14 h. ago China suffers unprecedented double rocket launch failures in a single day

In a historic blow to its space programme, China suffered two rocket launch failures in a single day for the first time over the weekend. While Saturday’s failed launches gained immediate attention on social media, with some describing the day as “Black Saturday”, space observers said the setbacks were part of the growing pains the country’s rapidly developing aerospace industry would inevitably experience. They also drew parallels with similar problems Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX had experienced,...

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3 d. ago China suffered $35B losses in natural disasters that killed 763 in 2025

China suffered $35B losses in natural disasters that killed 763 in 2025  Anadolu Ajansı

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8 d. ago Foreign, Hong Kong retailers close stores in mainland China amid changing dynamics

Mainland China’s retail and retail property sectors have suffered another blow amid a fresh wave of store closures by foreign and Hong Kong brands. “The series of closures come as a combined result of their outdated business models and profound changes in the macroeconomic environment,” said Wang Tianshi, an analyst at Shanghai-based LeadLeo Research Institute. “Compared with emerging mainland retailers, Hong Kong and foreign brands often remain under a ‘selling on the mainland’ phase, rather...

Politics

1 week ago Amid historical tensions with Japan, Hong Kong must engage for the future

I attended a memorial service last month for victims of the Nanking massacre, held at the Hong Kong government offices in Admiralty. Such occasions are solemn reminders of history’s darkest moments, forcing us to pause and reflect on the scale of the tragedy that unfolded after the city was seized on December 13, 1937, and the broader suffering inflicted on China during World War II. Government figures estimate that military and civilian casualties exceeded 35 million, with 21 million lives...

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2 w. ago Rare 'space jellyfish' cloud appears after China rocket launch

Rare 'space jellyfish' cloud appears after China rocket launch  news.cgtn.com

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3 w. ago China’s reusable rocket ambitions suffer setback, US blacklists DJI: 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. Second reusable rocket recovery failure in a month puts China 10 years behind US The Long March 12A, China’s first state-owned reusable rocket, made its debut launch on Tuesday morning but the recovery of the first stage was a failure. 2. ‘Urgent’: has mainland China changed tone for Taiwan peaceful reunification? Analysts examine Taiwan-related policy...

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3 w. ago Fringe view of China’s history sparks official rebuke after going viral online

A wave of online discussion blaming China’s last imperial dynasty for national historical sufferings has prompted official criticism after touching on sensitive questions, and ignited debate over historical narrative, nationalism and social governance. What began as a fringe literary interpretation of an 18th-century classical novel has evolved in recent weeks to become a viral internet topic, known as the “1644 historical perspective”. The main claim – which has exposed sharp divisions online –...

Politics

4 w. ago China’s reusable rocket ambitions experience second setback in the same month

The Long March 12A, China’s first state-owned reusable rocket, made its debut launch on Tuesday morning but the recovery of the first stage was a failure. It was China’s second failed bid this month to return an orbital-class booster, a feat that has so far only been achieved by the US. The reusable rocket, designed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China’s...

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4 w. ago Second reusable rocket recovery failure in a month puts China 10 years behind US

The Long March 12A, China’s first state-owned reusable rocket, made its debut launch on Tuesday morning but the recovery of the first stage was a failure. It was China’s second failed bid this month to return an orbital-class booster to Earth, a feat that has so far only been achieved by the US. The second stage of the rocket entered its predetermined orbit after its launch at 10am, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. The reusable rocket, designed by the Shanghai Academy of...

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4 w. ago Japanese H3 rocket fails to launch geolocation satellite into orbit after engine cuts out

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the sixth satellite in a seven-orbiter geolocation system failed to deliver its payload into orbit after lift-off on Monday, the country’s science ministry said. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is assessing the situation and investigating the cause of the second-stage engine’s premature cut-off that occurred shortly after lift-off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima prefecture. Placed on multiple orbital planes, the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System...

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