Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

Why tougher US visa rules for skilled foreign workers may end in ‘brain drain’

Trump administration is targeting several visa categories, including popular H-1B pathway, with bias towards fewer numbers and more revenue.

2 hours agovideocam

Donald Trump defends policies amid pushback over Chinese students, H-1B visas

US-China relations

Diplomacy

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

Analysts are divided on who has the most to lose as the conflict drags on.

3 hours agovideocam

Big Tech

China blocks Meta’s Manus deal after months-long probe, thwarting purchase

Economic planner asks both parties to withdraw from deal for AI firm, in move with wider implications for other start-ups operating overseas.

5 hours agovideocam

China Economy

China outlines new labour protection plan for nation’s 200 million gig workers

The 12-point document pledges stronger protections for gig-economy workforce, which has rapidly grown amid China’s economic slowdown.

5 hours agovideocam

Economy

A crane lifts a container at a port this month in China’s Jiangsu province, which has been threatening to end Guangdong’s uninterrupted reign as the nation’s largest provincial economy since the late 1980s. Photo: China Daily via Reuters

Guangdong’s rule as China’s GDP king faces an unprecedented threat to the crown

Military

PLA showcases YJ-20 anti-ship missiles as US-Japan-Philippines test war moves

Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan’s first-ever operational role in the drills.

4 hours agovideocam

China’s YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile system has a range of 1,000 to 1,500km, a cruising speed of around Mach 6 and a terminal dive speed reaching Mach 10. Photo: Handout

Science

Chinese supercomputers help crack mystery of Yellowstone volcanic plumbing

Scientists who started research in the US make breakthrough after returning to China and gaining access to domestic computing power.

3 hours agovideocam

Society

Fire risks not spotted due to old inspection guidelines, Tai Po blaze inquiry told

Government surveyors were following outdated guidelines that didn’t require them to examine renovation works in person at Wang Fuk Court, committee hears.

32 minutes 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 Business

China’s CATL touts landmark energy-storage order for sodium-ion batteries

Deal for massive grid storage system shows that CATL has ‘overcome all the challenges in mass-producing sodium-ion batteries’, company says.

3 hours agovideocam

Electricity arcs in a cold-environment demonstration of CATL’s sodium-ion battery technology during Auto China 2026 in Beijing on April 25, 2026. Photo: AP Photo

United States & Canada

Bruised by Trump, Nato alliance considers end to annual summits

Trump’s administration has engaged repeatedly in scathing criticism of many of the US-led defence alliance’s 31 other members.

19 minutes agovideocam

Markets

Alibaba gets nod to spin off warehouse park as Reit in logistics pivot

Hong Kong exchange’s approval is first step in plan to list asset on Shenzhen bourse as Beijing encourages Reit listings.

2 hours ago

Europe

UK PM Starmer faces vote on possible probe over Mandelson

Starmer’s Labour Party has ‌a large majority in parliament and could vote down the launch of an inquiry.

1 hour agovideocam

This handout photograph taken and released by the UK Parliament’s House of Commons on April 20, 2026 shows Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a statement on the vetting procedure undertaken for the former UK ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, on April 20. Photo: AFP/House of Commons

SERIES: China takes stock as world frets over Mythos

From scepticism to concern: Mythos panic is slowly starting to reach China

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on its influential social media account that Mythos showed ‘unprecedented cyberattack capabilities’.

27 Apr 2026 - 10:00AM

Anthropic’s strong anti-China stance has increased the possibility that the US could use Mythos-type models to conduct cyberattacks against China, according to a cybersecurity expert. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

Diplomacy

Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.

6 hours agovideocam

Africa

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14

All 13 passengers and the pilot were killed.

1 hour ago

Diplomacy

Pakistani president’s visit seeks to bolster ‘full spectrum’ of ties with China

Asif Ali Zardari’s visit also comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to play a key role in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

4 hours agovideocam

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (centre) pictured on a visit to an industrial plant in Changsha. Photo: EPA

Tech Trends

Chinese robotaxi firms accelerate global roll-outs as cost edge drives expansion

Pony AI and WeRide harness China’s supply chain strength to cut costs, boost efficiency and scale robotaxi fleets worldwide.

4 hours ago

A Pony AI robotaxi is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: DPA

China Economy

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

Fuel-processing sector pivots to profit while tech gains shield margins from modest revenue growth, highlighting an efficiency-led rally over a demand recovery.

27 Apr 2026 - 6:00PM

Politics

Taiwan completes US tank deal as final Abrams shipment reaches port

Acquisition marks the biggest upgrade to Taiwan’s armoured forces in decades as island moves to bolster northern defence.

5 hours agovideocam

OPINION

Ram Manikkalingam

Opinion | Reopen Strait of Hormuz by reframing Iran’s tolls as reconstruction

5 hours ago

Nicholas Spiro

The View | Asian private wealth an emerging force in property investment

27 Apr 2026 - 4:30PM

Letters

Letters | In US-China AI race, Southeast Asia is no side act

27 Apr 2026 - 2:26PM

Alice Wu

Opinion | Hong Kong’s civil service accountability system will end buck-passing mentality

27 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

Li Xing

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

27 Apr 2026 - 7:29AM

Harry’s View | 28 Apr 2026

MORE COMMENT

LATEST

19 minutes ago

United States & Canada

Bruised by Trump, Nato alliance considers end to annual summits

2 hours ago

Africa

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14

2 hours ago

Football

Champions League semis contrast easy-on-eye PSG-Bayern, robust Atletico-Arsenal

2 hours ago

Diplomacy

Why tougher US visa rules for skilled foreign workers may end in ‘brain drain’

2 hours ago

Europe

UK PM Starmer faces vote on possible probe over Mandelson

2 hours ago

Markets

Alibaba gets nod to spin off warehouse park as Reit in logistics pivot

3 hours ago

Diplomacy

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

3 hours ago

Middle East

Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 20, 2026. REUTERS

02:45

3 hours ago

Tech Trends

Chinese optical chipmaker’s profit soars 1,153% on strong AI demand

3 hours ago

Science

Chinese supercomputers help crack mystery of Yellowstone volcanic plumbing

MORE LATEST NEWS

SCMP Series

China takes stock as world frets over Mythos

US-Israel war on Iran

AI's impact on Hong Kong

SCMP Series China takes stock as world frets over Mythos

From scepticism to concern: Mythos panic is slowly starting to reach China

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on its influential social media account that Mythos showed ‘unprecedented cyberattack capabilities’.

3-MIN READ

Why Anthropic’s Mythos has energised China’s cybersecurity industry

3-MIN READ

Anthropic’s Mythos is stoking cybersecurity fears. What does it mean for China?

3-MIN READ

Open Questions series

China Economy

Open Questions | Why China’s yuan faces the same ‘illusions’ that stalled the euro: Daniel Gros

Former European economic adviser says Beijing’s bid to build an international currency will hinge on leaders allowing it to fluctuate freely.

10-MIN READvideocam

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.

15-MIN READvideocam

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.

16-MIN READvideocam

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.

9-MIN READvideocam

Key Industries:

Big Tech

As DJI duels Insta360, China sharpens global hardware edge amid US scrutiny

Western competitors like GoPro face shrinking footprints as strategic shifts of Chinese firms disrupt the status quo while navigating FCC-led national security bans.

7-MIN READvideocam

Tech Trends

Chinese optical chipmaker’s profit soars 1,153% on strong AI demand

Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology’s profit gain matches its elevenfold share price increase over the past year.

2-MIN READ

Tech Trends

Chinese robotaxi firms accelerate global roll-outs as cost edge drives expansion

Pony AI and WeRide harness China’s supply chain strength to cut costs, boost efficiency and scale robotaxi fleets worldwide.

2-MIN READ

China Business

China’s CATL touts landmark energy-storage order for sodium-ion batteries

Deal for massive grid storage system shows that CATL has ‘overcome all the challenges in mass-producing sodium-ion batteries’, company says.

2-MIN READvideocam

Science

Will China’s mathematicians join a global effort to boycott the United States?

Question hovers as world’s premier mathematics conference faces revolt over American visa rules and foreign policies.

5-MIN READvideocam

Big Tech

As DJI duels Insta360, China sharpens global hardware edge amid US scrutiny

Western competitors like GoPro face shrinking footprints as strategic shifts of Chinese firms disrupt the status quo while navigating FCC-led national security bans.

7-MIN READvideocam

Tech

Prognosis positive: how AI could help China bridge the medical resources gap

Hospitals, medical professionals and patients stand to benefit as country pushes to integrate AI into healthcare sector.

5-MIN READvideocam

Hong Kong

How fire safety failures worsened Hong Kong’s deadly inferno

The second round of hearings from April 8 to April 17 exposed a series of failures that allowed the fire equipment and alarm system in Wang Fuk Court to be deactivated for months, and eventually contributed to the heavy death toll.

1-MIN READ

How fire safety failures worsened Hong Kong’s deadly inferno

Why tougher US visa rules for skilled foreign workers may end in ‘brain drain’

Trump administration is targeting several visa categories, including popular H-1B pathway, with bias towards fewer numbers and more revenue.

Donald Trump defends policies amid pushback over Chinese students, H-1B visas

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

Analysts are divided on who has the most to lose as the conflict drags on.

China blocks Meta’s Manus deal after months-long probe, thwarting purchase

Economic planner asks both parties to withdraw from deal for AI firm, in move with wider implications for other start-ups operating overseas.

China outlines new labour protection plan for nation’s 200 million gig workers

The 12-point document pledges stronger protections for gig-economy workforce, which has rapidly grown amid China’s economic slowdown.

Guangdong’s rule as China’s GDP king faces an unprecedented threat to the crown

PLA showcases YJ-20 anti-ship missiles as US-Japan-Philippines test war moves

Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan’s first-ever operational role in the drills.

Chinese supercomputers help crack mystery of Yellowstone volcanic plumbing

Scientists who started research in the US make breakthrough after returning to China and gaining access to domestic computing power.

Fire risks not spotted due to old inspection guidelines, Tai Po blaze inquiry told

Government surveyors were following outdated guidelines that didn’t require them to examine renovation works in person at Wang Fuk Court, committee hears.

.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.

China’s CATL touts landmark energy-storage order for sodium-ion batteries

Deal for massive grid storage system shows that CATL has ‘overcome all the challenges in mass-producing sodium-ion batteries’, company says.

Bruised by Trump, Nato alliance considers end to annual summits

Trump’s administration has engaged repeatedly in scathing criticism of many of the US-led defence alliance’s 31 other members.

Alibaba gets nod to spin off warehouse park as Reit in logistics pivot

Hong Kong exchange’s approval is first step in plan to list asset on Shenzhen bourse as Beijing encourages Reit listings.

UK PM Starmer faces vote on possible probe over Mandelson

Starmer’s Labour Party has ‌a large majority in parliament and could vote down the launch of an inquiry.

From scepticism to concern: Mythos panic is slowly starting to reach China

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on its influential social media account that Mythos showed ‘unprecedented cyberattack capabilities’.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14

All 13 passengers and the pilot were killed.

Pakistani president’s visit seeks to bolster ‘full spectrum’ of ties with China

Asif Ali Zardari’s visit also comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to play a key role in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Chinese robotaxi firms accelerate global roll-outs as cost edge drives expansion

Pony AI and WeRide harness China’s supply chain strength to cut costs, boost efficiency and scale robotaxi fleets worldwide.

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

Fuel-processing sector pivots to profit while tech gains shield margins from modest revenue growth, highlighting an efficiency-led rally over a demand recovery.

Taiwan completes US tank deal as final Abrams shipment reaches port

Acquisition marks the biggest upgrade to Taiwan’s armoured forces in decades as island moves to bolster northern defence.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Reopen Strait of Hormuz by reframing Iran’s tolls as reconstruction

The View | Asian private wealth an emerging force in property investment

Letters | In US-China AI race, Southeast Asia is no side act

Opinion | Hong Kong’s civil service accountability system will end buck-passing mentality

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

Bruised by Trump, Nato alliance considers end to annual summits

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14

Champions League semis contrast easy-on-eye PSG-Bayern, robust Atletico-Arsenal

Why tougher US visa rules for skilled foreign workers may end in ‘brain drain’

UK PM Starmer faces vote on possible probe over Mandelson

Alibaba gets nod to spin off warehouse park as Reit in logistics pivot

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown

Chinese optical chipmaker’s profit soars 1,153% on strong AI demand

Chinese supercomputers help crack mystery of Yellowstone volcanic plumbing

From scepticism to concern: Mythos panic is slowly starting to reach China

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on its influential social media account that Mythos showed ‘unprecedented cyberattack capabilities’.

Why Anthropic’s Mythos has energised China’s cybersecurity industry

Anthropic’s Mythos is stoking cybersecurity fears. What does it mean for China?

Open Questions | Why China’s yuan faces the same ‘illusions’ that stalled the euro: Daniel Gros

Former European economic adviser says Beijing’s bid to build an international currency will hinge on leaders allowing it to fluctuate freely.

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.

As DJI duels Insta360, China sharpens global hardware edge amid US scrutiny

Western competitors like GoPro face shrinking footprints as strategic shifts of Chinese firms disrupt the status quo while navigating FCC-led national security bans.

Chinese optical chipmaker’s profit soars 1,153% on strong AI demand

Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology’s profit gain matches its elevenfold share price increase over the past year.

Chinese robotaxi firms accelerate global roll-outs as cost edge drives expansion

Pony AI and WeRide harness China’s supply chain strength to cut costs, boost efficiency and scale robotaxi fleets worldwide.

China’s CATL touts landmark energy-storage order for sodium-ion batteries

Deal for massive grid storage system shows that CATL has ‘overcome all the challenges in mass-producing sodium-ion batteries’, company says.

Will China’s mathematicians join a global effort to boycott the United States?

Question hovers as world’s premier mathematics conference faces revolt over American visa rules and foreign policies.

As DJI duels Insta360, China sharpens global hardware edge amid US scrutiny

Western competitors like GoPro face shrinking footprints as strategic shifts of Chinese firms disrupt the status quo while navigating FCC-led national security bans.

Prognosis positive: how AI could help China bridge the medical resources gap

How AI technology supports conservation of endangered species

Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Opinion | Reopen Strait of Hormuz by reframing Iran’s tolls as reconstruction

Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown