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Focus

Focus
SCMP gets to the heart of the matter with its in-depth analysis on the pressing issues in Hong Kong and around the world.
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Science

The West cheered China’s coal-fired export ban. Then came the massive blackouts

Did Beijing’s decision to stop financing overseas coal plants after pressure from US and Europe lead to mass – yet avoidable – power cuts?

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China jobs

Hong Kong degree is ‘passport’ to jobs in the world’s third-largest art market

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China exports

Can China’s cosmetics brands rival K-beauty and refashion global markets?

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Artificial intelligence

China curbs US AI chips, shuns foreign capital in pursuit of tech self-reliance

These restrictions signify a new phase in the US-China tech war where ‘offensive and defensive roles have shifted’, says an analyst.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
US-Venezuela conflict

Counting China’s ‘swing nation’ wins and losses in new era of power rivalry

As US-China race for hi-tech resources heats up across Global South, countries caught in the middle are under pressure to strike a balance.

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Hong Kong economy

Can new tricks save Hong Kong’s restaurants from ‘irreversible’ Shenzhen trend?

Business models are being overhauled as food and drink sector tackles ‘irreversible’ trend of Hongkongers spending their money elsewhere.

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US-China relations

Why China fears Trump’s Nvidia H200 deal is a sophisticated Trojan horse

Can Washington bind Chinese rivals to American technologies or will access to the AI chips hasten Beijing’s challenge to US dominance?

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Illustration: Brian Wang
China energy security

Can China’s cheap, renewable energy help it outrun the US in the AI race?

China’s energy buildout means cheap, green and reliable electricity fuels its manufacturing and tech industries, giving it an edge over rivals.

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US-Venezuela conflict

‘Expansion to defence’: China firms strategise in Latin America after Venezuela

After the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, many Chinese entrepreneurs in the region say they are staying put – for now.

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US-Venezuela conflict

How the US raid in Venezuela has triggered Brazilian fury and a Chinese opening

Latin America’s largest economy seeks ‘delicate balance’ between Trump’s ambitions and boosting ties with Beijing, its top trading partner.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Banking & finance

What does HSBC’s buyout of Hang Seng Bank mean for its future and investors?

HSBC’s historic US$13.6 billion buyout of Hang Seng Bank aims to cut costs, tackle bad debts and fuel growth, but challenges abound.

Illustration by Henry Wong
US-China relations

Trump-Xi diplomacy put to test thanks to contentious tit-for-tat Covid lawsuits

Unpaid billions of dollars in judgments against China sucks US State Department into escalating legal dispute, but Beijing remains defiant.

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Hong Kong economy

The Drone Age: hi-tech wizardry propels Hong Kong towards lift-off

As Hong Kong prepares to enter the era of flying taxis, key players roll out groundbreaking innovations at the cutting edge of technology.

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China-North Korea relations

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

Seoul’s calls for Chinese mediation seen to underscore Beijing’s central role in preserving stability between two Koreas.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China-Japan relations

‘Real and accelerating’: China-Japan military tensions surge amid missile race

Analysts hold out little hope that security pressures will ease, given US insistence that regional allies boost first island chain defences.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Science

China’s biopharma sector ‘in prime position to challenge US leadership’

American commission issues stark warning, as analytics firm Clarivate reports that Chinese innovative drug development has entered new phase.

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Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s sex offence laws are to be overhauled. What needs to be updated?

Consent and gender issues are key areas the government will look at when it starts the review process.

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US-China relations

‘No fixed identity’: new Chinese-American writers are telling their own stories

They’re not shaped by history like the previous generation, and observer says US-China tensions can give them ‘more space’ to explore issues.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China-Japan relations

How Takaichi’s Taiwan comments fuelled Beijing-Tokyo row with no end in sight

Dispute over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan could ultimately hinge on the US-China-Japan triangle, analysts say.

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China consumption

Wild goose chase? France works to rouse China’s appetite for foie gras imports

French producers hope their famed pate can win a slice of China’s market, but price sensitivities and domestic competition could mean their goose is cooked.

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Taiwan

How Beijing’s strategy shift explains decreased PLA activity in the Taiwan Strait

PLA warplanes and ships have been less active around the island in the second half of the year, Taiwanese data shows.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China relations

Beijing is pinning hopes for Taiwan reunification on KMT – but not all of them

The party’s new chairwoman Cheng Li-wun has adopted a mainland-friendly tone but it remains to be seen if she can live up to Beijing’s hopes.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US-China relations

‘Urgent’: has mainland China changed tone for Taiwan peaceful reunification?

Analysts examine Taiwan-related policy announcements, a new commemoration day and military posturing for clues to Beijing’s intent.

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United States

Are Trump loyalists struggling in US rural heartland ready to say ‘enough’?

Hammered by crippling costs and precious revenue lost to China, Midwest farmers’ loyalty to the US president will be tested in 2026 midterms.

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United States

Are Chinese biotechs what the doctor ordered as Big Pharma faces ‘patent cliff’?

US drug makers are racing to plug looming ‘patent cliff’ revenue gaps – and increasingly they are turning to China biotechs.

US drugmakers are increasingly looking to Chinese biotechs as an answer to the revenue gaps left by the looming ‘patent cliff’. Illustration by Henry Wong
China consumption

From taboo to trendy: China’s second-hand luxury market cashes in on resale boom

Driven by an uneven recovery and property crisis, value-conscious shoppers are powering a second-hand boom as platforms use tech to verify authenticity and overcome stigma.

Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China relations

As Trump upends US foreign policy, analysts see fresh openings for China

After a turbulent year, experts expect continued disruption to reshape global influence, testing alliances and altering the balance of power.

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China's military weapons

Why China’s rapid military build-up is ‘hardly the whole story’

The PLA has been moving fast to modernise its arsenal and warfare strategy, but it’s seen as ‘seriously deficient’ in some areas.

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