Thursday, January 29, 2026

HEADLINES South China Morning Post

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Are China’s J-20A stealth fighters now updated with high-thrust WS-15 engines?

Recently released footage of flight tests suggests aircraft equipped with the home-grown engine is in the pre-delivery testing phase.

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How 1,000 Chinese J-20s could challenge US dominance in the Indo-Pacific

China's military weapons

Diplomacy

Time to open ‘new chapter’ in Britain-China relations, Xi tells Starmer

Visiting prime minister, the first UK leader to travel to China since 2018, says it is ‘vital to build a more sophisticated relationship’.

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Global Economy

Runaway gold: why even Wall Street can’t keep up with the metal’s record ascent

Some Chinese funds halt subscriptions as uncertainty fuels volatility in the metals market, while Hong Kong’s first gold exchange-traded fund surges on its debut.

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Education

Exclusive | Hong Kong teachers required to renew practising certificates every 3 years

Sources tell SCMP the plan will take effect as early as 2027-28 academic year.

Economy
Global gold prices have surged in recent months, leading many retail investors in China to pour funds into unlicensed metals trading platforms. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s ‘gold fever’ sparks US$1 billion scandal as trading platform collapses

Science

How China’s 5,100-year-old dams challenge Western narratives on despotism

Researchers use digital technologies to uncover archaeological evidence that ancient communities managed water cooperatively.

Remote sensing images of early water conservancy projects in China captured by the research team. Photo: Handout

Big Tech

Nvidia wins approval for Taiwan headquarters to secure AI chip supply

Jensen Huang’s expansion plan highlights Silicon Valley chip designer’s reliance on TSMC as AI demand accelerates.

Lifestyle & Culture

Not cricket? Political sticky wicket forces Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup

Bangladesh’s national election on February 12 has brought tensions among the South Asian neighbours to the forefront.

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Education

Academic innovation can help budding entrepreneurs overcome future challenges

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s 20-year evolution ensures it meets world’s fast-changing technological, industrial and societal needs.

In partnership with:
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, in eastern China, helps its students develop an entrepreneurial mindset to prepare them for a dynamic, technology-driven world.

Chinese Zodiac

Japan’s love for Chinese noodles; ‘unlucky’ chocolate: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From AI’s predictions for the Year of the Horse to an ‘unlucky’ chocolate mahjong set, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Tantanmen noodles at Szechuan Tantanmen Aun in Tokyo. The noodle dish, which has its roots in China’s Sichuan province, is found on many menus in Japan, but how did it become so popular in a country known for food with light flavours? Photo: Phoebe Amoroso

United States & Canada

FBI search in Georgia: Why Trump’s 2020 election obsession is a warning for 2026

Experts fear the 2020 ballot seizure is a ‘poisoning of the well’ that marks the start of a broader legal offensive for the 2026 elections.

Politics

How far can Asean engage Myanmar without legitimising military rule?

The bloc’s foreign ministers meet in Cebu amid concerns that diplomacy could slide into tacit acceptance of military rule.

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Tech Trends

ASML reports heated global demand in 2025, but cools China outlook

US limits on ASML’s China trade continue to define the company’s growth pattern, with overall sales up despite China revenues falling.

ASML CFO Roger Dassen attends a news conference after the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report in 2020. Photo: Reuters

China Personalities

Why tech billionaires enjoy rock star treatment in China compared to the US

From personal foibles to that particular look or ability to charm, the business success of global moguls can rest on setting a narrative.

We explain why tech billionaires enjoy rock star treatment in China, and why their warm reception in China is often stronger than in the US. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo

Transport

Hong Kong transport official defends compulsory bus seat belt rules amid backlash

Authorities stress the need for greater road safety as new regulations draw passenger complaints days after introduction.

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China EVs

Tesla reports first ever annual revenue decline as China’s EV giants zoom ahead

Tesla’s vehicle production fell 7 per cent year on year in 2025, as Elon Musk signals company will pivot to humanoid robots.

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Open Questions series

China

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Tech Trends

Open Questions | Jeffrey Ding on why diffusion, not innovation, is the secret to AI success

Professor says a ‘diffusion marathon’, where AI is gradually embedded in an economy over decades, will determine the winner of US-China tech war.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | Why US raid on Venezuela could ‘work to China’s advantage’: John Mearsheimer

International relations scholar says US could easily take Greenland, while regime change in Tehran would be more difficult.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

Political scientist says the Western-led global order remains useful, and the Belt and Road Initiative isn’t a geopolitical project.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
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Big Tech

China’s Alibaba, Moonshot claim latest AI models challenge OpenAI, Google

Alibaba says Qwen3-Max-Thinking is its ‘best model so far’, while Moonshot calls Kimi K2.5 the world’s most powerful open-source model.

The new models mark the first major Chinese releases this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech Trends

ASML reports heated global demand in 2025, but cools China outlook

US limits on ASML’s China trade continue to define the company’s growth pattern, with overall sales up despite China revenues falling.

China EVs

Tesla reports first ever annual revenue decline as China’s EV giants zoom ahead

Tesla’s vehicle production fell 7 per cent year on year in 2025, as Elon Musk signals company will pivot to humanoid robots.

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Tech Trends

Hygon’s chips ‘safe’ from AMD security flaw amid China’s tech self-reliance push

That result shows Hygon’s efforts in redesigning the chip architecture licensed from AMD with self-developed innovations.

A Hygon accelerator used in artificial intelligence model training and inference. Photo: Hygon

Global Economy

Trump says the US dollar can move like a yo-yo. Will Treasuries be left hanging?

With the US president leveling threats at enemies, allies and his own central bank, alternatives like gold and Chinese assets are gaining appeal.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Diplomacy

European leaders say the quiet part out loud: order no longer constrains power

EU leaders appear to have finally accepted they are facing a new era of great power competition – the question now is how they respond.

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China Economy

Exclusive | Maker of China’s C919 airliner set to ramp up production: sources

With 8 of the 15 planes made last year delivered to customers in November and December, a source said supply chain snags seem to be diminishing.

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China Economy

‘Loneliness economy’: how China is adapting to a rapid rise in solo living

The viral success of check-in app Are You Dead? has exposed the vast demand for services catering to China’s rapidly growing single population.

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A user checks in using the viral app Are You Dead?, also known as Demumu in English, which surged to the top of the paid app chart on Apple’s AppStore in China last week. Photo: Reuters
MULTIMEDIA
Video

Scuffles break out at Ikea clearance sale in China

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UK PM starts China state visit ahead of Xi meeting

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Hong Kong’s beloved Kam Shing diner to close

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What is Nipah virus and should you be concerned?

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Science

Chinese satellite forces 4,400 of its Starlink rivals into lower altitude: study

Researchers in China said the SpaceX decision was ‘directly triggered’ by a close call between two satellites in December.

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Military

Shandong’s use of PLA dry dock near South China Sea suggests carrier milestone

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China Economy

China close to opening US$10 billion canal linking heartlands to Southeast Asia

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Diplomacy

Ties will collapse if US forces are hit in Taiwan and Tokyo won’t act: Takaichi

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Travel & Leisure

The spirit of Shanghai gets distilled into a pair of cocktails

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Luxury Group by Marriott International
 
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