Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

In Focus

In Focus
SCMP gets to the heart of the matter with its in-depth analysis on the pressing issues in Hong Kong and around the world.
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China’s Communist Party

In Focus | China’s next generation of leaders waiting in the wings for more senior roles

A meeting in Beijing this week will lay the groundwork for members of the Communist Party’s seventh generation – or 7G – to take on key roles.

videocam
7
China’s Communist Party

In Focus | What will China’s fifth plenum mean for the root-and-branch corruption drive?

videocam
China’s private sector

In Focus | ‘Rampant’ unpaid debts, rising costs: why China’s private sector is hurting

videocam
China GDP

In Focus | Beijing wants more than GDP growth from local officials. Can they adapt?

Cadres at lower levels are juggling a complex set of priorities from Beijing – while still searching for new sources of growth.

videocam
Illustration: Henry Wong
Chinese offshore investment

In Focus | How Thailand is capturing next wave of investments in ‘China plus one’ outlook

The Land of Smiles has become a prime location for Chinese businesses diversifying operations offshore, as Vietnam reaches saturation point.

videocam
Central Asia

In Focus | Beyond EVs and perception, how China is gaining ground in Central Asia

Footprint can be seen across Kazakhstan’s futuristic capital Astana, as Beijing vies with Washington and others for influence in the region.

videocam
5
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
US-China relations

In Focus | US scholar’s take on how shifting US-China relations affect a Tsinghua classroom

Denis Simon says this year’s Trump-Xi summits are helping to shape conversations at the Beijing university’s Schwarzman College.

videocam
Illustration: Henry Wong
China manufacturing

In Focus | ‘Only China has that ecosystem’: why global tech decoupling is so challenging

Chinese parts, machinery and know-how remain deeply embedded in countries seeking to build manufacturing industries of their own.

videocam
6
Hong Kong economy

In Focus | Why did Hong Kong’s 11 Skies fail and can the megaproject be rescued?

As New World Development returns control of the struggling project to the Airport Authority, experts examine the legal and economic ramifications.

13
Espionage

In Focus | Why China is deploying ‘new tools’ to stop invisible foreign surveillance

Manufacturers race to capture market amid tech advances, rising espionage fears and Beijing’s tightening national security requirements.

videocam
Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China relations

How a museum masterpiece’s life-size replica sparked rare US-China collaboration

Beijing team’s results based on 14th century Yuan dynasty mural hailed for ‘profound historical and practical significance’.

videocam
10
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China's population

In Focus | Womb for rent: why are some Chinese cities hubs for illegal surrogacy services?

Industry insiders say Wuhan and Guangzhou are the two major Chinese hubs for surrogacy agencies.

videocam
2026 Xi-Trump summits

In Focus | The ‘G2’ illusion: China wants equality while US seeks bargains

White House pageantry casts Beijing as an equal – unsettling India and raising questions about China’s Global South status.

8
Yuan

In Focus | After cordial Xi-Trump summit, could China’s US dollar pivot cause tremors?

Beijing is building a financial safety net around the yuan while reducing exposure to US Treasuries – a strategy that could draw increasing scrutiny from Washington.

videocam
8
illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Taiwan

In Focus | Beijing policy advisers map out how post-reunification Taiwan could be governed

Mainland Chinese scholars discuss varying levels of autonomy for the island based on how reunification is achieved.

videocam
57
Illustration: Henry Wong
E-commerce

In Focus | Boxed in: how Temu’s global shopping revolution ran off the rails

Temu is quickly losing its shine in the face of a wave of global regulation. Can the platform reinvent itself?

videocam
7
US-China trade war

In Focus | China has dominated tungsten for decades. Can US investment loosen its grip?

Kazakhstan is at the centre of US efforts to build a new supply chain for the metal, but analysts say China’s lead will be difficult to overcome.

videocam
7
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Xinjiang

In Focus | How US sanctions forced Xinjiang’s cotton industry to build a survival model

State support and tech upgrades help producers pivot, but they face tight profit margins, a ‘domestic decoupling’ and EU market spillover.

videocam
32
Illustration: Henry Wong
Transport and logistics

In Focus | Signal failure: how years of thin investment put German railways behind China’s

Germany sold high-speed trains to China 21 years ago, but now its network is slowing to a crawl as China’s continues to improve.

videocam
26
Banking & finance

Exclusive | Jamie Dimon on how growth can untangle US-China strife, thorny global issues

In wide-ranging discussion, veteran bank chief flags ‘world peace’ as top concern, warns of Democrat vs Republican ideologies, and stresses economic growth.

videocam
Hong Kong economy

How Hong Kong’s old businesses are adapting to new times

Change does not follow a single formula and may involve creating new experiences, rebuilding unglamorous systems and adopting AI.

Illustration: Brian Wang
Hong Kong economy

How Hong Kong firms are future-proofing business in challenging times

Swire Coca-Cola is among firms leveraging AI and other cutting-edge technologies to drive growth and navigate economic headwinds.

Illustration: Dennis Yip
US-China tech war

In Focus | Will Xi and Trump find common ground on AI risk amid an escalating tech war?

Despite US AI leaders’ warnings over the risks of rapid development, they remain locked in a high-stakes race against each other – and China.

videocam
2026 Xi-Trump summits

In Focus | Can Xi and Trump use their leverage to actually make progress?

Analysts agree that keeping ties stable will be a priority when the leaders meet, and artificial intelligence could be an area for cooperation.

videocam
2026 Xi-Trump summits

In Focus | The US-China tech war has evolved since Xi and Trump last met. Who has the edge?

The two sides have found new sources of leverage across AI, chips, rare earths and wider technology supply chains since the US leader’s May visit to Beijing.

videocam
7
Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China tech war

In Focus | Will US cloud computing restrictions rain on China’s AI parade?

If Washington expands its tech blockade to include cloud networks, China’s AI sector will face its most severe choke point since the chip bans.

Illustration: Huy Truong
US-China tech war

In Focus | China’s rocket recovery was a space race milestone. Is a relaunch within reach?

SpaceX might have a head start in reusable rockets, but Chinese commercial space companies are exploring ways to catch up in the cost-saving tech.

videocam
China's space programme

In Focus | How China is turning Hainan from a tourist island into a major aerospace hub

Factories, supercomputing centres and satellite businesses are springing up in the province as officials push to build a fully fledged aerospace ecosystem.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement