Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping when he travels to Beijing later this month, the first such visit by an American leader since his own trip in 2017. Photo: AP

Will Iran attack derail Trump’s high-stakes China visit to meet Xi Jinping?

China has condemned killing of Iranian leader as a grave violation of sovereignty and called US incitement of regime change ‘unacceptable’.

3 hours agovideocam

Xi-Trump talk plans rattled by chaotic US team: ‘the worst I’ve ever seen’

US-China relations

US

Trump says Iran operation will continue with ‘ferocious, unyielding resolve’

American president vows US will press on with strikes, warning of more casualties as Iran conflict widens and energy markets reel.

8 minutes ago

Tech

AI-aided US strikes in Iran to intensify China tech self-reliance push: analysts

AI’s militarisation adds momentum to China’s drive for domestic chips and infrastructure, analysts say.

2 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

South China Sea expert warns 2026 code of conduct is ‘simply not achievable’

The agreement ‘cannot be successfully negotiated’ while rival claimant Philippines holds Asean chair, Chinese analyst Wu Shicun says.

2 Mar 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

Middle East

Mourners react following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran on March 1, 2026. Photo: EPA

US-Israel war on Iran: everything you need to know

China EVs

China should skip a step in self-driving cars, Xpeng CEO says

He Xiaopeng urges Beijing to clear way for a leap ahead in autonomous driving technology – a jump he promises to propose at the ‘two sessions’.

6 hours ago

The Next P7, an electric vehicle from Xpeng, appears at the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta on February 5, 2026. Photo: AP Photo

Science

What cost foreign prestige? China says no to some Western science journal fees

Chinese researchers will no longer be reimbursed for paper publication charges in Nature Communications, among other titles.

2 Mar 2026 - 3:15PMvideocam

Hong Kong Economy

Middle East conflict to drive up airfares for Hong Kong travellers: analysts

Suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai and Doha sends travellers scrambling for flights on ‘conflict-free’ paths to Europe.

3 hours ago

Business

How Standard Chartered’s SME Banking helps Hong Kong arts and crafts design firm’s growth

Deepa Jivan, CEO of J.Gordhan & Co, says bank’s tailored financial solutions and expertise give it the agility to navigate global marketplace.

In partnership with:

Standard Chartered

Deepa Jivan is the founder and CEO of Hong Kong-based arts and crafts products company J.Gordhan & Co.

China

996 comes to America, Xi-Trump summit chaos: 7 US-China relations reads

From a new trilateral nuclear pact to the “worst” Xi-Trump talks prep, here are highlights from our overseas correspondents in February 2026.

4 hours ago

China’s controversial 996 office culture – in which people work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week – is being embraced in the US. Photo: Shutterstock

Big Tech

Huawei holds global debut for AI computing clusters in challenge to Nvidia

US-sanctioned Huawei Technologies brings ‘world’s most powerful’ AI compute systems to an international audience at MWC Barcelona 2026.

2 Mar 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

United States & Canada

US Treasury says it will cease use of Anthropic tech, including Claude platform

Anthropic had previously turned down the Pentagon’s demand that it agree to unconditional military use of its Claude models.

1 hour ago

Military

What weapons were used in US-Iran strikes, and which are deployed near China?

From American bombers and Iranian suicide drones to an array of missiles, military observers are tracking the roll-out of hi-tech armaments.

3 hours agovideocam

The LUCAS one-way attack drone used in US-Israeli strikes on Iran at the weekend can be launched in multiple ways, including rocket-assisted take-off, ground-based and vehicle-mounted mobile launch systems. Photo: Handout

Global Economy

Why the US-Israel war with Iran leaves Asian economies exposed

Mainland China imports vast amounts of oil from the Middle East but India, South Korea and others could fare worse, analysts say.

5 hours agovideocam

Tanker traffic has largely halted on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman along Iran’s southern coast. The disruption is expected to hit global crude supply. Photo: Reuters

Big Tech

Iran war disrupts Chinese tech firms’ Middle East operations

Baidu, WeRide and Meituan among companies halting operations or instituting remote work, as some Chinese nationals seek to escape region.

4 hours agovideocam

Russia & Central Asia

Long Iran war could hurt Ukraine’s defence, says Zelensky

The president said if military strikes in the Middle East continue, the supply of weapons to fend off Moscow’s long attack could be affected.

5 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

Trump’s Iran attack, EU ‘too slow’: 7 global relations reads

From Europe’s US-China balance to Canada’s economic plans, seven highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in February 2026.

4 hours ago

Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Israel and the US launched strikes on the country on Saturday. Photo: WANA via Reuters

Entertainment

Review | Hoppers: Pixar’s new animation is a hilarious, heartfelt animal Avatar

Pixar’s Hoppers sees a young animal-lover use secret technology to pilot a robot beaver to recruit real ones and stop a construction project.

1 hour agovideocam

(From left) Mabel Beaver (voiced by Piper Curda), King George (Bobby Moynihan), Tom Lizard (Tom Law) and Loaf (Eduardo Franco) in a still from Hoppers (category I), directed by Daniel Chong. Photo: Disney/Pixar

World

Record-breaking? El Nino may return in 2026, making planet even hotter

However, scientists say there’s a risk of 2026 being ‘the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend’.

1 minute agovideocam

Politics

Friend to all, foe to none: Iran war tests India’s Middle East balancing act

New Delhi has long prided itself on being friends with everyone in the Middle East. The killing of Khamenei just made that much harder.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:26PM

OPINION

Tian Shichen

Opinion | Attack on Iran normalises global descent into the ‘law of the jungle’

6 hours ago

Chris Fitzgerald

Opinion | How the Taliban can end the cycle of violence with Pakistan

2 Mar 2026 - 6:44PM

Nicholas Spiro

The View | 5 reasons Australia’s physical retail is uniquely resilient

2 Mar 2026 - 3:06PM

Lisa Lim

Language Matters | Gen Z loves ‘Chinamaxxing’, but where does ‘maxxing’ come from?

2 Mar 2026 - 11:15AM

Alice Wu

Opinion | Hong Kong wants more babies. Ignoring high stress in schools won’t help

2 Mar 2026 - 10:33AM

Harry’s View | 3 Mar 2026

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United States & Canada

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US

Trump says Iran operation will continue with ‘ferocious, unyielding resolve’

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United States & Canada

US Treasury says it will cease use of Anthropic tech, including Claude platform

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Customers choose colored glaze snake handicrafts for the coming Chinese New Year, the Year of Snake, in Xiye Colored Glaze Studio in Boshan district, Zibo city, Shandong province, China, on Jan. 9, 2025. With a long history of colored glaze, Boshan is regarded as China’s Hometown of Colored Glaze and has 12 colored glaze enterprises and 65 art studios. (Xinhua)
新华社照片，淄博（山东），2025年1月9日
1月9日，消费者在淄博市博山区西冶工坊展销厅内挑选蛇年主题琉璃工艺品。
春节临近，山东省淄博市博山区的琉璃生产企业推出众多蛇年主题创意琉璃制品，受到市场青睐。博山区被誉为“中国琉璃之乡“，琉璃生产历史悠久，当地已发展琉璃生产企业12家、工作室65个。
新华社记者朱峥摄

SCMP Series Year of the Horse 2026

Year of the Horse 2026 feng shui advice for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs to enjoy good luck

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares where each Chinese zodiac sign can place items for good luck in the Year of the Fire Horse.

21 Feb 2026 - 7:15AMvideocam

Feng shui advice for Snakes for luck in money, health and romance

20 Feb 2026 - 7:15AMvideocam

Why do Chinese love water chestnuts? All about the lucky ‘horse’s hoof’

19 Feb 2026 - 11:15AM

Open Questions series

Global Economy

Open Questions | Top shipbuilding voice Li Yanqing rebukes Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative

China’s national shipbuilding association official calls US port fees ‘absurd’ and politically motivated, while asserting China’s market lead is solid despite global fluctuations.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:31PM

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

23 Feb 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

Global Economy

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

The American Chamber of Commerce in China chairman says this year’s expected Trump-Xi meetings can put countries on a ‘visionary’ path.

13 Feb 2026 - 9:03AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

9 Feb 2026 - 1:10PMvideocam

Key Industries:

Tech

Chinese chip firms Cambricon, Moore Threads post sales jump on domestic demand

Cambricon reports first full-year profit since listing in 2020, while Moore Threads’ revenue jumps 243 per cent.

27 Feb 2026 - 10:26PM

Chinese AI chip designer Cambricon posted its first annual profit since listing in 2020. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images

Tech

AI-aided US strikes in Iran to intensify China tech self-reliance push: analysts

AI’s militarisation adds momentum to China’s drive for domestic chips and infrastructure, analysts say.

2 hours agovideocam

China EVs

China should skip a step in self-driving cars, Xpeng CEO says

He Xiaopeng urges Beijing to clear way for a leap ahead in autonomous driving technology – a jump he promises to propose at the ‘two sessions’.

6 hours ago

China Economy

China supply chain expo set to welcome more US firms, launch AI section

Amid trade tensions, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade describes business communities as a ‘bridge’ for exchanges.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

China

Xi-Trump talk plans rattled by chaotic US team: ‘the worst I’ve ever seen’

Analysts warn thin US coordination and rushed timelines risk weak deliverables and surprises ahead of high-stakes Beijing meeting.

27 Feb 2026 - 1:57AMvideocam

Hong Kong Economy

Breaking down the key figures in Hong Kong 2026-27 budget

A deep dive into the data from Hong Kong finance chief Paul Chan’s latest budget announcement, looking at the government’s growing revenue and increasing investment in infrastructure.

26 Feb 2026 - 4:01PM

Diplomacy

5 top takeaways from Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address

In a speech that runs nearly two hours, Trump casts himself as a global peacemaker and touts his economic credentials.

25 Feb 2026 - 12:50PMvideocam

Science

Smaller, faster, smarter: Chinese transistor ready for future AI chips

Breakthrough said to overcome long-standing limitations of traditional ferroelectric transistors, ‘paving way for large-scale application’.

25 Feb 2026 - 6:19AMvideocam

Ferroelectric transistors function similarly to neurons in the human brain, as they integrate memory and processing in a single unit. Photo: Shutterstock

Will Iran attack derail Trump’s high-stakes China visit to meet Xi Jinping?

China has condemned killing of Iranian leader as a grave violation of sovereignty and called US incitement of regime change ‘unacceptable’.

Xi-Trump talk plans rattled by chaotic US team: ‘the worst I’ve ever seen’

Trump says Iran operation will continue with ‘ferocious, unyielding resolve’

American president vows US will press on with strikes, warning of more casualties as Iran conflict widens and energy markets reel.

AI-aided US strikes in Iran to intensify China tech self-reliance push: analysts

AI’s militarisation adds momentum to China’s drive for domestic chips and infrastructure, analysts say.

South China Sea expert warns 2026 code of conduct is ‘simply not achievable’

The agreement ‘cannot be successfully negotiated’ while rival claimant Philippines holds Asean chair, Chinese analyst Wu Shicun says.

US-Israel war on Iran: everything you need to know

China should skip a step in self-driving cars, Xpeng CEO says

He Xiaopeng urges Beijing to clear way for a leap ahead in autonomous driving technology – a jump he promises to propose at the ‘two sessions’.

What cost foreign prestige? China says no to some Western science journal fees

Chinese researchers will no longer be reimbursed for paper publication charges in Nature Communications, among other titles.

Middle East conflict to drive up airfares for Hong Kong travellers: analysts

Suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai and Doha sends travellers scrambling for flights on ‘conflict-free’ paths to Europe.

.css-f84qeq{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;font-style:italic;}How Standard Chartered’s SME Banking helps Hong Kong arts and crafts design firm’s growth

Deepa Jivan, CEO of J.Gordhan & Co, says bank’s tailored financial solutions and expertise give it the agility to navigate global marketplace.

996 comes to America, Xi-Trump summit chaos: 7 US-China relations reads

From a new trilateral nuclear pact to the “worst” Xi-Trump talks prep, here are highlights from our overseas correspondents in February 2026.

Huawei holds global debut for AI computing clusters in challenge to Nvidia

US-sanctioned Huawei Technologies brings ‘world’s most powerful’ AI compute systems to an international audience at MWC Barcelona 2026.

US Treasury says it will cease use of Anthropic tech, including Claude platform

Anthropic had previously turned down the Pentagon’s demand that it agree to unconditional military use of its Claude models.

What weapons were used in US-Iran strikes, and which are deployed near China?

From American bombers and Iranian suicide drones to an array of missiles, military observers are tracking the roll-out of hi-tech armaments.

Why the US-Israel war with Iran leaves Asian economies exposed

Mainland China imports vast amounts of oil from the Middle East but India, South Korea and others could fare worse, analysts say.

Iran war disrupts Chinese tech firms’ Middle East operations

Baidu, WeRide and Meituan among companies halting operations or instituting remote work, as some Chinese nationals seek to escape region.

Long Iran war could hurt Ukraine’s defence, says Zelensky

The president said if military strikes in the Middle East continue, the supply of weapons to fend off Moscow’s long attack could be affected.

Trump’s Iran attack, EU ‘too slow’: 7 global relations reads

From Europe’s US-China balance to Canada’s economic plans, seven highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in February 2026.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Review | Hoppers: Pixar’s new animation is a hilarious, heartfelt animal Avatar

Pixar’s Hoppers sees a young animal-lover use secret technology to pilot a robot beaver to recruit real ones and stop a construction project.

Record-breaking? El Nino may return in 2026, making planet even hotter

However, scientists say there’s a risk of 2026 being ‘the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend’.

Friend to all, foe to none: Iran war tests India’s Middle East balancing act

New Delhi has long prided itself on being friends with everyone in the Middle East. The killing of Khamenei just made that much harder.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Attack on Iran normalises global descent into the ‘law of the jungle’

Opinion | How the Taliban can end the cycle of violence with Pakistan

The View | 5 reasons Australia’s physical retail is uniquely resilient

Language Matters | Gen Z loves ‘Chinamaxxing’, but where does ‘maxxing’ come from?

Opinion | Hong Kong wants more babies. Ignoring high stress in schools won’t help

Triceratops skeleton ‘Trey’ to hit the auction block as dinosaur market soars

Trump says Iran operation will continue with ‘ferocious, unyielding resolve’

US Treasury says it will cease use of Anthropic tech, including Claude platform

Review | Hoppers: Pixar’s new animation is a hilarious, heartfelt animal Avatar

Will Iran attack derail Trump’s high-stakes China visit to meet Xi Jinping?

Video | Missile and drone strikes hit cities across Middle East

Year of the Horse 2026 feng shui advice for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs to enjoy good luck

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares where each Chinese zodiac sign can place items for good luck in the Year of the Fire Horse.

Feng shui advice for Snakes for luck in money, health and romance

Why do Chinese love water chestnuts? All about the lucky ‘horse’s hoof’

Open Questions | Top shipbuilding voice Li Yanqing rebukes Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative

China’s national shipbuilding association official calls US port fees ‘absurd’ and politically motivated, while asserting China’s market lead is solid despite global fluctuations.

Open Questions | Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

The American Chamber of Commerce in China chairman says this year’s expected Trump-Xi meetings can put countries on a ‘visionary’ path.

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

Chinese chip firms Cambricon, Moore Threads post sales jump on domestic demand

Cambricon reports first full-year profit since listing in 2020, while Moore Threads’ revenue jumps 243 per cent.

AI-aided US strikes in Iran to intensify China tech self-reliance push: analysts

AI’s militarisation adds momentum to China’s drive for domestic chips and infrastructure, analysts say.

China should skip a step in self-driving cars, Xpeng CEO says

He Xiaopeng urges Beijing to clear way for a leap ahead in autonomous driving technology – a jump he promises to propose at the ‘two sessions’.

China supply chain expo set to welcome more US firms, launch AI section

Amid trade tensions, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade describes business communities as a ‘bridge’ for exchanges.

Xi-Trump talk plans rattled by chaotic US team: ‘the worst I’ve ever seen’

Analysts warn thin US coordination and rushed timelines risk weak deliverables and surprises ahead of high-stakes Beijing meeting.

Breaking down the key figures in Hong Kong 2026-27 budget

A deep dive into the data from Hong Kong finance chief Paul Chan’s latest budget announcement, looking at the government’s growing revenue and increasing investment in infrastructure.

5 top takeaways from Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address

In a speech that runs nearly two hours, Trump casts himself as a global peacemaker and touts his economic credentials.

Smaller, faster, smarter: Chinese transistor ready for future AI chips

Breakthrough said to overcome long-standing limitations of traditional ferroelectric transistors, ‘paving way for large-scale application’.

How Standard Chartered’s SME Banking helps Hong Kong arts and crafts design firm’s growth

Review | Hoppers: Pixar’s new animation is a hilarious, heartfelt animal Avatar

Opinion | Attack on Iran normalises global descent into the ‘law of the jungle’