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US President Donald Trump signs an executive order designating fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, as a weapon of mass destruction, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Monday. Photo: EPA

US-China ties in focus after Trump labels fentanyl ‘weapon of mass destruction’

Formal designation in new executive order ‘not necessarily bad’ for Beijing amid cooperation with Washington on drug issues, analysts say.

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China FM Wang Yi reaffirms Beijing’s backing for Venezuela as US pressure grows

US-China relations
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Diplomacy

Chinese workers return to Africa as lucrative job opportunities beckon

Large-scale, China-backed projects entice contract workers to take up posts in some African nations, while political instability keeps others away.

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Military

J-16s vs Rafales: Chinese air force puts jets to the war-game test

State broadcaster offers a look at a PLA exercise simulating an air combat scenario between Chinese and foreign forces.

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Law and Crime

Hong Kong bid-rig bigwigs paid kickbacks in Shenzhen saunas: building veteran

Former senior project manager says syndicates linked to triads, and bosses, colleagues and peers routinely engaged in under-the-table dealings.

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Science
Tanks drive past Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Photo: Dpa

China speeds up armour steel production by 30%, US Conshohocken plant folds

Americas

US is pursuing a third oil tanker near Venezuela, officials say

US National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett said the first two tankers seized were providing oil to sanctioned countries.

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A US military helicopter flies over the Panama-flagged Centuries, which was intercepted by the US Coast Guard on Saturday. On Sunday, officials said the US was pursuing a third tanker in waters off Venezuela. Photo: DHS / Handout via Reuters
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United States & Canada

Top US official defends partial release of Epstein files as Democrats cry foul

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the move was necessary to protect survivors; Democrats say the government is hiding information.

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China’s cabinet clears path for VAT law to take effect next month

State Council approves draft regulations to implement the new law, which aims to govern China’s biggest source of tax revenue.

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Travel & Leisure

The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

AI travel technology company Dida’s innovative solutions aim to bridge the gap between the industry and travellers.

In partnership with:
Dida
Dida is collaborating with the tourism industry to respond to the challenges and opportunities that AI is bringing to the sector.

Science

Exclusive | ‘No need to explain’: leading mRNA vaccine expert Hu Haitao leaves US for China

China is catching up fast in mRNA-related fundamental research and technological development, Hu says.

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Leading mRNA immunologist Hu Haitao has joined the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Microbiology in Beijing. Photo: Handout

Tech Trends

Moore Threads unveils new AI chips to challenge Nvidia

The Shanghai-listed chipmaker launched the Huashan chip for AI and the Lushan chip for gaming, promising superior performance for both.

Politics

Bondi Beach attack sparks global misinformation crisis, and AI-driven hate

A leading counterterrorism expert warns that ‘agentic AI’ and political point-scoring are fuelling a toxic symbiosis between extremists.

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Middle East

Israeli foreign minister urges Jews to move to Israel a week after Sydney attack

‘Today, Jews are being hunted across the world,’ said Gideon Saar, after 15 people were shot dead at a Hanukkah event in the Australian city.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Photo: dpa

Europe

UK’s Starmer discusses Ukraine peace efforts in call with Trump

The leaders also discussed the naming of Christian Turner as US ambassador after ‌Peter Mandelson was fired from the job over Epstein links.

US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers in Aylesbury, UK in September. On Sunday, the two leaders held a phone call to discuss the war in Ukraine. Photo: Pool via Reuters

Europe

Thousands cheer as the sun rises on winter solstice at Britain’s Stonehenge

The ancient stone circle, erected between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago, was built to align with the movement of the sun on the solstices.

Europe

Trump tariffs push Swiss pharma CEO to urge price alignment with US

Switzerland and the United States are locked in negotiations on the details of a deal slashing a whopping 39 per cent levy to 15 per cent.

Africa

Nigerian government frees 130 kidnapped Catholic schoolchildren

In late November, hundreds of pupils and staff were kidnapped from St Mary’s boarding school in north-central Niger state.

An empty classroom at St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state. In late November, hundreds of pupils and staff were kidnapped from the school. Photo: AFP

United States & Canada

Massive San Francisco power outage leaves thousands in the dark

The blackout in the US city forced many businesses to close for the day at the height of the holiday shopping period.

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Fog and power outages darken the skyline as traffic moves in San Francisco on Saturday. Photo: AP

Politics

China’s top court sends message to employers on sexual harassment

Supreme People’s Court highlights ruling that a restaurant did not have to pay compensation to a worker dismissed for harassing colleague.

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Society

Filipino helper killed in Hong Kong fire hailed as heroine on repatriation

Filipino official says Maryan Pascual Esteban’s body arrives in country while Hong Kong authorities vow long-term support for affected residents.

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OPINION
Joseph E. Stiglitz

Opinion | How Trump is hastening the end of American hegemony

Joseph E. Stiglitz
Alex Lo

My Take | The real war on Christmas is not being waged by Hong Kong or mainland China

Alex Lo
Christine Loh

Opinion | Arguing about China’s overcapacity overlooks its drive for clean energy

Christine Loh
Letters

Letters | Medical volunteers’ joint effort on Tai Po fire relief made a difference

Letters
Cui Jianchun

Opinion | West must face the facts of Jimmy Lai’s trial and conviction

Cui Jianchun
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Harry’s View | 22 Dec 2025
December 22, 2025
MORE COMMENT
LATEST

Middle East

Israeli foreign minister urges Jews to move to Israel a week after Sydney attack

Europe

Thousands cheer as the sun rises on winter solstice at Britain’s Stonehenge

Africa

Nigerian government frees 130 kidnapped Catholic schoolchildren

Europe

UK’s Starmer discusses Ukraine peace efforts in call with Trump

United States & Canada

Top US official defends partial release of Epstein files as Democrats cry foul

Europe

Elysee Palace steward arrested for stealing silver worth up to US$47,000

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SCMP Series
WWII: 80 years on
China Inc. goes global
Chinese scientists return home
How China is telling its own story
Simon Li, executive director of the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre, with students (from second left) Kavira S. Kazimoto, Gem Peduche and Josue Camarena, at Andrews University’s Hong Kong campus. Photo: Handout
SCMP SeriesWWII: 80 years on

After The War | Virtual reality and the Nanking massacre: where does historical immersion become trauma?

Amid push in China for museum digitalisation, one educator seeks to help students ‘feel history without being flooded by it’.

After The War | How the post-WWII order was formed and why China wants to reshape it

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After The War | Chinese scholars slam Western ‘historical nihilism’ on World War II

Open Questions series

Science

Open Questions | Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin on why he’ll be happy if AI surpasses humans

Acclaimed author of the Three-Body trilogy also discusses his ‘dark forest’ theory, and the struggle to come up with original ideas.

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Illustration: Davies Christian

China Economy

Open Questions | Economist Huang Yiping on why China’s AI push must be ‘job-oriented’

Dean of Peking University’s National School of Development says ‘balance’ needed in AI development to protect employment, ‘human well-being’.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo on Taiwan reunification, lessons from the Ukraine war

Commentator and former senior colonel on Beijing’s row with Japan, lessons from the Ukraine war and why playing global policeman is a trap.

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China Economy

Open Questions | ‘A mistaken view’: US economist Nicholas Lardy on the ‘peak China’ hypothesis

The veteran China watcher talks Beijing’s need for financial reform and how US-China economic convergence could still be on the horizon.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
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Tech Trends

China’s open-source AI models rival US giants, making engagement urgent: report

The report calls on US actors to engage with Chinese firms as the AI landscape continues to evolve.

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Chinese AI developers are largely pursuing an open-source approach, releasing the weights of their models for end-users to freely deploy and modify. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech

Building a humanoid robot without China? Then you better bring a bigger wallet

China has issued five times the number of patents related to humanoid robots than the US, says Morgan Stanley.

China Economy

China’s ‘black flying’ drone dilemma: when tech clashes with aviation safety

Videos posted online have shown drones climbing above 8,000 metres, dangerously close to passenger aircraft.

Tech

ByteDance raises pay, boosts bonuses to retain staff amid AI talent war

The TikTok owner has announced higher bonuses, wider pay bands and faster equity payouts as it seeks to stay competitive in the global talent race.

ByteDance said its total bonus pool would increase by 35 per cent from a year earlier, while spending on compensation adjustments would rise 1.5 times. Photo: Shutterstock

China Business

Are Chinese biotechs what the doctor ordered as Big Pharma faces ‘patent cliff’?

US drug makers are racing to plug looming ‘patent cliff’ revenue gaps – and increasingly they are turning to China biotechs.

US drugmakers are increasingly looking to Chinese biotechs as an answer to the revenue gaps left by the looming ‘patent cliff’. Illustration by Henry Wong

Diplomacy

China urged to win ‘hearts and minds’ to fill leadership void as US retreats

Experts pushing Beijing’s vision for a new world order say nation can offer an ‘important alternative’ but it needs to improve its messaging.

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Military

Why China’s rapid military build-up is ‘hardly the whole story’

The PLA has been moving fast to modernise its arsenal and warfare strategy, but it’s seen as ‘seriously deficient’ in some areas.

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China Economy

Surviving the shocks: what China and the US learned from 2025’s trade war

Businesses and officials faced a year of disruption – and in some cases, resilience – as tariffs and export controls roiled global markets.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
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