Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Shangri-La Dialogue: Hegseth on China challenges, allies’ role – as it happened

Speech is expected to give first indication of American policy direction in the Indo-Pacific since the Trump-Xi summit two weeks ago.

39 minutes ago

Shangri-La Dialogue

Military

‘Clear-eyed’ on China: the takeaways from Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech

From the Indo-Pacific to Iran, Hegseth gives the White House’s take on security relationships.

1 minute agovideocam

Tech Trends

Is Huawei’s new chip scaling law a true breakthrough, or mere hype?

Company says 3D design can deliver world-beating chips without the best chipmaking gear, rewriting the playbook for China’s tech future.

36 minutes ago

Banking & Finance

As Hong Kong stock exchange turns 40, can the chip supercycle keep IPOs flowing?

US$6.1 trillion exchange marks its 40th year amid fierce global competition, as brokers see challenges sparking opportunities.

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Focus

Why the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation isn’t Nato for Iran

China Economy

Going global? Here’s a quick look at 4 options for China’s offshore investors

As Beijing tightens its grip on unlicensed stock platforms, mainland China’s retail players utilise these state-sanctioned options to diversify globally.

36 minutes ago

Mainland China’s retail investors have four primary legal avenues to diversify their portfolios overseas. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

Brussels agrees on tougher China trade policy, as Beijing vows retaliation

Trade chief details why bloc needs to take stronger steps to defend itself from what is described as a new ‘China shock’ to its industries.

30 May 2026 - 1:06AMvideocam

Economics

Rising costs in Singapore spur business migration as regional alternatives rise

Analysts say the economic gains could come with trade-offs, such as increasing income inequality between skilled and unskilled workers.

2 hours ago

International

Global real estate event in Riyadh sees record transactions amid growing influence in sector

Cityscape Global achieves more than US$63 billion as Saudi Arabia positions itself as a major investment hub for urban development.

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Cityscape Global

Hong Kong Economy

Taxi trade fears 10% could lose cabs as drivers gear up for ride-hailing

Industry leader Chau Kwok-keung estimates about 1,800 out of city’s 18,163 cabs will be repossessed by banks as owners fail to meet mortgage payments.

2 hours ago

Chau Kwok-keung says many owners “feel hopeless about the industry’s future”. Photo: Edmond So

Politics

Tariffs, war and broken trust: Southeast Asia’s Trump problem

Disillusioned by US unpredictability, the region is learning to diversify – while Trump treats allies as bargaining chips.

4 hours ago

Politics

China sentences former Shaolin abbot to 24 years for corruption

Disgraced leader should be ‘severely punished’ according to law, court says, calling circumstances of his bribery ‘particularly serious’.

29 May 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Global Economy

China-led SCO bloc looks to fast-track plan for new bank, rival Western lenders

Member states seek more financial autonomy and localised credit by advancing an effort to fund regional growth using their national currencies, not the US dollar.

29 May 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Flags wave outside the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on September 1. Photo: AFP

Science

Chinese astronauts land safely in former top secret nuclear missile test site

Shenzhou-21 trio touch down at Dongfeng landing site, now a hub for crewed space missions and commercial aerospace launches.

29 May 2026 - 10:52PMvideocam

One of the astronauts exits the Shenzhou-22 spaceship’s return capsule after it touched down at the Dongfeng landing site on May 29. Photo: Xinhua

The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship is pictured at the Dongfeng landing site on May 29. The Shenzhou-21 astronauts have return after staying in China's Tiangong space station for more than 200 days. Photo: CCTV

United States & Canada

Canada might double exports to China, Wang Yi says during rare visit

Wang is on a three-day ⁠trip to Canada, the first such visit by a Chinese foreign minister in a decade.

30 May 2026 - 3:39AMvideocam

People

Vietnam’s To Lam warns of 3 crises converging in Asia-Pacific security

In the Singapore forum’s keynote address, the Vietnamese president urges a strategic framework for trust building to avert such threats.

29 May 2026 - 10:56PM

Europe

EU’s 6 biggest economies agree on capital markets supervision

It is part ‌of a bid to boost EU’s competitiveness as it struggles with weak growth and fierce competition from the US and China.

29 May 2026 - 10:18PMvideocam

European Union flags flap in the wind outside EU headquarters in Brussels. The ⁠other 21 EU member states still need to agree to the proposals. Photo: AP

Health & Wellness

She quit smoking, then ran an ultra-marathon. How she finally kicked the habit

On World No Tobacco Day, we discover a marathon runner’s secret to quitting smoking and look at Hong Kong’s goal of a smoke-free generation.

4 hours ago

Betania Victor runs the Long Beach Marathon in California in 2023. Before going cold turkey on cigarettes, Victor smoked a pack a day. Photo: Instagram/betaniayvr

Education

Hong Kong body took action after teacher carried female student like bride

Bureau says it dealt with educator’s conduct upon learning in 2024 of photos showing him posing with student.

30 May 2026 - 2:40AMvideocam

United States & Canada

Ex-California mayor Eileen Wang pleads guilty to acting as China agent

She faces up to 10 years in prison for doing the bidding of Chinese officials by sharing articles favourable to Beijing.

5 hours ago

OPINION

Ling Tang

Being Chinese | Once, I was proud of the Shenzhen miracle. Now I’m not so sure

2 hours ago

Letters

Letters | Hong Kong must not delay making bid-rigging a criminal offence

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Syaza Shukri

Asian Angle | Malaysia’s 3R catch-all risks turning every grievance into a threat

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Wee Kek Koon

Reflections | After the Shanxi disaster, how China’s coal mining industry evolved over history

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Sheheryar Bilal

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

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Harry’s View | 30 May 2026

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US President Donald Trump listening to a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, last week. Photo: Reuters

SCMP Series Trump’s 2026 trip to China

China will buy at least US$17 billion of US farm goods annually, White House says

The agreement was struck at the recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to US fact sheet.

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How will Beijing judge Trump’s take on Taiwan? Look for 1 critical factor

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How China and the US felt the weight of history behind Trump and Xi’s meeting

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Open Questions series

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Stable US-China ties? It won’t last long, Evan Medeiros says

After Trump’s China trip, political scientist gives his assessment on Taiwan, trade leverage, the Iran war and Beijing’s tensions with Tokyo.

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Politics

Open Questions | Mainland China’s Wu Yongping on what the Xi-Trump summit means for Taiwan

Regardless of the meeting’s outcome, the trend towards resolution of the Taiwan question won’t change, according to the Tsinghua academic.

12-MIN READ

Politics

Open Questions | Taiwan’s Cheng Li-wun on cross-strait peace, meeting Xi and managing US ties

Kuomintang chairwoman says hostility towards mainland is a product of political engineering that does not reflect reality of Taiwan.

17-MIN READvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Bai Chongen on China’s new economic paradigm and closing the US tech gap

Top economist explains how China has less in common with 1990s Japan than many think – and why talk of Chinese overcapacity is often ‘imprecise’.

13-MIN READvideocam

Key Industries:

Big Tech

China’s booming tech exports give Beijing ‘wind in its sails’ for Trump summit

The role of tech products in April’s trade data reflects how computing-related goods are a ‘new and important growth driver’ for exports.

3-MIN READ

Chinese trade received a significant boost from the technology sector in April. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Tech Trends

Is Huawei’s new chip scaling law a true breakthrough, or mere hype?

Company says 3D design can deliver world-beating chips without the best chipmaking gear, rewriting the playbook for China’s tech future.

4-MIN READ

Banking & Finance

As Hong Kong stock exchange turns 40, can the chip supercycle keep IPOs flowing?

US$6.1 trillion exchange marks its 40th year amid fierce global competition, as brokers see challenges sparking opportunities.

6-MIN READ

Tech Trends

Alibaba AI voice model beats OpenAI, xAI to bridge Chinese dialect gap

The new model supports more than 30 languages, seven major Chinese dialects and over 20 regional accents.

2-MIN READ

Voice-based AI systems are generally seen as easier for mainstream users to adopt than text-based interfaces. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Science

How Chinese green tech and investment are reshaping the Central Asian landscape

As the belt and road pivots towards clean energy, Kazakhstan and its neighbours are emerging as top partners for Beijing-backed projects.

6-MIN READvideocam

Diplomacy

A quiet reset in ties is brewing along the China-North Korea border

The resumption of train routes and a spike in overland trade underscore a reset in ties ahead of a reported leaders’ summit.

6-MIN READvideocam

Global Economy

Putin left China, with no pipeline deal. Why is the valve still closed?

Though this week’s China-Russia summit featured many agreements, none progressed the long-delayed Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline.

5-MIN READvideocam

Science

China swaps Middle East oil for Xinjiang coal. What does it mean for the world?

With the war in Iran choking global oil supplies, China is tapping its 390 billion tonnes of coal reserves to build its own energy source.

7-MIN READvideocam

Shangri-La Dialogue: Hegseth on China challenges, allies’ role – as it happened

Speech is expected to give first indication of American policy direction in the Indo-Pacific since the Trump-Xi summit two weeks ago.

‘Clear-eyed’ on China: the takeaways from Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech

From the Indo-Pacific to Iran, Hegseth gives the White House’s take on security relationships.

Is Huawei’s new chip scaling law a true breakthrough, or mere hype?

Company says 3D design can deliver world-beating chips without the best chipmaking gear, rewriting the playbook for China’s tech future.

As Hong Kong stock exchange turns 40, can the chip supercycle keep IPOs flowing?

US$6.1 trillion exchange marks its 40th year amid fierce global competition, as brokers see challenges sparking opportunities.

Why the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation isn’t Nato for Iran

Going global? Here’s a quick look at 4 options for China’s offshore investors

As Beijing tightens its grip on unlicensed stock platforms, mainland China’s retail players utilise these state-sanctioned options to diversify globally.

Brussels agrees on tougher China trade policy, as Beijing vows retaliation

Trade chief details why bloc needs to take stronger steps to defend itself from what is described as a new ‘China shock’ to its industries.

Rising costs in Singapore spur business migration as regional alternatives rise

Analysts say the economic gains could come with trade-offs, such as increasing income inequality between skilled and unskilled workers.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}Global real estate event in Riyadh sees record transactions amid growing influence in sector

Cityscape Global achieves more than US$63 billion as Saudi Arabia positions itself as a major investment hub for urban development.

Taxi trade fears 10% could lose cabs as drivers gear up for ride-hailing

Industry leader Chau Kwok-keung estimates about 1,800 out of city’s 18,163 cabs will be repossessed by banks as owners fail to meet mortgage payments.

Tariffs, war and broken trust: Southeast Asia’s Trump problem

Disillusioned by US unpredictability, the region is learning to diversify – while Trump treats allies as bargaining chips.

China sentences former Shaolin abbot to 24 years for corruption

Disgraced leader should be ‘severely punished’ according to law, court says, calling circumstances of his bribery ‘particularly serious’.

China-led SCO bloc looks to fast-track plan for new bank, rival Western lenders

Member states seek more financial autonomy and localised credit by advancing an effort to fund regional growth using their national currencies, not the US dollar.

Chinese astronauts land safely in former top secret nuclear missile test site

Shenzhou-21 trio touch down at Dongfeng landing site, now a hub for crewed space missions and commercial aerospace launches.

Canada might double exports to China, Wang Yi says during rare visit

Wang is on a three-day ⁠trip to Canada, the first such visit by a Chinese foreign minister in a decade.

Vietnam’s To Lam warns of 3 crises converging in Asia-Pacific security

In the Singapore forum’s keynote address, the Vietnamese president urges a strategic framework for trust building to avert such threats.

EU’s 6 biggest economies agree on capital markets supervision

It is part ‌of a bid to boost EU’s competitiveness as it struggles with weak growth and fierce competition from the US and China.

She quit smoking, then ran an ultra-marathon. How she finally kicked the habit

On World No Tobacco Day, we discover a marathon runner’s secret to quitting smoking and look at Hong Kong’s goal of a smoke-free generation.

Hong Kong body took action after teacher carried female student like bride

Bureau says it dealt with educator’s conduct upon learning in 2024 of photos showing him posing with student.

Ex-California mayor Eileen Wang pleads guilty to acting as China agent

She faces up to 10 years in prison for doing the bidding of Chinese officials by sharing articles favourable to Beijing.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Being Chinese | Once, I was proud of the Shenzhen miracle. Now I’m not so sure

Letters | Hong Kong must not delay making bid-rigging a criminal offence

Asian Angle | Malaysia’s 3R catch-all risks turning every grievance into a threat

Reflections | After the Shanxi disaster, how China’s coal mining industry evolved over history

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Chasing billions: Indonesia’s commodity export crackdown sows confusion

How Philippines and Japan future-proofed ties amid China tensions, US wavering

Going global? Here’s a quick look at 4 options for China’s offshore investors

Is Huawei’s new chip scaling law a true breakthrough, or mere hype?

‘Clear-eyed’ on China: the takeaways from Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech

Chinese table tennis stars Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu finish undergraduate studies

Asian Angle | Malaysia’s 3R catch-all risks turning every grievance into a threat

As Hong Kong stock exchange turns 40, can the chip supercycle keep IPOs flowing?

Rising costs in Singapore spur business migration as regional alternatives rise

Being Chinese | Once, I was proud of the Shenzhen miracle. Now I’m not so sure

China will buy at least US$17 billion of US farm goods annually, White House says

The agreement was struck at the recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to US fact sheet.

How will Beijing judge Trump’s take on Taiwan? Look for 1 critical factor

How China and the US felt the weight of history behind Trump and Xi’s meeting

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Open Questions | Stable US-China ties? It won’t last long, Evan Medeiros says

After Trump’s China trip, political scientist gives his assessment on Taiwan, trade leverage, the Iran war and Beijing’s tensions with Tokyo.

Open Questions | Mainland China’s Wu Yongping on what the Xi-Trump summit means for Taiwan

Regardless of the meeting’s outcome, the trend towards resolution of the Taiwan question won’t change, according to the Tsinghua academic.

Open Questions | Taiwan’s Cheng Li-wun on cross-strait peace, meeting Xi and managing US ties

Kuomintang chairwoman says hostility towards mainland is a product of political engineering that does not reflect reality of Taiwan.

Open Questions | Bai Chongen on China’s new economic paradigm and closing the US tech gap

Top economist explains how China has less in common with 1990s Japan than many think – and why talk of Chinese overcapacity is often ‘imprecise’.

China’s booming tech exports give Beijing ‘wind in its sails’ for Trump summit

The role of tech products in April’s trade data reflects how computing-related goods are a ‘new and important growth driver’ for exports.

Is Huawei’s new chip scaling law a true breakthrough, or mere hype?

Company says 3D design can deliver world-beating chips without the best chipmaking gear, rewriting the playbook for China’s tech future.

As Hong Kong stock exchange turns 40, can the chip supercycle keep IPOs flowing?

US$6.1 trillion exchange marks its 40th year amid fierce global competition, as brokers see challenges sparking opportunities.

Alibaba AI voice model beats OpenAI, xAI to bridge Chinese dialect gap

The new model supports more than 30 languages, seven major Chinese dialects and over 20 regional accents.

How Chinese green tech and investment are reshaping the Central Asian landscape

As the belt and road pivots towards clean energy, Kazakhstan and its neighbours are emerging as top partners for Beijing-backed projects.

A quiet reset in ties is brewing along the China-North Korea border

The resumption of train routes and a spike in overland trade underscore a reset in ties ahead of a reported leaders’ summit.

Putin left China, with no pipeline deal. Why is the valve still closed?

Though this week’s China-Russia summit featured many agreements, none progressed the long-delayed Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline.

Global real estate event in Riyadh sees record transactions amid growing influence in sector

Being Chinese | Once, I was proud of the Shenzhen miracle. Now I’m not so sure

Open Questions | Stable US-China ties? It won’t last long, Evan Medeiros says