6 h. ago Becoming ‘princesses, princes’ in Forbidden City trending among foreign tourists visiting China

Becoming ‘princesses, princes’ in Forbidden City trending among foreign tourists visiting China  Global Times

Politics

8 h. ago US vaccine sceptics are now in charge. That’s bad news for the world

When US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr removed the vaccine advisory panel of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he framed it as a move for the “restoration of public trust”. But the implications stretch far beyond domestic politics. In dismantling one of the world’s most respected sources of vaccine expertise, the United States is not just undermining its public health, it is ceding global scientific authority to China. Trump’s elevation of figures like Pete Hegseth,...

Politics

9 h. ago Cairo calling: why Chinese factories are moving to Egypt amid the trade war

Until recently, Jiahao’s guest house in a quiet corner of Cairo was a modest pit stop for Chinese tourists on their way to visit the Egyptian pyramids. But this spring, the hostel suddenly began to attract a different kind of client. Jiahao, the hostel’s 26-year-old owner, began welcoming groups of factory owners from across China and Southeast Asia – grizzled businesspeople whose trips were not about sightseeing, but survival. “Many business owners now book week-long stays,” Jiahao said. “I...

Events

11 h. ago How a ‘Harvard International’ could boost Hong Kong as an education hub

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has invited international students worried about finishing their courses at Harvard University in the US to continue their studies at one of Hong Kong’s universities. Other universities in Malaysia and Japan have put forward similar suggestions. This comes as Hong Kong is considering how to make best use of the part of the Northern Metropolis reserved for universities to bolster its role as an education hub. That site is at the heart of our future technology...

Politics

16 h. ago Hong Kong wants an ecotourism boom, but can its parks handle more visitors?

Amy Zhang is dressed in full sportswear, with sunglasses and a lightweight hiking backpack. She is one of many visiting Hong Kong’s Dragon’s Back following the social media craze in mainland China over “in-depth travels” in the city. “The beautiful merging horizon and skyline make good photos for my friend circle on WeChat and RedNote,” the 30-year-old education worker from Hunan province said, referring to her networks on the Chinese social media platforms. “I only wish for better toilets...

Politics

19 h. ago Hong Kong virtual insurer OneDegree seeks greater Middle East growth

Hong Kong virtual insurer OneDegree is gaining ground in the Middle East and has signed 20 contracts since entering the region in 2023, according to one of its founders. In an interview on June 6, Alvin Kwock Yin-lun said the nine-year-old company was looking for additional growth in the Middle East. It has insured the digital assets of 20 out of the 34 companies licensed by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, which includes digital asset exchanges and providers of trading and custody...

Politics

19 h. ago Group tour prices from Hong Kong drop 10% as tourists opt for alternatives to Japan

Hong Kong travel agencies have launched cheaper outbound group tours this summer, driven by increased flight capacity amid a shift in tourists’ preference away from Japan due to increased earthquake concerns. Several tour operators have reported that prices for their summer group tours are either lower or have remained stable, adding that popular destinations include South Korea, Vietnam and cities in western mainland China. “Compared to last year, we see more than a 10 per cent drop in prices...

Politics

19 h. ago China zoo visitors slammed for ‘lucky’ tiger hair pulling, warned over provocation

A group of tourists who pulled out the hair of a tiger at a zoo in China, thinking it would ward off evil spirits, have sparked outrage online. On June 8, a viral video showed several visitors at a zoo in Liaoning province, northeastern China, pulling hair from the big cat’s belly and tail through a metal fence. The incident took place in a special zone where tigers often rest on top of a steel viewing tunnel. In the video, one of the tourists, a woman, is heard saying: “Let’s pull more! Tiger...

Events

32 h. ago Is this the end of summer US study trips for Chinese children?

For two decades, it was popular for many Chinese families to send their children on “study tours” overseas – most often to the United States – during the summer. The programmes generally involved summer camps jointly organised by American universities and language institutions, as well as visits to colleges, museums and tourist attractions. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, around 1.3 million Chinese students spent part of their summer holidays studying overseas, according to a report by...

Politics

32 h. ago Hong Kong’s 1980s nightlife culture dazzles again at old Club Bboss site

More than a decade after Club Bboss was closed, a new nightspot has launched on the same site where the once-glamorous establishment operated for 28 years, with the goal of attracting tourists and young revellers eager for a glimpse of Hong Kong’s 1980s clubbing heyday. The new spot – known as Big Boss Generation (BBG) – opened for business on Saturday in the old club’s 56,000 sq ft site at the New Mandarin Plaza in Tsim Sha Tsui East. It will use the former occupant’s old Chinese name, which...

Economics

33 h. ago In human rights talks, EU warns of ‘deterioration’ of basic freedoms in China

During thorny human rights talks with China on Friday, the European Union voiced concerns about what it called a “deterioration of fundamental freedoms” in the country. The EU cited “government interference” in the succession plan for the Dalai Lama, an ongoing crackdown in Hong Kong, and jailed Uygur and Tibetan activists as examples in its statement on the 40th edition of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels. The bloc accused China of “persistent restrictions on freedom of...

Events

34 h. ago Kind China pupils rush to help crashed delivery rider, pick up scattered lunchboxes

A group of school pupils in China have moved internet users by supporting an electric bicycle and picking up lunchboxes left scattered on the road after a food delivery worker crashed while working. The touching scene was filmed by a camera worn on the chest of delivery man Dong Ziheng while he was riding the electric bike in an alley in Xingtai, northern Hebei province on June 3. Dong fell off the bike as he tried to avoid hitting another electric bike coming in the opposite direction. After...

Events

35 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

36 h. ago China scenic site seeks dancing ‘savages’ for US$70 daily, requires eating raw food

A top natural scenic spot in central China has come under the spotlight for hiring people to pose as savages for tourists, and paying them 500 yuan (US$70) a day to do so. Since Shennongjia National Nature Reserve in Hubei province began recruiting on June 7 about 10,000 people have applied for the job, the scenic zone’s management company told the Beijing News on June 9. Included in the Unesco World Heritage List, the Shennongjia tour zone features primeval ecology, rich biodiversity and...

Politics

37 h. ago Why are mainland Chinese tourists posing in front of MTR stations in Hong Kong?

Surrounded by a stream of passengers on an MTR platform in Hong Kong on a regular weekday, a couple paused to pose for photos next to a station sign to mark their journey. “We took photos at most of the metro stations we visited, just to record our metro route,” said Arale, a 36-year-old tourist who was visiting the city with his wife, Qing, 37, for the first time. Recording such a visual diary is part of a popular trend on Chinese social media in which people travel around Hong Kong to take...

Politics

38 h. ago Chinese aircraft carriers’ Pacific presence sparks warnings for Philippines

The crossing of a US-designated island chain in the Western Pacific by a Chinese carrier group marks an increase in Beijing’s “operational tempo” that the Philippines should pay heed to, observers say. They warn, however, that a “delicate balance” should still be maintained to avoid any escalation amid calls for vigilance. Regional governments such as Japan and Taiwan have advised increased caution, and a former official in the Joe Biden administration has suggested formalising the so-called...

Events

43 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong to issue T3 signal between 12pm and 2pm

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal between 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are expected to intensify later. Severe Tropical Storm Wutip, the Cantonese word for “butterfly”, has entered within 800km (497 miles) of...

Events

43 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong to issue T3 signal at 12.20pm

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal at 12.20pm on Saturday, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are expected to intensify later. Severe Tropical Storm Wutip, the Cantonese word for “butterfly”, has entered within 800km (497 miles) of Hong Kong,...

Events

43 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong issues T3 signal as winds intensify

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has issued the No 3 typhoon warning signal, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are intensifying. The Hong Kong Observatory raised the alert at 12.20pm on Saturday as Severe Tropical Storm Wutip entered within 800km (497 miles) of the city. It is...

Events

45 h. ago Beijing blames Japan over close encounters with Chinese jets

Beijing blames Japan over close encounters with Chinese jets  nhk.or.jp

Politics