2 h. ago Hong Kong restaurants may start testing alternatives to plastics in next 2 months

Hong Kong restaurants may start testing alternatives to certain single-use plastics for items such as food containers in the next two months, the environment minister has said, as the government gauges the business sector’s feedback before expanding the scope of a ban. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Saturday gave the update on the second phase of the government’s plan to rid the city of disposable plastic items, after the first stage was introduced in April last year. “We...

Politics

5 h. ago Hong Kong Instagram influencer pleads for release of father arrested in Cambodia

A Hong Kong-based Instagram influencer has written an open letter to Cambodia’s prime minister, calling for the immediate release of her father, who needs urgent medical care. Stephanie Cheng, also known as Laparasian on Instagram, posted a copy of the letter in English, French and Chinese on her social media early Saturday morning. In a separate post the previous day, the influencer said that her father, Cheng Chi-gian, a French citizen, had been “kidnapped in Phnom Penh just before exposing a...

Events

8 h. ago ‘Probe under way on whether Beijing will take over collusion case in Hong Kong’

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong conducted its first publicly known joint operation with the city’s police to determine whether a suspected collusion case is complex to the extent that it requires mainland China to take over, the security minister has revealed. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that no arrests had been made so far, adding it would require the central government’s approval if the case were to be handed over. His remarks were made after the...

Politics

8 h. ago Authorities still studying if Hong Kong collusion case needs to be handled by Beijing

Beijing and Hong Kong are investigating the complexity of a suspected collusion case to determine whether mainland China needs to take over, security minister has said, in what may become a precedent for the central government to exercise its jurisdiction over such matters. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that authorities were gathering information to ascertain if Article 55 of the national security law, which applies to complicated and severe cases, should be...

Events

20 h. ago Chinese AI outfits smuggling suitcases full of hard drives to evade U.S. chip restrictions — training AI models in Malaysia using rented servers

Chinese AI outfits smuggling suitcases full of hard drives to evade U.S. chip restrictions — training AI models in Malaysia using rented servers  Tom's Hardware

Politics

23 h. ago Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on June 13, 2025

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on June 13, 2025  mfa.gov.cn

Politics

25 h. ago China and India to work to bring back direct flights between two countries

China and India have agreed to work towards the resumption of direct flights and take other moves to boost exchanges as the latest step in their efforts to stabilise relations. The measures were announced after Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri held talks with Chinese foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong, who was on a two-day visit to India. New Delhi’s statement released on Friday said the two sides had reviewed developments since their last meeting in January and “agreed to continue to...

Politics

26 h. ago China calls on Niger to tackle disputes with energy firms through dialogue

Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Niger’s junta government to resolve disputes with Chinese energy companies operating in the West African nation through dialogue. Wang made the remarks during talks with his Nigerien counterpart Bakary Yaou Sangaré in the central Chinese city of Changsha on Wednesday. “The two sides should properly handle the differences and problems encountered in cooperation through dialogue,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout of the meeting, which...

Politics

28 h. ago China steps up global aviation expansion as Comac bids for Laos carrier

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has reportedly bid to take a majority stake in the flag carrier of Laos, as the state-owned Chinese aviation firm continues its push to expand its market in Southeast Asia. The deal – which is pending approval by the Lao authorities – would see Comac help Lao Airlines overhaul its operations and stem its losses in exchange for the carrier agreeing to use the Chinese company’s passenger jets, Vientiane Times quoted Prime Minister Sonexay...

Politics

30 h. ago ‘Important step’: fatal crashes prompt Malaysia to curb speeding lorries, buses

Malaysia will require owners of lorries and buses to install a device that prevents vehicles from going faster than 90km/h, after a spate of fatal road accidents, including a bus crash on Monday that killed 15 university students. Malaysia’s roads are among some of the world’s most dangerous, with one person dying every two hours according to government statistics between March 2024 and March 2025. Lorries and buses routinely flout the speed limit of 90km/h, and high-speed collisions are common...

Events

34 h. ago Embassy urges Chinese in Iran to stay alert after Israeli airstrikes, explosions

The Chinese embassy in Tehran called Iran’s latest security situation “severe and complicated” following Israel’s military strikes early on Friday, while also warning its citizens and businesses to monitor the situation and take precautions. “The embassy in Iran reminds Chinese citizens and businesses in the country to closely monitor the situation, enhance their safety awareness, and strengthen security measures,” it said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed...

Events

34 h. ago China warns of fallout from Israel’s strikes on Iran, eyes role in easing crisis

Beijing has voiced “grave concern” over the potential fallout from Israeli strikes on Iran and urged all sides to prevent further escalation, while diplomatic observers highlighted China’s potential in coordinating with stakeholders and brokering a ceasefire. At a regular press briefing on Friday, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that China firmly opposed any violations of Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, as well as actions that “escalate the tension”. “The sudden...

Events

36 h. ago Japan warns of collision risks after Chinese fighter jet manoeuvres

Japan has expressed serious concerns to Beijing through diplomatic and defence channels after a Chinese fighter jet from the aircraft carrier Shandong made “abnormal approaches” to a Japanese patrol aircraft over the Pacific Ocean. In a statement, Tokyo’s defence ministry said a J-15 fighter shadowed its P-3C patrol aircraft operating over the Pacific for about 40 minutes from 10.30am on Saturday and again for around 80 minutes from 2pm on Sunday. The ministry said the Chinese fighter approached...

Events

47 h. ago Former Anwar aide acquitted of drug and firearms charges, claims persecution

A former aide who accused Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of sexual misconduct has claimed he is a victim of political persecution, after a court in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday acquitted him of drug and firearms charges. Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, who made headlines in 2019 with allegations against the then-opposition leader, was charged last year with possession of over 300g of cannabis and two imitation firearms. The items were found in his car outside a police station in September...

Events

50 h. ago China to remove tariffs on nearly all goods from Africa as both criticise US

Twenty more African countries, mostly from the continent’s middle-income nations, are set to gain access to the world’s largest consumer market duty-free as Beijing plans to remove tariffs for all products from every African nation except eSwatini. The measure was announced as African ministers joined Beijing at a meeting in central China affiliated with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Amid the tariff war, representatives from China and African nations accused the United States of...

Politics

56 h. ago Jack Ma replies to Alibaba employee’s letter lamenting ‘company disease’

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group Holding, responded to the resignation letter of a long-term employee on Tuesday, a rare move for the tech veteran who stepped back from all corporate roles in 2019. In a response published on Alibaba’s internal website, Ma addressed the concerns raised by a 15-year employee, who criticised the “big company disease” afflicting the Chinese e-commerce giant in an extensive internal letter. The employee, a product development leader on the team responsible for...

Politics

58 h. ago Chinese astronomers recorded details of dying star’s explosion in 1408: study

Just after sunset on an October evening in 1408, six years into the reign of the Ming dynasty’s Emperor Yongle, Chinese court astronomers spotted a mysterious new star glowing high in the southern sky, near the heart of the Milky Way. “It was about the size of a cup-shaped oil lamp, with a pure yellow colour, smooth and bright,” according to Hanlin Academy scholar Hu Guang, in a formal report to the emperor that interpreted its appearance as a heavenly endorsement. “We, your ministers, have...

Events

3 d. ago China ‘respects Panama Canal neutrality’ as CK Hutchison ports deal looms

China’s foreign ministry has said it respects Panama’s sovereignty and recognises its canal as a neutral international waterway, after the head of the strategic channel warned that the CK Hutchison ports deal could jeopardise its impartiality. Panama Canal Authority administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said in an interview published on Tuesday that the US$23 billion deal between CK Hutchison Holdings and a consortium led by BlackRock and MSC could result in a concentration of operators that would be...

Politics

3 d. ago China ‘respects Panama Canal neutrality’ amid warning over CK Hutchison deal

China’s foreign ministry has said it respects Panama’s sovereignty and recognises its canal as a neutral international waterway, after the head of the strategic channel warned that the CK Hutchison ports deal could jeopardise its impartiality. Panama Canal Authority administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said in an interview published on Tuesday that CK Hutchison Holdings’ US$23 billion deal to sell its overseas ports to a consortium led by US investment giant BlackRock and shipping firm MSC could...

Events

3 d. ago Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on June 11, 2025

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on June 11, 2025  fmprc.gov.cn

Politics