https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/511495/feed Meredith Chen joined the Post in 2023 and covers China politics and diplomacy. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Hong Kong. Previously, she had stints with both international and Chinese-language media outlets, focusing on affairs in Asia. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Online claims that archaeologists have identified the source of mercury in the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang – China’s first emperor, who unified the country more than 2,000 years ago – have revived interest in ancient cinnabar sites in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province. The claims, which sent related hashtags trending on social media late last month, centred on three sites in Xunyang where archaeologists last year found evidence of cinnabar mining, processing and transport during the pre-Qin... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369469/online-claims-revive-mercury-mystery-around-tomb-first-chinese-emperor https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369469/online-claims-revive-mercury-mystery-around-tomb-first-chinese-emperor Fri, 02 Oct 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s broadcasting regulator has called for greater support for live-action dramas as the government seeks to steer the booming microdrama industry towards higher-quality production and tighter rights safeguards amid the rapid rise of AI. Artificial intelligence (AI) has created innovation and production possibilities for microdramas, while also posing challenges over content quality and rights protection, according to Wang Xiaoliang from the National Radio and Television... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369183/slow-beautiful-china-launches-war-against-ai-drama-goes-beyond-algorithms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369183/slow-beautiful-china-launches-war-against-ai-drama-goes-beyond-algorithms Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen With Chinese President Xi Jinping expected in Washington this week, attention is turning to the aircraft that will carry him and how it stacks up against America’s presidential plane. The aircraft carrying China’s leader, often referred to in state media and official statements as a zhuan ji, or special plane, remains far less known to the world than Air Force One, despite both countries using Boeing 747s for presidential travel. For a head of state, a presidential aircraft is more than a means... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368451/how-does-xi-jinpings-special-plane-compare-air-force-one https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368451/how-does-xi-jinpings-special-plane-compare-air-force-one Wed, 23 Sep 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China confirmed on Wednesday that a research vessel conducted a month-long, wide-ranging geological survey in the waters near Scarborough Shoal, a South China Sea flashpoint between Beijing and Manila. The Haiyang Dizhi Shihao, or Marine Geology No 10, carried out the survey from August 11 to September 8, with the aim of “gaining a comprehensive understanding of the basic geological features and ecological environment” of waters under its jurisdiction, the Ministry of Natural Resources said on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367708/chinese-research-ship-completes-month-long-mission-near-scarborough-shoal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367708/chinese-research-ship-completes-month-long-mission-near-scarborough-shoal Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:14:43 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen President Donald Trump’s claim that the new White House ballroom will top China’s Great Hall of the People has thrust the Beijing landmark back into the spotlight just as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares for his US visit later this month. Speaking at a Republican midterm convention in Dallas last week, Trump described the Great Hall of the People – China’s most prestigious venue for legislative and ceremonial events – as “a serious hall”. “This is a very large hall, but we’re going to top... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367483/can-trumps-white-house-ballroom-top-chinas-vast-great-hall-people https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367483/can-trumps-white-house-ballroom-top-chinas-vast-great-hall-people Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen For generations of Chinese schoolchildren, English textbooks offered a glimpse of an unfamiliar world, from London’s Tower Bridge and Big Ben to American school life and Halloween traditions. Today, students opening an English textbook are more likely to encounter passages on late Qing dynasty (1644-1912) thinker Liang Qichao, the Dragon Boat Festival and China’s overseas aid projects. These changes are part of a nationwide overhaul of China’s primary and middle-school textbooks, which have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367366/are-chinese-students-learning-english-just-tell-chinas-story https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367366/are-chinese-students-learning-english-just-tell-chinas-story Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Authorities in China are taking content creators, fan groups and online platforms to task as their aggressive pursuit of online traffic upends lives and public services across the country. State media and local authorities have called on these parties to exercise restraint and stop attention-seeking behaviour from getting out of control. The warnings followed a wave of public attention that hit a 75-year-old man and his wife in Shaoxing in eastern Zhejiang province this month. Crowds of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367231/china-targets-toxic-traffic-viral-sensations-upend-daily-life-and-public-services https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367231/china-targets-toxic-traffic-viral-sensations-upend-daily-life-and-public-services Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s top court has issued new guidance on how judges should handle civil cases involving artificial intelligence, setting out rules on liability for deepfakes, voice cloning, hallucinations and violations of personal rights. Although Beijing has yet to pass a dedicated AI law, the guidelines expand the country’s legal framework governing the technology. The Supreme People’s Court’s 24-article opinion, released on Monday, instead provides guidance for handling AI-related disputes under... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366802/chinas-highest-court-sets-out-new-ai-red-lines-rules-deepfakes-and-privacy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366802/chinas-highest-court-sets-out-new-ai-red-lines-rules-deepfakes-and-privacy Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:12:50 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Calls to reduce English’s status as a core subject in China’s education system have resurfaced after an internet-famous maths teacher urged the country to end “worshipping foreign things”. The controversy has revived a long-running debate over the role of English in Chinese schools. The argument came to life again after Tang Jiafeng, a maths teacher known for coaching students through the national postgraduate entrance exam, said on social media that children, parents and schools had devoted... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366668/should-chinese-schools-demote-english-core-subject-discuss https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366668/should-chinese-schools-demote-english-core-subject-discuss Tue, 08 Sep 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s military researchers have proposed a redesigned “AI principles and practice course” for graduate students with “educating for war” at its centre, embedding combat scenarios to better prepare future officers for intelligent warfare. Researchers from the National University of Defence Technology’s College of Intelligence Science and Technology outlined their proposal in the July issue of the journal Defence Industry Conversion in China. The initiative comes as China seeks to cultivate more... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366490/chinese-military-university-urged-revise-ai-course-educate-war https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366490/chinese-military-university-urged-revise-ai-course-educate-war Sun, 06 Sep 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s military AI models trail their foreign equivalents in performance, concentrating on support functions rather than combat, according to a study by Chinese researchers. The findings appeared in a paper by researchers affiliated with the Armed Police Force Shandong Corps and the Engineering University of People’s Armed Police, published in the journal Defence Industry Conversion in China in July. “The military’s AI applications are mainly used in auxiliary fields such as intelligent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366256/chinese-militarys-ai-attack-chain-lags-foreign-models-researchers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366256/chinese-militarys-ai-attack-chain-lags-foreign-models-researchers Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A Boeing 747-8 operated by Air China reportedly suffered a fuel leak at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport early on Monday, forcing the cancellation of the flight. No injuries were reported in or around the aircraft, which was expected to operate flight CA982 from New York to Beijing that day. The leak is said to have occurred between 1am and 2am while the plane was parked at the gate, according to posts on Chinese social media. It was being refuelled when the fuel truck moved... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366093/air-china-boeing-747-grounded-new-york-following-gate-refuelling-incident https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366093/air-china-boeing-747-grounded-new-york-following-gate-refuelling-incident Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:15:53 +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 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366006/glacier-risk-hangs-over-china-nepal-border-region-remembers-mudslide-victims Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:36:05 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Parts of eastern and southern China are bracing for heavy to torrential rain over the next three days, with authorities warning of floods, landslides and mudslides, as Typhoon Saudel re-forms over the South China Sea. Several airports could be affected, including Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Baoan, Zhuhai Jinwan, Xiamen Gaoqi, Fuzhou Changle, Wenzhou Longwan, Ningbo Lishe and Hong Kong International Airport, according to aviation data platform VariFlight. So far, no large-scale flight... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365946/unprecedented-path-revived-typhoon-saudel-eyes-eastern-and-southern-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365946/unprecedented-path-revived-typhoon-saudel-eyes-eastern-and-southern-china Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China warned on Monday there was a “major risk” of further glacier collapses and landslides along the border with Nepal as the death toll from last week’s deadly mudslide rose to close to 1,000. The Ministry of Water Resources said there was an ongoing threat along the Cuojian River in Nepal, a waterway that flows into the Purepuqiang River in Tibet, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. Downstream in Tibet there was also a risk that further landslides would cause a new barrier lake to form,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365810/rescue-work-intensifies-death-toll-china-nepal-disaster-approaches-1000 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365810/rescue-work-intensifies-death-toll-china-nepal-disaster-approaches-1000 Mon, 31 Aug 2026 06:05:26 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Shanghai has named career finance official Zhu Zhongming as the municipal government’s new party chief, a role that puts him in line to become the city’s next mayor. His appointment as secretary of the Shanghai government’s Party Leadership Group was announced on Saturday in an official social media post that said he had chaired a meeting of the body. Zhu replaces the current mayor, Gong Zheng, in the post. However, the city’s most senior position is that of the secretary of the Shanghai... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365754/career-finance-official-moves-pole-position-become-shanghais-next-mayor https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365754/career-finance-official-moves-pole-position-become-shanghais-next-mayor Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:00:13 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Speak a few sentences of your hometown dialect into a microphone at a museum in central China, and a machine will pinpoint exactly where you are from. The interactive voice-recognition booth is among star attractions at a new language resources hall that opened on Monday at the Hunan Museum in Changsha. The hall showcases recordings and other language materials from Chinese dialects, minority languages and oral culture collected over the past decade. The compilation from more than 1,800 field... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365572/10-years-1800-survey-sites-inside-chinas-hi-tech-push-map-linguistic-diversity https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365572/10-years-1800-survey-sites-inside-chinas-hi-tech-push-map-linguistic-diversity Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has reminded its officials of their lifelong responsibility for serious environmental damage on their watch, tying green efforts more closely to performance assessments in the country’s push for higher-quality growth. The conditions and potential disciplinary action were outlined in revised rules released on Tuesday by the Communist Party and the State Council, China’s cabinet. Under the rules, officials will be held to account for serious environmental damage “regardless of whether they... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365336/china-makes-officials-liable-environmental-damage-life https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3365336/china-makes-officials-liable-environmental-damage-life Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:21:33 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s secondary school students are dropping history as an exam subject, a trend that could leave the public more vulnerable to distorted narratives in the future, an academic at a top university has warned. The note of caution comes as Beijing steps up efforts to counter “historical nihilism” – the official term for narratives that contradict or undermine the state’s official historical line – as well as pseudo-history, such as claims that Ancient Greece did not exist. “History education in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364926/gaokao-reforms-could-leave-chinese-public-vulnerable-pseudo-history-top-academic-warns https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364926/gaokao-reforms-could-leave-chinese-public-vulnerable-pseudo-history-top-academic-warns Sun, 23 Aug 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Chinese President Xi Jinping led the party elite in paying a final tribute to former premier Zhu Rongji, who was cremated on Tuesday as national flags flew at half mast across the country and beyond. Zhu died of an illness in Beijing last Wednesday aged 97. He served as premier from 1998 to 2003 and is regarded as the chief engineer of the country’s economic reform, having played a pivotal role in transitioning China towards a market-based economy and steering its entry into the World Trade... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3364422/chinese-president-xi-jinping-leads-party-elite-final-farewell-ex-premier-zhu-rongji https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3364422/chinese-president-xi-jinping-leads-party-elite-final-farewell-ex-premier-zhu-rongji Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:48:58 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen For generations, working with ancient Chinese texts has been a painstaking task. Specialists would spend years deciphering unfamiliar characters, copying manuscripts by hand, adding punctuation to texts written without it, comparing different editions and tracing references scattered across thousands of years of records. But artificial intelligence (AI) is now changing that process, not only by helping to preserve fragile manuscripts but also by transforming how ancient texts are recovered,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3363939/how-ai-helping-open-new-chapter-ancient-chinese-literature https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3363939/how-ai-helping-open-new-chapter-ancient-chinese-literature Fri, 14 Aug 2026 04:00:15 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Flights serving eastern China were disrupted on Saturday as Typhoon Dolphin approached the coast, with some services cancelled and airlines offering flexible rebooking and refund options for affected passengers. Most of the typhoon-related flight disruptions have been reported at airports in the cities of Ningbo, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai, according to Chinese media. Some travellers also reported receiving notifications that flights to and from Shanghai on Sunday and Monday would... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3363380/typhoon-dolphin-causes-flight-chaos-china-shanghai-set-enter-danger-zone https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3363380/typhoon-dolphin-causes-flight-chaos-china-shanghai-set-enter-danger-zone Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:04:04 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen An All Nippon Airways passenger jet took evasive action after coming close to a government inspection aircraft near Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday, in the latest aviation safety incident at the airport since a deadly runway collision in 2024. According to Japanese media reports, ANA flight NH968 from Shanghai was approaching the airport at around 6am on Tuesday when its traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) was activated, warning of a potential collision risk with another aircraft. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3363017/narrow-escape-how-ana-flight-shanghai-avoided-collision-tokyo-airport https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3363017/narrow-escape-how-ana-flight-shanghai-avoided-collision-tokyo-airport Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:03:49 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A Chinese speaker today might describe their day at work as first making a “PPT” (a PowerPoint presentation) and then having to “PS tu” (Photoshop an image). After clocking off, they might “chang K” (sing karaoke) with friends before taking the “C wei” (centre spot) in a group photo. These novel phrases spring from the widespread habit of adopting English abbreviations directly into daily speech, usually pronounced letter by letter. While this is the organic result of cultural exchange, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3362958/vip-app-ppt-are-english-abbreviations-harming-chinas-cultural-confidence https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3362958/vip-app-ppt-are-english-abbreviations-harming-chinas-cultural-confidence Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:06 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Many young students in China have been inspired by the achievement of Wang Hong, the first Chinese woman to receive the Fields Medal – the world’s most prestigious prize in mathematics. But it is the 35-year-old’s candid remarks about feeling “discouraged” in her early years at an elite Chinese university that appear to have struck the deepest chord. Those comments have set off a broader debate about the country’s education system and whether it provides the support students need to develop... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3362551/discouraged-university-maths-star-wang-hong-spurs-chinese-education-debate https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3362551/discouraged-university-maths-star-wang-hong-spurs-chinese-education-debate Sun, 02 Aug 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Minutes after a Berlin court sentenced a Chinese man to five years in prison for aiding and abetting aggravated rape and sexual coercion, two women who had sat through the trial hugged each other and cried. But the case left one of those women, named Kristina, balancing mixed emotions as she struggled to reconcile her desire to see the perpetrators punished and questions about what justice really meant in a case of this nature. The 32-year-old accused, who was studying medicine, was jailed for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3361892/were-german-courts-too-soft-chinese-members-drug-rape-network https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3361892/were-german-courts-too-soft-chinese-members-drug-rape-network Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:00:16 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, it confronts a new world order dominated by its relationship with China. In this wide-ranging series, we examine the pressure points and possibilities in those ties, from hard tech to soft power. Here, Meredith Chen looks at how tensions and shrinking academic exchange may be eroding America’s deep, experience-based understanding of China. Long before China could be studied through satellite images, social media, big data or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361097/fewer-opportunities-less-passion-no-clue-how-us-china-expertise-fading https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361097/fewer-opportunities-less-passion-no-clue-how-us-china-expertise-fading Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen The global AI race is no longer just about chips or models. Increasingly, it is also about data – namely, the language resources that feed and train them. Beijing has identified that layer as a new strategic frontier, accelerating the buildout of a national ecosystem of Chinese-language data for artificial intelligence (AI). The push covers everything from foundational text corpora and high-quality training datasets to technical standards and governance frameworks. Language data has emerged as a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3361050/why-data-may-become-chinas-most-durable-advantage-ai-race https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3361050/why-data-may-become-chinas-most-durable-advantage-ai-race Sat, 18 Jul 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China lashed out on Friday at “discriminatory” new US visa regulations targeting students and journalists among other groups, warning that it reserved the right to take reciprocal countermeasures. The changes, announced by the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, have also fuelled concerns among Chinese students already in the United States and those planning to study there. Under the new regulations, part of a White House crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration, student and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360996/china-hints-retaliation-after-us-tightens-visa-rules-students-and-journalists https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360996/china-hints-retaliation-after-us-tightens-visa-rules-students-and-journalists Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:01:13 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Jia Qianqian, daughter of internationally acclaimed writer Jia Pingwa, has become the latest high-profile figure in Chinese academia to fall from grace after a university investigation confirmed allegations of plagiarism. In a statement on Wednesday, Northwest University said its months-long investigation found that nine of Jia’s published papers contained plagiarised material. The university had terminated her teaching appointment and revoked her associate professor title. In addition, her 2009... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3360708/jia-qianqian-was-literary-high-flier-then-came-online-claims-plagiarism https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3360708/jia-qianqian-was-literary-high-flier-then-came-online-claims-plagiarism Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s reliance on imports for the most sophisticated scientific instruments could hold back the country’s use of AI in science, according to a leading Chinese researcher. Advanced equipment such as mass spectrometers was essential for generating the high-quality experimental data needed to develop, validate and improve advanced scientific models, Weinan E, a professor at Peking University’s mathematical sciences school, said at the “AI for Science” conference in Shanghai last week. “Without... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3359979/ai-science-and-risks-chinas-reliance-imported-precision-equipment https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3359979/ai-science-and-risks-chinas-reliance-imported-precision-equipment Fri, 10 Jul 2026 03:00:07 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen High-profile conservative commentator Tucker Carlson’s split with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party will jeopardise the party’s prospects in the US midterm elections and intensify the quarrel over its identity and direction, according to an official Chinese think tank. The former Fox News host has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the current administration, in particular its decision to go to war with Iran. In an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review published... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359361/carlsons-split-republicans-deepen-rifts-us-right-chinese-think-tank-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359361/carlsons-split-republicans-deepen-rifts-us-right-chinese-think-tank-says Fri, 03 Jul 2026 13:00:16 +0000 Meredith Chen,Amber Wang Meredith Chen,Amber Wang China’s older aircraft carriers can operate more closely with the more advanced Fujian than previously thought, observers said following PLA exercises showing upgraded fighter jets taking off from the older Liaoning carrier. Images taken during a 40-day mission in the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean that ended on June 22 showed multiple J-15T jets taking off from, and landing on, the Liaoning. China operates three aircraft carriers, which use two launch systems. The older Liaoning and Shandong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3359192/why-it-matters-chinas-advanced-fighters-can-use-all-its-carriers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3359192/why-it-matters-chinas-advanced-fighters-can-use-all-its-carriers Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:00:16 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen The Communist Party’s membership grew at a slower pace and its average age continued to climb last year, according to official data on the world’s second-biggest political party. In line with tradition, the data was released on the day before July 1, the date of the party’s founding in 1921. The party had 101 million members at the end of 2025, an increase of 1 per cent from the previous year, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Central Committee’s Organisation Department, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3358914/chinas-communist-party-grows-more-slowly-its-members-are-getting-older https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3358914/chinas-communist-party-grows-more-slowly-its-members-are-getting-older Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:07:36 +0000 Ling Xin,Meredith Chen Ling Xin,Meredith Chen As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, it confronts a new world order dominated by its relationship with China. In this wide-ranging series, we examine the pressure points and possibilities in those ties, from hard tech to soft power. Here, Ling Xin and Meredith Chen look at how the fight against discrimination continues to this day. The rise of the United States to superpower status was fuelled by the untold millions of immigrants who arrived from foreign... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358796/why-chinese-american-success-stories-still-provoke-prejudice-and-fear https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358796/why-chinese-american-success-stories-still-provoke-prejudice-and-fear Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:00:22 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s military apparently released the first official footage of its sixth-generation fighter over the weekend – a move that analysts said might suggest Beijing was ahead of its competitors, including the US, in developing the next generation of warplanes. China Military Bugle, the official press account of the People’s Liberation Army, published a four-minute video on Sunday marking the 10th anniversary of China’s first heavy transport aircraft, the Y-20, entering service. In the video’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3358782/what-signal-china-sending-first-official-footage-sixth-generation-fighter https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3358782/what-signal-china-sending-first-official-footage-sixth-generation-fighter Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:00:06 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing will make maritime surveys in the waters east of Taiwan a routine matter as it seeks to assert its sovereignty following talks between Japan and the Philippines, state media reported on Friday. An article published by Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, said mainland China was “diversifying” its claims to the waters with various activities, ranging from military drills and coastguard patrols to natural resources surveys. It added that more... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357780/beijing-vows-carry-out-more-surveys-east-taiwan-assert-its-sovereignty https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357780/beijing-vows-carry-out-more-surveys-east-taiwan-assert-its-sovereignty Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:31:00 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Despite repeated directives to ease the burden on local officials and curb formalism, many of China’s cadres still find themselves trapped in a frustrating cycle of working harder yet achieving fewer tangible results, according to state-linked media. Banyuetan, an influential biweekly magazine affiliated with state news agency Xinhua, outlined five symptoms of this “busier-but-emptier” phenomenon in a report published on its website on Tuesday. Beijing has long called for easing the burden of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3355701/more-red-tape-less-progress-chinas-cadres-struggle-adopt-error-tolerance https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3355701/more-red-tape-less-progress-chinas-cadres-struggle-adopt-error-tolerance Wed, 03 Jun 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beijing has revealed the sweeping scale of a year-long campaign targeting irregular law enforcement against businesses as the country intensified its efforts to discipline local bureaucracies and improve governance. The Information Office of the State Council, China’s cabinet, said in a press briefing on May 21 that the campaign uncovered more than 66,000 problematic administrative law enforcement cases and helped companies to recover 30.7 billion yuan (US$4.5 billion). Authorities said more... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3355289/how-has-chinas-year-long-law-enforcement-campaign-changed-local-governance https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3355289/how-has-chinas-year-long-law-enforcement-campaign-changed-local-governance Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Amber Wang,Alcott Wei,Meredith Chen Amber Wang,Alcott Wei,Meredith Chen The world faces challenges from “hegemonism” and “bloc confrontation” driven by “certain countries”, China’s delegation to Asia’s premier security conference said on Saturday, without directly naming the United States. Major General Meng Xiangqing, the head of the Chinese delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, sent the warning during a special session on managing threats to strategic stability. Meng, a professor at the People’s Liberation Army National Defence University, also used... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3355425/china-dials-down-rhetoric-regional-risks-persist-shangri-la-dialogue https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3355425/china-dials-down-rhetoric-regional-risks-persist-shangri-la-dialogue Sat, 30 May 2026 13:30:41 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has moved to ease residency restrictions that prevent migrant workers from accessing social insurance where they work, in a sweeping effort to expand coverage and strengthen labour protections nationwide. The new measures were announced on Friday by the State Council, China’s cabinet. The move is part of China’s broader push to create a unified national market by removing barriers to the free flow of capital and talent. Under the new policy, workers can enrol in social insurance programmes... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/article/3354575/china-removes-hukou-hurdle-migrant-workers-social-insurance-shake https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/article/3354575/china-removes-hukou-hurdle-migrant-workers-social-insurance-shake Fri, 22 May 2026 14:31:38 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s coming trip to New York and Canada is expected to lay the groundwork for President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the US and warmer ties with Ottawa. China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Wang would chair a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on May 26, followed by a visit to Canada from May 28 to 30. The New York leg of Wang’s trip follows less than two weeks after the Beijing summit between Xi and US President Donald Trump. There,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354572/chinas-top-diplomat-wang-yi-visit-us-and-canada-boost-ties-pave-way-xi-trip https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354572/chinas-top-diplomat-wang-yi-visit-us-and-canada-boost-ties-pave-way-xi-trip Fri, 22 May 2026 13:21:04 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3355234/chinese-drug-rape-network-shocks-germany https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3355234/chinese-drug-rape-network-shocks-germany Fri, 22 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has condemned the United States for charging former Cuban leader Raul Castro, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on the island’s socialist government. The US on Wednesday announced criminal charges against Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes flown by Miami-based Cuban exiles. All four on board, including three American citizens, were killed in the incident. China “firmly opposes” illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and are not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354392/china-condemns-us-big-stick-over-castro-charges-and-unauthorised-sanctions-cuba https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354392/china-condemns-us-big-stick-over-castro-charges-and-unauthorised-sanctions-cuba Thu, 21 May 2026 10:58:23 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China and the United States will hold a formal dialogue on improving governance of artificial intelligence (AI), as the two countries seek to manage the risks posed by the rapidly evolving technology. During US President Donald Trump’s state visit to China last week, he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had “constructive exchanges” on AI, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday. They had agreed that their governments should hold further dialogues on the issue, he... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354123/china-and-us-hold-dialogue-ai-governance-beijing-confirms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354123/china-and-us-hold-dialogue-ai-governance-beijing-confirms Tue, 19 May 2026 11:30:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Few relationships among world leaders have been portrayed as personally as that between President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Xi, who rarely publicly reveals much about his personal life or emotions, once described Putin as his “best and most intimate friend”. Over the years, their rapport has been defined not only by summits and state visits, but also a growing catalogue of highly personal rituals involving food, birthday celebrations, sports events, boat rides and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354045/vodka-bullet-train-and-boat-rides-how-xi-and-putin-built-personal-rapport https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354045/vodka-bullet-train-and-boat-rides-how-xi-and-putin-built-personal-rapport Tue, 19 May 2026 06:00:09 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Beyond the crimson walls west of the Forbidden City, where broad lakes shimmer beside stately pavilions and lush greenery, Zhongnanhai has long stood as the secluded heart of Chinese power – a political sanctuary where phones fall silent and access is tightly controlled. Yet there was a rare glimpse of the interior of the walled-off compound on Friday morning, as President Xi Jinping hosted Donald Trump for talks over tea and a working lunch in the final hours before the US president wrapped up... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353733/inside-zhongnanhai-xi-welcomes-trump-chinas-secluded-heart-bidding-goodbye https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353733/inside-zhongnanhai-xi-welcomes-trump-chinas-secluded-heart-bidding-goodbye Fri, 15 May 2026 11:17:45 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Handshakes, taps on the arm, and frequent asides marked the much-awaited meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump on Thursday morning, as the two presidents projected a close rapport during the first full day of Trump’s visit to China. Attention was focused not only on the substance of the high-stakes talks, but also on the personal dynamics between the US and Chinese heads of state – a relationship widely seen as a barometer of the broader diplomatic mood as the world’s two largest economies... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353592/salute-china-protocol-perfect-trump-delights-social-media-he-arrives-meet-xi https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353592/salute-china-protocol-perfect-trump-delights-social-media-he-arrives-meet-xi Thu, 14 May 2026 12:26:54 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen In the hours before Donald Trump’s arrival in Beijing to begin his state visit, an unexpected detail caught the internet’s attention: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s choice of travel attire. Instead of the tailored formalwear typically expected of a top diplomat, Rubio appeared in a grey Nike tracksuit on the Beijing-bound Air Force One – an ensemble social media users quickly recognised as the “Maduro arrest look”. White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a photo of the top... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353447/marco-rubio-dons-maduro-look-he-heads-china-sparking-internet-frenzy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353447/marco-rubio-dons-maduro-look-he-heads-china-sparking-internet-frenzy Wed, 13 May 2026 10:45:36 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen From Obama’s evening chats on Yingtai island in the grounds of Zhongnanhai to Trump’s tea reception in the Forbidden City, historic settings have long formed a symbolic backdrop to key moments in US-China diplomacy. As Trump prepares for his visit to China from Wednesday to Friday – the first by an American president in almost nine years – all eyes will not only be on the summit agenda, but also on the carefully choreographed details surrounding the reception, including sites featured in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353358/temple-setting-trumps-china-visit-symbolises-cosmic-order-and-political-authority https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353358/temple-setting-trumps-china-visit-symbolises-cosmic-order-and-political-authority Wed, 13 May 2026 03:45:16 +0000