77 m. ago Bitcoin surges to $108,000 as top US and Chinese officials meet to discuss tariffs

Bitcoin surges to $108,000 as top US and Chinese officials meet to discuss tariffs  Fortune

Politics

2 h. ago Hong Kong tourism sector urged to provide packages, discounts for National Games

Hong Kong’s tourism sector should consider offering promotional packages including hotel discounts to spectators at the coming National Games, which the city will co-host in November, authorities have said. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Monday that a unified ticket sales platform would be used for all Games events to be held in Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau, with more details to be announced soon. She said once the Guangdong Provincial Executive...

Politics

2 h. ago America Relies on Chinese Minerals, and Beijing Wants to Keep it That Way

America Relies on Chinese Minerals, and Beijing Wants to Keep it That Way  MSN

Politics

3 h. ago US and Chinese officials meet in London for pivotal trade talks

US and Chinese officials meet in London for pivotal trade talks  Reuters

Politics

3 h. ago Beijing Wraps Up Inaugural ‘Art Season,’ Making Bid to Reclaim Top Spot in China’s Art Economy

Beijing Wraps Up Inaugural ‘Art Season,’ Making Bid to Reclaim Top Spot in China’s Art Economy  ARTnews.com

Politics

3 h. ago Tariff war ‘not the end of the world’ for Hong Kong companies: trade council chief

The US-China tariff war is “not the end of the world” for Hong Kong businesses, the new head of the city’s Trade Development Council has said, as he outlined strategies to help them capitalise on geopolitical uncertainties. Chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang, who took office on June 1, also said on Monday the council would explore setting up more offices in new markets and rebranding the Asian Financial Forum to include more industry elements. The council has 51 offices around the world, including...

Events

4 h. ago US stocks drift and Chinese markets rise as trade talks start between the world's largest economies

US stocks drift and Chinese markets rise as trade talks start between the world's largest economies  AP News

Economics

4 h. ago Domestic helper gets 14 months’ jail in Hong Kong for jewellery theft

A domestic helper has been jailed for 14 months in Hong Kong after admitting that she stole jewellery from her employer and pawned most of the 47 items for HK$200,000 out of greed. Eastern Court on Monday sentenced Sherelle Lyn Valle Dajay, 41, for the theft of valuables taken from her employer’s home at Black’s Link in Happy Valley over a seven-month span last year. The Filipino national pleaded guilty last month to two counts of theft. She took valuables stored inside an unlocked wardrobe in...

Events

5 h. ago Study shows how robots replaced master workers in Chinese military drone factory

In a Beijing defence drone facility, a black carbon-fibre body frame sits on a workstation ready for drilling. The material is light and strong, but a fractional error in angle or positioning could affect stealth performance and lead to the scrapping of the entire part. Master technicians once performed this task – breath held, hands steady – relying on years of muscle memory. Despite their skill, human limitations capped the speed of production and kept costs high. That changed with a...

Events

5 h. ago Chinese exports to the U.S. are cratering despite a trade truce

Chinese exports to the U.S. are cratering despite a trade truce  Quartz

Politics

5 h. ago US and China begin crunch trade talks in London amid simmering tensions

Top economic officials from China and the United States have kick-started a crucial round of trade talks in London, as the world watches closely to see if the two sides can agree to roll back their “chokehold” controls over critical minerals and advanced technologies. The Chinese and American delegations – led by China’s vice-premier, He Lifeng, alongside US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer – met Monday afternoon, local...

Events

5 h. ago US vows reprieve on some tech export restrictions as talks with China begin in London

Top economic officials from Washington and Beijing have launched a high-stakes round of trade talks in London, with a senior White House official signaling soon after the start that the US will ease some tech export restrictions on China, adding that he expected the Chinese government to ramp up rare earth mineral exports to American markets. The Chinese and American delegations – led by China’s vice-premier, He Lifeng, alongside US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard...

Politics

6 h. ago Chinese teen’s suicide puts crushing academic pressure in the spotlight

A heart-wrenching suicide note left by an 18-year-old girl who killed herself in April has reignited discussion online about the heavy academic burden placed on children in China. In the letter, the girl – who was in her final year at a top high school in Bengbu, a city in the central province of Anhui – wrote about the pressure she felt to do well and said she had been broken by relentless exams, particularly maths and physics. “I cannot bear how you meticulously checked the scores of all the...

Events

6 h. ago Overseas judges leaving top Hong Kong court ‘only natural’: ex

The recent departure of several overseas judges from Hong Kong’s top court was “only natural” as those in the first batch appointed nearly three decades ago are already aged 80 years or older, a former justice chief has said. Elsie Leung Oi-sie, the first secretary for justice after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, when the judges joined the court, also said on Monday that the city should look into cultivating judicial talent locally to reduce reliance on outsiders. Leung, who...

Events

6 h. ago China backs Mekong pollution probe after reports point finger at mining firms

China’s embassy in Thailand said it was “closely monitoring” the situation after claims that heavy metal pollution in northern Thai rivers was linked to suspected Chinese mining activities in neighbouring Myanmar. A post on the embassy’s official social media account acknowledged recent comments by the Thai government on the matter. “China is closely monitoring reports about the heavy metal pollution incident in a tributary of the Mekong River in Thailand. We have taken note of the recent test...

Politics

7 h. ago Hong Kong moves to curb ‘abuse’ of traffic accident compensation

Lawmakers have supported the Hong Kong government’s proposal to significantly reduce the number of compensated sick leave days and daily subsidy available to traffic accident victims, claiming that the move will help prevent future abuses of the system. The legislative panel’s discussion on Monday primarily focused on reviewing the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme. Administered by the Social Welfare Department, the fund provides financial aid to victims of road traffic accidents or...

Events

7 h. ago China maths genius opens first social media account, gains 23 million fans in 5 days

Chinese mathematics prodigy Wei Dongyi has recently launched his first social media account, capturing widespread attention due to concerns about his appearance and dental health, while amassing an impressive 23 million followers in just five days. The 33-year-old, originally from Shandong province in eastern China, serves as an assistant professor in the mathematics department at the esteemed Peking University. Despite his remarkable achievements, Wei prefers a life centred on research and...

Economics

7 h. ago After days of protests, Beijing tells Chinese nationals in LA to avoid trouble spots

After days of protests, Beijing tells Chinese nationals in LA to avoid trouble spots  Malay Mail

Events

7 h. ago Chinese spy crew appears to be preparing for conflict by backdooring 75+ critical orgs

Chinese spy crew appears to be preparing for conflict by backdooring 75+ critical orgs  theregister.com

Events

8 h. ago From Avatar to mountain of rubbish: China pulls decade of trash from caves

Chinese authorities have cleaned up more than 50 tonnes of rubbish from ancient caves in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a stunning site that inspired a location in Avatar, and punished four officials after the cavities became a stinking dumping ground. The clean-up came around two weeks after a viral video showed the state of a natural cave in Zhangjiajie’s Cili county in Hunan province that had been used for years by nearby villagers to dump rubbish, resulting in garbage piling up “as high...

Politics