15 h. ago Singapore organisers in limbo over work visa ban on foreign performers

For about two years, six nights a week, performers from mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia have entertained hundreds of guests at the HaveFun Live Show in Singapore, but its organisers are now in a fix ahead of coming work permit changes. On Monday, the manpower ministry announced that a scheme allowing foreign performers a work permit of up to six months at public entertainment outlets in Singapore would cease in June after enforcement operations uncovered syndicates abusing the scheme. A...

Politics

23 h. ago Japan moves to ease tensions; China’s reusable rocket: SCMP’s weekly roundup

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. Japan’s Sanae Takaichi moves to ease weeks of tensions with China over the Taiwan Strait After weeks of turmoil in relations with China, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sought to dial down tensions with Beijing over a...

Events

23 h. ago Chinese boy lost after US detention, helper’s last call in fire: weekly roundup

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. Japan’s Sanae Takaichi moves to ease weeks of tensions with China over the Taiwan Strait After weeks of turmoil in relations with China, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sought to dial down tensions with Beijing over a...

Events

27 h. ago End of an era: Japan’s Canon shuts China printer plant as local rivals rise

Japanese imaging technology giant Canon has shut down one of its major printer production facilities in mainland China, underscoring the growing clout of domestic brands in the country’s printing market. A visit on Thursday by the Post to Canon Zhongshan Business Machines, in Zhongshan city in the southern Guangdong province, revealed little activity. The car park was nearly empty, while a dozen employees strolled outside the office building. A worker said production had halted late last month,...

Politics

42 h. ago Mainland China's billionaire count surges as BYD and Mixue bosses power wealth gains

Mainland China's billionaire count surges as BYD and Mixue bosses power wealth gains  Yahoo Finance

Economics

43 h. ago Mainland China’s billionaire count surges as BYD and Mixue bosses power gains

Mainland China’s billionaires have tightened their grip as Asia-Pacific’s wealthiest after their combined fortunes swelled to nearly US$1.8 trillion, with electric-vehicle (EV) maker BYD’s founder Wang Chuanfu and bubble tea chain Mixue’s bosses among the biggest drivers of that growth, according to a UBS report. Backed by a booming tech sector and surging asset prices, the wealth of mainland China’s billionaires jumped 22.2 per cent year on year to US$1.77 trillion in the 12 months to early...

Economics

54 h. ago Bessent calls Beijing an ‘ally’ after Trump signs bill on ties with Taiwan

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday described the United States as an ally to both mainland China and Taiwan, while at the same time asserting that its relationships have not shifted, hours after US President Donald Trump enacted legislation deepening US ties with the self-governed island. Asked about concerns among some in Washington about the Trump administration’s approach to the long-held policy of strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan issue at The New York Times DealBook Summit,...

Politics

64 h. ago Foreign Firm Numbers Continue to Fall in Mainland China, Ministry of Justice Report Says

Foreign Firm Numbers Continue to Fall in Mainland China, Ministry of Justice Report Says  Law.com

Politics

65 h. ago French football legend Zidane plays shuttlecock with China aunties, delights fans

French football legend Zinedine Zidane has delighted Chinese internet users by joining local residents in Shanghai to play shuttlecock in the street. Videos of Zidane, 53, a newcomer to the sport, played the game skilfully with some middle-aged Shanghai residents, most of whom were middle-aged women who are commonly referred to as “aunties” in mainland China. Clips of the former star have gone viral on mainland social media, according to a report by Jimu News. Zidane, who has been named The Best...

Sport

3 d. ago Beijing woos foreign firms as China seeks bigger role in global shipbuilding supply chain

Beijing is extending an olive branch to overseas companies as it seeks to build a more integrated global supply chain for the shipbuilding industry, in its latest push to project goodwill and support free trade. Gao Dongsheng, chief economist at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), said on Tuesday that China was committed to further opening up its shipbuilding sector. Mainland shipyards, which currently have a capacity to build about 65 million deadweight tonnes of large...

Politics

4 d. ago Mainland China public donations for Hong Kong fire relief top HK$80 million

Hong Kong has received a wave of compassion from mainland China over the deadly fire in Tai Po, the city’s worst in decades, with public donations from across the border exceeding HK$80 million (US$10.27 million). The China Social Welfare Foundation announced that donations from 1. 7 million residents on the mainland had exceeded 76 million yuan (US$10.74 million) or about HK$83.5 million, as of Sunday. Many donors also contributed to the Hong Kong government’s relief fund and local charities,...

Economics

4 d. ago Firefighters in Hong Kong? This video was shot in Chile in 2024

With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. A 16-second clip was shared on Facebook on Thursday and has amassed more than 200,000 views. “Firefighters’ first person perspective. A tribute to firefighters #HongKongFire #FireRescue #Firefighters,” the post’s Chinese caption reads. The video...

Events

5 d. ago Does tokenisation in China risk a repeat of the P2P lending crisis?

The rapid rise of tokenisation risks repeating China’s earlier boom-and-bust cycle in peer-to-peer lending unless clear industry standards are established to ensure discipline and innovation, according to a senior Chinese asset manager. Some multilevel marketing companies in mainland China have already started holding meetings discussing real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation projects over the past year, raising “genuine concerns” that the nascent industry might be heading towards a...

Events

6 d. ago Beijing launches nationwide fire safety drive in wake of deadly Hong Kong blaze

Authorities in mainland China have launched a nationwide campaign to eliminate fire hazards in high-rise buildings, days after Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades tore through a residential complex – claiming at least 128 lives. The Work Safety Committee of the State Council, China’s cabinet, announced the sweeping drive in a notice on Saturday, according to state media. The notice pledged to “identify and rectify” fire risks across high-rise residential and public-use buildings, from tower...

Events

7 d. ago Shanghai to shore up manufacturing while eyeing global financial status

Shanghai, mainland China’s top finance and trade hub, is set to double down on efforts to prevent the “hollowing out” of its manufacturing sector even as it pursues global financial centre status. The city’s next five-year plan, which will cover the period from 2026 to 2030, is expected to contain measures designed to lift manufacturing’s share of gross domestic product to no less than 25 per cent, in line with a national imperative to bolster the real economy and promote cutting-edge...

Economics

8 d. ago Omdia: Mainland China’s Cloud Infrastructure Market Returns to Over 20% Growth in Q2 2025

Omdia: Mainland China’s Cloud Infrastructure Market Returns to Over 20% Growth in Q2 2025  Yahoo Finance

Politics

8 d. ago Chinese EV makers step on gas abroad amid weakening mainland sales

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) builders are increasingly shipping their cars abroad to spur international sales ahead of an expected downturn in their home market, analysts say, as Beijing phases out incentives such as tax holidays and cash subsidies. The carmakers, which can enjoy a net margin of 20,000 yuan (US$706) per vehicle by selling their cars outside mainland China, are rolling out more models and pushing into untapped territories to chase high profitability. Stellantis-backed Leapmotor,...

Politics

8 d. ago This Popular Cruise Line Started Sailing To Mainland China And I Went Along For The Ride

This Popular Cruise Line Started Sailing To Mainland China And I Went Along For The Ride  Travel and Leisure Asia

Politics

9 d. ago Joy City’s Hong Kong exit throws mainland China’s property strains into relief

Joy City’s Hong Kong exit throws mainland China’s property strains into relief  South China Morning Post

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong kindergarten moves Japan study tour to mainland China as row deepens

A Hong Kong private kindergarten operator has changed the destination of a study tour from Tokyo to Chengdu, citing a government warning issued amid escalating tensions between China and Japan. A notice from Victoria Educational Organisation, which runs eight campuses of kindergartens and nurseries in the city, and its parent-teacher association was circulated online, revealing the announcement that was later confirmed by the Post on Tuesday. “In light of the recent advisory from the [Hong Kong...

Politics