3 h. ago How Chinese ritual uses unboiled egg balancing on mirror or knife to detect spirit possession

Traditional Chinese folk superstition sees some families seek help from “egg-standing exorcists” who try to balance raw eggs on mirrors or kitchen knives to detect spirit possession. If the egg manages to stand upright, legend has it that a wandering spirit has taken over the person’s body. Traditionally, a superstition known as Cai Zhuang Ke, which is often referred to as “spirit possession”, is used to determine whether a sudden illness or extreme lethargy is caused by a wandering spirit or...

Politics

11 h. ago ‘Smart move,’ it’ll be easier for Canadians to travel to China, here’s how people are reacting

‘Smart move,’ it’ll be easier for Canadians to travel to China, here’s how people are reacting  NOW Toronto

Politics

13 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

14 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

15 h. ago PyroJam 2026 Moves To China After Venue Denial, U.S. Return Planned For 2027

PyroJam 2026 Moves To China After Venue Denial, U.S. Return Planned For 2027  The BayNet

Politics

17 h. ago South Korea’s AI revolution is forcing a US–China balancing act

South Korea’s AI revolution is forcing a US–China balancing act  East Asia Forum

Politics

27 h. ago Unaware of owner’s death, China dog waits daily in corridor for his return, moves many

Unaware of owner’s death, China dog waits daily in corridor for his return, moves many  South China Morning Post

Events

29 h. ago Man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of San Francisco Thai grandfather

A man has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of an older Thai man whose 2021 killing in San Francisco helped spark a national movement against anti-Asian-American violence. A jury did not find Antoine Watson, 24, guilty of murder when it returned a verdict on Thursday for the January 2021 attack on Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84. Jurors found Watson guilty on the lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter and assault. The office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins...

Politics

31 h. ago Canada strikes tariff deal with China as global trade moves further from U.S.

Canada strikes tariff deal with China as global trade moves further from U.S.  CBC

Economics

41 h. ago Japan protests China's latest resource development move in East China Sea

Japan protests China's latest resource development move in East China Sea  Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS

Events

41 h. ago BREAKING NEWS: Japan protests China's latest resource development move in East China Sea

BREAKING NEWS: Japan protests China's latest resource development move in East China Sea  Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS

Events

42 h. ago Philippines, France near defence pact to boost ‘operational intimacy’ in contested waters

A visiting forces military deal to be signed between the Philippines and France has put the focus on “operational intimacy”, with observers noting that Paris has a presence in the Indo-Pacific and would serve Manila’s interests well in the contested waters of the South China Sea. The term was coined by Associated Press correspondent Jim Gomez and confirmed by French Ambassador to Manila Marie Fontanel during a freewheeling discussion on Tuesday at her residence. In a bid to balance the...

Culture

43 h. ago Canada to remove 100% tariffs on Chinese EV imports: prime minister

Canada will remove the additional 100 per cent in tariffs it had imposed on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday during a state visit in Beijing. In place of the higher duties, Carney said, Canada will cap import volume and retain a standard tariff rate of 6.1 per cent to shipments within the 49,000-unit limit. Canada’s additional tariffs, covering all EVs made in China, took effect in October 2024, following a similar move from the United States. “In...

Politics

43 h. ago Canada, China hit reset button on relations with tariff agreement

China and Canada have agreed to remove the triple-digit tariffs imposed on each other’s imports – a major thaw in relations after years of icy diplomatic and trade ties – as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrapped up his state visit in Beijing. Canada will remove the additional 100 per cent in tariffs it had levied on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports – imposed in 2024 following a similar move from the United States – while China will lower its tariffs on Canadian canola, Carney said on...

Events

49 h. ago Hong Kong temperatures to fall to 12 degrees next week as winter monsoon arrives

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to sharply dip to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday next week as a cold front moves through the city midweek. The Hong Kong Observatory said the fine and relatively warm weather on Friday, brought by a dry northeast monsoon,...

Politics

51 h. ago Japan ramen eatery bans ‘troublesome’ China customers, charges a lot more for English menu

A Japanese ramen restaurant has ignited controversy by slapping a ban on Chinese customers, accusing them of being troublemakers. Iekei restaurant in the Western city of Osaka announced on social media on January 4 that it had banned all Chinese people. It said a Chinese person had caused trouble in the restaurant, forcing it to call the police. The post said 90 per cent of the trouble it has with foreigners involves Chinese customers. The move triggered controversy and accusations of racism....

Economics

52 h. ago China pushes slow bull run with tightened margin financing rules to fight overheating

China’s move to raise margin requirements for leveraged stock trading signalled regulators’ push to steer clear of boom-and-bust cycles, while strengthening the stock market’s role in funding the country’s tech self-sufficiency efforts, according to analysts. “The signal from regulators was crystal-clear: guide the market towards a stable transition to a slow bull run,” said Wang Jun, a strategist at BOC International in Shanghai. “Investors should reduce their leverage levels to guard against...

Politics

53 h. ago Trump’s Moves on Venezuela and Greenland Follow the Same Strategy, Says Chinese Scholar

Trump’s Moves on Venezuela and Greenland Follow the Same Strategy, Says Chinese Scholar  The China-Global South Project

Politics

53 h. ago Brazil judge orders ‘immediate’ transfer of Bolsonaro to a better

A Brazilian judge on Thursday ordered the immediate transfer of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro to a prison with “more favourable” conditions. The 70-year-old former leader will move to a special detention unit with a kitchen, private outdoor area and a double bed at a prison complex in the capital Brasilia, according to a ruling seen by Agence France-Presse. Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted Bolsonaro last year of plotting a coup to cling to power following his narrow 2022 re-election...

Events

55 h. ago Why China’s next development priority must be secondary education

If you were asked which middle-income country has one of the lowest levels of educational attainment, very few would say China. We continually hear stories about mass university expansion, record numbers of annual graduates and elite institutions that rank among the world’s best. Despite these impressive strides, gaps in education remain a large roadblock for China’s further economic development. The country remains largely undereducated for its level of economic development: only about 31 per...

Politics