81 m. ago China’s Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers sail beyond second island chain

In an unprecedented show of strength, the Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong have been conducting exercises in the western Pacific Ocean beyond the second island chain, according to the Japanese defence ministry. In a statement on Monday, the ministry said the Shandong strike group was spotted earlier that day, conducting take-off and landing operations of its jet fighters and helicopters about 500km (311 miles) southwest of Iwo Jima and north of Okinotori. It followed the...

Transport

6 h. ago China to make all hospitals offer epidurals to incentivize childbirth

China to make all hospitals offer epidurals to incentivize childbirth  CNN

Politics

8 h. ago Japan spots Chinese navy’s show of force in west Pacific amid maritime row

China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier has for the first time ventured into the easternmost edge of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, in what is seen as a show of force aimed at Tokyo, Washington and the broader region. The Liaoning – Beijing’s first aircraft carrier – and at least three accompanying warships were spotted on Saturday around 300km southwest of Minamitori, a remote Japanese island in the western Pacific, which serves as a bulwark for Tokyo to assert its maritime claims. The group, which...

Politics

26 h. ago Chinese Aircraft Carrier Breaches Pacific Island Defense Line

Chinese Aircraft Carrier Breaches Pacific Island Defense Line  Newsweek

Events

29 h. ago China to make all hospitals offer epidurals to incentivise childbirth

China to make all hospitals offer epidurals to incentivise childbirth  Reuters

Politics

53 h. ago China’s rare mineral gives blind mice ‘super vision’, offers hope for humans

Researchers have used a rare mineral produced mostly in China to create an artificial retina that not only restored sight in blind animals, but also gave them “super vision” – the extraordinary ability to see infrared light. The advance offers significant promise for treating human blindness, according to scientists. The study, led by Wang Shuiyuan, a researcher at the College of Integrated Circuits and Micro-Nano Electronics at Fudan University in Shanghai, was published in the journal Science...

Politics

54 h. ago Pay dads to parent? How China could fix birth rate crisis, according to new research

Subsidising men’s participation in household chores and childcare could help reverse declining global birth rates, according to a new study, offering a fresh approach to deepening demographic challenges in countries like China. The study, co-authored by researchers from Fudan University and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), argued that subsidies for fathers produce significantly higher long-term fertility gains than solely subsidising mothers. The findings came as the world’s second-largest...

Events

57 h. ago ‘Don’t kill your successful DNA’: Hong Kong’s John Lee on tariffs, trade war

Hong Kong will not destroy its “successful DNA” and jeopardise its free-port status by retaliating with counter-tariffs on the US even if geopolitical tensions with China escalate further, the city’s leader has promised. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said his administration had made “contingency plans for the worst” and would increase support for local businesses in finding “blue oceans” in new markets. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with the Post to mark the third anniversary of his...

Events

3 d. ago DeepSeek is hiring interns to label medical data for AI use in hospitals

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek, which has remained mute over a release date for its R2 reasoning model, has begun recruiting interns to label medical data to improve the use of AI in hospitals. According to recruitment ads posted on Boss Zhipin, one of China’s largest hiring websites, DeepSeek is offering 500 yuan (US$70) per day for interns who can work four days a week to label medical data for applications involving “advanced auxiliary diagnosis” tools. The jobs are...

Science

3 d. ago New PLA force university to offer training in AI, unmanned operations

A new university under the Chinese military’s mysterious Information Support Force plans to offer training in artificial intelligence (AI), unmanned operations and other key technology, according to its first public enrolment notice. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Information Support Force Engineering University in the central city of Wuhan will offer 10 undergraduate majors in information and intelligent technology, according to a Thursday report by state broadcaster CCTV. It added that...

Culture

5 d. ago China's Sichuan province to offer extended marriage and maternity leave

China's Sichuan province to offer extended marriage and maternity leave  Reuters

Politics

1 week ago Fury as Chinese bank offers to help rich clients’ kids gain top internships

A Chinese bank has triggered outrage by offering to help its rich customers secure prestigious internships for their children, prompting a heated debate about privilege and inequality on social media. Industrial Bank, a regional lender from Fujian province, said in a now-deleted post on the social platform WeChat that it could arrange for its clients’ offspring to gain work experience at top firms including Google and JP Morgan, according to screenshots circulating online. To qualify for the...

Economics

1 week ago Dong Jun to skip Singapore forum – and a chance to meet US, Asian defence chiefs

China will downgrade its representation at the Shangri-La Dialogue this year and, in doing so, skip an opportunity for Defence Minister Dong Jun to meet counterparts from the United States and across Asia. In the past, Asia’s premier defence forum has offered a chance for China’s defence minister to make a speech to counter Washington’s narrative in the region and meet other defence chiefs directly. China’s defence ministry said on Thursday that China would send a delegation from the National...

Politics

1 week ago China vows to open markets to Pacific Island nations as US retreats

China vows to open markets to Pacific Island nations as US retreats  Financial Times

Politics

1 week ago Host China offers Pacific nations more climate change help in high

Beijing has pledged to expand its support for Pacific Island countries in building climate resilience, and to continue law enforcement cooperation in the region, during high-level talks in the coastal city of Xiamen in southeastern China’s Fujian province on Wednesday. Top diplomat Wang Yi made the commitment, which included US$2 million for the climate change fund, at the third foreign ministers’ meeting between China and Pacific Island states. It was also the first in-person gathering since...

Politics

1 week ago China pledges deeper law enforcement ties with Pacific Island nations

Beijing has pledged to expand its support for Pacific Island countries in building climate resilience, and to continue law enforcement cooperation in the region, during high-level talks in the coastal city of Xiamen in southeastern China’s Fujian province on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the commitment, which included US$2 million for the climate change fund, at the third foreign ministers’ meeting between China and Pacific Island states. It was also the first in-person gathering...

Events

1 week ago China offers Pacific Islands increased support in addressing climate change

China offers Pacific Islands increased support in addressing climate change  Reuters

Politics

1 week ago China’s translations ‘never right’, EU companies’ gloom: 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. China offers visa-free travel to 4 Gulf countries following landmark summit China extended its short-term stay visa exemption policy to four Persian Gulf countries on Wednesday, a day after a landmark summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Southeast Asian countries. 2. Record levels of pessimism among EU businesses in China, survey...

Politics

1 week ago ANALYSIS: Unpacking China’s Offer to Southeast Asia and the Middle East

ANALYSIS: Unpacking China’s Offer to Southeast Asia and the Middle East  The China-Global South Project

Politics

1 week ago China hosts Pacific Island nations in bid to bolster diplomatic, trade ties

China hosts Pacific Island nations in bid to bolster diplomatic, trade ties  Al Jazeera

Politics