3 h. ago Beijing’s New Playbook for Trade Talks: Keep Talking but Give No Ground

Beijing’s New Playbook for Trade Talks: Keep Talking but Give No Ground  The Wall Street Journal

Politics

5 h. ago Hongkongers learn how to ‘break the gates of hell’ for Hungry Ghost Festival

Forming a circle in front of a temple in Yuen Long, a group of Hongkongers make sweeping, dance-like movements before smashing ceramic tiles on the ground with wooden swords under the guidance of their coach. They are learning to perform the solemn ritual of “breaking hell’s gate”, a traditional funeral practice that is typically performed by Taoist priests and long considered taboo by many. Thursday’s workshop was part of a three-day “soul deliverance” ceremony at Tin Hau Temple in Yuen Long’s...

Politics

5 h. ago Japan survey exposes social media’s role in disaster misinformation

More than a quarter of Japanese citizens were exposed to rumours or falsehoods on social media following natural disasters, according to a new survey, with some admitting they inadvertently hampered emergency responses by sharing the misinformation. The study was conducted by the Japanese Red Cross Society in the run-up to Disaster Prevention Day on Monday. The annual event commemorates the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, a magnitude-8 tremor that struck some 60km southwest of Tokyo and caused...

Events

5 h. ago Reflections | After Fan Bingbing’s Malaysia award, a history of Chinese official honours

Reflections | After Fan Bingbing’s Malaysia award, a history of Chinese official honours  South China Morning Post

Politics

6 h. ago ‘Nobody said anything’: Malaysia confronts its deadly school bullying problem

The guilt hangs heavily over Jerry* whenever his mind drifts back to his school days in Kota Kinabalu and that quiet “awkward kid” he once tormented. Sitting at the back of the classroom, the boy was an easy target for Jerry and his friends, who delighted in humiliating him by stealing his shoes, tugging down his trousers or meting out the occasional beating. They were only 12, behaving as children do, he once thought. But more than two decades later, Jerry feels the weight of what those moments...

Events

9 h. ago Trump suggests India is moving towards ‘deepest, darkest’ China orbit

Trump suggested on Friday that India is drifting towards China’s orbit, even as his assertive tariffs and public rebukes have tested ties with New Delhi. Aides are warning that India could soon regret its stance and even face new curbs. “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together,” the “America first” president wrote on social media. His remarks were posted alongside a photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,...

Politics

17 h. ago Europe’s summer from hell, the future of air combat: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Europe’s summer from hell bleeds into autumn as Trump and Xi turn the screws If Brussels’ bureaucrats returning from their long summer breaks this week were wondering what they missed, the local press had them covered. Unbecoming scenes at June’s Nato summit, the “hopelessly one-sided” trade deal with the United States in July, as well as Chinese President...

Politics

22 h. ago Kenya’s plan to switch debt payments from US dollars to yuan is a ‘win

Kenya’s plan to convert its US dollar-denominated Chinese debt to yuan is a “win-win”, as it is expected to reduce interest payments for the African nation while advancing China’s goal of increasing the global use of its currency, according to analysts. The deal would be precedent-setting and could establish a new rule book for future debt restructuring and possibly cut reliance on the US dollar. In late August, Kenya’s Treasury announced that talks with the Export-Import Bank of China were at...

Economics

23 h. ago Hong Kong IPO pipeline swells as Chinese tech listings lure global investors

More than 200 companies are awaiting approval for initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong, with about half coming from the technology sector, according to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) CEO Bonnie Chan Yiting. “Recently, many international long-term investors have actively participated in the IPO subscriptions of technology and innovation companies, reflecting strong global interest in China’s tech sector,” she said at HKEX’s Future Tech Summit on Friday. In the first eight months...

Economics

28 h. ago China’s drone display at Victory Day parade signals new era of air power

Among the many pieces of advanced military hardware showcased during Wednesday’s Victory Day parade in Beijing were at least four unnamed drones, at least one of which was a “loyal wingman”, a stealth attack drone supposedly capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The appearance left military observers to speculate about what they had seen, and raised many new questions. Some experts believe the advanced aircraft are capable of hypersonic...

Events

28 h. ago Beyond the parade, what China’s new stealth drones mean for future air combat

Among the many pieces of advanced military hardware showcased during Wednesday’s Victory Day parade in Beijing were at least four unnamed drones, at least one of which was a “loyal wingman”, a stealth attack drone supposedly capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The appearance left military observers to speculate about what they had seen, and raised many new questions. Some experts believe the advanced aircraft are capable of hypersonic...

Events

30 h. ago Japan’s ‘house of cards’: Ishiba clings to power as hawks demand LDP election

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is presiding over a political “house of cards” that analysts say is looking more shaky every day, as he continues to resist growing calls from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to step down. This week, the chorus demanding Ishiba’s resignation grew louder after the LDP released an internal report examining its dismal performance in July’s Upper House election. The party lost 18 seats, leaving it short of a parliamentary majority even with its...

Politics

39 h. ago China’s urban planners could determine the future of city life

China’s urban planners could determine the future of city life  The Economist

Politics

40 h. ago Lawmakers Panic As They Realize China May Beat the US to the Moon

Lawmakers Panic As They Realize China May Beat the US to the Moon  Futurism

Politics

41 h. ago Chinese provinces prep for business trips to US amid shaky tariff truce

More Chinese entrepreneurs and local government representatives could soon be packing for New York and California, aiming to take advantage of a recent stabilisation in US-China relations to hop across the Pacific and scout out potential trade and investment opportunities. Visits by delegations from China in the coming months will seek to leverage the pro-business amity and autonomy of local authorities in the US to advance economic ties, as Beijing encourages subnational exchanges. China’s...

Economics

42 h. ago Afghan earthquake deaths top 2,200, survivors face aid crunch

Rescuers on Thursday pulled bodies from the rubble of homes razed in Afghanistan’s earthquakes as the confirmed death toll topped 2,200, while homeless survivors faced a bleak future with global aid agencies warning of dwindling resources. Search operations continued in the quake-hit mountainous eastern areas, the Taliban administration said, announcing a new death toll of 2,205 with at least 3,640 people injured. “Everything we had has been destroyed,” said Aalem Jan, whose house in the...

Events

43 h. ago A rising stock tide lifts sales of all financial products in Hong Kong

Sales of non-listed investment products soared to a record last year in Hong Kong, as capital poured into mutual funds, debt and equity-lined financial products amid improving market sentiments, underscoring the city’s growth as a financial hub. Sales increased by 40 per cent from 2023 to a record HK$6.07 trillion (US$778.3 billion), according to a survey released on Thursday by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). As many as 1.2 million...

Economics

50 h. ago ‘A million people’ expected to flee as Israel prepares to seize Gaza City

Israel estimates that its imminent offensive on Gaza City would displace one million Palestinians, a senior military official said on Wednesday, as Gaza’s civil defence reported dozens killed across the territory. In Jerusalem, meanwhile, hundreds of Israeli protesters took to the streets to call for a truce and hostage release deal after nearly two years of war. Israel’s military has been building up its forces for the planned operation to seize Gaza City, the Palestinian territory’s largest...

Politics

50 h. ago Chinese hold nuanced views of US rivalry and Russia, North Korea friendships

Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension, experts said on Wednesday. The survey of ordinary Chinese, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Carter Centre, depicts a public that is optimistic about their nation’s future, economy, military and culture. They...

Politics

50 h. ago What do ordinary Chinese think of US rivalry and Russian, North Korean allies?

Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension, experts said on Wednesday. The survey of ordinary Chinese, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Carter Centre, depicts a public that is optimistic about their nation’s future, economy, military and culture. They...

Politics