72 m. ago Chinese companies could start making money from AI agents next year, UBS says

Chinese companies could start making money from their artificial intelligence agents – software systems that use AI to autonomously plan and perform complex tasks for users – as soon as next year, according to UBS. “2026 is the year of agent monetisation in China,” said Sundeep Gantori, an equity strategist at UBS Global Wealth Management CIO, on Thursday. As advanced models like DeepSeek’s R2 become more sophisticated, “we expect to see more monetisation”, he added. AI agents are widely...

Politics

99 m. ago Xi’s diplomatic blitz casts new light on China’s foreign policy

In less than a week, Chinese President Xi Jinping has held bilateral talks with leaders from more than 20 countries during two high-profile events – the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the northern port city of Tianjin and the Victory Day commemoration in Beijing. The themes of the talks have shed more light on China’s engagement with partners as Beijing casts itself as a champion of a multipolar global order and forges closer economic cooperation. Multilateralism: a keyword...

Politics

2 h. ago Pentagon pizza orders spike at time of Beijing military parade: Chinese outlet

Chinese state media has mocked an apparent spike in pizza orders near the Pentagon during Beijing’s Victory Day parade, suggesting that in the US close attention was paid to the event, which American President Donald Trump called “very, very impressive”. On Wednesday afternoon, Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with China’s state broadcaster CCTV, released a video saying customer traffic data from Domino’s near the Pentagon was more than four times its usual level around 9pm, and...

Events

2 h. ago Pizza, the Pentagon and connecting the pepperoni dots to China’s military parade

What insight does a flood of pizza orders to chains near the Pentagon give China about official American interest in its military parade? More than a slice, according to a Chinese social media account following the scent of melted cheese near the Department of Defence in Washington. Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV noted an apparent spike in pizza orders near the Pentagon during Beijing’s Victory Day parade. It released a video saying customer...

Events

3 h. ago Exclusive: Chinese firms still want Nvidia chips despite government pressure not to buy, sources say

Exclusive: Chinese firms still want Nvidia chips despite government pressure not to buy, sources say  Reuters

Politics

3 h. ago Nasdaq wants Chinese companies to pay $25 million per U.S. IPO

Nasdaq wants Chinese companies to pay $25 million per U.S. IPO  CNBC

Economics

3 h. ago Nasdaq's listing plans will make it harder for small Chinese companies to go public in the U.S.

Nasdaq's listing plans will make it harder for small Chinese companies to go public in the U.S.  CNBC

Politics

4 h. ago China family left let down after spending US$140,000 on lavish panda

The experience of a Chinese family who spent an extravagant 960,000 yuan (US$140,000) on a luxury “Panda Express” train tour has shocked many people online. The lavish purchase has sparked a lively discussion because of claims that the experience promised in promotional materials fell far short of the reality. On August 25, a Chinese netizen posted a video revealing that their family, from Jilin province in northeastern China, embarked on a 17-day “Panda Express Tour” in July. The 26-member...

Economics

4 h. ago China family feel let down after spending US$140,000 on lavish panda

The experience of a Chinese family who spent an extravagant 960,000 yuan (US$140,000) on a luxury “Panda Express” train tour has shocked many people online. The lavish purchase has sparked a lively discussion because of claims that the experience promised in promotional materials fell far short of the reality. On August 25, a Chinese netizen posted a video revealing that their family, from Jilin province in northeastern China, embarked on a 17-day “Panda Express Tour” in July. The 26-member...

Economics

4 h. ago 8 visitors arrested in Hong Kong for providing illegal photo, make

Hong Kong immigration authorities have arrested eight mainland Chinese visitors for allegedly providing illegal make-up and photography services at popular tourist attractions. The Immigration Department on Thursday said enforcement officers arrested one man and seven women, aged between 19 and 39, in the last two weeks. Four of them worked illegally as photographers and four as make-up artists. According to Deputy Commander Chun Yuk-tung, another two local women, aged 20 and 27, who partnered...

Events

6 h. ago Chinese hold nuanced views of US rivalry and Russia, North Korea friendships

Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension, experts said on Wednesday. The survey of ordinary Chinese, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Carter Centre, depicts a public that is optimistic about their nation’s future, economy, military and culture. They...

Politics

6 h. ago What do ordinary Chinese think of US rivalry and Russian, North Korean allies?

Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension, experts said on Wednesday. The survey of ordinary Chinese, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Carter Centre, depicts a public that is optimistic about their nation’s future, economy, military and culture. They...

Politics

6 h. ago ‘Unrestrained’ Chinese Cyberattack May Have Stolen Data From Almost Every American

‘Unrestrained’ Chinese Cyberattack May Have Stolen Data From Almost Every American  The New York Times

Events

8 h. ago Hong Kong stocks drop for third day as Chinese equities lose glow

Hong Kong stocks drop for third day as Chinese equities lose glow  South China Morning Post

Politics

8 h. ago Hong Kong stocks record biggest drop in a week as Chinese equities stumble

Hong Kong stocks record biggest drop in a week as Chinese equities stumble  South China Morning Post

Politics

8 h. ago China starts aviation training for Southeast Asia amid C919, home

China is training representatives from Southeast Asia this month in an effort to promote its home-grown civilian aircraft, as the region leads the world in accepting Chinese deliveries despite Airbus and Boeing’s dominance. Twenty participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are taking part in the 2025 China-Asean Civil Aviation Management Capacity Enhancement Workshop in Beijing, which started Monday. Organised by the Civil Aviation...

Politics

9 h. ago Masterful take by Hong Kong film The Last Dance on taboos surrounding death rituals

The Last Dance, a Hong Kong movie directed and written by local director Anselm Chan, took the city’s box office by storm after its theatrical release in November last year. The film shattered several domestic box office records, including the biggest single-day takings for a Hong Kong and Chinese-language film. It remains the highest-grossing locally produced movie in Hong Kong. The film also received 18 nominations and clinched five awards at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards in April. The...

Events

9 h. ago Top China tour sites assign staff to limit photo time, triggering mixed reactions

A famous tourist site in eastern China has introduced a time limit for photo-taking, captivating social media, and addressing a common complaint among visitors about long queues for pictures at key attractions. The Huangling Scenery Zone in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi province, implemented this rule in August. Workers now hold a timer near a major attraction, allowing each tourist one minute for photography, as reported by state media CCTV. This location has become an “online-celebrity spot,”...

Politics

10 h. ago Hong Kong preschool teachers work a median of 55 hours per week: survey

Preschool teachers work a median of 55 hours per week in Hong Kong, 12 hours more than the figure for other workers, with nearly 60 per cent wanting to quit because of exhaustion and relatively low salaries, a survey has found. The Education University of Hong Kong, which carried out the survey, called on the government to re-examine kindergarten teachers’ working conditions and welfare benefits, review a pay scale suggested by authorities to recognise the profession, and consider making it...

Politics

10 h. ago Local Chinese government stimulus pushes big spenders to dig in while dining out

A local government in China’s provincial economic powerhouse of Zhejiang has announced plans to subsidise the restaurant meals of high-value consumers, in a move that is intended to stimulate consumption but could raise questions about whether it runs contrary to the central government’s austerity drive. Shaoxing – a city known for its textile industry and a prized variety of cooking wine – will offer subsidies of up to 5,000 yuan (US$700) to banquet holders if they host five or more tables and...

Politics