Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc had to decide what option it wanted to take to ensure Ukraine received funding. Photo: dpa

EU facing crunch talks over Ukraine, China and its economic future

EU leaders are set to meet amid growing concern in Brussels that the bloc’s divisions will impede meaningful action across a range of issues.

1 hour agovideocam

China slaps anti-dumping duties on EU pork, but lowers final rates

China-EU relations

China Economy

China’s youth-unemployment rate eases to 16.9% as graduates settle for less

Job market remains plagued by a mismatch between skills and vacancies, pushing more graduates towards blue-collar jobs or gig work.

3 hours agovideocam

Military

China’s military calls for tip-offs as it targets corruption in air force

Notice urges public to come forward with information about ‘irregular’ activities, the first such request for a specific military branch.

6 hours agovideocam

Health & Environment

Hong Kong unveils its first blueprint to develop Chinese medicine sector

Blueprint ‘presents an excellent opportunity to build upon the existing foundation of the development of Chinese medicine’, health minister says.

19 minutes agovideocam

Focus

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

Diplomacy

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions: official data

Mainland visitor numbers rose just 3% in November after flight cuts and travel warnings took effect as diplomatic strains escalated.

6 hours agovideocam

Mainland Chinese tourists visit Sensoji temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on Thursday Photo: AP

Science

China offers ‘wonderful opportunity’ for scientists: top European neurologist

Consciousness expert Steven Laureys has taken on a role at Hangzhou Normal University amid ‘challenging times’ for science in the US.

4 hours ago

Economics

Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.

53 minutes agovideocam

Travel & Leisure

The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

AI travel technology company Dida’s innovative solutions aim to bridge the gap between the industry and travellers.

In partnership with:

Dida

United States & Canada

Trump rewrites White House history with plaques mocking predecessors

Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his enmity for his Democratic predecessors, displays his grievances on White House walls.

1 hour ago

New plaques have been placed underneath presidential portraits on the Colonnade at the White House. Photo: AP

Transport

Over 700 mainland Chinese drivers apply to enter Hong Kong under travel scheme

Authorities say number of applications in line with expectations, stressing scheme not expected to worsen traffic conditions.

54 minutes ago

Politics

Trump gives himself high marks in 2025 report card, with his eyes on 2026 fight

In a White House speech, the president claimed economic and foreign policy wins while urging voters to back his agenda in the midterms.

4 hours agovideocam

Politics

Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

His claim of Delhi’s election interference comes days after a leader of the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh was shot in Dhaka.

4 hours ago

Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of the National Citizen Party, speaking at a rally in Dhaka on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Food & Drink

Why it’s still hard to get a table at Singapore’s Burnt Ends 12 years on

Burnt Ends’ chef-owner Dave Pynt talks about his searing success at the Michelin-star grilled-meat restaurant and his plans for the future.

3 hours ago

At Burnt Ends in Singapore, patrons can enjoy wood-fired meat such as 75-day dry-aged Wagyu. Photo: Simon Pynt

China Business

BYD ups the ante on L3 autonomous cars, begins testing for mass production

BYD has pinned its hopes on preliminary self-driving technologies to bolster its sales in mainland China.

4 hours ago

China Economy

Battle for China’s durian market gets even juicier as Laos enters the fray

Laos could present a real challenge to other players in China’s vast durian market due to its low costs and logistical advantages.

18 Dec 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

Food & Drink

Hong Kong’s festive dining; music cuts dementia risks: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From Hong Kong cinema’s female action stars to must-try festive meals in Hong Kong, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

2 hours ago

Until December 31, The Astor at the Eaton HK hotel transforms into a Christmas market, with its buffet taking centre stage. Photo: The Astor

East Asia

Japan demands response from Finland over model’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after an image of her making the offensive gesture went viral.

29 minutes ago

Finnish beauty queen Sarah Dzafce competes in the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand last month. Photo: EPA

Lifestyle & Culture

Viral golden logo find turns old AC units into hot property in South Korea

A YouTube video revealing a pure gold logo on certain LG air conditioners has sparked a nationwide hunt for the 20-year-old units.

52 minutes agovideocam

Americas

US forces strike another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing 4

The attack brought the total number of known boat strikes to 26, while at least 99 people have been killed.

5 hours ago

OPINION

Phoebe Zhang

Opinion | How young Chinese learned to stop worrying and love themselves

6 hours ago

Letters

Letters | Tai Po fire tragedy shows importance of disaster risk reduction

4 hours ago

Victor Dawes

Legal Tales | Despite lapses behind Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s unity shows in a time of crisis

6 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Export curbs or not, Trump’s America can’t slow China’s tech surge

18 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Global exchange is key to Hong Kong’s education hub ambition

18 Dec 2025 - 6:45AM

Harry’s View | 18 Dec 2025

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LATEST

20 minutes ago

Business

Hong Kong logistics group’s CEO buys US$17 million luxury home

29 minutes ago

East Asia

Japan demands response from Finland over model’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

30 minutes ago

Health & Environment

Hong Kong unveils its first blueprint to develop Chinese medicine sector

57 minutes ago

Lifestyle & Culture

Viral golden logo find turns old AC units into hot property in South Korea

1 hour ago

Politics

Hong Kong lawmakers-elect want more exchanges with government in policymaking

1 hour ago

South Asia

‘Not able to breathe’: denial, deflection, dodgy data worsen India’s air crisis

MORE LATEST NEWS

SCMP Series

WWII: 80 years on

China Inc. goes global

Chinese scientists return home

How China is telling its own story

Simon Li, executive director of the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre, with students (from second left) Kavira S. Kazimoto, Gem Peduche and Josue Camarena, at Andrews University’s Hong Kong campus. Photo: Handout

SCMP Series WWII: 80 years on

After The War | Virtual reality and the Nanking massacre: where does historical immersion become trauma?

Amid push in China for museum digitalisation, one educator seeks to help students ‘feel history without being flooded by it’.

14 Dec 2025 - 4:20PM

After The War | How the post-WWII order was formed and why China wants to reshape it

8 Sep 2025 - 4:11PMvideocam

After The War | Chinese scholars slam Western ‘historical nihilism’ on World War II

2 Sep 2025 - 5:16PM

Open Questions series

Science

Open Questions | Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin on why he’ll be happy if AI surpasses humans

Acclaimed author of the Three-Body trilogy also discusses his ‘dark forest’ theory, and the struggle to come up with original ideas.

15 Dec 2025 - 10:05AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Economist Huang Yiping on why China’s AI push must be ‘job-oriented’

Dean of Peking University’s National School of Development says ‘balance’ needed in AI development to protect employment, ‘human well-being’.

8 Dec 2025 - 10:07AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo on Taiwan reunification, lessons from the Ukraine war

Commentator and former senior colonel on Beijing’s row with Japan, lessons from the Ukraine war and why playing global policeman is a trap.

1 Dec 2025 - 3:57PMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | ‘A mistaken view’: US economist Nicholas Lardy on the ‘peak China’ hypothesis

The veteran China watcher talks Beijing’s need for financial reform and how US-China economic convergence could still be on the horizon.

24 Nov 2025 - 10:09AMvideocam

Key Industries:

Big Tech

China’s DeepSeek challenges Google DeepMind with new AI model

DeepSeek’s V3.2-Speciale equals Google’s Gemini 3 Pro in reasoning capabilities, the Chinese start-up says.

2 Dec 2025 - 4:51PM

A shop advertising DeepSeek in Hong Kong. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

China Business

BYD ups the ante on L3 autonomous cars, begins testing for mass production

BYD has pinned its hopes on preliminary self-driving technologies to bolster its sales in mainland China.

4 hours ago

Tech Trends

China cements global lead in smart vacuums as Picea acquires Roomba maker iRobot

Last month, Picea subsidiary Santrum bought about US$191 million of iRobot’s outstanding debt from the investment firm Carlyle Group.

18 Dec 2025 - 7:00AM

Tech

AMD chief Lisa Su commits to ‘deeper’ China investments after MIIT meeting

In Beijing on Wednesday, Su exchanged views with MIIT director on ‘strengthening cooperation’ in the digital economy and AI sectors.

18 Dec 2025 - 3:34AM

AMD CEO Lisa Su meets Lenovo executives in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Sina

China Economy

Surviving the shocks: what China and the US learned from 2025’s trade war

Businesses and officials faced a year of disruption – and in some cases, resilience – as tariffs and export controls roiled global markets.

17 Dec 2025 - 8:07AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Why ‘relative stability’ in US-China ties is unlikely to last

The temperature has lowered after a downward spiral since Trump’s return to the White House, but relations may face ‘strong headwinds’ again.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:18AMvideocam

Military

Why has reference to Taiwan attending Rimpac been removed from US defence bill?

Senators’ bid to ‘strongly encourage’ invitation is removed from compromise bill, raising questions in Taipei.

14 Dec 2025 - 8:40PMvideocam

Tech Trends

Sea change: China narrows AI gap with US 3 years after ChatGPT shock

The turning point came when DeepSeek released its V3 and R1 models, which were on par with OpenAI’s GPT and Meta’s Llama models at the time.

14 Dec 2025 - 12:57AM

EU facing crunch talks over Ukraine, China and its economic future

EU leaders are set to meet amid growing concern in Brussels that the bloc’s divisions will impede meaningful action across a range of issues.

China slaps anti-dumping duties on EU pork, but lowers final rates

China’s youth-unemployment rate eases to 16.9% as graduates settle for less

Job market remains plagued by a mismatch between skills and vacancies, pushing more graduates towards blue-collar jobs or gig work.

China’s military calls for tip-offs as it targets corruption in air force

Notice urges public to come forward with information about ‘irregular’ activities, the first such request for a specific military branch.

Hong Kong unveils its first blueprint to develop Chinese medicine sector

Blueprint ‘presents an excellent opportunity to build upon the existing foundation of the development of Chinese medicine’, health minister says.

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

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions: official data

Mainland visitor numbers rose just 3% in November after flight cuts and travel warnings took effect as diplomatic strains escalated.

China offers ‘wonderful opportunity’ for scientists: top European neurologist

Consciousness expert Steven Laureys has taken on a role at Hangzhou Normal University amid ‘challenging times’ for science in the US.

Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.

.css-f84qeq{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;font-style:italic;}The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

AI travel technology company Dida’s innovative solutions aim to bridge the gap between the industry and travellers.

Trump rewrites White House history with plaques mocking predecessors

Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his enmity for his Democratic predecessors, displays his grievances on White House walls.

Over 700 mainland Chinese drivers apply to enter Hong Kong under travel scheme

Authorities say number of applications in line with expectations, stressing scheme not expected to worsen traffic conditions.

Trump gives himself high marks in 2025 report card, with his eyes on 2026 fight

In a White House speech, the president claimed economic and foreign policy wins while urging voters to back his agenda in the midterms.

Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

His claim of Delhi’s election interference comes days after a leader of the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh was shot in Dhaka.

Why it’s still hard to get a table at Singapore’s Burnt Ends 12 years on

Burnt Ends’ chef-owner Dave Pynt talks about his searing success at the Michelin-star grilled-meat restaurant and his plans for the future.

BYD ups the ante on L3 autonomous cars, begins testing for mass production

BYD has pinned its hopes on preliminary self-driving technologies to bolster its sales in mainland China.

Battle for China’s durian market gets even juicier as Laos enters the fray

Laos could present a real challenge to other players in China’s vast durian market due to its low costs and logistical advantages.

Hong Kong’s festive dining; music cuts dementia risks: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From Hong Kong cinema’s female action stars to must-try festive meals in Hong Kong, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Japan demands response from Finland over model’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after an image of her making the offensive gesture went viral.

Viral golden logo find turns old AC units into hot property in South Korea

A YouTube video revealing a pure gold logo on certain LG air conditioners has sparked a nationwide hunt for the 20-year-old units.

US forces strike another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing 4

The attack brought the total number of known boat strikes to 26, while at least 99 people have been killed.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | How young Chinese learned to stop worrying and love themselves

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Tai Po fire tragedy shows importance of disaster risk reduction

Legal Tales | Despite lapses behind Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s unity shows in a time of crisis

Editorial | Export curbs or not, Trump’s America can’t slow China’s tech surge

Editorial | Global exchange is key to Hong Kong’s education hub ambition

Hong Kong logistics group’s CEO buys US$17 million luxury home

Japan demands response from Finland over model’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

Hong Kong unveils its first blueprint to develop Chinese medicine sector

Viral golden logo find turns old AC units into hot property in South Korea

Hong Kong lawmakers-elect want more exchanges with government in policymaking

‘Not able to breathe’: denial, deflection, dodgy data worsen India’s air crisis

After The War | Virtual reality and the Nanking massacre: where does historical immersion become trauma?

Amid push in China for museum digitalisation, one educator seeks to help students ‘feel history without being flooded by it’.

After The War | How the post-WWII order was formed and why China wants to reshape it

After The War | Chinese scholars slam Western ‘historical nihilism’ on World War II

Open Questions | Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin on why he’ll be happy if AI surpasses humans

Acclaimed author of the Three-Body trilogy also discusses his ‘dark forest’ theory, and the struggle to come up with original ideas.

Open Questions | Economist Huang Yiping on why China’s AI push must be ‘job-oriented’

Dean of Peking University’s National School of Development says ‘balance’ needed in AI development to protect employment, ‘human well-being’.

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo on Taiwan reunification, lessons from the Ukraine war

Commentator and former senior colonel on Beijing’s row with Japan, lessons from the Ukraine war and why playing global policeman is a trap.

Open Questions | ‘A mistaken view’: US economist Nicholas Lardy on the ‘peak China’ hypothesis

The veteran China watcher talks Beijing’s need for financial reform and how US-China economic convergence could still be on the horizon.

China’s DeepSeek challenges Google DeepMind with new AI model

DeepSeek’s V3.2-Speciale equals Google’s Gemini 3 Pro in reasoning capabilities, the Chinese start-up says.

BYD ups the ante on L3 autonomous cars, begins testing for mass production

BYD has pinned its hopes on preliminary self-driving technologies to bolster its sales in mainland China.

China cements global lead in smart vacuums as Picea acquires Roomba maker iRobot

Last month, Picea subsidiary Santrum bought about US$191 million of iRobot’s outstanding debt from the investment firm Carlyle Group.

AMD chief Lisa Su commits to ‘deeper’ China investments after MIIT meeting

In Beijing on Wednesday, Su exchanged views with MIIT director on ‘strengthening cooperation’ in the digital economy and AI sectors.

Surviving the shocks: what China and the US learned from 2025’s trade war

Businesses and officials faced a year of disruption – and in some cases, resilience – as tariffs and export controls roiled global markets.

Why ‘relative stability’ in US-China ties is unlikely to last

The temperature has lowered after a downward spiral since Trump’s return to the White House, but relations may face ‘strong headwinds’ again.

Why has reference to Taiwan attending Rimpac been removed from US defence bill?

Senators’ bid to ‘strongly encourage’ invitation is removed from compromise bill, raising questions in Taipei.

Sea change: China narrows AI gap with US 3 years after ChatGPT shock

The turning point came when DeepSeek released its V3 and R1 models, which were on par with OpenAI’s GPT and Meta’s Llama models at the time.

The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

Opinion | How young Chinese learned to stop worrying and love themselves

Letters | Tai Po fire tragedy shows importance of disaster risk reduction