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Hong Kong’s first biodiversity loan goes to Henderson...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Henderson Land Development secured the first biodiversity loan in Hong Kong, receiving around HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) from HSBC and Hang Seng Bank for green initiatives at Central Yards, the company’s flagship mixed-use development on the New Central Harbourfront. This loan would provide a “scalable blueprint” for companies to achieve their sustainability goals and enhance Hong Kong’s position as a leading international sustainable finance centre, according to the two banks. The...

Helper molested 10-year-old girl while waking her up,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

A 10-year-old girl has told a Hong Kong court that a domestic helper inappropriately touched her when waking her up one morning. Standing trial at Kowloon City Court on Wednesday, helper Lady Jay Santos Flores denied four counts of indecent assault for allegedly molesting the daughters of her former employer in the family’s home between May and June last year. The younger daughter, who was not named in court and testified via video conference, said the 45-year-old helper came to her room on

Leaving so soon? US, China hold briefest trade talks...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Senior officials from China and the United States concluded their latest round of trade talks in Seoul after less than four hours on Wednesday, the briefest session since the two countries began holding talks last year. The seventh round of negotiations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – wrapped up just hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The officials ended the session without speaking to the media, a

Taiwan stages live-fire drill on island facing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Taiwan staged a large-scale live-fire drill on a frontline island near mainland China on Wednesday, hours before President Donald Trump was due to land in Beijing for high-stakes talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The exercise on Kinmen, also known as Quemoy, simulated a People’s Liberation Army amphibious assault on the coastline. The coming Xi-Trump summit has triggered renewed anxiety in Taiwan that it could become a bargaining chip in their broader negotiations, after Trump indicated

Trump flies to Beijing, Nvidia’s Huang joins trip at...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

US President Donald Trump said he would urge China’s Xi Jinping to “open up” to American business, and belatedly added Nvidia’s Jensen Huang to the list of executives accompanying him on a trip to Beijing. “I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic,” Trump said on social media. “I will make that my very first request.” Huang boarded Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Alaska on Wednesday,...

‘New historical juncture’: Beijing frames Trump visit...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s state visit, China’s state-controlled media has framed the summit with President Xi Jinping as an opportunity to steer relations towards greater stability and mutual respect, despite grievances and tensions. Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the US, echoed that message in a wide-ranging Newsweek interview published on the eve of the visit, voicing hope the Beijing meetings would help to manage differences and broaden cooperation along a “steady, sound and...

Why the world needs China to save more, not less

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

The G7 economists’ memo from March and the IMF’s April report on global imbalances arrived at the same prescription: China’s current account surplus is excessive and should be cut by boosting consumption. The diagnosis is wrong. The world economy, especially emerging markets and developing economies, benefits from China’s high saving. A current account surplus is the excess of national saving over domestic investment. The saving is not lost; it is exported abroad in the form of net capital...

Hong Kong taxi driver arrested after crash kills...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Hong Kong police have arrested a 70-year-old taxi driver after he lost control of his cab and drove onto a pavement in Ngau Tau Kok, killing a woman and badly injuring another. A police spokesman said on Wednesday evening that the driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and detained for inquiry. The force earlier said the cabbie and his two passengers were also hurt when the taxi veered onto the pedestrian walkway at about 1.50pm that day on Choi Ha Road, near Chun Wah Road,...

Who could replace Starmer as UK prime minister?

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to resign after more than 80 lawmakers in his Labour Party said he was not the right person to lead the country and win the ⁠next national election. He has vowed to stay on as no formal ⁠leadership challenge has yet been triggered. If Labour were to choose a new leader, here is ⁠a list of those in the frame to replace Starmer: Wes Streeting, 43 Streeting has served as health and social care minister since Labour came to power in July 2024 –

Chinese brands eye Europe; Geely joins Chery and BYD...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. From Beijing to Berlin: Chinese EVs turn heads as brands eye European markets For German consumer Erik Böhme, a first visit to the Beijing auto show was an eye-opener – the world’s largest car exhibition showcased a vast array of electric vehicle (EV) brands, many already gaining...

South Korea adds ‘extreme heat emergency’ to first...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

For decades, the arrival of summer in South Korea was heralded by the rhythmic hum of cicadas and the predictable onset of monsoon season. But as climate change rewrites the country’s seasonal script, the government is bracing for a new reality. On Wednesday, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced a sweeping overhaul of its national weather warning system, the first major restructuring in nearly two decades. The centrepiece of the plan is the introduction of a top-tier “extreme

Hong Kong customs arrests 3 over illicit cigarettes...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Hong Kong customs has arrested three members of a local syndicate suspected of selling illicit cigarettes and laundering money, seizing about 2.2 million untaxed products and alleged criminal proceeds of HK$11.3 million. The Customs and Excise Department said on Wednesday that officers raided five residential flats a day earlier, arresting two men aged 31 and 37, and a 35-year-old woman on suspicion of money laundering. The department said the operation stemmed from January, when officers

US and China in ‘unprecedented’ cooperation against...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

The FBI and Chinese police have taken part in a joint operation targeting scam networks in Dubai, in a rare show of cooperation ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China. Dubai Police – which led the operation dubbed Tri-Force Sentinel – said at least nine scam hubs were dismantled and 276 suspects arrested, most of them from Southeast Asia. “The operation delivered a decisive strike against three criminal syndicates and dismantled nine fraud centres behind high-yield investment

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong urges global push for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Singapore will be directly hit by weakened principles in international sea laws as the city state depends on open and secure waterways to maintain its status as a trade hub, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has warned. He urged cooperation among like-minded countries to uphold and strengthen the framework of international legislation. “As a trading nation, Singapore depends on open and secure sea lanes. International law, including the law of the sea, ensures that vital waterways remain open to

South Korea signals ‘phased’ support for US-led...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

South Korea was reviewing a phased contribution to efforts to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Wednesday, signalling support steps short of military participation. Ahn told a press conference with South Korean reporters in Washington that he had conveyed Seoul’s position at a meeting with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Monday. “We said at about this level that, fundamentally, we will participate as a responsible member of the...

Philippines’ Asean maritime hub pitch meets ‘big red...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

A proposal unveiled by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr for a new Southeast Asian maritime centre has raised questions about its most glaring obstacle: Manila’s long-standing South China Sea dispute with Beijing. Analysts warn such a centre would not only have to avoid appearance of being an instrument of Philippine interests in disputed waters, but also risks simply duplicating the work of existing regional bodies. Speaking on Friday at a press conference following the Asean summit

Delivery pains hamper Bangladesh’s family planning...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Bangladesh’s once-praised family planning system is buckling under severe contraceptive shortages, raising fears of a rise in unplanned pregnancies in one of the world’s most densely populated countries. For decades, the South Asian nation was hailed as a success for slashing birth rates through an expansive state-backed family planning programme that sent field workers door to door with pills, condoms and advice on birth spacing. But that system is now faltering, with government clinics

China sends embryos into orbit to find out if humans...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

China has sent artificial embryos to its space station to study whether humans could reproduce in zero gravity. The experiment was reported on Tuesday by state broadcaster CCTV. Project leader Yu Leqian said the main goal was to study the impact of gravity – and its absence – on early development, in preparation for eventual human settlement off Earth. Once the impact of the force on embryos was understood, scientists could develop interventions to control its effect, he told CCTV. Yu is a...

China farmer suffers stroke while selling 4,000kg of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

Two small counties in China have put in place reciprocal arrangements for their residents to visit tourist spots following a moving story involving people in one place buying the apples of a sick farmer from the other. The story began on May 2 when Ji Yaozhong, a farmer from Yangxian county of northwestern Shaanxi province, drove a truck carrying 4,000kg of apples to sell in Xianfeng county in Hubei province, central China, the Hubei Daily reported. He suffered a sudden stroke which left him...

French president’s onstage outburst in Kenya...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/05/13

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing backlash after he interrupted a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience. Macron stormed the stage to rebuke audience members for what he called a “total lack of respect”, accusing them of disrupting speakers during a presentation by artists and young entrepreneurs. He had earlier described himself as a “Pan-Africanist” during a news conference. The summit is meant to showcase France’s new policy for the

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