Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Actors rehearse on the set of a micro drama during filming in central China’s Henan province. Photo: Reuters

‘Distorted views’: why China is clamping down on ‘lowbrow’ micro dramas

China has launched a two-month campaign to clean up its massive micro drama industry, targeting violent, sexual and ‘wealth-flaunting’ content.

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Diplomacy

Beijing slaps travel ban on New Zealand MPs for ‘crossing red line’ over Taiwan

New Zealand and Australia to lodge formal protests after the four lawmakers were sanctioned for ‘sending the wrong signals’.

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Global Economy

Why China is defending industrial subsidies against ‘one-sided’ OECD report

The dispute comes as industrial policy becomes a major point of contention in global trade, particularly in hi-tech and strategic sectors.

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Health & Environment

Hong Kong braces for heat, showers as tropical depression passes nearby

Forecaster says typhoon warning unlikely, as tropical depression shows limited strengthening and weak northern convection.

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DeepSeek's resurgence among US companies is part of a broader migration towards open-source models. Photo: Reuters

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Why wind and solar power is going to ‘waste’ in China in the global energy crisis

Use of renewables held back by ‘inflexible management of coal power plants and power grids, not a lack of grid infrastructure’: CREA.

19 minutes agovideocam

A new report says China’s “wasted” wind and solar energy stems from inflexible grid management that continues to position coal as a stabilising source of power and stymies a clean energy expansion. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Tibetology is key to China shaping global views on the region, top official says

Li Ganjie, head of the United Front Work Department, emphasises the role that academia plays in ‘discourse power’.

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Politics

South Korea’s Lee scores ‘flawed’ poll win, setback for his property tax plan

The defeat in the Seoul election came after the incumbent mayor promised to act as a counterbalance to Lee’s administration.

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International

Global real estate event in Riyadh sees record transactions amid growing influence in sector

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Lifestyle & Culture

For those caught in China’s ‘involution’, RedNote offers a solution: Malaysia

Besides Malaysia’s education system, the influencers say the widespread use of Mandarin in the country is a big draw for Chinese visitors.

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Yili, a RedNote content creator from China, says she is seeing “more and more Chinese bosses” in Malaysia. Photo: RedNote/Yili

China Economy

Shanghai urged to unify incentives as EU firms in China flag rising challenges

European chamber pushes for ‘one Shanghai’ policy as survey reveals cross-border capital flow and market access barriers weigh on operations.

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Big Tech

WeChat to take commands from AI assistants in major shift for Tencent

Phone makers including Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo set to support feature that reverses past reluctance to open the super app.

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‘Not afraid’: TSMC brushes off mainland chip rivals amid AI boom

Wei’s comments come as mainland foundries expand mature-node capacity and Huawei pushes alternative chip-scaling ideas under US sanctions.

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TSMC expects revenue to grow by more than 30 per cent this year, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence chips and advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Photo: Reuters

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Direct flights between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan to launch this year, sources say

Direct flights between Hong Kong and Tashkent to start as talks begin on reciprocal 30-day visa-free stay agreement to boost trade, tourism and regional ties.

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Chief Executive John Lee alongside Uzbekistan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov. Photo: Handout

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US treasury secretary says China eyeing more Boeing purchases ahead of Xi visit

Treasury chief says US-China ties are stable but warns reliance on China in critical minerals, chips and medicines is unacceptable.

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An Air China Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner readies for takeoff at Beijing Capital Airport on May 9, 2026. Photo: AFP

South Asia

Missing Everest guide feared dead crawls back to Base Camp after 6 days

Dawa Sherpa was found alive by a Nepali team that helps set routes on the world’s highest mountain.

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Mount Everest guide Dawa Sherpa is airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Thursday. Photo: EPA

Mountaineers climbing a slope line up during their ascent from the Hillary Step to summit Mount Everest in Nepal last month. Photo: AFP

Science

Chinese robot helps children with nerve disorder stand up for the first time

Six weeks of resistance training with a new wearable device more than doubled spinal muscular atrophy patients’ leg strength, study finds.

4 Jun 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Travel & Leisure

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Letters

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Dadan Hindayana, the National Nutrition Agency former chief, sits inside a detention car after he was arrested by Indonesia's Attorney General's Office (AGO) on charges of causing state losses and enriching himself, in Jakarta, Indonesia, June 3, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

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US President Donald Trump listening to a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, last week. Photo: Reuters

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US takes step to halt Nvidia AI chip shipments to Chinese overseas subsidiaries

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Guo Yike, provost of HKUST and director of HKGAI, delivers remarks at the launch event on Wednesday. Photo: Dickson Lee

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‘Distorted views’: why China is clamping down on ‘lowbrow’ micro dramas

China has launched a two-month campaign to clean up its massive micro drama industry, targeting violent, sexual and ‘wealth-flaunting’ content.

How China plans to turn the AI computing boom into a new financial market

Beijing slaps travel ban on New Zealand MPs for ‘crossing red line’ over Taiwan

New Zealand and Australia to lodge formal protests after the four lawmakers were sanctioned for ‘sending the wrong signals’.

Why China is defending industrial subsidies against ‘one-sided’ OECD report

The dispute comes as industrial policy becomes a major point of contention in global trade, particularly in hi-tech and strategic sectors.

Hong Kong braces for heat, showers as tropical depression passes nearby

Forecaster says typhoon warning unlikely, as tropical depression shows limited strengthening and weak northern convection.

More US firms turn to China’s DeepSeek over pricey Silicon Valley AI

Why wind and solar power is going to ‘waste’ in China in the global energy crisis

Use of renewables held back by ‘inflexible management of coal power plants and power grids, not a lack of grid infrastructure’: CREA.

Tibetology is key to China shaping global views on the region, top official says

Li Ganjie, head of the United Front Work Department, emphasises the role that academia plays in ‘discourse power’.

South Korea’s Lee scores ‘flawed’ poll win, setback for his property tax plan

The defeat in the Seoul election came after the incumbent mayor promised to act as a counterbalance to Lee’s administration.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}Global real estate event in Riyadh sees record transactions amid growing influence in sector

Cityscape Global achieves more than US$63 billion as Saudi Arabia positions itself as a major investment hub for urban development.

For those caught in China’s ‘involution’, RedNote offers a solution: Malaysia

Besides Malaysia’s education system, the influencers say the widespread use of Mandarin in the country is a big draw for Chinese visitors.

Shanghai urged to unify incentives as EU firms in China flag rising challenges

European chamber pushes for ‘one Shanghai’ policy as survey reveals cross-border capital flow and market access barriers weigh on operations.

WeChat to take commands from AI assistants in major shift for Tencent

Phone makers including Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo set to support feature that reverses past reluctance to open the super app.

‘Not afraid’: TSMC brushes off mainland chip rivals amid AI boom

Wei’s comments come as mainland foundries expand mature-node capacity and Huawei pushes alternative chip-scaling ideas under US sanctions.

Direct flights between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan to launch this year, sources say

Direct flights between Hong Kong and Tashkent to start as talks begin on reciprocal 30-day visa-free stay agreement to boost trade, tourism and regional ties.

New global financial architecture needed to end trade surplus fixation: Piketty

Economist proposes central bank and currency under the UN to remove fears that ‘world financial markets are going to eat your currency’.

‘Lowest point’: Thai shrimp industry reels from Malaysia import ban

The ban comes as Thailand’s embattled fisheries sector faces increased competition, tariffs, shrimp disease, rising costs and reduced catch.

US treasury secretary says China eyeing more Boeing purchases ahead of Xi visit

Treasury chief says US-China ties are stable but warns reliance on China in critical minerals, chips and medicines is unacceptable.

Missing Everest guide feared dead crawls back to Base Camp after 6 days

Dawa Sherpa was found alive by a Nepali team that helps set routes on the world’s highest mountain.

Chinese robot helps children with nerve disorder stand up for the first time

Six weeks of resistance training with a new wearable device more than doubled spinal muscular atrophy patients’ leg strength, study finds.

‘Dying’ Chinese takeaway; ex-smoker’s fitness journey: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a ‘dying’ Edinburgh Chinese restaurant to an ex-smoker joining an ultra-marathon, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Macroscope | How the AI chip boom made South Korea a victim of its own success

Mouthing Off | Why do we need so many pots and pans in Hong Kong’s tiny kitchens?

Opinion | Hong Kong’s first astronaut success is also a story of youth potential

Letters | Hong Kong must build bridges for people, not just cars

Legal Tales | 12 Hangry Men – jury equity from the Old Bailey to Hong Kong

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Indonesia arrests sacked head of free meal scheme

‘Distorted views’: why China is clamping down on ‘lowbrow’ micro dramas

Hong Kong’s pizza scene heats up with 2 new world-class pizzerias

Sri Lanka nursing home fire kills 12

Beijing slaps travel ban on New Zealand MPs for ‘crossing red line’ over Taiwan

Meet Marissa Ayers, who’s dating New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart

WeChat to take commands from AI assistants in major shift for Tencent

Classic Series early look: trainers weigh in on their young hopefuls

Drink in Focus: Bamboo at Bar Anima

Meet Thaddea Graham, who plays Susie in Margo’s Got Money Troubles

China will buy at least US$17 billion of US farm goods annually, White House says

The agreement was struck at the recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to US fact sheet.

How will Beijing judge Trump’s take on Taiwan? Look for 1 critical factor

How China and the US felt the weight of history behind Trump and Xi’s meeting

Open Questions | Hong Kong must embrace ‘bipolar’ role to thrive in its ‘Stage 3.0’: Charles Li

Veteran deal maker urges an IPO link to lure global resource giants and turn Chinese buyers into owners as city solidifies role as East-West bridge and global capital hub.

Open Questions | Stable US-China ties? It won’t last long, Evan Medeiros says

After Trump’s China trip, political scientist gives his assessment on Taiwan, trade leverage, the Iran war and Beijing’s tensions with Tokyo.

Open Questions | Mainland China’s Wu Yongping on what the Xi-Trump summit means for Taiwan

Regardless of the meeting’s outcome, the trend towards resolution of the Taiwan question won’t change, according to the Tsinghua academic.

Open Questions | Taiwan’s Cheng Li-wun on cross-strait peace, meeting Xi and managing US ties

Kuomintang chairwoman says hostility towards mainland is a product of political engineering that does not reflect reality of Taiwan.

US takes step to halt Nvidia AI chip shipments to Chinese overseas subsidiaries

Surprise move suggests US chips may have been making their way to the subsidiaries of Chinese firms based in places such as Malaysia.

China just beat Nvidia on a global robotics ranking. Is a new tech war brewing?

Spirit AI says its foundation model for embodied intelligence is the first from China to top the RoboArena global leaderboard.

Want to save the planet? Stop being so polite to AI chatbots

UN report reveals massive energy, water, and e-waste footprint, urging sustainable practices as AI usage skyrockets.

Hong Kong unveils HKGAI-V3 model built on domestic tech and DeepSeek V4

Agent Workshop operated stably for up to 28 hours without interruption in a single session to produce a research report.

‘Silent killer’: the race to beat cancer in Hong Kong

Despite a rising number of cancer cases in Hong Kong, survival rates are improving. Here is what you need to know.

China and Japan aren’t talking. Will their rare earth trade go quiet?

With bilateral relations at a low and Beijing already enacting limited export controls on critical minerals, fears of a broader ban grow.

Why the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation isn’t Nato for Iran

Global real estate event in Riyadh sees record transactions amid growing influence in sector

Macroscope | How the AI chip boom made South Korea a victim of its own success

Video | Indonesia arrests sacked head of free meal scheme