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Latest
China
Economy
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Asia
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Chinese chip foundries surge as AI boom drives triple-digit profit growth

SMIC, Hua Hong Grace results highlight how local foundries are aggressively running their plants at full capacity to meet domestic needs.

China's top two chipmakers saw their revenues and profits surge in the second quarter amid high demand for AI chips. Photo: Shutterstock

US

US accuses Chinese exporters of masterminding ‘Great Transshipment Scam’

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Diplomacy

Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca pact ‘far from’ Nato-style defence alliance

7
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Society

Supplier says subcontractor ordered non-fire-retardant nets before Tai Po blaze

Documents released by independent panel investigating the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze detail Gain Profit’s orders for non-compliant nets.

Newly released documents show non-fire-retardant nets were ordered by a Wang Fuk Court subcontractor. Photo: Karma Lo
Experts have argued that if fire-retardant materials had been used, the blaze might have self-extinguished at an early stage. Photo: Eugene Lee

Diplomacy

Malaysian PM recalls relationship ‘well beyond affairs of state’ with Zhu Rongji

Anwar joined a number of world leaders in paying tribute to the former Chinese premier who played a key role in opening up the economy.

Zhu Rongji pictured in 1996 with Anwar Ibrahim, who remembered the Chinese premier as a “good friend”. Photo: AFP

China EVs

Chinese carmakers could capture 15% to 30% of European market by 2035: analysts

‘Made in Europe’ requirement in EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act cited as key factor in lowest growth forecast.

Cars destined for export await loading onto BYD’s Shenzhen car carrier at the port in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in April. Photo: AFP

Politics

PAS’ latest sharia law push signals its Malaysian federal power ambition

The move aims to signal to Malay voters that PAS is committed to Islamic values ahead of the next general election, analysts say.

Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party supporters wave PAS flags in Kelantan ahead of the 2022 general election. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

What drives 4 Shaw Prize laureates in pursuit of scientific discovery

In partnership with:The Shaw Prize
Four of this year’s Shaw Prize laureates: (from left) Ken’ichi Nomoto, Stanford Woosley, Camillo De Lellis and Emmanuel Candes.

Politics

The 11 key achievements of China’s ‘iron premier’ Zhu Rongji – in his own words

As he laid the groundwork for China’s economic transformation, the tough reformer won a reputation for speaking bluntly.

As mayor of Shanghai, Zhu Rongji (right) leads an economic delegation to Hong Kong in June 1990. Photo: Robert Ng

China Economy

China’s marriage rate is still declining. What does it spell for the economy?

Fewer weddings, rising divorces and plunging birth rates risk exacerbating the fallout from a rapidly ageing population.

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A newly-wed couple pose for a photo with their marriage certificates at a marriage registration office on May 20 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Photo: Getty Images

People

Can India’s Tata Group overcome ‘most disruptive force’ of chairman’s exit?

N Chandrasekaran will step down in February and analysts say the group should prioritise a ‘swift and transparent’ succession process.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran arrives at the Tata Group headquarters, a day after he announced his resignation, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran arrives at the Tata Group headquarters, a day after he announced his resignation, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Economy

‘Very smooth’: what one traveller saw on C919’s milestone international flight

Comac jet’s flight to Mongolian capital on par with Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320, says passenger who hopes to see more C919 destinations.

China’s domestically developed C919 large passenger aircraft lands at Chinggis Khaan International Airport, Mongolia. Photo: Xinhua
Dancers welcome the C919 in Ulaanbaatar. Photo: Howard Deng

Hong Kong Economy

MTR Corp profits more than double to HK$15.87 billion on property gains

MTR Corp says it will earmark ‘much of the profit’ for asset replacement and maintenance, as well as the development of new rail projects.

Net profits for Hong Kong’s rail operator, the MTR Corporation, more than doubled to HK$15.87 billion in the first half of the year. Photo: Edmond So
MTR says it will earmark “much of the profit” for asset replacement and maintenance, as well as the development of new railway projects. Photo: Sam Tsang

Tech Trends

JD.com’s second-quarter profit rises 15% as food-delivery losses narrow

Net revenue dips, but still beats analysts’ estimate, as e-commerce giant contends with weak demand and fierce competition.

The results underscore the impact of JD.com’s expansion into food delivery, logistics and international operations over the past year. Photo: Xinhua

Europe

Suspicious object on rail tracks in Germany did not contain explosives: police

This follows a recent attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport, where an unmanned aerial device ‌with explosives was ‌found near a runway.

Police officers cordon off a wide area around the train station in Middle Franconia, where a technician had discovered the object in the track bed at the entrance to the city’s train station. Photo: dpa

Big Tech

DeepSeek’s flagship AI model update underwhelms – except in cybersecurity

Chinese AI start-up’s model impresses in niche areas like cybersecurity but leaves some developers disappointed in its overall capabilities.

Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek quietly released an updated version of its latest flagship model, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-0813, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Politics

China’s travellers raise alarm over error-filled tourist signs in public spaces

Passengers share examples on social media of mistranslations and spelling errors, along with concern at the effect on the country’s image.

A screenshot from a social media post shared on Tuesday highlighting a mistranslation on a sign at an expressway service area in northwestern China. Photo: Douyin

Politics

Vietnam’s warship project signals modernisation, bamboo diplomacy balance

As Hanoi seeks to build its defence manufacturing capabilities with the frigate, it is likely to remain dependent on foreign know-how.

Vietnamese missile frigate Tran Hung Dao heads to a naval port in the city of Zhanjiang in south China’s Guangdong province in 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Science

Chinese ‘yeast factory’ boosts cancer drug production by 1,000 times

Turning point comes from cross-disciplinary collaboration, including across plant biochemistry, synthetic biology and protein engineering.

Researchers have engineered brewer’s yeast to produce catharanthine – the direct precursor to the cancer treatment vinblastine. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
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Obituary

Zhu Rongji: leading China’s transformation through ‘minefield or abyss’

China’s bold economic tsar who drove sweeping SOE reforms and secured WTO entry has died aged 97.

Then premier Zhu Rongji pictured with president Jiang Zemin in 1999. Photo: Xinhua
Opinion
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Opinion |

Could China be a hedge against risk of AI investment boom going bust?

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Beijing’s offshore insurance tax tests Hong Kong wealth management

4 hours ago
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Victor Kwok
Opinion |

Stop mourning Hong Kong. It’s evolving, not dying

13 Aug 2026 - 9:30AM
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Opinion |

What The Bear’s final season got right, and one thing they’ve long got wrong

13 Aug 2026 - 12:15PM
Andrew Sun
Letters |

5-year plan must take mental health seriously for the economy’s sake

13 Aug 2026 - 11:30AM
Martin Hui
Legal Tales |

Overseeing jury trials – the demanding job of a High Court judge

13 Aug 2026 - 9:30AM
Martin Hui
Harry’s View | 13 Aug 2026
August 13, 2026
More Opinion
Latest

Hong Kong

Video | Long-term child sexual abuse survivor pushes for legal reform

Health & Environment

‘Struggling to help’: surging waters leave Mekong communities without aid

World Opinion

Macroscope | Could China be a hedge against risk of AI investment boom going bust?

K-drama

Our Sticky Love: Jung Hae-in, Ha Young tackle amnesia in Netflix romcom

Football

From EPL to Hong Kong: new Southern star on ‘surviving on other side of world’

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SCMP SeriesUS at 250

How America’s 250-year China dream became its greatest strategic challenge

Historians trace how US hopes of trade, reform and friendship gave way to rivalry with the power it once sought to transform.

48

Did Trump’s tariffs paint the US into an economic corner?

24

Politics over progress: how US-China tensions slow scientific advancements

10
Open Questions series-
Global experts discuss US-China ties, the Chinese economy and more.

Open Questions | ‘Surprising’ how fast China’s military is closing US gap: analyst Lyle Goldstein

Beijing’s challenge is to resist temptation to build the PLA into a ‘hammer looking for a nail’, former US Naval War College professor says.

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Illustration: Brian Wang

Open Questions | China’s military goal is to stand neck and neck with US: ex-PLA colonel Zhou Bo

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Open Questions | Nobel laureate Simon Johnson on the AI race and China’s ‘over-automation’ risks

19

Open Questions | Citic Capital’s Zhang Yichen on the ABCs of China’s markets: IPOs, M&As and AI

China Future Tech
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Big Tech

What is delaying Chinese AI giants switching from Nvidia to local chips?

High transition costs are keeping AI developers in China reliant on Nvidia chips, industry sources say.

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Huawei Technologies’ Compute Architecture for Neural Networks requires developers to rewrite and optimise large amounts of code. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech Trends

Chinese chip foundries surge as AI boom drives triple-digit profit growth

China EVs

Chinese carmakers could capture 15% to 30% of European market by 2035: analysts

Tech Trends

China’s YMTC breaks into top 3 flash-memory suppliers with 14% market share

4
SCMP Shorts
Millions witness Europe’s first solar eclipse in 27 years
Millions witness Europe’s first solar eclipse in 27 years
Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji dies at age 97
Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji dies at age 97
At least 1 dead as another Indonesian ferry catches fire, this time near Bali
At least 1 dead as another Indonesian ferry catches fire, this time near Bali
Colombia hunts for survivors as earthquake death toll climbs to more than 200
Colombia hunts for survivors as earthquake death toll climbs to more than 200
Elephant knocks down EV charging station after member of herd got caught up by cable in China
Elephant knocks down EV charging station after member of herd got caught up by cable in China
SCMP Spotlight

China Economy

In Focus | Why foreign workers are still climbing mountains of paperwork for a job in China

Beijing’s rigid visa points system and strict sponsorship rules frustrate young expats, but most are still undeterred in their job search.

Illustration: Kaliz Lee

China Economy

In Focus | ‘Quiet luxury’: why premium Chinese consumers are embracing home-grown brands

13

Military

In Focus | Why China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies

20

Military

Why is China’s Communist Party intent on control over the military?

26
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