21 m. ago Hotel conversions gain traction in China’s office market amid high vacancies

More economy and mid-range hotel operators in China are leasing office buildings for conversion to guest accommodation, and such flexible, mixed-use approaches are expected to increase amid a continued weakening of the office market. In some Chinese cities, the practice of multiple hotel brands co-leasing separate floors within a single building has become more prevalent, fuelled by interest from both property owners and hotel operators. In Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang...

Society

1 hour ago Hong Kong authorities to review medium of instruction in schools after major study

Hong Kong education authorities will review the policy on the medium of instruction in public secondary schools for the 2028-34 cycle after looking at the results of a three-year evaluation study and consulting the sector, the Post has learned. The review comes as a council representing subsidised secondary schools urged the government to allow more institutions to teach subjects in English to better prepare pupils moving on to higher education programmes conducted in the language. The Education...

Culture

3 h. ago Impulse control: Malaysia’s social media ban targets teen minds

Eric Wong is only 20, but his life online is so consuming that he struggles to draw a line between his digital presence and the physical world. A member of Malaysia’s Gen Z – those aged 13 to 29 this year – Wong belongs to the first generation of true digital natives, raised on a steady stream of social media, online gaming and endless internet connectivity. “If there’s time in between classes, me and my friends will gather in the cafeteria or the nearby mamak (food stall) to play PUBG or Mobile...

Events

9 h. ago Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms

Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms  Firstpost

Events

11 h. ago Book Scene: Finding light in gig work: “I Deliver Parcels in Beijing”

Book Scene: Finding light in gig work: “I Deliver Parcels in Beijing”  Yakima Herald-Republic

Culture

12 h. ago Indonesian plane with 11 people missing, search and rescue under way

A regional passenger aircraft carrying 11 people lost contact with ground control on Saturday while approaching a mountainous region between Indonesia’s main island of Java and Sulawesi island, officials said. A search and rescue operation is under way. The turboprop ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport was on the way from Yogyakarta to the capital city of South Sulawesi when it vanished from radar, said Endah Purnama Sari, a spokesperson for the transportation ministry. The plane was...

Events

12 h. ago Beijing slams US senators for ‘malicious’ bill targeting Hong Kong trade offices

Beijing’s foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong has “strongly condemned” a group of US senators for pushing what it calls “malicious legislation” that seeks to strip the city’s trade offices in the United States of their special privileges and potentially force their closure. A spokesman for the Commissioner’s Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said the senators’ move exposed their “deep-rooted ideological prejudice” and “Cold War mentality”. “Any attempts to smear Hong Kong’s freedom and...

Events

13 h. ago CBC omits Carney’s ‘new world order’ line in spliced Beijing clip

CBC omits Carney’s ‘new world order’ line in spliced Beijing clip  Juno News

Politics

13 h. ago How US actions in Venezuela and beyond could spell opportunity for China

America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order. But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power. Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete...

Politics

13 h. ago Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029

Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029  parametric-architecture.com

Politics

13 h. ago Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025

Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025  Xinhua

Politics

14 h. ago Hyundai Is Making a Massive New Bet on China With 20 New Models

Hyundai Is Making a Massive New Bet on China With 20 New Models  Autoblog

Politics

14 h. ago Chinese, Japanese groups issue joint call for Japan to return Tang dynasty stele

Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago. The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage. Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...

Politics

15 h. ago REPOST: The Prescient Warning Behind Ottawa’s China Influence File—and Carney’s Beijing Electric Vehicle Gamble

REPOST: The Prescient Warning Behind Ottawa’s China Influence File—and Carney’s Beijing Electric Vehicle Gamble  The Bureau | Sam Cooper

Events

15 h. ago Taiwan faces possible Beijing squeeze after US quits WHO and other agencies

The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing. While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space. US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...

Politics

16 h. ago Delhi eying ‘Beijing model’? CAQM proposes doubling Metro network to combat toxic air

Delhi eying ‘Beijing model’? CAQM proposes doubling Metro network to combat toxic air  The Financial Express

Events

16 h. ago As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services. “Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...

Politics

17 h. ago Chinese man earns US$39,000 in 2 years teaching adults to ride bicycles amid surging demand

A master’s degree student in China, who has taught hundreds of adults and children to ride bicycles over the past two years and earned 270,000 yuan (US$39,000) from it, recently went viral on social media. The man, whose surname is Li, is a third-year master’s degree candidate at Shanghai University of Sport (SUP) majoring in sports education, as reported by the news outlet The Cover. Li shared that years ago, he and a friend recognised the demand for bike-riding instruction and decided to...

Politics

19 h. ago China woman, 47, shares civil servant life in Iceland, appreciates culture that respects choices

A 47-year-old Chinese woman shares her idyllic life as a civil servant in a remote town in Iceland, igniting interest and spirited discussions on social media in mainland China. The woman, known as Megan, hails from Beijing. In 2020, at the age of 42, she decided to pursue a second master’s degree in Iceland, a few years after her divorce. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and her first master’s in business computing in the UK before transferring to a new energy major at a...

Politics

19 h. ago New carrier rocket built by Beijing company fails in maiden flight

New carrier rocket built by Beijing company fails in maiden flight  China Daily

Events