https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/4/feed The latest breaking news from China. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Ling Xin Ling Xin A mysterious glow of high-energy light in our Milky Way galaxy could be the remains of an extremely rare cosmic “gold factory”, according to a new study by Chinese and US researchers. The collision of two orbiting neutron stars – dead stars so dense that a teaspoon of their matter would weigh a billion tonnes – may have shone as brightly as Jupiter in the sky, they wrote in a paper posted last week on the preprint server arXiv, which has yet to be peer-reviewed. The violent smash spewed out... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370141/china-us-astronomy-team-may-have-found-possible-relic-recent-gold-factory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370141/china-us-astronomy-team-may-have-found-possible-relic-recent-gold-factory?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:00:08 +0000 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/series/3370678/navigating-china-us-power-play-shenzhen-apec?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/series/3370678/navigating-china-us-power-play-shenzhen-apec?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:33:32 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi As missiles and drones take a bigger role in modern warfare, major defence contractors gathered in Washington this week to showcase their latest advances in the technologies – and systems to counter them. The three-day Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which opened on Monday, is one of the largest ground-based weapons shows in the US. This year there was a strong emphasis on air and missile defence systems, reflecting growing concern about how to counter... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370663/systems-counter-missiles-and-drones-take-centre-stage-us-defence-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370663/systems-counter-missiles-and-drones-take-centre-stage-us-defence-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:00:14 +0000 William Zheng,Nayan Seth,Khushboo Razdan William Zheng,Nayan Seth,Khushboo Razdan Some senior American executives are lukewarm about attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and related business events in Shenzhen next month, according to people familiar with the matter. They cited limited scheduling details, few expected breakthroughs and a lack of opportunity for meaningful engagement. Beijing has invited multiple US business leaders – particularly those who joined President Donald Trump’s May trip to China and later attended the White House state dinner for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370574/china-keeps-extending-shenzhen-apec-deadline-why-are-us-execs-so-unenthused?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370574/china-keeps-extending-shenzhen-apec-deadline-why-are-us-execs-so-unenthused?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei A group of Chinese officials are in the middle of a highly sensitive meeting involving critical decisions yet to be made behind closed doors, with documents stamped “classified” spread across the table. Suddenly, an invisible laser beams into the room, sweeping across a glass window and allowing the contents of the meeting to be transmitted elsewhere. China’s Ministry of State Security laid out this seemingly futuristic scenario six months ago, warning government departments and other entities... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370572/laser-shields-iphone-detectors-inside-chinas-booming-secrecy-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370572/laser-shields-iphone-detectors-inside-chinas-booming-secrecy-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 22:00:07 +0000 Dewey Sim,Alyssa Chen Dewey Sim,Alyssa Chen China is likely to view the latest US dealings with Russia as “transactional”, according to observers, who said Beijing was likely to wait and see what the longer-term impact would be given the possibility that Donald Trump might abruptly change course again. The US president announced that under a deal with Vladimir Putin, Russia would “immediately” supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets. He wrote on social media that another 500,000 tonnes would follow in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370620/why-china-likely-be-cautious-about-recent-trump-putin-diesel-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370620/why-china-likely-be-cautious-about-recent-trump-putin-diesel-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Azerbaijan and three Balkan countries amid Beijing’s push to shore up its trade corridors and geopolitical influence in the regions. Wang will attend the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday “as special representative of President Xi Jinping”, according to China’s foreign ministry. Aside from Azerbaijan, Beijing’s top diplomat will visit Croatia, Montenegro and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370626/chinas-top-diplomat-visit-azerbaijan-croatia-montenegro-and-bulgaria-boost-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370626/chinas-top-diplomat-visit-azerbaijan-croatia-montenegro-and-bulgaria-boost-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:11:19 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez The US Navy aims to field a relatively low-cost hypersonic missile on its carrier-based fighters, a weapon that could pose a new challenge to the air defences protecting Chinese warships and coastal military installations, experts said. California-based defence company Castelion’s Blackbeard is designed to fly at more than five times the speed of sound and strike ships and land targets. Unlike more expensive hypersonic weapons, it is being developed with an emphasis on affordability and mass... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370598/us-turns-low-cost-blackbeard-hypersonic-missiles-overwhelm-chinese-defences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370598/us-turns-low-cost-blackbeard-hypersonic-missiles-overwhelm-chinese-defences?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:19 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s defence ministry plans to allow military pilots to serve until the age of 58 as it grapples with the prospect of “having fighter jets but no pilots”. The proposed retention scheme comes as the island’s air force prepares to form operational squadrons around 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighters ordered from the United States, adding pressure to an already stretched pool of experienced pilots. Under the plan, pilots could serve until they turn 58 – up from about 48 for lieutenant colonels and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370611/taiwan-aims-raise-pilot-retirement-age-58-new-f-16v-jets-arrive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370611/taiwan-aims-raise-pilot-retirement-age-58-new-f-16v-jets-arrive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:23:46 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma China agreed to cut millions of hybrid car exports to the European Union over the next four years, easing simmering trade tensions ahead of a key meeting of European leaders later this week. The deal will slow exports to half or less the pace currently predicted by the EU, the bloc’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday after two days of negotiations. Next year alone, it will pare shipments by up to 700,000 vehicles and trim as much as €14 billion (US$16... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3370591/china-eu-car-deal-eases-trade-tensions-now-least?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3370591/china-eu-car-deal-eases-trade-tensions-now-least?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:12:28 +0000 Stephen Chen,Victoria Bela Stephen Chen,Victoria Bela China has begun building the world’s first utility-scale power plant combining two emerging technologies: supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) generation and large-scale molten salt energy storage. The Ruitan project, under construction at a coal-fired power station in Yantai in eastern China’s Shandong province, is intended to demonstrate how combining these technologies can reduce energy wastage and improve the stability of the electrical grid. Electricity produced when demand is low is stored... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/science/article/3370584/china-bets-molten-salt-and-co2-help-meet-its-power-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/science/article/3370584/china-bets-molten-salt-and-co2-help-meet-its-power-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 08:41:03 +0000 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 Carol Yang Carol Yang Beijing on Monday sanctioned Paraguayan and Belizean government ministers over the Taiwan issue, after the two nations sealed deals with Taipei in recent months. Gustavo Villate, Paraguay’s minister of information and communication technologies, and Francis Fonseca, Belize’s minister of foreign affairs, foreign trade, education, culture, science and technology, were placed under sanctions from Monday, the foreign ministry said. The measures include freezing their assets within China, prohibiting... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370553/beijing-sanctions-paraguayan-and-belizean-ministers-over-support-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370553/beijing-sanctions-paraguayan-and-belizean-ministers-over-support-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 06:21:53 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng A large desalination plant on Bohai Bay has achieved an energy efficiency breakthrough, slashing electricity consumption by more than half while converting millions of tonnes of toxic waste brine into high-value chemical salt. Situated in the Caofeidian industrial zone of Tangshan, Hebei province, the facility recently entered its trial production stage, the state-run Science and Technology Daily reported last month. This technology provides a viable pathway to solving the global challenge of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370356/chinese-desalination-plant-cuts-60-energy-use-turning-waste-brine-industrial-salt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370356/chinese-desalination-plant-cuts-60-energy-use-turning-waste-brine-industrial-salt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:15:34 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump’s new spokeswoman is a ‘devoted fan’ who lived in Beijing and speaks Chinese 2. Hong Kong hiker dies, Singaporean teen discharged after 2 trail emergencies 3. How a museum masterpiece’s life-size replica sparked rare US-China collaboration 4. Why Malaysian doctors are turning down... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3370528/trumps-china-savvy-spokeswoman-hong-kong-trail-emergencies-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3370528/trumps-china-savvy-spokeswoman-hong-kong-trail-emergencies-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:15:05 +0000 Li Cheng,Pengfei Xie Li Cheng,Pengfei Xie This is a special contribution from the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong. Read the full report at the end of the article. It will be available on the institute website cccw.hku.hk from October 13. With the rising strategic significance of energy, especially due to the need to support China’s artificial intelligence (AI) development, members of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee with energy backgrounds – the country’s “movers and shakers” in this... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370383/ai-and-iran-war-loom-chinas-energy-technocrats-are-fast-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370383/ai-and-iran-war-loom-chinas-energy-technocrats-are-fast-track?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:00:26 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,William Zheng Shi Jiangtao,William Zheng Kurt Campbell is a veteran US diplomat and strategist who has played a leading role in shaping Washington’s approach to China and the Indo-Pacific for more than a decade. He served as the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs from 2021 to 2024 and as US deputy secretary of state from 2024 to 2025. Previously, he served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2009 to 2013 and was a key architect of the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia”. Often... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370485/kurt-campbell-us-deterrence-quad-aukus-and-taiwan-after-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370485/kurt-campbell-us-deterrence-quad-aukus-and-taiwan-after-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Gaurav Kumar Gaurav Kumar Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi three times in the past three years. Indian pilgrims are back at Kailash, the Tibetan mountain sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. Air China has restarted flights to New Delhi. But can trust grow between two armies that meet only in a crisis? And why does the Pentagon now talk to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) more easily than India’s army does? In September, Xi made his first visit to India in nearly seven years; Beijing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370226/despite-china-india-thaw-military-relations-are-stuck-2020?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370226/despite-china-india-thaw-military-relations-are-stuck-2020?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Russia is looking to expand shipbuilding cooperation with China through technology partnerships and joint investment, visiting presidential aide and Maritime Board chairman Nikolai Patrushev said. Patrushev held talks in Beijing with Ke Jixin, Chinese vice-minister of industry and information technology, the Russian Maritime Board said in a statement on Saturday. It said the two sides discussed the possibility of Chinese shipbuilders becoming technology partners and equipment suppliers for new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370497/putin-aide-looks-boost-russian-shipbuilding-ties-china-during-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370497/putin-aide-looks-boost-russian-shipbuilding-ties-china-during-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 16:00:11 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Zhou Xianwang, the former mayor of Wuhan widely criticised for the initial handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption. Zhou used various positions he held between 2003 and 2025 – including party secretary of Huangshi, mayor of Wuhan and vice-governor of Hubei province – to “provide assistance to companies and individuals in contracting projects, business operations and administrative approvals”, Shangqiu Intermediate People’s Court in Henan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370481/wuhans-covid-mayor-zhou-xianwang-jailed-14-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370481/wuhans-covid-mayor-zhou-xianwang-jailed-14-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:00:16 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Eddie Flores pressed the button at a pedestrian crossing on King Street, then pointed across the road. In the spring of 1910, Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen lodged over there, on the second floor of a shop owned by a friend and fellow party member. “It’s no longer there,” said Flores, chairman of the restaurant chain L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. “But we can more or less point out where the building is.” Much of Sun’s Honolulu has to be found this way. The church where he worshipped as a boy was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3370412/hawaiian-son-honolulu-honours-sun-yat-sen-his-landmarks-vanish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3370412/hawaiian-son-honolulu-honours-sun-yat-sen-his-landmarks-vanish?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 13:34:38 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Leading China’s mathematicians joined forces in Beijing on Sunday to launch an alliance aimed at integrating artificial intelligence into mathematical research. The Yau Laboratory Alliance for Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence is being spearheaded by Fields medallist Shing-Tung Yau, who warned that China was lagging behind the United States in using AI to advance frontier science. It will bring together eight leading institutions and aims to create a network of more than 1,000... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370492/leading-chinese-mathematicians-unite-behind-use-ai-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370492/leading-chinese-mathematicians-unite-behind-use-ai-research?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In September, the Jaecoo 7 – a budget SUV from China’s Chery Automobile – made headlines when it shifted more than 10,000 units to become Britain’s bestselling car. Christened the “Temu Range Rover” online, a nod to the cheap goods available on the Chinese online marketplace and the luxury 4X4 made by Jaguar Land Rover that it resembles, its success showed British drivers’ new-found taste for cut-price Chinese cars. Overall, 23 per cent of new cars bought in Britain last month were Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370482/eus-china-dilemma-how-counter-beijing-without-alienating-friends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370482/eus-china-dilemma-how-counter-beijing-without-alienating-friends?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 11:00:14 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s military is grappling with a worsening manpower shortage, with its volunteer staffing rate remaining below the 80 per cent target for a third consecutive year and concerns mounting over the impact on combat readiness, according to the island’s legislature. The shortages extend deep into frontline formations – including infantry, artillery, missile and air defence units – raising questions over whether Taiwan will have enough trained personnel to operate and maintain the vast quantities... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370477/how-taiwans-military-manpower-shortage-undermining-its-ability-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370477/how-taiwans-military-manpower-shortage-undermining-its-ability-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik International scientists warn that rising sea levels driven by melting Antarctic ice will be 15 to 20 per cent higher in cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai compared with the global average. They said gravitational shifts caused by shrinking Antarctic ice would redistribute water across the globe, causing higher ocean levels along China’s densely populated coastlines. “Even if we limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7 degrees Fahrenheit], the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370255/chinas-rich-coastal-cities-see-sea-level-rise-20-higher-global-average?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370255/chinas-rich-coastal-cities-see-sea-level-rise-20-higher-global-average?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Before she addresses the world from behind the White House briefing room podium this week, 42-year-old Katie Zacharia has a story that stretches far beyond Washington’s power corridors. Years before US President Donald Trump appointed her as his new press secretary, she lived in Beijing, worked at one of China’s leading law firms, and learned enough Chinese to occasionally surprise people. Her reported experience in China spans international law and a communications role with a non-profit... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370473/trumps-new-spokeswoman-devoted-fan-who-lived-beijing-and-speaks-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370473/trumps-new-spokeswoman-devoted-fan-who-lived-beijing-and-speaks-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Materials scientist and chemist Antonio Facchetti, formerly of the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, has joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as a chair professor in its newly established department of materials. Facchetti, who was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering last year for his “contributions to the engineering of commercially viable electronic materials and devices”, researches semiconductors, dielectrics for thin-film and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370290/nanotechnology-expert-antonio-facchetti-joins-hkust-georgia-tech-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370290/nanotechnology-expert-antonio-facchetti-joins-hkust-georgia-tech-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Ni Tao Ni Tao A year ago, a Unitree robot kickboxing could light up social media. When DeepSeek released its latest open-source artificial intelligence (AI) model, developers around the world rushed to test it. This year, however, Hangzhou’s latest technology bets have barely made a ripple. The city’s “New Eight Steeds” – eight deep-tech companies in fields ranging from smart glasses and inference graphic processing units (GPUs) to compute-in-memory chips and space computing – are a very different proposition... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370174/hangzhou-doubling-down-tech-minus-viral-hype?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370174/hangzhou-doubling-down-tech-minus-viral-hype?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang For anyone who has visited the Chinese galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, there is one work that stops them in their tracks. Stepping into Gallery 206, home to Chinese Buddhist art, visitors are met by a monumental wall – over 15 metres wide and 7.5 metres tall (nearly 50 feet by 25 feet) – covered in a Buddhist assembly so vast and majestic that it momentarily erases the Manhattan bustle outside. Here stands the Medicine Buddha, a 14th century Yuan dynasty (1279-1368)... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370434/how-museum-masterpieces-life-size-replica-sparked-rare-us-china-collaboration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370434/how-museum-masterpieces-life-size-replica-sparked-rare-us-china-collaboration?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez Chinese military aircraft may already be using a new joint aviation facility in Laos, with satellite imagery showing twice as many K-8/JL-8-family trainer aircraft there as the Laotian air force is assessed to possess. Eight of the two-seat trainer and light-attack aircraft were visible at Ban Keun Airport in commercial satellite imagery taken on September 30, according to Reuters, which first reported the images. More than two dozen military and support vehicles were also visible. The image was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370439/are-chinese-military-aircraft-already-using-new-joint-air-facility-laos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370439/are-chinese-military-aircraft-already-using-new-joint-air-facility-laos?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Eve Qiao Eve Qiao Communist Party officials in eastern China’s Zhejiang province have called for greater oversight of major internet platforms and their “traffic power”, warning that online traffic and algorithms had evolved into a force capable of shaping public discussion and sentiment. The publicity department of the Zhejiang provincial party committee published the commentary on social media on Thursday, saying traffic could no longer be viewed simply as a data resource. Zhejiang’s capital city, Hangzhou, is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370443/chinas-zhejiang-province-calls-limit-tech-giants-power-over-online-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370443/chinas-zhejiang-province-calls-limit-tech-giants-power-over-online-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Two Chinese ceramics at the British Museum have been damaged while on display and are being restored, sparking fresh debate over how museums should safely exhibit fragile cultural treasures. The museum confirmed on Friday that a bowl had fallen from its shelf and landed on a small box on the bottom shelf, damaging both pieces. “Both objects are already with our expert conservation team for complete restoration,” the museum said. The museum, which said the incident occurred on October 4, noted... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370446/cracks-security-qing-dynasty-ceramics-damaged-british-museum-display?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370446/cracks-security-qing-dynasty-ceramics-damaged-british-museum-display?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:02:16 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has welcomed talks between Washington and Beijing aimed at reducing the risk of conflict. Lai’s annual Double Tenth address on Saturday, marking the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, also called for democracies to work together to safeguard regional peace and for the Taiwanese people’s right to exist to be respected. He also warned that mainland China was trying to put pressure on the island to change the status... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370442/taiwanese-leader-welcomes-talks-between-washington-and-beijing-reduce-risk-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370442/taiwanese-leader-welcomes-talks-between-washington-and-beijing-reduce-risk-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:09:31 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China has unveiled a smart robot prototype designed to assist with wheat breeding in the latest step in its ongoing drive to advance agricultural technology and bolster food security. The robot made its public debut at a recent seminar on wheat breeding, state-run China Science Daily reported on Friday. Traditional wheat breeders rely on a wealth of accumulated experience to identify and select strains with superior traits from tens of thousands of hybrid offspring. But this requires manual... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370437/china-unveils-ai-powered-robot-designed-help-farmers-breed-better-strains-wheat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370437/china-unveils-ai-powered-robot-designed-help-farmers-breed-better-strains-wheat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:11:13 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage At events marking China’s National Day in Africa on October 1, robots provided the entertainment. In Luanda, Angola, dancing robots amused guests and ambassador Zhang Bin called the industry “a small snapshot of the Chinese economy’s move towards innovation and higher-quality development”. In Brazzaville, Congo, nearly 400 guests – including Congolese officials and Chinese business representatives – watched on as a robot dog performed. Guests also interacted with a robot dog at a Chinese New... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370299/can-chinas-dancing-robots-swing-some-new-business-partners-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370299/can-chinas-dancing-robots-swing-some-new-business-partners-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:00:07 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Recent interactions involving the US and Taiwan are not expected to derail the current momentum in relations between Washington and mainland China, according to diplomatic analysts. Beijing was taking a pragmatic approach to navigating the complexities of the Taiwan issue, they said, but the fate of a US$14 billion arms package for the island remained a key concern. During President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the United States, Xi urged his hosts to “adhere to the correct position of opposing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370402/will-taiwan-issue-derail-washington-and-beijings-latest-reset-analysts-are-sceptical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370402/will-taiwan-issue-derail-washington-and-beijings-latest-reset-analysts-are-sceptical?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 03:00:12 +0000 Caroline Lin Caroline Lin The setting may have been casual but the choice was not when the Communist Party boss of a northeastern Chinese province sat down with digital content creators at a coffee shop on Wednesday. Jilin province party secretary Huang Qiang invited the influencers to the relaxed setting of the Songyuan Coffee Shop in Changchun to encourage them to “actively promote mainstream values and spread positive energy”. According to a local government statement, Huang and the participants also exchanged views... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370417/why-communist-party-boss-had-coffee-shop-date-chinese-content-creators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3370417/why-communist-party-boss-had-coffee-shop-date-chinese-content-creators?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 02:01:07 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong Last month, President Xi Jinping travelled to New Delhi to attend the Brics summit – his first visit in seven years. On the summit’s sidelines, Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an in-depth conversation that explored topics of shared interest between them, such as leveraging open-weight artificial intelligence (AI) for mutual benefit. Even so, such sanguine signals were soon drowned out by a spate of downbeat headlines. One recent story warned of the “asymmetric” relationship... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370033/modi-and-xi-cant-bridge-india-china-divide-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370033/modi-and-xi-cant-bridge-india-china-divide-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 01:30:04 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik One of the world’s biggest network service providers has opened a new subsea route between Taipei and Hong Kong to strengthen the system against repeated underwater cable disruptions around the island. Britain-headquartered RETN said the new route would take its total to six serving Taiwan: four connecting Taipei and Hong Kong, and two linking Taipei and Tokyo. “Like many island economies, Taiwan’s international connectivity relies heavily on subsea cables, which creates exposure to risks such... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370149/new-taipei-hong-kong-subsea-route-opened-cut-risk-and-meet-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370149/new-taipei-hong-kong-subsea-route-opened-cut-risk-and-meet-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,William Zheng Shi Jiangtao,William Zheng Kurt Campbell is a veteran US diplomat and strategist who has played a leading role in shaping Washington’s approach to China and the Indo-Pacific for more than a decade. He served as the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs from 2021 to 2024 and as US deputy secretary of state from 2024 to 2025. Previously, he served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2009 to 2013 and was a key architect of the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia”. Often... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370379/kurt-campbell-us-china-focus-indo-pacific-quad-risks-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370379/kurt-campbell-us-china-focus-indo-pacific-quad-risks-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:01:05 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim When China and the United States agreed in May to frame their relationship as a “constructive relationship of strategic stability”, the phrase left many observers trying to guess what it actually meant. Four months on, they have added an elaboration that offers further insight into the two sides’ respective priorities. After presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met in Washington last month, the two sides pledged to build a “constructive relationship of strategic stability on the basis of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370323/what-are-concerns-and-priorities-behind-new-language-used-define-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370323/what-are-concerns-and-priorities-behind-new-language-used-define-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth The Port of Los Angeles, the largest container port in the United States and the country’s leading gateway for imports from China and other Asian countries, had its busiest three-month period on record from July through to September, despite persistent uncertainty over tariffs and shifting global trade supply chains. “If there was ever a time for a drum roll, this is it,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, during a media briefing on Friday. “July through September... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370410/key-us-port-china-imports-records-best-ever-quarter-despite-trade-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370410/key-us-port-china-imports-records-best-ever-quarter-despite-trade-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:54:02 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong US President Donald Trump has opened the American market to Russian diesel, reversing years of sanctions pressure on Moscow just three weeks after signing a law to punish buyers of its energy, as record fuel prices threaten his party in next month’s midterm elections. Trump said on Truth Social on Friday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had reached the supply deal in a phone call that had been expected to focus on suspected plague cases in Russia. According to Trump, Russia will... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370409/trump-says-us-get-diesel-russia-stunning-bid-ease-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370409/trump-says-us-get-diesel-russia-stunning-bid-ease-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:23:30 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China’s cooperation with the Pacific islands is not part of a geopolitical competition, top diplomat Wang Yi told a delegation of politicians from the region on Friday. The comments come as Beijing and Washington vie for influence in the South Pacific. “China’s engagement with Pacific island countries is a form of South-South cooperation based on mutual assistance and support,” Wang said, according to a statement from the Communist Party’s International Department. “This cooperation does not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370393/chinas-pacific-ties-not-part-geopolitical-rivalry-wang-yi-tells-island-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370393/chinas-pacific-ties-not-part-geopolitical-rivalry-wang-yi-tells-island-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:19:40 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China should avoid taking a “confrontational posture” over a new security pact between the United States, Denmark and Greenland as it might end up being excluded from engagement on the emerging Arctic order. That was the warning from Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s National Institute of Strategic Studies (NISS), a Chinese think tank, in a report released on Wednesday. It also said the US was unlikely to turn the northern polar region into its “exclusive strategic backyard”. The report noted that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370291/why-confrontational-posture-wont-help-china-arctic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370291/why-confrontational-posture-wont-help-china-arctic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Polar researchers have used a would-be Chinese rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink to make a satellite video call between the Arctic and Antarctic – the first publicly reported test of the Guowang constellation. The call highlights the growing capabilities of the country’s satellite constellations, according to state media. Beijing has been accelerating the development of its low-Earth-orbit constellations in recent years, particularly as the US-based Starlink showed its wartime value by helping... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370374/chinese-researchers-make-arctic-antarctic-call-using-rival-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370374/chinese-researchers-make-arctic-antarctic-call-using-rival-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:05 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim,Xiaofei Xu The European Union and China have “reached an understanding” that will cut Chinese hybrid car shipments to the bloc by “more than a half”, in a temporary salve to trade tensions that have threatened to boil over into a full-blown trade war. Speaking after marathon trade talks in Beijing, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the deal would see China slash its hybrid car exports “by several million cars” over a four-year period. “This is the first time that China has accepted to moderate its exports... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370385/china-and-eu-reach-understanding-hybrid-vehicles-after-crunch-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370385/china-and-eu-reach-understanding-hybrid-vehicles-after-crunch-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:59:22 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow China’s central bank rejected claims that the yuan is undervalued, rebutting a key European argument amid crunch negotiations ahead of a possible trade war. “China has no need or intent to gain competitive advantages through currency devaluation, nor has it ever resorted to competitive devaluation,” the People’s Bank of China said in a policy paper on Thursday, printed in both Chinese and English (see the full paper on SCMP Plus). “China’s trade growth is driven by its growing industrial... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3370339/china-rejects-yuan-complaints-golden-week-travel-canton-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3370339/china-rejects-yuan-complaints-golden-week-travel-canton-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:02:34 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela While Russian authorities have denied the death of a woman who worked in a laboratory at an anti-plague institute in Siberia was connected with the pathogen, the incident has sparked global concern – including in China – over a potential spread of the disease and a lack of transparency. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he planned to speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after it emerged late last week that the 28-year-old female lab technician had been admitted to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370319/russia-lifts-plague-lab-related-measures-should-china-and-world-be-relieved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370319/russia-lifts-plague-lab-related-measures-should-china-and-world-be-relieved?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China and the Philippines have traded accusations over a medical evacuation near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, with Manila also reporting a near-doubling of Chinese military and coastguard vessels around contested South China Sea features in September. The latest exchange centred on the evacuation on Thursday of an injured Philippine serviceman from the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine naval vessel grounded on the shoal decades ago. Known as Renai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370306/china-and-philippines-blame-each-other-over-south-china-sea-medical-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370306/china-and-philippines-blame-each-other-over-south-china-sea-medical-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:00:06 +0000