4 h. ago ‘Any time, any place’: Philippine army to be deployed to South China Sea islands

A senior Philippine military official has revealed a soon-to-be-deployed strategy that would involve an army contingent to support law enforcement units on occupied islands in the South China Sea. Observers said the strategy would align with Manila’s policy shift from an internal to external defence posture aimed at protecting the country’s territorial waters. One expert, however, warned that it could lead to more aggressive moves by the Chinese navy and coastguard if Beijing were to view...

Politics

26 h. ago Nvidia CEO says Huawei has everyone ‘covered’ if US chip ban on China stays

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said his company’s technology remained a generation ahead of those developed by China, but warned that Huawei Technologies was in a position to expand its semiconductor business should US chip export curbs stay in place. In an interview with US broadcaster CNBC on Thursday, Huang appeared to echo recent published remarks made by Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, who said the Chinese company’s Ascend artificial intelligence (AI) processors lagged behind...

Politics

51 h. ago Huawei founder sheds light on China’s strategy to overcome US curbs

Recent comments from Huawei Technologies founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei regarding US chip restrictions have shed light on China’s strategies to overcome Washington’s sanctions, according to analysts. In a front-page interview published on Tuesday by the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, the 80-year-old Ren expressed confidence that there was no need to worry about China’s access to advanced chips, asserting that the nation could achieve computing capabilities comparable to the...

Politics

3 d. ago Megaquake scare in Japan, Philippines boosts air power: 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. Japan on alert as Hokkaido tremors reignite megaquake fears A string of moderate earthquakes off the coast of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido has reignited concerns among experts and residents about the risk of a catastrophic seismic event – though scientists stress...

Politics

4 d. ago John Lee exclusive interview, Chinese rethink UK degrees: 5 weekend reads

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Don’t kill your successful DNA’: Hong Kong’s John Lee on tariffs, trade war 2. ‘It’s too much’: Chinese students reconsider UK degrees as policies harden 3. Loitering with intent: Beijing’s new silent South China Sea strategy? 4. Japan grows restless for next-gen fighter jets as progress with...

Politics

5 d. ago ‘Cannibalised by Aukus’: is Australia risking its defence for future submarines?

Since the end of World War II, Australia has repeatedly revised its defence strategy in anticipation of evolving threats. For more than 15 years, China’s rise has been viewed with growing trepidation, and since 2020, Australians have been warned they face their most precarious strategic outlook for nearly a century. Yet despite the warnings and numerous white papers, observers say Australia remains alarmingly underprepared for conflict, with the country’s political class often criticised as more...

Events

6 d. ago Loitering with intent: Beijing’s new silent South China Sea strategy?

When a Chinese coastguard vessel appeared off the coast of Zambales province in late May, it didn’t fire a shot or issue a threat. Instead, it lingered – uninvited, silent and unmoving. To analysts in Manila, the message was loud and clear: Beijing was testing new tactics in the South China Sea, one quiet incursion at a time. The coastguard vessel was detected roughly 76 nautical miles (140km) off Palauig Point – well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and about 220km southeast of...

Politics

7 d. ago Chinese student’s Harvard speech, Hokkaido tremors spark worry: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage 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. Harvard speech sparks China debate on elite education access, privilege Emotional remarks by a Chinese student who delivered this year’s Harvard University commencement speech have sparked a debate in China about barriers to elite education. 2. Military mishap risks rise with...

Politics

7 d. ago Singapore’s 1880 shuts in Hong Kong, Japanese men on staying young: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage 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. Harvard speech sparks China debate on elite education access, privilege Emotional remarks by a Chinese student who delivered this year’s Harvard University commencement speech have sparked a debate in China about barriers to elite education. 2. Military mishap risks rise with...

Politics

8 d. ago China hopes to power AI boom with green energy in new data centre strategy

To fuel its growing AI sector and computing prowess, China is integrating the development of power-hungry data centres into its national energy strategy. Under a new action plan released on Wednesday, Beijing would coordinate data centre planning with energy infrastructure in areas and regions rich in new energy resources, to meet the surging electricity demands of high-performance computing facilities. “We will focus on national hub nodes and resource-abundant non-hub regions such as Qinghai,...

Politics

8 d. ago Chinese study reveals how birds beat dinosaurs in conquering the sky

Dinosaur feathers found trapped in Burmese amber have shed new light on the evolution of flight feathers, an essential step that allowed early birds to surpass their dinosaur relatives in conquering the skies, a Chinese study has found. Through a detailed structural study of feathers dating back 99 million years to the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years), the researchers were able to gain insight into how feathers evolved during this era. “Feathers are critical for the flight of birds,”...

Politics

8 d. ago China’s scientists unlock secrets of how early birds conquered the skies

Dinosaur feathers found trapped in Burmese amber have shed new light on the evolution of flight feathers, an essential step that allowed early birds to surpass their dinosaur relatives in conquering the skies, a Chinese study has found. Through a detailed structural study of feathers dating back 99 million years to the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years), the researchers were able to gain insight into how feathers evolved during this era. “Feathers are critical for the flight of birds,”...

Politics

1 week ago Bridgewater Taps China’s Wealthy With a 21% Return Asia Strategy

Bridgewater Taps China’s Wealthy With a 21% Return Asia Strategy  Bloomberg

Politics

1 week ago Musk’s alleged Japan child, ‘Trump and Lee Kuan Yew similar’: 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. Elon Musk’s alleged child with Japanese pop star sparks online storm in Japan 2. Meet India’s answer to Pakistan’s Chinese jets: the AMCA stealth fighter 3. Trump and Lee Kuan Yew similar in ‘common sense’ approach: Pete Hegseth 4. ‘I’m sad’: Blackpink fans in...

Politics

1 week ago China’s courtroom espionage strategy demands a federal response

China’s courtroom espionage strategy demands a federal response  The Hill

Events

2 w. ago US military personnel in Taiwan, paraglider cheating death: 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. US’ 500 military personnel in Taiwan an ‘open test’ of Beijing’s red lines Washington’s disclosure that around 500 US military personnel are stationed in Taiwan signals more open and substantial defence support for the island – a...

Events

2 w. ago How China’s maritime strategy is swapping force for research diplomacy

The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint in geopolitical tensions, but beneath its contested surface lies one of the planet’s most scientifically compelling marine frontiers. Home to an array of deep-sea ecosystems, hydrothermal vents, underwater mountain ranges and vast coral reef systems, the region is increasingly recognised as a natural laboratory for cutting-edge oceanographic research. Climate change, biodiversity loss and overexploitation are putting mounting pressure on marine...

Politics

2 w. ago Opinion | How China’s maritime strategy is swapping force for research diplomacy

Opinion | How China’s maritime strategy is swapping force for research diplomacy  South China Morning Post

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Signature tactics’: why Trump may change his China strategy after tariff pause

Beijing should be ready for Washington to adopt alternative pressure tactics in future tariff negotiations, according to a renowned Chinese scholar who noted that the Trump administration had recognised the limitations of imposing heavy tariffs. Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that while US President Donald Trump might continue using tariffs as a negotiating tool, he was likely to show more restraint after seeing their mixed...

Politics

2 w. ago Archaeological Dig Sheds New Light on the Other Great Wall of China

Archaeological Dig Sheds New Light on the Other Great Wall of China  Gizmodo

Politics