https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/26636/feed A plateau region north-east of the Himalayas, Tibet was incorporated by China in 1950 and currently an autonomous region within China. The conflict between many Tibetans and Chinese government has been nonstop as many demand religious freedom and more human rights. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Caroline Lin Caroline Lin Beijing is rapidly scaling up the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to produce short-form videos and microdramas in its publicity campaigns, aligning with directives stressing technology’s role in strengthening ideological work and guiding public opinion. In contrast to sensational tropes dominating AI content across Chinese media platforms – such as Cinderella romance, rebirth for revenge and post-apocalyptic survival – a new wave of AI-generated miniseries weaves Chinese culture, policies... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370547/how-china-harnesses-ai-microdramas-shape-public-opinion-home-and-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370547/how-china-harnesses-ai-microdramas-shape-public-opinion-home-and-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 08:03:06 +0000 Caroline Lin Caroline Lin Creators of China’s first Tibetan-language AI model have pledged to speed up upgrades aimed at promoting ethnic integration. Approaches to advancing the large language model, DeepZang, were discussed at a seminar on Monday that brought together representatives from research institutes, universities and enterprises, according to state-run portal Chinanews.com. It said the event held in Hohhot, in China’s northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region, addressed issues such as improving Tibetan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369938/chinas-deepzang-ai-aims-transform-tibetan-language-tech-promote-ethnic-unity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369938/chinas-deepzang-ai-aims-transform-tibetan-language-tech-promote-ethnic-unity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Beijing has appointed a new party chief in Tibet as the Communist Party shuffles regional leaders ahead of its 21st national congress. Hu Changsheng, 62, will serve as the party secretary of Tibet autonomous region, leaving his post as party secretary of Gansu province to Wu Xiaojun, 60, currently the party chief of Qinghai province. Meanwhile, Luo Dongchuan, 60, Qinghai’s governor, will succeed Wu as party secretary of the province. The 21st party congress is expected to be held next year and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3368431/china-names-new-tibet-party-chief-communist-party-reshuffles-regional-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3368431/china-names-new-tibet-party-chief-communist-party-reshuffles-regional-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:37:12 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has broken ground on the world’s first utility-scale combined supercritical carbon dioxide power generation and molten salt energy storage project, which could help reduce energy waste and improve grid stability. Construction began on the Ruitan demonstration project at China Huaneng’s Bajiao power station in Yantai last week. The project in Shandong province, eastern China, is expected to go into operation next year. During periods when energy demand is low, surplus electricity generated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368337/china-breaks-ground-worlds-first-supercritical-co2-and-molten-salt-energy-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368337/china-breaks-ground-worlds-first-supercritical-co2-and-molten-salt-energy-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 05:41:58 +0000 Emma White Emma White Alina B.K. should have been preparing for her end-of-year university exams, but news of devastating floods along the Nepal–Tibet border kept pulling her back to a troubling question: what kind of future awaits her? The 21-year-old forestry student, who coordinates the Pokhara network of Nepalese Youth for Climate Action, said she struggled to concentrate as reports of death and destruction deepened her fears about a changing climate. “With the floods and deaths happening around us, it is really... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368052/young-nepalis-battle-climate-dread-wake-flood-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368052/young-nepalis-battle-climate-dread-wake-flood-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Two established Chinese mining companies plan to jointly acquire and develop gold, copper and other critical mineral projects in Tibet, marking the latest corporate push to tap the region’s resources as Beijing seeks to strengthen domestic supplies of strategic raw materials. Privately controlled Xizang Zhihui Mining and state-owned Zhaojin Nonferrous Mining signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement on Thursday to pursue joint investment in mining projects in the autonomous region. In a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368004/chinese-miners-partner-tap-tibets-critical-minerals-amid-beijings-resource-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368004/chinese-miners-partner-tap-tibets-critical-minerals-amid-beijings-resource-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan The Himalayan disaster that tore through the China-Nepal border last month was a human calamity before it became a media story. A torrent of ice, rock, mud and debris swept through valleys, destroying key infrastructure, severing roads and communications, and leaving families desperate for news. In Gyirong county in the Tibet autonomous region, the disaster hit a major border crossing and created a rescue environment as physically difficult as any imaginable. The human toll extends beyond the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367709/what-china-nepal-floods-teach-us-about-crisis-communication?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367709/what-china-nepal-floods-teach-us-about-crisis-communication?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:30:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Himalayas are approaching a tipping point as glaciers melt faster than a decade ago, threatening water security as the region approaches “peak water” by mid-century, according to a study released this month. The findings come after the collapse of a Himalayan glacier in late August along the ‌Nepal-Tibet border, which caused cascading landslides and flash floods in the valleys below. At least 1,300 people have been confirmed dead and more than 5,300 are missing across Nepal and China’s Tibet... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3367426/himalayan-glacier-bankruptcy-threatens-water-security-2-billion-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3367426/himalayan-glacier-bankruptcy-threatens-water-security-2-billion-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:20:20 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Mark Magnier,Nayan Seth Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Mark Magnier,Nayan Seth Chinese President Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday that China and India, as the world’s most populous nations and key members of the Global South, bore “significant responsibilities” in an international landscape “fraught with turbulence and change”. Xi said that although the countries had different national circumstances, “there is ample scope for us to learn from each other’s strengths, offer mutual support, achieve shared success and pursue common... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367314/xi-tells-modi-there-ample-scope-learn-each-others-strengths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367314/xi-tells-modi-there-ample-scope-learn-each-others-strengths?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:02:31 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Hundreds of Nepalis in Hong Kong gathered on Monday to pay tribute to thousands of victims of the flash flood in their homeland, marking the traditional 13th day of mourning since the disaster struck. The hour-long programme, organised by local community groups with support from the Nepalese consulate, coincided with a national day of mourning in Nepal on September 7. Addressing the crowd, Satish Gurung, the acting consul general for Nepal in Hong Kong, said it was a “very difficult time” for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3366681/hong-kongs-nepalis-gather-prayers-13th-day-flood-mourning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3366681/hong-kongs-nepalis-gather-prayers-13th-day-flood-mourning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 14:45:34 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China is using the world’s most powerful geostationary weather satellite to track severe thunderstorms over Nepal and deliver real-time intelligence as the two countries continue search and rescue operations following last month’s devastating glacier collapse. The Fengyun‑4C satellite – launched last December and now positioned 36,000km (22,000 miles) above the equator – carries a Lightning Mapping Imager (LMI) that captures 500 frames per second, sifting through 30 gigabits of data every second... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3366535/worlds-most-powerful-lightning-chasing-satellite-joins-china-nepal-flood-relief-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3366535/worlds-most-powerful-lightning-chasing-satellite-joins-china-nepal-flood-relief-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2026 08:47:12 +0000 CNA CNA Police are investigating “shameful” racist and xenophobic online comments about the China-Nepal disaster and Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) investment in Air India, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday. Mr Shanmugam told reporters that the Ministry of Digital Development and Information will also ask social media platforms to remove comments that breach guidelines. “The media tells me that they had to remove several comments because they were so nasty. I don’t know if all the comments are all... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3366484/singapore-investigates-racism-related-nepal-tibet-disaster-air-india-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3366484/singapore-investigates-racism-related-nepal-tibet-disaster-air-india-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 10:30:42 +0000 Soniya Rijal,Nader Naderpajouh Soniya Rijal,Nader Naderpajouh Hearts across the globe are aching for communities along the Nepal-Tibet border. Late last month, a catastrophic flash flood ripped apart whole villages and swept away dozens of vital bridges and roads. It has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people, with authorities racing to find thousands more who are unaccounted for and free hundreds of workers trapped in a hydropower tunnel. In the wake of the flood, the world has rallied to support ongoing rescue and humanitarian efforts. But as with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3366414/after-nepal-tibet-floods-recovery-depends-grass-roots-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3366414/after-nepal-tibet-floods-recovery-depends-grass-roots-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Kristen Cheung,Eric Jiang Kristen Cheung,Eric Jiang A Hong Kong Nepalese man is searching for his cousin who is missing after the catastrophic flood struck the Himalayan border between Nepal and Tibet. Y.B. Gurung, a 64-year-old retiree, told the South China Morning Post that he last spoke with his tour guide cousin Raju Gurung, 40, at 8am on August 26, shortly before a massive glacial collapse triggered the flash flood that washed away villages and left at least 1,225 people dead. “I cannot sleep every night. I am praying every day that he was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3366277/i-cannot-sleep-hong-kong-nepalese-man-searches-cousin-missing-flood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3366277/i-cannot-sleep-hong-kong-nepalese-man-searches-cousin-missing-flood?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:23:13 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau are likely to become more unstable, which may lead to more collapses and collateral disasters, a senior climate official warns as the death toll from last week’s catastrophic landslide and flood on the China-Nepal border continues to rise. “Over the past 60 years, the glacier area on the Tibetan Plateau has shrunk by around 24 per cent, with around 7,000 small glaciers disappearing completely,” Gao Rong, deputy director of China’s National Climate Centre, said on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3366180/unstable-tibetan-plateau-risks-cascading-disasters-glacier-losses-mount-nepal-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3366180/unstable-tibetan-plateau-risks-cascading-disasters-glacier-losses-mount-nepal-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:56:19 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Every monsoon season, the Himalayan regions of Tibet and Nepal face the threat of recurring, destructive debris flows. These mud-and-rock avalanches are not purely random natural disasters. They stem from inherently fragile mountain geology, extreme terrain and increasingly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3366047/china-nepal-floods-engineering-fixes-are-only-band-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3366047/china-nepal-floods-engineering-fixes-are-only-band-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Not even the world’s fastest sprinters could have outrun the devastating floodwaters that struck a border crossing between China and Nepal last week, according to one of the first peer-reviewed assessments of the disaster. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) calculated that the surface velocity of the debris flow was 19 metres per second (62 feet per second) when it struck the checkpoint at Gyirong Port in Tibet. This is almost twice Usain Bolt’s average speed when he set the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3366020/china-nepal-floods-first-research-shows-no-one-could-have-outrun-debris-flow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3366020/china-nepal-floods-first-research-shows-no-one-could-have-outrun-debris-flow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China has discovered a major copper and gold deposit in the latest breakthrough in its hunt for metals vital to solar power, new-energy industries and data centre construction. The deposit was found in the central province of Anhui, China Central Television reported on Tuesday, with the main mineralised body about 1.2km long and 1.1km wide and deeper sections yet to be fully delineated. The Ministry of Natural Resources said preliminary estimates suggested the deposit contained the equivalent of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3365997/race-us-critical-resources-china-discovers-major-copper-and-gold-deposit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3365997/race-us-critical-resources-china-discovers-major-copper-and-gold-deposit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Residents and rescuers in the Tibet autonomous region paused for three minutes on Tuesday morning to remember the victims of last week’s mudslide disaster. Sirens sounded for three minutes from 9.55am at the Gyirong Port police station, with similar memorials at rescue and road-reopening sites throughout the region, according to state broadcaster CCTV. More than 1,000 people died and thousands remain missing along the China-Nepal border area after a glacier collapsed at Langtang Lirung on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366006/glacier-risk-hangs-over-china-nepal-border-region-remembers-mudslide-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366006/glacier-risk-hangs-over-china-nepal-border-region-remembers-mudslide-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:36:05 +0000 Cannix Yau,Leopold Chen Cannix Yau,Leopold Chen Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing and his business empire, along with Henderson Land Development and the Lee Shau Kee Foundation, have pledged 15 million yuan (US$2.2 million) each to support relief efforts for victims of the deadly flash flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border. Nina Wang Charity Management also pledged HK$10 million (US$1.27 million) to support relief efforts. CK Asset Holdings, CK Hutchison Holdings and the Li Ka Shing Foundation, as well as Henderson Land and the Lee Shau Kee... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3365991/ck-hutchison-henderson-land-donate-15-million-yuan-each-nepal-tibet-flood-relief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3365991/ck-hutchison-henderson-land-donate-15-million-yuan-each-nepal-tibet-flood-relief?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:57:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Rajendra Dawadi was inside his classroom when a colleague rushed in with a warning: floodwaters were racing through Nepal’s Trishuli Valley, tearing apart homes, bridges and entire villages. Then a teacher received another warning by phone. Moments later, a parent arrived to take her child home. The danger had not yet been confirmed, but Dawadi, the principal, had little time to act. He rang the school bell and ordered his students and staff out of the building and towards higher ground. “I... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365908/nepal-floods-meet-principal-whose-quick-thinking-saved-900-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365908/nepal-floods-meet-principal-whose-quick-thinking-saved-900-students?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 01:26:04 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari The Nepalese government has appealed for rescue aid from other countries just two days after it reportedly refused help, as several hundred people are still believed to be trapped in hydropower tunnels and thousands remain missing following the catastrophic flash flooding at the border with China last week. Kathmandu’s apparent reversal reflects caution born from its chaotic experience with foreign teams after the 2015 earthquake, according to observers. Other factors include the government’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3365787/nepal-floods-could-foreign-rescue-teams-have-been-brought-earlier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3365787/nepal-floods-could-foreign-rescue-teams-have-been-brought-earlier?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2026 02:45:21 +0000 Narayan Adhikari Narayan Adhikari As the waters of the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers recede, leaving behind mud, debris and damaged infrastructure, a familiar pattern is visible in Nepal. When disaster strikes, the country’s usual political divisions, cronyism and institutional mistrust give way, for a while, to real unity. Across party lines, political leaders worked around the clock alongside security forces. Digital channels opened for the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, a “one-door policy” was enforced to prevent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3365734/behind-nepal-china-border-floods-lie-bad-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3365734/behind-nepal-china-border-floods-lie-bad-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Xinlu Liang,Shi Huang Xinlu Liang,Shi Huang China said on Sunday that 261 foreign citizens were missing after last week’s deadly floods along the border between its Tibet autonomous region and Nepal. The missing foreigners were from 23 different countries and included 104 Nepalese citizens, authorities in Tibet’s Gyirong county told reporters. Also unaccounted for are 49 people from India; 33 Latvians; 18 from the United States; 15 from Britain; six each from Canada and Australia; four from South Africa; three each from Malaysia, Germany... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365730/china-nepal-floods-hundreds-foreigners-missing-tibet-after-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365730/china-nepal-floods-hundreds-foreigners-missing-tibet-after-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 04:31:37 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Video footage taken moments before a catastrophic mudslide hit a border post in Tibet this week shows how one police officer stationed there tried to guide civilians to safety. The clip, which shows the officer trying to direct people away from the police station at Gyirong Port, went viral online in China over the weekend. State broadcaster CCTV said the officer, whom it named as Huang Peng, also rushed into a nearby tourist service centre to tell those inside to evacuate. The 34-year-old, who... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365701/china-nepal-floods-police-officer-filmed-guiding-people-away-stricken-border-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365701/china-nepal-floods-police-officer-filmed-guiding-people-away-stricken-border-post?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Connor Mycroft,Cannix Yau Connor Mycroft,Cannix Yau Hong Kong’s Nepalese community and other local organisations have launched fundraising drives to support those affected by deadly flash floods at the Himalayan nation’s border with the Tibet autonomous region, as the city government earmarked HK$50 million (US$6.38 million) to support relief efforts. In a social media post on Saturday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the HK$50 million would come from the Disaster Relief Fund and that its advisory committee would process applications... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3365696/hong-kong-sets-aside-hk50-million-relief-fund-nepal-tibet-flood-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3365696/hong-kong-sets-aside-hk50-million-relief-fund-nepal-tibet-flood-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 07:56:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Mukti Patel has huddled with family and friends at her parents’ Richmond, Virginia, home since her dad, sister and two other relatives went missing in the catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-China border. She knows the hotel they were staying in was swept away. But as she shared memories of them on Friday, she caught herself. “I shouldn’t talk in past tense yet,” she said. “We don’t know anything.” As rescuers continued pulling survivors from the mud, family members of some of the more... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365688/us-families-hold-out-hope-relatives-lost-nepal-floods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365688/us-families-hold-out-hope-relatives-lost-nepal-floods?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 05:12:13 +0000 Laura Zhou,Carol Yang Laura Zhou,Carol Yang China has sent nine specialist tunnel rescuers to Nepal to help with emergency operations following a direct request from Kathmandu, as search teams race against time to find survivors from Wednesday’s devastating floods. Seven people have been confirmed dead on the Chinese side, with 544 still missing as the rescue operation passed a critical 72-hour window. In Nepal, at least 675 have died and nearly 2,500 – hundreds of them foreigners – are missing. Five of the Chinese tunnel experts were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365686/china-nepal-floods-rescuers-pull-2-survivors-out-rubble-near-tibet-border-crossing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365686/china-nepal-floods-rescuers-pull-2-survivors-out-rubble-near-tibet-border-crossing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 04:47:24 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The human catastrophe resulting from the flash flood and mudslide on the Nepal-China border continues to unfold. The search for answers has already begun. But the safety of survivors, rescue of victims and relief operations are paramount. President Xi Jinping’s directives to emergency responders and dispatch of Premier Li Qiang to the border to oversee operations are evidence of that. The immediate cause of the disaster remains the subject of debate. But there seems little doubt of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3365608/china-nepal-border-flash-flood-must-galvanise-climate-change-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3365608/china-nepal-border-flash-flood-must-galvanise-climate-change-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang On the windswept plains just south of Tibet’s second-largest city, the towering smart inspection systems and automated cargo gantries of a brand-new international land port gleam under the plateau’s high-altitude sun. Official road maps predict the multibillion-yuan project in Shigatse will process up to 300 trucks daily by the end of 2030 – loading cargo off trains and onto the trucks that will take goods to their final destination. It will also allow the authorities to carry out customs checks... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365622/can-beijings-gateway-plan-tibet-survive-geopolitics-and-natural-disasters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365622/can-beijings-gateway-plan-tibet-survive-geopolitics-and-natural-disasters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Rescuers pulled out survivors caked in dark brown mud and helicopters lifted stranded people to safety, as Nepal and China raced to respond to catastrophic flash floods that killed 676 people and left nearly 3,000 missing. The rescue efforts included a team that rappelled into a severely damaged checkpoint area on the Chinese side of the border between the two countries. Rescuers were on high alert for more flooding from a new lake that formed high up in the Himalayan mountains after the initial... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365668/china-nepal-floods-rescuers-pull-out-survivors-caked-mud-toll-climbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365668/china-nepal-floods-rescuers-pull-out-survivors-caked-mud-toll-climbs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 20:21:45 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela To scientists, the cause of this week’s deadly flash flood on the border between China and Nepal is clear: a glacier high on the Nepal side of the Himalayan range collapsed, sending catastrophic amounts of water and debris downstream. Initial uncertainty over the cause of the event fuelled a wave of misinformation on social media, some of which pinned the blame for the event on Chinese-built infrastructure in the region. But a war of information over China’s activities in the region continued to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365633/how-nepal-flash-flood-unleashed-wave-anti-china-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365633/how-nepal-flash-flood-unleashed-wave-anti-china-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:58:16 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang This week’s devastating floods on the China-Nepal border could be a catalyst for joint early-warning systems, particularly in relation to a proposed rail link between the countries. Rescuers were still struggling on Thursday to reach Gyirong Port in the Tibet autonomous region where a mudslide struck a day earlier, following flash floods from Nepal. The port is the region’s main foreign trade gateway, which handles a third of China’s trade with its neighbour. Gyirong is also one end of a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365587/could-china-nepal-disaster-spur-safety-rethink-flagship-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365587/could-china-nepal-disaster-spur-safety-rethink-flagship-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Beijing promised to send emergency aid to Nepal on Friday as Chinese rescuers battled through hazardous conditions to reach the border checkpoint hit by deadly flash floods this week. The disaster left five dead and 558 missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county, while Nepal reported 579 dead and 1,924 missing as of 7pm on Friday. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to his Nepalese counterpart, Ram Chandra Paudel, following the devastating mudslides, state broadcaster CCTV... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365583/china-pledges-send-urgent-emergency-aid-nepal-after-deadly-landslide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365583/china-pledges-send-urgent-emergency-aid-nepal-after-deadly-landslide?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:30:23 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan The death toll from catastrophic flash floods and mudslides at the Gyirong Port border crossing between China and Nepal continued to rise on Friday, as concerns grew that a lake formed from the debris could breach, triggering further flooding. As of Friday afternoon, five people were confirmed dead and 558 missing on the Chinese side of the border, with 469 dead and nearly 1,000 missing in Nepal. The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday morning when a massive Himalayan landslide triggered a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365529/china-nepal-disaster-death-toll-nears-500-lake-overflow-threatens-rescue-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365529/china-nepal-disaster-death-toll-nears-500-lake-overflow-threatens-rescue-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 03:51:41 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have developed a cross-border early warning system with counterparts in Nepal to monitor Himalayan glacial lake outburst floods. The system has issued timely alerts over the past several years, effectively preventing casualties. But on Wednesday, a high-altitude ice-rock avalanche took everyone by surprise. The debris flow hit a river in Nepal, generating a devastating flash flood that swept all the way down to Gyirong county in the Tibet autonomous region in China. Some... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365488/china-and-nepal-built-early-warning-system-melting-glaciers-himalayas-does-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365488/china-and-nepal-built-early-warning-system-melting-glaciers-himalayas-does-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:34:34 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Alyssa Chen,Cao Jiaxuan The catastrophic flash floods and mudslide that devastated the Gyirong Port crossing along the China-Nepal border on Wednesday have dealt a heavy blow to China-Nepal trade and imperilled Kathmandu’s push to cut reliance on Indian transit routes. However, if Beijing and Kathmandu are to proceed with ambitious infrastructure projects, they are expected to take environmental factors into consideration and adjust their construction methods accordingly, one expert said. Chinese officials confirmed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365486/himalayan-glacier-collapse-hits-crucial-china-nepal-trade-route-casualties-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365486/himalayan-glacier-collapse-hits-crucial-china-nepal-trade-route-casualties-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:30:03 +0000 Xinlu Liang,Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Xinlu Liang,Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Rescue teams struggled to reach the site of a massive Himalayan mudslide and flash flood on the China-Nepal border as the toll from the disaster rose to 392 dead, with more than 1,000 missing. As of Friday morning, three people were confirmed dead and 558 missing on the Chinese side, with 389 dead and at least 644 missing in Nepal. “Nearly 100” Chinese nationals were missing on the Nepalese side, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing on Thursday. The Chinese embassy in Nepal was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365394/china-nepal-border-disaster-1000-plus-missing-beijing-sends-rescue-teams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365394/china-nepal-border-disaster-1000-plus-missing-beijing-sends-rescue-teams?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2026 03:34:35 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The South China Morning Post has launched a major data project diving into President Xi Jinping’s signature anti-graft campaign. In the third part of a series accompanying the data project, William Zheng looks at the relationship between rich regional resources and corruption. Beneath the desolate Gobi Desert and sparsely populated mountains of China’s less developed regions lie abundant mineral resources, ranging from coal, the most basic fuel for China’s economy, to critical minerals needed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365306/resource-curse-blame-regions-hit-harder-xis-anti-corruption-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365306/resource-curse-blame-regions-hit-harder-xis-anti-corruption-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Brian Mikael Cheng Brian Mikael Cheng Read more: https://sc.mp/cc3d3c A landslide at the China-Nepal border has hit a key checkpoint with Tibet, resulting in “major casualties”, according to state media and footage shared online. The landslide began in Nepal’s Rasuwa region on Wednesday and struck Tibet’s bordering southwestern county Gyirong, according to Xinhua. https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/article/3365350/massive-landslide-destroys-china-nepal-border-crossing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/article/3365350/massive-landslide-destroys-china-nepal-border-crossing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:13:20 +0000 Fan Chen,Xinlu Liang Fan Chen,Xinlu Liang Dozens of people were dead and hundreds of others – many of them foreign tourists – were missing on Wednesday night, hours after massive flash floods and landslides engulfed a border area between China and Nepal. Chinese state media reported that the disaster struck Nepal at around 9am, spilling over into Gyirong county in the Tibet autonomous region, causing “major casualties and missing persons” at a border checkpoint in the county, which is administered by the city of Shigatse. Footage... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365346/landslide-china-nepal-border-engulfs-checkpoint-causing-major-casualties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365346/landslide-china-nepal-border-engulfs-checkpoint-causing-major-casualties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:30:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters A huge wall of mud ⁠and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and China’s Tibet on Wednesday, triggering catastrophic flooding on the Nepali side that killed scores of people and left hundreds of tourists missing. In a still-unfolding disaster, verified videos showed dozens of people swept away at the border, with authorities on both sides fearing far higher casualties and massive destruction. Houses, roads and power projects were washed away in Nepal, while officials in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365311/flash-flood-nepal-washes-away-villages-power-projects-near-tibet-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3365311/flash-flood-nepal-washes-away-villages-power-projects-near-tibet-border?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:42:25 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China has outlined plans to build a massive road link snaking along the country’s land borders and coastlines – an ambitious project that could boost incomes in a string of remote regions, but also provoke geopolitical and ecological risks. The project is framed as an effort to boost economic development, social stability and national unity, with the more than 25,000km (15,500-mile) route set to run through several regions with large ethnic-minority populations – including Tibet and the Xinjiang... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364884/china-building-vast-national-ring-road-circling-countrys-borderlands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364884/china-building-vast-national-ring-road-circling-countrys-borderlands?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China is using an artificial intelligence-driven fish identification system to conduct round-the-clock tracking of species passing along a fishway on a dam on Tibet’s largest river. Monitoring the route once relied on labour-intensive manual counts, but it now uses an AI-based “fish facial recognition” system to identify species unique to the Tibet autonomous region, according to a report published by Global Times on Tuesday. Since the 116-metre-tall (381 feet) Zangmu Hydropower Station began... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3363112/china-using-ai-facial-id-track-migrating-fish-tibets-largest-river?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3363112/china-using-ai-facial-id-track-migrating-fish-tibets-largest-river?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju High in the eastern Himalayas, where yak caravans once carried silk and salt between empires, a border crossing closed by suspicion six years ago is stirring back to life. The Nathu La Pass, a remote border trading post connecting India’s Sikkim state with China’s Tibet region at 4,310 metres (14,140 feet) above sea level, reopened to commerce on Saturday for the first time since 2020. For the roughly 600 registered traders in Sikkim who used to depend on this ancient route, the reopening means... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362556/india-and-china-revive-himalayan-trade-high-altitude-pass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362556/india-and-china-revive-himalayan-trade-high-altitude-pass?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2026 05:00:13 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China aims to make its transport systems even more expansive and efficient in the next five years, setting a goal to complete 95 per cent of its core national transport network by 2030. After blanketing the country in railways, expressways, airports and seagoing canals to reach a 91 per cent completion rate, the push for the next 4 percentage points raises questions for the world’s second-largest economy: what’s left to build, and how are massive projects being justified when the nation’s most... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3362561/china-sets-95-transport-goal-2030-focusing-efficiency-and-shielding-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3362561/china-sets-95-transport-goal-2030-focusing-efficiency-and-shielding-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Caroline Lin Caroline Lin Beijing has launched a drone research hub in Tibet near Mount Everest in an effort to exploit its high-altitude advantage in the ongoing competition for technological dominance between the US and China. The Plateau Drone R&D Application Centre was recently unveiled by Xizang University, state news agency Xinhua reported earlier this month. Xizang is the official Chinese pinyin name for the Tibet autonomous region in western China. Situated on the Chinese side of the world’s highest peak, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362159/new-peak-us-china-tech-rivalry-tibet-drone-hub-launches-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362159/new-peak-us-china-tech-rivalry-tibet-drone-hub-launches-mount-everest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Brazil that Beijing would continue to support its sovereignty, security, and development interests hours after a 25 per cent US tariff on Brazilian goods took effect. Wang met Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Wednesday in Manila, on the sidelines of the 59th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers, where Vieira is also attending the third Brazil-Asean ministerial. China would go on to “support Brazil in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361648/china-vows-defend-brazils-sovereignty-trumps-25-tariff-bites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361648/china-vows-defend-brazils-sovereignty-trumps-25-tariff-bites?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jul 2026 19:54:47 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen A group of Czech lawmakers are visiting China in the first high-level engagement between the two countries since 2019, a move Chinese analysts described as “testing the waters” rather than representing a more substantive thaw. Tomio Okamura, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and head of the delegation, told local media he was hoping to secure agreements on more direct flights, an increase in Chinese tourist numbers and visa-free travel for Czech citizens. Representatives from 40 Czech firms –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361239/czech-legislators-testing-waters-china-visit-after-years-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361239/czech-legislators-testing-waters-china-visit-after-years-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:07:38 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese forecasters warned that more extreme weather was on the horizon as the country continued to battle the aftereffects of former typhoon Bavi on Wednesday. Jilin province in the northeast issued an emergency alert on Tuesday night for flooding of multiple rivers. Authorities called for traffic controls, cautioned residents to stay home and ordered people near the rivers to evacuate. Jilin weather authorities said that due to heavy rain, at least 10 cities in the foothills of the Changbai... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3360678/china-warns-more-extreme-weather-typhoon-bavi-leaves-trail-rain-flooding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3360678/china-warns-more-extreme-weather-typhoon-bavi-leaves-trail-rain-flooding?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:36:58 +0000