2 h. ago China can learn US lessons to unleash military power of civilian tech, researcher says

China can learn from the United States when it comes to applying civilian innovations to the military, a Chinese geopolitical expert has said. In an article last week, Gu Jianyi, a researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said China could consider developing a new industrial ecosystem inspired by successful US firms such as SpaceX, Palantir and Anduril. Such an ecosystem would be defined by Silicon Valley-style innovation, software-centric design, agile development and civil-military...

Events

3 h. ago Visa Power: How China is Buying its Way into America’s Heart

Visa Power: How China is Buying its Way into America’s Heart  Newsweek

Politics

24 h. ago Already a Queer Icon, Amber Glenn Is Chasing Milan Olympic Dreams Next

Already a Queer Icon, Amber Glenn Is Chasing Milan Olympic Dreams Next  Sports Illustrated

Politics

26 h. ago China Future Tech webinar | Behind Nexperia crisis and China

The recent intervention by the Dutch government to seize control of Nexperia, citing the rarely-used “Goods Availability Act”, last invoked during the Cold War, has ignited a significant escalation in tensions with Beijing. This exceptional move sparked immediate retaliation from Beijing, which imposed export controls on Nexperia’s China operations, escalating the global tech decoupling crisis. To get to the heart of the matter, SCMP is hosting the webinar “Behind the Nexperia crisis and...

Events

3 d. ago A ‘Pacific eyes’ intelligence body would offset China’s growing presence: report

Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid the alleged threat of China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank suggests. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute argued in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework...

Politics

3 d. ago Call for ‘Pacific Eyes’ intelligence body to offset China’s growing presence

Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank has suggested. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help to plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework initially consist...

Politics

3 d. ago Evangelista’s wealth under fire, Singaporeans flock to Johor: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US call centre bill threatens Philippines’ US$30 billion outsourcing boom As dusk settles over Angeles City, Justin Cunanan prepares for another long night. While the rest of the Philippines sleeps, he joins millions of his compatriots powering a global industry that is...

Events

3 d. ago Hong Kong woman, 81, loses HK$5 million to romance scammer posing as PLA officer

An 81-year-old woman in Hong Kong has lost more than HK$5 million after falling victim to an elaborate online romance scam involving a fraudster who posed as a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer from mainland China. In a post on its CyberDefender social media page on Monday, police said the woman received a WhatsApp message from a man who claimed to be a PLA officer and invited her to visit a military camp. They quickly built an online romantic relationship through frequent affectionate...

Economics

4 d. ago France hunts thieves who stole crown jewels from Louvre in daring minutes

The hunt was on Monday for the band of thieves who stole eight priceless royal pieces of jewellery from the Louvre Museum in the heart of Paris in broad daylight. Officials said a team of 60 investigators were working on the theory that Sunday’s raid was planned and executed by an organised crime group. In France, it reignited a row over the lack of security in France’s museums, which the new Interior Minister Laurent Nunez acknowledged was a “major weak spot”. The thieves arrived between 9.30am...

Politics

5 d. ago Gangs in China exploiting US gift cards to move stolen cash, DHS says

Gift cards, one of the most basic financial products in the US retail market, have become the backbone of a billion-dollar criminal economy that investigators say is moving American money into China. Homeland Security Investigations agents say Chinese organised-crime groups have built a laundering network that uses US retailers, mobile wallets and cryptocurrency to steal and export wealth. Operatives inside the US drain compromised gift cards, buy high-value goods such as iPhones and laptops,...

Events

6 d. ago Viral China parents celebrate son’s slim exam pass, value boy’s happiness

A video of parents from eastern China celebrating their son’s exam results after he got just one point above a pass has gone viral online. Unlike the typical Chinese “tiger parenting” style, the father prioritised his child’s health and happiness over perfection. The clip shows a mother entering a house with three children, holding an exam paper and smiling broadly. She excitedly tells her husband, who is lying on the couch: “Our son scored 61 out of 100; he passed the monthly maths exam.” The...

Politics

6 d. ago Man found dead by hiker 200 metres from summit of Hong Kong’s iconic Lion Rock

A man was found dead about 200 metres from the summit of Hong Kong’s iconic Lion Rock on Saturday morning, police said. Police received a report at 10am on Saturday from a hiker, who had spotted the man collapsed in a mountain area near the popular peak. Responders from the Government Flying Service and the Fire Services Department arrived at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead. His body was later airlifted by helicopter to the Government Flying Service headquarters in Chek Lap...

Politics

6 d. ago Man found dead by hiker 200 metres from summit of Hong Kong’s Lion Rock

A man was found dead about 200 metres from the summit of Hong Kong’s Lion Rock on Saturday morning, police said. Police received a report at 10am on Saturday from a hiker, who had spotted the man had collapsed in a mountain area near the popular peak. Responders from the Government Flying Service and the Fire Services Department arrived at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead. His body was later airlifted by helicopter to the Government Flying Service headquarters in Chek Lap Kok. Earlier...

Politics

7 d. ago China’s new carrier takes shape, missing Filipino helpers found: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Images of hull sections suggest progress on China’s fourth aircraft carrier China appears to be making progress on its fourth aircraft carrier at a shipyard in the country’s northeast, according to satellite images, another key part...

Events

7 d. ago China shuns US software for documents, Tim Cook boosts iPhone Air: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Images of hull sections suggest progress on China’s fourth aircraft carrier China appears to be making progress on its fourth aircraft carrier at a shipyard in the country’s northeast, according to satellite images, another key part...

Society

7 d. ago Nuclear fusion: could China be first to harness the energy that powers the sun?

At a laboratory in northern China, less than an hour away from Beijing, a team of scientists is working on a new technology with huge potential as a clean energy source: nuclear fusion. The spacious ENN Group campus in Langfang, Hebei province, is home to a cluster of experimental facilities. At its heart is a spherical device called the EXL-50U – a compact tokamak that uses a magnetic field to confine charged gas, or plasma, to fuse hydrogen nuclei. On the day the South China Morning Post...

Events

7 d. ago Race for the stars: will China be first to deliver fusion energy by 2035?

At a laboratory in northern China, less than an hour away from Beijing, a team of scientists is working on a new technology with huge potential as a clean energy source: nuclear fusion. The spacious ENN Group campus in Langfang, Hebei province, is home to a cluster of experimental facilities. At its heart is a spherical device called the EXL-50U – a compact tokamak that uses a magnetic field to confine charged gas, or plasma, to fuse hydrogen nuclei. On the day the South China Morning Post...

Science

7 d. ago 2 missing Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong found after 12 days

A pair of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong who had gone missing for nearly two weeks have been found in the city, the Post learned on Thursday. Sources said Aleli Perez Tibay, 33, and Imee Mahilum Pabuaya, 24, were found in Sha Tin. They had been spotted in Lei Muk Shue Estate in Tsuen Wan on October 8, four days after being seen on the Lung Mun Country Trail in the area. Speaking to the Post earlier from the Philippines, Irene Pabuaya, the elder sister of one of the previously missing...

Events

7 d. ago Missing Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong found, refuse to say where they hid

Two Filipino domestic helpers have refused to reveal to Hong Kong police where they had been hiding during a two-week search by authorities after being found, the Post has learned. Sources said Aleli Perez Tibay, 33, and Imee Mahilum Pabuaya, 24, were spotted in a restaurant at Sui Wo Court in Shatin on Thursday around 9pm by a Filipino passer-by, who called the police. The helpers had been seen in Lei Muk Shue Estate in Tsuen Wan on October 8, four days after being seen on the Lung Mun Country...

Events

7 d. ago Filipino helpers found after search in Hong Kong fired, face being sent home

Two Filipino domestic helpers who were found by Hong Kong police after going missing for two weeks have been fired and face being sent back to their country, Philippine authorities have said. While the search for Aleli Perez Tibay, 33, and Imee Mahilum Pabuaya, 24, was over, questions about their disappearance remained as they had refused to tell police where they were for the past two weeks, sources told the Post on Friday. Some members of the public have questioned whether the pair should be...

Events