1 hour ago Hongkongers learn how to ‘break the gates of hell’ for Hungry Ghost Festival

Forming a circle in front of a temple in Yuen Long, a group of Hongkongers make sweeping, dance-like movements before smashing ceramic tiles on the ground with wooden swords under the guidance of their coach. They are learning to perform the solemn ritual of “breaking hell’s gate”, a traditional funeral practice that is typically performed by Taoist priests and long considered taboo by many. Thursday’s workshop was part of a three-day “soul deliverance” ceremony at Tin Hau Temple in Yuen Long’s...

Politics

3 h. ago Chinese gadget maker Baseus launches premium sound line at IFA Berlin

Chinese consumer electronics maker Baseus launched a premium line of audio products at a global trade fair on Thursday, bolstering its international presence at a time when intense competition at home is pushing more domestic gadget firms to look overseas. Shenzhen-based Baseus unveiled its Inspire line at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin, also known as the IFA Berlin trade fair, which includes three headphones and earbuds developed in partnership with Bose, the US company known for...

Politics

5 h. ago Trump suggests India is moving towards ‘deepest, darkest’ China orbit

Trump suggested on Friday that India is drifting towards China’s orbit, even as his assertive tariffs and public rebukes have tested ties with New Delhi. Aides are warning that India could soon regret its stance and even face new curbs. “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together,” the “America first” president wrote on social media. His remarks were posted alongside a photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,...

Politics

8 h. ago How significant is Xi, Putin and Kim’s first meeting in Beijing?

How significant is Xi, Putin and Kim’s first meeting in Beijing?  Al Jazeera

Politics

10 h. ago EU Slammed With Chinese Tariffs on Pork in Latest Trade Salvo

EU Slammed With Chinese Tariffs on Pork in Latest Trade Salvo  Bloomberg.com

Politics

13 h. ago Beijing’s power display spells danger | Red Hot Takes (Video)

Beijing’s power display spells danger | Red Hot Takes (Video)  New York Post

Politics

13 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell, China’s stablecoin dilemma: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws If Brussels’ bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President...

Politics

13 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell, the future of air combat: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws If Brussels’ bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President...

Politics

14 h. ago China, Pakistan pledge stronger tech and trade cooperation amid US charm offensive

China and Pakistan have pledged to expand trade and deepen technological cooperation in areas ranging from agriculture to space exploration, at a time when Islamabad is warming to the United States. During a meeting on Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Premier Li Qiang said Beijing would advance the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative. “Global instability and uncertainty have grown...

Politics

14 h. ago 'Lost India and Russia to China': Trump sounds alarm over India, Russia ties with China

'Lost India and Russia to China': Trump sounds alarm over India, Russia ties with China  Anadolu Ajansı

Politics

14 h. ago Taiwan holds back on penalties for Victory Day parade supporters

Taipei authorities have taken a softer line on Taiwanese individuals attending Beijing’s Victory Day military parade this week, despite repeated warnings in the weeks leading up to the event. Former Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu defied the warnings and appeared on the rostrum overlooking Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, watching the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The next day, Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said...

Politics

15 h. ago China’s cities feed the AI monster with dedicated services for economic roar

China’s city governments are racing to stake out a role in artificial intelligence, with Wenzhou this week becoming the nation’s first to set up a dedicated bureau for AI-related matters – underscoring how local officials are ramping up efforts amid Beijing’s push to gain an edge in the AI race with the United States. Authorities in Wenzhou, located in the provincial economic powerhouse of Zhejiang, announced the bureau’s formation at a high-profile AI Innovation and Development Conference on...

Economics

16 h. ago China's Xi flexes diplomatic clout with Putin, Kim at Beijing parade | Daily Sabah

China's Xi flexes diplomatic clout with Putin, Kim at Beijing parade | Daily Sabah  Daily Sabah

Politics

17 h. ago Belt and Road Summit marks a decade of deals as Hong Kong eyes new chapter of collaboration

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Co-organised by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 10th Belt and Road Summit will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 10-11.  Bringing together over 90 speakers from 18 Belt and Road economies, this year’s two-day programme continues a ten-year run of policy dialogue, business exchange and investment matchmaking under the theme “Collaborate for...

Politics

17 h. ago Chinese man detained for ‘inappropriate comments’ about Victory Day parade

A man in the central province of Hubei was detained for allegedly making “inappropriate comments” about China’s Victory Day military parade and spreading rumours. According to cyber police in the city of Xiangyang, the 47-year-old man, surnamed Meng, made slanderous and derogatory remarks on Wednesday while commenting on a social media post about the parade held in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. When others expressed patriotic sentiment, Meng “insulted them and...

Politics

18 h. ago Hong Kong must be louder on trade to fight off threat of Trump protectionism

Few economies depend as heavily as Hong Kong on a free and open multilateral trading system. Few have as much to lose if the current US administration succeeds in disembowelling the World Trade Organization and miring international trade in tariffs and other forms of protectionism. Yet as the global trading system faces a protectionist assault, Hong Kong’s voice is nowhere to be heard. Our economy has a vested interest in pushing back against the chaotic trade protectionism that US President...

Politics

18 h. ago Putin: Moscow’s pipeline deal with Beijing mutually beneficial

Putin: Moscow’s pipeline deal with Beijing mutually beneficial  Caliber.Az

Politics

19 h. ago ByteDance moves chip staff to Singapore unit in internal rejig

ByteDance has transferred its semiconductor team, comprising about 1,000 employees, to an existing Singapore-incorporated subsidiary, Picoheart (SG) – a change that was reflected in the internal directory – according to the company and staff. The Beijing-based company notified affected employees last week about the transition and moved their internal messaging accounts on the enterprise collaboration tool Feishu – known internationally as Lark – to a separate entity this week, said a source who...

Politics

20 h. ago Chinese Funds Look to Beijing to Engineer Rally That Keeps Going

Chinese Funds Look to Beijing to Engineer Rally That Keeps Going  Yahoo Finance

Politics

20 h. ago Rail life story? Cartoon featuring South Korea’s Yoon returns to comics festival

A controversial cartoon featuring South Korea’s disgraced former first couple Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee is set to be displayed in public again this month, three years after its initial showing was cut short under government pressure. Yoonsukyeolcha by Park Se-eun from Chonnam Arts High School will be included in the annual Bucheon International Comics Festival as part of a retrospective show of prize-winning works from 2021 to 2025, the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency announced on Wednesday,...

Politics