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China
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Asia
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World
Opinion
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The China Centre for International Economic Exchanges will be administered by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in a sign Beijing may be stepping up control of think tanks in China. Photo: Xinhua

Is this the end of the golden age of Chinese think tanks with star ex-officials?

Two cases involving corruption raise questions about the future of a model that has thrived for the past decade.

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Do Americans think China will overtake the US? The results are in

Corruption in China
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Big Tech

China’s tech giants report huge gains from Spring Festival marketing blitz

ByteDance’s viral video generation model Seedance 2.0 was closely integrated with the Spring Festival gala’s programming on Monday night.

Politics

China’s latest box office draw: spy thriller backed by state espionage agency

Scare Out – supported by the intelligence services and made by acclaimed director Zhang Yimou – is one of the most popular films over Lunar New Year.

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Politics

Protect Hongkongers in Japan, authorities urge Tokyo after tourist attacked

Concerns over attack on resident in Sapporo amid tense relations between China and Japan over Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan comments.

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Infographic
All you need to know about the Year of the Horse

All you need to know about the Year of the Horse

Middle East

Trump kicks off his ‘Board of Peace,’ as war clouds loom over Iran

The US president promised US$10 billion for the organisation, whose goals include rebuilding Gaza.

U.S President Donald Trump speaks at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
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Tech

Speed bump ahead: rising battery costs nudge Chinese drivers towards hybrids

Higher lithium prices and the end of incentives are reshaping China’s EV market, with hybrids emerging as a more practical option for many.

China

Born in China, raised in US: adoptees explore their identity at Lunar New Year

Growing up Chinese-American has not been easy for LuLu Grant and Phoebe McChesney, both wanting to fit in, while never too far from the past.

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Education

Academic innovation can help budding entrepreneurs overcome future challenges

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s 20-year evolution ensures it meets world’s fast-changing technological, industrial and societal needs.

In partnership with:
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, in eastern China, helps its students develop an entrepreneurial mindset to prepare them for a dynamic, technology-driven world.

Middle East

Trump appears to set Iran 10-day deadline, deploys vast Middle East force

The US deployment is unlike anything since the 2003 invasion of Iraq and dwarfs the build-up off Venezuela before Maduro’s ousting.

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The USS Abraham Lincoln, flanked by guided-missile destroyers and other support vessels, sails in thje Arabian Sea on February 6. Photo: US Navy via AFP

Europe

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office

Thames Valley Police has said it is investigating allegations that the former prince had passed secret documents to Jeffrey Epstein.

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Economy, Trade & Business

US trade deficit widens sharply in December, testing Trump tariff claims

Trade with China remains a major driver of the US deficit, even as imports shift towards Southeast Asia and other partners.

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Diplomacy

China says it won’t seek reciprocity with South Africa on zero-tariff policy

Envoy makes the pledge as Beijing prepares to roll out tax-free access to the Chinese market for goods from 53 African nations.

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South African exports to China include fruit, grains, wine, rooibos tea and minerals. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images

Diplomacy

Tokyo involvement in Taiwan would amount to aggression against Beijing: UN envoy

Fu Cong, permanent representative to the United Nations, warns of a resolute retaliation if Japan intervenes militarily on the issue.

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Fu Cong (centre), China’s permanent representative to the UN, addresses the Security Council on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Southeast Asia

Myanmar rebel leader Bo Nagar surrenders to junta amid resistance infighting

The Burma National Revolutionary Army leader’s surrender is a dramatic reminder of fractures within the armed resistance movement.

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Economics

India-Europe trade corridor gathers pace as Modi, Macron pledge port partnership

The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor is seen as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Europe

Macron tells Meloni to ‘stay in lane’ over remarks on far-right activist’s death

The Italian prime minister had called French activist Quentin Deranque’s fatal attack ‘a wound for all of Europe’.

People pay tribute to far-right sympathiser Quentin Debranque in Nantes on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong hotels, tourist-area eateries report brisk trade over Lunar New Year

Locals left city in droves from February 13 to 18, with residents making 2.5 million journeys out, compared with 1 million tourist arrivals.

Crowds of travellers at the Shenzhen Bay Bridge border crossing on Thursday. Photo: Dickson Lee

People

South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to life in prison for insurrection

Yoon Suk-yeol is the first democratically elected South Korean leader to be convicted of the crime.

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Hong Kong

Hong Kong racing hits record high for tourists in flying start to Year of Horse

More than 92,000 fans, including at least 20,000 tourists, make the trip for the first meeting of the Lunar New Year.

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OPINION
Alex Lo

My Take | Why Western civilisation is incapable of saving Western society today

Alex Lo
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Bernard Chan

Opinion | US and China can again find common ground – in AI’s risks

Bernard Chan
Nicholas Spiro

Macroscope | US dollar weakness is no game changer for a globalised yuan

Nicholas Spiro
Phoebe Zhang

Opinion | Lunar New Year doesn’t need a home-cooked feast to be full of flavour

Phoebe Zhang
Letters

Letters | As we celebrate the Lunar New Year, let’s ensure we do better by horses

Letters
Harry’s View | 20 Feb 2026
February 20, 2026
MORE COMMENT
LATEST

Middle East

Trump appears to set Iran 10-day deadline, deploys vast Middle East force

Middle East

Trump kicks off his ‘Board of Peace,’ as war clouds loom over Iran

Economy, Trade & Business

US trade deficit widens sharply in December, testing Trump tariff claims

Southeast Asia

Myanmar rebel leader Bo Nagar surrenders to junta amid resistance infighting

Africa

Mugabe’s son Bellarmine arrested after gardener shot in South Africa

Video | Former Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
00:49
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SCMP Series
Year of the Horse 2026
Challenges and pathways in the South China Sea
Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy
China Inc. goes global
The water chestnut, a versatile ingredient known as “horse’s hoof”, is celebrated for its crisp texture and auspicious meaning in Lunar New Year dishes. Photo: Jonathan Wong
SCMP SeriesYear of the Horse 2026

Why do Chinese love water chestnuts? All about the lucky ‘horse’s hoof’

A humble and vastly underrated ingredient, water chestnuts are used in a popular Lunar New Year dessert and also have many health benefits.

On the Menu | What do an American reality TV show and Chinese aunties have in common?

Editorial | Hong Kong should temper optimism with caution in Year of the Horse

Open Questions series

Global Economy

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

The American Chamber of Commerce in China chairman says this year’s expected Trump-Xi meetings can put countries on a ‘visionary’ path.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau on why China must ‘work smarter’ and how it can invent from scratch

China must shift from quantity to quality by focusing on 12-year schooling, more basic research and GBA integration, renowned economist says.

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China

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

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

China’s AI arms race sees sector brace for major flagship model launch week

A ‘stealth’ model has emerged, while advancements by Alibaba’s Qwen-3.5 and Zhipu’s GLM-5 aim to spur domestic competition following releases by US heavyweights.

China’s AI sector is bracing for a monumental week, with a flurry of anticipated model releases. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech

Speed bump ahead: rising battery costs nudge Chinese drivers towards hybrids

Higher lithium prices and the end of incentives are reshaping China’s EV market, with hybrids emerging as a more practical option for many.

Big Tech

Chinese AI and robotics firms appoint millennial, Gen Z stars as chief scientists

Young talent drive AI innovation at Chinese tech firms, focusing on fundamental research and strategic planning for future technologies.

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Tech Trends

Moonshot AI targets US$12 billion valuation as revenue surges for Kimi models

The latest round was jointly led by existing investors including Alibaba, Tencent, Andon and 5Y Capital, according to a source.

Moonshot’s flagship Kimi K2.5 was named one of the strongest open models in the world by third-party benchmark firm Artificial Analysis. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Military

Everything we know about China’s mysterious, futuristic Nantianmen Project

Is it a storytelling vehicle for imaginative military hardware, blending science fiction with reality, or is it a glimpse of the future?

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A CCTV report said the “space-sky integrated” fighter jets of the sci-fi Nantianmen Project would one day become reality. Photo: CCTV

Big Tech

Humanoids go mainstream as China’s robotics champions appear at CCTV spectacle

ByteDance, Unitree, RedNote, Bilibili and Kuaishou among the firms involved in the unparalleled nationwide marketing opportunity.

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Military

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

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Companies

Pop Mart balances boom and bust: can Labubu’s leap match Molly’s momentum?

As Labubu’s meteoric rise cools, Molly’s longevity highlights the challenge Pop Mart faces in turning hype into stable intellectual property.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
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