26 h. ago China to remove tariffs on nearly all goods from Africa as both criticise US

Twenty more African countries, mostly from the continent’s middle-income nations, are set to gain access to the world’s largest consumer market duty-free as Beijing plans to remove tariffs for all products from every African nation except eSwatini. The measure was announced as African ministers joined Beijing at a meeting in central China affiliated with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Amid the tariff war, representatives from China and African nations accused the United States of...

Politics

30 h. ago Book on Beijing's Central Axis takes readers on cultural journey

Book on Beijing's Central Axis takes readers on cultural journey  China Daily

Culture

62 h. ago As the PLA adopts civilian technology, Chinese bureaucracy could hinder progress

For decades, China’s talk of letting the private sector bid for defence orders had mostly been just that: talk. State-owned conglomerates had dominated the sector for decades, but in the middle of 2016, Beijing started to step up its military-civilian fusion strategy, publishing an official list of the sectors where private firms were being encouraged to contribute, such as swarming drone technologies. The plan is a central pillar of China’s ambition to develop a modernised military by 2035 and...

Politics

3 d. ago Extravagant Chinese TV host Li Xiang mingles with royalty, spends US$10,000 on food

A popular Chinese television host has sparked fresh online controversy after it was revealed that the sticky rice dumplings she ate during the Dragon Boat Festival cost 1,000 yuan (US$140) each. Li Xiang, 49, who was born in Hunan province, central China, first rose to fame in 1997 as the host of the hit variety show Happy Camp. In the 2000s, she won the Most Popular Host award three times and received the Golden Mic Award, the highest honour for television anchors and hosts in China. As her...

Economics

3 d. ago Hong Kong Observatory may raise No 1 typhoon signal on Wednesday morning

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory is expected to issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday morning at the earliest and assess the need to raise the alert to a higher level the following day. The forecaster said a broad area of low pressure over the central part of the South China Sea was...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong Observatory could issue No 1 typhoon signal on Wednesday morning

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory is expected to issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday morning at the earliest and assess the need to raise the alert to a higher level the following day. The forecaster said a broad area of low pressure over the central part of the South China Sea was...

Politics

4 d. ago China’s consumer prices fall for fourth month amid weak demand, trade tensions

China’s consumer prices declined for a fourth straight month in May, highlighting persistent deflationary pressures driven by sluggish demand and trade tensions with the United States, which are compounding inventory strains for manufacturers. The national consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, fell 0.1 per cent year on year last month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The figure beat market expectations after a poll by financial provider...

Events

4 d. ago ‘Age is just a number’: China grandma, 71, stars in fitness contest, shares tips

A Chinese grandmother has inspired countless netizens after winning third place in a fitness competition, following four years of rigorous training. On June 1, 71-year-old Sun Minghui, who is originally from Ma’anshan in Anhui province, central China, won the bronze medal in the mixed-gender category at the 2025 Wuhan round of the National Fitness Newcomers Quality Competition. Sun was the oldest competitor at the event. Before retiring, she worked in the cafeteria of a steel factory and...

Politics

6 d. ago China's central bank buys gold for seventh straight month in May

China's central bank buys gold for seventh straight month in May  CNBC

Economics

1 week ago Disabled Chinese man attains Harvard master’s degree, thanks to mother’s love

A Chinese man with cerebral palsy who was unloved by his father and bullied by classmates made it through the prestigious universities of Peking and Harvard thanks to his mother’s unwavering support. Ding Zheng, 37, and his mother Zou Hongyan, 62, from central China’s Hubei province, have moved many people online with their story. Zou said Ding was diagnosed with cerebral palsy due to medical malpractice during his birth in 1988 A doctor and Ding’s father advised Zou to give up the baby while he...

Politics

1 week ago Bird watchers flock to Beijing's Central Axis as hobby takes flight

Bird watchers flock to Beijing's Central Axis as hobby takes flight  China Daily

Politics

2 w. ago China's May manufacturing activity likely contracted for second straight month

China's May manufacturing activity likely contracted for second straight month  Reuters

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese defence oversight official snared in military corruption crackdown

A senior former official at the agency responsible for the oversight of China’s defence industry is under investigation for corruption. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China’s top anti-graft watchdog, said on Wednesday that Zhang Jianhua was suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” – a standard euphemism for corruption – and had “turned himself in”. Zhang, formerly deputy head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence...

Events

2 w. ago Why central banks are playing a big role in pushing up gold prices

Gold prices have surged this year as investors seek safe investments amid a spike in economic uncertainty unleashed by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. But economists say that there is another important factor driving the rally: purchases by central banks. In this explainer, we explore why central banks are increasingly turning to gold assets, how that is driving a long-term structural shift in demand for the metal, and what that means for gold prices going forward. Why are central...

Economics

2 w. ago Ready, set, fight: Unitree humanoid robots test skills in kickboxing competition

Humanoid robots from start-up Unitree Robotics showed off their fighting form at a unique kickboxing competition held in Hangzhou on Sunday, weeks after Beijing hosted the world’s first half-marathon where these machines raced alongside humans. Organised by state-owned China Media Group and broadcast live by China Central Television (CCTV), the competition saw four Unitree G1 humanoid robots square off in one-on-one matches where they punched, kicked and even did a kip-up – an acrobatic...

Sport

2 w. ago House Intel chair: U.S. needs more efforts in Central, South America to beat China

House Intel chair: U.S. needs more efforts in Central, South America to beat China  The Hill

Society

3 w. ago Australian exporters upbeat on business outlook in China despite trade war, central bank says

Australian exporters upbeat on business outlook in China despite trade war, central bank says  Reuters

Economics

3 w. ago Xi stresses nonstop efforts to fight undesirable work styles

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that the fight against undesirable work styles should not be stopped.

Politics

3 w. ago Pilotless planes are taking flight in China. Bank of America says it's time to buy

Pilotless planes are taking flight in China. Bank of America says it's time to buy  CNBC

Economics