• If China no longer takes Europe seriously, Brussels has itself to blame
• 6G expert G.K. Chang counts costs after winning 4-year fight in China Initiative case
• Why did Chinese economist slam Ray Dalio on debt situations in US, China?
• China, US finish Stockholm trade talks with divergence on timing of tariff pause extension
• Panama logs over 160 actions in ports investigation amid US-China canal dispute
• Chinese tycoon’s proposed water deal spurs objections in US state of New Hampshire
• Ex-chairman of Hong Kong-listed Neo-China surrenders after 13 years on the run
• Is EU’s global clout fading amid gruelling stand-offs with China and the US?
• Modi’s visit, Indian aid pledge reshape Maldives ties as China wavers
• Does Chinese privilege exist in Singapore? Study finds views differ by age and race
• China siblings fight over dad’s US$420,000 inheritance, discover neither is biological child
• China’s J-20 stealth aircraft flew through the Tsushima Strait. Did anybody else notice?
• China’s Shenzhen, Guangzhou airports hit record highs – surpass pre-Covid passenger levels
• China’s famous Shaolin Temple gets a new abbot after predecessor removed
• Shocking ‘electric dance’ in China sparks wonder and concern online
• China to ‘tighten oversight’ in crowded manufacturing sectors such as EVs and solar power
• China says new Mazu weather warning AI will help developing nations prepare for disaster
• Chinese artist Cai Guo-qiang uses AI to create his ‘gunpowder art’ in Macau exhibition
• China pancake seller in US on US$20,000 a month arrested for unlicensed stall amid turf war
• China’s AI race heats up as Shanghai launches massive subsidy scheme
• Take an independent tack on China, Wang Yi urges South Korea’s new foreign policy chief
• Chinese officials call for all-out response after downpours lead to ‘heavy casualties’
• China mum wraps baby’s index finger to stop ‘unhygienic’ sucking, leads to tissue damage
• Wu Yiquan: the Chinese AI researcher scoring big on the basketball court

If China no longer takes Europe seriously, Brussels has itself to blame

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3319859/if-china-no-longer-takes-europe-seriously-brussels-has-itself-blame?utm_source=rss_feed

The China-EU summit on July 24 confirmed what Beijing and Washington have long surmised: Europe has sidelined itself from great-power competition. After five decades of diplomacy, Brussels and Beijing have never been further apart, exactly as Trump’s wedge intended. Yet the bridge to China wasn’t demolished from abroad. Europe dismantled it, piece by piece, through its own incoherence.

Brussels’ only meaningful gain was a marginal agreement on rare earths. The European Union’s other concerns, ending China’s “systemic distortions and growing manufacturing overcapacity”, were unaddressed. Instead, the EU walked away with hollow climate declarations and technical scraps. This confirms that China sees no need to concede anything substantial: a passivity that exposes Europe’s irrelevance.

Washington engineered this outcome with precision. Trump’s tariff threats had seemed to corner Brussels into a false dilemma: either prioritise commercial ties with China or reinforce transatlantic loyalty. The set-up succeeded.

The summit laid bare Europe’s misreading of geopolitical reality. The EU continues to act as a liberal power in a realist international system. Its principles – multilateralism, consensus and legalism – unravel when confronted with raw power politics. Trump exploits this mismatch, trapping Brussels and exposing its failure to define an autonomous stance.

At the last Nato summit, European members increased their military dependence on the transatlantic alliance. Trump’s attempts to fracture Nato only yielded a more submissive Europe. Brussels aligned without protest to a defence spending increase worth 5 per cent of gross domestic product through 2035, effectively binding Europe to the US security-industrial complex.

On the economic front, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s deal on a Scottish golf course – 15 per cent tariffs on EU exports, exemptions for American goods and €640 billion (US$750 billion) in energy commitments – marked Europe’s self-chosen descent from partner to client. Any pretence of “strategic autonomy” disintegrated under these imposed dependencies.

Meanwhile, the EU’s brief openness towards Beijing earlier in the year has all but evaporated. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning challenged Brussels’ geopolitical credibility, urging it to recalibrate its political mindset before addressing economic concerns, a diplomatic way of saying Europe was unfit for serious negotiation.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi deepened the rift by reportedly declaring that Russia’s defeat in Ukraine was not in China’s interests. Europe expressed outrage but offered no recalibration. Brussels continues to demand that Beijing alter its ties with Moscow while offering no diplomatic initiative of its own. It clings to slogans of support for Ukraine and another round of sanctions while avoiding peace efforts.

The moral selectivity runs deeper: Brussels demands from Beijing what it never required of other countries reluctant to reduce ties with Moscow. For example, India absorbed 38 per cent of Russia’s major arms exports between 2020 and 2024. No European leader has explained why engagement with China must hinge on its Russia stance when no such condition is applied to others.

The logic is incoherent. Ukraine is not even a member of the EU. Yet only Beijing is subjected to this litmus test, undermining Europe’s credibility and eliminating the path to diversification. By singling out Beijing, Brussels also forecloses any prospect of Eurasian realignment, which is exactly the outcome Trump wants.

Moreover, despite framing the Ukraine war as an existential conflict, Europe is still helping Russia’s economy. The EU admits that in 2024, its energy payments to Moscow totalled €23 billion. Since Russia invaded, those payments have reportedly given the Kremlin the equivalent cost of 2,400 fighter jets. The contradiction is staggering.

The persistent use of ineffective economic-security tools further highlights the bloc’s futility. The banning of Chinese firms from EU medical equipment tenders worth more than €5 million simply provoked Chinese retaliation. This predictable symmetry underlined Europe’s absence of tactical imagination.

Europe’s geopolitical insignificance is exacerbated by a void of political leadership. No Brussels figure commands global respect. The EU is neither feared nor courted, and is absent from major decisions. It has no real seat in Ukraine negotiations, barely any weight in Middle East diplomacy and no voice that other powers consider consequential.

Such paralysis originates from twin misconceptions. The EU perceives the US as a reliable partner despite persistent economic threats, coerced weapons purchases and diplomatic disregard. Meanwhile, it underestimates China despite depending on Chinese raw materials, critical industrial inputs and supply chains for green and digital technologies.

In essence, Europe misreads Chinese strength as a threat and American coercion as a consequence of normal relations. Still, Beijing and Washington have drawn the same conclusion: European leaders have chosen submission over autonomy. Compared to Europe, China stood up more defiantly to US economic pressure and emerged more resilient. Hence, Beijing sees little reason to engage with Brussels beyond protecting commercial ties.

Overall, Trump’s wedge succeeded because it exposed Europe’s inability to choose between ideological posture and economic necessity. By imposing an artificial binary – security dependence on the US or economic partnership with China – he ruled out the one outcome Washington most feared: an authoritative Europe engaging a self-assured China.

The summit proved that the 21st century belongs to two superpowers, not three. Trump’s policies exposed Europe’s unwillingness to summon the courage to compete. Just like that, Europe has walked into geopolitical triviality, dismantling its bridge to Beijing along the way.

6G expert G.K. Chang counts costs after winning 4-year fight in China Initiative case

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320024/6g-expert-gk-chang-counts-costs-after-winning-4-year-fight-china-initiative-case?utm_source=rss_feed

On a Friday in March 2021, as Gee-Kung Chang began his day as usual at 5am, there was no hint that his life was about to change forever.

As the Georgia Institute of Technology chair professor – a pioneer in the networks behind 5G and 6G – prepped for lectures and set up a thesis defence for a PhD student, a thunderous knock at the door shattered the quiet.

On the other side were nine US federal agents – seven from the FBI and two from Homeland Security. They stormed in, handcuffed Chang – who was about 74 at the time – and began searching every room, drawer and cupboard in his home in Smyrna, a suburb outside Atlanta.

It was not until his first court appearance that Chang learned he had been indicted on 10 felony counts; accused of abusing a research visa programme known as J-1 by bringing Chinese scholars to Georgia Tech and allegedly having them work instead for the Chinese telecoms company ZTE.

Chang’s reputation imploded. Colleagues and friends drifted away. “I forced myself to stay sharp mentally and physically,” Chang recalled.

Four years later, the case quietly fell apart. A judge dismissed nine wire fraud charges in 2024 for lack of evidence. The final visa fraud charge was dropped this April, clearing Chang’s name.

“The indictment does not describe a scheme to defraud,” US District Judge Amy Totenberg wrote in her decision to toss out the charges. She added that the case lacked specifics, noting that “one can only speculate” whether Chang had done anything that would have misled the university.

Chang’s case was one of many failed prosecutions under the now-terminated China Initiative, a Department of Justice programme that targeted academics with ties to China.

The indictment against him was fatally flawed, according to Robert Fisher, Chang’s lawyer and partner at the Boston-based law firm Nixon Peabody.

Speaking at a meeting in May of APA Justice, a civil-rights group advocating for Asian-American scientists and communities, Fisher said Chang was accused of defrauding Georgia Tech by sending J-1 visa students to work at ZTE, while they collected stipends and salaries from the university.

But even the government’s own filings showed the scholars were doing research at Georgia Tech, sometimes alongside work at ZTE, which made it impossible to prove the university had been financially harmed, he said.

The visa fraud charge was equally weak, he said. Chang had no role in submitting visa applications and had never received compliance training from the university on compliance requirements.

Like many of his clients, Chang came under scrutiny because he collaborated with ZTE, a Chinese company similar to Huawei that was already under US government monitoring.

Fisher, who also successfully defended MIT professor Gang Chen, said many academics encouraged to work with China in the 2010s were later blindsided by criminal charges as political attitudes hardened.

Speaking at the same meeting, Chang said his life and career may never fully recover. “I was totally exonerated, but ... freedom did not bring euphoria,” he said. “Emotionally, I was worn thin; financially, depleted – and at nearly 78 years old, I know I am slowing down physically.

“Professionally, no one could ever compensate me for the time and opportunity lost in this ordeal to discover new frontiers of science and technology in my peak creative years.”

Born in mainland China in 1947, Chang moved to Taiwan as a young child during the Chinese civil war. He went to the United States in 1970 for graduate studies in physics and earned his PhD from the University of California, Riverside, in 1976. He became a US citizen in 1981.

An expert in optoelectronic integration and fibre-optic communications, Chang held leadership roles at Bell Labs, Bellcore, Telcordia and OpNext. He has received multiple awards over decades of industry work, including the Bellcore President’s Award.

In 2002, he joined Georgia Tech as an Eminent Scholar Chair Professor where he led major research on fibre-wireless networks funded by the National Science Foundation that laid the foundation for 5G and 6G technology.

Chang has advised dozens of PhD students and has published hundreds of papers. In 2019, he received the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award from Georgia Tech’s school of electrical and computer engineering.

Although the China Initiative officially ended in 2022 amid widespread criticism of racial profiling, Fisher warned “it appears to be back in some form”, judging by the number of scientists and even people from the business community now seeking legal help.

Last week, the US House of Representatives was poised to advance a key spending bill that could revive the China Initiative to “maintain America’s competitive edge” and “counter China’s malign ambitions to steal American research”, according to the bill’s accompanying report.

Chang said he chose to share his “to-hell-and-back story” not for sympathy, but as a warning. “To those walking through the same fire, you are not alone,” he said.

“Justice is not guaranteed. It must be fought for.”

Why did Chinese economist slam Ray Dalio on debt situations in US, China?

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3319988/why-did-chinese-economist-slam-ray-dalios-assessment-debt-situations-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed

A prominent Chinese economist has pushed back against Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio’s views on the debt situations in China and the United States, as debate over the fiscal directions of the world’s two largest economies heats up.

Xu Gao, chief economist at Bank of China International (China), said in a recent 9,000-word article that Dalio was mistaken in calling for China to deleverage, arguing that such a view “misjudges” the country’s debt dynamics.

“China’s recent debt-rollover issues were not caused by excessive borrowing, but by overly harsh deleveraging policies that disrupted liquidity,” Xu wrote in the article titled “Where Did Dalio Go Wrong on National Debt?”

“Rather than doubling down on deleveraging, we need to correct the mindset behind it, which has already weighed heavily on the macro economy,” Xu said.

His comments, posted to social media on Thursday, came as economists and policy circles have been discussing whether more stimulus is needed in the second half of the year to shore up China’s economy amid external uncertainties, a prolonged property downturn, and persistent deflationary pressures.

Attention is now turning to an upcoming Politburo meeting that is expected to set the policy tone for the second half.

In the US, worries over the sustainability of US government debt have intensified following the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill”, which raised the debt ceiling by US$5 trillion and prompted warnings of a looming “debt bomb” from figures such as Elon Musk and Dalio.

Dalio, the billionaire investor and founder of one of the world’s largest hedge funds, has long advocated for a “beautiful deleveraging” strategy in China to address its debt challenges.

His views echoed China’s last deleveraging campaign, initiated in 2016, when Liu He, then the right-hand man of President Xi Jinping, moved to defuse the country’s mounting debt bomb that had been ticking since China implemented a 4 trillion yuan stimulus package in 2009-2010 in response to the global financial crisis.

Dalio’s latest book, How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle, was released last month, including a Chinese edition simultaneously published by Citic Press.

In the Thursday article, Xu also disputed Dalio’s assessment of US debt, calling it overly “pessimistic” and pointing to US dollar hegemony as a key factor underpinning the sustainability of US Treasury borrowing.

“As long as the US government doesn’t make any grave missteps that undermine global confidence in the dollar, US Treasuries are nowhere near the critical point of triggering a ‘debt spiral’,” he wrote.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Dalio once again sounded the alarm, warning that the US risks facing an “economic heart attack” if the government does not reduce the deficit to 3 per cent of GDP.

Late last year, China rolled out a 12 trillion yuan (US$1.67 trillion) debt swap – a move that significantly eased repayment pressure on local authorities, after the Ministry of Finance had identified a total of 14.3 trillion yuan in local government hidden debts by the end of 2023.

Meanwhile, Beijing switched to a “moderately loose” monetary policy from a “prudent” stance and raised the fiscal deficit ratio to a new high of 4 per cent this year to offset the impact of its trade war with Washington.

China’s macro leverage ratio, measured in the proportion of debt of non-financial sectors to GDP, rose to 298.4 per cent at the end of March from 290.7 per cent a quarter earlier, according to data released by the Beijing-based National Institution of Finance and Development.

The government leverage ratio climbed by 2.4 percentage points to 63.2 per cent in the same period, its data showed.

China, US finish Stockholm trade talks with divergence on timing of tariff pause extension

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320049/china-us-finish-stockholm-trade-talks-agreement-extend-tariff-pause?utm_source=rss_feed

China and the United States diverged on the timing for another pause on tariff increases.

After their two days of talks in Stockholm, Chinese negotiators declared a consensus for an extension of the pause on tariff increases and the American side insisted that no deal would be final without US President Donald Trump’s explicit approval.

The Chinese side did not announce any breakthroughs or specify the duration of the extension after the of discussions that marked a third round of high-level trade negotiations between the world’s two largest economies.

“According to the consensus between China and the US, both sides will continue to push for the continued extension of the pause on the 24 per cent part of the reciprocal tariffs on the US side as well as the countermeasures on the Chinese side”, Li Chenggang, China’s Vice-Minister of Commerce, said after the negotiations concluded on Tuesday.

In a separate press briefing held about an hour later, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the talks as “constructive” and “wide-ranging”. He said that nothing would be agreed upon until American negotiators “speak” with President Donald Trump, who is now on his way back to the US from a visit to Scotland.

“I notice ... that the Chinese deputy minister did say that we had agreed on a pause,” Bessent said. “We have not. Nothing is agreed until we speak with President Trump.”

Bessent said the team would meet with Trump on Wednesday to “go over the deal”, and that the American leader would make the final decision on whether the pause continues for another 90 days.

He added that Washington was “not looking to decouple”, but only to “derisk” in strategic sectors like semiconductors, rare earths, and pharmaceuticals.

“I think the Chinese were surprised by the magnitude of the Japan deal, by the magnitude and the terms of the European deal”, the lead US negotiator claimed as the Trump administration appears to increase its leverage by striking pacts with other countries.

He shared that issues like overcapacity, China’s purchase of Iranian oil, and the supply of dual-use technology to Russia were raised.

Asked about a possible meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump in October, Bessent added that there was no discussion during the talks about a bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

Li, Beijing’s lead trade negotiator, told reporters that both countries were satisfied with the implementation of the consensus reached during their previous rounds of talks in Geneva and London.

He also shared that both sides had “comprehensive and in depth” exchange over each other’s macroeconomic situations and had “candid” discussions on each others’ concerns.

Bessent, on the other hand, emphasised that the US economy was doing well and “firing on all cylinders”, brushing aside concerns of increased inflation, while pointing out that China’s economy was “unbalanced” and “not sustainable”. He said Global South countries did not have the capacity to absorb all of China’s excess production.

The talks, led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, came ahead of the August 12 expiration of a 90-day tariff suspension, a pause agreed to in May during the first round of negotiations in Geneva.

According to the joint statement issue back in May in Geneva, both China and the US pledged to remove 91 percentage points of the April tariffs and suspend a further 24 percentage points for the next 90 days, leaving 10 percentage points of the duties in place. In response, Beijing paused its countermeasures taken in retaliation for those tariffs.

Aside from the reciprocal tariffs – the 20 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports related to the fentanyl crisis, imposed by US President Donald Trump in February – remain in place.

Beijing and Washington were expected to extend their tariff truce by another three months following the talks, sources on both sides told the Post before discussions began on Monday.

During the 90-day extension, the two nations would commit to not impose additional tariffs on each other, nor escalate the trade war by other means, one source said.

Additional reporting by Luna Sun

Panama logs over 160 actions in ports investigation amid US-China canal dispute

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320052/panama-logs-over-160-actions-ports-investigation-amid-us-china-canal-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed

Panama’s chief prosecutor said on Tuesday that more than 160 actions have been taken so far in a high-profile investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Panama Ports Company, the unit of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings that operates two Panama Canal ports, as the country finds itself in the crosshairs of a deepening power struggle between the US and China.

Attorney General Luis Carlos Gomez said that prosecutors are conducting interviews, issuing special requests and deploying investigative commissions as part of the inquiry, which is being handled by the anti-corruption unit for high-complexity matters.

The probe was triggered by an audit by the Comptroller General’s Office, which began in February.

“This is not a routine case. The section handling it is equipped for cases of significant institutional and financial complexity,” Gomez told reporters.

While the specific allegations remain undisclosed, Gomez confirmed that authorities were now determining which of the audit’s findings might rise to the level of criminal conduct.

He declined to say whether any company executives had been called to testify, noting that “suspects have the right not to provide statements” unless they chose to do so through legal counsel.

The case comes amid renewed friction between Washington and Beijing over the Panama Canal, where Chinese-linked companies have expanded their presence in recent years.

In his inaugural address upon returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump accused Panama of violating its long-standing neutrality treaty by letting companies tied to Beijing operate at key points near the canal.

He vowed that the US would be “taking back” the waterway, a position that has sparked outrage in Panama.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed those concerns during a visit to the country in February, warning Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino that the US would take “necessary measures” if Chinese interests were not removed.

Days later, Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of the United States Southern Command, travelled to Panama to discuss “protecting” the area surrounding the canal from Chinese interference.

Mulino bristled at the warnings, accusing Washington of stoking unnecessary alarm. He has insisted the canal remains fully under Panamanian control and described allegations of foreign interference as politically motivated.

China does not run the canal, but its commercial footprint has grown steadily. Panama Ports renewed its concession in 2021 to operate ports on both ends of the waterway. Other Chinese companies have secured contracts for major infrastructure projects in the surrounding zone.

On Monday, CK Hutchison announced it would seek to add a “significant” mainland Chinese investor to the consortium that was negotiating the purchase of Hutchison’s global port assets. The deal is valued at US$23 billion.

According to media reports, China’s state-owned Cosco Shipping has held talks to join the investor group. The company would reportedly receive stakes in 41 ports globally, but those would exclude the two Panama terminals – a move seen as an attempt to avoid further diplomatic tensions with Washington.

The 145-day window for exclusive negotiations with the consortium, which is led by Terminal Investment Limited – an affiliate of the world’s largest container line, Mediterranean Shipping Company – and the US asset manager BlackRock, ended on Sunday.

Hutchison said that further changes to the deal’s structure and membership would be required to obtain regulatory approvals across all jurisdictions involved.

In the face of growing geopolitical pressure, China’s embassy in Panama has reiterated its support for the canal’s permanent neutrality.

After a meeting on Friday between Ambassador Xu Xueyuan and the canal’s administrator, Ricaurte Vasquez Morales, the embassy said the parties had agreed on the need to keep the waterway open to all nations.

“The People’s Republic of China has never taken part in the canal’s operation or management,” the embassy said, calling US accusations “baseless” and “malicious”.

Chinese tycoon’s proposed water deal spurs objections in US state of New Hampshire

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3320054/chinese-tycoons-proposed-water-deal-spurs-objections-us-state-new-hampshire?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s richest man, Zhong Shanshan, has come under scrutiny in the small northeastern US state of New Hampshire, home to just over 1 million residents, over a plan to develop an industrial site in the state’s second-largest city, Nashua.

The controversy began in May when it emerged that a US subsidiary of Zhong’s firm, Nongfu Spring, NF North America, had quietly acquired a single-storey building on a 9.3-hectare (23-acre) industrial site in Nashua in January.

The site had been abandoned for nearly 11 years, and the company planned to build a beverage plant and purchase the city’s surplus water for its operations.

“Chinese billionaire wants NH water,” declared a local news headline that month. Zhong founded Nongfu Spring, now China’s largest beverage company. His net worth is estimated at US$64 billion.

Unlike earlier large Chinese investments that might have been unremarkable before China became synonymous with national security threats to US policymakers left and right, NF North America’s prospects now appear uncertain.

Likewise, similar deals, including battery giant Gotion, CATL’s partnership with Ford, and agribusiness firm Fufeng, have been stalled entirely in recent years or face mounting scrutiny.

As US President Donald Trump’s trade team negotiates with Beijing in hopes of striking a deal by August 11 and easing tensions, the controversy over Nongfu Spring’s property purchase in New Hampshire underscores the limits of such efforts.

While a trade agreement may reduce tariff burdens, experts say it cannot resolve the deeper issue of political mistrust that continues to strain US-China relations.

The US$67 million Nongfu purchase, over four times the site’s assessed value of US$15 million, quickly drew attention.

The site’s steep purchase price and location near critical infrastructure, including a watershed area that supplies drinking water for the city, defence contractor BAE Systems, and a federal aviation control centre, sparked concern among local residents and lawmakers.

A bill restricting land sales near military installations to entities from “foreign adversaries”, including China, had previously stalled in the state’s legislature.

The Nongfu case, however, revived the issue’s political momentum, spurring lawmakers to incorporate the measure into the state budget, which passed in June. The new law also grants the attorney general authority to seek forfeiture of any such property.

Now, some state Republican leaders are calling for further scrutiny. They are pushing for both state-level enforcement and an investigation by the federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, also known as CFIUS – a US Treasury Department-led body able to review and possibly cancel this purchase on national security grounds.

Meanwhile, plans to build a beverage plant on the site appear stalled. Some locals argue that selling surplus city water to a private company could lower public water bills.

The conversation, in social media and local news reports though, has shifted to speculation over why a Chinese billionaire is interested in an abandoned property, fuelling rumours of a Chinese takeover of local water resources.

According to Chris Pereira, CEO of iMpact, a New York-based consultancy that helps Chinese firms in their global operations, “the fact that Zhong is China’s richest man makes this story far more politically charged”.

He said that in the current geopolitical environment “linking a major land acquisition to a prominent Chinese billionaire, especially one in a strategic sector like water, adds fuel to public scepticism and political posturing”.

“The price paid for the land only adds to the perception that ‘something must be going on’, even if the purchase is commercially justified,” Pereira added, saying these elements “create an optics problem more than a substance problem”.

The Nashua Planning Department told the Post that the company’s application to establish a beverage-manufacturing facility was withdrawn in late May, and no active or open application is under consideration.

The city has emphasised that it was neither involved in nor informed about the property sale, as it was a private transaction.

John Boisvert, CEO of Pennichuck Corp., a semi-private water company controlled by the city that serves around 40,000 customers using water from the Pennichuck watershed and the Merrimack River, said routine due diligence meetings were held by local authorities on the company’s proposal to set up a plant and buy water from Pennichuck between October and December.

After saying yes, though, Pennichuck has not heard back from the NF North America on “the next steps.”

Boisvert said there has been a lot of misreporting on the issue, especially some claims about Nongfu trying to take over the Pennichuck water system.

“It was reported that, which is completely inaccurate, that we are selling ourselves to this company. It’s not the case,” he told the Post in an interview.

Boisvert said Pennichuck has the capacity to sell surplus water to private investors who pay for necessary infrastructure, which could lower consumer costs, although there is no guarantee of bill reductions.

The cost, “in theory, could go down”, he said.

However, state Republican lawmakers argue that Nongfu has yet to address a number of unresolved questions.

In a joint statement released on July 17, state Senators Kevin Avard and Regina Birdsell, cosponsors of the bill to block Chinese entities from purchasing land near military installations, vowed to continue opposing the Nongfu deal.

Birdsell said the latest case shows that “our foreign adversaries are very interested in acquiring US land”, adding that had her bill been passed last year, “this purchase in Nashua would never have happened”.

She pledged to “continue bringing attention to this important matter so that our critical infrastructures are not compromised” and that all New Hampshire residents are “safe from foreign threats”.

Avard said “there are many unanswered questions about this deal” and that he found it “disconcerting that city officials in Nashua allowed this deal to be approved so quickly without a public conversation.”

“The land purchase is close to a number of defence contractors in our state, such as BAE in Nashua, and within 14 miles of the New Boston Space Force station,” he said, adding that military personnel from the US Space Force had come to “Concord this year to testify about real attempts to steal intelligence in New Hampshire”.

Avard appeared, in an opinion piece run by a local publication in June, to link the deal with possible agriculture terrorism, citing the arrest of two Chinese nationals in Michigan that month for allegedly smuggling what the US Justice Department called a “dangerous biological pathogen”.

“Nashua is the first city to grant a domestic water contract to Nongfu Spring, with Nongfu announcing plans to expand aggressively in America by gaining access to our tap water for bottling operations,” he asserted.

Avard also called on CFIUS “to abrogate this contract that potentially threatens our national interests”.

“Any company subject to CCP [Chinese Communist Party] influence that has access to America’s food or water supply ought to qualify for debarment,” he said, adding that he has not heard back from the investment review board.

Avard has also criticised US Representative Maggie Goodlander, a Democrat who represents New Hampshire’s Second District, which includes Nashua. Goodlander is married to Jake Sullivan, former US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser.

“Goodlander is intent on criticising Trump’s China tariffs and Trump’s revocation of visas for Chinese students. Concern over selling access to our water supply? Crickets,” he wrote in his opinion piece.

Neither Birdsell nor Avard responded to a request for comment from the Post. Nongfu also did not respond concerning these concerns. No official website could be found for NF North America, though public records show the company is registered in Delaware.

Last week, the Hodge twins, brothers Keith and Kevin Hodge – also known as the “Conservative Twins”, conservative commentators with nearly 6.5 million followers on Facebook, also weighed in on the case through their social media channels.

“One of China’s richest men, Zhong Shanshan, just bought [US]$67 million worth of New Hampshire land at FOUR TIMES its assessed lue,” the p post said.

It asked why the “CCP” was “buying up land near critical US utilities and sensitive sites.”

Their post lauded Avard and Birdsell for “raising the alarm”.

Some New Hampshire residents have been posting their concerns on social media groups as well, raising similar concerns about the company’s alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party and calling for a reversal of the deal.

This is not the first time a Chinese company has found itself at the eye of a storm in the US. In 2022, a Chinese agribusiness project was cancelled despite CFIUS clearance because it was close to a military facility.

Two battery plants by a US subsidiary of China’s Gotion have been mired in legal troubles because of public and political opposition in Michigan and Illinois.

The battery plants became an election issue last year, with then-vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance himself conducting a rally in the town where the plant is proposed to be built. Trump has also opposed the project despite telling foreign companies to build factories in the US to avoid tariffs.

“I think it’s possible that Nongfu becomes the next casualty in a pattern that’s becoming more common. Even if there’s no wrongdoing, the risk of politicisation alone can delay, derail, or discourage a project entirely,” Pereira said.

For Nongfu, he added, “this could mean shelving or re-routing its US expansion plans, or rethinking how it enters foreign markets more broadly.”

“Companies like Nongfu will increasingly need to invest not just in factories, but in local trust-building, public engagement, and strategic communications; otherwise their investments may never get off the ground, no matter how commercially viable they are,” Pereira said.

A survey of 100 Chinese companies by the China General Chamber of Commerce in April found widespread pessimism about future investment in the US under the second Trump administration.

The companies identified a wide range of expected challenges to their US operations this year and next, with 90 per cent citing the stalemate in bilateral political and cultural relations, 73 per cent pointing to frictions in economic and trade ties, and 60 per cent flagging restrictive US foreign investment policies.

With US-China agreeing to extend their tariff pause and pledging to continue to talk to address their differences in Sweden this week, Pereira said that while “a trade deal may help ease tariff burdens, but it’s unlikely to solve the deeper issue, which is political trust, or lack thereof”.

“What we’re seeing now isn’t primarily about trade policy”, he added, saying the Nongfu case “illustrates that the challenges are now more reputational and political than transactional.”

Ex-chairman of Hong Kong-listed Neo-China surrenders after 13 years on the run

https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3320033/ex-chairman-hong-kong-listed-neo-china-surrenders-after-13-years-run?utm_source=rss_feed

A former top executive of a Hong Kong-listed company surrendered to the city’s anti-corruption agency on Tuesday after more than a decade on the run.

Li Songxiao, the former chairman of Neo-China Group (Holdings), now known as Shanghai Industrial Urban Development Group (SIUD), handed himself over to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over his involvement in fraudulent property deals worth more than HK$330 million (US$42 million).

Li had allegedly conspired with two then senior executives, Che Hanshu and Zhang Yaohui, to defraud shareholders and the Hong Kong stock exchange, by inflating the profit and assets of the developers through fraudulent transactions, according to a statement from ICAC.

Warrants for the trio were issued in February 2011 by a magistrate, but by that time they had already left Hong Kong, ICAC said. Li, Che and Zhang had conspired with the company’s secretary and financial controller to defraud shareholders between November 2003 and July 2007, it added.

Li, 59, faces two common law charges of conspiracy to defraud. He is scheduled to appear at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for a mention hearing on Wednesday.

The charges centre on two property deals in which Neo-China allegedly misled investors – one involving the HK$210 million purchase of Top Fair, and another concerning the HK$123 million sale of its subsidiary, Noble Time Development, to Northwest Link.

“By making the fraudulent property transactions, the individual concerned had allegedly induced the shareholders of Neo-China to believe that the two transactions were genuine, and prevented the [stock exchange] from performing its duties in relation to the protection of the minority shareholders of Neo-China,” ICAC said.

Neo-China was acquired by Shanghai Industrial Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed holding company in June 2010 and became SIUD, according to the developer’s website. SIUD has a presence in mainland China’s first and second-tier cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, and its development spans high-end residential communities, office buildings, shopping centres and hotels.

SIUD reported a net loss of HK$372.8 million for 2024, swinging from a net profit of HK$490.7 million a year earlier, according to its annual report. The company attributed the loss to fewer higher-margin projects, a decline in selling prices and impairments.

Between October 2003 and August 2009, Li was Neo-China’s chairman, while Che and Zhang were executive directors, according to ICAC’s statement.

Is EU’s global clout fading amid gruelling stand-offs with China and the US?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320019/eus-global-clout-fading-amid-gruelling-stand-offs-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed

After tense talks in Beijing and a bruising trade blow from Washington, EU bureaucrats are heading into their August break weary and short of wins, as doubts deepen over the bloc’s global leverage.

Last week’s summit in Beijing went off without too much drama, seen as an achievement in itself, given how fraught EU-China ties had become in the run-up to the long-awaited event.

But on some of their longest-standing complaints, the Europeans found that Beijing would not budge and was keen to display the confidence and swagger that European officials say has been on show since it forced a climbdown on US tariffs three months ago, according to sources familiar with proceedings.

Talks on Ukraine, however, were said to have been open, frank and more meaningful than previous summits, during which European Union officials felt their concerns were dismissed out of hand.

Over more than three hours of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Europeans pushed him again to rein in his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, only for Xi to point to US President Donald Trump’s failure to deliver on a pre-election pledge to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours as evidence of how little leverage anyone has over the conflict.

A repeated motif of the Europeans’ face-to-face engagement with Xi is the Chinese leader telling them that he has less leverage over Putin – whom he often describes as a “good friend” – than they think. But whereas in previous years the EU complained that Xi had batted their assertions about China’s support for Russia away, this time there was an in-depth debate.

Xi did complain about recent EU sanctions on Chinese banks for funnelling cryptocurrency payments to Moscow’s military-linked actors, but there was no repeat of the long history lessons Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave to top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas in Brussels this month. In those discussions, Wang said China did not want Russia to lose the war.

There was no breakthrough, but the Europeans were content that there could be no illusions in Beijing as to their resolve and seriousness on Ukraine, including on the willingness to extend sanctions.

A vague joint statement on climate was held up by Brussels as an important deliverable, given that Wang reportedly threatened to pull the plug on it weeks earlier during testy meetings in Brussels, but otherwise EU sources admit there were few concrete results.

Officials plan to meet in September to monitor progress in an upgraded rare earth licensing arrangement, according to sources, but for the most part, people involved found Xi and Premier Li Qiang to be immovable on trade.

China continued to push for the EU to reopen the ratification process for a shelved investment pact and to negotiate an end to an electric vehicle dispute, but offered little in return, sources said. On several occasions, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the trading relationship was at an “inflection point”.

“At the beginning of the year we hoped for better results,” EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said on Monday.

“But I have to say that despite the strenuous efforts of my colleagues and myself and several long meetings with my Chinese counterparts, unfortunately the list of the accumulated issues on the table did not get shorter, but just grew longer.”

Returning from Beijing, one official said that it was clear that with Beijing unwilling to compromise on issues such as industrial overcapacity and subsidies, the “EU will have to stand its ground if it is to be competitive”.

But after a weekend in which the bloc found itself being pummelled by Trump’s trade blows, doubts are deepening as to how much stomach Europe has for a fight – unless it is an internal one, for which appetite appears to be strong.

The bloc has erupted in a furious debate about its autonomy after it was forced to not only accept a deal hardwiring a 15 per cent tariff on EU-made goods, but to publicly thank Trump for the package after a meeting in Scotland on Sunday.

WhatsApp groups lit up with images of European negotiators posing awkwardly alongside Trump at his Turnberry golf resort, moments after sealing a deal. Von der Leyen, who days earlier had vowed to “defend our interests” in Beijing, flashed a beaming thumbs-up beside Trump.

EU trade negotiators – many of whom have tangled with Trump before – grimaced through forced smiles, with some mimicking Trump’s trademark hand pose under pressure in what one EU official described as “the embodiment of Stockholm syndrome”.

“Finally, I want to thank President Trump personally for his personal commitment and leadership to achieve this breakthrough. He’s a tough negotiator, but he is also a deal maker,” von der Leyen said.

The remarks sparked criticism, with European newspapers screaming with headlines about “capitulation”, “humiliation” and “vassalisation”.

“It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resolves to submission,” French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou wrote on social media, without mentioning that he had personally intervened to remove US bourbon exports from a list of American goods the EU was intending to hit with retaliatory tariffs in April.

John Clarke, once the EU’s top negotiator on agriculture, pushed back against von der Leyen’s claims that it was the “biggest trade deal ever”.

“It is not the biggest trade deal ever. As it actually diminishes trade. It’s the worst trade deal ever … very bad day for the EU,” he said.

For China, the EU-US arrangement may also have an impact. Sefcovic said the sides were “comparing notes” and implied that Brussels still wanted to collaborate with Washington, despite the perceived humiliation in Scotland.

The sides vowed to resume their cooperation to block imports of steel and aluminium emanating from “non-market global overcapacity”, Sefcovic said.

Meanwhile, a fact sheet published on Monday by the White House said that the pair would resume cooperation on “supply chain resilience”, in a passage that alluded to previous joint work on countering Beijing.

“The two sides will take complementary actions to address non-market policies of third parties, as well as cooperating on inbound and outbound investment reviews, export controls, and duty evasion,” it read.

In general, however, analysts were united in the view that the episode – combined with the fawning over Trump at last month’s Nato summit, during which the transatlantic security alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, went as far as to call him “daddy” – served to make Europe look weak to the rest of the world, China included.

“The EU-US deal shows the shambles of European foreign policy. You can’t ring-fence the economy from defence – if you are dependent in your security you won’t be autonomous in commerce,” said Niclas Poitiers, a trade specialist at Bruegel, a Belgian think tank.

“By accepting this very lopsided deal, the EU’s put its lack of autonomy from the US on full display. In a situation where the US and China increasingly see each other in direct conflict, this might dampen hopes for renewed ties between the EU and China.”

Modi’s visit, Indian aid pledge reshape Maldives ties as China wavers

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3320027/modis-visit-indian-aid-pledge-reshape-maldives-ties-china-wavers?utm_source=rss_feed

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the Maldives is being viewed as a symbolic yet strategic reset in bilateral ties, signalling New Delhi’s renewed engagement with its island neighbour amid waning Chinese investment and mounting economic distress in Male.

Modi’s two-day trip, which coincided with the Maldives’ 60th Independence Day celebrations, marked his first visit since President Mohamed Muizzu took office in late 2023 following an election campaign built on a combative “India Out” platform.

Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy, an associate fellow at the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation’s strategic studies programme, said Modi’s visit was successful for two key reasons – to show that Indian influence remained unchallenged in the Maldives, and to aid the local government amid the country’s economic struggles.

The pledge of assistance underscored India’s willingness, commitment and interest to support the Maldives when others were hesitating, Shivamurthy told This Week in Asia.

During the visit, Modi announced a US$565 million credit line and launched free-trade talks with the Maldives. India also announced a reduction in repayments of an earlier credit line from US$51 million to US$29 million annually.

“Whatever the weather may be … our friendship will always remain bright and clear. India will continue to support the development of the Maldives’ defence capabilities,” Modi said during a joint press conference, while Muizzu reflected on the successes of the shared developmental journey between the two countries.

India also said it would gift 72 heavy vehicles to the Maldivian defence ministry.

The improvement in bilateral ties is a contrast to Muizzu’s anti-India rhetoric during the 2023 election and Maldivian officials making derogatory remarks about Modi, signalling a shift in the geopolitical dynamics of the Global South.

Shivamurthy said the Maldives had moved from confrontation to cooperation for various reasons, including domestic politics, economic issues at home and China’s scant interest. India’s accommodative engagement also led to this recalibration, he added.

“This is now reinforced and reciprocated by India through Modi’s visit,” Shivamurthy said.

Muizzu was considered more inclined towards China and made his first state visit to Beijing in January 2024, where he signed 20 key agreements with his Chinese counterpart. Two months later, the Maldives and China signed a military assistance agreement.

China has increasingly invested in the Maldives under its Belt and Road Initiative. The investments, which include the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge and airport upgrades, have totalled about US$1.4 billion.

Shivamurthy said while China was not losing its grip on the Maldives, it was hesitant to invest in the country.

“Lack of confidence in Muizzu and the economic situation has left China in a tricky situation. This is reinforced by its role in [the] Sri Lanka crisis. So China has been lying low – it is investing in small projects through grants and not mega infrastructure projects and loans,” Shivamurthy said.

Experts believe the economic distress and diplomatic outreach by India appear to have reshaped the Maldives’ stance.

Nilanthi Samaranayake, an adjunct fellow at the East-West Centre in Washington, said senior officials from both the Maldives and India successfully crafted a compromise solution that satisfied both countries’ paramount interests: the Maldives wanted foreign military troops out, while India wanted continued maritime surveillance.

Operation of aircraft by Indian civilians was the solution acceptable to both sides, she said.

Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri attributed the turnaround in the relationship to India’s hard work on ties with the island nation.

Samaranayake said the relationship was visibly reset last year when Muizzu was invited to visit India for Modi’s swearing-in ceremony and was seated next to him at a leaders’ banquet.

“Muizzu also conducted a state visit in October. Now Modi’s state visit cements a year of improved bilateral relations, especially after they sank following Muizzu’s inauguration,” she said.

During his visit, Modi also inaugurated several India-funded infrastructure projects, including a new defence ministry headquarters, new roads and a 4,000-unit housing scheme.

Modi’s trip also marked the launch of the network-to-network agreement between India’s NPCI International Payment Limited and the Maldives Monetary Authority on UPI (Unified Payments Interface) in the archipelagic nation.

Samaranayake said Muizzu assigned greater responsibility of securing Maldivian territory and waters to Maldivian defence forces rather than to foreign military.

“Unfortunately for bilateral relations, the thinking behind this approach was lost amid headline-generating controversies like his ministers’ inappropriate social media comments about Modi,” she said.

Samaranayake noted that Muizzu had expressed his intention since taking office to boost cooperation with India, but his foreign policy approach of seeking more partners for the Maldives was “misinterpreted” when compared to the previous administration’s focus on India.

She expected the Maldives under Muizzu to continue having standard military engagement with various partners, including China, as seen in other smaller South Asian countries.

Dr Vinitha Revi, an independent scholar of international relations, said Muizzu had been signalling a reset in bilateral relations since early 2024, when he called India “the Maldives’ closest ally”.

“India-Maldives reset has been in the works for some time now through the high-level core group meetings, joint dosti exercises, India’s budgetary support, and engagement in the form of official visits such as Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer’s visit to Delhi [in May 2024],” Revi said.

In its budget earlier this year, India allocated 6 billion rupees (US$69 million) to the Maldives, up from 4.7 billion rupees last year – the biggest increase among South Asian recipients.

Bilateral trade also rose to US$978.53 million in 2023-24 from about US$973.37 million in 2022-23.

Revi said India-Maldives relations must be viewed through a wider lens, instead of dwelling on comparisons to China’s presence in the archipelago.

“While the Maldives will continue to balance its ties between India and China, it is important to recognise that there are other major players actively seeking deeper ties with this island nation,” Revi said, citing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s message that Washington was keen to “deepen cooperation in the coming year with the Maldives”.

On the strategic front, Revi said India would need to watch out for its security red lines while bearing in mind three key factors: how the Maldives would balance defence cooperation with China and the US; Turkey’s intended role in the equation; and how collaboration between India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka could be strengthened to ensure security and stability in the larger Indian Ocean Region.

“On the development front, India needs to sustain its engagement by addressing debt relief, youth unemployment, climate change and, crucially, capacity building,” Revi said.

Does Chinese privilege exist in Singapore? Study finds views differ by age and race

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3320004/does-chinese-privilege-exist-singapore-study-finds-views-differ-age-and-race?utm_source=rss_feed

Das still remembers an offhand remark from a former colleague who, upon seeing his hairy legs, said that they resembled a monkey’s.

For the 30-year-old ethnic Indian Singaporean postgraduate student, who spoke to This Week in Asia under a pseudonym, the comment reflected a kind of casual insensitivity he said he had encountered as a racial minority in Singapore.

“I would ascribe the confidence of saying such things without having to endure a blowback or to blow it off as a joke to Chinese privilege,” he said, when asked about moments when he felt the majority Chinese population held an unspoken advantage.

His experience aligns with sentiments expressed by some respondents in a new study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, which sheds light on how Singaporeans of different ages and ethnicities perceive racial inequality – and the very idea of “Chinese privilege” – in the multiracial city state.

Released on Friday, the study surveyed 4,000 residents and found that while only 44.7 per cent of respondents overall said they believed Chinese privilege exists, younger Singaporeans were far more likely to hold the view. Among those aged 18 to 35, seven in 10 said it existed, compared with less than three in 10 of older respondents above 65 years of age, according to the study conducted between April and August last year.

Furthermore, six in 10 Malays and Indians said they believed Chinese Singaporeans enjoy certain advantages, while just four in 10 Chinese respondents held the view.

Singapore’s resident population is around 74 per cent Chinese, 13.5 per cent Malay and 9 per cent Indian, with the remaining 3.2 per cent comprising other ethnicities. English is the main working language, although Malay, Mandarin and Tamil are also recognised as official languages.

The survey found that minority respondents were more likely to report encountering racial or religious jokes, with 37 per cent of Malays and 39 per cent of Indians saying they heard such jokes at least occasionally, compared with 17 per cent of Chinese respondents.

Respondents from minority groups were more likely to believe it is easier to be a Chinese Singaporean, with 63 per cent of Malays and Indians and 69 per cent of those from other races agreeing, compared with 59 per cent of Chinese respondents.

Fewer Chinese respondents strongly agreed with this view, at just 8 per cent, compared with 13 per cent of Malays and 16 per cent of Indians.

The study also found that 27 per cent of Malays and 32 per cent of Indians reported feeling left out of conversations because of their race or religion at least occasionally, compared with fewer than 10 per cent of Chinese respondents.

Adam, a Malay-Muslim man, told This Week in Asia he ended an internship at a Singaporean multinational early due to what he felt was an unwelcoming work culture where language and informal networks made it difficult for non-Chinese staff to feel included.

The 23-year-old Singaporean, who asked to use a pseudonym, recalled how supervisors would speak in Mandarin or Chinese dialects to the Chinese workers, often leaving out those who were not of the same race.

It was the first time he experienced what he saw as Chinese privilege, he said, recalling how Chinese workers appeared to get preferential treatment in the form of longer breaks and easier tasks.

“It was quite distinct; there was a majority clique inside who were Chinese, and they were running the show there,” he said.

Das said he had observed similar dynamics during national service, when his platoon mates spoke Mandarin even during training drills.

“I’d just be dumbstruck at the side, kind of figuring out how to help rather than being part of my section,” he said, adding that he picked up some Mandarin so he could understand what was happening.

Despite these experiences, Das argued the issue was one of demographics rather than official policy.

“It’s really important to draw a hard line that it is not because of some national preference or government policy that races are feeling different ways about life in Singapore; I think it’s mostly because of a numbers game, and what Chinese privilege is really majority privilege,” he said.

For a lasting solution, Das suggested the focus should be on education, starting with how parents teach their children about interacting with other races.

Mathew Mathews, one of the study’s researchers and head of the IPS Social Lab, said racial minorities and younger people were more exposed to discussions about concepts like “privilege”, which had led to some gains for minority groups.

But he noted that understanding privilege was only the first step.

“The big question of course beyond an understanding and acknowledgement of the existence of privilege is what will people do about that – has it created greater empathy, willingness to stand up when prejudice and discriminatory actions happen?”

“Of course, the downside, which can be seen in the US, is that when concepts such as privilege are thrown around and there are attempts to make the majority feel that they have unfairly been given advantages, it can result in backlash,” he added.

Singapore’s government, for its part, has taken steps to promote racial harmony through legislation and public education efforts.

In February, it passed the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, which allows authorities to issue restraining orders against individuals who produce content deemed harmful to racial harmony. The law also includes a community remedial initiative, offering those who commit less severe race-related offences an opportunity to restore community ties in lieu of prosecution.

Former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong also addressed the issue in his 2021 National Day Rally speech, where he pointed to the structural disadvantages faced by those who spoke only Mandarin or Chinese dialects when English was adopted as Singapore’s working language.

“Therefore, it is entirely baseless to claim that there is ‘Chinese privilege’ in Singapore,” Lee said in Mandarin. “We treat all races equally, with no special privileges. Few countries have made this their policy, and even fewer have actually managed to make it a reality.”

China siblings fight over dad’s US$420,000 inheritance, discover neither is biological child

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3319287/china-siblings-fight-over-dads-us420000-inheritance-discover-neither-biological-child?utm_source=rss_feed

An inheritance dispute in China took a dramatic turn when a brother and sister battling over a three million yuan (US$420,000) legacy inadvertently discovered that neither of them was the biological child of their deceased parents.

The case began after Sun, the family patriarch from the city of Tianjin in northern China, died in March 2025, according to the Henan Broadcasting System.

Before his death, he had transferred ownership of a three million yuan property solely to his son.

He also left a statement requesting that his son provide “reasonable compensation” to his adopted daughter.

“Our daughter is adopted, but we have always treated her as our own. In our later years, it was our son who took care of us. We gave the house to him, and he intends to compensate his sister. We hope you two can get along like true siblings,” the statement read.

However, the adopted daughter contested the inheritance, arguing that the property transfer contract bore only her father’s signature, implying that her mother’s share should still be included in the estate.

“Since the contract was signed only by him, my mother’s share should be treated as part of the inheritance. This house was given to me by my parents, no one is taking it from me,” she said.

The daughter was adopted by Sun and his wife in 1966.

Seven years later, their son was born, and the two were raised together. It is unclear when their mother died.

The dispute has led to a fierce legal battle at the Nankai District People’s Court in Tianjin.

During the court proceedings, the sister unexpectedly presented new evidence showing that her brother’s household registration documents were marked “adopted”, proving he was not a biological child.

The revelation caused the brother to break down in court.

However, he insisted that since a family dispute in the 1990s over the property, his sister had severed ties with the family and that he alone had cared for their parents until their deaths and refused to divide the property.

The judge said that under the Civil Code, adoption does not affect legal inheritance rights; although not biologically related, both parties have equal status as heirs.

However, since the property in question had been legally transferred and notarised in 2007, it was no longer part of the inheritance estate.

After three hours of intensive mediation, a settlement was reached.

The property would remain with the brother, and he would pay his sister 550,000 yuan (US$77,000) in compensation.

In China, traditional inheritance practices have historically favoured male heirs, especially in matters involving land and real estate.

While legal frameworks have evolved to promote gender equality, deeply ingrained cultural norms and customs still influence inheritance practices, often resulting in women receiving less than their male counterparts.

The dramatic turn has sparked a discussion on mainland social media.

One person said: “Both kids were adopted, yet only the boy was kept in the dark about it. They treated the boy like a biological son while hiding the truth from him. The daughter knew from the start. No wonder a rift formed over the house.”

Another person said: “I thought this kind of dramatic plot only happened in television dramas.”

China’s J-20 stealth aircraft flew through the Tsushima Strait. Did anybody else notice?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320013/chinas-j-20-stealth-aircraft-flew-through-tsushima-strait-did-anybody-else-notice?utm_source=rss_feed

The Chinese air force’s most advanced J-20 stealth fighter has flown through the strategic Tsushima Strait near Japan, an apparent first not reported by any other armed forces with a presence in the region.

In a series aired on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the elite air force unit, the First Fighter Brigade, now “flies missions over the Bashi Channel and Tsushima Strait, and conducts patrols around Taiwan”.

The unit was among the first to receive the new-generation aircraft and while the report did not refer to the J-20 directly, footage of the stealth fighter was shown throughout the segment, leaving little doubt about the aircraft involved.

The Tsushima Strait is a narrow and heavily monitored waterway. It separates Korea from Japan and is a chokepoint connecting the Sea of Japan – or East Sea – with the East China Sea.

The area is within the range of a dense network of US, Japanese, and South Korean radar systems, including the US THAAD anti-missile system.

But the transit of the J-20, China’s most advanced stealth fighter, has not been reported by either Seoul or Tokyo.

In 2017, when the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) marked its first transit of the strait with a formation of H-6K bombers and older J-11 fighters, the aircraft were monitored closely by the Japanese military.

The Tsushima Strait is designated for international navigation under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, granting aircraft “transit passage rights”. But the strait is within the air defence identification zones (ADIZ) of both Japan and South Korea.

Both the Bashi Channel and the Tsushima Strait could be strategically important to PLA efforts to block any potential foreign intervention in a conflict over Taiwan.

“Our weapons, combat concepts, and personnel are all steadily improving,” Wing Commander Wang Nan of the First Fighter Brigade told CCTV. “We have made breakthroughs in integrated air combat.”

The CCTV report did not specify when the flight took place.

The report on the flight comes in the lead-up to Friday’s 98th anniversary of the founding of the PLA and amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.

Earlier this month, Tokyo and Beijing traded accusations over close encounters between their warplanes in the East China Sea. Japan protested over what it called “unusual approaches” by a Chinese fighter, while China accused Japanese aircraft of repeatedly entering its ADIZ.

Last August, Japan said a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane briefly entered its sovereign airspace near the Danjo Islands, calling the act “utterly unacceptable”. Beijing responded by saying that it had “no intention” of violating any country’s airspace and that the two sides remained in communication.

China operates several variants of the J-20, including the upgraded J-20A and twin-seater J-20S, and produces about 120 of the aircraft a year.

A Pentagon report published in December projected that China would have 400 J-20 fighters in operation by the end of this year, making it the world’s biggest fleet of stealth jets.

According to openly available data, the J-20 features advanced stealth technologies, including special coatings and structural materials that reduce its radar cross-section to a fraction of that of the US’ F-35.

Recent upgrades reportedly include new radar systems that improve its ability to detect other stealth aircraft.

It is also equipped with long-range PL-15 missiles capable of striking targets across Japan and supported by advanced loyal wingman drone systems.

---

China’s Shenzhen, Guangzhou airports hit record highs – surpass pre-Covid passenger levels

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319980/chinas-shenzhen-guangzhou-airports-hit-record-highs-surpass-pre-covid-passenger-levels?utm_source=rss_feed

Passenger traffic at airports across China’s Greater Bay Area continued to rise in the first half of 2025, with Guangzhou and Shenzhen leading the region’s aviation rebound.

Guangzhou’s Baiyun Airport handled 40.04 million passengers during the period, up 9.2 per cent year on year, while Shenzhen’s Baoan Airport served 32.55 million – a 10.8 per cent increase, according to figures released by the two airports. Both have now surpassed their pre-pandemic highs.

International traffic at both airports also surged, partly due to China’s expanded visa-free entry policy. Baiyun logged over 8.18 million inbound and outbound passengers – up 22.9 per cent year on year – while Baoan saw more than 3.05 million, a 30.7 per cent increase from a year earlier.

In contrast, Hong Kong International Airport reported that it handled 29.4 million passengers in the first half of 2025, a 16.5 per cent year-on-year increase – but still short of the 37.8 million recorded during the same period in 2019.

Analysts said the performance of the Greater Bay Area’s airport cluster was driven by the region’s economic dynamism and improved connectivity.

“The rapid growth in passenger volumes at Guangzhou and Shenzhen reflects the vibrant business activity in the cities as well as strong demand from mainland tourists to the areas,” said David Wong, a lecturer at Hang Seng University in Hong Kong, who has researched the link between air transport and regional development.

“Meanwhile, Hong Kong airport’s competitiveness in attracting both international and mainland passengers has weakened compared to previous years, with its market share in the GBA aviation sector under pressure.”

Still, the city retained its edge as an international aviation hub. It remained the world’s busiest cargo airport in 2024, handling 4.3 million tonnes, according to Airports Council International – a title it has held for fourteen consecutive years.

It was also ranked in the top 10 globally for international passenger traffic – the only airport in the Greater Bay Area to make the list.

But compared to earlier targets, the pace of growth for major regional airports continues to fall short of expectations.

In 2018, for instance, Guangzhou’s airport aimed to surpass 100 million annual passengers by 2025 – a target that now looks increasingly out of reach.

Meanwhile, although Guangzhou and Hong Kong airports were designed to accommodate a combined total of 120 million passengers annually, both continue to operate below capacity.

Looking ahead, growth across the cluster could face headwinds.

Wong cautioned that rising geopolitical uncertainties – particularly the China-US trade war – have slowed the flow of foreign capital and international talent, posing challenges to the Greater Bay Area’s ambition to become a world-class international aviation hub.

China’s famous Shaolin Temple gets a new abbot after predecessor removed

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319996/chinas-famous-shaolin-temple-gets-new-abbot-after-predecessor-removed?utm_source=rss_feed

China has appointed a new abbot to the country’s famous Shaolin Temple, two days after authorities at the Buddhist monastery announced its head monk for more than 25 years had been placed under investigation for alleged financial and sex scandals.

The abbot of White Horse Temple, Shi Yinle, will replace him, according to a brief statement from the Shaolin Temple on Tuesday.

Companies linked to disgraced former abbot Shi Yongxin, 60, have been deregistered and his Buddhist credentials revoked, the South China Morning Post reported earlier.

“In accordance with the regulations on the appointment of abbots of Chinese Buddhist Temples, after democratic evaluation and approval by the Shaolin Temple and following the relevant procedures, Venerable Yinle was invited to be the abbot of Shaolin Temple,” the one paragraph statement said.

Established over 1,500 years ago in Henan province, Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and an Unesco World Heritage site, famed as the cradle of Shaolin kung fu. White Horse Temple is also in Henan.

More to follow …

Shocking ‘electric dance’ in China sparks wonder and concern online

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3319975/shocking-electric-dance-china-sparks-wonder-and-concern-online?utm_source=rss_feed

Two performers at a beer festival in eastern China gave an “electric dance” using Tesla coils.

---

China to ‘tighten oversight’ in crowded manufacturing sectors such as EVs and solar power

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319986/china-tighten-oversight-crowded-manufacturing-sectors-such-evs-and-solar-power?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s top regulator of the manufacturing sector has vowed to phase out outdated capacity amid Beijing’s efforts to combat excessive competition, while promoting hi-tech consumer goods as part of a broader push to revive domestic demand.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said at a meeting of senior officials on Monday that it would “consolidate the results of a sweeping crackdown on ‘neijuan’ competition in the electric vehicle sector and tighten oversight of key industries such as solar power”.

“[We will] use upgraded standards to force out outdated production capacity,” the ministry said in a readout on its official website, adding that it would strengthen the mandatory national standards in the industrial and information technology sectors.

The term neijuan, or “involution” – a buzzword in Beijing’s recent policy discourse – refers to excessive, cutthroat competition that has plagued several industries, eroding corporate profits and exacerbating persistent deflationary pressures.

Meanwhile, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation also pledged during a two-day meeting from Sunday to Monday that it would “regulate enterprises’ low-quality, cut-price competition in accordance with laws and regulations”.

In line with efforts to better allocate market resources and phase out outdated production capacity, Beijing has been stepping up its push for mergers and acquisitions (M&As). A recent example was the approval for China State Shipbuilding Corporation to absorb China Shipbuilding Industry Company – a move aimed at streamlining operations and accelerating industry development.

The state-owned Economic Daily said in a commentary on Tuesday that more than 100 M&A deals had been disclosed by companies listed on the A-share market so far this year – more than twice as many as during the same period last year.

The commentary said recent M&A strategies were increasingly focused on creating value and building coordinated ecosystems along the industrial chain, and that the logic behind such moves “is increasingly becoming a key path for companies to build competitive moats”.

“Competition among firms is moving away from the low-level neijuan-style rivalry and evolving into a contest of full industrial chain strength and innovation ecosystems,” the commentary added.

At Monday’s meeting, the MIIT also said it would accelerate the development and adoption of technologies such as AI-powered devices, ultra-HD video, smart wearables and drones, to better align supply with consumer demand and to boost domestic consumption.

It vowed to step up support for incubators targeting tech-driven firms, launch an initiative to foster emerging industrial sectors, and refine policy frameworks for industries such as humanoid robotics and high-end instrumentation.

Key tasks outlined at the meeting included accelerating the clearance of overdue payments to businesses, improving long-term oversight of corporate fees, and ensuring that relief measures for businesses are fully implemented on the ground.

---

China says new Mazu weather warning AI will help developing nations prepare for disaster

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319955/china-says-new-mazu-weather-warning-ai-will-help-developing-nations-prepare-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed

China has unveiled Mazu, an AI-powered weather warning system named after a Chinese sea goddess and designed to help developing nations prepare for natural disasters.

Mazu is one of the most revered Chinese deities in Southeast Asia, sometimes conflated with the Virgin Mary. The Multi-hazard Alert Zero-gap and Universal (Mazu) system was purpose-built for global reach, according to China’s national weather service.

The initiative, which was unveiled at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Saturday, is expected to support partner countries under China’s Belt and Road Initiative by introducing critical early warning capabilities.

“With extreme weather posing a global challenge, the CMA is building an early warning partnership network with other countries to jointly tackle extreme weather,” Zeng Qin, director of international cooperation at the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), said, highlighting the system’s core mission.

“We’re actively co-developing cloud warning systems with partners like Ethiopia and Pakistan. China’s Fengyun satellites already serve 133 nations,” he said in a CMA statement.

“Wherever Mazu is seen around the world, it serves as a symbol of our joint response to extreme weather.”

In naming the system Mazu, the CMA is tapping into a mythological and historical spirit of guardianship.

Mazu is a familiar name in China, particularly along the coast. For centuries, fishermen and merchants have prayed to her before setting sail, trusting that the Goddess of the Sea will guide them home.

Temples still line the harbours of Fujian and Taiwan; major decisions are put before her altar. In 2009, Unesco inscribed Mazu beliefs on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The announcement has struck a chord online.

“I feel like legends are coming to life,” one commentator wrote. “Just like China’s Tiangong spacecraft, Yutu lunar rover and Jiaolong deep-sea probe, the myths of the past have emerged in the form of technology.”

Another joked: “If my phone buzzes and says ‘Mazu warns you,’ I’ll believe it without question.”

Several nations around the world have established advanced weather warning systems.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) leverages the world’s densest radar network and supercomputing power to deliver precise short-term forecasts, particularly in hurricane predictions. The Japan Meteorological Agency operates the planet’s leading earthquake and tsunami alert system.

And the European Union’s Copernicus programme uses its Sentinel satellites for high-resolution global environmental monitoring, complemented by highly accurate mid-range weather models.

However, these Western solutions largely depend on local supercomputers, and mainly serve their home regions while prioritising specific disaster types.

Additionally, in the US, the NWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – two agencies housed within the Commerce Department that provide the public with free climate and weather data that can be crucial during natural disasters – have been hit by budget and staff cuts during the second administration of US President Donald Trump.

The CMA said Mazu, which integrated multiple hazards into one platform, was designed for simplicity and accessibility, transforming weather security into a shared effort rather than a stand-alone technology.

In its official coverage, China’s official weather service has not directly compared Mazu’s predictive capabilities to the warning systems of other countries.

As well as Mazu’s technological components, the CMA said it was adding training to round out the weather warning package: lawyers will help draft disaster laws; classrooms will host meteorologists from abroad; and scholarships will send forecasters to Beijing for a season.

The CMA said the trained forecasters would find an open-source toolkit, a family of AI models nicknamed Wind-Thunder, Wind-Clear and Wind-Smooth, each tuned to a different slice of time – from the next 10 minutes to the next three months. China planned to open-source the models to foster a collaborative global community, it said.

At the world AI conference in Shanghai at the weekend, the CMA donated its ready-to-use Mazu-Urban systems – city-level disaster warning platforms – to representatives from Djibouti and Mongolia at the conference.

Mazu-Urban provides risk assessments, real-time monitoring, forecasting, automated disaster reports and AI-generated emergency plans via simple chat interfaces, according to the CMA. Since January, pilot versions have gone live in 35 countries across Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

“Through the concrete solutions of the Mazu initiative, China will provide strong impetus for global disaster prevention and sustainable development, offering tangible, practical steps toward building a community with a shared future for mankind,” Zeng was quoted as saying.

Chinese artist Cai Guo-qiang uses AI to create his ‘gunpowder art’ in Macau exhibition

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3319787/chinese-artist-cai-guo-qiang-uses-ai-create-his-gunpowder-art-macau-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed

Cai Guo-qiang is one of China’s most famous living artists. But for those familiar with the gunpowder paintings and outdoor pyrotechnic spectacles that made his name, his latest exhibition in Macau may be a bit of a head-scratcher.

“cAI Lab 2.0 – Is It Your Gaze That Meets Mine, or Mine That Seeks Yours?” is taking place at the MGM Macau as part of the wider Art Macao festival 2025. The exhibition’s title, while not clarifying much, does hint at having something to do with AI.

All of the 67-year-old’s artworks featured in the exhibition are generated by cAI – an AI model Cai and his team created in 2023 after seven years of research.

These works include 12 texts projected onto the walls of a narrow corridor; digital fireworks that appear on floor-to-ceiling screens; and phone booths in which visitors directly converse with cAI.

Also on show are around a dozen pieces of gunpowder art created by cAI, using a humanoid arm sprinkling gunpowder onto canvases and setting off explosions – which is just how Cai makes his signature art.

In the decades before he began harnessing AI, Cai’s oeuvre mostly consisted of visceral creations – his early gunpowder drawings and his 2015 pyrotechnic piece Sky Ladder, for instance, not to mention Inopportune: Stage two (2004), an installation featuring nine realistic model tigers pierced by arrows.

He later became transfixed by virtual art. In 2021, he was among the many artists who decided to plunge into non-fungible tokens, or NFTs.

He dropped an NFT called Transient Eternity – 101 Ignitions of Gunpowder Paintings (2021) which sold for US$2.5 million in a charity auction organised by Wendi Murdoch’s TR Lab.

For Cai, AI and other new tools hold similarities to his gunpowder and pyrotechnic works in that they are unpredictable and require significant effort to master.

“Sorry about this,” Cai says as he arrives at the site of his Macau exhibition. It is a day before the opening and his team is still struggling with technical difficulties; Macau’s internet speeds cannot keep up with the exhibition’s demands, he says.

Two hours before Cai’s arrival, during a preview tour with his assistant, the exhibition’s centrepiece – digital fireworks generated in real-time by cAI as it observes visitors through multiple inconspicuously installed cameras – failed to materialise.

Instead of the promised interactive display, half of the floor-to-ceiling screens that line the room were dark. The remaining functioning monitors displayed only their screensavers.

Cai’s team were busy on their laptops trying to fix the problem. It is a clear demonstration of just how unpredictable working with cAI is – just like gunpowder and fireworks, Cai says.

“I find that alchemists discovering gunpowder is very similar to humans today discovering and engaging with AI,” he says.

“Through exploring gunpowder as material, I have been having dialogues with unseen energy. When using gunpowder, I feel this sense of surprise because it is a very difficult material to control. All these feelings are very much the same when I engage with AI.”

Cai and his team created cAI by feeding a multi-modal AI model his archive of artworks, writings, speeches, videos and audio recordings – as well as texts from his areas of interest, such as astrophysics, feng shui and spirituality.

“Later, we felt it had become too similar to me, so we gave it multiple distinct personalities. It now has 12 personalities, including Einstein, Nietzsche, Ptolemy and even bipolar disorder. These personalities can converse with each other, forming an open community,” Cai says.

Macau has been receptive to his experimentation. In November 2024, cAI had its debut solo exhibition, “cAI: Soul Scan”, at MGM Macau.

Cai says that in the new exhibition, cAI creates digital fireworks based on the 80,000 digital firework images generated by visitors to the 2024 exhibition.

The project is certainly in line with the buzz surrounding AI and audience interaction with contemporary art. However, Cai says he feels a bit disappointed with where they are with cAI at this point.

“It’s been a more difficult year this time, compared to last year’s ‘Soul Scan’, because this year we wanted cAI to give us what’s truly beyond human. We had hoped [to get to a point where] AI could be another species that we can engage in an interspecies dialogue with.”

For Cai, an AI model that creates its own gunpowder art with a humanoid arm is not enough. He hopes that cAI can truly go “beyond the human state” and reveal a higher dimension unknown to humans through art.

“The bigger problem is humans. Our creativity cannot follow the steps of AI,” he says. “In order to fully allow AI to liberate its genius, we as human beings need to be more creative, in allowing it to show what it has got.

“If we want AI to give us access to a more open and unknown world to us, we need to give AI more freedom.”

But doing so has been extremely difficult, he adds. “I think it is a good thing – that we actually realise this is a difficult process.”

Cai is much less concerned about people who say AI should not be welcomed into the world of art. As the world changes, it is only natural that art changes along with it, he says.

As for whether AI will replace artists, Cai says “only the insignificant ones”.

“If an artist can be replaced by AI, then it means they were meant to be replaced all along.”

He reassures everyone that he has never stopped creating art independently. In fact, there is an upcoming project that he cannot yet reveal details about, for which he avoided using cAI.

“Works like gunpowder paintings and explosion events are still led by my body, my sensations and the rhythm of my life,” Cai says. And he is not willing to let those go yet.

“cAI Lab 2.0 – Is It Your Gaze that Meets Mine, or Mine that Seeks Yours?”, Fantasy Box, L2, MGM Macau, Mon to Fri, 12-7pm, Sat-Sun, 11am-8pm. Until Sep 22.

China pancake seller in US on US$20,000 a month arrested for unlicensed stall amid turf war

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3319251/china-pancake-seller-us-us20000-month-arrested-unlicensed-stall-amid-turf-war?utm_source=rss_feed

A pancake seller from China who earns US$20,000 a month in the US has been arrested after becoming involved in a turf dispute with a rival vendor.

The 30-year-old, surnamed Tang, is from a third-tier city in Sichuan province in southwestern China, where his parents work as a cleaner and a security guard.

After secondary school, Tang worked in a factory in Shenzhen and sold cars via live-streams.

In his spare time, Tang learned to make savoury pancakes, a popular snack from central China’s Hubei province.

With a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and crispy flavours, they usually sell for about 6 yuan (8 US cents).

Despite his parents urging him to return home and work as a cashier, Tang wanted to go his own way.

He was inspired by seeing other Chinese people living in the US who, despite not speaking English, managed to make a living through making food deliveries.

In August 2022, Tang used his small start-up to secure a business visa for the US and travelled alone, relying on translation apps.

Struggling to adjust to W stern food, he decided to set up stalls at night markets in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, selling savoury pancakes.

Tang tweaked the recipe to make it saltier and sweeter, catering to local tastes.

One American diner described his offerings as “amazing Chinese pizza,” while a Chinese customer said it reminded her of the flavours from her hometown.

In videos posted by Tang, he revealed that a serving of the pancake was priced between US$10 and US$60, with his monthly income reaching up to US$20,000.

He frequently live-streamed the pancake-making process and shared entrepreneurial tips, attracting more than 300,000 followers on social media.

However, on July 19, Tang was arrested in Los Angeles for operating without a license. The next day, he paid US$30,000 to bail himself out.

Tang said that his arrest was the result of a turf dispute with a rival woman vendor who called the police.

He added that he was awaiting his court hearing and planned to resume selling once the matter was resolved.

According to the mainland media outlet Hongxing News, an insider revealed concerns about the sanitation at Tang’s stall, with some customers reporting physical discomfort after eating.

Local immigration authorities have also reportedly launched an investigation into him, though Tang has not publicly confirmed it.

Tang’s story has attracted much attention and a mixed reaction on mainland social media.

One online observer praised his determination, saying: “Tang has business sense and courage. He cannot speak English but has made a living in the US with just pancakes. I really admire him.”

However, another wrote: “In business, you must comply with local regulations.”

If Tang broke the law, he would have to face the consequences.”

---

China’s AI race heats up as Shanghai launches massive subsidy scheme

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319924/chinas-ai-race-heats-shanghai-launches-massive-subsidy-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed

Shanghai has unveiled an ambitious 1 billion yuan (US$139 million) subsidy programme for the artificial intelligence industry, as the metropolis bids to compete with a string of other Chinese megacities that are also investing heavily to develop world-class AI ecosystems.

The Shanghai subsidy package will focus on reducing costs for start-ups and making it easier for local businesses to adopt AI solutions, with 600 million yuan going toward subsidising computing power, 300 million yuan providing discounts on third-party AI models, and 100 million yuan helping companies procure data collections or corpuses to train new models.

The programme also offers additional subsidies for renting, purchasing or building computing facilities, AI models and data sets, with subsidy rates ranging from 10 to 100 per cent of the contract value, according to a document released on Monday by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatisation.

The plan is designed to directly lower companies’ costs – a strategy that is likely to yield tangible results in boosting Shanghai’s local AI industry, according to Pan Helin, a member of an expert committee under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

“One of Shanghai’s key advantages in AI development is its strong funding,” said Pan.

Shanghai has long been an attractive destination for entrepreneurs in China due to its large financial sector and global outlook. But the city’s high operating costs – from office rent to daily expenses – can push new AI start-ups towards cheaper cities like nearby Hangzhou, Pan said.

Competition in China’s AI industry is fierce, with several cities vowing to become leading players. Shanghai is not the first to offer generous subsidies to attract AI companies: Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Beijing have also introduced similar support measures.

Hangzhou in particular has emerged as a rising star in China’s technology sector, with the city helping to nurture its “six little dragons” – a collection of well-known Chinese start-ups including AI player DeepSeek. Last year, the Hangzhou government announced plans to distribute 250 million yuan in computing power subsidies as part of an AI industry support policy.

To attract leading AI talent, Shanghai plans to offer subsidies of up to 500 million yuan to new AI research institutions that set up in the city, with funding guaranteed for three to five years. Outstanding local enterprises will also receive talent incentives and housing subsidies to reduce their labour costs.

Shanghai’s support package was unveiled during the eighth edition of the city’s flagship AI conference, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which ran from Saturday to Monday.

AI has become a source of intense competition between the US and China.

On July 23, the White House unveiled an AI Action Plan, which US President Donald Trump described as “a policy of the United States to do whatever it takes to lead the world in artificial intelligence”.

On Saturday, China released an action plan on global AI governance at the WAIC, calling for international cooperation in technology development and regulation. Premier Li Qiang told the conference that the partnership could ensure AI does not become an “exclusive game” accessible only to a select few.

Take an independent tack on China, Wang Yi urges South Korea’s new foreign policy chief

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3319928/take-independent-tack-china-wang-yi-urges-south-koreas-new-foreign-policy-chief?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has used his first official phone call with his new South Korean counterpart to call on Seoul to oppose “decoupling” and to pursue an independent foreign policy.

In his call with Cho Hyun on Monday, Wang urged South Korea to promote a “stable, sustainable and predictable” China policy and to deepen pragmatic cooperation, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said the two ministers spoke for about 45 minutes, reaffirming their shared commitment to advancing the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership in a “steady and mature” manner.

“They agreed to work together to ensure that the upcoming Apec summit in Gyeongju serves as a new turning point in bilateral ties and to deliver tangible outcomes in practical cooperation that can be felt by the peoples of both countries,” Yonhap reported, citing South Korea’s foreign ministry.

Beijing seeks to reset its ties with the newly installed leadership in Seoul under President Lee Jae-myung.

Ties between Beijing and Seoul have begun to thaw since Lee, widely viewed as a China dove, assumed office on June 4, succeeding his US-leaning predecessor Yoon Suk-yeol, who fell from grace following a failed attempt to impose martial law.

Lee spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a call last month, and Lee has reportedly been invited to attend China’s military parade in Tiananmen Square on September 3 for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The South Korean leader has yet to say whether he will go.

During their call on Monday, Wang also voiced support for South Korea’s hosting of the Apec summit on October 31 and November 1, which Xi is widely expected to attend.

US President Donald Trump has also been invited but has yet to confirm his attendance.

Speculation has been rife about a possible face-to-face meeting between Xi and Trump at Apec, as well as the likelihood of the US president visiting China either before or after the South Korea event.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang stressed that Beijing and Seoul should be “genuine strategic cooperative partners” and China had maintained “consistent and stable” policies toward South Korea.

“China hopes that the South Korean policy towards China will also remain stable, sustainable and predictable, avoiding fluctuation,” he said.

In an apparent reference to Yoon, whose pivot towards Washington and Tokyo and confrontational approach to Beijing strained ties with China, Wang also urged Seoul to maintain “independence and autonomy” in its foreign policy.

“China-South Korea relations are based on mutual interests, beneficial to both peoples, not targeting any third party, and should not be subject to any third party,” Wang said.

The Chinese diplomat also called on Seoul to “deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to achieve common development”, “jointly oppose ‘decoupling and supply chain disruption’ and safeguard stable and smooth global industrial and supply chains”.

The comments echoed Xi’s message to Lee in which the Chinese president appealed for wider diplomatic, economic and cultural exchanges towards “good-neighbourly friendship”, while urging Seoul to respect Beijing’s core interests from Taiwan to the South China Sea.

Yonhap reported that Wang also congratulated Cho, who took office last week, on his inauguration, and the pair agreed to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral ties through high-level exchanges.

Cho invited Wang to visit South Korea, and Wang said he would do so at a mutually convenient time, according to the South Korean agency.

Neither side mentioned North Korea in their statements on the meeting. But according to the Chinese foreign ministry, Cho said he looked forward to “strengthening communication and coordination with China, facing history squarely, and jointly safeguarding regional peace”.

Meanwhile, a Pew Research Centre survey released this month indicated that South Koreans continued to view the US significantly more favourably than China. The poll also pointed to less support among respondents for prioritising economic ties with China compared with a similar survey in 2021.

---

Chinese officials call for all-out response after downpours lead to ‘heavy casualties’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319906/chinese-officials-call-all-out-response-after-downpours-lead-heavy-casualties?utm_source=rss_feed

Torrential rains led to 30 deaths in Beijing as of Monday, according to state media reports on Tuesday, as Chinese leaders called for all-out efforts in disaster relief after “heavy casualties” in the city and other parts of the country.

As China enters the rainy season of July and August, downpours and floods have hit Beijing, the neighbouring province of Hebei, the northeastern province of Liaoning and the eastern coastal province of Shandong, causing “heavy casualties and property losses”, state news agency Xinhua said on Monday night.

Videos of flooding and landslides, as well as rescue efforts, have been circulating on social media.

In its Monday report, Xinhua cited instructions by President Xi Jinping calling for all possible steps to be taken to prevent flooding, for effective deployment of disaster relief supplies to ensure immediate responses and for quick handling of any sudden emergencies.

Miyun, a mountainous district in the northeast of Beijing, was particularly badly affected, with heavy rain since Saturday causing flash floods and landslides. More than 37,000 people from 149 villages were forced to relocate, local media reported.

According to a Xinhua report on Tuesday, the death toll in Miyun stood at 28 as of Monday, and a total of 134 villages across the city suffered blackouts. Two further fatalities were reported in other parts of Beijing.

“The heavy rainfall and flooding in Miyun have caused heavy casualties. It is imperative to make all-out efforts to search for and rescue missing individuals, properly relocate affected residents, and do everything possible to minimise casualties,” Premier Li Qiang said, according to Xinhua on Monday.

According to the Beijing municipal government, Monday’s maximum inflow into Miyun Reservoir – the largest comprehensive water conservancy project in northern China and used primarily for municipal and industrial water supply for the capital – reached 6,550 cubic metres (1.73 million gallons) per second by 10am on Sunday, exceeding the previous record for the reservoir, which was built in 1960, and marking the highest flow for the river since 1951.

Beijing also issued the highest-level flood alert for the entire city after six suburban districts had already been placed under a red alert.

According to the official notice, most areas of Beijing were expected to receive over 150 millimetres (5.91 inches) of rainfall within six hours overnight on Monday, with some areas potentially receiving over 300 millimetres.

There is an extremely high risk of flash flooding, mudslides and landslides in mountainous and hilly areas, and low-lying areas may experience severe flooding, the notice said.

Multiple Beijing departments have responded to the record rain. All city tourist attractions are closing and rural homestays and campsites have suspended operations.

The transport department also activated the highest level of flood prevention emergency response, with suspension of bus routes in mountainous areas and along rivers. Subway stations will close if needed.

According to Beijing Emergency Management Bureau data, as of Friday, Beijing’s cumulative precipitation was 23.8 per cent higher than that recorded during the same period last year.

Beijing was also expected to see heavy rains from Monday night to Tuesday, along with the northeastern parts of Inner Mongolia and central and northeastern parts of Hebei, according to the National Meteorological Centre’s orange alert on Monday evening.

The centre also issued a red alert for flash floods jointly with the Ministry of Water Resources, warning of “a high possibility of flash floods in eastern Beijing, northern Tianjin, and northeastern Hebei”.

Additional reporting by Liu Zhen

---

China mum wraps baby’s index finger to stop ‘unhygienic’ sucking, leads to tissue damage

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3319245/china-mum-wraps-babys-index-finger-stop-unhygienic-sucking-leads-tissue-damage?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese mother who wrapped up her baby’s finger to prevent the child from chewing it almost caused the digit to be amputated.

On July 14, anxious young parents took their 11-month-old daughter to the Hunan Children’s Hospital in central China’s Hunan province.

They did so because the baby's index finger was swollen and purple.

The mother told the doctor that she had done so for the baby, nicknamed Lele, to prevent her from chewing her finger.

She said her family believed that finger chewing was unhygienic and could negatively affect the development of the baby’s teeth.

She read online that tying the baby’s finger up woulde be effective.

She said she only wrapped her baby’s index finger “loosely”.

The family was frightened when they saw her finger the next morning.

The doctor, Luo Yuanyang, said part of the skin and tissue on Lele’s index finger had died.

Luo said if they had taken the child to the hospital any later, the child’s finger would have had to be amputated.

The hospital treated Lele in time, successfully removing the dead tissue.

Doctors said it would take two to three weeks for the tissue to grow back.

Luo added that it was normal for babies under the age of one to chew their fingers: “Chewing things is a baby’s way of exploring the world,” the doctor said.

Normally the habit disappears at two or three years old.

“Parents only need to keep their hands clean,” she added.

Luo said it was only in cases where children bite their nails excessively due to anxiety or loneliness that parents should consider seeking help.

The Hunan Children’s Hospital revealed to a local media outlet, the Changsha Evening News, that they had witnessed several similar cases recently.

In one case, the parents tied their baby’s finger with a rubber band; in another, the parents put a glove on their baby’s hand.

Luo appealed to the parents to seek professional help when they are confused about their children’s behaviour, instead of trusting random information online.

“People definitely need proper training to be parents,” said one online observer.

“Ignorant parents can be a hazard for their children,” said another.

Wu Yiquan: the Chinese AI researcher scoring big on the basketball court

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319384/wu-yiquan-chinese-ai-researcher-scoring-big-basketball-court?utm_source=rss_feed

Amid China’s tech revolution, a new kind of multidisciplinary star is emerging – one who dominates both coding and sport.

Wu Yiquan, an artificial intelligence (AI) scientist pioneering legal large language models by day, is also making headlines as a rising provincial basketball sensation.

Wu, an assistant professor at the Zhejiang University law school, specialises in developing and training legal large language models for applications in education and research.

The 1.8m-tall (5 feet 9 inches) star caught media attention after he scored 22 as the defender for the West Lake team in a Zhejiang Provincial City Basketball League qualifier match on July 17.

In an interview with Henan-based news site Daxiang News on Wednesday, Wu said scientific research and basketball had things in common.

“The most captivating aspect of basketball is its unpredictability,” he said. “The pregame analysis often differs from the actual situation on the court, which tests one’s ability to adapt in real-time.

“In research, it is crucial to stay calm and positive when facing any challenges.

“Many young scholars embrace multiple identities with various hobbies. Science is not everything in life. Pursuing interests and passions can help cultivate a well-rounded personality and gain a broader perspective on challenges.”

Wu completed his studies from undergraduate to doctorate in computer science at Zhejiang University in january, with the university recognising his dissertation as outstanding.

He said he was inspired to pursue digital law research after encountering a “smart court” project during his third year of studies.

His research could be seen as a specialised large model for law. “Because law … requires high professionalism, while exploring technological innovation, we should ensure that the technology serves the greater good,” Wu said.

“My students come from diverse majors in computer science, law, liberal arts and sciences, forming a cross-disciplinary team. I encourage them to divide work among themselves, exchange ideas and create new sparks.”

Wu’s GitHub developer platform profile highlights not only his academic achievements but also his sporting awards, including a photo of him holding the hoop after a successful dunk.

He captained the university men’s basketball team for five years from 2019 and was the Chinese University Basketball Association’s Outstanding Athlete for three consecutive years.

Wu is the project leader of an open-source legal large language model named “wisdomInterrogatory”, providing legal help such as Q&A, case analysis and legal document generation.

It was co-developed by Zhejiang University, Shanghai UniDT Technology and the Alibaba Discovery, Adventure, Momentum and Outlook (Damo) Academy.

The chatbot is designed to draft documents and offer advice.

For example, when asked how to recover money from an online scam, the chatbot gave a four-step guide: keep chat records and bank transfer receipts, report criminal behaviour to the police, seek legal aid and pursue a civil lawsuit to recover funds after the criminal case concludes.

“Everyone should protect their legal rights. Be cautious and do not easily trust requests for help from strangers to avoid being scammed. Stay vigilant to prevent similar incidents in the future,” it advised.

In another case, when prompted to draft a contract for a full-time employee, the chatbot generated a template detailing job responsibilities, compensation and benefits, including salary and social insurance, duration of employment, as well as confidentiality clauses.

It also listed attachments such as the employee handbook, insurance certificates and company rules and ended with a disclaimer.

“The above is just for reference. The specific content should be adjusted according to actual circumstances. It is advisable to consult a professional lawyer or human resources expert to better formulate a contract that meets your needs,” it said.