https://www.scmp.com/rss/93/feed The latest opinion and comment on news from Hong Kong, China and the world. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alex Lo Alex Lo Fans of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace all have their own reasons for loving the epic novel. Some read it as a story of personal growth, reflected in Prince Andrei’s spiritual quest. Others favour its portrayal of the Russian aristocracy in the early 19th century. As for myself, the novel punctured the myth of the military genius – not just Napoleon’s. The book’s final section on Tolstoy’s philosophy of history presented the most significant challenge to G.W.F. Hegel – specifically regarding French... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353547/beijing-had-already-won-trump-xi-summit-even-started?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353547/beijing-had-already-won-trump-xi-summit-even-started?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Most readers of foreign news pages this weekend will be assuming that US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has been dominating everyone’s attention. But across Asia, Trump, with his massive business entourage, was not the only act in town this week. At least two other major sets of meetings should not be overlooked. First, in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosting foreign ministers from the 10 Brics economies and a growing community... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The recent student backlash over Kwun Tong Maryknoll College’s strict phone-free policy has reignited a vital debate in Hong Kong: not whether young people should use phones, but how and when schools should allow them. Many schools already ask students to switch devices off or... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353352/phone-free-policy-will-work-only-if-students-help-create-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353352/phone-free-policy-will-work-only-if-students-help-create-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Ian Borchard Ian Borchard Hong Kong is in a unique position to capitalise on yacht tourism – with over 1,000km of coastline and more than 200 islands, this natural advantage is something few international cities can match. Recent policy initiatives, ranging from new mooring developments to cross-boundary integration within the Greater Bay Area, signal the government’s clear intent to further promote the marine economy. Plans to add over 1,100 new berths and expand key sites, such as the Aberdeen typhoon shelter and the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353168/3-ways-build-hong-kongs-yacht-economy-beyond-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353168/3-ways-build-hong-kongs-yacht-economy-beyond-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 01:30:04 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Day one of the summit in Beijing between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump opened with a welcome ceremony befitting the importance of the event, and ended with a significant agreement on the future of the China-US relationship. Most importantly, the two sides have agreed to establish a new strategic framework of “constructive strategic stability”. This hopefully will define the bilateral relationship for the rest of Trump’s term. It is not simply the definition of a relationship... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353587/xi-trump-summit-beijing-heralds-start-constructive-stable-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353587/xi-trump-summit-beijing-heralds-start-constructive-stable-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang In recent years, the Brics grouping has attracted attention as it adds members and positions itself as the voice of the Global South. At a Brics forum held in Beijing last month, officials discussed expanding trade within the grouping. Such initiatives reflect both an impulse to reduce exposure to external shocks linked to the US dollar and a long-term ambition to reshape global finance. These gatherings are as much about signalling intent as delivering substance. Brics wants to be seen as a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353220/what-brics-lacks-unity-it-makes-flexibility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353220/what-brics-lacks-unity-it-makes-flexibility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump last met President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on October 30 last year, the US Federal Reserve had just embarked on a monetary easing cycle. At the end of 2025, bond investors were betting that the Fed would continue reducing interest rates this year. Fast forward to today and the financial landscape is markedly different. While investors were still anticipating cuts in borrowing costs just before the war in Iran erupted at the end of February, they are now... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353499/trump-xi-summit-puts-us-vulnerabilities-display?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353499/trump-xi-summit-puts-us-vulnerabilities-display?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 12:30:04 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan Hong Kong’s latest quarterly figures look better than many observers expected. Despite the disruption caused by the war in the Middle East and an unsettled global backdrop, growth has been steady, markets have remained buoyant and visitors have been returning. On the surface, the numbers point to a resilient economy despite heightened global geopolitical tensions and elevated risk. Yet in conversations with many business leaders overseas, there is a quiet unease that has not yet entered the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353431/hong-kongs-economic-figures-look-good-business-unease-rising?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353431/hong-kongs-economic-figures-look-good-business-unease-rising?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Every unresolved conflict carries an economic cost. Immediate effects include disrupted trade, rising legal expenses, reduced investor confidence and fragile supply chains. Long-term effects include weakened institutions and an erosion of social and human capital. In economics,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353242/hong-kong-mediation-body-shows-viable-path-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353242/hong-kong-mediation-body-shows-viable-path-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Ronny Tong Ronny Tong The death of Ted Turner, who founded CNN in 1980 as the world’s first 24-hour television news channel, is a poignant reminder of the glory days of the fourth estate. CNN made day-and-night news coverage, including at the front line of battlefields, an everyday experience for many people. The rise of the internet and ever more channels of news delivery has enabled a global audience of news consumers, attuned to reports delivered from all around the world. This has turned the most successful news... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353284/jimmy-lai-case-shows-press-freedom-not-get-out-jail-free-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353284/jimmy-lai-case-shows-press-freedom-not-get-out-jail-free-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 01:30:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial It was devastating to hear investigators say that a cigarette was likely to have sparked last November’s deadly Hong Kong housing estate fire that raged for more than 43 hours, killed 168 people and left thousands without homes. There is growing hope that similar tragedies at renovation or construction sites could be prevented by banning smoking during such work. The public inquiry into the Wang Fuk Court blaze also learned that despite 17 checks at the site, Labour Department inspectors... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353375/smoking-ban-construction-sites-must-be-implemented-without-delay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353375/smoking-ban-construction-sites-must-be-implemented-without-delay?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 23:15:04 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Twelve years after illegal ride-hailing was launched to compete with taxi services in Hong Kong and give passengers a wider choice, the government has embarked on the last stage of a long journey towards regulating them and putting them on a legal footing. The major issue for stakeholders in both the taxi industry and ride-hailing platforms – and for customers – is the hotly disputed cap on the number of ride-hailing vehicles to be allowed on the road. The Transport and Logistics Bureau says it... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353361/ride-hailing-regulation-must-keep-customers-and-operators-mind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353361/ride-hailing-regulation-must-keep-customers-and-operators-mind?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 22:45:05 +0000 Lee Min-Yong Lee Min-Yong The US strikes on Iran sent a clear signal to Pyongyang. But rather than retreat or show renewed interest in denuclearisation, North Korea has doubled down on deterrence. In recent weeks, Pyongyang has tightened security around its leadership and continued its missile launches, underscoring its sensitivity to Washington’s military posture. From Pyongyang’s perspective, these moves are meant not only to gauge how far US military pressure could one day extend, but also to signal that North Korea’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 21:30:04 +0000 Ambika Vishwanath Ambika Vishwanath Summer hit South Asia early this year. April saw above average temperatures and the mercury is expected to reach unbearable highs this month. We are also bracing for a “super El Nino”, where a combination of increased heatwaves and highly variable weather patterns are expected to push urban zones, agricultural systems and public health to their limits. South Asia, especially parts of Pakistan, India and Nepal, is likely to receive below average monsoon rainfall during the summer months of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353157/south-asia-must-make-water-top-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353157/south-asia-must-make-water-top-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Jeffrey D. Sachs Jeffrey D. Sachs The G7 economists’ memo from March and the IMF’s April report on global imbalances arrived at the same prescription: China’s current account surplus is excessive and should be cut by boosting consumption. The diagnosis is wrong. The world economy, especially emerging markets and developing economies, benefits from China’s high saving. A current account surplus is the excess of national saving over domestic investment. The saving is not lost; it is exported abroad in the form of net capital... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353281/why-world-needs-china-save-more-not-less?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353281/why-world-needs-china-save-more-not-less?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Each weekday morning, I leave home in central Tin Shui Wai, take the light rail to the MTR station, and then ride the Tuen Ma line towards the city. By the time the train reaches Nam Cheong, I would have spent close to 40 minutes pressed shoulder to shoulder with my fellow... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353141/hong-kongs-northern-link-must-be-more-rail-plus-property-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353141/hong-kongs-northern-link-must-be-more-rail-plus-property-project?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo After the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, which almost doubled the size of the United States’ territory, US president Thomas Jefferson commissioned the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition, which surveyed new routes from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast. It also carried out work in agriculture, ethnography (with indigenous peoples) and geography. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, that was the kind of science the US government was willing to pay for – practical,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s domestic helpers have easy access to unsecured loans from licensed money lenders. But they are often in no position to repay them. Many end up being sucked into a damaging spiral of debt. There is a need for tighter regulation. The government’s measures to strengthen rules for the sector to combat “excessive borrowing” among low-income workers will help tackle the problem. They are a step in the right direction. Monthly repayments for unsecured personal loans to such borrowers will... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353243/tightened-rules-hong-kongs-money-lenders-will-protect-helpers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353243/tightened-rules-hong-kongs-money-lenders-will-protect-helpers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 23:15:12 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial It may seem like long ago that, for a period, visiting a loved one who was a patient in a public hospital was a logistical exercise, if it was allowed at all. That was, of course, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Visiting hours and the number of visitors allowed at any one time were limited. Visitors were permitted only on production of negative rapid antigen test or nucleic acid test results, and proof of vaccination. That such measures were accepted as necessary says something about the times and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353248/extended-visiting-hours-reflect-enlightened-approach-patient-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353248/extended-visiting-hours-reflect-enlightened-approach-patient-care?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 22:45:05 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi Against the backdrop of a shifting diplomatic landscape, US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing this week for a high-stakes summit. While Washington frames the visit, delayed by the war in Iran, as a pivotal effort to rebalance ties, the bravado of maximum pressure masks a deepening domestic vulnerability. Trump’s arrival comes at a critical juncture; his administration faces multiple crises. The looming 2026 midterms have intensified pressure from a restless agricultural... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353159/trumps-art-deal-playbook-failing-beijing-asserts-itself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353159/trumps-art-deal-playbook-failing-beijing-asserts-itself?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Shen Yi Shen Yi As US President Donald Trump prepares to visit China, Taiwan is again one of the most sensitive issues in US-China relations. For Washington, this is not only a question about the Taiwan Strait. It is a strategic choice that bears on whether the United States can avoid a comprehensive conflict with China, stabilise markets and secure Chinese cooperation on trade, artificial intelligence (AI), Iran and the wider Middle East. This could be the moment when a clear US stance against Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353217/opposing-taiwan-independence-americas-own-interest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353217/opposing-taiwan-independence-americas-own-interest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok The much-awaited reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains elusive. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump found the Iranian response to the latest US peace proposal to be “unacceptable”, so it is unlikely that a pathway to unblocking the waterway can be established before his Beijing trip. With Hormuz unresolved, the US president will arrive for the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week with a weaker hand. Bluster aside, what is the United States’ true bargaining position on the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353150/trump-has-few-cards-play-against-iran-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353150/trump-has-few-cards-play-against-iran-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Letters Letters When President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump in Busan, their first face-to-face encounter since Trump’s return to the White House, the meeting was notable for what they didn’t say. The conspicuous absence of Taiwan from official readouts dominated headlines back then. Now as the planned Xi-Trump summit in Beijing approaches this week, that silence has been replaced by a thunderous clarification. Through high-level meetings on May 7 with US Senator Steve Daines, a key Trump ally whose... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353083/chinas-message-trump-clear-red-line-taiwan-must-be-respected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353083/chinas-message-trump-clear-red-line-taiwan-must-be-respected?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Huang Qingchen Huang Qingchen Over the past few weeks, Hong Kong has offered a vivid demonstration of what it means to be a cultural hub. The city has transformed into a stage glittering with events that draws visitors from all across the world. The second Hong Kong International Cultural Summit, held on March 22-23, kicked off the season, attracting more than 1,000 thought leaders and members of the global art community for in-depth dialogue. Then Art Basel Hong Kong began, bringing together 240 galleries from 41 countries... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353100/best-hong-kong-cultural-hub-yet-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353100/best-hong-kong-cultural-hub-yet-come?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Beijing has finally confirmed that US President Donald Trump will make a state visit to China for talks with President Xi Jinping from Wednesday to Friday. The bilateral relationship is very important to both countries, and equally so to the rest of the world. At the same time, we should not expect too much of the visit. Many global issues need the attention of China and the United States, whether the rest of the world wants to see a G2 geopolitical leadership duo. It remains to be seen whether... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353155/trump-xi-summit-may-not-yield-deal-still-significant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353155/trump-xi-summit-may-not-yield-deal-still-significant?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 23:15:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The hantavirus cluster that took a deadly toll on a cruise ship far away in the Atlantic has understandably been of great concern to many in Hong Kong. Fears have grown globally since the phrase “human-to-human transmission” was used to describe what happened on board the MV Hondius after it set sail from Argentina on April 1. Given densely populated Hong Kong’s experience with Covid, Sars and other illnesses, it is good that the city authorities have been on the alert since at least three... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353166/hong-kong-treating-hantavirus-outbreak-reasonable-caution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353166/hong-kong-treating-hantavirus-outbreak-reasonable-caution?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 22:45:04 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong With the war in the Middle East entering its third month, questions have surfaced over its geopolitical ramifications in the region and beyond. An entity that has drawn particular scrutiny is Brics. The 10-member grouping is defined less by a clear set of common values and more by contingently overlapping interests. It does not and cannot speak with one voice on the conflict. Two Brics members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are at loggerheads: Tehran has launched missile and drone... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos Beijing’s position in Latin America is far from collapsing, looking at the number of countries in the region that have switched diplomatic ties to it from Taipei. But in parts of the continent, governments are increasingly reassessing what their relationships with Beijing are delivering economically and politically. The shift is becoming visible in countries such as Honduras, Venezuela and Cuba, where economic strain, energy instability and geopolitical pressure are exposing the limits of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352923/latin-america-reassessing-benefits-warm-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352923/latin-america-reassessing-benefits-warm-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A wave of bullishness is sweeping through Hong Kong’s real estate market. A report by S&P Global Ratings on May 5 said an “upside surprise” could materialise. One of the catalysts for a stronger-than-expected recovery was evidence of more competitive bids at residential land auctions in recent months. S&P said, “Hong Kong has become the first major city in China whose property market has bottomed. That could attract developers from mainland China looking to secure new projects”. More aggressive... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353092/hong-kongs-property-recovery-could-be-more-robust-many-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353092/hong-kongs-property-recovery-could-be-more-robust-many-think?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Hong Kong has long prided itself on being a city that knows how to put on a show. Yet the abrupt end to the 25+ Emperor Entertainment Group Family Concert at Kai Tak Stadium last Monday night has raised an awkward question for a city eager to brand itself as a mega-event hub: is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352832/abrupt-end-kai-tak-concert-tarnishes-hong-kongs-mega-event-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352832/abrupt-end-kai-tak-concert-tarnishes-hong-kongs-mega-event-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu You can’t buy happiness, they say. But we “buy” dopamine fixes all the time. Just whip out the smartphone and we easily go down that rabbit hole of endless doom scrolling, falling into the addictive trap of instant gratification, chasing likes, shares, comments and followers as rewards. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in our experience of pleasure, focus, reward and motivation. It propels us to put in effort, devote time and feel good about our achievements. Before the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3352904/hong-kong-right-move-extend-long-arm-law-claw-machines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3352904/hong-kong-right-move-extend-long-arm-law-claw-machines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Mobile phones are being barred from a growing number of classrooms around the world amid concerns about the disruption these devices can cause. While Hong Kong has not imposed a citywide ban, rules are tightening at individual schools. A student outcry at one institution has put a spotlight on the need to strike a better balance with phone restrictions. Form Three and Four pupils at the boys’ school Kwun Tong Maryknoll College were told on April 30 they would not be allowed to use phones on... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352862/hong-kong-schools-must-balance-phone-policy-against-student-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352862/hong-kong-schools-must-balance-phone-policy-against-student-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 23:15:10 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s economy first took off as a trading hub, and then as a global financial centre. Given its advantageous location, it’s only natural that it should be a logistics and transport powerhouse. It’s not for nothing that some of our most famous tycoons of the last century made their names in shipping. Since major ports along coastal China have taken some of the shine off the city, it is even more important that we stay competitive and maintain our strategic maritime edge. That includes... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352866/hong-kongs-maritime-edge-real-its-not-cause-complacency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352866/hong-kongs-maritime-edge-real-its-not-cause-complacency?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 22:45:10 +0000 Asad Ullah Asad Ullah On April 28, the United Arab Emirates informed the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) it was leaving. Three days’ notice. No call to Riyadh beforehand, apparently. The grievance about production quotas was years old: Abu Dhabi had threatened to quit in 2021. What’s changed has nothing to do with the barrel count. It is about who underwrites Abu Dhabi’s security when it acts on a decision Riyadh opposes. After Iran struck UAE infrastructure, Abu Dhabi sent only a foreign... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352666/why-uaes-opec-exit-spells-beginning-end-gulf-unity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352666/why-uaes-opec-exit-spells-beginning-end-gulf-unity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Does the United States suffer from a “resource curse”? Surely, that’s an absurd question. It’s the kind of problem that affects only low-income and underdeveloped countries run by dictators and authoritarian rulers. The US is, reputedly, the most advanced and biggest economy in the world. So how can that be? If standard economics textbooks are anything to go by, authoritarian China should be much more likely to suffer from such a curse, perhaps due to its near monopoly on rare earths supply.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353064/path-future-renewables-not-donald-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353064/path-future-renewables-not-donald-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 14:38:58 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Tony Zhao Tony Zhao China may finally have a chance to loosen the grip of deflation. Yet, the more important question is whether it can do so without making households feel poorer first. The latest producer price index (PPI), which measures the prices factories charge, brings that possibility back into serious debate. China’s March PPI rose by 0.5 per cent year on year, ending 41 months of decline; it was up 1 per cent from February. After years of weak prices, cautious household spending and squeezed corporate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352619/can-china-engineer-price-recovery-doesnt-make-people-feel-poorer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352619/can-china-engineer-price-recovery-doesnt-make-people-feel-poorer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 08:30:04 +0000 Ian Storey Ian Storey Due to its dependence on Middle Eastern oil, the Philippines has been hit harder than any other Southeast Asian nation by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But President Ferdinand Marcos’ suggestion that the crisis could rekindle talks with China on joint energy projects in the South China Sea faces three insurmountable challenges: the Philippine constitution, a trust deficit between Manila and Beijing, and Philippine nationalism. In a media interview on March 24, Marcos floated the idea that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352927/3-reasons-marcos-south-china-sea-energy-gambit-wont-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352927/3-reasons-marcos-south-china-sea-energy-gambit-wont-work?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 04:00:16 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Midnight. A teenager in Hong Kong lies in bed, his mind racing with thoughts that won’t stop. What if I’m not good enough? What if everyone thinks I’m fine but I’m not? The worries feel too embarrassing to tell others and too heavy to carry alone. So he picks up his phone, opens... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352725/its-ok-open-ai-bot-just-dont-stop-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352725/its-ok-open-ai-bot-just-dont-stop-there?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh There is growing unease in how we describe political systems today. Words that once seemed clear no longer illuminate as they should. “Free”, “democratic”, “liberal” and “authoritarian” are among the most commonly used terms in political discourse, yet their meanings have become increasingly blurred and contested. This is not simply a matter of semantics. It reflects a deeper mismatch between the language we use and the realities we are trying to describe. The problem is not new. In George... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352499/rise-china-complicates-authoritarian-vs-democratic-binary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352499/rise-china-complicates-authoritarian-vs-democratic-binary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s Legislative Council will visit Beijing in July as a full body for the first time since the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. The announcement by Legco president Starry Lee Wai-king is historically significant. Until a few years ago, the presence of pan-democrats in the legislature made such a visit impossible. With the legislature composed entirely of “patriots” following electoral reforms in 2021, it is now part of the establishment, alongside the executive government... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352860/beijing-trip-will-help-legco-sharpen-hong-kongs-development-blueprint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352860/beijing-trip-will-help-legco-sharpen-hong-kongs-development-blueprint?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 23:15:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Many were shocked by the latest punishments handed out in President Xi Jinping’s relentless anti-corruption campaign. Death sentences on two former defence ministers, to be commuted after a two-year reprieve to imprisonment for life without possibility of parole, were the harshest yet for military officials since the campaign began in 2012. This signals the seriousness of the latest cases. Undivided loyalty to the Communist Party is paramount in the military. Corruption is an intolerable... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353003/suspended-death-sentences-reaffirm-no-one-immune-chinas-anti-graft-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353003/suspended-death-sentences-reaffirm-no-one-immune-chinas-anti-graft-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 22:45:04 +0000 Dong Lei Dong Lei Foreign affairs are not a series of disconnected episodes. They are a test of whether nations learn from history and act with foresight. The United States has often failed that test. It forgets that unchecked aggression leads to wider wars and that removing governments without building new authority invites chaos. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Iran’s destabilising role in the Middle East and the collapse of Libya and Afghanistan all testify to what happens when those lessons are ignored. China,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352526/us-china-must-choose-constructive-power-over-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352526/us-china-must-choose-constructive-power-over-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle British Prime Minister Keir Starmer swept to power two years ago, winning a landslide election victory with a promise to bring change. In his victory speech, the Labour Party leader pledged to forge national renewal, rebuild the country and “relight the fire”, after 14 turbulent years of Conservative rule. Change, he said, “begins now”. Last week’s local and regional election results demonstrated in stark terms that he was right about one thing: change is coming. But the transformation of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353013/starmer-was-right-about-political-change-not-what-he-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3353013/starmer-was-right-about-political-change-not-what-he-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 15:08:47 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley In the 1980s, then Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad launched his “Look East” policy, urging his country and others in Southeast Asia to emulate the state-led economic development models of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, rather than those of market-dominated Western nations. China subsequently emerged as a prime example of state-led development, but Japan is now leaning again towards a more dirigiste model under the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, not only in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352752/how-japans-new-economic-model-could-inspire-others-look-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352752/how-japans-new-economic-model-could-inspire-others-look-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Amin Saikal,Amitav Acharya Amin Saikal,Amitav Acharya US President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran since the war began have targeted not just the country’s military capabilities, but its entire civilisation. In recent days, he has threatened that Iran would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it attacks US ships trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He has previously pledged to send Iran back to the “Stone Age” and warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”. These statements show not only extreme... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352928/trumps-threats-against-iran-are-historically-illiterate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352928/trumps-threats-against-iran-are-historically-illiterate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 07:30:06 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. In recent days, social media platforms have been flooded with images that should serve as a wake-up call for even the most complacent among us. The numerous tents blanketing Ham Tin Wan Beach like a shantytown, the snack wrappers and cigarette butts strewn along trails and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352614/legco-must-preserve-hong-kongs-natural-heritage-its-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352614/legco-must-preserve-hong-kongs-natural-heritage-its-too-late?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 03:30:06 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo You can perhaps judge the rise and decline of a society by the quality of its public intellectuals. In the last century, the United States had some genuinely great thinkers such as Walter Lippmann and Hannah Arendt who addressed a literate public while producing enduring works that can still be read today with great benefit. Now you have people like Francis Fukuyama and Sam Harris who may be studied in the future more as a symptom of their society. A podcast between the two last month went viral... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352843/has-china-just-ended-end-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352843/has-china-just-ended-end-history?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial In recent years, it has become a pattern for the United States to launch anti-China measures just before major negotiations. Sure enough, ahead of a presidential summit this month, Washington put five Chinese refineries on a blacklist. Dozens of smaller Chinese shipping firms and vessel operators are already on the sanctions list as part of a campaign to squeeze Iran and disrupt its oil revenue. The latest additions include Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, one of the largest and most... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352851/us-shouldnt-try-bully-china-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352851/us-shouldnt-try-bully-china-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 23:15:10 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial If critics still doubt Hong Kong’s economy is ready to roar back, the latest numbers should offer some assurance. The city posted its fastest quarterly economic growth in nearly five years, hitting 5.9 per cent and outpacing the last quarter of 2025 at 4 per cent. Given the external headwinds from conflict in the Middle East to trade friction between the two superpowers and a shaky world economic outlook, the strong performance is rather impressive. However, the question remains whether the city... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352855/gdp-uptick-signals-hong-kongs-economy-right-path?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352855/gdp-uptick-signals-hong-kongs-economy-right-path?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 22:45:05 +0000