-transistor-ready-future-ai-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have used artificial intelligence to make progress on a more than 300-year-old maths problem that has implications for large-scale data storage and advanced telecommunications. Using an AI system called PackingStar, the researchers made record-breaking advances on the “kissing number” problem, surpassing the limits of human geometric intuition and standard computing. The work done by the team was like a “romance” between machines and humans exploring science together, they... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343961/romance-between-scientists-and-ai-leads-progress-age-old-maths-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343961/romance-between-scientists-and-ai-leads-progress-age-old-maths-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers have announced a new technique to mass produce 2D material wafers, paving the way for high-performance electronics using a successor to silicon. As semiconductor chips evolve, transistor sizes are approaching the physical limits of silicon-based technology. The search for next-generation semiconductor materials that can deliver superior performance has become a global priority. Among the candidates, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) with their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343807/chinese-scientists-hit-breakthrough-2d-semiconductor-wafers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343807/chinese-scientists-hit-breakthrough-2d-semiconductor-wafers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu In the latest sign of China’s push to channel private capital into infrastructure, several local governments have begun actively seeking private investors for two major ultra-high-voltage power line projects – the first schemes of their kind to open up to non-state funding since a Beijing directive encouraging the practice last November. China is building a series of vast power lines to funnel clean energy from its resource-rich but sparsely populated western regions to power-hungry industrial... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343495/chinese-power-line-projects-seek-private-capital-sign-infrastructure-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343495/chinese-power-line-projects-seek-private-capital-sign-infrastructure-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers say they have found a viable pathway to building long-distance quantum communication networks. In a study published this week in Nature, a team from Peking University said it had developed a prototype networking capacity that could communicate over distances of more than 3,700km (2,300 miles). Quantum key distribution (QKD) is regarded as the gold standard for secure communication – any attempt at eavesdropping inevitably leaves detectable traces, regardless of distance or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343417/chinese-scientists-find-path-long-distance-quantum-communications-network?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343417/chinese-scientists-find-path-long-distance-quantum-communications-network?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 05:00:27 +0000 Orange Wang,Cao Jiaxuan Orange Wang,Cao Jiaxuan Chinese President Xi Jinping’s unprecedented back-to-back conversations with his US and Russian counterparts have shed new light on how the three powers are positioning themselves. The Chinese leader’s separate talks on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin also reveal their attempts to stabilise ties as they prepare for in-person summits and grapple with mounting headwinds at home. However, analysts expressed mixed views on whether – and how – China could... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342561/what-xis-calls-trump-and-putin-reveal-about-chinas-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342561/what-xis-calls-trump-and-putin-reveal-about-chinas-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:07:48 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik A Chinese AI system has outperformed its US competitors in solving geometry problems at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) level, taking less than half the time and using simpler computational resources, according to its developers. Unlike existing models confined to problem-solving, the Chinese system can also generate mathematical problems – three of which appeared in a Chinese national team qualifying exam and a top Olympiad in the United States in 2024. “We present TongGeometry, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341517/chinese-ai-goes-next-level-geometry-top-us-maths-olympiad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341517/chinese-ai-goes-next-level-geometry-top-us-maths-olympiad?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo China is starting to reap the rewards of its food-security push into the seed sector, aggressively making a play for self-reliance with domestically developed varieties dubbed the “chips” of agriculture. This strategic push, authorities say, has seen the nation make substantial progress in developing and deploying its own vital crop and livestock genetics, aiming to reduce dependence amid global uncertainties. In this once innovation-deficient sector, the domestic breeding source market share... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341011/rooted-resilience-chinas-seed-push-plants-agricultural-chips-grows-self-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341011/rooted-resilience-chinas-seed-push-plants-agricultural-chips-grows-self-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A radically different kind of chip created by Chinese researchers can now handle real-world data tasks, potentially reshaping artificial intelligence systems’ reliance on power-hungry digital processors, its developers said. Building on work reported in October, the Peking University team’s ultra-fast, energy-efficient analogue chip has moved beyond solving basic mathematical problems and can now power applications such as personalised recommendation and image processing. In a paper published on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340939/chinas-analogue-ai-chip-runs-12-times-fast-1/200th-energy-digital-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340939/chinas-analogue-ai-chip-runs-12-times-fast-1/200th-energy-digital-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:00:14 +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 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu As China struggles to boost consumer spending, a professor at one of the country’s top universities has argued that authorities first need to overcome a psychological barrier: a deep-seated “luxury-phobia” that has taken hold among the Chinese public. The suggestion by Su Jian, a professor at Peking University, comes amid a debate in Chinese policy circles about how to revive the country’s sluggish demand, with retail sales slowing despite government efforts to rebalance the economy towards a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340525/chinas-consumers-refuse-open-their-wallets-luxury-phobia-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340525/chinas-consumers-refuse-open-their-wallets-luxury-phobia-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 07:00:33 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang How to beat the United States in gene editing? A research team from Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences had struggled with this question for three years, with no results. Then they decided to draw inspiration from an ancient woodwork tradition and cut DNA like wood. It led to a gene-editing tool with unprecedented efficiency. In the Chinese mortise-and-tenon joint technique known as sunmao, no nails or glue are used. Instead, a protruding “tenon” on one piece fits securely into... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339967/chinas-7000-year-old-sunmao-woodwork-leads-worlds-most-efficient-dna-editing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339967/chinas-7000-year-old-sunmao-woodwork-leads-worlds-most-efficient-dna-editing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:48:22 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese military says it is developing over 10 quantum warfare weapons The People’s Liberation Army said more than 10 experimental quantum cyber warfare tools were “under development”, many of which were being “tested in front-line... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3339974/chinas-quantum-warfare-weapons-rising-star-quits-us-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3339974/chinas-quantum-warfare-weapons-rising-star-quits-us-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:12:09 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng A leading young Chinese chemical engineer has left the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to return home to Peking University. Zheng Yu recently completed her postdoctoral training in bioelectronics in the US but has now joined the Chinese university’s college of chemistry and molecular engineering as an assistant professor. According to her Peking University webpage, Zheng is working on wearable and implantable electronic devices, such as smart bandages that are used to monitor health. Her... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339893/zheng-yu-rising-star-chemical-engineering-mit-quits-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339893/zheng-yu-rising-star-chemical-engineering-mit-quits-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:00:14 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A technical paper co-authored by Liang Wenfeng, the founder of Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek, and a group of Peking University researchers has proposed a new model training technique, which they say can facilitate “aggressive parameter expansion” by bypassing graphics processing unit (GPU) memory constraints. The development underscores the Hangzhou start-up’s continued focus on maximising cost efficiency amid a deficit in computational power relative to US industry leaders,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339740/deepseek-founders-latest-paper-proposes-new-ai-model-training-bypass-gpu-limits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339740/deepseek-founders-latest-paper-proposes-new-ai-model-training-bypass-gpu-limits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:00:16 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek has updated the technical paper of its landmark R1 model, showcasing the contributions of the 18 core scientists who powered its AI ambitions and capabilities, as anticipation heightened about a potential new major model release. The paper suggested that DeepSeek retained all 18 scientists behind its AI model development efforts, as well as many of the R1 project’s 176 contributors, despite fierce competition for talent in China’s AI industry. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339215/core-chinese-research-team-behind-cutting-edge-ai-model-r1-remains-intact-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339215/core-chinese-research-team-behind-cutting-edge-ai-model-r1-remains-intact-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China’s ideology chief has again called on propaganda officials to focus on the economy, as the country grapples with a slowdown, high unemployment and weak consumer demand. Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, told a national meeting of publicity department heads in Beijing on Monday that “a good start should be set” for the next five-year plan, state news agency Xinhua reported. The country’s new blueprint for social and economic development has officially begun and runs until... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338882/chinas-ideology-chief-calls-propaganda-officials-focus-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338882/chinas-ideology-chief-calls-propaganda-officials-focus-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 07:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A groundbreaking Chinese innovation is turning one of climate policy’s oldest assumptions on its head: that cutting emissions inevitably hurts the economy. Critics including US President Donald Trump have long dismissed green regulations as a drag on industry, claiming they raise costs and cut production. Even the European Union is now reconsidering its phase-out targets for fossil fuel vehicles, using the negative economic impact as justification. But new research from a team led by the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338372/chinas-emission-free-tech-boosts-productivity-3-fold-debunks-trumps-green-burden-theory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338372/chinas-emission-free-tech-boosts-productivity-3-fold-debunks-trumps-green-burden-theory?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng AI scientist Ling Haibin, the acclaimed computer scientist behind the world’s first mobile plant identification app, has left his position in the United States to take up a full-time role at Westlake University in Hangzhou, eastern China. One of Ling’s PhD research projects, which involved using computers to recognise leaves of different shapes, led to the creation of the identification app LeafSnap. The app teaches users about plant diversity, how to care for houseplants, diagnose disease and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338607/ai-scientist-ling-haibin-father-worlds-first-plant-id-app-leaves-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338607/ai-scientist-ling-haibin-father-worlds-first-plant-id-app-leaves-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang As China grapples with persistent deflationary pressure, scholars from one of the country’s top universities have urged the government to take more forceful action to prevent the economy from becoming trapped in a Japan-style downward spiral. Beijing should adopt a binding inflation target and make reviving price growth a top priority, they argued, pointing to Japan’s “lost decades” as a cautionary tale of how deflation can become deeply entrenched if left unchecked. “Japan’s experience has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338472/china-must-take-action-avoid-japan-style-deflation-spiral-scholars-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338472/china-must-take-action-avoid-japan-style-deflation-spiral-scholars-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 07:00:11 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu DP Technology – the developer of a suite of AI tools used by researchers for work spanning drug design to battery development – has raised more than 800 million yuan (US$114 million) in Series C financing to expand research and development (R&D) and hire talent. The Beijing-based AI-for-Science (AI4S) start-up said on Wednesday that the round drew backing from a mix of state-linked and venture investors, including Fortune Venture Capital, Beijing Jingguorui Equity Investment Fund, Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3337648/ai-science-start-dp-technology-raises-us114-million-series-c-round?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3337648/ai-science-start-dp-technology-raises-us114-million-series-c-round?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:00:15 +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