Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

China has been patiently chipping away at the US dollar’s global dominance, and Washington may even be doing it a favour. Photo: dpa

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

Economic sanctions, access to US-led banking systems are powerful tools, but overuse reduces their effectiveness over time, Congress told.

2 hours agovideocam

‘No alternative’: Yellen defends dollar dominance, calls to preserve China trade

US-China trade war

Diplomacy

Europe tests ‘third way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will it work?

Coalition of more than 30 nations to meet in Paris for a summit to find a ‘credible proposal’ to restore shipping through the strait.

1 hour agovideocam

Diplomacy

‘Buy what they can, steal what they can’t’: US lawmakers slam China’s AI tactics

US lawmakers, experts accused Beijing of buying ‘what they can’ and stealing ‘what they cannot’ from America to advance their AI technology.

17 Apr 2026 - 7:20AMvideocam

LIVE

Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens: Blitzboks, Argentina, Australia’s women start strong

The first leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship gets under way in Hong Kong as the city’s sevens celebrates its 50th year.

13 minutes ago

Focus

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

World

China’s 3-satellite surveillance network, C919 faces ‘final exam’: 7 highlights

From Chinese AI cracking decade-old maths problem to Japan eyeing Nato partnership, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

2 hours ago

A rendering of the Ludi Tance 4-01, the world’s first geosynchronous orbit synthetic aperture radar satellite. Photo: Handout

Science

Why is faecal bacteria presence in US hotels much higher than in China?

Luxury hotels clean up their act after filthy sanitation practices, including using the same sponge to clean cups, toilets and showers.

5 hours agovideocam

Politics

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

Kim Jong-un’s increased appearances at military drills show his confidence in Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence, analysts say.

6 hours agovideocam

Business

From waste to bottle: the technology that gives packaging waste a verifiable second life

Dow’s digital tracking system in China proves to consumers and businesses how waste can be recycled into new products.

In partnership with:

Dow

Caption: Dow’s Track and Trace Platform makes it possible to follow a recycled bottle’s journey from disposal to its rebirth as a new plastic bottle. Photo: Shutterstock

Science

Overheating hurts AI. So China’s scientists are adding diamonds to copper

Chinese scientists are combining diamond and copper, both of which are effective heat conductors, in a bid to leap the ‘thermal wall’.

3 hours ago

The global computing industry’s pursuit of AI breakthroughs is hitting a “thermal wall” – overheating caused by new-generation chips. Image: Shutterstock

China Business

Chinese AI firm SenseTime to raise US$415 million via share placement

Placement priced at an 8.6 per cent discount as the AI firm boosts investment in multimodal models and cloud infrastructure.

1 hour ago

Diplomacy

Israel and Lebanon begin 10-day ceasefire as US pushes broader deal

Pause may ease tensions with Iran, with Trump eyeing White House talks, though doubts linger over prospects for a lasting peace deal.

17 Apr 2026 - 6:30AMvideocam

China

US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says

Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.

17 Apr 2026 - 6:01AM

Boats in the water, in front of cranes at the Chinese-built Chancay megaport operated by Cosco Shipping, in Chancay, Peru. Photo: Reuters

China Economy

‘Sharp swings’: why China is warning of food security risks despite bumper crops

The country has ample grain supplies but could still face challenges if extreme weather or global conflict spark global shortages, Beijing says.

4 hours agovideocam

A worker sorts imported soybeans at a processing company in Binzhou, China, on March 6, 2025. Photo: Getty Images

East Asia

US oil floats to top as Asia looks for Middle Eastern alternatives amid Iran war

Buyers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand have helped push May sales to over 60 million barrels, the highest in three years.

3 hours agovideocam

Hong Kong Economy

Bars gearing up for bumper Hong Kong Sevens weekend

Bar operators dismiss concerns that higher airfares because of Middle East war will deter rugby fans from visiting city.

5 hours ago

World

10,000 suns: mind-blowing power of black hole jets measured for the first time

The jets can help scientists understand how black holes help shape galaxies and other cosmic structures.

17 Apr 2026 - 2:34AMvideocam

The strong stellar wind from a supergiant star pushes the jets launched by a black hole away from the star. Image: International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research via AP

Golf

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil claims ‘business as usual’ amid reports of league’s demise

O’Neil seemed to confirm that LIV executives met in New York this week while refuting the idea that they were ‘summoned’.

2 hours ago

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil admitted the nascent golf league’s finances are “managed very tightly”. Photo: AP

Americas

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump after he toppled Venezuela’s leader.

2 hours ago

US

Will China arm Iran during the ceasefire?

Pentagon says Beijing offered assurances as US tightens blockade and warns Tehran talks could quickly give way to renewed strikes.

17 Apr 2026 - 6:17AMvideocam

OPINION

Bernard Chan

Opinion | With Art March, Hong Kong is firmly on the global cultural map

4 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | 50 years of Sevens: Hong Kong’s festival of fun awaits the world’s rugby fans

17 Apr 2026 - 7:15AM

Letters

Letters | Amid elevated oil prices, Hong Kong’s stable energy system is a boon

2 hours ago

Mengzhen Liu

Opinion | Without restraint, Beijing and Manila can’t deliver the South China Sea code

17 Apr 2026 - 5:30AM

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong taxpayers deserve clarity on Covid-era SME loan scheme

17 Apr 2026 - 6:45AM

Harry’s View | 17 Apr 2026

MORE COMMENT

LATEST

16 minutes ago

Education

Hong Kong school to close in 2029 over Primary One enrolment shortfall

1 hour ago

Food & Drink

Kunafa prawn? From Shandong to the Nile, Cairo’s love affair with Chinese food

1 hour ago

East Asia

South Korean police investigate mother for feeding rice cake soup to infant

1 hour ago

China Business

Chinese AI firm SenseTime to raise US$415 million via share placement

2 hours ago

Diplomacy

Europe tests ‘third way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will it work?

2 hours ago

World

China’s 3-satellite surveillance network, C919 faces ‘final exam’: 7 highlights

2 hours ago

Africa

South African politician sentenced to 5 years for firing rifle at rally

2 hours ago

Golf

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil claims ‘business as usual’ amid reports of league’s demise

2 hours ago

Americas

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

3 hours ago

East Asia

US oil floats to top as Asia looks for Middle Eastern alternatives amid Iran war

MORE LATEST NEWS

SCMP Series

US-Israel war on Iran

AI's impact on Hong Kong

‘Two sessions’: China’s economic agenda

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

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

14 Apr 2026 - 9:02PM

A Tesla robot on display at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Tesla has said it is transforming itself into a physical AI firm. Photo: AFP

Banking & Finance

Manycore, one of Hangzhou’s ‘Six Little Dragons’, surges on Hong Kong IPO debut

The company’s listing highlights its pivot from design tools to advanced AI-driven spatial platforms as it eyes overseas growth.

4 hours ago

Big Tech

Chinese tech giants, AI ‘godmother’ Li Fei-Fei race into world models

Alibaba’s introduction of Happy Oyster model for real-time creation of virtual worlds follows unveiling of Spark 2.0 from Li’s World Labs.

16 Apr 2026 - 9:00PM

Big Tech

TSMC targets over 30% revenue surge in 2026, ramps up capex amid AI boom

AI dominates TSMC revenues as foundry giant pivots from smartphones to high-performance computing.

16 Apr 2026 - 7:07PM

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

Hong Kong Economy

Are special laws a quick fix for speeding up Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis?

Syncing megaproject with key infrastructure and turning it into a ‘living laboratory’ are equally important to its success, tech experts say.

16 Apr 2026 - 10:18PM

China

Exclusive | Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

War distractions and limited goals risk turning Beijing talks into optics over substance, as expectations shrink and planning falters.

15 Apr 2026 - 9:06AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Why the US may need more than just fixing gaps to rival China on rare earths

Washington’s mining ambitions may be complicated by the erosion of industrial know-how and a weak education pipeline, experts say.

14 Apr 2026 - 8:55AMvideocam

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

Economic sanctions, access to US-led banking systems are powerful tools, but overuse reduces their effectiveness over time, Congress told.

‘No alternative’: Yellen defends dollar dominance, calls to preserve China trade

Europe tests ‘third way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will it work?

Coalition of more than 30 nations to meet in Paris for a summit to find a ‘credible proposal’ to restore shipping through the strait.

‘Buy what they can, steal what they can’t’: US lawmakers slam China’s AI tactics

US lawmakers, experts accused Beijing of buying ‘what they can’ and stealing ‘what they cannot’ from America to advance their AI technology.

Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens: Blitzboks, Argentina, Australia’s women start strong

The first leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship gets under way in Hong Kong as the city’s sevens celebrates its 50th year.

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

China’s 3-satellite surveillance network, C919 faces ‘final exam’: 7 highlights

From Chinese AI cracking decade-old maths problem to Japan eyeing Nato partnership, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Why is faecal bacteria presence in US hotels much higher than in China?

Luxury hotels clean up their act after filthy sanitation practices, including using the same sponge to clean cups, toilets and showers.

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

Kim Jong-un’s increased appearances at military drills show his confidence in Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence, analysts say.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}From waste to bottle: the technology that gives packaging waste a verifiable second life

Dow’s digital tracking system in China proves to consumers and businesses how waste can be recycled into new products.

Overheating hurts AI. So China’s scientists are adding diamonds to copper

Chinese scientists are combining diamond and copper, both of which are effective heat conductors, in a bid to leap the ‘thermal wall’.

Chinese AI firm SenseTime to raise US$415 million via share placement

Placement priced at an 8.6 per cent discount as the AI firm boosts investment in multimodal models and cloud infrastructure.

Israel and Lebanon begin 10-day ceasefire as US pushes broader deal

Pause may ease tensions with Iran, with Trump eyeing White House talks, though doubts linger over prospects for a lasting peace deal.

US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says

Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.

‘Sharp swings’: why China is warning of food security risks despite bumper crops

The country has ample grain supplies but could still face challenges if extreme weather or global conflict spark global shortages, Beijing says.

US oil floats to top as Asia looks for Middle Eastern alternatives amid Iran war

Buyers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand have helped push May sales to over 60 million barrels, the highest in three years.

Bars gearing up for bumper Hong Kong Sevens weekend

Bar operators dismiss concerns that higher airfares because of Middle East war will deter rugby fans from visiting city.

10,000 suns: mind-blowing power of black hole jets measured for the first time

The jets can help scientists understand how black holes help shape galaxies and other cosmic structures.

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil claims ‘business as usual’ amid reports of league’s demise

O’Neil seemed to confirm that LIV executives met in New York this week while refuting the idea that they were ‘summoned’.

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump after he toppled Venezuela’s leader.

Will China arm Iran during the ceasefire?

Pentagon says Beijing offered assurances as US tightens blockade and warns Tehran talks could quickly give way to renewed strikes.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | With Art March, Hong Kong is firmly on the global cultural map

Editorial | 50 years of Sevens: Hong Kong’s festival of fun awaits the world’s rugby fans

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Amid elevated oil prices, Hong Kong’s stable energy system is a boon

Opinion | Without restraint, Beijing and Manila can’t deliver the South China Sea code

Editorial | Hong Kong taxpayers deserve clarity on Covid-era SME loan scheme

Hong Kong school to close in 2029 over Primary One enrolment shortfall

Kunafa prawn? From Shandong to the Nile, Cairo’s love affair with Chinese food

South Korean police investigate mother for feeding rice cake soup to infant

Chinese AI firm SenseTime to raise US$415 million via share placement

Europe tests ‘third way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will it work?

China’s 3-satellite surveillance network, C919 faces ‘final exam’: 7 highlights

South African politician sentenced to 5 years for firing rifle at rally

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil claims ‘business as usual’ amid reports of league’s demise

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

US oil floats to top as Asia looks for Middle Eastern alternatives amid Iran war

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

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.

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

Manycore, one of Hangzhou’s ‘Six Little Dragons’, surges on Hong Kong IPO debut

The company’s listing highlights its pivot from design tools to advanced AI-driven spatial platforms as it eyes overseas growth.

Chinese tech giants, AI ‘godmother’ Li Fei-Fei race into world models

Alibaba’s introduction of Happy Oyster model for real-time creation of virtual worlds follows unveiling of Spark 2.0 from Li’s World Labs.

TSMC targets over 30% revenue surge in 2026, ramps up capex amid AI boom

AI dominates TSMC revenues as foundry giant pivots from smartphones to high-performance computing.

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.

Are special laws a quick fix for speeding up Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis?

Syncing megaproject with key infrastructure and turning it into a ‘living laboratory’ are equally important to its success, tech experts say.

Exclusive | Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

From waste to bottle: the technology that gives packaging waste a verifiable second life

Opinion | With Art March, Hong Kong is firmly on the global cultural map

Letters | Amid elevated oil prices, Hong Kong’s stable energy system is a boon