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China enforces new security rules to defend supply...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

China has implemented a new regulation on supply chain security that hands officials the power to punish any entities deemed to threaten the country’s access to vital resources and the free flow of goods, as Beijing confronts an increasingly turbulent global outlook. The 18-point regulation – which was passed and became effective on March 31, but the full text of which was only published on Tuesday – elevates safeguarding China’s industrial and supply chains to a national security issue. The

Japan’s ‘imperialist forces’ divided Taiwan from...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun blamed Japanese “imperialist forces” for dividing mainland China and Taiwan, as she paid tribute to Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen at his mausoleum in Nanjing on Wednesday. In a speech delivered after the Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman laid a floral wreath before a statue of the founder of modern China, Cheng said Taiwan became a Japanese colony at a time of national weakness, following the 1895 defeat of China in the first Sino-Japanese war. She said...

Trump acknowledges China help in Iran ceasefire deal

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

US President Donald Trump credited Chinese assistance after he agreed to a two-week ceasefire in the war on Iran that includes a resumption of shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz. “I hear yes,” Trump told Agence France-Presse when asked whether China had helped to get Iran into negotiations, which are due to start in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday. Iran separately said that it wants China, its biggest trading partner, to be among guarantors of regional peace. The US and Iran both...

Police arrest man on suspicion of stealing personal...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Hong Kong police have arrested an employee of a systems maintenance contractor hired by the Hospital Authority on suspicion of stealing the personal data of more than 56,000 patients and 1,000 staff members. The arrest of a 30-year-old local man came just days after the authority reported on Saturday a suspected data leak involving patients in the Kowloon East group of hospitals on a third‑party platform, with police and the privacy watchdog investigating. Police revealed on Wednesday that

HKUST launches 5-year study into long lifespans of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has launched a five-year study into why Chinese people often enjoy long lifespans, and aims to recruit 500 residents aged 90 or older for biomarker analysis using advanced blood testing technologies. HKUST president Professor Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, who is leading the research, said Hong Kong urgently needed to uncover the healthy ageing process as the city had become a “super-ageing society” in 2024 under UN standards, with more than 20 per

A group of Wang Fuk Court residents float...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

A redevelopment proposal representing the interests of more than 400 fire-displaced residents has been submitted to the Hong Kong government, claiming that a partial redevelopment of Wang Fuk Court could generate a HK6.4 billion (US$816.7 million) surplus. The 47-page proposal, alongside two letters, was sent to the Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, housing minister Winnie Ho Wing-yin, and home...

How AI and geopolitical rivalry are breaking economic...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Global imbalances are once again taking shape, albeit differently than how they manifested before the financial crisis of the late 2000s. Back then, the story was simple: some countries, led by China and Germany, saved too much, while the United States consumed too much. The answer, at least in theory, was also simple: surplus countries should rely more on domestic demand while deficit countries should save more; exchange rates should adjust. While that framework still matters, it no longer...

Court to hold hearing in July on confiscating Jimmy...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Hong Kong authorities are proceeding with legal action to confiscate property linked to crimes committed by former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, with a hearing on the matter set to be held in three months. According to a court document seen by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, the secretary for justice filed an application with the Court of First Instance to confiscate Lai’s property after he was sentenced to 20 years in jail for national security offences. A 60-minute hearing is...

24% of Hong Kong firms to widely adopt AI, with...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Nearly a quarter of Hong Kong companies are expected to widely adopt AI this year, a threefold increase from a year ago, while a growing number of business leaders believe the technology will result in smaller headcounts, a survey has revealed. Professional services firm KPMG released the Hong Kong Employment Outlook 2026 on Wednesday, with the poll showing that 24 per cent of organisations were set to widely adopt artificial intelligence (AI), up from just 8 per cent in the previous...

Chinese top envoy Wang Yi set for North Korea trip,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to North Korea on Thursday for a two-day visit, according to the foreign ministry in Beijing. The visit, at the invitation of the North Korean foreign ministry, will be Wang’s first trip to North Korea since early September 2019, when he travelled to Pyongyang for three days. Earlier this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his...

Safer, longer-range EVs in sight as China accelerates...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) batteries are set to become safer and more powerful, as carmakers including SAIC Motor and Chery Automobile outline road maps for the commercialisation of solid-state technology. Solid-state batteries – which use a solid electrolyte to conduct ions between electrodes – are widely seen as a superior alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries that rely on liquid or gel-based materials. Analysts say the technology promises higher energy density, improved

Hong Kong immigration chief granted service extension...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Hong Kong’s director of immigration will have his service extended beyond the retirement age until June next year, authorities have announced. The announcement to extend the term of Benson Kwok Joon-fung was made on Wednesday, a day before he reached the retirement age of 57. “The purpose of granting director Kwok’s service extension is to ensure a smooth transition in the senior management of the Immigration Department,” a government spokesman said. He added that Kwok had been granted an...

Smart Hong Kong Pavilion at InnoEX 2026

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

As artificial intelligence (AI) adoption accelerates worldwide, Hong Kong is sharpening its focus on applying AI technologies across various domains to make life easier, more efficient and more connected for citizens and businesses alike. Building on Hong Kong’s smart city strategy and its role within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Government and local industry are working together to turn pilot projects into practical AI-driven solutions that support long-term...

No quick fix for Asian airlines even if Iran reopens...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

The head of a body representing global airlines said on Wednesday that even if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, it would take months for jet fuel supply to recover given disruptions to Middle East refining capacity.Oil fell below US$100 per barrel after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran ‌that was subject to the immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil trade. Iranian Foreign...

Chinese embassy confirms Wang Danhao death, SpaceX...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

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 embassy in US confirms death of semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao died at the University of Michigan last month, shortly after being questioned by US federal law enforcement. 2. ‘Impossible for Chinese’: Yale scientist Zhang Kai leaves US for

Philippine lawmakers’ call for oil deals with China...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Philippine lawmakers have voiced hope that joint oil and gas exploration deals with China could proceed amid the global energy crunch, despite a former Supreme Court justice warning that accepting Beijing’s terms would be tantamount to “suicide” for Manila. Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier this week backed President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s intention to resume talks with China on such ventures, given the impact of the Middle East conflict. In 2023, Marcos and Chinese President Xi

Iran vows to make US ‘regret’ any ceasefire...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

Iran hoped China could be one of the security guarantors of peace in the region, Iranian ambassador Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said in Beijing on Wednesday. But he also warned of a strong “fightback” from Iran if the United States betrayed its trust again. “We hope different sides could guarantee that the US would not resume the war, we hope the UN Security Council, big countries like China and Russia, as well as mediating countries like Pakistan and Turkey to work together to guarantee peace in...

As AI race with US intensifies, China’s Alibaba...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

China is ramping up efforts in the AI race, as tech giants Alibaba Group Holding and Huawei Technologies deploy massive computing clusters in the push to develop home-grown infrastructure. E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the deployment of a 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster powered by the Zhenwu AI chips developed by its T-Head semiconductor design arm. Launched in collaboration with China Telecom in the Shaoguan data centre in Guangdong province, the “fully domestic” cluster

‘Neighbours matter more than ever’: China, Australia...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

China and Australia should intensify exchanges on energy security amid complex global geopolitics, Canberra said on Tuesday as spillover from the US-Israel war against Iran continued to endanger the world economy. In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed the importance of energy security “in light of the current global challenges” and agreed to increase government-to-government communication to support regional

Patagonia faces criticism for ‘earth usage fee’ on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/04/08

American outdoor apparel brand Patagonia is facing significant backlash online after implementing an “earth usage fee” for online orders, aimed at curbing excessive returns. Announced on March 30, the fee applies exclusively to purchases made through its Tmall store, a premium online shopping platform operated by Alibaba, which also owns the South China Morning Post. During last year’s Double 11 shopping festival, Patagonia’s Tmall store shipped 16,179 packages, leading to a staggering return...

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