36 h. ago TSMC buys up land in Arizona as Taiwan pledges US$500 billion US tech investment

Taiwan has committed to driving hundreds of billions of dollars of extra investment into America’s chip industry as part of a US trade deal announced on Thursday, with the island’s biggest semiconductor producer already moving to buy more land in the US state of Arizona. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) – the world’s largest contract chipmaker – confirmed on Thursday that it had bought a second tract of land in Arizona. The 365-hectare (901-acre) plot nearly doubles the...

Economics

42 h. ago ‘Shared interests’: Xi Jinping and Mark Carney embark on China

China and Canada should build a new strategic partnership based on mutual respect and shared interests, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday as both sides sought to turn the page on years of diplomatic friction. In talks with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Beijing, Xi called for deeper and broader economic cooperation. “China-Canada economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial in nature, and both sides have gained from cooperation,” state news agency Xinhua quoted...

Politics

51 h. ago China quietly builds worldwide space network, alarming US over future military power

China quietly builds worldwide space network, alarming US over future military power  Fox News

Events

54 h. ago Opinion: Instead of a China pivot, how about we start building at home?

Opinion: Instead of a China pivot, how about we start building at home?  The Globe and Mail

Politics

3 d. ago Indonesian comic hit with blasphemy complaints over Netflix jokes

A police complaint against one of Indonesia’s best-known comedians has reignited debate over satire, blasphemy and free expression in the world’s third-largest democracy. The case involves 46-year-old stand-up comic and actor Pandji Pragiwaksono, whose Netflix special Mens Rea – an unfiltered performance touching on politics, law and democracy – was recorded in Jakarta before an audience of around 10,000 people on December 30. Pandji’s routine pokes fun at Indonesia’s political elite, taking aim...

Events

3 d. ago China factory production error gives toy horses’ mouths pouty curves, wins hearts, boosts sales

A production blunder at a factory in eastern China has turned toy ponies into viral crying-faced horses which have become popular mascots for the Year of the Horse. In January, a netizen shared a picture of a pony with a crying face and the retailer, amused by the mistake, offered to exchange it. The toy was made in Yiwu International Trade City, which is known as the world’s largest wholesale market for small commodities. The 20cm tall horse which costs 25 yuan (US$4), symbolises the Year of...

Politics

3 d. ago Sovereign investors cut mainland China exposure as political sensitivities rise

Sovereign investors slashed their exposure to mainland China in 2025 amid rising political sensitivities, but experts said selective opportunities and closer bilateral ties could support the outlook. The world’s second-largest economy received US$4.3 billion in investments from sovereign wealth funds, public pension funds and central banks, down 58 per cent from US$10.3 billion in 2024, according to Global SWF, which tracks 792 such state-owned investors. “Sovereign investment activity has...

Politics

3 d. ago Growth in sovereign investors’ exposure to China slows as political sensitivities rise

Growth in sovereign investors’ exposure to mainland China in 2025 slowed amid rising political sensitivities, but experts said selective opportunities and closer bilateral ties could support the outlook. The world’s second-largest economy received US$4.3 billion in investments from sovereign wealth funds, public pension funds and central banks, down 58 per cent from US$10.3 billion in 2024, according to Global SWF, which tracks 792 such state-owned investors. “Sovereign investment activity has...

Politics

3 d. ago Chinese risk study finds space solar power stations could accidentally zap satellites

As China pushes to take the global lead in building space-based solar power stations, a new study warns that powerful lasers beaming energy back to Earth could pose serious risks to other satellites in the increasingly crowded low-Earth orbit. If these beams miss their targets – because of tracking errors or system malfunctions – they could strike nearby spacecraft, overheat solar panels or trigger electrical discharges, according to a team from the Beijing Institute of Satellite Environment...

Events

4 d. ago In a pivot, Carney seeks to reset relationship with China, build trade ties

In a pivot, Carney seeks to reset relationship with China, build trade ties  The Globe and Mail

Politics

4 d. ago UBS conveys upbeat note on Chinese stocks in 2026 as global investors seek diversification

UBS Group conveyed a sanguine outlook on Chinese stocks in 2026, as the world’s second-largest economy proved to be an important alternative for global investors seeking to diversify away from US equities, which face headwinds from stretched valuations to jitters about the independence of the Federal Reserve. Chinese stocks are expected to be energised by the nation’s growing innovation capability, greater adoption of artificial intelligence across traditional industries and potential inflows...

Economics

4 d. ago Photos Capture the Breathtaking Scale of China's Wind and Solar Buildout

Photos Capture the Breathtaking Scale of China's Wind and Solar Buildout  Yahoo

Politics

4 d. ago China’s 2026 Stock Rally Builds as Turnover, Margin Loans Surge

China’s 2026 Stock Rally Builds as Turnover, Margin Loans Surge  Bloomberg.com

Politics

4 d. ago India overtakes Japan, Bali mulls bank check requirement: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. 2. Nearly 94% of Malaysians who...

Politics

4 d. ago Nestle formula recall rattles Malaysian parents: ‘who are we going to trust?’

When Nestle began pulling its baby milk formula off shelves last month over fears of contamination with a dangerous toxin, Malaysian father Mukhriz Hazim felt his trust in the world’s largest food company begin to falter. Since news of the contamination scare first emerged primarily in Europe in December before spreading across the world, the 33-year-old father has taken to scouring the ingredients list on every formula box with almost forensic precision. “If big nutrition companies are selling...

Politics

5 d. ago China maps cotton's evolutionary secrets to build better crops

China maps cotton's evolutionary secrets to build better crops  China Daily - Global Edition

Politics

5 d. ago China to accelerate building data property rights registration system

China to accelerate building data property rights registration system  People's Daily Online

Politics

6 d. ago India’s Modi to host German leader to bolster trade, defence ties

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz left for India on Sunday for a visit to bolster economic and security ties between the top EU economy and the Asian population giant. Both Berlin and New Delhi face a turbulent world order and a set of economic and geopolitical challenges from the world’s two largest economies, the United States and China. Merz’s visit from Monday – his first to an Asian country since he took office last May – comes two weeks ahead of a planned EU-India summit and as India and...

Politics

6 d. ago US strips moral framing from foreign aid in ‘America first’ pivot

At a high-level conference in Washington last month, the US State Department unveiled an “America first” aid strategy that ties development dollars directly to the commercial and security goals of the world’s largest economy. This shift away from decades of framing the United States’ foreign assistance as a moral undertaking is a reflection, analysts say, of the Trump administration’s view that foreign assistance should advance America’s national interest above all else. Officials at the...

Politics

7 d. ago India overtakes Japan in economic size, but prosperity trails far behind

India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. The achievement unleashed a wave of national pride in New Delhi and among business leaders, but behind the celebrations lingers a question: can the world’s fastest-growing economy turn rapid growth into widespread prosperity? Economists warn that GDP figures alone cannot create jobs, lift incomes or bridge yawning inequality in a nation...

Economics