69 m. ago India expected to maintain robust growth despite Pakistan tensions, trade woes

India is poised to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy this year, analysts have said, with a recent jumbo rate cut by its central bank expected to boost consumption and investment, even as the country contends with fresh military tensions with Pakistan and an uncertain global trade environment. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week delivered a larger-than-expected interest rate cut of 50 basis points and reduced the cash reserve ratio – the minimum amount of capital banks must...

Events

2 h. ago US trade officials mull further rollback of port fee rules – what’s different now?

As the world awaits the outcome of the China-US trade talks in London this week, the US Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed changes to shipping policy – marking another possible rollback from the stricter measures announced in April that aimed to revive the domestic industry and curb China’s shipbuilding dominance. The proposed revisions, issued in a short press release over the weekend, would reduce port fees for car carriers and ease restrictions on liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers....

Politics

3 h. ago China backs South Africa against ‘hegemony and bullying’ amid US tensions

Beijing is ready to work with South Africa to oppose global “hegemony and bullying”, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said on Tuesday, amid growing tensions between Pretoria and Washington over South Africa’s ties to Russia and controversial US asylum policies. The remarks came during a meeting in Beijing with General Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defence Force, according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of National Defence. It was Dong’s first public...

Events

3 h. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee defends national security clauses for restaurant licences

Hong Kong’s John Lee Ka-chiu has defended the introduction of national security clauses for restaurant licences, saying the new requirements also apply to Lunar New Year fair stalls. The city leader said on Tuesday that the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department had made the decision to help fulfil its legal obligation to safeguard national security. “When handling new licensing or the renewal of new licences, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will do their work according to the...

Events

4 h. ago Chinese premier urges faster tech applications amid US export controls

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for a push to speed up the application of new advances in science and technology, as the country accelerates efforts to break its dependence on US tech and develop a world-leading industrial base. In a State Council meeting on Monday, Li called the application of new technologies the “last mile” of innovation, as it links innovation and industry and is important in driving new products and services, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. The premier’s comments...

Politics

4 h. ago Malaysia’s Anwar given second chance to prove immunity from sexual assault suit

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will be allowed to argue that he has legal immunity from a sexual harassment civil suit after the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour on Tuesday, just days before proceedings were due to start. The suit, brought by Anwar’s former research assistant Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, alleges that Anwar sexually assaulted him in 2018 at the then-opposition leader's private residence. Anwar has denied the allegations. The case risks resurfacing controversies that have...

Events

4 h. ago US crackdowns on academia will only send global talent elsewhere

Where would the United States be without immigrant talent? Some of the country’s leading tech companies, including Alphabet and Nvidia, were founded or co-founded by immigrants. Two-thirds of the tech workers in Silicon Valley are foreign-born. According to research by the Institute for Progress, 60 per cent of the US’ top artificial intelligence (AI) companies have immigrant founders, including former international students. The role of Cambridge, Massachusetts as a magnet for global talent is...

Politics

6 h. ago Pressured by US tariffs, Chinese exports expand in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia

Chinese exports to major industrial centres in Southeast Asia rose by double-digit percentages in the first five months of the year to satisfy growing consumer markets, feed offshore factory investments and offset losses from high US tariffs. Shipments to factory-magnet Vietnam increased by 18.8 per cent from January to May, compared with the same period in 2024, according to official data released on Monday. Meanwhile, exports to Thailand grew by 20.9 per cent, and Indonesia took 16.8 per cent...

Events

8 h. ago Hong Kong to mark July 1 anniversary with 71,000 free MTR tickets: John Lee

More than 70,000 free MTR tickets will be up for grabs on July 1 as part of citywide celebrations to commemorate the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, the chief executive has said. City leader John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday he would bring forward his annual policy address by a month to September, in light of the Legislative Council election scheduled for the end of this year. Public consultation is set to kick off on Monday next week. He said the government would...

Politics

9 h. ago As 2 Hong Kong art chiefs step down, what’s next for city’s culture scene?

Para Site and Asia Art Archive (AAA), two long-standing independent cultural institutions in Hong Kong, are simultaneously seeking new executive directors at a pivotal moment for the city’s cultural scene. On June 2, Para Site in Quarry Bay announced that Billy Tang had stepped down as executive director and curator after concluding his three-year contract. The British-born former senior curator of Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum took over from Cosmin Costinas – who had run Para Site for 11 years...

Culture

10 h. ago Beijing’s green mirage: How China drives environmental destruction abroad while claiming climate leadership at home

Beijing’s green mirage: How China drives environmental destruction abroad while claiming climate leadership at home  Lowy Institute

Politics

10 h. ago Tesla Rivals Lead Five China Stocks Near Buy Points Amid U.S. Trade Talks

Tesla Rivals Lead Five China Stocks Near Buy Points Amid U.S. Trade Talks  Investor's Business Daily

Politics

21 h. ago China's Investment Pivot and Africa’s Industrial Prospects: Any Hope for African “Flying Geese”?

China's Investment Pivot and Africa’s Industrial Prospects: Any Hope for African “Flying Geese”?  Center For Global Development

Politics

22 h. ago Slain Hong Kong model Abby Choi ‘took advantage’ of rich husband, court hears

The former mother-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung feared the model’s disappearance two years ago would expose how the deceased had financially exploited her wealthy husband, a court has heard. Jenny Li Sui-heung, 65, told the District Court on Monday that she thought it was “shameful” to talk to police about the “chaotic” relationship between Choi, her husband Chris Tam and ex-husband Alex Kwong Kong-chi after the model went missing on February 21, 2023. The defendant, who...

Events

24 h. ago Study shows how robots replaced master workers in Chinese military drone factory

In a Beijing defence drone facility, a black carbon-fibre body frame sits on a workstation ready for drilling. The material is light and strong, but a fractional error in angle or positioning could affect stealth performance and lead to the scrapping of the entire part. Master technicians once performed this task – breath held, hands steady – relying on years of muscle memory. Despite their skill, human limitations capped the speed of production and kept costs high. That changed with a...

Events

24 h. ago US soybean farmers move to reduce dependence on China as trade war grinds on

Soybean farmers in the United States have stepped up efforts to diversify their export markets while maintaining China as a critical buyer, despite ongoing trade tensions between the two superpowers, according to the head of a leading industry association. Jim Sutter, CEO of the US Soybean Export Council, said that while concerns about possible disruptions persist, China’s strong demand for soybeans – a crucial commodity for food and livestock feed – would ensure the US remains an important...

Events

26 h. ago Ahead of US trade talks, China’s rare earth trade data from May sends a message

In a reflection of Beijing’s ability to quickly leverage its dominance over the critical-mineral supply chain, the value of rare earth elements exported by China last month plunged by nearly half compared with a year prior. The official data came as analysts have been saying that China’s export controls over large quantities of critical minerals are like the ultimate trump card in trade negotiations with the United States. The world’s second-largest economy exported rare earth elements worth...

Politics

28 h. ago Hibor plunge a bigger deal for stock market than Hong Kong’s property sector

Hong Kong needs all the help it can get. Since 2018, the city has suffered one shock after another, preventing a meaningful recovery from taking hold and fuelling concerns about its position as a global financial centre. As an importer of US monetary policy with an economy that is far more synchronised with that of mainland China, Hong Kong has been the biggest casualty of economic and policy divergence between the world’s two largest economies, prompting renewed questions about the suitability...

Economics

29 h. ago China Future Tech webinar | How China’s aerospace rise is reshaping global skies

Date and time: Thursday, June 26, 2025 | 10.30-11.30am HKT Add to calendar: iOS | Android | Outlook The webinar will be live-streamed on this page on June 26, 2025, at 10.30am HKT. Bookmark this page or add it to your calendar to stay informed. You may also submit your questions to the panel and get them answered during the webinar. China’s aerospace ambitions are taking flight, with the homegrown C919 narrow-body jet expanding commercial operations and plans for the wide-body C929 aircraft...

Politics

30 h. ago Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Leads Again at China Box Office as ‘Ballerina’ Bows in Third

Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Leads Again at China Box Office as ‘Ballerina’ Bows in Third  Variety

Sport