https://www.scmp.com/rss/318198/feed The latest news on China politics, including domestic and foreign policy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com William Zheng William Zheng China’s top internet watchdog has banned 11 specific online activities under strict new rules for multiplatform content creators taking effect later this year. Rolling out the new regulations last week, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said they aimed to prevent the spread of rumours and posts that could incite public anger, antagonism or social discrimination. The prohibited content includes posts fabricating topics to confuse the public, spreading fake or speculative information,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3356065/china-bans-11-online-activities-under-tighter-rules-curb-rumours-cyberbullies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3356065/china-bans-11-online-activities-under-tighter-rules-curb-rumours-cyberbullies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Cai Qi, the fifth-ranked member in the Communist Party’s hierarchy, has been picked to head the Central Party School, the top training ground for cadres. Cai, 70, sits on the elite Politburo Standing Committee and is secretary of the party’s secretariat as well as director of the party’s general office. Responsible for daily operations of the party’s nerve centre, Cai is often referred to as President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff. His new post at the party school means that he will also oversee... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3356162/xi-jinpings-chief-staff-cai-qi-takes-central-party-school-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3356162/xi-jinpings-chief-staff-cai-qi-takes-central-party-school-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:10:27 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese academics specialising in Tibet must find more creative ways to shape the global conversation about the region while remaining strictly aligned with the Communist Party’s ideology. That was the message Li Ganjie, head of the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, had for researchers who gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the China Tibetology Research Centre on Wednesday. According to state news agency Xinhua, Li said that the international situation was “volatile” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355946/tibetology-key-china-shaping-global-views-region-top-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355946/tibetology-key-china-shaping-global-views-region-top-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:41:24 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang The mainland Chinese coastguard’s first independent law enforcement patrol east of Taiwan on Monday – in response to the maritime border talks between Japan and the Philippines – marked an expansion of its patrolled area beyond the traditional focus. Since its launch in 2021, the China Coast Guard (CCG) has routinely patrolled in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea. In recent years, apart from routine patrols around a few Taiwan-controlled islands, the CCG has also joined the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355822/what-does-beijings-response-tokyo-manila-boundary-talks-mean-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355822/what-does-beijings-response-tokyo-manila-boundary-talks-mean-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:03:32 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Disciplinary authorities in central China are investigating a county-level Communist Party chief following a coal mine gas blast that killed 82 people and left two missing. Zhao Yongjin, party secretary of Qinyuan county in Changzhi, was “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law”, the Shanxi provincial discipline inspection and supervisory commission, an anti-corruption watchdog, said on Tuesday night. The blast at the Liushenyu Coal Mine on May 22 was China’s deadliest mine... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355800/china-launches-investigation-county-chief-months-after-he-inspected-fatal-coal-mine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355800/china-launches-investigation-county-chief-months-after-he-inspected-fatal-coal-mine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:00:06 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Li Xiaohong, a former senior disciplinary official in charge of national inspection, has been placed under investigation for suspected severe disciplinary and legal violations, China’s top anti-corruption authorities said on Tuesday. The downfall of the 73-year-old veteran – known for spearheading high-level anti-corruption crackdowns and his top disciplinary roles at the securities regulator – underscores Beijing’s continued efforts to target corruption among its most senior disciplinary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355776/chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog-targets-its-former-senior-official-li-xiaohong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355776/chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog-targets-its-former-senior-official-li-xiaohong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:11:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Despite repeated directives to ease the burden on local officials and curb formalism, many of China’s cadres still find themselves trapped in a frustrating cycle of working harder yet achieving fewer tangible results, according to state-linked media. Banyuetan, an influential biweekly magazine affiliated with state news agency Xinhua, outlined five symptoms of this “busier-but-emptier” phenomenon in a report published on its website on Tuesday. Beijing has long called for easing the burden of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355701/more-red-tape-less-progress-chinas-cadres-struggle-adopt-error-tolerance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355701/more-red-tape-less-progress-chinas-cadres-struggle-adopt-error-tolerance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese authorities have praised the return of Tianya – which was one of the country’s most popular internet forums in the pre-algorithm, pre-short-video era – while cautioning that freedom of speech must be balanced with responsibility. The pioneering web portal was launched by Tianya Community Network Technology Co in 1999, when the internet was in its infancy in China, but suddenly closed in April 2023 due to financial problems. On Sunday, the company announced that the forum would come back... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355684/pioneering-chinese-web-forum-returns-authorities-warn-free-speech-has-limits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355684/pioneering-chinese-web-forum-returns-authorities-warn-free-speech-has-limits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A Taiwanese military aircraft crashed during a training mission on Tuesday, killing two experienced pilots and prompting renewed scrutiny of the island’s ageing fleet of T-34 basic trainers. The T-34C aircraft went down at 8.08am at Gangshan Air Base in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan while conducting a simulated engine-failure exercise, according to the island’s air force. Both pilots on board, Lieutenant Colonel Kuo Chun-nan and Lieutenant Colonel Lu Chi-yu, were killed. The air force said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355648/2-taiwan-air-force-pilots-die-t-34c-crash-spurring-probe-and-debate-over-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355648/2-taiwan-air-force-pilots-die-t-34c-crash-spurring-probe-and-debate-over-aircraft?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:42:36 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s navy will support patrols around the Taipei-controlled Dongsha Islands after mainland Chinese coastguard activity near the South China Sea atoll surged over the past year. The activity has fuelled concerns in Taipei that Beijing is using the remote outpost to test Taiwan’s responses and refine its grey-zone tactics. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said mainland Chinese coastguard vessels had appeared around the atoll 39 times since February last year, compared with only occasional... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355602/taiwan-targets-beijings-grey-zone-tactics-near-remote-south-china-sea-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355602/taiwan-targets-beijings-grey-zone-tactics-near-remote-south-china-sea-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,William Zheng Phoebe Zhang,William Zheng Aerodynamics expert Gu Songfen has died at 96. He was the chief designer of China’s J-8 fighter jet family – the first home-grown supersonic fighter jet to counter US high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Gu was an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering as well as a researcher at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). He died in Beijing on Sunday night, according to a statement from AVIC. A farewell ceremony is scheduled for Saturday in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3355594/gu-songfen-pioneering-designer-chinese-supersonic-fighter-jets-dies-96?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3355594/gu-songfen-pioneering-designer-chinese-supersonic-fighter-jets-dies-96?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:17:12 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Taiwan’s main opposition leader is due to arrive in the United States late on Monday for a politically sensitive two-week visit expected to attract close scrutiny in Beijing, Taipei and Washington. The Kuomintang delegation, led by the party’s chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, will land on Monday evening local time in San Francisco, where she will visit Taiwanese-American communities and think tanks. She will also travel to Boston and New York before visiting Washington for meetings with political... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355544/can-taiwanese-opposition-leader-pull-balancing-act-during-us-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355544/can-taiwanese-opposition-leader-pull-balancing-act-during-us-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:00:07 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing has revealed the sweeping scale of a year-long campaign targeting irregular law enforcement against businesses as the country intensified its efforts to discipline local bureaucracies and improve governance. The Information Office of the State Council, China’s cabinet, said in a press briefing on May 21 that the campaign uncovered more than 66,000 problematic administrative law enforcement cases and helped companies to recover 30.7 billion yuan (US$4.5 billion). Authorities said more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355289/how-has-chinas-year-long-law-enforcement-campaign-changed-local-governance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355289/how-has-chinas-year-long-law-enforcement-campaign-changed-local-governance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Shi Yongxin, former abbot of the world-famous Shaolin Temple, has been sentenced to 24 years in jail for crimes including embezzlement and taking bribes, state news agency Xinhua reported. Shi was also fined 3.5 million yuan (US$516,000). Xinxiang Intermediate People’s Court in China’s central Henan province found that Shi, whose birth name is Liu Yingcheng, had embezzled more than 131 million yuan between 2003 and 2025. Shi appeared in a public trial on Monday. The verdict was announced on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355337/china-sentences-former-shaolin-abbot-24-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355337/china-sentences-former-shaolin-abbot-24-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 11:42:16 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung US defence industry leaders are pushing for deeper commercial cooperation with Taiwan to strengthen its military capabilities, as the island seeks faster ways to bolster deterrence amid Beijing’s mounting military pressure. But they cautioned that such business deals could not replace traditional American arms sales regarded as the backbone of Taiwan’s defence. Speaking at the Taiwan-US Defence Industry Forum in Taipei on Thursday, retired US General Charles Flynn and senior American executives... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355299/can-direct-commercial-sales-fix-taiwans-us20-billion-weapons-backlog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355299/can-direct-commercial-sales-fix-taiwans-us20-billion-weapons-backlog?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 07:55:14 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China’s top military command has issued strict measures to enforce discipline among senior officials of the People’s Liberation Army, marking its latest bid to further tighten controls over the behaviour of the top brass. The Central Military Commission (CMC), led by President Xi Jinping as chairman, issued the “measures on strengthening the education, management and supervision of senior military cadres” recently, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. In a front-page commentary on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355134/chinas-top-military-officials-face-ironclad-rules-anti-corruption-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355134/chinas-top-military-officials-face-ironclad-rules-anti-corruption-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese authorities praised the decision of Taiwanese actress and model Lin Chi-ling to quit her position as a new board member of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), after her appointment drew backlash. Chen Binhua, a spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference on Wednesday that the TAICCA had orchestrated and funded films and television productions in recent years that “distort history and hype the ‘mainland threat’”. “It serves as a political tool for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355143/china-praises-actress-lin-chi-ling-quitting-taiwan-culture-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355143/china-praises-actress-lin-chi-ling-quitting-taiwan-culture-board?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 07:00:32 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Foreign spies have posed as wedding photographers near naval ports and used cars fitted with advanced radar, GPS and optical sensors to collect mapping data under the guise of autonomous driving research, China’s top state secrets watchdog has cautioned. The National Administration of State Secrets Protection’s warning about foreign spies acting as “eyes in the dark” came in its latest anti-espionage documentary, with state broadcaster CCTV airing the first episode on Tuesday. “In real life, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354995/chinese-campaign-warns-spy-risks-found-wedding-photography-gifted-farm-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354995/chinese-campaign-warns-spy-risks-found-wedding-photography-gifted-farm-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 06:14:04 +0000 Dannie Peng,Alcott Wei Dannie Peng,Alcott Wei Shanxi, China’s top coal-producing province, has attempted to rebrand from a polluting, high-risk mining hub into a cultural and tourist destination. However, the country’s deadliest mining accident in nearly two decades has cast a shadow over this image. On Friday, a devastating gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi killed at least 82 people. The disaster, which industry insiders said was a result of systemic safety failures, has drawn attention to the safety, governance and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354922/shanxi-mine-disaster-casts-shadow-over-provinces-shift-coal-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354922/shanxi-mine-disaster-casts-shadow-over-provinces-shift-coal-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 11:00:57 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A high-level American defence industry delegation arrived in Taipei on Tuesday for a four-day visit aimed at expanding the US role in the island’s military modernisation process and the joint production of weapons systems. The party includes 41 senior executives, and the visit was organised by the US-Taiwan Business Council, which has long served as a bridge for the defence industry. The trip underscores a growing overlap between strategic cooperation and arms sales as Taiwan seeks to strengthen... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354903/what-us-defence-industry-trip-taiwan-says-about-taipeis-efforts-overhaul-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354903/what-us-defence-industry-trip-taiwan-says-about-taipeis-efforts-overhaul-military?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 09:55:59 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A Chinese aerospace engineer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for espionage, according to state media, with the report underscoring official warnings that the aerospace industry is a cornerstone of national technological strength and defence security. The engineer, surnamed Zhu, graduated from a top university with a PhD in 2018, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday. He then worked as an engineer in multiple aerospace research institutes and handled classified documents in the aerospace... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354863/china-says-engineer-jailed-15-years-was-lured-sending-aerospace-secrets-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354863/china-says-engineer-jailed-15-years-was-lured-sending-aerospace-secrets-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 06:01:11 +0000 Alcott Wei,Dannie Peng,Phoebe Zhang Alcott Wei,Dannie Peng,Phoebe Zhang A gas explosion that killed at least 82 people in central China – the country’s worst mining disaster in more than a decade – was the result of systemic safety failures across multiple parts of the production chain, according to miners and industry insiders. The Friday blast at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province also left two people missing and 128 survivors in hospital, including two in critical condition. Miners interviewed by the South China Morning Post said several workers had not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354784/are-systemic-safety-failures-blame-chinas-deadly-mine-blast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354784/are-systemic-safety-failures-blame-chinas-deadly-mine-blast?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 11:32:20 +0000 Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang The owners of a Chinese coal mine where at least 82 people were killed have been accused of “serious violations of the law” by the local government. As search and rescue operations continued through the night, Chen Xiangyang, the deputy Communist Party secretary of Changzhi in Shanxi province, said that all four mines operated by the Shanxi Tongzhou Group had been “immediately” ordered to suspend operations. “Preliminary assessment indicates serious legal violations by the coal mine enterprise... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354656/owners-chinese-mine-where-82-died-blast-accused-serious-violations-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354656/owners-chinese-mine-where-82-died-blast-accused-serious-violations-law?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 04:02:55 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China’s decision to ease residency restrictions on social insurance applicants will help unleash positive, long-term economic growth, according to analysts. The new measures announced on Friday by the State Council are part of China’s broader push to create a unified national market by removing barriers to the free flow of capital and talent. Under the new policy, workers can enrol in social insurance programmes in the cities where they are employed, regardless of their official household... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354618/will-chinas-residency-changes-social-insurance-unlock-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354618/will-chinas-residency-changes-social-insurance-unlock-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang An alleged Myanmar crime boss and members of his syndicate were put on trial this week in the latest stage of Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on cross-border scam networks. Wei Huairen, also known as Wai San, faces charges including fraud, murder, extortion and organising illegal border crossings, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. Prosecutors allege that from 2019 onwards, the syndicate used the Wei family’s military and political influence in Myanmar’s Kokang region to operate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354555/myanmars-wei-family-put-trial-latest-phase-chinas-crackdown-scam-compounds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354555/myanmars-wei-family-put-trial-latest-phase-chinas-crackdown-scam-compounds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 10:36:57 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Cambodian authorities raided two buildings in Phnom Penh’s Prince Plaza Centre linked to the extradited Chinese billionaire Chen Zhi and detained 104 individuals, including 82 Chinese nationals, local media reported. Governments around the world have intensified their crackdown on Chen’s alleged multibillion-dollar online scam empire since his arrest earlier this year. The Cambodian raid, a joint operation by Phnom Penh police, the country’s Commission for Combating Technology-Based Scams... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354331/cambodia-raids-buildings-linked-chen-zhi-chinese-billionaire-accused-scam-empire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354331/cambodia-raids-buildings-linked-chen-zhi-chinese-billionaire-accused-scam-empire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 05:47:54 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Beijing on Wednesday accused Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of “destroying cross-strait peace”, shortly after he delivered a speech to mark his second anniversary in office. The row comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s remarks on Taiwan independence following his state visit to Beijing. Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office condemned Lai’s anniversary speech and his subsequent remarks to reporters as being filled with “lies and deception, hostility and confrontation”. Spokesman Chen... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354261/beijing-slams-lai-destroyer-peace-after-leaders-anniversary-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354261/beijing-slams-lai-destroyer-peace-after-leaders-anniversary-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 11:01:04 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday evening for a two-day state visit, he once again returned to his “second home” at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a royal garden that has hosted dignitaries including Richard Nixon, Boris Yeltsin and Kim Jong-un. Diaoyutai is a familiar setting for Putin, who has visited China more than 20 times and personally met President Xi Jinping on more than 40 occasions since 2013, according to state news agency Xinhua. He usually resides... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354201/what-political-weight-diaoyutai-guesthouse-where-putin-staying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354201/what-political-weight-diaoyutai-guesthouse-where-putin-staying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:00:51 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Tech billionaire Elon Musk is once again using his massive social media megaphone to trumpet Chinese infrastructure to an international audience. On Monday, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla reposted on X, which he owns, a nearly six-minute video of Chongqing East Railway Station in southwestern China, drawing millions of views within hours. It is unclear whether Musk is currently in Chongqing, China’s “mountain city” known for its spicy hotpot and one of the country’s most popular tourist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354066/why-elon-musks-post-spotlighting-chinese-infrastructure-has-reignited-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354066/why-elon-musks-post-spotlighting-chinese-infrastructure-has-reignited-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Donald Trump’s comment that he is “not looking to have somebody go independent” has sparked debate in Taiwan over whether it undermines the ruling party’s pro-independence platform. Trump made the remark after last week’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, where Taiwan emerged as one of the most sensitive issues in Sino-US relations. “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News aired on Friday, adding that the United States was “9,500... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354002/does-trumps-not-looking-independence-remark-hurt-taiwans-ruling-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354002/does-trumps-not-looking-independence-remark-hurt-taiwans-ruling-party?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 13:00:05 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Chinese police have announced the arrests of 16 people suspected of hacking drone systems and vowed a nationwide crackdown on illegal drone use. China’s Ministry of Public Security released details on 10 cases on Monday to warn the public about illegal drone use. The suspects were arrested between January and March. It came as part of a nationwide “Clean Skies” campaign launched by the ministry in December to combat the illegal use of drones. The ministry said that in these cases, suspects used... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353982/china-arrests-16-drone-hacking-cases-vowing-clean-skies-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353982/china-arrests-16-drone-hacking-cases-vowing-clean-skies-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Beijing has strongly criticised Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te for paying tribute to a figure from Japan’s colonial era in Taiwan. In a commentary published on Sunday, Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily accused Lai, from Taiwan’s independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party, of “forgetting his ancestors” and reaching a new low in “ingratiating himself with Japan”. The denunciation followed Lai’s attendance at a memorial service on May 8 in the city of Tainan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353961/why-beijing-outraged-over-taiwans-lai-honouring-wwii-era-japanese-engineer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353961/why-beijing-outraged-over-taiwans-lai-honouring-wwii-era-japanese-engineer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 09:00:14 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Wu Yongping is one of mainland China’s leading specialists on Taiwan affairs and dean of the Institute for Taiwan Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Here, he shares his views on signals from the Xi-Trump summit, and discusses peaceful reunification between the mainland and Taiwan and how it could be achieved. How should we read President Xi Jinping’s message to Donald Trump on the Taiwan question during the summit and has anything changed? Xi said that if the Taiwan question is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353865/mainland-chinas-wu-yongping-what-xi-trump-summit-means-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353865/mainland-chinas-wu-yongping-what-xi-trump-summit-means-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 22:00:11 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The former Chinese governor criticised for mishandling the Covid-19 outbreak is under investigation for corruption. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s top political disciplinary body, said on Sunday that Wang Xiaodong, 66, who was governor of Hubei province in 2020 as the coronavirus developed into a pandemic, was suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” – the standard euphemism for corruption. Wang was Hubei’s governor from 2017 to 2021 and was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353894/wang-xiaodong-derided-over-covid-19-handling-comes-under-corruption-cloud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353894/wang-xiaodong-derided-over-covid-19-handling-comes-under-corruption-cloud?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 13:30:04 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang In November 1861, during his self-imposed political exile, French writer Victor Hugo penned a blistering condemnation of his country. The author of Les Misérables described two “bandits” – France and Britain – who had attacked the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, in Beijing the previous year. “One plundered, the other burned.” “All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient,” he said. “The French empire has pocketed half... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353871/france-passes-law-returning-loot-should-china-pop-champagne?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353871/france-passes-law-returning-loot-should-china-pop-champagne?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Wu Yongping is one of the Chinese mainland’s leading specialists on Taiwan affairs and dean of the Institute for Taiwan Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Here he shares his views on signals from the Xi-Trump summit, and discusses peaceful reunification between the mainland and Taiwan and how it could be achieved. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. How should we read President Xi Jinping’s message to Donald Trump on the Taiwan question during the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3353859/trump-narrows-space-taiwan-independence-mainland-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3353859/trump-narrows-space-taiwan-independence-mainland-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 06:30:04 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has confirmed for the first time that it is drawing up a “comprehensive law” on artificial intelligence. Industry insiders said the move showed China had accumulated enough practical experience and was speeding up its governance as a result. A legislative work plan for the year issued last week by the State Council, China’s cabinet, outlined plans to “improve AI governance and accelerate comprehensive legislation for the sound development of AI”. It said the government would move faster to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353834/what-do-chinas-plans-comprehensive-new-ai-law-mean-future-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353834/what-do-chinas-plans-comprehensive-new-ai-law-mean-future-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan will send its top trade negotiator to next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) ministerial meeting in mainland China – a rare occurrence since the two sides cut off official communication in 2016. Analysts said the move suggested both sides were still trying to preserve a workable status quo within the regional forum despite worsening cross-strait tensions. The Apec trade ministers’ meeting will be held in Suzhou, a city in Jiangsu province, between May 22 and 23. Yang Jen-ni,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353762/how-taiwans-apec-attendance-could-test-beijings-cross-strait-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353762/how-taiwans-apec-attendance-could-test-beijings-cross-strait-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang As the US delegation met with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing, some hugely important topics were on the agenda. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also found the time to admire the meeting room’s interior design. Footage of Rubio checking out the ceiling of one of the grand reception rooms in which President Xi Jinping hosted his US counterpart Donald Trump on Thursday went viral online. The candid footage catches Rubio in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353589/trump-revamps-white-house-rubio-floored-beijing-halls-fancy-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353589/trump-revamps-white-house-rubio-floored-beijing-halls-fancy-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 11:43:21 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is watching the coming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping with unease, concerned that any discussions over arms sales could see the island used as leverage in a broader Sino-American deal. Trump arrives in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day state visit. According to the White House, the engagements will include a bilateral meeting with Xi and a state banquet on Thursday, as well as a working lunch before Trump departs on Friday. Speaking at the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353317/why-trumps-visit-beijing-has-taiwan-edge-about-us-arms-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353317/why-trumps-visit-beijing-has-taiwan-edge-about-us-arms-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Beijing is now on a stronger footing on the Taiwan issue in talks with Donald Trump than it was during his first presidential term, according to a leading mainland analyst. Wu Yongping, dean of the Institute for Taiwan Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said the issue would “definitely” be discussed when Trump meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week. He said in an interview that Beijing would welcome any statements opposing Taiwan independence but he believed the space for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353209/why-beijing-stronger-footing-discuss-taiwan-trump-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353209/why-beijing-stronger-footing-discuss-taiwan-trump-time?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Pressure from Washington was likely to have played a decisive role in Taiwan’s opposition parties backing a sharply expanded special defence budget last week, analysts said, as concerns mount in Taipei ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. The anxiety centres on potential concessions from Trump this week in exchange for economic gains from Beijing, which views Taiwan as a core interest and the “biggest risk” in ties with the US, and has kept... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353177/did-us-pressure-xi-trump-summit-force-kmt-hand-taiwans-defence-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353177/did-us-pressure-xi-trump-summit-force-kmt-hand-taiwans-defence-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 15:02:28 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The relationship between mainland China and Taiwan is not one of state-to-state relations, Chang Rong-kung, vice-chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT), the island’s main opposition party, told Beijing’s top official on Taiwan affairs on Monday. Chang met Wang Huning, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Communist Party’s No 4 official, at the opening day of the third annual Cross-Strait Chinese Culture Summit. Wang said the summit showed people on both sides of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353165/cross-strait-ties-are-not-state-state-kmt-vice-chair-tells-senior-beijing-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353165/cross-strait-ties-are-not-state-state-kmt-vice-chair-tells-senior-beijing-official?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 11:26:02 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Cheng Li-wun is the chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT). In this far-ranging interview, she discusses her vision for peace and cooperation between Taiwan and mainland China, her meeting in April with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and her coming trip to the United States in June. The original interview was conducted in Chinese. SCMP Plus members can read a Chinese version of the transcript here. Cross-strait relations have been increasingly tense for more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353052/taiwans-cheng-li-wun-cross-strait-peace-meeting-xi-jinping-and-managing-ties-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353052/taiwans-cheng-li-wun-cross-strait-peace-meeting-xi-jinping-and-managing-ties-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 22:00:18 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Cheng Li-wun is the chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT). In this far-ranging interview, she discusses her vision for peace and cooperation between Taiwan and mainland China, her meeting in April with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and her coming trip to the United States in June. The original interview was conducted in Chinese. SCMP Plus members can read a Chinese version of the transcript here. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3353046/taiwans-opposition-kmt-leader-restoring-stable-peace-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3353046/taiwans-opposition-kmt-leader-restoring-stable-peace-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang When a deadly explosion rocked a fireworks factory in central China this week, hundreds of such factories in the area were in peak production season for overseas orders, including for the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4, industry insiders said. By noon on Friday, the death toll from the blast at Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company had reached 37, with one person still missing. Fifty-one people were still in hospital, with five of them in critical condition,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352805/was-chinas-fireworks-capital-rushing-its-july-4-orders-when-deadly-blast-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352805/was-chinas-fireworks-capital-rushing-its-july-4-orders-when-deadly-blast-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 01:00:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A Taiwanese company with mainland China subsidiaries has fired the nephew of Taiwan’s interior minister, Liu Shyh-fang, whom Beijing blames for Taipei’s hostile cross-strait policies. In a statement issued on Wednesday night, a Jiangxi-province-based subsidiary of Taiwan’s Long Time Technology Co Ltd said Yen Wen-chun had been dismissed from all positions at the firm and its mainland units, effective April 7. Yen is a nephew of Liu, who is on Beijing’s sanctions list for allegedly undermining... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352731/taiwan-firm-mainland-branches-fires-nephew-taipei-minister-invoking-ire-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352731/taiwan-firm-mainland-branches-fires-nephew-taipei-minister-invoking-ire-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 08:06:30 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The Communist Party chief of Hefei – a growing tech hub and capital of China’s central Anhui province – has been placed under investigation, the country’s top corruption watchdog announced on Wednesday. Fei Gaoyun, once widely recognised as a rising star in the “seventh-generation” of future national leaders, is the latest senior official to be snared in President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign. The 54-year-old’s career trajectory was typical of China’s emerging generation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352648/party-boss-chinas-emerging-tech-hub-under-investigation-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352648/party-boss-chinas-emerging-tech-hub-under-investigation-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 12:44:31 +0000 Alcott Wei,William Zheng Alcott Wei,William Zheng A rescue worker injured in secondary blasts at the site of a deadly fireworks factory explosion in Hunan province has described a perilous and extremely difficult clean-up operation amid lingering gunpowder and flying sparks. The excavator operator, surnamed Xiao, said he volunteered to assist rescue efforts after Monday’s initial blast at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in the city of Liuyang. The explosion at around 4.40pm killed 26 people and injured 61, authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352584/gunpowder-sparks-volunteer-hurt-china-fireworks-blast-scene-tells-clean-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352584/gunpowder-sparks-volunteer-hurt-china-fireworks-blast-scene-tells-clean-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 07:12:32 +0000 William Zheng,Alcott Wei William Zheng,Alcott Wei The death toll from a fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan province rose to 26 on Tuesday as Beijing sent Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing to supervise the aftermath of the blast, according to Chinese state media. Zhang said the State Council, China’s cabinet, would establish an investigation team to look into the cause and help with criminal punishment, official news agency Xinhua reported. Zhang has pledged to punish firework producers that violate safety regulations, as well as regulators... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352425/china-fireworks-factory-explosion-kills-21-injures-more-60-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352425/china-fireworks-factory-explosion-kills-21-injures-more-60-people?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:12:46 +0000