2 h. ago Hotel conversions gain traction in China’s office market amid high vacancies

More economy and mid-range hotel operators in China are leasing office buildings for conversion to guest accommodation, and such flexible, mixed-use approaches are expected to increase amid a continued weakening of the office market. In some Chinese cities, the practice of multiple hotel brands co-leasing separate floors within a single building has become more prevalent, fuelled by interest from both property owners and hotel operators. In Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang...

Society

16 h. ago Chinese, Japanese groups issue joint call for Japan to return Tang dynasty stele

Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago. The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage. Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...

Politics

18 h. ago China’s AI and EV boom drives record power demand, widening energy gap with US

China’s total electricity consumption hit a record high of 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025, more than double that of the US, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Saturday. The 5 per cent jump from the previous year marked the first time in China’s history that annual electricity consumption had surpassed 10 trillion kWh – the highest in the world and more than the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India and Japan, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing NEA...

Politics

22 h. ago Scam and corruption cases spark debate in China over cryptocurrencies’ future

The seizure of enormous cryptocurrency caches in two high-profile criminal cases in China – a former head of the central bank’s digital currency research institute accused of corruption, and an alleged scam centre kingpin linked to about US$15 billion in bitcoin – have sparked questions in the country about the safety and future of virtual money. But analysts said the long-term trend for the assets, especially bitcoin, depended on institutional capital, interest rate expectations and the...

Politics

26 h. ago Local China Spring High School graduate helps Miami Hurricanes head to championship game

Local China Spring High School graduate helps Miami Hurricanes head to championship game  KXXV

Sport

38 h. ago China's trade surplus surges to a record high, even with tariffs

China's trade surplus surges to a record high, even with tariffs  MSN

Politics

42 h. ago Attack on Venezuela highlights growing US–China rivalry in Latin America

Attack on Venezuela highlights growing US–China rivalry in Latin America  Chatham House

Events

42 h. ago Ambassador Xie Feng: No matter how the external environment changes, China’s strategic choice to pursue high

Ambassador Xie Feng: No matter how the external environment changes, China’s strategic choice to pursue high-quality development and high-standard opening up will not change_Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America  中华人民共和国驻美利坚合众国大使馆

Politics

43 h. ago HSBC reviews Singapore insurance unit amid focus on high growth in Hong Kong, mainland

HSBC Holdings’ exploration of options for its insurance business in Singapore may lead to a sale of the unit as the group reallocates resources to its insurance business in Hong Kong and mainland China, according to analysts. “It makes sense for HSBC to consider an exit from Singapore’s insurance market to focus on Hong Kong and mainland China, as so many mainlanders are coming to Hong Kong to buy insurance products here,” said Kenny Tang Sing-hing, chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of...

Politics

43 h. ago HSBC reviews Singapore insurance unit amid high growth focus on Hong Kong, mainland China

HSBC Holdings’ exploration of options for its insurance business in Singapore may lead to a sale of the unit as the group reallocates resources to its insurance business in Hong Kong and mainland China, according to analysts. “It makes sense for HSBC to consider an exit from Singapore’s insurance market to focus on Hong Kong and mainland China, as so many mainlanders are coming to Hong Kong to buy insurance products here,” said Kenny Tang Sing-hing, chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of...

Politics

43 h. ago China vows tighter market oversight as stock benchmark nears decade high

China vows tighter market oversight as stock benchmark nears decade high  Reuters

Politics

48 h. ago Chinese ‘rising star’ leaves MIT, woman prays to Shrek for 4 years: 7 highlights

Chinese ‘rising star’ leaves MIT, woman prays to Shrek for 4 years: 7 highlights  South China Morning Post

Politics

65 h. ago China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

China has ramped up audits involving online influencers and high-wage earners, as part of broader efforts to expand tax revenue and refine the taxation system. The State Taxation Administration on Wednesday spotlighted two fresh cases involving influencers in the centrally administered city of Chongqing and in Gansu province. In Chongqing, authorities ordered an influencer surnamed Peng – who has 30 million followers and works in online video production and commercial advertising – to pay 4.15...

Events

2 d. ago China’s Ningbo cuisine; Hong Kong goes Back to the Past: 7 Lifestyle highlights

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Umami, salty, stinky’: how 3 flavours define China’s Ningbo cuisine Located directly south of Shanghai across Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo is just a two-hour ride away from China’s biggest city on the high-speed rail. For many, the first thing that may come to mind is the city’s famous tangyuan (glutinous rice dumplings). But...

Politics

3 d. ago Chinese military says it is developing over 10 quantum warfare weapons

China’s military says it is using quantum technology to gather high-value military intelligence from public cyberspace. The People’s Liberation Army said more than 10 experimental quantum cyber warfare tools were “under development”, many of which were being “tested in front-line missions”, according to the official newspaper Science and Technology Daily. The project is being led by a supercomputing laboratory at the National University of Defence Technology, according to the report, with a...

Events

3 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi faces uphill task in lower house election as opposition unites

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s bid to strengthen her slim parliamentary majority through a widely expected snap election has grown riskier after the country’s largest opposition party struck an alliance with a former ruling coalition partner. The new alliance between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito, announced on Thursday, complicates Takaichi’s bet that she will be able to significantly build on her razor-thin majority in the lower house of...

Politics

3 d. ago High Seas Treaty a chance for China to lead on marine conservation

On January 17, a quiet revolution will take place across around two-thirds of the world’s oceans. A landmark United Nations agreement known as the High Seas Treaty will formally enter into force, creating the first legally binding global framework to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. For the first time, activities beyond national jurisdictions – from industrial fishing to deep-sea mining and bio-prospecting – will be subject to environmental impact assessments, marine...

Politics

3 d. ago Opinion | High Seas Treaty a chance for China to lead on marine conservation

Opinion | High Seas Treaty a chance for China to lead on marine conservation  South China Morning Post

Politics

3 d. ago Trump’s Trade War Spectacularly Flops as Key Target of China Surges to Record High

Trump’s Trade War Spectacularly Flops as Key Target of China Surges to Record High  The Daily Beast

Events

3 d. ago China's 2025 auto market hits new highs in both annual sales, output

China's 2025 auto market hits new highs in both annual sales, output  Gasgoo

Economics