Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Consumers shop at Florentia Village in suburban Shanghai. Photo: Maggie Zhang

China’s shoppers head for suburban outlets, a bright spot in retail property

Outlet spending nearly doubles to around US$36 billion over five years, prompting investment surge while urban malls suffer high vacancies.

12 minutes ago

Empty shops, falling rents: commercial property suffers in China retail slump

China property

Military

Xi Jinping’s zero-fail mission for China’s military: total loyalty, no corruption

President underlines his strict ideological line to the PLA’s diminished delegation to the NPC.

7 Mar 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

China Economy

Innovation plus livelihoods – the twin tracks of China’s 5-year plan

The country’s new economic blueprint targets hi-tech advances plus basic human needs such as nursing home beds.

7 Mar 2026 - 10:59PMvideocam

Transport

‘Keep the change’ no more: Hong Kong taxi drivers prepare for shift to e-payments

City’s cabbies required to provide at least two e-payment options by April 1, as part of industry effort to improve service quality.

12 minutes ago

Focus

As US universities retreat from China, who is filling the academic void?

Military

Will the US attack on Iran push North Korea even closer to Russia and China?

Donald Trump’s targeting of Tehran will push Pyongyang to feel ‘vindicated’ in developing nuclear weapons for its own security, analysts say.

7 Mar 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is seen aboard the country’s first 5,000-tonne multipurpose destroyer, the Choe Hyon, in waters near the western coastal city of Nampo on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/dpa

Middle East

Iran vows more attacks in Gulf despite president’s apology

Tehran says it will continue drone and missile strikes on sites in neighbouring countries that are ‘at the disposal of the enemy’.

4 hours agovideocam

People

‘It’s inevitable’: Singapore’s workers brace for AI disruption

The city state wants 100,000 workers to become ‘AI bilingual’. But with entry-level roles already vanishing, time may not be on its side.

42 minutes agovideocam

Travel & Leisure

How use of AI will help travel operators transform behaviour of holidaymakers

Experts explore innovative technology’s role in industry’s evolution at ‘Limitless: Dida Engage 2026’ in Shenzhen.

In partnership with:

Dida

Science

What is the moon’s far side made of? Chinese scientists use AI to crack mystery

Findings add to a growing body of insights from China’s historic Chang’e-6 mission to the lunar far side in 2024.

7 Mar 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Image of the lunar surface as captured by the Chang’e-6 lander. Photo: Handout via Xinhua

United States & Canada

Trump offers Latin American leaders US missile strikes to hit drug cartels

The US president launched a 17-nation ‘counter cartel’ coalition at his ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit.

8 Mar 2026 - 1:46AM

Middle East

Trump says he’s told Kurds not to join Iran fight: ‘war is complicated enough’

The US president says he has ruled out such action despite Kurdish forces indicating they were ‘willing to go in’.

2 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

Top envoy urges China-Russia border infrastructure as sanctions stymie transport

Chinese ambassador to Moscow calls for the neighbours to build more cross-border bridges and corridors to slash logistics costs.

7 Mar 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

The Blagoveshchensk–Heihe bridge crosses the Heilong (Amur) River, linking China and Russia. Photo: AFP/Amur region government press service

United States & Canada

Timothee Chalamet faces the music for saying ‘no one cares’ about opera, ballet

Performance groups around the world clapped back at the Hollywood star’s remarks, while a German minister invited him to watch a show.

6 hours ago

US actor Timothee Chalamet poses on the red carpet at the Bafta Film Awards in London in February. Photo: EPA

Middle East

What do we know about the Ayatollah’s killing one week on?

As the US and Israel continue to pound Iran, details have emerged on how intelligence services went about setting up their attack.

7 Mar 2026 - 11:48PMvideocam

China Economy

China to launch TCM on global health mission over the next 5 years

Health commission chief says the plan is to expand the pool of medicinal plants and improve training and technology.

7 Mar 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

Entertainment

Why Gorillaz’s new album The Mountain is an optimistic ‘album about death’

Jamie Hewlett shares how grief and a trip to India inspired his and Damon Albarn’s latest project, and why art ‘has to be an evolution’.

4 hours ago

Jamie Hewlett (left) and Damon Albarn of Gorillaz with their fictional characters (from left) Noodle, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, and 2D. The band’s ninth studio album, The Mountain, was heavily inspired by the pair’s travels in India. Photo: Reuben Bastienne-Lewis/Gorillaz/dpa

Health & Wellness

These Hong Kong women are showing what’s possible in their sports

On International Women’s Day, we talk to women who reflect a growing global movement of women’s sport moving to the forefront.

1 hour agovideocam

Hong Kong-based events manager Clare Cheung takes part in a Hyrox event. She has taken part in more than 30 Hyrox races to date, spanning multiple categories, and has won 11 of them. Photo: Hyrox HK

Politics

Xinjiang official says region’s textile industry is growing despite US sanctions

Amid China’s annual ‘two sessions’, Wang Kuiran says region will boost legal support for businesses affected by US restrictions.

7 Mar 2026 - 6:17PMvideocam

Politics

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

7 Mar 2026 - 9:33PMvideocam

OPINION

Regina Ip

Opinion | Paul Chan must deliver the fiscal discipline Hong Kong needs

3 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Wild weather demands preparedness from Hong Kong

1 hour ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Smooth roll-out of surveillance tech will help Hong Kong combat crime

2 hours ago

Cliff Buddle

My Take | Freedom of press calls for faster route to Transport Department data

7 Mar 2026 - 10:25PM

Ningrong Liu

Opinion | How Europe and China can rise above paralysis and mistrust

7 Mar 2026 - 8:30PM

Harry’s View | 8 Mar 2026

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Transport

‘Keep the change’ no more: Hong Kong taxi drivers prepare for shift to e-payments

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Business

China’s shoppers head for suburban outlets, a bright spot in retail property

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Hong Kong

Hong Kong Olympic swimmer Yvette Kong keen to keep defying traditional limitations

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People

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Staff members dispense medicines at a pharmacy in Wuhan, in central China’s Hubei province, on February 27, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

SCMP Series ‘Two sessions’: China’s economic agenda

Healthcare investors keeping an eye on ‘two sessions’ for clarity on drug pricing

Healthcare and insurance sectors will see policy fine-tuning, ‘moral support’ rather than ‘groundbreaking news’ from Beijing, analysts say.

4 Mar 2026 - 9:05AM

Can China’s ‘two sessions’ find a strategy to fix the property rot?

4 Mar 2026 - 9:18AM

Investors lock onto NPC as markets seek policy lift amid AI jitters

3 Mar 2026 - 7:30AM

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.

5 Mar 2026 - 5:24PM

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.

5 Mar 2026 - 5:25PMvideocam

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:

Policy

China’s 5-year plan emphasises ‘orderly’ AI development amid market volatility

First announced in 2024, the AI Plus initiative includes a target of integrating AI into 90 per cent of China’s economy by 2030.

5 Mar 2026 - 11:57PMvideocam

People watch as robots perform a dance during Lunar New Year celebrations in Beijing on February 18. Photo: Reuters

Big Tech

ZTE’s computing revenue jumps 150% amid AI boom, but profits fall 33%

A boom in computing and data-centre sales helped lift revenue, but weaker demand for traditional telecom equipment weighed on profits.

7 Mar 2026 - 3:38PM

Tech

China’s DeepSeek teams with Tencent, HKU on AI tool to sharpen 3D design

Open-source Pointer-CAD framework, built on Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 model, enhances accuracy and efficiency in computer-aided design: researchers.

7 Mar 2026 - 11:00AM

Tech

China’s eastern, southern economic powerhouses vie for innovation leadership

Officials from Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area outline ambitions after Xi Jinping calls on provincial economies to drive development.

6 Mar 2026 - 10:15PM

Passengers pass a mural in the arrivals hall of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, in south China’s Guangdong province, on February 23, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

China Economy

China works to build slow, steady stock markets, rejecting norm of boom and bust

Beijing is emphasising gradual growth in its policies for capital markets, encouraging dividend payouts and drawing a contrast with the West.

7 Mar 2026 - 8:16AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Takeaways from Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s government work report

Li raises the curtain on the annual session of the National People’s Congress with a series of targets for the economy.

5 Mar 2026 - 4:18PMvideocam

Science

Why China’s anti-corruption push in academia is key to its science and tech aims

Ahead of country’s annual ‘two sessions’ meetings, scientists urge more institutionalised and effective mechanisms to curb abuses of power.

5 Mar 2026 - 6:50AMvideocam

China Economy

How China is using its economic clout to give the US dollar a run for its money

Beijing is using economic clout to reshape its global financial influence – a strategy analysts say could play out over decades.

3 Mar 2026 - 10:08AMvideocam

China’s shoppers head for suburban outlets, a bright spot in retail property

Outlet spending nearly doubles to around US$36 billion over five years, prompting investment surge while urban malls suffer high vacancies.

Empty shops, falling rents: commercial property suffers in China retail slump

Xi Jinping’s zero-fail mission for China’s military: total loyalty, no corruption

President underlines his strict ideological line to the PLA’s diminished delegation to the NPC.

Innovation plus livelihoods – the twin tracks of China’s 5-year plan

The country’s new economic blueprint targets hi-tech advances plus basic human needs such as nursing home beds.

‘Keep the change’ no more: Hong Kong taxi drivers prepare for shift to e-payments

City’s cabbies required to provide at least two e-payment options by April 1, as part of industry effort to improve service quality.

As US universities retreat from China, who is filling the academic void?

Will the US attack on Iran push North Korea even closer to Russia and China?

Donald Trump’s targeting of Tehran will push Pyongyang to feel ‘vindicated’ in developing nuclear weapons for its own security, analysts say.

Iran vows more attacks in Gulf despite president’s apology

Tehran says it will continue drone and missile strikes on sites in neighbouring countries that are ‘at the disposal of the enemy’.

‘It’s inevitable’: Singapore’s workers brace for AI disruption

The city state wants 100,000 workers to become ‘AI bilingual’. But with entry-level roles already vanishing, time may not be on its side.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}How use of AI will help travel operators transform behaviour of holidaymakers

Experts explore innovative technology’s role in industry’s evolution at ‘Limitless: Dida Engage 2026’ in Shenzhen.

What is the moon’s far side made of? Chinese scientists use AI to crack mystery

Findings add to a growing body of insights from China’s historic Chang’e-6 mission to the lunar far side in 2024.

Trump offers Latin American leaders US missile strikes to hit drug cartels

The US president launched a 17-nation ‘counter cartel’ coalition at his ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit.

Trump says he’s told Kurds not to join Iran fight: ‘war is complicated enough’

The US president says he has ruled out such action despite Kurdish forces indicating they were ‘willing to go in’.

Top envoy urges China-Russia border infrastructure as sanctions stymie transport

Chinese ambassador to Moscow calls for the neighbours to build more cross-border bridges and corridors to slash logistics costs.

Timothee Chalamet faces the music for saying ‘no one cares’ about opera, ballet

Performance groups around the world clapped back at the Hollywood star’s remarks, while a German minister invited him to watch a show.

What do we know about the Ayatollah’s killing one week on?

As the US and Israel continue to pound Iran, details have emerged on how intelligence services went about setting up their attack.

China to launch TCM on global health mission over the next 5 years

Health commission chief says the plan is to expand the pool of medicinal plants and improve training and technology.

Why Gorillaz’s new album The Mountain is an optimistic ‘album about death’

Jamie Hewlett shares how grief and a trip to India inspired his and Damon Albarn’s latest project, and why art ‘has to be an evolution’.

These Hong Kong women are showing what’s possible in their sports

On International Women’s Day, we talk to women who reflect a growing global movement of women’s sport moving to the forefront.

Xinjiang official says region’s textile industry is growing despite US sanctions

Amid China’s annual ‘two sessions’, Wang Kuiran says region will boost legal support for businesses affected by US restrictions.

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Paul Chan must deliver the fiscal discipline Hong Kong needs

Editorial | Wild weather demands preparedness from Hong Kong

Editorial | Smooth roll-out of surveillance tech will help Hong Kong combat crime

My Take | Freedom of press calls for faster route to Transport Department data

Opinion | How Europe and China can rise above paralysis and mistrust

‘Keep the change’ no more: Hong Kong taxi drivers prepare for shift to e-payments

China’s shoppers head for suburban outlets, a bright spot in retail property

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Chinese dating app lets parents set up dates for their kids

Hong Kong Olympic swimmer Yvette Kong keen to keep defying traditional limitations

‘It’s inevitable’: Singapore’s workers brace for AI disruption

Editorial | Wild weather demands preparedness from Hong Kong

Healthcare investors keeping an eye on ‘two sessions’ for clarity on drug pricing

Healthcare and insurance sectors will see policy fine-tuning, ‘moral support’ rather than ‘groundbreaking news’ from Beijing, analysts say.

Can China’s ‘two sessions’ find a strategy to fix the property rot?

Investors lock onto NPC as markets seek policy lift amid AI jitters

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}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.

China’s 5-year plan emphasises ‘orderly’ AI development amid market volatility

First announced in 2024, the AI Plus initiative includes a target of integrating AI into 90 per cent of China’s economy by 2030.

ZTE’s computing revenue jumps 150% amid AI boom, but profits fall 33%

A boom in computing and data-centre sales helped lift revenue, but weaker demand for traditional telecom equipment weighed on profits.

China’s DeepSeek teams with Tencent, HKU on AI tool to sharpen 3D design

Open-source Pointer-CAD framework, built on Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 model, enhances accuracy and efficiency in computer-aided design: researchers.

China’s eastern, southern economic powerhouses vie for innovation leadership

Officials from Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area outline ambitions after Xi Jinping calls on provincial economies to drive development.

China works to build slow, steady stock markets, rejecting norm of boom and bust

Beijing is emphasising gradual growth in its policies for capital markets, encouraging dividend payouts and drawing a contrast with the West.

Takeaways from Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s government work report

Li raises the curtain on the annual session of the National People’s Congress with a series of targets for the economy.

Why China’s anti-corruption push in academia is key to its science and tech aims

Ahead of country’s annual ‘two sessions’ meetings, scientists urge more institutionalised and effective mechanisms to curb abuses of power.

How China is using its economic clout to give the US dollar a run for its money

Beijing is using economic clout to reshape its global financial influence – a strategy analysts say could play out over decades.

How use of AI will help travel operators transform behaviour of holidaymakers

Opinion | Paul Chan must deliver the fiscal discipline Hong Kong needs

Video | Chinese dating app lets parents set up dates for their kids

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