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Trump to nominate Todd Blanche as US attorney general

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

President Donald Trump said he would ⁠move to ⁠nominate acting US Attorney ⁠General Todd Blanche on Thursday to permanently lead the Justice Department, which would make his former personal lawyer the nation’s top law enforcement officer. “He’s acting attorney general. Tomorrow. ‌I’m instructing Dan (Scavino) and everybody else that’s involved in that very complicated process – which is going to go, I think, very quickly – that we are going to make him permanent attorney general,” Trump said

‘Brilliant’: US public cheers dancing Unitree robots...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

A gulf is emerging between how the American public and lawmakers are viewing Chinese robots, analysts say, following a high-profile performance by Chinese robotics champion Unitree’s humanoid robots on US television show America’s Got Talent, which received a standing ovation from the studio audience. While ratings figures have yet to be announced, the appearance of Unitree’s G1 robots on a prime time American television show in its season premiere could contribute to mainstream acceptance of...

Hong Kong police to launch 2-week crackdown on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Hong Kong police will launch a two-week citywide crackdown on distracted driving and jaywalking after the number of people killed in traffic accidents jumped by more than 40 per cent year on year in the first five months of 2026. The force said on Thursday that 51 people died in traffic accidents between January and May 31, up by 42 per cent from the same period last year. Pedestrians accounted for about half of the fatalities. According to police, jaywalking and inattentive driving were

Small plane crash in Croatia leaves 4 dead, 2 missing

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Four people were killed on Thursday in a plane crash on Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast, police said. “According to currently available information four people have died” in the crash of the plane in Medulin, on Croatia’s northwestern Istria peninsula, a police statement said. The accident occurred in the Campanoz area, outside the town, and “all emergency services are on the scene”, it added. The national firefighting association said it had received a report of the crash near the Medulin...

China’s futuristic stealth sub to boost...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

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, citing Vantor satellite images dated June 1. A submarine’s fin is a tower on its topside, usually used for observation and communications. Analysts said a finless design could boost the craft’s

Chinese carmakers BYD, Chery chart 80% growth...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Leading Chinese carmakers like BYD and Chery Automobile are reaping rewards from their efforts to boost sales abroad, as they chase higher profitability amid rising demand for electric vehicles (EVs). Chery, which spearheaded the go-global drive among mainland China’s automotive groups and is the country’s largest car exporter, delivered three times as many cars overseas as at home last month. The state-owned company, based in eastern China’s Anhui province, handed 181,571 vehicles to

Why China’s Latin America ties aren’t immune to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

For over two decades, China’s rise in Latin America has been viewed as one of the most significant geopolitical developments in the western hemisphere. Through trade, investment, infrastructure projects and diplomatic engagement, Beijing built a presence that would have been difficult to imagine at the beginning of the century. The strategy appeared highly successful. Beijing became a leading trading partner for much of the region, financed major projects, expanded its diplomatic footprint

Part boat, part plane, part sci-fi: China debuts...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

The Soviet “sea monster” is back – and this time it’s for sale. A Chinese company has completed the maiden flight of a passenger craft that skims just above the water’s surface using ground-effect technology, reviving a concept once associated with the Soviet Union’s giant Cold War-era experimental vehicles. Chinese mobility company Navee on Thursday showcased its WaveFly 5X on Lake Taihu in Suzhou, eastern Jiangsu province, as it raced to commercialise what it said was the world’s first...

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs visits...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong and Macau affairs has visited the Hengqin cooperation zone in Guangdong province’s Zhuhai as part of a drive to help the two special administrative regions align with the nation’s 15th five-year plan. The four-day visit by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), was his third trip to the Greater Bay Area this year. During his trip from Monday to Thursday, Xia visited a university town, research institutes, and innovation and...

US-China policy under Donald Trump is heading for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Soon after Donald Trump concluded a visit to China that he hailed as a great success, America’s top diplomat joined his Indian, Japanese and Australian counterparts in New Delhi for a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. At the meeting on May 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework, a strategic push to curb global reliance on Beijing for rare earth elements. Member states are pooling up to US$20

Beijing slaps travel ban on New Zealand MPs for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Four New Zealand lawmakers who were handed travel bans by Beijing for visiting Taiwan have been accused of crossing a “red line” by the Chinese embassy in Wellington. The ban – which covers mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau – was condemned by the New Zealand and Australian governments, which said they would lodge a formal protest. The party, which visited the island in early May, included three members of the ruling centre-right coalition – National MP Maureen Pugh, David Wilson from NZ

Wife of China motorcycle tycoon becomes loyalty...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

The Chinese motorcycle brand ZXMOTO and its founder Zhang Xue have become one of the most-mentioned topics online in April following their unprecedented victory in a world-class race. Zhang’s wife, who has been with him since she was a teenager, has also become famous. Chen Xingyi, 38, was Zhang’s junior secondary school classmate. She began dating him when they were both poor youngsters and was by his side when he quit school, became a motorcycle repair shop apprentice, and a mechanic at a...

Hong Kong police launch search after man, 76, goes...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Hong Kong police are searching for a 76-year-old man who went missing in Ma On Shan on Wednesday.Liu Yim-kwan left his home at Yan On Estate on Hang Chi Street in the small hours Wednesday and failed to return, police said on Thursday. Liu is about 1.7 metres tall with a lean build. He has short black hair and a sallow complexion. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black trousers and white trainers. His family reported him missing on Wednesday. The force appealed to anyone with...

Japan-Philippines maritime talks 2026

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Many wind and solar power plants in China are...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

China is wasting a huge amount of green energy as the world grapples with an energy shortage because of the Strait of Hormuz crisis. The “wasted” wind and solar energy stems from inflexible grid management that continues to position coal as a stabilising source of power and stymies a clean energy expansion that could otherwise generate electricity equivalent to the needs of France, according to analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) think tank. China’s energy

EU, China hold talks as trade war looms

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

The EU and China were due to hold talks to defuse escalating trade tensions after Europe voted last week to adopt a tough new approach. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic was set to meet China’s top trade envoy, Li Chenggang, on the sidelines of an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meeting on Thursday, the South China Morning Post reported. Talks will focus on establishing a new platform to discuss trade and investment issues and will pave the way for Chinese Commerce...

South Korean ruling party’s ‘flawed landslide’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s ruling party swept most of the country’s major local elections, but a narrow defeat in Seoul has given conservatives a foothold to challenge his reform agenda. The loss in the capital, South Korea’s political and property-market centre, has taken the shine off an otherwise dominant performance by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), dealing a blow to Lee’s plans for tougher real estate taxation, according to observers. Across the country, the DPK

China rejects OECD report on industrial subsidies as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

China has rejected a recent OECD report that said its firms receive far higher government subsidies than international peers, calling the findings “one-sided and arbitrary” at a time when EU concerns over Beijing’s industrial policy are intensifying. “The report’s definition of ‘subsidies’ lacks a unified standard and statistical framework, and deviates from consensus under multilateral frameworks such as the World Trade Organization,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on...

Thailand’s shrimp industry at ‘lowest point’ as it...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

Thailand’s shrimp industry is reeling from the latest blow to its once market-dominant business after Malaysia this week suspended imports from its northern neighbour, triggering fresh despair from a sector whose revenue has nosedived in the 15 years since it claimed the crown as the world’s largest exporter. Malaysia’s temporary ban on five shrimp species – as well as tightened import requirements for Thai sea bass – came into force on Monday. The trade row comes as Thailand’s fisheries

Tibetology is key to China shaping global views on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/06/04

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 who gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the China Tibetology Research Centre on Wednesday. According to state news agency Xinhua, Li said that the international situation was “volatile” and...

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