China vs Taiwan
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China unveils world’s first superfast quantum memory, paving way for practical computing
Chinese scientists have created the world’s first superfast memory for quantum computers, solving a critical data-reading bottleneck and paving the way for big-data challenges such as drug discovery and detecting fraudulent financial activities. While quantum computers are expected to solve complex
Trump urged Xi to help end Ukraine war; China’s tech sanctions list: SCMP’s 7 highlights
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump ‘personally called for China
Chinese leader Xi Jinping visit to North Korea confirmed for next week
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on Monday and Tuesday in a show of the two countries’ strong ties. At the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Xi will pay a state visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from June 8 to 9, state news agency Xinhua reported on F
China proposes nuclear-powered floating island to reshape global shipping
A Chinese shipbuilder has unveiled a blueprint for a massive, nuclear-powered floating island that will serve as a container transfer terminal and a charging station for vessels. The floating terminal will be powered by advanced molten salt reactors that use liquefied salt as both a fuel and coolant
US citizen and journalist charged with acting as Chinese agent
A US citizen who lived and worked for state media in China for several years pleaded guilty on Thursday to acting as a foreign agent for Beijing after allegedly collecting US$100,000 in return for collecting intelligence in the US on “American targets” and American politicians. According to court do
Chinese satellite company releases images of Nvidia, Apple HQs
After it was sanctioned by the US government for allegedly helping Iran, a Chinese satellite company has released high-definition images of the Nvidia and Apple headquarters in California’s Silicon Valley. They were among photos posted on social media on Monday by Changguang Satellite based in Chang
China says US ‘invented’ terrorism charges to justify Cuba blockade
China accused the United States of using “invented allegations” to justify its terrorism case against Cuba, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators he needed no new evidence to tie the island to violent leftist groups across the western hemisphere. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning sa
US farm chief says reliance on China threatens American ‘freedom’
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told lawmakers on Thursday that American dependence on China for food, fertiliser and other agricultural inputs poses an “existential” threat, framing food security as a national security issue while defending the White House’s reduced fiscal 2027 budget reque
Rising Security Risks Are Changing China’s Belt and Road Strategy
Beijing is becoming more selective about where and what it builds overseas. That transition was already underway but it has been hastened by the Iran-U.S. war.
Did China Overestimate the Geopolitical Returns of Its Latin America Strategy?
The assumption that economic leverage leads to political influence has underpinned China analysis for decades. Developments in Latin America are calling that into question.
What Shangri-La 2026 Revealed About the Future Regional Order
Like the CPTPP after the U.S. exit from TPP, the next phase of regional security may be shaped by what U.S. allies and partners build when Washington moves one step back.
What India’s Latest Press Freedom Ranking Reveals About Its Democratic Trajectory
The RSF’s score for India is significant not for the number itself, but for what that ranking reflects about deeper structural trends affecting journalism, media ownership, and democratic accountability.
Trilateral Dynamics: China’s Strategy to Test US Restraint of Japan
Takaichi’s overwhelming victory during the February election suggests China’s coercive approach might be counterproductive. But Beijing’s tactics are not aimed only at the bilateral relationship.
Are Japan-Philippines talks a maritime red line for China’s blue-water ambitions?
Beijing’s strong opposition to maritime boundary talks between Manila and Tokyo reflects growing wariness over a shifting balance of power in the western Pacific. And, experts warn, these talks – part of a highly calculated geopolitical effort by US allies – could reinforce the so-called first islan
China, India, and the Emerging Green Divide
Clean technology has become embedded within a wider geopolitical contest over industrial leadership, technological sovereignty, and influence in the world, especially in the Global South.
Quetta Train Bombing Points to Escalating Insurgent Violence in Balochistan
The attack, which coincided with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China, was aimed at sending China a message that its investments in Balochistan are not safe.
Russia’s Dual Afghan Strategy and Pakistan’s Shrinking Room for Maneuver
Moscow's deepening relations with the Taliban hint at growing doubts about Pakistan as a counterterrorism partner.
China’s futuristic stealth sub to boost ‘hunt-and-kill’ capabilities: experts
China is aiming to boost its “hunt-and-kill” capabilities with a new submarine that boasts futuristic features, according to Chinese analysts. A submarine that appeared to lack a traditional fin was being built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, France-based Naval News reported on Wednesday, citi
Tibetology is key to China shaping global views on the region, top official says
Chinese academics specialising in Tibet must find more creative ways to shape the global conversation about the region while remaining strictly aligned with the Communist Party’s ideology. That was the message Li Ganjie, head of the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, had for researchers
Journalism and Fighting for Indigenous Rights in Myanmar
Scott Johnson talks about drones and meeting Nerdah Bo Mya in Kawthoolei.
Chinese robot helps children with nerve disorder stand up for the first time
Some people living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have never been able to stand on their own. SMA is a genetic disorder that causes the nerves that connect the brain and muscles to deteriorate over time, making it challenging or even impossible for those affected to contract their muscles. Over
How Beijing could use its military and trade to hit back at Tokyo-Manila ties
Beijing could conduct military operations, bolster its electronic warfare strength and roll out trade sanctions in response to Tokyo and Manila’s deepening defence cooperation, according to Chinese experts. Last week, Manila and Tokyo announced they would launch negotiations on the maritime boundary
Major ASEAN Economies In Line For New US Tariffs Over Forced Labor
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has recommended the imposition 10-12.5 percent levies on 60 major trading partners.
Taiwan opposition leader promotes cross-strait peace during US trip
The need for Beijing and Washington to pursue “reconciliation and cooperation” and avoid war is the central message of her US trip, Taiwan’s main opposition leader Cheng Li-wun said in San Francisco. Cheng, leading a delegation from the Kuomintang (KMT), arrived in San Francisco on Monday evening, b
US Treasury Secretary Bessent says China eyeing more Boeing purchases ahead of Xi visit
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed on Wednesday that China is “very interested” in additional Boeing plane purchases, an issue the Trump administration plans to press when President Xi Jinping visits the United States in September. “They agreed to 200 aeroplanes during the visit. We will se
First Trump, then Putin go to China. Does great-power diplomacy now hinge on Beijing?
Despite recent back-to-back visits to Beijing by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, no new trilateral framework or major diplomatic breakthrough has emerged. Yet, according to observers, the summits highlight Beijing’s growing ability to manage its two most important rel
China, EU slam proposed US tariffs, reject forced labour allegations
The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed new tariffs of up to 12.5 per cent on imports from China and dozens of other trading partners, using a forced-labour investigation to advance what analysts see as a bid to rebuild its tariff regime after recent court setbacks. The Office o
Lula thanks China for beef win and tells US after tariffs: ‘I will sell to someone else’
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked China for clearing the country’s beef of foot-and-mouth disease and fired a barb at US President Donald Trump, saying “I will sell to someone else”, after Washington announced new tariffs on Brazilian goods. Lula made the remarks on Tuesday, hour
Nature and Concrete: The Eco-Brutalist Resistance in Central Asia
Eco-brutalism is an aesthetic appeal to a healthier, greener future, and one that can be built atop existing realities.
Uzbekistan’s New Migration Destination? America.
From irregular border crossings to bilateral training agreements, Uzbekistan is working to carve out a formal pathway to U.S. employment.
Trump’s New AI Order Raises the Stakes in China-US Tech Competition
Advanced AI models are no longer treated simply as commercial products; they are increasingly regarded as strategic assets linked to national power.
Neutralizing Chokepoints: Lessons From the Hormuz Strait, Malacca, and Baltic Sea
Insights from Pekka Virkki.
EBRD Dials Down Kyrgyz GDP Forecast Over Sanctions Worries
While still growing, Kyrgyzstan’s GDP may slow due to increasing weight of sanctions.
Can a Takaichi Government Stabilize China-Japan Relations?
What Abe's post-2014 rapprochement with Beijing can teach Tokyo today.
Exit Polls Suggest Ruling Democratic Party’s Victory in Local Elections
Exit polls suggest the DP will win 11 of 16 regional posts, with Seoul and Busan producing the night’s most closely watched results.
Chinese AI lets everyday users command quantum computing with natural language
Quantum computing has long carried an aura of exclusivity, cloaked in dense academic papers and ultra-cold laboratory systems understood by only a small circle of physicists and mathematicians. However, a Chinese start-up has changed quantum computing into something closer to an AI chatbot. On May 1
How Japan and the Philippines are building a maritime security front against China
Japan and the Philippines are deepening defence and maritime cooperation over shared concerns about China, with broad implications that analysts say reach beyond the South China Sea. Following Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s state visit to Tokyo last week, the two sides agreed to launch
Bangladesh’s Twin Challenges: Economic Revival and Great Power Balancing
Bangladesh’s security lies not in becoming part of someone else’s strategic rivalry, but in becoming economically strong, diplomatically flexible, and internally legitimate.
In China’s coal country, party chief called to account after fatal safety failures
Disciplinary authorities in central China are investigating a county-level Communist Party chief following a coal mine gas blast that killed 82 people and left two missing. Zhao Yongjin, party secretary of Qinyuan county in Changzhi, was “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law”, the S
Chip prodigy returns to China, coal waste used for critical minerals: 7 science highlights
We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese archaeologist who discovered 5,000-year-old city pleads guilty to corruption Liu Bin, a Chinese archaeo
Rising seas: Japan makes pitch to Pacific Island nations caught in US-China rivalry
Japan is positioning itself as a partner for Pacific Island nations struggling with rising seas and caught between the US-China rivalry, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledging on Wednesday to help fight climate change and boost maritime cooperation. Speaking at the inaugural Island States Ocean
China’s anti-corruption watchdog targets its former senior official Li Xiaohong
Li Xiaohong, a former senior disciplinary official in charge of national inspection, has been placed under investigation for suspected severe disciplinary and legal violations, China’s top anti-corruption authorities said on Tuesday. The downfall of the 73-year-old veteran – known for spearheading h
Indonesia's Prabowo fires head of free meals scheme plagued by poisonings
The centrepiece programme of Prabowo's government has left tens of thousands of school children ill.
Now you can hire people to carry your shopping bags in Delhi - will it work?
CarryMen employees don't just carry shopping bags - they also push prams and queue up at food counters.
China to the Philippines: don’t let ‘a few clowns’ sabotage ties with ‘political theatrics’
Beijing has condemned remarks by Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jnr, saying the comments seriously damaged bilateral trust and showed a lack of gratitude for Chinese aid. China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday called on Manila to take action to prevent “a few clowns” from sabotaging bilatera
Hong Kong is emerging as a leading capital hub of the multipolar era
For years, Hong Kong’s obituary has been repeatedly written by international commentators. Geopolitical tensions, pandemic isolation, concerns over capital flight and questions surrounding the city’s future contributed to a narrative of irreversible decline. In many Western analyses, the assumption
Watch: Man attacked by bear at steel works in Japan
The bear, which injured four people in the attack on Tuesday, remains on the loose within the factory compound.
More red tape, less progress: China’s cadres struggle to adopt ‘error tolerance’
Despite repeated directives to ease the burden on local officials and curb formalism, many of China’s cadres still find themselves trapped in a frustrating cycle of working harder yet achieving fewer tangible results, according to state-linked media. Banyuetan, an influential biweekly magazine affil
Can China fill funding and leadership gaps after America quit the WHO?
Vanuatu had a clear goal at last month’s annual assembly of the World Health Organization in Geneva – securing new international aid for the Pacific island nation. “I’m here to lobby for support,” said Jenny Stephens, Vanuatu’s director of public health. “We are experiencing the global funding cuts
China clears Brazilian beef of foot-and-mouth disease, but quota limits profits
Brazil has won wider access to the world’s biggest beef market after China recognised the entire country as free of foot-and-mouth disease, though a new quota will still cap prices. The decision was announced on Tuesday by China’s General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and