3 h. ago ‘It’s too much’: Chinese students reconsider UK degrees as policies harden

After she graduated last summer, Aroma Wu quickly realised that if she wanted a career in China’s tech industry, she would need to go back to school: her bachelor’s degree simply was not enough. “I saw how competitive it was – most people had a master’s,” the 24-year-old said. To boost her credentials, Wu decided to apply for a graduate programme in the United Kingdom, and she soon received an offer. But within weeks, she was growing worried by news coming out of Britain – and starting to...

Events

5 h. ago Tech hub Shenzhen launches plan to support consumption, exporters amid trade war

China’s top export city and tech hub, Shenzhen, is stepping up efforts to boost domestic consumption and support exporters amid a turbulent trade war between Beijing and Washington. “Consumption is the fundamental driving force behind economic growth and development,” according to a 39-point plan released by the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission on Friday. Shenzhen will leverage its strategic strengths in four key categories: artificial intelligence (AI) terminals, smart home...

Events

5 h. ago 8 million Chinese viewers moved by boy, 6, who operates crane for acrobat parents

Massive numbers of people across China have watched in amazement as a thoughtful six-year-old boy operates a crane that is integral to an acrobatic show his parents perform. Xie Yule expertly worked the machine that held his parents in the air to perform in a town in eastern China’s Anhui province on a rainy evening ahead of Children’s Day. As rain fell heavily, the diminutive Xie stood on a stool as his hand never left the crane’s control panel, his eyes locked on his parents. His father, Xie...

Politics

6 h. ago Hong Kong’s Paul Chan expects tourism sector to make robust recovery in 2025

Hong Kong’s finance chief expects the tourism sector to make a robust recovery this year, citing the 10 and 18 per cent year-on-year growth in the number of mainland Chinese and international visitor arrivals recorded in the first five months. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said he was confident the figures would continue to go up, partly thanks to a series of mega-events set to be held throughout the year. In his weekly blog on Sunday, he noted that the city recorded about 20 million...

Politics

8 h. ago Remains of China's former senior military official Xu Qiliang cremated

Remains of China's former senior military official Xu Qiliang cremated  Global Times

Events

9 h. ago China signals readiness on rare earth talks, approves more exports

China has approved some qualified rare earth export applications and is ready to deepen dialogue with nations over export controls, the Ministry of Commerce said as the strategic resource continued to take centre stage in Beijing’s trade negotiations with the United States. “We’ve observed growing global demand for medium and heavy rare earths in civilian sectors such as robotics and new energy vehicles, as these industries continue to expand,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its...

Politics

9 h. ago Labubu craze sweeps globe, highlights power China, Asia stars have on consumer trends

Asian and Chinese stars are rewriting the fashion industry playbook, turning niche favourites into global must-haves. The Post explores how celebrity choices shape style and consumption while reflecting the values of today’s fans. Lisa Labubu At 28, Lisa of the South Korean girl band Blackpink has more than 100 million social media followers and more than 1.9 billion online streams for her solo debut Lalisa. In April 2024, the Thai star posted photos with a Labubu plush toy and a matching...

Politics

9 h. ago Chinese legends, Disney characters compete in Hong Kong dragon boat race

Competitors marked the final day of Hong Kong’s International Dragon Boat Races on Sunday by donning an array of colourful costumes that included beloved characters from animated films and Chinese folklore. Hongkongers, expats and a team of visiting Canadian paddlers were among those taking part in the fancy dress competition held on the event’s second day. The races were organised by the city’s Tourism Board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. Toronto’s Water Vipers dragon boat...

Politics

9 h. ago Chinese legends, Disney characters compete in Hong Kong dragon boat races

Competitors marked the final day of Hong Kong’s International Dragon Boat Races on Sunday by donning an array of colourful costumes that included beloved characters from animated films and Chinese folklore. Hongkongers, expats and a team of visiting Canadian paddlers were among those taking part in the fancy dress competition held on the event’s second day. The races were organised by the city’s Tourism Board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. Toronto’s Water Vipers dragon boat...

Politics

9 h. ago How China’s diaspora became both an asset and a source of anxiety

Wang Gungwu – one of Asia’s most respected historians and a pioneering scholar of the Chinese diaspora – explores in Roads to Chinese Modernity: Civilisation and National Culture how China evolved into a modern nation navigating reform and globalisation. In this excerpt, Wang traces how, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reformers and revolutionaries such as Kang You-wei, Liang Qichao and Sun Yat-sen began rallying support from overseas Chinese communities. Once dismissed as disloyal...

Politics

10 h. ago A star is born as Hong Kong pianist wins Van Cliburn competition

Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham Ching-tao has won the 2025 edition of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, putting him on track for global stardom. Sham, 29, is the first pianist from Hong Kong to win the competition, held in Fort Worth in the US state of Texas. The announcement on June 7 of his victory followed two-and-a-half weeks of intense anticipation as music lovers around the world followed live streams of the contest’s four gruelling rounds, which began on May 21...

Events

12 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

12 h. ago EU biodiesel tariffs offer Hong Kong a chance to boost adoption of green fuel

The European Union’s (EU) tariffs on biodiesel and renewable diesel from China present Hong Kong with an opportunity to promote the use of low-carbon fuels, according to a business group, which called for more measures to support its adoption. A dearth of financial incentives and infrastructure has also resulted in limited use by the public and private sector to meet climate goals, according to the Business Environment Council (BEC). “The EU’s anti-dumping tariffs have forced Chinese producers...

Events

12 h. ago China as a global conflict mediator: from ambition to action

China has increasingly taken on the role of conflict mediator on the world stage – hosting negotiations, proposing peace plans and even deploying personnel to oversee ceasefires. Once reluctant to engage in United Nations peacekeeping activities, it now provides more troops than any other permanent member of the Security Council. These are dramatic shifts for a country that was once a staunch advocate of non-interference. As its economic and security interests now reach far beyond its borders,...

Events

12 h. ago Opinion | China as a global conflict mediator: from ambition to action

Opinion | China as a global conflict mediator: from ambition to action  South China Morning Post

Events

14 h. ago The kids are alright: Hong Kong AI scientist offers a vision for ‘parenting’ AI

For years, the story of artificial intelligence (AI) has been cast as a high-stakes contest between the US and China – a technological arms race with global consequences. But to De Kai, a pioneering machine learning scientist and advocate for AI ethics, this framing fundamentally misunderstands the technology. “I would prefer to think about it as the AI climate change challenge,” De Kai said in an interview with the Post at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he is a...

Politics

15 h. ago Chinese media rebate corruption probe widens across agencies

Chinese media rebate corruption probe widens across agencies  Campaign Asia

Politics

17 h. ago Officials race to comply with Xi’s austerity rules as inspectors come knocking

As Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency was shaking up federal agencies in America with deep spending cuts, bureaucrats in China were also feeling the heat. Since mid-March, thousands of Chinese officials have been scrambling to comply with President Xi Jinping’s austerity orders – making sure their offices are modest, their meal receipts are in order and returning any lavish gifts – as inspectors carry out checks. The campaign has been running since 2012 and takes aim at...

Politics

18 h. ago China's Export Restrictions Jolt Rare Earths Global Automakers Warn

China's Export Restrictions Jolt Rare Earths Global Automakers Warn  Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com

Events

25 h. ago Social media giant RedNote opens Hong Kong office, its first outside mainland

Chinese social media giant RedNote has opened an office in Hong Kong, its first outside mainland China, a move the city’s finance chief hopes will provide a boost to local businesses and the platform’s international expansion. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Saturday that he had personally invited the company, also known as Xiaohongshu, to set up a base in the city. “When I visited Shanghai at the end of last year, I made a special visit to Xiaohongshu’s headquarters,” Chan wrote on...

Politics