Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

Many believed the transatlantic alliance could weather another term of Trump, but a year and a half on those hopes have largely faded.

3 hours agovideocam

Viktor Orban concedes defeat as Hungarian voters end his 16-year rule

US-EU relations

Military

Lesson for China? Iran’s low-cost 358 missile takes out million-dollar US assets

Price of successful ‘drone killer’ said to be one-tenth that of conventional air-defence munitions with comparable range and firepower specs.

18 Apr 2026 - 9:30PM

Politics

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov said the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by the US had ‘come to an end’.

5 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

Closed? Open? Closed? Why is Iran changing course on the Strait of Hormuz?

Tehran is looking for room to manoeuvre on bigger issues as a ceasefire deadline looms next week, observers say.

3 hours agovideocam

US-Israel war on Iran

The US has warned it is ready to resume attacks on Iran. Photo: AFP

How China’s military could learn vital lessons from war in Iran

Diplomacy

Iran reimposes shipping restrictions on Strait of Hormuz

The waterway has ‘returned to its previous state’, Tehran says, accusing Washington of banditry and maritime piracy.

3 hours agovideocam

Shipping restrictions have changed again in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important waterways. Photo: Reuters

China Economy

Why Canadians dream of electric vehicle price cuts, thanks to China

Canada slashed tariffs on Chinese EVs from the start of last month, but Chinese brands have yet to set up showrooms.

18 Apr 2026 - 8:00PM

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong watchdog monitoring potential merger of city’s top 2 supermarket chains

Jardine Matheson and CK Hutchison reportedly in talks for Wellcome-ParknShop megadeal amid decline in citywide supermarket sales.

6 hours ago

Business

How Hong Kong’s role as innovation hub helps healthcare and biotech firms

Government initiative OASES supports GSK and Tigermed as they expand clinical trials and collaboration in mainland China and beyond.

In partnership with:

OASES

Hong Kong has introduced a range of measures to nurture biotechnology start-ups and attract more clinical research projects as part of its plan to become a global health and medical innovation hub. Photo: Shutterstock

United States & Canada

Trump signs order to speed up review of psychedelics

This would expedite review of drugs such as ibogaine, a drug that US military ‌veteran groups have said can help ⁠treat PTSD.

6 hours agovideocam

Trump holds an executive order about easing restrictions on mental health treatments, including ibogaine, which he signed. Photo: Reuters

Americas

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

The opposition leader called the US president a leader who ‘risked the lives of his country’s citizens’ for her nation’s freedom.

23 minutes ago

Europe

Kyiv gunman kills 6, takes hostages before being shot dead by Ukraine police

Special tactical units stormed the supermarket where the attacker had barricaded himself.

2 hours ago

Military

Could the PLA use minelaying drones in a blockade over Taiwan?

Japan’s islands and the waters of the Philippines could be targeted in a cross-strait operation, according to military magazine.

18 Apr 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

The torpedo-shaped AJX002 drone was revealed during the Victory Day military parade in Beijing in September. Photo: AP

Americas

Mexico mends ties with Spain in first presidential visit in 8 years

Relations deteriorated after Mexico’s former president in 2019 demanded an apology for abuses committed during Spain’s ⁠colonial rule in Mexico.

5 hours ago

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum (left) greets Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the “Meeting in Defence of Democracy” in Barcelona on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Trump predicts meeting with Xi will be ‘special’ ahead of China visit

The US leader said ‘much will be accomplished’, but one analyst says the war in Iran means he has ‘lost almost all his bargaining chips’.

18 Apr 2026 - 7:41PMvideocam

Society

Hong Kong Sevens at ‘pinnacle’ on 50th anniversary, pioneering coach says

First tournament in 1976 drew 3,000, while this year’s event at Kai Tak Stadium has attracted more than 140,000, with three-day passes sold out.

4 hours ago

Diplomacy

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

Goal of changing the post-war system has never been closer, but upper house could still be a stumbling block, analysts argue.

18 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

After leading the LDP to its historic supermajority, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has the confidence needed to push for more assertive defence policies. Photo: Getty Images

United States & Canada

Canada’s Kenneth Law to plead guilty in suicide kit case to avoid murder trial

The former cook is accused of helping 14 people kill themselves by selling a legal but deadly substance online.

2 hours ago

Kenneth Law will plead guilty to counselling or aiding suicide under a deal with Crown prosecutors. Photo: Peel Regional Police

Science

Chinese robo-diving suit could help users consume almost 40% less oxygen

Advanced algorithm designed to shadow a diver’s every move could also cut the risk of accidents when undertaking complex underwater tasks.

18 Apr 2026 - 2:00PM

Rugby

Hong Kong Sevens: defending champs Argentina, Black Ferns into semi-finals

Sunday’s semi-finals are set, with last year’s winners again into the last four, but Australia’s women and South Africa’s men are in ominous form.

18 Apr 2026 - 9:29PM

LATEST

23 minutes ago

Americas

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

2 hours ago

United States & Canada

Canada’s Kenneth Law to plead guilty in suicide kit case to avoid murder trial

4 hours ago

Europe

Kyiv gunman kills 6, takes hostages before being shot dead by Ukraine police

5 hours ago

Politics

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

5 hours ago

Americas

Mexico mends ties with Spain in first presidential visit in 8 years

5 hours ago

HK Sevens

Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens: record crowd party to gripping men’s quarter-finals

5 hours ago

Society

14 hurt after minibus slams into back of goods vehicle in Hong Kong

6 hours ago

Diplomacy

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

6 hours ago

Opinion

My Take | All bets are off on legal basketball wagers in Hong Kong

6 hours ago

United States & Canada

Trump signs order to speed up review of psychedelics

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SCMP Series

US-Israel war on Iran

AI's impact on Hong Kong

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SCMP Series US-Israel war on Iran

Iran war: is the US shifting away from its strategy of precision strikes?

As the conflict has intensified, more energy and civilian sites have been targeted in what is seen as a broader approach.

9 Apr 2026 - 9:26AMvideocam

What is the war on Iran teaching China about the United States’ resilience?

8 Apr 2026 - 11:10AMvideocam

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

7 Apr 2026 - 2:20AMvideocam

Open Questions series

Science

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

13 Apr 2026 - 8:15AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

6 Apr 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

30 Mar 2026 - 10:03AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Dialogue | Gary Liu and Liu Xiaochun on the US and China’s divergent paths for stablecoins

As investors await Hong Kong’s first stablecoin licences, two experts discuss the assets’ integration with the city’s economy – and the world’s.

25 Mar 2026 - 10:02AMvideocam

Key Industries:

China Business

China’s drug makers are speeding up – will AI be their secret weapon?

Chinese biotech firms are striking big global deals as drug makers, but could artificial intelligence take them to the next level?

18 Apr 2026 - 11:05AM

China Economy

Why Canadians dream of electric vehicle price cuts, thanks to China

Canada slashed tariffs on Chinese EVs from the start of last month, but Chinese brands have yet to set up showrooms.

18 Apr 2026 - 8:00PM

Big Tech

ByteDance, Tencent step up AI talent battle amid reports of DeepSeek loss

High-profile departures, disputed compensation claims and start-up spin-outs underscore escalating competition for AI engineers.

18 Apr 2026 - 9:00AM

China Economy

China focuses on car standards to put industry in global driving seat

New five-year plan also emphasised importance of stronger standards in boosting Chinese manufacturers’ competitiveness.

17 Apr 2026 - 6:30PM

Chinese carmaker Nio’s one millionth vehicle rolls off the assembly line in Hefei, Anhui province, in January. Photo: Xinhua

Sport

Rugby’s greatest weekend: 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens - an infographic

See the world’s top teams compete at Kai Tak Stadium on April 17-19 and celebrate 50 years of Hong Kong Sevens history, tries and triumphs.

16 Apr 2026 - 8:15PM

Rugby’s greatest weekend: 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens - an infographic

China Business

China’s drug makers are speeding up – will AI be their secret weapon?

Chinese biotech firms are striking big global deals as drug makers, but could artificial intelligence take them to the next level?

18 Apr 2026 - 11:05AM

China Economy

Iran war energy shock sees Chinese firms recalibrate overseas expansion plans

Businesses are rethinking short-term strategies as they adapt to rising costs and slowing growth across major economies.

18 Apr 2026 - 6:33AMvideocam

Tech Trends

How the rise of AI agents could finally make China’s open-source models pay

Free models helped Chinese firms find rapid success – but thin margins are forcing a shift towards hybrid business strategies.

17 Apr 2026 - 8:38PMvideocam

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

Many believed the transatlantic alliance could weather another term of Trump, but a year and a half on those hopes have largely faded.

Viktor Orban concedes defeat as Hungarian voters end his 16-year rule

Lesson for China? Iran’s low-cost 358 missile takes out million-dollar US assets

Price of successful ‘drone killer’ said to be one-tenth that of conventional air-defence munitions with comparable range and firepower specs.

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov said the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by the US had ‘come to an end’.

Closed? Open? Closed? Why is Iran changing course on the Strait of Hormuz?

Tehran is looking for room to manoeuvre on bigger issues as a ceasefire deadline looms next week, observers say.

How China’s military could learn vital lessons from war in Iran

Iran reimposes shipping restrictions on Strait of Hormuz

The waterway has ‘returned to its previous state’, Tehran says, accusing Washington of banditry and maritime piracy.

Why Canadians dream of electric vehicle price cuts, thanks to China

Canada slashed tariffs on Chinese EVs from the start of last month, but Chinese brands have yet to set up showrooms.

Hong Kong watchdog monitoring potential merger of city’s top 2 supermarket chains

Jardine Matheson and CK Hutchison reportedly in talks for Wellcome-ParknShop megadeal amid decline in citywide supermarket sales.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}How Hong Kong’s role as innovation hub helps healthcare and biotech firms

Government initiative OASES supports GSK and Tigermed as they expand clinical trials and collaboration in mainland China and beyond.

Trump signs order to speed up review of psychedelics

This would expedite review of drugs such as ibogaine, a drug that US military ‌veteran groups have said can help ⁠treat PTSD.

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

The opposition leader called the US president a leader who ‘risked the lives of his country’s citizens’ for her nation’s freedom.

Kyiv gunman kills 6, takes hostages before being shot dead by Ukraine police

Special tactical units stormed the supermarket where the attacker had barricaded himself.

Could the PLA use minelaying drones in a blockade over Taiwan?

Japan’s islands and the waters of the Philippines could be targeted in a cross-strait operation, according to military magazine.

Mexico mends ties with Spain in first presidential visit in 8 years

Relations deteriorated after Mexico’s former president in 2019 demanded an apology for abuses committed during Spain’s ⁠colonial rule in Mexico.

Trump predicts meeting with Xi will be ‘special’ ahead of China visit

The US leader said ‘much will be accomplished’, but one analyst says the war in Iran means he has ‘lost almost all his bargaining chips’.

Hong Kong Sevens at ‘pinnacle’ on 50th anniversary, pioneering coach says

First tournament in 1976 drew 3,000, while this year’s event at Kai Tak Stadium has attracted more than 140,000, with three-day passes sold out.

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

Goal of changing the post-war system has never been closer, but upper house could still be a stumbling block, analysts argue.

Canada’s Kenneth Law to plead guilty in suicide kit case to avoid murder trial

The former cook is accused of helping 14 people kill themselves by selling a legal but deadly substance online.

Chinese robo-diving suit could help users consume almost 40% less oxygen

Advanced algorithm designed to shadow a diver’s every move could also cut the risk of accidents when undertaking complex underwater tasks.

Hong Kong Sevens: defending champs Argentina, Black Ferns into semi-finals

Sunday’s semi-finals are set, with last year’s winners again into the last four, but Australia’s women and South Africa’s men are in ominous form.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | All bets are off on legal basketball wagers in Hong Kong

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

Opinion | Passage through the Strait of Hormuz is a right in war and peace

Being Chinese | Growing up Hakka, around a language that few dared to speak publicly

Reflections | What an old Chinese snack can teach people about the ‘proper’ way to eat dishes

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

Canada’s Kenneth Law to plead guilty in suicide kit case to avoid murder trial

Kyiv gunman kills 6, takes hostages before being shot dead by Ukraine police

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

Mexico mends ties with Spain in first presidential visit in 8 years

Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens: record crowd party to gripping men’s quarter-finals

14 hurt after minibus slams into back of goods vehicle in Hong Kong

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

My Take | All bets are off on legal basketball wagers in Hong Kong

Trump signs order to speed up review of psychedelics

Iran war: is the US shifting away from its strategy of precision strikes?

As the conflict has intensified, more energy and civilian sites have been targeted in what is seen as a broader approach.

What is the war on Iran teaching China about the United States’ resilience?

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

Open Dialogue | Gary Liu and Liu Xiaochun on the US and China’s divergent paths for stablecoins

As investors await Hong Kong’s first stablecoin licences, two experts discuss the assets’ integration with the city’s economy – and the world’s.

China’s drug makers are speeding up – will AI be their secret weapon?

Chinese biotech firms are striking big global deals as drug makers, but could artificial intelligence take them to the next level?

Why Canadians dream of electric vehicle price cuts, thanks to China

Canada slashed tariffs on Chinese EVs from the start of last month, but Chinese brands have yet to set up showrooms.

ByteDance, Tencent step up AI talent battle amid reports of DeepSeek loss

High-profile departures, disputed compensation claims and start-up spin-outs underscore escalating competition for AI engineers.

China focuses on car standards to put industry in global driving seat

New five-year plan also emphasised importance of stronger standards in boosting Chinese manufacturers’ competitiveness.

Rugby’s greatest weekend: 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens - an infographic

See the world’s top teams compete at Kai Tak Stadium on April 17-19 and celebrate 50 years of Hong Kong Sevens history, tries and triumphs.

China’s drug makers are speeding up – will AI be their secret weapon?

Chinese biotech firms are striking big global deals as drug makers, but could artificial intelligence take them to the next level?

Iran war energy shock sees Chinese firms recalibrate overseas expansion plans

How Hong Kong’s role as innovation hub helps healthcare and biotech firms

My Take | All bets are off on legal basketball wagers in Hong Kong

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang