CURATED NEWS CLIPS: South China Morning Post for 18-19 December 2025

South China Morning Post 

 

Newspaper

The South China Morning Post, with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is a Hong Kong–based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained Hong Kong's newspaper of record since British colonial rule.

As Trump upends US foreign policy, analysts see fresh openings for China

After a turbulent year, experts expect continued disruption to reshape global influence, testing alliances and altering the balance of power.
2 hours agovideocam

7

Trump gives himself high marks in 2025 report card, with his eyes on 2026 fight

US-China relations

Military

Beijing condemns Washington’s landmark US$11 billion arms sale to Taiwan

US State Department approves massive deal that includes billions in Himars and howitzer equipment, drones and software.

3 hours agovideocam

27

China Economy

China confirms issuing of first general licences for rare earth exports

Beijing says it is now granting longer permits giving foreign companies easier access to vital minerals, but many details remain unclear.

3 hours ago

Law and Crime

Hong Kong Bar Association backs making bid-rigging a crime after deadly fire

Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet also says association will propose that key construction safety guidelines become legally binding.

3 hours ago

Economy

China’s youth-unemployment rate eases to 16.9% as graduates settle for less

Politics

Philippines to get up to US$3.5 billion defence aid to counter ‘serious threats’

A US senator says the support for Manila and other allies reflects the threats posed by China and its partners in the ‘axis of aggressors’.

3 hours ago

12

East Asia

Is Japan’s nuclear stance set to change under PM Takaichi?

Source close to PM Takaichi urges Japan to acquire nuclear arms; policy shift from pacifism may spark backlash at home and abroad.

1 hour ago

Science

Why US lawmakers killed a proposal targeting science efforts with China

US researchers and industry experts warn that even the revised version may have unintended consequences.

4 hours agovideocam

10

Travel & Leisure

The journey ahead: AI paves the way for tourism business of the future

AI travel technology company Dida’s innovative solutions aim to bridge the gap between the industry and travellers.

In partnership with:

Dida

United States & Canada

U.S. government admits liability in fatal Washington helicopter-plane crash

US government admits ‘breach of care’ as DOJ cites Army and FAA errors in January crash that killed 67 near Ronald Reagan airport in Washington.

3 hours agovideocam

China Economy

China jails antimony smugglers in tough stance on critical minerals

Dozens convicted of illegally shipping 166 tonnes of the strategic material, marking a major enforcement of Beijing’s export controls.

5 hours agovideocam

Military

China’s military accuses Japan of raising ‘space arms race’ risk

Diplomatic war of words continues with PLA Daily articles targeting Tokyo’s defence and intelligence plans.

6 hours agovideocam

Diplomacy

Cambodia and Thailand tell China’s Wang Yi they’re willing to cease fire

Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers brief Chinese counterpart on border conflict, while Beijing vows to ‘serve as a bridge’.

3 hours ago

8

Diplomacy

China FM Wang Yi reaffirms Beijing’s backing for Venezuela as US pressure grows

In a call with his Caracas counterpart, the Chinese foreign minister says mutual trust and support are a tradition of bilateral ties.

18 Dec 2025 - 4:11PMvideocam

35

Global Economy

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

4 hours agovideocam

China

China’s youth-unemployment rate, Laos joins durian war: SCMP daily highlights

From EU-China trade ties to Laos securing approval to export durians, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

4 hours ago

Health & Environment

Don’t build on ‘active zones’, experts warn Indonesia as Sumatra recovery begins

Jakarta has pledged US$3.6 billion and a special agency to help restore homes and public facilities destroyed in last month’s cyclone.

18 Dec 2025 - 6:00PMvideocam

Tech Trends

ByteDance AI model usage grows over tenfold on strong demand from Chinese firms

‘AI is being adopted at an unprecedented speed,’ Tan Dai, president at cloud unit Volcano Engine, says.

4 hours ago

Society

Power outage briefly leaves 5,000 Hong Kong households in darkness

Outage also leaves some stuck in lifts at shopping centre and university campus, while police get report of traffic lights malfunctioning.

3 hours ago

China Economy

China’s Hainan launches separate customs regime allowing tariff-free imports

Most goods can enter Hainan with zero import duties under the new system, as China looks to turn the island into a strategic buffer zone.

18 Dec 2025 - 6:01PMvideocam

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“Unpack China’s complexity at a glance and shed light on opportunities”

Tammy Tam / Editor-in-Chief,
South China Morning Post

“We can show the real picture of what’s going on in China - and what it means for you”

Chow Chung-yan / Executive Editor,
South China Morning Post

“Clear, compact and contextual insight into China, for a competitive edge”

Jacques van Wersch / Director, SCMP Plus,
South China Morning Post

Highlights from SCMP Plus

China Future Tech Briefing

Aerospace | Lunar race pits China against US as humans seek return to moon

FactSheet

China eases grip on rare earths

More on SCMP PLUS

OPINION

Michael Edesess

Opinion | Why AI chatbots are unlikely to bring about human extinction

5 hours ago

Nicholas Spiro

Macroscope | Fears of an AI bubble in Asian stock markets are misplaced

18 Dec 2025 - 4:30PM

Phoebe Zhang

Opinion | How young Chinese learned to stop worrying and love themselves

18 Dec 2025 - 9:30AM

Letters

Letters | Tai Po fire tragedy shows importance of disaster risk reduction

18 Dec 2025 - 11:30AM

Victor Dawes

Legal Tales | Despite lapses behind Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s unity shows in a time of crisis

18 Dec 2025 - 9:30AM

Harry’s View | 19 Dec 2025

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SenseTime pushes open-source AI model to provide a ‘smart brain’ for every robot

The Chinese AI pioneer also releases first robot dog under new venture Ace Robotics.

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CATL marks trailblazing deployment of humanoid robots at scale in China plant

The initiative underscores the growing use of intelligent Chinese-made robots in the country’s manufacturing industry.

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Alibaba deepens ecosystem with Qwen-Amap tie-up for routes, restaurants and more

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Why China’s rapid military build-up is ‘hardly the whole story’

The PLA has been moving fast to modernise its arsenal and warfare strategy, but it’s seen as ‘seriously deficient’ in some areas.

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China Economy

Surviving the shocks: what China and the US learned from 2025’s trade war

Businesses and officials faced a year of disruption – and in some cases, resilience – as tariffs and export controls roiled global markets.

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Diplomacy

Why ‘relative stability’ in US-China ties is unlikely to last

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Military

Why has reference to Taiwan attending Rimpac been removed from US defence bill?

Senators’ bid to ‘strongly encourage’ invitation is removed from compromise bill, raising questions in Taipei.

14 Dec 2025 - 8:40PMvideocam

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