37 m. ago Hotel conversions gain traction in China’s office market amid high vacancies

More economy and mid-range hotel operators in China are leasing office buildings for conversion to guest accommodation, and such flexible, mixed-use approaches are expected to increase amid a continued weakening of the office market. In some Chinese cities, the practice of multiple hotel brands co-leasing separate floors within a single building has become more prevalent, fuelled by interest from both property owners and hotel operators. In Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang...

Society

67 m. ago Mainland Chinese buyers pour US$2 billion into Hong Kong super

After several subdued years, 2025 marked a turning point for demand in Hong Kong’s most prestigious housing enclaves, as mainland buyers streamed back into scarce ultra-luxury homes once prices stabilised and transaction momentum rolled into the new year. That shift was most visible in The Peak and Southern district – two low-density, ultra-wealthy neighbourhoods on opposite ends of Hong Kong Island. Mainland purchasers bought about HK$16 billion (US$2.05 billion) worth of homes in the areas in...

Economics

2 h. ago Viral bullying clips, mass murder threat sound alarm in Japan over school violence

Recent viral clips in Japan of bullying, including one which later led to a mass murder revenge threat, have sparked concerns in the country about school violence. The latest case centres on an email message sent to the board of education in Oita city, in Kyushu, at 11pm on January 11 warning of an imminent attack. “On Thursday, January 15, I will intrude into the junior high school where the bullying video spread, together with several accomplices, and carry out a mass killing of students and...

Events

2 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

9 h. ago Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms

Britain’s China dilemma: Opposition protests Beijing's 'mega embassy' as decision deadline looms  Firstpost

Events

11 h. ago Canada wants to be 1st in North America to build EV with Chinese knowledge: senior official

Canada wants to be 1st in North America to build EV with Chinese knowledge: senior official  CBC

Politics

11 h. ago Book Scene: Finding light in gig work: “I Deliver Parcels in Beijing”

Book Scene: Finding light in gig work: “I Deliver Parcels in Beijing”  Yakima Herald-Republic

Culture

12 h. ago How concept of building community with shared future for humanity brings Chinese solutions to global governance

How concept of building community with shared future for humanity brings Chinese solutions to global governance  news.cgtn.com

Politics

12 h. ago 2 Hong Kong pupils take top prizes in first global youth storytelling competition

Two Hong Kong students secured championship titles on Saturday in the first storytelling competition for global youth, delivering impassioned speeches on education and AI before an audience of about 100 people. Vanessa Jane Wong, a Form Four pupil from the Independent Schools Foundation Academy, won the top award in the senior category, while Wan Ruixi, a Form Two student from Hong Kong University Graduate Association College, took the junior prize. Organised by the South China Morning Post and...

Politics

12 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

12 h. ago Cheap Chinese EVs Are Coming To Canada. Not Everyone Is Happy About It

Cheap Chinese EVs Are Coming To Canada. Not Everyone Is Happy About It  InsideEVs

Politics

13 h. ago CBC omits Carney’s ‘new world order’ line in spliced Beijing clip

CBC omits Carney’s ‘new world order’ line in spliced Beijing clip  Juno News

Politics

13 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

13 h. ago Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029

Snøhetta and BIAD Break Ground on Beijing Art Museum, Set to Open in 2029  parametric-architecture.com

Politics

14 h. ago Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025

Beijing's performance arts market reports record high revenue in 2025  Xinhua

Politics

15 h. ago Chinese, Japanese groups issue joint call for Japan to return Tang dynasty stele

Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago. The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage. Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...

Politics

15 h. ago REPOST: The Prescient Warning Behind Ottawa’s China Influence File—and Carney’s Beijing Electric Vehicle Gamble

REPOST: The Prescient Warning Behind Ottawa’s China Influence File—and Carney’s Beijing Electric Vehicle Gamble  The Bureau | Sam Cooper

Events

15 h. ago Taiwan faces possible Beijing squeeze after US quits WHO and other agencies

The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing. While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space. US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...

Politics

16 h. ago Delhi eying ‘Beijing model’? CAQM proposes doubling Metro network to combat toxic air

Delhi eying ‘Beijing model’? CAQM proposes doubling Metro network to combat toxic air  The Financial Express

Events

16 h. ago As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services. “Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...

Politics