15 h. ago China signals readiness on rare earth talks, approves more exports

China has approved some qualified rare earth export applications and is ready to deepen dialogue with nations over export controls, the Ministry of Commerce said as the strategic resource continued to take centre stage in Beijing’s trade negotiations with the United States. “We’ve observed growing global demand for medium and heavy rare earths in civilian sectors such as robotics and new energy vehicles, as these industries continue to expand,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its...

Politics

30 h. ago Hong Kong staff of King Parrot Group to seek help from authorities after closures

Staff affected by the sudden closure of nine eateries operated by King Parrot Group, a 33-year-old restaurant chain in Hong Kong, will go to the Labour Department on Monday to file claims for unpaid wages and other entitlements amounting to more than HK$1 million (US$127,440), a union has said. Labour sector lawmaker Aron Kwok Wai-keung said on Sunday that business owners facing hardship should plan ahead if they were at risk of closure to ensure employees received their wages, while also...

Politics

37 h. 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

37 h. 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

39 h. ago Loitering with intent: Beijing’s new silent South China Sea strategy?

When a Chinese coastguard vessel appeared off the coast of Zambales province in late May, it didn’t fire a shot or issue a threat. Instead, it lingered – uninvited, silent and unmoving. To analysts in Manila, the message was loud and clear: Beijing was testing new tactics in the South China Sea, one quiet incursion at a time. The coastguard vessel was detected roughly 76 nautical miles (140km) off Palauig Point – well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and about 220km southeast of...

Politics

41 h. ago Why is Hong Kong slow to tackle ‘ticking time bomb’ of ageing water pipes?

Hong Kong authorities' hands are tied when it comes to tackling the “ticking time bomb” of the city’s ageing water pipes due to a lack of resources and resistance to disruptions to traffic and supply caused by replacement works, experts have said. Experts and lawmakers told the Post that the city’s high population density and ageing pipes have caused frequent water main bursts at housing estates in the New Territories in recent months, with incidents occurring at locations in Tuen Mun, Tseung...

Events

53 h. ago Over 700 US scholars of China urge Rubio to pause student visa limits

More than 700 American scholars of China have signed a petition urging US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pause moves to impose visa restrictions against Chinese students. The petition sent to America’s top diplomat on Friday comes about a week after he announced the State Department would “aggressively” revoke visas of Chinese students, including those with “connections” to China’s Communist Party and in “critical fields” as well as apply extra scrutiny to future applicants from mainland...

Politics

57 h. ago China’s Xi meets Panchen Lama, urges continued ‘sinicisation of religion’

Chinese President Xi Jinping met the Panchen Lama on Friday and called for continued efforts to promote the “sinicisation of religion”, state media reports said. The call from Xi comes exactly one month before the exiled Dalai Lama’s critical 90th birthday, when the Tibetan spiritual leader has indicated he may reveal his preferred method for choosing a successor. According to state news agency Xinhua, Xi received a visit from the Panchen Lama in Beijing and expressed hopes that he would “work...

Politics

60 h. ago Philippines aims to counter China’s drone swarm capacity, learn from Ukraine war

The Philippine military is ramping up efforts to enhance its drone offensive capabilities and countermeasures amid growing concerns over China potentially using waves of such unmanned aircraft to assert its claims in contested waters. As part of this push, Philippine and US forces recently tested high-powered microwave weapons during the Balikatan 2025 exercises, designed to neutralise so-called drone swarms. The Philippine military has also begun using Israeli-made intelligence, surveillance...

Events

61 h. ago 1 in 4 Hongkongers unaware of coming public healthcare fee changes: survey

One in four Hongkongers is unaware of the expansion of a medical fee waiver mechanism, a survey has found, with lawmakers urging the government to ramp up efforts to promote the public healthcare subsidy regime reform set to be implemented in six months. The survey, involving 724 respondents and conducted by the city’s largest workers’ union between April 22 and May 13, revealed that some participants lacked a clear understanding of the measures aimed at broadening the safety net in public...

Events

69 h. ago Indonesian villagers urge China to stop funding mine project after permit loss

An Indonesian community in North Sumatra is calling on Beijing to withdraw financial backing for a China-linked zinc and lead mine in the earthquake-prone region after the project lost its environmental permit. On May 23, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry formally revoked the approval it had granted in 2022 to Dairi Prima Mineral (DPM), an Indonesian joint venture seeking to build an underground mine in the Dairi regency. The move was in line with a Supreme Court ruling ordering...

Politics

2 d. ago No US tariffs on ‘unavailable natural resources’: commerce chief

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday said Washington would refrain from imposing tariffs on natural resources the country does not hold in abundance amid tough questioning by House lawmakers about American consumers facing rising prices. “In our trade deals, our expectation is we will not have tariffs on unavailable natural resources, but we will have market access for our farmers and our ranchers,” said Lutnick in testimony at a budget hearing of the House Appropriations...

Politics

3 d. ago With 50 years of history, Manila and Beijing should do better diplomacy

June 9 marks the 50th anniversary of Philippines-China relations, ties steeped in history but marred by friction in recent years. Sadly, an overemphasis on the intractable sea dispute has polluted broader connections, stunting economic cooperation and stigmatising people-to-people exchanges. This is irrational and unproductive. For Manila to make the sea row front and centre of ties is a tragedy of its foreign policy. For China to see its smaller neighbour as a mere pawn in its great power...

Politics

3 d. ago China hopes to power AI boom with green energy in new data centre strategy

To fuel its growing AI sector and computing prowess, China is integrating the development of power-hungry data centres into its national energy strategy. Under a new action plan released on Wednesday, Beijing would coordinate data centre planning with energy infrastructure in areas and regions rich in new energy resources, to meet the surging electricity demands of high-performance computing facilities. “We will focus on national hub nodes and resource-abundant non-hub regions such as Qinghai,...

Politics

3 d. ago Beijing Guoan Coach Urges Chinese Players to Shine in FIFA 2026

Beijing Guoan Coach Urges Chinese Players to Shine in FIFA 2026  Mochileiros.com

Sport

3 d. ago Philippines urged to ratify UN marine resource treaty or risk being sidelined

France is stepping up its diplomacy in Asia to gather support for a key United Nations treaty on marine resource protection, warning that any delay in its ratification could leave the Philippines and other regional countries on the sidelines of a crucial global conference next week. Only 29 countries have ratified the landmark High Seas Treaty – also known as the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty – which requires ratifications by at least 60 countries to...

Events

3 d. ago Pakistan’s bitcoin reserve plan aims to turn energy surplus into tech investment

Following in the footsteps of US President Donald Trump’s administration, Pakistan plans to create a sovereign bitcoin reserve powered by unused electricity in a bold bid to monetise its energy oversupply and attract foreign tech investors. Analysts warn that the high-risk strategy could strain Pakistan’s fragile power grid, raise red flags with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and expose Islamabad to cryptocurrency market volatility. However, some argue it could also help diversify the...

Science

3 d. ago Beijing envoy urges Ottawa to end tariffs on Chinese EVs and warns against ‘Cold War mentality’

Beijing envoy urges Ottawa to end tariffs on Chinese EVs and warns against ‘Cold War mentality’  The Globe and Mail

Events

4 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

4 d. ago Chinese researcher pathogen case ‘politicised’, risks further US talent exodus

The arrest of a Chinese researcher in the United States for allegedly importing an illegal biological pathogen that could kill crops was “politicised” by the US government and could speed up an exodus of Chinese talent from the country, according to some researchers. According to a press release from the US Department of Justice on Tuesday, Jian Yunqing, 33, and her boyfriend, Liu Zunyong, 34, allegedly attempted to smuggle the fungus pathogen Fusarium graminearum into the country. Jian, a...

Politics