Advertisement
AI is helping China’s solopreneurs pursue business dreams without the necessity of deep pockets and large teams. Photo: Xinhua

How China’s solopreneurs are using AI to crack a tough job market

Armed with a variety of AI tools, a new breed of young entrepreneurs forges a path in a challenging economy.

Artificial intelligence
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Politics

Lifeline or rubbish? Taiwan updates disaster and conflict survival guide

‘Little orange book’ sent to nearly 10 million households advises on survival response, but many question its cost and value.

videocam
7

Military

Is China shifting its policy and accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state?

Beijing omits term ‘denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula’ from white paper as it prioritises competition with Washington, analysts say.

videocam
17

Society

Hong Kong contractors race to remove scaffolding nets after Tai Po fire

Firms are scrambling to meet the government’s end-Saturday deadline, with some requesting extensions.

Economy
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) showcases its CBJ private jet at an exhibition in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in October. Photo: Weibo

A Chinese home-grown business jet is on the way. Will it rival Gulfstream?

Society

‘Like a ghost town’: Hong Kong neighbourhood struggles to adjust after fatal fire

With the flames put out and cordons lifted, residents living near the charred remains of Wang Fuk Court now reckon with how to move forward.

videocam
The heavily burned buildings of Wang Fuk Court. Photo: Elson Li
Advertisement

Politics

Official Chinese media calls for end to name-and-shame campaign against cadres

Series of commentaries says insulting officials will backfire and more effort must be made to tackle reasons for perceived poor performance.

videocam

Politics

Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom

As the government demands global tech firms like Cloudflare bend to its will, critics say it’s ‘burning the rice barn to kill the rats’.

Lifestyle

A nation by design: how Singapore’s creative spirit drives its development

As the city state celebrates its 60th anniversary of independence this year, we look at how design has shaped its growth, from building its modern skyline from the ground up to enhancing the quality of life for an ageing population and allowing citizens to live healthier lives

In partnership with:
DesignSingapore Council
Marina Bay, envisioned as a place for people to live, work and play around the clock, is now home to many of Singapore’s iconic landmarks. This centrepiece of the cityscape has continued evolving to support its sustainable development.

Policy

Chinese industry bodies issue RWA tokenisation warning amid Beijing’s crackdown

This was the mainland associations’ first warning to members as Chinese authorities have explicitly targeted RWA tokenisation.

RWA tokenisation is touted as a way to allow faster and cheaper financial transactions. Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

‘We all knew’: is your job safe from the AI you are helping to train?

Asia makes the chips driving the AI boom, but the technology threatens to erase jobs and widen the region’s wealth gap, a new UN report says.

Society

Fire risks persist on construction sites despite deadly Hong Kong blaze: watchdog

‘I have been inspecting construction sites recently and found that many still have styrofoam boards and volatile paint,’ says chairman of Construction Industry Council.

Banking & Finance

Exclusive | Meet the Illinois farmer sowing the seeds of the world’s biggest IPOs of 2026

Jeff Rowe, a fifth-generation Illinois farmer, runs a Chinese-owned Swiss company in Basel that is aiming for one of the world’s largest IPOs in Hong Kong, due in 2026.

Jeff Rowe, the CEO of Syngenta, at his family farm in the US state of Illinois on September 30, 2025. Photo: Anthony Collins/Handout

Outdoor

Eileen Gu returns to scene of her Beijing Olympic triumphs – and wins again

The double Olympic champion heads an all-China podium in the freeskiing event in new Snow League.

Eileen Gu will return to the same Secret Garden snow park in Zhangjiakou next week for a World Cup event. Photo: AFP

Society

From shoes to scholarships: Hongkongers unite for Tai Po fire victims

Anonymous donor offers to fund education of up to two children who lost one or both parents in fire, believing it can change their lives.

Lifestyle & Culture

One-Punch Man and the human cost of Japan and South Korea’s soft power

Behind the multibillion-dollar export boom lies a hidden crisis of low wages, 60-hour work weeks and unliveable pressure on invisible staff.

Health & Environment

6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster

Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.

videocam
Satellite imagery shows Super Typhoon Fung-wong as it approaches the Philippines on November 9. Photo: NOAA/EPA

Football

Fifa World Cup draw sets up Ronaldo v Messi, Japan make ‘shared goal of winning’

Son Heung-min’s South Korea will face Mexico, while an Argentina-Portugal clash could end the international career of one of the greats.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (right) could face Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo during the 2026 World Cup. Photo: TNS

China

US confirms Chinese boy Yuanxin, 6, is in federal custody. But where is he?

Separated from his father during an ICE check-in, the 6-year-old never appeared in federal detainee records, leaving advocates searching.

videocam
21

Europe

Drones buzz French nuclear base amid Russian hybrid warfare fears

Marines deployed electronic jammers against five suspected devices spotted hovering over the Ile Longue submarine facility.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
OPINION
Anthony Rowley

Macroscope | Inflated asset prices show markets don’t always know best

Anthony Rowley
Alex Lo

As I see it | Politicisation of Hong Kong’s fire tragedy in Western media a new low

Alex Lo
10
Lisa Lim

Language Matters | The enduring legacy of bamboo, a symbol of resilience and strength in Asia

Lisa Lim
Letters

Letters | Asia is waking up to storms that are stronger – and more polluted

Letters
Surachanee Sriyai

Asian Angle | The Thai influencer bringing viral warfare to Cambodia’s border

Surachanee Sriyai
Harry’s View | 6 Dec 2025
December 6, 2025
MORE COMMENT
LATEST

Economics

Probe links Philippines flood corruption to Pogo crypto schemes

Outdoor

Eileen Gu returns to scene of her Beijing Olympic triumphs – and wins again

World Opinion

Macroscope | Inflated asset prices show markets don’t always know best

Society

Hong Kong contractors race to remove scaffolding nets after Tai Po fire

Tech Trends

How China’s solopreneurs are using AI to crack a tough job market

China Personalities

Chinese girl born with blonde hair, blue eyes due to Russian great-grandfather

MORE LATEST NEWS
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
SCMP Series
China’s alcohol economy
Chinese scientists return home
How China is telling its own story
Illustration: Henry Wong
SCMP SeriesChina’s alcohol economy

Pursuit of hoppiness: why China’s cash-conscious drinkers have embraced craft beers

As discerning alcohol consumers seek ‘wallet-friendly’ products, premium beers are winning out over higher-end options.

videocam

After peaking, decline of China’s European wine imports worries makers

videocam

China’s liquor capital faces long march to rebirth as ‘liquid gold’ glory wanes

Open Questions series

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo on Taiwan reunification, lessons from the Ukraine war

Commentator and former senior colonel on Beijing’s row with Japan, lessons from the Ukraine war and why playing global policeman is a trap.

videocam
43
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China Economy

Open Questions | ‘A mistaken view’: US economist Nicholas Lardy on the ‘peak China’ hypothesis

The veteran China watcher talks Beijing’s need for financial reform and how US-China economic convergence could still be on the horizon.

videocam
17

China Economy

Open Questions | Chinese economist Lu Feng on why the time is ripe for a consumption rebalance

Peking University professor says China’s next five-year plan could provide the necessary momentum to shift more public resources to households.

videocam
6

Politics

Open Questions | Silkpunk creator Ken Liu takes on AI, modernity and what it means to be American

The sci-fi sensation compares the new technology to the early days of the camera and predicts a long period of transition for the new medium.

videocam
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China Future Tech
China Future Tech
Key Industries:
EVs
AI
Semiconductors
Aerospace
Robotics
Biomedicine
Live Q&A webinars

Big Tech

China’s DeepSeek challenges Google DeepMind with new AI model

DeepSeek’s V3.2-Speciale equals Google’s Gemini 3 Pro in reasoning capabilities, the Chinese start-up says.

6
A shop advertising DeepSeek in Hong Kong. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Tech Trends

How China’s solopreneurs are using AI to crack a tough job market

Armed with a variety of AI tools, a new breed of young entrepreneurs forges a path in a challenging economy.

China Economy

A Chinese home-grown business jet is on the way. Will it rival Gulfstream?

China’s state-owned aircraft maker is stepping up efforts to break into the business jet market with its CBJ model.

videocam

Tech

Chinese EV maker Li Auto unveils industry’s cheapest AI glasses at US$282

Despite its lightweight build, Livis promises robust performance with an impressive battery life of 18.8 hours under normal usage.

videocam
Li Auto’s glasses are also among the lightest on the market, weighing 46 grams including the lens. Photo: Handout

Diplomacy

Why China may be better placed than US in tussle for rare earths

While Beijing has long engaged with resource-rich nations, Trump’s Washington is seen as more ‘aggressive’ and reactive.

videocam
15
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China Economy

Why China sees Brazil as ‘last untapped blue ocean market’ for investment boom

Chinese investment in Brazil is soaring as firms eye the vast potential growth in South America’s ‘blue ocean market’.

videocam
6

China Economy

How Chinese lifestyle brands are finding fans abroad with toys, tea and trends

From milk tea to blind boxes, China’s lighter consumer brands are winning worldwide recognition – though time will tell if the craze will last.

videocam

China Economy

Factory of factories: China’s manufacturers join wave of overseas expansions

With many of their clients moving or building sites abroad, China’s factory owners are following suit, seizing a ‘last chance’ for new revenues.

videocam
Illustration: Henry Wong
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement