https://www.scmp.com/rss/522974/feed The latest news and top stories on China News Service (CNS). A prominent state-owned news agency headquartered in Beijing, China, CNS is the nation’s second-largest media organisation. Established in 1952, its primary mission involves providing news coverage, particularly targeting overseas Chinese communities, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Operating globally with numerous branches, CNS engages in extensive news reporting across various media, including text, video and publications. It is... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A top Chinese political adviser has sounded the alarm on forced marriages of women with mental disabilities in rural areas, calling for a prevention mechanism and a nationwide investigation campaign. Jiang Shengnan, a writer and member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body, warned that tackling the issue presented multiple challenges. There was a lack of support for such women when it came to marriage-related decision-making, Jiang told... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345470/chinas-two-sessions-adviser-urges-end-forced-marriages-mentally-ill-rural-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345470/chinas-two-sessions-adviser-urges-end-forced-marriages-mentally-ill-rural-women?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 02:12:53 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang In China, death is traditionally seen as a taboo and often tied to bad luck. But in Heze, a city in eastern China’s Shandong province, this cultural barrier has given rise to a booming industry. According to Personage magazine, Lisa Liu, 29, from Heze was once a teacher. Exhausted and hoarse from the pressure of work, Liu switched careers in July 2023. After a chance interview, she went into coffin sales, focusing on the European market, particularly Italy. Her boss took her on a tour of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343065/china-woman-quits-teaching-sell-coffins-europe-generating-us6-million-sales-annually?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343065/china-woman-quits-teaching-sell-coffins-europe-generating-us6-million-sales-annually?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council election has seen a significant increase in candidates linked to mainland Chinese enterprises, with at least 49 – almost a third of the total – affiliated with such firms, up 50 per cent from 2021. The higher proportion reflected the growing prominence of mainland capital in Hong Kong’s economy and Beijing’s push for Legco to drive the city’s integration into national development, a political scholar said. A check by the Post found that among the 161... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331537/30-161-hong-kong-legco-election-candidates-linked-mainland-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331537/30-161-hong-kong-legco-election-candidates-linked-mainland-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 23:30:12 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Senegalese-Italian influencer Khaby Lame, the most followed figure on a short video platform, began his journey in China on September 9 and has attracted significant attention in the country. Lame boasts 162 million followers on TikTok, where he is celebrated for his silent videos that humorously critique overly complicated life hacks. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at US$20 million. His wordless reactions in his videos have earned him the nickname “Speechless Brother” or wuyu... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3325319/speechless-brother-boasting-162-million-fans-starts-china-journey-gains-massive-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3325319/speechless-brother-boasting-162-million-fans-starts-china-journey-gains-massive-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 06:00:20 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. As Hong Kong was battered by torrential rain in August, various clips circulated online misleadingly attributed to the extreme weather events. One was a Facebook reel, uploaded on August 5, 2025, that appeared to show the flooded interior of an MTR... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323134/videos-hong-kongs-2025-rainstorm-actually-show-downpour-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323134/videos-hong-kongs-2025-rainstorm-actually-show-downpour-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 06:36:18 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has lashed out at the United States for questioning Chinese students at the border, accusing it of discrimination and of taking them into “small, dark rooms” for over 70 hours. Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, said on Friday that these actions “seriously infringed upon the legitimate and legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens, severely obstructed normal personnel exchanges between the two countries, and seriously undermined the atmosphere for people-to-people and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322866/beijing-accuses-us-holding-chinese-students-small-dark-rooms-over-70-hours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322866/beijing-accuses-us-holding-chinese-students-small-dark-rooms-over-70-hours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen The Chinese government has presented its first themed report to the top legislature on “new quality productive forces” – a growth model focused on technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrades – pledging to expand the use of home-grown large language models and attract more foreign investment. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, told lawmakers that China had made significant progress in advancing the development model, which President... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315803/chinas-top-lawmakers-review-first-report-new-tech-driven-growth-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315803/chinas-top-lawmakers-review-first-report-new-tech-driven-growth-model?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 01:00:13 +0000