https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/93/feed The latest opinion and comment on news from Hong Kong, China and the world. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Ruairidh J. Brown Ruairidh J. Brown Getting relations with China right is widely seen as Britain’s epoch-defining challenge. It is also one it is woefully unprepared to face. So concluded a recent audit by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), which highlighted that top negotiators lacked basic Chinese language skills. More critically, it exposed a deeper deficit: a poor grasp of China spanning political elites and the public alike. This is rooted in a desk-bound classroom sinology rather than a nuanced appreciation... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371392/burnhams-britain-can-learn-trump-engaging-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371392/burnhams-britain-can-learn-trump-engaging-china Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial China’s economy has delivered a welcome, if qualified, surprise. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.5 per cent in the third quarter, up from 4.3 per cent in the second. The figure beat the 4.4 per cent consensus of economists surveyed by Wind and lifted growth for the first nine months to 4.6 per cent, within Beijing’s full-year target range of 4.5 to 5 per cent. Besides the latest quarterly GDP figure, the revival of factory-gate prices is worth noting. The producer price index returned to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371483/chinas-stronger-expected-gdp-growth-sends-positive-signal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371483/chinas-stronger-expected-gdp-growth-sends-positive-signal Tue, 20 Oct 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo “Actions have consequences,” British Minister of State for Skills and former home secretary Baroness Jacqui Smith said of Palestine Action, the protest group proscribed as a terrorist organisation across the United Kingdom. She was lecturing the group’s members and supporters, who are legion in Britain, on taking responsibility for their actions. From where everyone else is sitting, she might as well have been talking about her Labour Party colleagues, such as fellow former home secretary Yvette... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371369/britains-ban-pro-palestinian-author-sally-rooney-makes-it-laughing-stock https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371369/britains-ban-pro-palestinian-author-sally-rooney-makes-it-laughing-stock Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru A country need not run out of money to find itself in a debt crisis. It only has to run short of US dollars to pay for its energy. At the recent International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, the IMF, which expects global economic growth of 3.1 per cent this year and 3.4 per cent the next, cautioned that energy-importing and lower-income economies face a harder road, even as those riding the artificial intelligence boom fare relatively well. According to the World Bank’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371271/energy-shock-could-spark-asias-next-debt-crisis https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371271/energy-shock-could-spark-asias-next-debt-crisis Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:30:10 +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. Hong Kong’s ethnic minority youth are an integral part of our community. The Government’s recent measures on language training, employment support and community care teams are sincere and welcome. They reflect a genuine commitment to inclusion and social cohesion. Many were born... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371342/3-small-steps-strengthen-minority-integration-hong-kong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371342/3-small-steps-strengthen-minority-integration-hong-kong Tue, 20 Oct 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan The British Army’s miraculous escape from Nazi Germany’s encirclement at Dunkirk is considered by some to be the greatest military retreat in modern history and a prime example of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Yet years before Dunkirk, the military retreat by the Chinese Red Army, known as the Long March, was more impressive and consequential. While the Dunkirk evacuation remains in Hollywood fare and a staple of World War II folklore, the Long March is taught at military academies... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371344/evolution-chinas-active-defence-doctrine https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371344/evolution-chinas-active-defence-doctrine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:00:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s civil engineering work is reputedly among the world’s best, as evidenced by the awe-inspiring infrastructure marvels and skyscrapers that have been built with exceptional efficiency and high standards across the city. These hard-earned credentials are not accidental but rooted in generations of professional practice and robust institutional safeguards and monitoring. Yet public confidence has been shaken by a series of scandals involving shoddy construction and maintenance work. From... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371351/ensure-standards-hong-kongs-civil-engineering-work-remain-sky-high https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371351/ensure-standards-hong-kongs-civil-engineering-work-remain-sky-high Mon, 19 Oct 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao In New York last month, US-China talks on artificial intelligence opened up a path of cooperation. This was affirmed by the Xi-Trump summit in Washington where both presidents agreed to establish a formal AI dialogue and hotline. With the next AI meeting set to happen in November, it is imperative that both countries further cooperation. The AI ecosystem is in flux. American tech companies are draining their coffers as they commit vast sums to chips, data centres and energy before the revenue... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370909/us-china-ai-talks-must-ensure-safety-both-tech-and-business https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370909/us-china-ai-talks-must-ensure-safety-both-tech-and-business Mon, 19 Oct 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Irish writer Sally Rooney is a publishing sensation, often described as the “voice of a generation” and the first great millennial novelist. More than six million copies of her books have been sold globally since her debut novel in 2017. But now, these beautifully written literary bestsellers, with their youthful exploration of romance and relationships, class and technology, are being withdrawn from sale in the United Kingdom. The generation of royalties for Rooney from the book sales, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371199/palestine-action-sally-rooneys-books-and-absurd-fallout-uk-ban https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371199/palestine-action-sally-rooneys-books-and-absurd-fallout-uk-ban Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Ronny P. Sasmita Ronny P. Sasmita China’s export machine is accelerating as its domestic economy remains under strain. This comes amid growing trade friction as China’s partners question whether persistent surpluses can coexist with balanced and resilient regional growth. Last month, China’s exports rose 36.3 per cent year on year, while shipments to Southeast Asia jumped 52.3 per cent. The trade surplus reached US$133.5 billion, taking the nine-month total to US$938.1 billion. In contrast, retail sales grew just 0.4 per cent in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371208/chinas-export-boom-creates-difficult-bargain-southeast-asia https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371208/chinas-export-boom-creates-difficult-bargain-southeast-asia Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:30:05 +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. Search for almost any K-pop, C-pop or J-pop star on a video platform and, sooner or later, you will hear them sing a song they never recorded. The voice sounds like theirs. It was built by an artificial intelligence model trained on their recordings and posted by someone who... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371098/hong-kong-must-ensure-independent-artists-have-control-over-their-voice https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371098/hong-kong-must-ensure-independent-artists-have-control-over-their-voice Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu While celebrating the Chung Yeung Festival, we are reminded of the harvest, family reunions and the need to pay our respects to those who have departed. Spooky season is upon us, too, and Halloween is about more than just trick-or-treating. It also reminds us of the autumn harvests and those who have recently passed. The victims of the Tai Po fire – the city’s worst disaster in recent memory – are very much on our minds. The 168 lives lost and the homes ravaged as buildings burned for more than... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3371144/tai-po-fire-public-accountability-needed-honour-those-who-died https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3371144/tai-po-fire-public-accountability-needed-honour-those-who-died Mon, 19 Oct 2026 01:30:04 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Ocean Park has a special place in Hongkongers’ hearts. For half a century, the beloved theme park has been as much a leading conservation and education institution as an old friend. Yet it is struggling like an endangered species amid the mantra of survival of the fittest. As it marks its 50th anniversary with new facilities and celebrations, opportunities and challenges abound. In store for the golden jubilee are a revamped panda pavilion and a new marine mammal conservation centre featuring... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371163/ocean-park-weathers-stormy-seas-nostalgia-cant-be-its-lifeline https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371163/ocean-park-weathers-stormy-seas-nostalgia-cant-be-its-lifeline Sun, 18 Oct 2026 23:15:09 +0000 Shouqing Zhu Shouqing Zhu The war in the Middle East has disrupted oil and gas supplies, leaving governments to confront energy pressures as they prepare for next month’s Cop31 UN climate conference in Antalya, Turkey. The crisis raises an enduring question: how can climate action strengthen the resilience of an economy? China offers a useful case. Its factories supply technologically advanced products essential to the green transition at competitive prices. China has production cost advantages in electric cars,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371034/how-china-made-climate-resilience-part-its-economic-growth-strategy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371034/how-china-made-climate-resilience-part-its-economic-growth-strategy Sun, 18 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Standing before the Acropolis in Athens earlier this month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the West’s story “the greatest story ever known to man”. But didn’t Hollywood tell us the greatest story ever told was that of Jesus of Nazareth? The decisions of the coming decade, Rubio said, “will determine whether the West maintains its place at the head of the world or resigns itself to a future of atrophy and servitude and decline”. Under US President Donald Trump, “we choose the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371113/why-plato-nato-western-myth-being-resurrected https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371113/why-plato-nato-western-myth-being-resurrected Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Tom King Tom King Asia-based airlines are battling stubbornly high fuel costs even as pressure mounts to accelerate their transition to more expensive sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Singapore Airlines Group reported a 78.5 per cent surge in net fuel costs in the quarter to June, contributing to a S$76 million (US$59.3 million) net loss despite record revenue. Cathay Pacific has repeatedly adjusted passenger fuel surcharges as jet fuel prices fluctuated, while India’s low-cost carrier IndiGo introduced another... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370973/economic-realities-threaten-asias-green-aviation-ambitions https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370973/economic-realities-threaten-asias-green-aviation-ambitions Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:30:05 +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. In many families, parents can breathe a little easier once their child turns 18. But for caregivers of children with special educational needs (SEN), parental challenges only increase and often multiply as the years go on. Love 21 Foundation recently surveyed 210 families caring... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371099/hidden-crisis-faces-caregivers-neurodiverse-children-hong-kong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371099/hidden-crisis-faces-caregivers-neurodiverse-children-hong-kong Sun, 18 Oct 2026 03:30:06 +0000 Michael Han Michael Han For iPhone users in China, the calendar has long presented a small but recurring problem. On a Sunday designated as a make-up workday, an alarm might remain silent. On a regular Friday converted into a day off, it might ring anyway. Nearly 17 years after entering the Chinese market, Apple quietly updated its operating system in September to automatically recognise China’s official schedule of adjusted holidays and workdays. The fix is modest, but it points to a larger question: what happens when... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370840/chinas-golden-week-holidays-come-cost https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370840/chinas-golden-week-holidays-come-cost Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:30:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial World Mental Health Month, observed each October, may not command the same public attention in Hong Kong as it does elsewhere. Yet the latest revelations about suicides among local school children should serve as a sobering call for more urgent action. With those aged 15 or below accounting for 60 per cent or more of suspected student suicide deaths over the past three academic years, and the under-15 suicide rate climbing to 2.9 per 100,000 – the highest since 2016 – the city cannot afford to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371158/hong-kong-cannot-afford-neglect-youth-mental-health https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371158/hong-kong-cannot-afford-neglect-youth-mental-health Sat, 17 Oct 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Chang Zi Qian Chang Zi Qian At a recent Bloomberg forum, Singapore’s former foreign minister George Yeo was asked about the city state making the lists of the richest and unhappiest countries. He let slip what may be founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s coldest legacy quote: “We can promise economic development, infrastructure, education, whatever. But never promise happiness.” Yeo added that unhappiness may even be a precondition for achievement. In the national pledge, citizens of Singapore promise to achieve... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371017/singapore-does-unhappiness-go-hand-hand-fewer-births https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371017/singapore-does-unhappiness-go-hand-hand-fewer-births Sat, 17 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Zhisheng Wen Zhisheng Wen When Hong Kong debates how to raise its birth rate, the conversation usually revolves around money: bigger baby bonuses, tax concessions, housing support, cheaper childcare and so on. These economic measures are necessary. Lowering the cost of raising a child removes some real and immediate barriers. However, there is another, lesser-known factor that works more subtly and implicitly. It comes not from economics but from the structure of the language or languages we speak each day. Consider a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370807/language-matters-hong-kongs-birth-rate-debate-not-just-money https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370807/language-matters-hong-kongs-birth-rate-debate-not-just-money Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Hirokazu Omatsu,Kyi Sin Hirokazu Omatsu,Kyi Sin Japan has long established itself as a pioneer of mediation in Southeast Asia. In 1990, for example, its officials helped broker talks between Cambodia’s warring factions, supplementing international efforts to end conflict in the country. Now, Tokyo is seeking to upgrade its diplomatic toolkit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ International Peace Mediation Unit was set up in March, followed by the launch of the Parliamentary Association for Peace Mediation in May. Around the same time, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3371168/aseans-myanmar-peace-push-needs-japans-silent-diplomacy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3371168/aseans-myanmar-peace-push-needs-japans-silent-diplomacy Sat, 17 Oct 2026 05:00:10 +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. The deadly floods along the Nepal-Tibet border in August marked the second major deluge in little more than a year. The recurrence highlights a fundamental challenge for climate adaptation in mountain regions, that disasters in these environments unfold through complex physical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371100/hong-kong-climate-change-no-longer-distant-headline https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3371100/hong-kong-climate-change-no-longer-distant-headline Sat, 17 Oct 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian China and the Philippines recently traded accusations over the medical evacuation of a Philippine serviceman from a grounded naval vessel in the hotly disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident has sparked renewed worries about potential armed skirmishes in a global artery of trade. But Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was also quick to emphasise the economic dimensions of a major conflict. After a decade of rapid economic growth, the Philippines is facing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370775/philippines-china-free-manufacturing-strategy-high-risk-bet https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370775/philippines-china-free-manufacturing-strategy-high-risk-bet Sat, 17 Oct 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Stephanie Sam Stephanie Sam The dining table disappeared beneath a lavish procession of dishes. Our family took food seriously. It was sacred, even. Dinner was never merely about eating. It was the one time each day when everyone was expected to gather, regardless of schedules, moods or whatever else the world demanded outside that room. At the centre sat the pièce de résistance: a whole steamed fish, usually sea bass, topped with ribbons of ginger and spring onion in a fragrant pool of oil and soy sauce. Alongside it were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370657/i-grew-eating-bowls-chinese-migration-history-you https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370657/i-grew-eating-bowls-chinese-migration-history-you Sat, 17 Oct 2026 01:30:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s media stands at a crossroads, and how the city chooses to regulate it will shape not only the health of the industry but the vitality of “one country, two systems”. A robust, commercially viable media sector strengthens the city’s international standing. Licensing laws and regulations must therefore be treated as an integral part of efforts to build an ecosystem in which local media can grow, not just domestically but overseas. Technological disruption has upended the economics of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371139/hong-kongs-media-regulations-must-allow-room-innovation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371139/hong-kongs-media-regulations-must-allow-room-innovation Fri, 16 Oct 2026 23:15:09 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar The awarding of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay matters for reasons that go well beyond the laureate herself. The award does three things at once. First, it restores credibility to the prize. Second, it rejects in unambiguous terms the Thrasymachian doctrine that might is right, which has become the operating philosophy of major powers. Third, it highlights a warning of what happens when a hegemon decides it is above the law. The correction was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370866/nobel-peace-prize-message-behind-navi-pillays-win https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370866/nobel-peace-prize-message-behind-navi-pillays-win Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Americans are souring on artificial intelligence, so Washington is trying to convince them the old-fashioned way: by citing, ad nauseam, the China threat. US President Donald Trump, flanked by tech executives at the White House late last month, warned voters that if they rejected data centres, companies would “be forced to go overseas”. He added that “whoever wins superintelligence wins” and that “you’re probably not gonna have a second place”. The implication was that detractors would be... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370992/us-tech-bros-are-coming-asia-and-latin-americas-power-grids https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370992/us-tech-bros-are-coming-asia-and-latin-americas-power-grids Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong has staked much of its tourism revival on an ambitious strategy of impressing visitors from near and far with world-class shows and events. The recent Hong Kong Cyclothon was meant to be one of those spectacles. Regrettably, a wrong turn by a lead vehicle and a congested finish turned the flagship sporting event into a cautionary tale. The setback is embarrassing and the lesson is telling. In the pursuit of the mega-events economy, success is built on good preparation and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370978/mega-events-capital-has-little-margin-error https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370978/mega-events-capital-has-little-margin-error Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:30:09 +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. The retirement of the historic Yellow Bus, the shuttle which ferried passengers between San Tin and the old Huanggang Port for nearly three decades, drew crowds of nostalgic commuters and enthusiasts for its final run. This follows a familiar, bittersweet pattern. From the phased... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370896/its-seriously-time-hong-kong-greenlight-transport-museum https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370896/its-seriously-time-hong-kong-greenlight-transport-museum Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan The most consequential outcome of President Xi Jinping’s Washington visit might be his US counterpart Donald Trump’s unusually lavish welcome. It told Beijing, US allies and global markets that, however fierce the strategic rivalry, China’s importance makes sustained diplomatic engagement essential. The airport greeting, lavish banquet at the White House and flyover by military aircraft restored the appearance of a workable relationship between two powers. Even so, Beijing has learned not to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370935/pageantry-matters-us-china-summits-even-modest-results https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370935/pageantry-matters-us-china-summits-even-modest-results Fri, 16 Oct 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Jane Lee Jane Lee Hong Kong’s efforts to boost the number of newborns in the city should be considered in the context of talent retention relating to Hong Kong’s liveability. When the Census and Statistics Department reported in August that births in Hong Kong had fallen by an annualised 15.6 per cent to a historic low of fewer than 30,000, it injected a sharp sense of urgency into public discussions as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu prepared to deliver his policy address. The government addressed concerns with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370723/beyond-baby-bonuses-hong-kong-needs-attract-couples-liveability https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370723/beyond-baby-bonuses-hong-kong-needs-attract-couples-liveability Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Peter T. C. Chang Peter T. C. Chang When US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet again in Shenzhen next month, and then in Miami in December, the world will watch for signs of progress on trade, technology, security and other contentious issues. Such high-level diplomacy is indispensable. But the future of the US-China relationship also depends on something less visible: whether their people, especially the young, can still understand one another. As Washington and Beijing navigate intensifying strategic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370738/young-americans-are-key-us-better-understand-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370738/young-americans-are-key-us-better-understand-china Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Otto Barten Otto Barten OpenAI recently announced perhaps its biggest mathematics breakthrough yet: it released novel results on 377 high-profile open problems. Artificial intelligence (AI) casually solved these decades-old problems as a mere by-product of training. The community of mathematicians did not universally welcome this development, with University of Connecticut professor Alvaro Lozano-Robledo commenting: “I am not sure at this point what this (hostile?) takeover of the mathematical landscape is trying to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370688/how-could-superintelligence-take-over-world-let-me-count-ways https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370688/how-could-superintelligence-take-over-world-let-me-count-ways Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro For a truly staggering figure, look no further than an estimate from Columbia Business School Professor Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh of the cumulative investment in artificial intelligence-related infrastructure by 2032. In a paper last month, Van Nieuwerburgh said the AI buildout could reach US$10.3 trillion, the equivalent of 3.6 per cent of annual US economic output for the next seven years. The average annual capital expenditure dwarfs previous infrastructure booms, including railways, highways... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370945/why-ai-investment-boom-could-spark-next-financial-crisis https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370945/why-ai-investment-boom-could-spark-next-financial-crisis Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:30:05 +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. As Hong Kong’s enhanced civil service appraisal system begins to take effect, the government has an opportunity to clarify not only the consequences of underperformance but also what sustained excellence can lead to. More rigorous appraisal is justified. The Civil Service Bureau... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370810/how-hong-kongs-civil-service-can-inspire-excellence https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370810/how-hong-kongs-civil-service-can-inspire-excellence Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang As the Chinese saying goes, “Even an upright judge finds it hard to settle family matters.” Whenever Chinese TV channels air reality shows that centre on couples or parent-child relationships, controversy is guaranteed. Heated debates ensue over who is right and who is wrong. Viewers examine every facial expression in microscopic detail and overanalyse every word before arriving at their verdict. Yet, that wasn’t the case with Zhang Jiaqi after the Olympic diving medallist and her mother, Xiao... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370667/young-chinese-are-choosing-healthy-relationships-over-toxic-filial-piety https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370667/young-chinese-are-choosing-healthy-relationships-over-toxic-filial-piety Thu, 15 Oct 2026 01:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) has never looked more vibrant. Visitor numbers climbed to over 17 million in 2025, up more than 10 per cent from the previous year. Since this year, more than 1,300 exhibitions, performances, programmes and events have been held, including the much-acclaimed showcase of ancient Egyptian treasures at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Revenue from tickets, sponsorships and cultural and creative products jumped 19 per cent to HK$768 million (US$98... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370825/hong-kongs-arts-hub-must-anchor-vibrancy-sustainability https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370825/hong-kongs-arts-hub-must-anchor-vibrancy-sustainability Wed, 14 Oct 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Andy Xie Andy Xie Be warned. The global economy is likely to experience a recession next year. War across the Middle East is set to escalate, wrecking energy supplies for many years, even as the artificial intelligence (AI) bubble is ripe to burst. This, however, would also create an energy leadership opportunity for China. High energy prices already fuel demand for Chinese renewable energy products and electric vehicles. But as a leader in building coal-fired power plants, China can also offer the global market... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370367/can-chinas-coal-industry-ride-rescue-world-oil-shock https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370367/can-chinas-coal-industry-ride-rescue-world-oil-shock Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse When news broke last week that three newly completed housing blocks were to be demolished without ever having been occupied, I suffered an immediate attack of deja vu. In early 1974, I was in the first wave of recruits to the Operations Department of the newly established Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). As luck would have it, my first posting was to the team dealing with the old Public Works Department. That was my introduction to the wide world of corruption and shoddy work in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370590/hong-kong-accountability-must-be-more-slogan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370590/hong-kong-accountability-must-be-more-slogan Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +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. Hong Kong has become a sought-after regional education hub, drawing mainland and foreign students to its universities. Rising international enrolment has intensified demand for student housing, with on-campus places insufficient and rents near university districts buoyant. Some... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370715/mind-hong-kongs-dorm-boom-today-doesnt-become-tomorrows-oversupply https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370715/mind-hong-kongs-dorm-boom-today-doesnt-become-tomorrows-oversupply Wed, 14 Oct 2026 03:30:07 +0000 C. K. Yeung C. K. Yeung China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of extreme poverty, arguably the greatest achievement in poverty reduction in human history. Even so, no mainland Chinese economist has won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Across the Pacific, the United States has produced about 75 per cent of Nobel economics laureates, even as its economy staggers under mounting public debt, chronic fiscal deficits, and recurring financial crises and government shutdowns. Of the 99 economics laureates ever... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370554/does-hong-kongs-economy-serve-people-or-profit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370554/does-hong-kongs-economy-serve-people-or-profit Wed, 14 Oct 2026 01:30:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial When finance ministers and senior officials from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum’s 21 member economies gather next week, Hong Kong will host the event for the first time. The choice of venue is no accident. China holds the Apec chair this year, and Beijing picked the city for a key ministerial summit. Sending the finance ministers to Hong Kong is a deliberate statement: the city remains the nation’s pre-eminent international financial centre, and the central government wants the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370686/hong-kongs-hosting-apec-finance-ministers-meeting-deliberate-choice https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370686/hong-kongs-hosting-apec-finance-ministers-meeting-deliberate-choice Tue, 13 Oct 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Simon Dietz,Elliott Harris Simon Dietz,Elliott Harris Indonesia continues to battle some of its worst wildfires in years, spreading toxic haze to Malaysia and Singapore. Floods have devastated communities in Thailand, India and Nepal. Kathmandu is also seeking climate justice after a catastrophic collapse of rock and glacier ice near its border with China. Another environmental tragedy unfolds without such dramatic images. Across the world, millions of lives are lost each year to polluted air. Many more people live with debilitating illnesses that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370530/smart-economics-tackle-climate-change-and-air-pollution-together https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370530/smart-economics-tackle-climate-change-and-air-pollution-together Tue, 13 Oct 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The French have a phrase for the urge to leap from a high place without any wish to die: “l’appel du vide” (the call of the void). The World Trade Organization, based in French-speaking Geneva, has put it to poetic bureaucratic use. In its French texts, a losing party’s appeal to a court that cannot hear it is “faire appel dans le vide”, or appealing into the void. Americans should take the credit. The WTO’s Appellate Body has had no sitting judges since Washington began blocking new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370392/us-cosplays-wto-against-china-while-paralysing-real-global-body https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370392/us-cosplays-wto-against-china-while-paralysing-real-global-body Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok One day before Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Washington for his summit with Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured her own audience with the US president – which was followed by a phone call after Xi departed. Her preoccupation was ensuring that Tokyo’s interests were not quietly traded away in a US-China bargain. Beneath this diplomacy lies a question Japan has not yet answered for itself: whether Takaichi’s response to perceived security challenges reflects a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370491/trump-xi-summit-threw-hard-question-japan-national-dignity https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370491/trump-xi-summit-threw-hard-question-japan-national-dignity Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:30:05 +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. In early October, driven by a sharp deterioration in geopolitical conditions, China’s major oil refineries reportedly suspended refined petroleum exports to all regions except Hong Kong and Macau. According to data from commodities analytics firm Kpler, the country’s commercial... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370524/hidden-costs-chinas-energy-security https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370524/hidden-costs-chinas-energy-security Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Ken Chu Ken Chu Over the coming weeks, Hong Kong and Shenzhen will host two major gatherings of Asia-Pacific decision-makers. Hong Kong’s first Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting takes place on October 20-21, with around 500 visitors expected, while Shenzhen hosts the Apec Economic Leaders’ Week next month. These Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings will bring international visitors to two neighbouring cities at the centre of China’s Apec year. For Hong Kong’s tourism industry, they offer a timely... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370399/apec-chance-hong-kong-earn-its-place-chinas-tourism-boom https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370399/apec-chance-hong-kong-earn-its-place-chinas-tourism-boom Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:30:07 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The revamped Huanggang Port has opened to a promising start. Thousands of passengers passed through it on the first day of operations, which officials described as satisfactory. Considering its significance amid intensifying cross-border integration under the strategic national drive for Greater Bay Area development, this is a welcome beginning. The new facility, along with its upgraded systems and transport links, will be put to further tests in the coming long weekend and the weeks and months... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370608/huanggang-port-upgrade-showcase-hong-kongs-gateway-role https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3370608/huanggang-port-upgrade-showcase-hong-kongs-gateway-role Mon, 12 Oct 2026 23:15:18 +0000 Vincent Caradec Vincent Caradec Last month, Japan’s internal affairs ministry released its yearly data ahead of Respect for the Aged Day. People aged 65 and over now make up a record 29.6 per cent of the population. But the figure I keep coming back to was this: 9.43 million Japanese workers were 65 or older last year, about 13.8 per cent of everyone with a job. Members of Japan’s older population are not simply retired. A large part are still at work and some of those people are the ones businesses depend on. The Asia-Pacific... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370071/dont-leave-asias-ageing-debate-until-its-too-late https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370071/dont-leave-asias-ageing-debate-until-its-too-late Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000