5 h. ago Civilian group hosts Taiwan tabletop simulation of attack from mainland China

A think tank in Taiwan has started a two-day war game with retired US and Japanese generals to simulate the island’s defence in the event of a military attack from the Chinese mainland. The Taipei School of Economics and Political Science Foundation, which organised the tabletop exercise, said the aim was to “identify the defence issues that Taiwan urgently needs to strengthen and provide recommendations for the government”. Described as the first operational-level military simulation by a...

Events

21 h. ago Man arrested after fireworks ignited at Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars

Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of discharging fireworks at Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars. A video circulating on social media since Sunday shows a man with a braid igniting a firework at the waterfront promenade near K11 Musea. In the clip, the man was heard speaking in Mandarin, repeatedly telling the person filming to stop recording. Officers from the Yau Tsim police district arrested a 21-year-old man from mainland China in Tsim Sha Tsui on Monday afternoon, a force...

Events

25 h. ago Hibor plunge a bigger deal for stock market than Hong Kong’s property sector

Hong Kong needs all the help it can get. Since 2018, the city has suffered one shock after another, preventing a meaningful recovery from taking hold and fuelling concerns about its position as a global financial centre. As an importer of US monetary policy with an economy that is far more synchronised with that of mainland China, Hong Kong has been the biggest casualty of economic and policy divergence between the world’s two largest economies, prompting renewed questions about the suitability...

Economics

56 h. ago Hong Kong minibus operators hail arrival of over 800 drivers from mainland China

Hong Kong has brought in more than 800 minibus drivers from mainland China as part of a temporary solution to the city’s labour shortage, with operators hopeful the scheme will be extended to help plug gaps in the ageing workforce. Minibus companies made the appeal after authorities reiterated that importing labour was only a “short-term” fix and that the workers were not meant to stay in the city in the long run. The government launched the labour import scheme in 2023 for three sectors that...

Transport

68 h. ago Social media giant RedNote opens Hong Kong office, its first outside mainland

Chinese social media giant RedNote has opened an office in Hong Kong, its first outside mainland China, a move the city’s finance chief hopes will provide a boost to local businesses and the platform’s international expansion. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Saturday that he had personally invited the company, also known as Xiaohongshu, to set up a base in the city. “When I visited Shanghai at the end of last year, I made a special visit to Xiaohongshu’s headquarters,” Chan wrote on...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong’s top judge urges new senior counsels to defend rule of law

Hong Kong’s top judge has called for newly minted senior counsels to defend the rule of law when it is under threat and ensure “unimpeded” access to the city’s courts for every individual to safeguard public trust in the legal system. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, who spoke separately at the senior counsel admission ceremony on Saturday, urged the new silks to tackle three challenges facing the profession: the use of artificial intelligence, synergy with mainland China’s legal system...

Events

3 d. ago Hong Kong’s top judge urges new senior counsel to defend rule of law

Hong Kong’s top judge has called for newly minted senior counsel to defend the rule of law when it is under threat and ensure “unimpeded” access to the city’s courts for every individual to safeguard public trust in the legal system. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, who spoke separately at the senior counsel admission ceremony on Saturday, urged the new silks to tackle three challenges facing the profession: the use of artificial intelligence, synergy with mainland China’s legal system...

Events

3 d. ago Chinese chipmaker SMIC offloads stake in Ningbo unit to focus on core operations

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), mainland China’s largest contract chipmaker, has divested its entire stake in an unprofitable chip foundry operation amid a new wave of consolidation in the domestic integrated circuit (IC) industry. Shanghai-based SMIC agreed to sell its 14.83 per cent stake in Ningbo Semiconductor International (NSI) for 57.01 yuan (US$7.94) per share to semiconductor design firm Goke Microelectronics, according to the chipmaker’s filing on Thursday. The...

Politics

4 d. ago After CATL’s spark, China’s EV players bank on Hong Kong IPOs for growth funds

More than a dozen smart mobility companies from mainland China are making a beeline to raise funds in Hong Kong, capitalising on the growing appetite among global investors for the country’s unpolished industrial gems. The prospective initial public offerings (IPOs) from electric vehicle (EV) assemblers like Chery Automobile and Seres Group to autonomous driving technology providers such as Pony.ai are expected to enhance China’s leading automotive technologies on the global stage, bankers and...

Economics

4 d. ago US Senate panel passes Taiwan, mainland China overseas military growth measures

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a slate of China-focused measures on Thursday, including bipartisan bills to counter Beijing’s overseas military expansion and bolster Taiwan’s role in global finance while advancing the nomination of a former ambassador to lead US diplomacy in East Asia. The Counter Act of 2025, co-authored by Senators Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, and Pete Ricketts, Republican of Nebraska, calls on the US government to develop a strategy to respond to the...

Events

4 d. ago Hong Kong’s HKUST handling ‘several’ Harvard transfer applications

A university in Hong Kong that “opened its doors to Harvard students” has made an offer of admission to one and is handling several transfer applications after the Trump administration last month barred the US Ivy League school from enrolling international candidates, many of whom are from mainland China. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) was among the higher education institutions in the city that stepped up efforts to accommodate students affected by the US government’s...

Politics

5 d. ago EU pushes China to address ‘alarming’ rare earth export controls

The EU has urged China to stop restricting the export of rare earth minerals and magnets, with the bloc’s trade chief saying its industries are in an “alarming situation”. The request was made during a meeting between the sides’ top commerce officials in Paris on Tuesday. It comes as sectors across Europe raise the alarm about a shortage of rare earths, which are used to manufacture hi-tech goods ranging from electric cars and smartphones to military tanks and aircraft. “I informed my Chinese...

Events

5 d. ago EU Raises With China the ‘Alarming’ Rare Earth Supply Disruption

EU Raises With China the ‘Alarming’ Rare Earth Supply Disruption  Bloomberg.com

Events

7 d. ago Suspect in Hong Kong bank robbery believed to have fled to mainland China

An armed robber, who triggered a manhunt after he held a woman at knifepoint and stole HK$370,000 (US$47,180) from a Hang Seng Bank branch, is a Hongkonger and has fled across the border, the Post has learned. A source said on Tuesday that police’s elite tactical unit, the Flying Tiger, was searching for the local man, who was wearing a surgical mask and cap when he robbed the bank at Fortune City One shopping centre on Ngan Shing Street in Sha Tin the previous day. The force identified the man...

Events

7 d. ago Suspect in Hong Kong bank robbery ‘has fled to mainland China’

A robber who triggered a manhunt after he held a woman at knifepoint and stole HK$370,000 (US$47,180) from a Hang Seng Bank branch is a Hongkonger and has fled to mainland China, the Post has learned. A source said on Tuesday that police’s elite tactical unit, the Flying Tigers, was searching for the local man, who was wearing a mask and cap when he robbed the bank at the Fortune City One shopping centre on Ngan Shing Street in Sha Tin the previous day. The force identified the man shortly after...

Events

7 d. ago Suspect in Hong Kong knifepoint bank robbery ‘has fled to mainland China’

A robber who triggered a manhunt after he held a woman at knifepoint and stole HK$370,000 (US$47,180) from a Hang Seng Bank branch is a Hongkonger and has fled to mainland China, the Post has learned. A source said on Tuesday that police’s elite tactical unit, the Flying Tigers, was searching for the local man, who was wearing a mask and cap when he robbed the bank at the Fortune City One shopping centre on Ngan Shing Street in Sha Tin the previous day. The force identified the man shortly after...

Events

7 d. ago Suspect in Hong Kong knifepoint bank robbery arrested after fleeing over border

A man suspected to have robbed a Hong Kong bank with a knife and injured a female employee before making off with HK$370,000 (US$47,180) has been arrested in mainland China and is expected to be handed over to city authorities, the Post had learned. A source said the suspect was detained on the mainland and would be handed over to Hong Kong police at a land checkpoint in Shenzhen on Tuesday or Wednesday. The 49-year-old reportedly fled to his home in City One, a private estate in Sha Tin, after...

Events

7 d. ago Taiwan influencer who ate cosmetics dies, fans fear poisoning or heart attack

A young beauty products influencer in Taiwan known for niche videos in which she “consumed” cosmetics has died suddenly. Her death has sparked speculation on mainland China social media that she may have died from poisoning. The 24-year-old, known online as Guava Beauty, had gained more than 12,000 followers on one social media platform. She was well known for her sweet, youthful image and for posting creative content, including “make-up mukbang” videos. The term “mukbang” generally refers to...

Events

7 d. ago Taiwan to test kamikaze sea drone to ‘support coastal assault operations’

Taiwan is planning to test a home-made kamikaze sea drone later this month as it seeks to boost its naval defences in the face of growing pressure from mainland China. The vessel – developed under the code name “Kuai Chi Project” by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan’s top weapons developer – will undergo combat capability evaluations later this month before further tests later this year, a military source said on Monday. “If all goes according to plan,...

Events

7 d. ago Is Labubu the next Hello Kitty? Analysts debate the limits for China’s Pop Mart

Pop Mart, the company behind the hit collectible character Labubu, was virtually unknown outside mainland China before 2024, but now some analysts are comparing its success to that of Sanrio and its Hello Kitty property, suggesting that the Beijing toymaker could have created a new playbook for cultural exports. Labubu, a sharp-fanged but cute little monster that is often sold as a plush clip-on charm for handbags, has attracted high-profile fans including the family of football star David...

Politics