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China’s domestic chip industry has made rapid advances in recent years, but it still lags the US in cutting-edge models. Photo: Shutterstock

Global Economy

Why China may buy Nvidia’s AI chips as US eases curbs – and replace them later

As the US reverses Biden-era restrictions, Beijing likely to take advantage – without compromising own industry, analysts say.

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Zhipu AI breaks US chip reliance with first major model trained on Huawei stack

Hong Kong officials urge buy-back plan over ‘challenging’ Wang Fuk Court rebuild

Southeast Asia

‘Not the end’: Cambodia keeps up scam crackdown after Chen Zhi sent to China

Phnom Penh signals zero tolerance for scam centres following the deportation of the Prince Group tycoon.

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Guards escort accused scam boss Chen Zhi off a China Southern plane in Beijing on January 8, after his extradition from Cambodia. Photo: China’s Ministry of Public Security/AFP
Guards escort accused scam boss Chen Zhi off a China Southern plane in Beijing on January 8, after his extradition from Cambodia. Photo: China’s Ministry of Public Security/AFP

China Business

Huawei reclaims top spot over Apple in China smartphone market

Huawei turns to China-designed processors to complete a rebound from US sanctions and ship nearly 47 million smartphones domestically.

People

Caucasian ‘sugar daddy’ sextortion scam lands Malaysian in Singapore jail

Rajwant Singh Gill Narajan Singh was sentenced to 12 years in jail for pretending to be a rich white man and coercing women into sex.

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Politics

China’s anti-corruption body reveals how ex-banker fell in bribery scandal

Documentary details the downfall of Jiang Chaoliang and his brothers as disciplinary commission holds key session.

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Jiang Chaoliang is among the most prominent figures caught in the Communist Party’s decade-long anti-corruption campaign, which snared a record 65 high-ranking officials last year. Photo: CCTV
Jiang Chaoliang is among the most prominent figures caught in the Communist Party’s decade-long anti-corruption campaign, which snared a record 65 high-ranking officials last year. Photo: CCTV

Hong Kong Economy

73% of Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area firms ramping up expansion into Asean: survey

Survey by Hong Kong Trade Development Council and United Overseas Bank also shows 98 per cent of companies plan to keep or expand Asean operations.

Business

Li Ka-shing’s CK Infrastructure gets nod to sell UK train leasing firm

Deal to dispose of UK Rails (Eversholt Rail), which was bought in 2015, ‘will generate substantial revenue’, company says.

Society

Animal welfare groups slam Hong Kong pet shop for offering cat rental service

Pet shop gave clients the chance to rent a cat for a week for HK$800 with a refundable deposit of HK$6,500 before buying.

The pet shop is located in a commercial building in North Point. Photo: Jelly Tse

Politics

‘Dishonourable’: Singapore MPs vote to remove Pritam Singh as opposition leader

The 11 WP MPs present opposed the motion, while the rest of the House, mainly PAP MPs, voted to remove Singh in his role.

Pritam Singh, secretary general of the Singaporean opposition Workers’ Party, leaves the Supreme Court in November during an appeals hearing against his conviction and sentence for lying to a committee. Photo: AFP
Pritam Singh, secretary general of the Singaporean opposition Workers’ Party, leaves the Supreme Court in November during an appeals hearing against his conviction and sentence for lying to a committee. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Satire on trial: Indonesian comic faces blasphemy complaints over Netflix jokes

Pandji Pragiwaksono’s unfiltered set took aim at the president, but it was a quip about religious groups that triggered police reports.

Russia & Central Asia

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

Politics

Taiwan names DPP stalwart new cross-strait chief amid Beijing’s scepticism

Taipei touts former speaker of the island’s legislature as having ‘laid a solid foundation for Taiwan-Japan friendship’ in his previous role.

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Su Jia-chyuan has been appointed to chair the Straits Exchange Foundation, the semi-official group that manages ties with Beijing. Photo: CNA

Tech Trends

Video-generation boom sees China’s Kling AI post US$240 million revenue run rate

Kling AI is widely adopted in the fields of marketing and e-commerce, as well as in films, television and animation, owner Kuaishou says.

Kling AI adoption has expanded amid the growing use worldwide of artificial intelligence video tools. Photo: Shutterstock
Kling AI adoption has expanded amid the growing use worldwide of artificial intelligence video tools. Photo: Shutterstock

Trending in China

China factory error gives toy horses’ mouths pouty curves, wins hearts, boosts sales

Sewing mistake spawns unlikely retail hit seen as fitting mascot for approaching Lunar New Year of the Horse.

Politics

South Korea-Japan summit exposes ‘strategic’ divide amid great-power tensions

While Seoul urged broader regional cooperation that would include China, Tokyo emphasised closer alignment with Washington.

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Banking & Finance

Xi’s appointments underscore his policy priorities as economy slows

China’s government promoted Yi Huiman, the chairman of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), to head of the securities regulator to help steer the stock market toward an avenue for fundraising.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, visits a farm in Jiansanjiang in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province on September 25, 2018. Xi was on an inspection tour of the region as China has slapped tariffs on US agricultural imports and looked to increase farming self-sufficiency amid a growing trade war with the United States. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, visits a farm in Jiansanjiang in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province on September 25, 2018. Xi was on an inspection tour of the region as China has slapped tariffs on US agricultural imports and looked to increase farming self-sufficiency amid a growing trade war with the United States. Photo: Xinhua

Companies

Son of Hong Kong's ‘Superman’ tycoon reinvests in home town

Analysts say Victor Li, who has been frustrated by his attempts to acquire overseas assets because of protectionism, trade disputes and rising interest rates, has once again started looking at Hong Kong’s property market for reasonable returns on its investments.

Companies

Sun Hung Kai pays US$1.43 billion for fourth Kai Tak runway plot

Companies

China pharma has a bitter pill to swallow: R&D

Beijing wants cheaper, better drugs. That’s pressuring drug makers to innovate as generics become more competitive.

Beijing has moved to cut prices of drugs and improve their efficacy and safety. Here a woman works at the pharmacy of a state-owned hospital in a town in Hebei province, China, in this photo taken in 2008.
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OPINION
Jon Yuan Jiang

Opinion | Why Russia is gambling on a protracted war in Ukraine

Jon Yuan Jiang
Michael Han

Opinion | China’s new property pivot is coming. Expect full stabilisation ahead

Michael Han
Alex Lo

As I see it | The Chinese century may already be here

Alex Lo
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Gaurav Kumar

Opinion | Is India fuelling an arms race in Asia or closing a deterrence gap?

Gaurav Kumar
Andrew Leung

Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise

Andrew Leung
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Hao Nan

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

Hao Nan
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

South Korea and Japan’s leaders jam to K-pop hits

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pose with autographed drumsticks after playing drums together post their meeting and exchanging them, in Nara, western Japan, January 13, 2026. Yonhap via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.
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Video

Crane collapse causes deadly train crash in Thailand

: Crane collapse causes deadly train crash in Thailand
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Video

KPop Demon Hunters leads to record export of ramyeon

ramyeon
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Video

Japan embarks on rare earth hunt as China tightens supplies

Chikyu sailing at sea near Mt Fuji
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