Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Chinese tourists wearing traditional Thai costumes shield themselves from the sun at Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, in Bangkok on April 14. Photo: EPA

More bookings, shorter trips: Chinese adjust to pricier fuel for May holiday

Domestic flight bookings up about 8 per cent and domestic package-tour reservations up about 10 per cent, survey finds.

2 hours ago

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

China travel

Science

Can Chinese scientists bring Nasa’s ‘space spider’ dream to life?

Shenyang team focuses on how to produce strong structural parts efficiently, and how to connect them reliably.

27 minutes agovideocam

Big Tech

Tencent unveils first flagship AI model under former OpenAI researcher

The model is relatively small with only 295 billion parameters, bucking a recent trend of large models with trillions of parameters.

54 minutes ago

Society

‘Lifetime of memories’: survivors return to worst-hit Wang Fuk Court block

Survivors recount narrow escapes and salvage belongings, as some demand accountability and criticise time limits after deadly blaze.

9 minutes agovideocam

Science

AI has emerged as a key battleground in the rivalry between China and the US. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s dark compute power could be 6,000 times higher than current estimates

Business

Mainland China’s ultra-wealthy numbers rise as Hong Kong poised for rebound

China’s ultra-wealthy population has grown 23 per cent in five years, while Hong Kong is forecast to see a 25 per cent rebound by 2031.

45 minutes ago

China’s share of global UHNWIs edged down by one percentage point to 17 per cent this year. Photo: Getty Images

Economics

New direction: Southeast Asian airports fill Middle East hub gap

SIA, Cathay, Korean Air and Qantas have reported an increase in demand for European routes as travellers avoid Middle Eastern hubs.

2 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

Iran latest: Trump has ‘no time frame’ to end war as world waits for peace talks

Iranian president says blockade, threats ‘main obstacles’ to negotiations; and Iran reopens its airspace with some China flights to resume.

3 hours agovideocam

Tech

How AI technology supports conservation of endangered species

Huawei Technologies’ monitoring systems speed up real-time identification of China’s primates, coastal coral, and Norwegian salmon.

In partnership with:

Huawei

China Economy

Canton Fair defies global trends as overseas buyers flock to buy robots, drones

Foreign buyers queue up to test the latest technological hardware at China’s largest trade show despite softening international demand.

6 hours agovideocam

The 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, brought together 46 enterprises to showcase technological innovations and application capabilities in China’s service robot sector. Photo: Xinhua

Science & Technology

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’, Lutnick tells US lawmakers

Commerce chief says Beijing is prioritising its own semiconductor industry when asked whether selling US chips would aid Chinese military.

6 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

US lawmakers slam China’s ‘parasitic’ theft of military and tech secrets

US senators pointed to legal channels, including work visas and university research, as potential pathways for China-linked espionage.

6 hours agovideocam

China Business

AI-driven Hong Kong stock inflows from mainland China slow as options multiply

Wave of listings provides more ‘pure-play’ AI investment options across mainland and Hong Kong exchanges, BNP Paribas says.

2 hours ago

Last year’s emergence of DeepSeek drove concentrated buying of Hong Kong-listed technology giants. Photo: Jelly Tse

Southeast Asia

US intercepts Iranian tankers near India, Malaysia amid Hormuz tensions

The vessels were ordered to move away from their positions as Washington and Tehran intensify their stand-off over the waterway.

5 hours agovideocam

Iranian walks past a billboard reading “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at the Revolution Square in Tehran on Wednesday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Health & Wellness

Is your family addicted to screens and junk food? How to change their habits

In her book Dopamine Kids, Michaeleen Doucleff examines our reliance on ‘magnets’ that hamper happiness and explains how to overcome them.

30 minutes ago

Law and Crime

Tai Po fire probe: no emergency alert sent over fears of unpredictable responses

Judge David Lok urges distinction between firefighting and fire prevention, says officers at the scene had to make many difficult decisions.

2 hours ago

Middle East

Lebanon to confront Israel over demolition of homes since ceasefire

Lebanese officials plan to raise the issue of widespread demolitions at a new round of talks Thursday in Washington.

3 minutes ago

Destroyed houses in the southern Lebanon village of Beit Lif. Photo: Xinhua

Europe

Trains collide head-on in Denmark, causing multiple injuries

Emergency services deploy helicopters and ambulances after two local trains collide north of Copenhagen.

25 minutes ago

The collision occurred near Hillerod, about 35km north of Copenhagen. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix/Steven Knap via Reuters

Big Tech

Alibaba opens Qwen app to partners with China Eastern Airlines tie-up

Company pledges more partnerships to expand the agentic capabilities of its flagship consumer chatbot app.

5 hours ago

United States & Canada

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

23 Apr 2026 - 5:01AMvideocam

OPINION

Ken Ip

Opinion | Hong Kong’s education hub cannot be a one-market wonder

6 hours ago

Kun Tian

Opinion | Hong Kong’s stablecoin roll-out puts banks at the centre of digital money

23 Apr 2026 - 8:26AM

Letters

Letters | If energy crisis drags on, Hong Kong may need to rely on conservation

4 hours ago

SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Saudi leader’s phone call to Xi Jinping shows shifting global power balance

23 Apr 2026 - 7:15AM

Martin W H Wong

Legal Tales | Being annoying is not just an annoyance, it’s harassment under tort law

6 hours ago

Harry’s View | 23 Apr 2026

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9 minutes ago

Law and Crime

Hong Kong police arrest 9 over HK$1.7 million in fake travel insurance claims

13 minutes ago

Hong Kong

City table tennis star Wong credits wife for ‘building bridge’ with partner Doo

25 minutes ago

Europe

Trains collide head-on in Denmark, causing multiple injuries

30 minutes ago

Health & Wellness

Is your family addicted to screens and junk food? How to change their habits

45 minutes ago

Business

Mainland China’s ultra-wealthy numbers rise as Hong Kong poised for rebound

1 hour ago

Racing

Voyage Bubble and Sunlight Power back on track to run in Sunday’s Champions Mile

1 hour ago

Middle East

Lebanon to confront Israel over demolition of homes since ceasefire

1 hour ago

Southeast Asia

Man convicted of trafficking Singaporean Tinder date for Dubai sex work

2 hours ago

Transport

Hong Kong MTR unveils HK$300 million wheelset centre, boosting efficiency by 80%

2 hours ago

Big Tech

Tencent unveils first flagship AI model under former OpenAI researcher

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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

Diplomacy

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

20 Apr 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

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

Key Industries:

Tech

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

22 Apr 2026 - 11:20PM

Starting this year, models from Chinese companies have intermittently ranked among the global top tier in token usage. Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Big Tech

Tencent unveils first flagship AI model under former OpenAI researcher

The model is relatively small with only 295 billion parameters, bucking a recent trend of large models with trillions of parameters.

54 minutes ago

China Business

AI-driven Hong Kong stock inflows from mainland China slow as options multiply

Wave of listings provides more ‘pure-play’ AI investment options across mainland and Hong Kong exchanges, BNP Paribas says.

2 hours ago

Big Tech

Alibaba opens Qwen app to partners with China Eastern Airlines tie-up

Company pledges more partnerships to expand the agentic capabilities of its flagship consumer chatbot app.

5 hours ago

A China Eastern Airlines flight takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Photo: Xinhua

China Economy

How a Chinese plastics hub shapes Tesla’s supply chain – and moulds the modern world

From car components to keyboards, this little-known industrial district in eastern China is crafting the small parts the world relies on.

23 Apr 2026 - 6:54AMvideocam

Politics

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Congressional resistance, war costs and industrial limits could constrain ambitions, even as Beijing expands its naval capacity.

22 Apr 2026 - 12:55AMvideocam

Politics

How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure

New rules take aim at sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could provide a high-stakes testing ground.

21 Apr 2026 - 6:46AM

Diplomacy

The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America

Many believed the transatlantic alliance could weather another term of Trump, but a year and a half on those hopes have largely faded.

19 Apr 2026 - 1:32AMvideocam

More bookings, shorter trips: Chinese adjust to pricier fuel for May holiday

Domestic flight bookings up about 8 per cent and domestic package-tour reservations up about 10 per cent, survey finds.

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

Can Chinese scientists bring Nasa’s ‘space spider’ dream to life?

Shenyang team focuses on how to produce strong structural parts efficiently, and how to connect them reliably.

Tencent unveils first flagship AI model under former OpenAI researcher

The model is relatively small with only 295 billion parameters, bucking a recent trend of large models with trillions of parameters.

‘Lifetime of memories’: survivors return to worst-hit Wang Fuk Court block

Survivors recount narrow escapes and salvage belongings, as some demand accountability and criticise time limits after deadly blaze.

China’s dark compute power could be 6,000 times higher than current estimates

Mainland China’s ultra-wealthy numbers rise as Hong Kong poised for rebound

China’s ultra-wealthy population has grown 23 per cent in five years, while Hong Kong is forecast to see a 25 per cent rebound by 2031.

New direction: Southeast Asian airports fill Middle East hub gap

SIA, Cathay, Korean Air and Qantas have reported an increase in demand for European routes as travellers avoid Middle Eastern hubs.

Iran latest: Trump has ‘no time frame’ to end war as world waits for peace talks

Iranian president says blockade, threats ‘main obstacles’ to negotiations; and Iran reopens its airspace with some China flights to resume.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}How AI technology supports conservation of endangered species

Huawei Technologies’ monitoring systems speed up real-time identification of China’s primates, coastal coral, and Norwegian salmon.

Canton Fair defies global trends as overseas buyers flock to buy robots, drones

Foreign buyers queue up to test the latest technological hardware at China’s largest trade show despite softening international demand.

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’, Lutnick tells US lawmakers

Commerce chief says Beijing is prioritising its own semiconductor industry when asked whether selling US chips would aid Chinese military.

US lawmakers slam China’s ‘parasitic’ theft of military and tech secrets

US senators pointed to legal channels, including work visas and university research, as potential pathways for China-linked espionage.

AI-driven Hong Kong stock inflows from mainland China slow as options multiply

Wave of listings provides more ‘pure-play’ AI investment options across mainland and Hong Kong exchanges, BNP Paribas says.

US intercepts Iranian tankers near India, Malaysia amid Hormuz tensions

The vessels were ordered to move away from their positions as Washington and Tehran intensify their stand-off over the waterway.

Is your family addicted to screens and junk food? How to change their habits

In her book Dopamine Kids, Michaeleen Doucleff examines our reliance on ‘magnets’ that hamper happiness and explains how to overcome them.

Tai Po fire probe: no emergency alert sent over fears of unpredictable responses

Judge David Lok urges distinction between firefighting and fire prevention, says officers at the scene had to make many difficult decisions.

Lebanon to confront Israel over demolition of homes since ceasefire

Lebanese officials plan to raise the issue of widespread demolitions at a new round of talks Thursday in Washington.

Trains collide head-on in Denmark, causing multiple injuries

Emergency services deploy helicopters and ambulances after two local trains collide north of Copenhagen.

Alibaba opens Qwen app to partners with China Eastern Airlines tie-up

Company pledges more partnerships to expand the agentic capabilities of its flagship consumer chatbot app.

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Hong Kong’s education hub cannot be a one-market wonder

Opinion | Hong Kong’s stablecoin roll-out puts banks at the centre of digital money

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | If energy crisis drags on, Hong Kong may need to rely on conservation

Editorial | Saudi leader’s phone call to Xi Jinping shows shifting global power balance

Legal Tales | Being annoying is not just an annoyance, it’s harassment under tort law

Hong Kong police arrest 9 over HK$1.7 million in fake travel insurance claims

City table tennis star Wong credits wife for ‘building bridge’ with partner Doo

Trains collide head-on in Denmark, causing multiple injuries

Is your family addicted to screens and junk food? How to change their habits

Mainland China’s ultra-wealthy numbers rise as Hong Kong poised for rebound

Voyage Bubble and Sunlight Power back on track to run in Sunday’s Champions Mile

Lebanon to confront Israel over demolition of homes since ceasefire

Man convicted of trafficking Singaporean Tinder date for Dubai sex work

Hong Kong MTR unveils HK$300 million wheelset centre, boosting efficiency by 80%

Tencent unveils first flagship AI model under former OpenAI researcher

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 | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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.

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

Tencent unveils first flagship AI model under former OpenAI researcher

The model is relatively small with only 295 billion parameters, bucking a recent trend of large models with trillions of parameters.

AI-driven Hong Kong stock inflows from mainland China slow as options multiply

Wave of listings provides more ‘pure-play’ AI investment options across mainland and Hong Kong exchanges, BNP Paribas says.

Alibaba opens Qwen app to partners with China Eastern Airlines tie-up

Company pledges more partnerships to expand the agentic capabilities of its flagship consumer chatbot app.

How a Chinese plastics hub shapes Tesla’s supply chain – and moulds the modern world

From car components to keyboards, this little-known industrial district in eastern China is crafting the small parts the world relies on.

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Congressional resistance, war costs and industrial limits could constrain ambitions, even as Beijing expands its naval capacity.

How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure

How AI technology supports conservation of endangered species

Opinion | Hong Kong’s education hub cannot be a one-market wonder

Letters | If energy crisis drags on, Hong Kong may need to rely on conservation