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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Exclusive | Obama-era diplomat on Trump 2.0’s potential effects on China, regional security

Former Obama-era diplomat Daniel Russel says China faces a less forgiving global environment than during Donald Trump’s first administration.

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China ‘not dreading’ Trump 2.0, but reforms hold key to closing power gap

US-China relations
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Military

What role will China’s mystery 6th-gen stealth fighter play in actual combat?

Military experts expect new J-36 to feature multiple breakthroughs but suggest it is likely to be ‘a node in a larger system’ of attacks.

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Diplomacy

Will arms race heat up as Japan, Philippines cast wary eye at China and Trump?

Record defence budgets from Japan and the Philippines come as tensions with China grow and incoming US leader urges allies to spend more.

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Health & Environment

As energy costs soar, the Philippines eyes a nuclear revival

Reviving a decades-old mothballed plant at Bataan would fast track adoption of nuclear, but concerns about safety and corruption persist.

Focus
Illustration: Henry Wong

Could sea goddess Mazu unite atheist mainland China with believer Taiwan?

Military

Could China’s newest amphibious warship, the Type 076, be in service next year?

Former military professor says the vessel could be less than two years away from commissioning.

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The Sichuan is China’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship. Photo: Xinhua
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Military

In less than 2 years, 14 of China’s military lawmakers have been ousted

Growing number of dismissals reflects ‘steadily intensifying efforts’ to address corruption, according to analyst.

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Markets

Hong Kong exchange’s IPO reforms would draw more listings, bankers say

HKEX proposals on public float and allocation requirements would help city draw more listings, institutional investors, UBS says.

Tech

Huawei Technologies’ 5.5G can power digital growth in the modern world

Also known as ‘5G-Advanced’, new network capabilities offer significantly higher throughput, lower latency and more reliable communication.

In partnership with:
Huawei
Faster speed, larger scales of connectivity and big reductions in computing delays are among the improvements offered by this year’s launch of 5.5G mobile network technology. Photo: Shutterstock

United States & Canada

Heaviest snowfall in a decade is possible as wintry blast roils parts of US

1 person killed in large Wyoming avalanche; about 63 million people under weather advisory, watch or warning.

A car cautiously drives down a snowy road in Shawnee, Kansas on Sunday. Photo: Getty Images / AFP

Science

Could lymph node surgery be the answer for treating Alzheimer’s disease?

A clinical trial in Chinese public hospitals is showing promise, but experts stress that further studies are needed.

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Society

Adopt mainland building material standards in Hong Kong, industry suggests

Construction industry experts say reliance on British, European standards for materials contributing to city’s high building costs.

Middle East

Hamas official says ready to release 34 hostages in ‘first phase’ of exchange

Official said hostages to be released include all women, children, elderly and sick captives but it needs time to determine if they are alive.

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Israeli protesters outside the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on Sunday hold photos of Liri Albag and other hostages, during a demonstration calling for their release from Gaza. Photo: AP

Food & Drink

Persimmon predicament in Taiwan as harvests continue to fall

Climate change, typhoons and ageing farmers among reasons blamed for the suffering industry as growers think of new ways to maximise revenue.

Taiwanese farmer Lo Chih-neng looks at persimmons harvested at his farm in Dongshi district, Taichung City, on December 12, 2024. Lo says his harvest was down by more than a third in 2024. Photo: AFP

Law and Crime

How Hong Kong deepfake scam group taught recruits to pass as rich, single women

Learning Japanese, playing golf and tasting red wine worth more than HK$100,000 a bottle among topics for conversation taught to recruits.

Europe

Germany’s Scholz outraged over ‘indecent’ Moscow visit speculation

CDU’s Roderich Kiesewetter had said Scholz would go to Moscow or meet Putin before February 23. ‘This is a false claim,’ said Scholz.

United States & Canada

US TikTok creators left in limbo awaiting potential ban

The US government sees the platform as a national security risk, while TikTok and its allies argue the law violates the First Amendment.

TikTok’s company offices in Culver City, California. Photo: AFP

China Business

China’s 30,000 car dealers face bleak 2025 as price war, e-commerce crimp margins

Despite a 4.7 per cent rise in nationwide car sales, some 4,000 dealerships have closed due to a financial squeeze.

People walk past various Chinese-made electric cars for sale inside a shopping centre in Beijing on January 9, 2024. Photo: AP

Europe

Elon Musk says Nigel Farage should step down as leader of Reform UK

Musk had seemingly backed Brexit campaigner but in abrupt withdrawal of support said ‘Farage doesn’t have what it takes’ to lead Reform.

United States & Canada

Winter storm will not delay Trump election certification, House leader says

‘Whether we’re in a blizzard or not we’re going to be in that chamber making sure this is done,’ Mike Johnson said of Monday’s certification.

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OPINION
Mohammed Sinan Siyech

Opinion | Why the H1-B visa has divided Trump supporters

Mohammed Sinan Siyech
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Strong gains in MPF provide a measure of relief for pensioners

SCMP Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Schools must limit the use of smartphones

SCMP Editorial
Alex Lo

My Take | Simplistic criticisms of China are little better than propaganda

Alex Lo
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Muhammad Asif Khan

Opinion | China-Pakistan friendship will hold fast against all weather

Muhammad Asif Khan
Harry’s View | 6 Jan 2025
January 6, 2025
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Society

Adopt mainland building material standards in Hong Kong, industry suggests

Health & Environment

As energy costs soar, the Philippines eyes a nuclear revival

United States & Canada

Trump seeking to do away with US birthright citizenship is ‘awful’, Biden says

Football

Alexander-Arnold blasted over United display, Sainz flips out, Maher makes impact

Banking & Finance

Hongkongers’ start-up eyes 100,000 investment pros as AI tool users

Food & Drink

Persimmon predicament in Taiwan as harvests continue to fall

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Open Questions
Illustration: Henry Wong

Open Questions | ‘Phase 2 China shock is coming’: Adam Tooze on Europe, America and manufacturing

Historian says he worries about escalation in tension between the great powers ‘to the point now of genuine war scares’.

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Open Questions | China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Open Questions | How Chinese science and technology have influenced the West … and vice versa

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Focus

Politics

What happened when mainland China recruited Taiwanese for governance

The efforts started more than a decade ago to integrate Taiwanese into the mainland’s economy, society, and culture but there were bumps along the way.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Politics

Why Beijing’s Taiwan integration experiment in Fujian is starting to fizzle

Beijing invests billions into luring Taiwanese to Fujian’s Pingtan county, but it has yet to translate into political loyalty.

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Diplomacy

China’s bid to bring back foreign visitors is bearing fruit, but is it enough?

Visitor numbers are well down on pre-Covid levels despite a string of measures, including the offer of visa-free access.

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Diplomacy

Trump’s first 100 days: can Beijing stop downwards spiral in US-China ties?

Early contact with new administration seen as an important ‘window of opportunity’ for Beijing to help set the course of future relations.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China Future Tech
China Future Tech
Key Industries:
EVs
AI
Semiconductors
Aerospace
Robotics
Biomedicine

China Business

Here are the 6 biggest winners in China’s nationwide EV buying spree

BYD, Nio, Xpeng, Li Auto, Stellantis-backed Leapmotor and Geely’s Zeekr all delivered record numbers of EVs last month.

BYD’s electric cars awaiting loading onto a ship for exports at Taicang Port in Suzhou on February 8, 2024. Photo: AFP

China Business

China’s 30,000 car dealers face bleak 2025 as price war, e-commerce crimp margins

Despite a 4.7 per cent rise in nationwide car sales, some 4,000 dealerships have closed due to a financial squeeze.

Big Tech

Chinese exhibitors are back at CES 2025 despite US tech tensions

While Chinese companies comprise over a quarter of registered exhibitors, many tech giants are notably absent.

Big Tech

Alibaba deepens push into AI smart glasses

A new partnership will see Alibaba Cloud develop customised AI models for RayNeo products, the companies say.

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AR glasses developer RayNeo has struck a partnership with Alibaba Cloud. Photo: Handout

Arts & Culture

Year of the Snake 2025 predictions for all 12 zodiac signs. Is your luck in?

Feng shui master Tong Pik-ha gives her predictions, from the lucky colours to wear to which sign will have a bad year when it comes to love.

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Feng shui master Tong Pik-ha predicts the varying fortunes of people born under the 12 Chinese zodiac signs in the coming Year of the Snake. Illustrations: Victor Sanjinez

China Economy

China’s drones reignite firework industry after years-long decline

As bans on traditional fireworks become more common in China, the industry is capitalising on the growing popularity of drone shows and shifting to ‘cold fireworks’.

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Military

China slaps dual-use export ban on 28 US defence contractors

Ministry of Commerce announces move on Thursday, with 10 of the firms also placed on unreliable entities list over Taiwan arms sales.

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Science

China rolls out world’s first military-proof 5G that can connect 10,000 robots

A mobile communications system that can move through complex terrains has been developed by Chinese scientists.

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A groundbreaking mobile 5G base station for military applications has been created by Chinese scientists. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
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