Advertisement
Advertisement
ePAPER
SCMP PLUS
Latest
China
Economy
Hong Kong
Asia
Business
Tech
Lifestyle
People & Culture
World
Opinion
Video
Sport
-
Latest
China
Economy
Hong Kong
Asia
Business
Tech
Lifestyle
People & Culture
World
Opinion
Video
Sport
-
Zhu Rongji 1928-2026
Zhu Rongji, who was premier of China from 1998 to 2003, has died aged 97. Photo: Robert Ng
Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, has died aged 97. Here, as Shanghai mayor in April 1988, he speaks after the first preliminary meeting of the 9th Shanghai People’s Congress. Photo: SCMP
Then Shanghai mayor Zhu Rongji addresses a press conference during a visit to Hong Kong on June 12, 1990. Photo: SCMP
Zhu Rongji (right) meets Charlene Barshefsky (left), US trade representative at the time, in Beijing in March 1999. Photo: AFP

Zhu Rongji, China’s chief engineer of economic reform, dies aged 97

Zhu, who rose to become premier, spearheaded China’s entry into the World Trade Organization

20

Obituary | Zhu Rongji: leading China’s transformation through ‘minefield or abyss’

John Lee leads tributes as Zhu remembered for putting steel in city’s spine

Exclusive

US-China ‘Board of Investment’ stalls before expected Trump-Xi meeting

President of US-China Business Council says neither side has ‘initiated consultation process’ or is ready yet for private sector discussions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with US President Donald Trump at the Zhongnanhai compound during their summit in Beijing in May. They are set to meet again in Washington in September. Photo: AP Photo

Global Economy

Fearing deflated China demand, US soybean growers pivot to new buyers, biofuel

Science

China is sending scientists to Iran for rare earth ‘exploration and processing’

10
Advertisement

Society

Hong Kong’s subdivided flats are turning into heat traps. But what’s the fix?

Welfare advocates call on authorities to take action as tenants grapple with steeper energy bills to ward off the heatwave.

Yang Fangxin is among residents stuck sweltering in subdivided flats. Photo: Dickson Lee
The city has been in the grip of a heatwave. Photo: Karma Lo
Chui Wui-chung, who manages a community living room, has said his 4,300 sq ft centre receives about 100 individuals daily during the summer. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Diplomacy

How Africa is becoming a ‘strategic hub’ for Chinese industrial expansion

Countries including Zimbabwe and Guinea are ending the pit-to-ship model that saw them exporting raw minerals with limited local gains.

Large piles of bauxite ore, which is refined into aluminum, sit at a treatment area storage in Guinea. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech

YMTC-backed fund invests in China’s push for an alternative chipmaking route

Guangzhou-based SOI Micro is developing a low-power logic process aimed at easing reliance on overseas technology while strengthening domestic chip capabilities.

A wafer sample is seen during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 18. China is looking to cultivate an alternative chipmaking ecosystem. Photo: AFP

Global Economy

From solar to AI: why China may be entering its ‘Go Global 3.0’ era

As a new wave of Chinese firms captures global demand for hi-tech goods, a new report highlights a strategic shift towards AI hardware and robotics.

China’s humanoid robot sector has accelerated rapidly in recent years, with mass production and commercial deployment advancing across industries. Photo: Xinhua

Business

How UOB is turning regional scale into customer relevance

In partnership with:UOB
UOB aims to become the primary bank for all of its customers by providing a single point of contact for financial needs ranging from everyday transactions to wealth planning. Photo: UOB

Europe

Eurovision to bar countries at war from hosting

No country was singled out, but five countries boycotted this year’s competition over Israel’s participation.

Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song “Liekinheitin” during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, in May. Photo: AP

Banking & Finance

HSBC reshuffles insurance division after CEO’s surprise departure: internal memo

Two Asia-based executives will replace outgoing global insurance CEO Edward Moncreiffe, who has resigned, according to a company document.

A view of the HSBC Building in Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Karma Lo
SERIES: Hong Kong’s 5-year plan

In Focus | Why does Hong Kong need a 5-year plan – and will it curb its free-market economy?

As Hong Kong embraces long-term planning for the first time, economists and officials debate whether strategic state guidance can coexist with its open, market-led economy.

8
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Europe

Tourists rush to Mount Etna as it erupts, alarming Italian guides

Unruly locals and climbers in flip-flops are among the thousands trying to get a closer look at the volcano’s spectacular lava flows.

Smoke spews and lava flows from Sicily’s Mount Etna on Tuesday. Photo: Etna Walk via AFP

Diplomacy

Could the rise of left-wing Democrats reshape America’s policy on China?

As progressives ride a wave of victories in the primaries, a Chinese analyst says they might push for a more ‘inward-looking’ foreign policy.

7
Progressive former public health official Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s US Senate seat last week. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Diplomacy

China approves Japanese envoy in Chongqing, ending 8-month vacancy

Shigehiro Nishiumi fills post at consulate in southwestern megacity left open amid diplomatic row over Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan comments.

6
Shigehiro Nishiumi has been approved as the new Japanese acting consul general in Chongqing. He previously served in Japan’s consulate in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Law and Crime

Hong Kong college finance chief, wife and contractor held over HK$41m theft

Ray Yip allegedly embezzled funds from Hong Kong Chu Hai College while wife and engineering contractor handled the illicit proceeds.

Ray Yip heads into an adjacent shopping centre after leaving a High Court hearing on June 12. Photo: Brian Wong
Ng Ka-man, wife of the finance director, leaves the High Court on June 12 following a hearing. Photo: Brian Wong

Chinese culture

7 Hungry Ghost Festival taboos to avoid to keep unwanted spirits at bay

Spirits are believed to roam the world when the gates of the underworld open, and actions such as picking up loose change can attract them.

Paper offerings during Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations in Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong, on August 17, 2021. Photo: May Tse

Europe

Solar eclipse turns day to night in Spain, wows crowds across Europe

The rare celestial event drew gasps, cheers and even tears, as the moon passed between the Earth and sun.

The moon completely covers the sun during a solar eclipse near the silhouette of an Osborne Bull, in Navarrete, northern Spain, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
A sunflower field is silhouetted as the moon moves across the sun during a solar eclipse in Osorno, Spain, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
People wear protective equipment while watching the partial solar eclipse from the summit of Niesen in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
People watch the solar eclipse from El Arenal, south of Palma, in Spain’s Balearic Islands, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
A bird flies during the solar eclipse in the town of Mariager, Denmark. Photo: Scanpix/via Reuters

Middle East

Erdogan wants Turkey-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence pact to draw more countries

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Istanbul expects Egypt to join the pact ‘in the next stage’.

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7. Photo: PPI /ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7. Photo: PPI /ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

United States & Canada

Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt to step down

The White House press secretary – the youngest person to hold the role – has been one of the US president’s most visible Maga advocates.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House in March. Photo: AFP
Advertisement
Advertisement
Infographic

Unpacking Hong Kong's five-year plan and its role in China's development

In a milestone moment, Hong Kong will unveil its first-ever five-year plan in September, aligning the city’s priorities with the nation’s 2026-2030 development blueprint.

Unpacking Hong Kong's five-year plan and its role in China's development
Opinion
Kok How Lee
Opinion |

Little surprise Beijing doesn’t want Western advice for its economy

12 Aug 2026 - 8:30PM
Kok How Lee
Tan Poh Hwee
Opinion |

How Hong Kong can unlock the real value of its Asean trade boom

12 Aug 2026 - 4:30PM
Tan Poh Hwee
Alex Lo
Opinion |

Hong Kong is no longer a Western playground – and it’s not looking back

12 Aug 2026 - 9:30AM
Alex Lo
Letters |

For better mental health, help students connect and build inclusive empathy

12 Aug 2026 - 11:30AM
Winston Mok
Opinion |

If India wants an edge on China, it must study education reform

12 Aug 2026 - 5:30AM
Winston Mok
Editorial |

Hong Kong must act fast to protect workers from heat distress

12 Aug 2026 - 7:15AM
Harry’s View | 13 Aug 2026
August 13, 2026
More Opinion
Latest

US

US panel on China sees confidence masking economic anxiety after rare visit

United States & Canada

Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt to step down

Europe

Solar eclipse turns day to night in Spain, wows crowds across Europe

Economy, Trade & Business

Exclusive | US-China ‘Board of Investment’ stalls before expected Trump-Xi meeting

Watches

Gucci, Hermès and Chanel all made time for big cats at Watches and Wonders

More Latest News
SCMP Series
US at 250
Confronting cancer in Hong Kong
China-Africa evolving partnership
Hong Kong 29 years after handover
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
SCMP SeriesUS at 250

How America’s 250-year China dream became its greatest strategic challenge

Historians trace how US hopes of trade, reform and friendship gave way to rivalry with the power it once sought to transform.

48

Did Trump’s tariffs paint the US into an economic corner?

24

Politics over progress: how US-China tensions slow scientific advancements

10
Open Questions series-
Global experts discuss US-China ties, the Chinese economy and more.

Open Questions | ‘Surprising’ how fast China’s military is closing US gap: analyst Lyle Goldstein

Beijing’s challenge is to resist temptation to build the PLA into a ‘hammer looking for a nail’, former US Naval War College professor says.

71
Illustration: Brian Wang

Open Questions | China’s military goal is to stand neck and neck with US: ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo

75

Open Questions | Nobel laureate Simon Johnson on the AI race and China’s ‘over-automation’ risks

19

Open Questions | Citic Capital’s Zhang Yichen on the ABCs of China’s markets: IPOs, M&As and AI

China Future Tech
Key Industries:
EVs
AI
Semiconductors
Aerospace
Robotics
Biomedicine
Live Q&A webinars

Big Tech

What is delaying Chinese AI giants switching from Nvidia to local chips?

High transition costs are keeping AI developers in China reliant on Nvidia chips, industry sources say.

32
Huawei Technologies’ Compute Architecture for Neural Networks requires developers to rewrite and optimise large amounts of code. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech Trends

Robot in a pocket: Honor’s new phone camera nods back at users

Tech

YMTC-backed fund invests in China’s push for an alternative chipmaking route

Global Economy

From solar to AI: why China may be entering its ‘Go Global 3.0’ era

SCMP Shorts
Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji dies at age 97
Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji dies at age 97
At least 1 dead as another Indonesian ferry catches fire, this time near Bali
At least 1 dead as another Indonesian ferry catches fire, this time near Bali
Colombia hunts for survivors as earthquake death toll climbs to more than 200
Colombia hunts for survivors as earthquake death toll climbs to more than 200
Elephant knocks down EV charging station after member of herd got caught up by cable in China
Elephant knocks down EV charging station after member of herd got caught up by cable in China
Philippines floods and landslides kill at least 12 people, with 8 missing
Philippines floods and landslides kill at least 12 people, with 8 missing
SCMP Spotlight

China Economy

In Focus | Why foreign workers are still climbing mountains of paperwork for a job in China

Beijing’s rigid visa points system and strict sponsorship rules frustrate young expats, but most are still undeterred in their job search.

Illustration: Kaliz Lee

China Economy

In Focus | ‘Quiet luxury’: why premium Chinese consumers are embracing home-grown brands

13

Military

In Focus | Why China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies

20

Military

Why is China’s Communist Party intent on control over the military?

26
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement