6 h. ago Japan’s new PM talks up ties with South Korea but her past casts a long shadow

As Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office, she wasted no time extending an olive branch to South Korea, calling it an “important neighbour” and praising its culture. But how long will the goodwill last? Concerns linger in South Korea that Takaichi, known for her nationalist leanings, may eventually adopt a more hawkish stance, risking again straining ties over long-standing issues such as Japan’s wartime history and territorial disputes. “I would say there is optimism about the...

Politics

17 h. ago China pushes trilateral currency swap, new drone sighted: 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. China eyes currency swap with Japan and South Korea amid trade tensions: source China is in talks with Japan and South Korea – both US allies – about a possible trilateral currency swap to bolster the region’s financial safety net and deepen economic cooperation amid US President Donald Trump’s trade war, according to a source familiar with the issue. 2....

Events

29 h. ago As Nobel laureates show, the US can’t take tech lead over China for granted

China and the United States are locked in a contest for technological supremacy. While it’s impossible to predict the ultimate winner and loser, this year’s Nobel Prize winners in economics may serve as a useful guide to where the two rivals are heading. The US is currently still ahead when it comes to science and technology. But when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, China has a clear edge, which is likely to grow even larger in the coming...

Politics

45 h. ago Chipmaker CXMT eyes US$42 billion Shanghai listing, sources say

Chinese memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) plans an initial public offering (IPO) in Shanghai as soon as the first quarter of next year, eyeing a valuation of up to 300 billion yuan ($42.12 billion), according to two sources briefed on the matter. Founded in 2016 with government backing, CXMT leads China’s strategic push to build a foothold in a global DRAM market long dominated by companies from Japan, South Korea and the United States. China’s leading manufacturer of dynamic...

Economics

4 d. ago Flu’s spread across Asia prompts Hong Kong groups to join vaccination appeal

Medical organisations and politicians in Hong Kong, Macau and other parts of Asia have issued a joint appeal to take preventive steps against the spread of influenza across the continent, with a local expert calling on residents to get vaccinated early. Dr Mike Kwan Yat-wah, president of the Asian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, said on Sunday that influenza was spreading not only in Hong Kong, but in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore. “After the Covid-19...

Politics

5 d. ago Envoys take special tour of Hong Kong’s exhibition on Chinese side of WWII

China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has organised its first tour for diplomats and business chamber representatives of an exhibition on the country’s war of resistance against Japan, with a Beijing official saying the event promotes remembering history, cherishing peace and creating a better future. More than 20 consuls general, consuls and representatives from foreign commerce chambers on Friday afternoon joined the visit to “United in Arms, Standing for Peace: 80th Anniversary of Chinese...

Events

5 d. ago Envoys given special tour of Hong Kong exhibition on Chinese victory in WWII

The Chinese foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong has organised its first tour for diplomats and business chamber representatives of an exhibition on the country’s war of resistance against Japan, with a Beijing official saying the aim of the visit was to remember history, cherish peace and create a better future. More than 20 consuls general, consuls and representatives from foreign chambers of commerce joined the visit on Friday afternoon to the “United in Arms, Standing for Peace: 80th...

Events

6 d. ago Indonesia man hands cheating wife over to lover in exchange for money and cow

A man from southern Indonesia who caught his wife cheating handed her to her lover under a centuries-old tribal custom and accepted a cow and some cash in return. According to the local media outlet Tribunnews Sultra, a man known as SRH from Puudombi village in Konawe regency had been married to his wife, NS, for five years. The region is home to the Tolaki people, known for their traditional clothes and deep-rooted values of peace and unity. In September, SRH reportedly caught his wife with...

Politics

6 d. ago Indonesian man hands cheating wife over to lover in exchange for money and cow

A man from southern Indonesia who caught his wife cheating handed her to her lover under a centuries-old tribal custom and accepted a cow and some cash in return. According to the local media outlet Tribunnews Sultra, a man known as SRH from Puudombi village in Konawe Regency had been married to his wife, NS, for five years. The region is home to the Tolaki people, known for their traditional clothes and deep-rooted values of peace and unity. In September, SRH reportedly caught his wife with...

Politics

9 d. ago Trump to meet Zelensky as Ukraine hopes for peace deal after Gaza ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he would meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, where the two would discuss Ukraine’s air defence and long-range strike capabilities. The two leaders spoke on both Saturday and Sunday amid intensifying discussions about the potential provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, and a Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is scheduled to visit Washington before the Friday meeting. Kyiv has been...

Politics

1 week ago ‘Guilt exercise’: China school slammed as students cross parental ‘human bridge’

A shockingly bizarre so-called guilt education activity has played out in China during which parents knelt down to form a “bridge” while students stepped on their backs. A video of the strange activity, during which some of the students are blindfolded, was filmed in Henan province, central China. The clip has gone viral and stirred controversy online. Emotional music played as a host encouraged the students, saying: “Go ahead.” The activity is part of the school’s “guilt education”, which aims...

Society

1 week ago Trump’s quest for the Nobel Peace Prize falls short, at least this time

US President Donald Trump was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday despite jockeying from his fellow Republicans, various world leaders and - most vocally - himself. Opposition activist Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela was awarded the prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was honouring her “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”. Trump, who has...

Politics

1 week ago Asean+3 growth defies expectations but trade war risks still ‘high’, AMRO says

The “Asean plus three” group of countries achieved solid economic growth in the first half of 2025, but unpredictable policy shifts in the United States could still send tremors through the region this year, a top economic surveillance body said. Growth in the grouping – the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, along with China, Japan and South Korea – is projected to reach 4.1 per cent in 2025, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said in a new quarterly...

Events

1 week ago China hits out at report that says it used US universities to boost military

China hit out on Thursday at a US congressional report that accused it of exploiting American higher education institutions for military research. The foreign ministry said China had lodged “stern representations” with the US over the “malicious actions” of the select committee that produced the report. Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the ministry, told a regular press briefing that the House China committee had long attacked and smeared China for political purposes and had “no credibility...

Events

1 week ago China makes solemn representations to US over House committee report slandering educational exchanges: spokesperson

China makes solemn representations to US over House committee report slandering educational exchanges: spokesperson  Global Times

Politics

2 w. ago India vs China in the talent race: Lessons from Beijing’s strategic education model

India vs China in the talent race: Lessons from Beijing’s strategic education model  The Hindu

Politics

2 w. ago Senegal and China Strengthen Cooperation in Higher Education, Research, and Innovation

Senegal and China Strengthen Cooperation in Higher Education, Research, and Innovation  TechAfrica News

Politics

2 w. ago BREAKING NEWS: China Premier Li to visit N. Korea for ruling party anniv.

BREAKING NEWS: China Premier Li to visit N. Korea for ruling party anniv.  Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS

Politics

2 w. ago How joining the RCEP will boost Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world’s largest trade bloc. Including all 10 economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), mainland China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, the group contributes to 30 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 25 per cent of global exports. In September, Asean’s economic ministers issued a joint statement affirming their desire to accelerate the addition of four new members into the RCEP –...

Politics

2 w. ago My family’s journey through China’s changing educational landscape

As Beijing’s annual kindergarten and primary school enrolment season wrapped up in the summer, the mix of joy and disappointment among families was palpable. It brought to mind the dramatic evolution of China’s education system, as experienced by myself and my children. I was born in rural China in the 1980s and education was always going to be my escape route. “Knowledge is power” was not a cliché; it was a creed my parents, though farmers, held dear. Their sacrifices, coupled with my own...

Politics