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In Focus | China’s private firms are in a rut. Are regulations making it deeper?

With an economic slowdown adding to their woes, China’s private businesspeople lament heightened regulatory enforcement as a further strain.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Exclusive

EU mulls sanctions reprieve for Chinese fabric-maker accused of aiding Russia

EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Exclusive

Quad confirmed, Manila envoy signals likely ‘Squad’ talks before Trump-Xi summit

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Philippine ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez floated the idea of an “Asean Nato”, reviving a proposal that was rejected by the country’s defence chief in 2024. Photo: AFP

US

China-made cancer drug to go on sale in US after Americans travel to buy it

AstraZeneca moves to make the lung cancer drug available in the US after lengthy delays raised concerns over patient access.

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has acquired worldwide rights to develop and market a Chinese-developed lung cancer drug. Photo: Reuters

Law and Crime

‘Incisive’ final report on Tai Po blaze singles out 4 government bodies

Among four government bodies named, Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit should bear greatest responsibility, report finds.

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The blaze engulfed seven of the estate’s eight buildings and became Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948. Photo: Karma Lo
City leader John Lee (second from right) receives the report from the committee headed by judge David Lok Kai-hong (second left) on Thursday. Photo: Handout
The Tai Po fire killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Photo: Sam Tsang

Tech War

‘Jensen’s nightmare’: Huawei, DeepSeek narrow AI chip ecosystem gap with Nvidia

DeepSeek is likely to rely ‘primarily’ on Huawei’s ‘already mature and well developed’ technology stack by 2027 or 2028, SemiAnalysis says.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers a keynote speech during the Nvidia GTC Berlin Artificial Intelligence conference on October 21. Photo: AFP

Politics

Beijing slams UK’s ‘irresponsible remarks’ on Hong Kong in 6-monthly report

UK urged to stop interfering in China’s affairs after report says Hong Kong’s openness has been further diminished by national security law.

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Security and the rule of law are being effectively upheld in Hong Kong, Beijing has said. Photo: Dickson Lee

Business

What will it take for AI-powered purchases to become the norm?

In partnership with:Ant International
Agentic commerce is a form of digital shopping where AI agents can complete research, compare options and make purchases on a user’s behalf. Image: Shutterstock

Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Bay Area vision

The city is one of 11 Greater Bay Area cities that collectively form a strategic fulcrum in the country’s new development vision.

China

16 killed, 32 hurt after magnitude 7 earthquake strikes China’s Tibet

More than 300 houses have collapsed, and disaster relief work continues.

Mountains are seen in Nagqu county of China’s Tibet autonomous region. The epicentre of the quake was about 190km from Nagqu. Photo: Shutterstock

United States & Canada

Zuckerberg gets new Meta shares to stay in California amid billionaire tax vote

The move is aimed at avoiding tax impact on the CEO’s company voting power ahead of next month’s ballot.

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Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on the company’s smart glasses at an event in California, US, last month. Photo: Reuters

United States & Canada

Judge gives Trump deadline to sit for deposition in BBC defamation suit

The order came as lawyers for the UK broadcaster complained that the US president had delayed his appearance.

The BBC logo is seen outside the BBC Broadcasting House in London in December 2025. Photo: Reuters

Tech Trends

Unitree developing AI system to let humanoid robots improve themselves

The Hangzhou-based company wants to reduce the need for manual programming, turning AI model advances into real-world robotics capabilities.

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Unitree Robotics is developing an AI system to allow its robots to self-improve. Photo: Getty Images

United States & Canada

Tom Skerritt, star of Alien and Top Gun, dies at 93

Known for his rugged good looks and ability to shine in many genres, he took on roles ranging from an army surgeon to a spaceship captain.

Tom Skerritt arrives for a premiere in Burbank, California, in February 2018. Photo: TNS

Europe

Millions in cheese revenue lost as protest hits Italy’s famed mozzarella

Truckers are blocking deliveries over the high cost of diesel amid the ongoing Iran war.

Truck drivers take part in a slow-moving protest in Naples, Italy, on Thursday. Photo: EPA

Diplomacy

China urges opening Bab al-Mandeb in first joint statement with regional nation

The China-Djibouti communique marks a diplomatic escalation, but experts say that Chinese naval operations are still unlikely.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with his Djiboutian counterpart Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

China Economy

EU’s idea that China is caving to pressure is ‘serious misjudgment’: ex-diplomat

Brussels has been emboldened by recent hybrid car deal, but China will not back down in the face of trade pressure, former diplomat warns.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken of preparing more trade weapons in recent days. Photo: EPA

Diplomacy

Who blinked first? Fragile EU-China trade peace sparks new war of words

As European officials flag more trade restrictions, Beijing bristles at the idea it can be pushed into yielding to Brussels’ demands.

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Doubts are already surfacing over whether the EU-China trade ceasefire can hold until the next round of negotiations in January. Photo: Shutterstock

Economy

Why US businesses want China ties to move beyond Xi-Trump summit diplomacy

American firms welcome frequent meetings between the two leaders, but say lasting stability requires deeper engagement at working levels.

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The past year has seen dramatic swings in China-US relations, from an escalating trade war to a tentative easing of tensions. Photo: Getty Images
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Making it in the metropolis

Making it in the metropolis

Hong Kong is betting big on the Northern Metropolis, a 30,000-hectare megaproject positioned as the city’s next engine for economic growth.

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