41 h. ago Philippines’ Marcos softens stance amid economic pressures but will China bite?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s recent call to Filipino-Chinese businessmen to boost Manila’s bilateral ties with Beijing has raised the possibility that the Philippine leader is softening his stance on China. However, while the president’s sudden pivot could signal a recalibration of his approach, observers say the move is unlikely to yield any results in the near term because of his earlier hardline policy, including a statement earlier this month by his defence chief at a major security...

Economics

3 d. ago How Apple helped China become a world leader in electronics manufacturing

How Apple helped China become a world leader in electronics manufacturing  WBUR

Politics

3 d. ago Beijing’s green mirage: How China drives environmental destruction abroad while claiming climate leadership at home

Beijing’s green mirage: How China drives environmental destruction abroad while claiming climate leadership at home  Lowy Institute

Politics

6 d. ago ‘Don’t kill your successful DNA’: Hong Kong’s John Lee on tariffs, trade war

Hong Kong will not destroy its “successful DNA” and jeopardise its free-port status by retaliating with counter-tariffs on the US even if geopolitical tensions with China escalate further, the city’s leader has promised. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said his administration had made “contingency plans for the worst” and would increase support for local businesses in finding “blue oceans” in new markets. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with the Post to mark the third anniversary of his...

Events

6 d. ago Why China’s leaders seek a culture that is both modern and distinctly Chinese

Renowned historian Wang Gungwu’s Roads to Chinese Modernity: Civilisation and National Culture traces China’s transformation from an ancient civilisation into a modern nation-state shaped by revolution, reform and global engagement. Drawing on decades of scholarship and his unique perspective as an overseas Chinese intellectual, Wang reflects in this excerpt on Deng Xiaoping’s legacy and the enduring challenge facing China’s leaders today: how to build a modern national culture that embraces...

Politics

8 d. ago After CATL’s spark, China’s EV players bank on Hong Kong IPOs for growth funds

More than a dozen smart mobility companies from mainland China are making a beeline to raise funds in Hong Kong, capitalising on the growing appetite among global investors for the country’s unpolished industrial gems. The prospective initial public offerings (IPOs) from electric vehicle (EV) assemblers like Chery Automobile and Seres Group to autonomous driving technology providers such as Pony.ai are expected to enhance China’s leading automotive technologies on the global stage, bankers and...

Economics

9 d. ago ‘We’re definitely on the back foot’: U.S. risks losing fusion energy race to China, industry leaders warn

‘We’re definitely on the back foot’: U.S. risks losing fusion energy race to China, industry leaders warn  GeekWire

Events

9 d. ago South Korea’s new leader faces tightrope act between China ties, US alliance

Hours after Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as the president of South Korea early on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message, emphasising that China placed “great importance” on strengthening ties with its neighbour amid an increasingly uncertain global landscape. During his campaign, Lee pledged to repair strained ties with China and North Korea and underscored China’s role as a vital trading partner. Analysts predicted more stable China-South Korea relations to...

Politics

9 d. ago Trump says ‘extremely hard’ to make a deal with China’s Xi as trade stalemate fuels calls for leaders to talk

Trump says ‘extremely hard’ to make a deal with China’s Xi as trade stalemate fuels calls for leaders to talk  CNBC

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong leader says sudden removal of China's top official in the city was "normal"

Hong Kong leader says sudden removal of China's top official in the city was "normal"  Reuters

Politics

1 week ago Japan men stay young with strict daily routines, one looks younger than decade ago

A growing number of men in Japan are embracing strict lifestyle routines to fight ageing. One of them, Aki, 33, believes that looking young leads to more romantic opportunities and greater trust and attention at work, according to Japan media ABEMA News. His obsession with looking young began a decade ago after a stinging comment from his boss about his thinning hair making him look old. Around the same time, he went through a break-up. Determined to turn things around, Aki created a strict...

Politics

1 week ago Why Germany’s leader called China’s over Ukraine – and why it matters

In an era when diplomacy often postures as virtue signalling and foreign policy has grown allergic to nuance, Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has executed a move of startling clarity and daring. He called President Xi Jinping, not to lecture him on human rights or wave the banner of Western liberalism but to propose a deal: help end the war in Ukraine. Merz’s appeal, couched in the anodyne language of international cooperation, was anything but soft. He told Xi that Russia’s war of...

Politics

1 week ago Opinion | Why Germany’s leader called China’s over Ukraine – and why it matters

Opinion | Why Germany’s leader called China’s over Ukraine – and why it matters  South China Morning Post

Politics

1 week ago British father 'caught spying for China' in FBI sting: Businessman, 63, who referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinp

British father 'caught spying for China' in FBI sting: Businessman, 63, who referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinp  Daily Mail

Events

2 w. ago China’s market leaders in tech, energy sectors are focus of investors: JPMorgan

Global investors are increasingly turning to China’s global market leaders in the technology and energy sectors to diversify their investment portfolios amid heightened geopolitical tensions and uncertain economic outlook, according to JPMorgan. Funds were not only targeting established firms in industries like car manufacturing, robotics and renewable energy but also capturing opportunities in China’s innovative capabilities as market volatility spikes, said Kwang Kam Shing, Hong Kong CEO and...

Economics

2 w. ago US targets Chinese student visas, Trump tariffs blocked: 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. A US court has blocked Trump’s tariffs. What does that mean for China? A US court order blocking President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs marks a setback for the US leader, but is unlikely to provide China and other American trading partners with more than a temporary reprieve, analysts said. 2. US to start ‘aggressively’ revoking visas for Chinese...

Politics

2 w. ago A US court has blocked Trump’s tariffs. What does that mean for China?

A US court order blocking President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs marks a setback for the US leader, but is unlikely to provide China and other American trading partners with more than a temporary reprieve, analysts said. The Trump administration has already filed an appeal to stop the tariff block with a Federal Circuit court, and even if that effort fails he could potentially reinstate the tariffs using other methods, they added. A three-judge panel at the New York-based US Court of...

Politics

2 w. ago Taco trade? US leader challenges claim that ‘Trump always chickens out’ in talks

US President Donald Trump pushed back Wednesday on a new acronym making the Wall Street rounds to describe a way to profit from his fitful negotiating style, Taco, short for “Trump always chickens out”. Trump, who was evidently not aware of the term when asked about it in the Oval Office by a reporter, responded with equal parts sarcasm and indignation. The Taco trade refers to an investment strategy that benefits from the rise in share prices after the US president relents. “Oh, isn’t that...

Politics

2 w. ago The curious case of tariffs aside for China | Out of Balance

The curious case of tariffs aside for China | Out of Balance  Port Townsend Leader

Economics

2 w. ago ‘Asian alliance’: how China is forging a new power centre amid the trade war

China is pushing to forge a powerful new economic bloc with countries across Southeast Asia and the Middle East to counteract rising US protectionism, with some analysts suggesting a prototype for an “Asian Union” may be taking shape. Premier Li Qiang attended the opening of a new forum bringing together leaders from China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday, where he remarked that the current global tensions offered an...

Events