19 m. ago U.S. defense chief: Beijing undecided on Taiwan invasion, drills suggest intent

U.S. defense chief: Beijing undecided on Taiwan invasion, drills suggest intent  Focus Taiwan

Events

53 m. ago Japan weighs tightening rules on visa popular among Chinese nationals

Japan is considering increasing the minimum investment threshold for its business manager visa in a bid to make it harder for foreigners to obtain residence status and launch commercial operations in the country, as the scheme becomes increasingly popular with Chinese nationals. The visa, which offers relatively accessible entry for foreign entrepreneurs, permits stays of up to five years for those who either invest 5 million yen (US$34,711) or hire two full-time employees while maintaining an...

Politics

63 m. 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

2 h. ago Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to stay in effect most of day

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 said that the No 1 typhoon warning signal will stay in force for most of Thursday, as squally showers associated with a tropical storm near the coast of Guangdong continue to affect the city. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the signal at 12.40am on Wednesday...

Events

2 h. ago Hong Kong police chief vows vigilance against lingering national security threats

Hong Kong’s police chief has pledged vigilance against lingering threats of external interference, home-grown terrorism and “soft resistance”, five years after the Beijing-imposed national security law was promulgated. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said that while Hong Kong had returned to a state of stability in recent years, “undercurrents” remained that required the force to boost its intelligence-gathering and law enforcement efforts. “Now we are talking about how to advance from...

Events

3 h. ago US venture capital firm to unload stakes in 40 Chinese tech start

Shares of a few dozen China-based start-ups may be up for grabs as their investor, US venture-capital firm Eight Roads, plans to exit its Chinese technology holdings. The move, reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday, comes as geopolitical tensions and a sluggish Chinese economy prompt some global investors to retreat. Domestic and government-backed funds and financing products would increasingly drive start-up funding in the world’s second-largest economy, analysts said. Fidelity Ventures-backed Eight...

Politics

4 h. ago Communist Beijing doubles down on Dunleavy over Alaska's outreach to democracy

Communist Beijing doubles down on Dunleavy over Alaska's outreach to democracy-loving Taiwan  Must Read Alaska

Politics

5 h. ago China’s orchard of AI, chip grads now ripe for the pickin’ as tech trade sours

When Jack Wang enrolled as an undergraduate in microelectronics at a prestigious Chinese university, the year was 2019, and China was in the early days of its trade war with the United States. Looking back, his decision to focus on the field revolving around the design and manufacture of hi-tech microchips has proved prescient. Today, it complements Beijing’s aspirations to make world-leading semiconductors amid Washington’s amped-up efforts to curtail China’s technological progress. Indeed, the...

Politics

5 h. ago Beijing’s ties with Moscow and Kyiv should be leveraged for peace

The International Organisation for Mediation launched in Hong Kong late last month, counting 32 countries as founding signatories. An institution designed to supplement and actualise Article 33 of the United Nations Charter is something the world increasingly needs as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags into its fourth year. Recent peace talks in Istanbul produced no appreciable progress, while swings on the battlefield have long since given way to a grinding impasse. Neither side appears capable...

Politics

6 h. ago Stocks dip despite Trump’s notice of ‘DONE’ deal with China and better

Stocks dip despite Trump’s notice of ‘DONE’ deal with China and better-than-expected inflation data  Fortune

Politics

9 h. ago US Treasury chief slams ‘unreliable’ China at House hearing on Trump trade policy

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent slammed Beijing on Wednesday for its aggressive export policies, urged it to be a more dependable partner and depicted China’s disjointed economic structure as hurting not only the US but the entire globe. “China currently has the most unbalanced economy in the history of the world,” Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, told the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. “They cannot be allowed to export their way back to prosperity, not only for working...

Politics

11 h. ago Beijing puts six month limit on its ease of rare earth export licenses

Beijing puts six month limit on its ease of rare earth export licenses  Forexlive | Forex News, Technical Analysis & Trading Tools

Politics

11 h. ago Washington and Beijing started talking again, but you should not call it a reset

Washington and Beijing started talking again, but you should not call it a reset  Taipei Times

Politics

11 h. ago Pope Leo XIV Appoints New Chinese Bishop for Archdiocese of Fuzhou

Pope Leo XIV Appoints New Chinese Bishop for Archdiocese of Fuzhou  National Catholic Register

Politics

12 h. ago Viewed from China, Trump’s crackdown on LA unrest a risky ‘political gamble’

Chinese analysts have been closely monitoring the Los Angeles unrest, which they said had been exploited by US President Donald Trump for political theatre, jeopardising public safety and stability. One high-profile commentator also predicted that Trump’s heavy-handed tactics could escalate into a constitutional crisis. The remarks followed days of protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids, which led to a curfew in some downtown areas of the city aimed at cracking down on vandalism. The...

Politics

12 h. ago Live updates: Trump announces finalized trade deal with China, says tariffs on Chinese goods go to 55%

Live updates: Trump announces finalized trade deal with China, says tariffs on Chinese goods go to 55%  AP News

Politics

12 h. ago Full text: Implementation outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit follow

Full text: Implementation outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit follow-up actions  news.cgtn.com

Politics

12 h. ago Trump says US gets rare earth minerals from China and tariffs on Chinese goods will total 55%

Trump says US gets rare earth minerals from China and tariffs on Chinese goods will total 55%  AP News

Politics

13 h. ago US to access Chinese rare earth minerals; here’s what Trump says Beijing will get in return

US to access Chinese rare earth minerals; here’s what Trump says Beijing will get in return  theweek.in

Politics

13 h. ago Trump touts 'done' deal with Beijing on rare earths, Chinese students

Trump touts 'done' deal with Beijing on rare earths, Chinese students  Yahoo

Politics