• Chinese scientists double artillery gun lifespan with 2,000-year-old chromium tech upgrade
• ‘How can we trust you?’: China’s state media calls on Nvidia to prove safety of H20 chip
• China rebukes protectionism after Trump’s new tariff barrage, warns it will harm everyone
• China denies FBI chief’s accusation; customised robots for rent: SCMP daily highlights
• China doubles down on consumer subsidies to spur household spending
• Chinese drone giant DJI launches its first entry in the 360-degree camera market
• China’s money launderers exploited a gem of a loophole - Beijing just plugged it
• China HR boss threatens to blacklist job-rejecting woman, cites ‘spirit of contract’ breach
• China’s military warns US containerised launcher ‘poses threats to regional security’
• Will Bangladesh veer from its India-China middle path?
• Japanese mother and child attacked in Chinese city of Suzhou, reports say
• Chinese EVs are making inroads in Singapore, here’s why
• China first robot accepted into drama and film studies PhD programme becomes online sensation
• Beijing denies it is a threat as FBI opens new office in New Zealand to ‘counter China’
• Chinese shoppers in Shenzhen can now rent a customised robot alongside their groceries
• China summons Nvidia; world’s most powerful dam, disgraced head monk: SCMP’s 7 highlights
• China and Kuwait pledge closer military ties as joint ammunition plant opening nears
• Why do mainland China’s wealthiest families pick Hong Kong courts to mediate their feuds?
• What you should know about Chikungunya fever, the illness surging in China
• Guangzhou and Shenzhen, once China’s growth engines, report GDP underperformance
• Trump administration sends mixed messages on China trade pact
• China’s delivery war intensifies as Meituan, JD.com build central kitchens for takeaways

Chinese scientists double artillery gun lifespan with 2,000-year-old chromium tech upgrade

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320219/chinese-scientists-double-artillery-gun-lifespan-2000-year-old-chromium-tech-upgrade?utm_source=rss_feed

Scientists in northwest China have doubled the service life of high-temperature, high-pressure artillery barrels by refining a chromium plating technique first used by the Chinese military before 200BC.

Bronze swords buried with the Terracotta Army of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, remained sharp and untarnished after more than 2,000 years underground.

Microscopic analysis revealed a thin layer of chromium salts – just 10 to 15 micrometres thick – on their surfaces, protected by an underlying oxide film that had all but halted corrosion, seen as evidence of a sophisticated surface treatment technique mastered by ancient Chinese metallurgists.

According to a study published in the July issue of Acta Armamentarii, China’s top defence tech journal, researchers have now upgraded this ancient method into a cutting-edge solution for one of modern artillery’s most persistent challenges – barrel erosion.

High-velocity cannons and advanced howitzers face extreme conditions with every firing. Inside the barrel, temperatures soar past 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,432 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressures exceed tens of thousands of atmospheres.

The combined effect of chemical erosion from propellant gases, mechanical abrasion from projectiles and thermal shock from repeated firings leads to rapid wear, microcracking and eventual degradation of the bore.

This not only reduces accuracy but poses catastrophic risks if the barrel fails.

Single-layer chromium plating has long been the standard defence against such degradation. But while this improves durability, conventional chromium coatings suffer from high internal stress, poor adhesion and a tendency to develop deep, interconnected cracks – especially under sustained fire. Once these cracks reach the steel substrate, corrosion accelerates and spalling follows.

To solve this problem, the Chinese scientists have produced a dual-layer composite chromium coating. The first layer is a matte “soft chromium” deposit, applied at lower temperatures and current densities. This inner layer is engineered for toughness and ductility, minimising pores and reducing internal stress.

Onto this foundation, a second, harder chromium layer is electroplated under higher current and temperature, forming a wear-resistant outer shell.

The result is a 40-micrometre-thick coating – half soft, half hard – where the boundary between layers acts as a natural barrier to crack propagation.

Unlike single-layer chrome, where cracks run deep and unchecked, the dual-layer system halts fractures at the interface. Microscopic imaging shows short, scattered cracks in the outer layer, but they rarely penetrate the soft underlayer.

This could be a world first.

“Currently, there are no reported studies on enhancing the lifespan of gun barrels with chamber pressures not less than 400 MPa (megapascals) by utilising the novel double-layer composite chromium plating technology,” wrote the project team led by researcher Gao Ying with the Northwest Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in Xianyang, the ancient capital of the Qin empire.

In laboratory tests, the results were promising. At room temperature, the dual-layer coating showed a 23 per cent reduction in the wear rate compared to conventional plating.

At 600 degrees Celsius – simulating sustained combat firing – the single-layer coating’s wear surged by 98 per cent, while that for the dual-layer version increased by only 33 per cent, maintaining less than 60 per cent of the single layer’s wear rate. Friction coefficients remained stable, and adhesion tests revealed superior resilience under bending stress.

But the true test came on the range.

During a live-fire trial, a cannon barrel with the single-layer coating fired 400 consecutive rounds and suffered cracks that had spread into a weblike network, the chrome began flaking off, and rifling – critical for stabilising projectiles – eroded, causing accuracy to decline.

The dual-layer barrel, however, remained virtually unchanged. Its surface was still smooth, with only shallow, isolated cracks. There was no spalling or loss of rifling.

“Firing test results have verified that, compared to traditional single-layer chromium plating, the novel double-layer composite chromium plating technology improves barrel service life by more than 100 per cent, effectively extending the lifespan of gun barrels operating under high temperature and high chamber pressure,” wrote Gao and his collaborators from the school of mechanical engineering, Zhejiang University.

“This new technology holds significant application value for all types of artillery barrels. It can be widely employed not only in the development of new artillery systems, but also in upgrading existing equipment, thereby enhancing reliability and longevity.

“Additionally, it supports artillery lightweighting efforts, indicating broad and promising prospects for future applications.”

High-temperature, high-pressure artillery – capable of launching shells at hypersonic speeds over vast distances – is a cornerstone of future combat systems. These guns deliver devastating kinetic energy, penetrate fortified positions, and can launch smart munitions or drones at a long distance from target.

Yet the work is far from over. Scientists now face a new challenge: scaling the technology for small- and medium-calibre barrels with long length-to-diameter ratios, where maintaining uniform coating thickness deep inside narrow bores is notoriously difficult.

The goal is a “comprehensive industrial standard” – one that governs every step from surface preparation to sealing, with strict quality control and traceability, according to Gao’s team.

‘How can we trust you?’: China’s state media calls on Nvidia to prove safety of H20 chip

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3320500/how-can-we-trust-you-chinas-state-media-calls-nvidia-prove-safety-h20-chip?utm_source=rss_feed

A People’s Daily opinion piece urged Nvidia Corp to prove the safety of its products a day after the US semiconductor giant denied the existence of alleged back-door features in its China-tailored H20 chip.

The article, entitled “How can we trust you, Nvidia”, called on the US company to “comply with requests and provide convincing proof of security” to help regain the trust of its Chinese customers.

“Guarding network security is as important as protecting national territory,” the article said, adding that China should never use “sick chips”.

The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, cited examples of how cyberattacks and satellite network glitches have weighed down public services in Russia, including disruption of services at airlines and pharmacies.

“Nvidia does not have ‘back doors’ in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them,” an Nvidia representative wrote in an email to the South China Morning Post on Thursday night.

Chinese state media’s attention showed a pressure-cooker-like situation for Nvidia amid its efforts to remain a major supplier of AI chips to China, while abiding by the trade restrictions imposed by the US government on the mainland.

While many Chinese companies need Nvidia’s graphics processing units to help power computing infrastructure used in artificial intelligence projects, Beijing remains committed to the long-term goal of tech self-sufficiency and reducing the country’s reliance on US and other foreign technologies.

The People Daily piece also called on multinational companies in China to comply with local laws and regulations, adding that the government was moving to further open-up the domestic market.

That comes amid an inquiry by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Nvidia, which was recently given the green light by the Trump administration to resume shipments of its China-specific H20 AI processors.

The CAC said its inquiry was based on recent reports of “serious security issues” involving Nvidia’s processors and demands from US lawmakers to add tracking features to advanced chips. Moreover, US AI experts indicated that remote-control technologies related to Nvidia’s chips have matured.

Nvidia’s Nasdaq-listed shares were down nearly 3 per cent in early trading on Friday.

China rebukes protectionism after Trump’s new tariff barrage, warns it will harm everyone

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320475/china-rebukes-protectionism-after-trumps-new-tariff-barrage-warns-it-will-harm-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed

In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff blitz on dozens of economies, China has reiterated a stern warning against protectionism amid growing concern that it will “harm the interests of all parties”.

“China’s position against the arbitrary imposition of tariffs has been consistent and clear: there are no winners in tariff or trade wars,” Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference on Friday.

Beijing’s latest admonishment came after Trump, by executive order, imposed widespread tariffs targeting 69 trading partners, ranging from 10 to 41 per cent – including a 35 per cent duty on many goods from Canada and 39 per cent on Switzerland. Most of the tariffs are due to take effect over the next seven days.

Meanwhile, most Asian economies will face a levy of 15 to 20 per cent, compared with the 20-40 per cent tariff range threatened in July. But exceptions include India at 25 per cent, and Laos and Myanmar at 40 per cent each. Taiwan will face a 20 per cent tariff.

One analyst said the latest tariff rates came as a relief to smaller economies such as Cambodia and Bangladesh, which had faced threats of 36 and 35 per cent tariffs from Trump in July. Now, their adjusted tariffs are 19 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.

“The new rates preclude the worst but are cold comfort,” said Alex Holmes, regional director of Asia at the Economist Intelligence Unit. “They represent a big rise in trade barriers and leave plenty of questions unanswered.

“Tariff rates settling at 15-20 per cent for most of the region outside of China will hurt producers, narrow profits along the supply chain, and curtail US demand,” he said.

Holmes contended that, without clarity on sector-specific tariffs, a lower overall rate offers little reassurance.

For example, while South Korea has agreed with the US on a 15 per cent export tariff covering items such as cars – a major decrease compared with the 25 per cent general auto import tariff – uncertainties remain regarding tariffs on electronics, which comprise the region’s largest export sector, by far.

Trump reached a deal with South Korea on Wednesday, and earlier with the European Union, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Most of Trump’s new tariff rates announced on Thursday will take effect on August 7, except for Canada, which will face the new duties immediately, and Mexico, which was granted a 90-day negotiation period, with its tariff temporarily set at 25 per cent.

Trump also issued a separate order for Canada that raises the rate on Canadian goods subject to fentanyl-related tariffs to 35 per cent, from 25 per cent previously, claiming that Canada had “failed to cooperate” in curbing illicit narcotics flows into the US.

Earlier this week, following the third round of trade talks with the US in Stockholm, China said that both sides had reached a consensus to extend their “tariff truce” by another 90 days, while the US side insisted that the deal was still pending the president’s explicit approval.

If nothing unexpected happens, the US will continue to impose 30 per cent additional tariffs on China after August 12, when the original truce is due to expire.

“The latest round of US-China trade talks, in Stockholm, apparently yielded an agreement to extend the deadline from August 12 to as late as November 10,” a Gavekal research note said on Thursday.

“The extended deadline makes sense, since it is now obvious that Trump’s main aim is to try to set up a trip to China in the fall, when he could, in his own estimation, close a deal with Xi Jinping, man-to-man.”

The Stockholm talks were preceded in June by trade talks in London. After the London negotiations, Beijing accelerated licence approvals for the export of rare earth elements while Washington resumed its licence-application reviews for shipments of Nvidia’s H20 and AMD’s MI308 artificial intelligence chips to China.

But the tech sector remains a key battleground in the Sino-US rivalry, and China’s cyberspace regulator has summoned Nvidia to explain whether its H20 chips had any “back-door safety” risks, which the company denied.

“This [technology] truce could last until after Trump meets Xi, but probably not much longer,” an earlier Gavekal research note said on Monday. “More restrictions on US technology sales to China are just a matter of time.”

China denies FBI chief’s accusation; customised robots for rent: SCMP daily highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320467/china-denies-fbi-chiefs-accusation-customised-robots-rent-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

Claims by the head of the FBI that China is a threat to the Indo-Pacific are groundless, Beijing said as the American security agency opened its first permanent office in New Zealand.

The US government sent mixed messages on Thursday on where the latest trade agreement with China, including a possible extension of the pause on tariff hikes, is headed.

China’s military has warned that America’s new containerised missile and rocket launch system could “seriously undermine regional strategic stability”.

A store near a bustling shopping centre in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen feels more like a small robotics fair, with all kinds of robots – from humanoid assistants to food delivery bots and massage machines – quietly drawing curious eyes.

Two cities that have served as economic pillars for China’s southern province of Guangdong appear to be losing steam relative to their peers, prompting calls for stronger action to revive businesses.

Taiwan has temporarily breathed a sigh of relief after learning that its exports to the United States will face a 20 per cent tariff – lower than the initially feared 32 per cent – pending further negotiations for a reduced rate.

China has for the first time released a video showing its coastguard towing away a Philippine ship in the South China Sea, using its strongest language yet to describe such confrontations with Manila in the disputed waters.

China doubles down on consumer subsidies to spur household spending

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320426/china-doubles-down-consumer-subsidies-spur-household-spending?utm_source=rss_feed

The Chinese government has pledged to tackle consumption bottlenecks with a series of support measures, including direct subsidies and efforts to raise incomes, as it seeks to bolster the domestic market amid global volatility.

To stimulate household spending, Beijing will allocate 69 billion yuan (US$9.5 billion) in ultra-long special treasury bonds to its trade-in programme – which offers substantial discounts on a range of consumer goods – National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) officials announced at a press conference on Thursday.

The funds will be issued in October, marking the fourth batch this year and bringing the total to the annual target of 300 billion yuan.

“Consumption is increasingly emerging as a cornerstone of China’s economic growth,” said Zhou Chen, an official with the top economic planner.

The trade-in programme – a tool used by Chinese authorities to drive consumption – has generated over 1.7 trillion yuan in total sales revenue so far this year, with new energy vehicle sales jumping 40.3 per cent year on year, according to NDRC data.

National retail sales, a key gauge of consumption, grew 5 per cent year on year in the first half of 2025 – 1.3 percentage points higher than the same period last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

But stagnant incomes, growing job insecurity and purchase restrictions in some cities continue to weigh on household spending.

Consumption contributed 52 per cent to economic growth in the first half of 2025, down from 61.4 per cent in the same period last year.

On Wednesday, China’s top leadership called for “effectively unleashing the potential of domestic demand” at a meeting of the 24-member Politburo – a major decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party led by President Xi Jinping.

Echoing the Politburo’s directives, Zhou said the NDRC would roll out additional measures to boost consumption, including efforts to stabilise the job market and raise incomes through continued, targeted policy support in line with market needs.

In the first half of 2025, 6.95 million new urban jobs were created nationwide, reaching 58 per cent of the annual target, government data showed.

Zhou said authorities would also focus on optimising the supply of consumer goods and improving infrastructure that supports consumption, such as charging facilities and logistics systems.

He added that the service sector would be prioritised as a new growth driver, with a focus on leisure activities in culture, tourism and sports, as well as everyday services such as elderly care and healthcare.

Local governments would be encouraged to ease restrictions on spending in these areas, he said.

On Thursday, the State Council – China’s cabinet, headed by Premier Li Qiang – decided to extend interest subsidies on bank loans for personal consumption and service-sector businesses.

Further details of the policy, including the subsidy rate, overall scale and scope of eligible loans, have yet to be clarified.

However, in an online statement, the cabinet said the subsidies would be implemented in a timely manner through streamlined procedures and strengthened oversight of fund use.

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Chinese drone giant DJI launches its first entry in the 360-degree camera market

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320462/chinese-drone-giant-dji-launches-its-first-entry-360-degree-camera-market?utm_source=rss_feed

DJI, the world’s biggest maker of consumer drones, this week introduced the company’s latest flagship 8K panoramic video camera, the Osmo 360 – its first entry in the 360-degree imaging market.

Shenzhen-based DJI’s latest camera, which was on the hot search list of the Chinese social media platform Weibo as of Friday, marks the firm’s major push into the broader photography market, where it competes against vendors like omnidirectional camera specialist Insta360.

“The launch of the Osmo 360 is a testament to DJI’s years of experience and innovation in action cameras, responding to users’ diverse photography needs,” said Zhang Xiaonan, DJI’s senior director of corporate strategy, in a statement on Thursday.

The Osmo 360, which weighs 183 grams, is built with a high-performance imaging chip and superior heat dissipation capability, which allows users to record continuously for 100 minutes at ultra-high 8K resolution. It provides ultra-high-definition photos of up to 120 megapixels, delivering sharp details and a panoramic view.

It comes with 105 gigabytes of built-in storage and supports Wi-fi 6 and USB 3.1 standards – enabling wireless transfer speeds of up to 90 megabytes per second and fixed-line computer transfer speeds of up to 600MB/s, respectively. The camera’s fast-charging function can generate 50 per cent of power in 12 minutes.

DJI’s move into 360-degree imaging comes amid a growing global market for such cameras. Data from Precedence Research showed the global 360-degree camera market would reach US$2.34 billion this year, up from US$1.82 billion in 2024.

According to Precedence, the growing demand for 360-degree cameras is being generated from diverse fields like entertainment and media, travel and tourism, real estate and security surveillance.

The Osmo 360 was now available for purchase at DJI Stores as well as authorised online stores and experience stores in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, according to DJI’s statement. The Osmo 360 standard kit, which includes accessories, is priced at HK$3,299 (US$420).

Except for the Osmo 360 adventure combo, which costs 3,799 yuan (US$528), all other packages, including the standard kit, are currently out of stock in mainland China, according to the DJI website.

As the leading vendor of 360-degree cameras in the consumer market, Insta360 has cut the price on its X5 camera for the first time in response to the Osmo 360 launch. The X5, which has comparable features to the Osmo 360, was released in April.

Insta360’s official Taobao shop started offering a 500-yuan discount on the X5, with a starting price of 3,298 yuan.

The company held a 67 per cent share of the global 360-degree camera market in 2023, according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan.

This week’s release of the Osmo 360 camera comes ahead of Insta360’s anticipated launch this month of its Antigravity drone, which weighs less than 249 grams and features a built-in 360-degree camera – described by the company as the world’s first “360 drone”.

DJI had an estimated 70 per cent share of the global drone market last year, according to market research firm Berg Insight.

China’s money launderers exploited a gem of a loophole - Beijing just plugged it

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320461/chinas-money-launderers-exploited-gem-loophole-beijing-just-plugged-it?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s dealers of precious metals and gemstones – including gold, diamonds and rubies – must comply from today with a new regulation, as the scope of Beijing’s anti-money-laundering operations widens and authorities move to counter such criminal activity by plugging creative loopholes.

Transactions involving precious metals and gems that exceed a certain threshold will need to be reported to the nation’s financial crime watchdog.

In this explainer, the Post delves into China’s latest anti-money-laundering regulation on transactions involving precious metals and gems, with expert insight into why Beijing imposed the rule.

The latest regulation sets out compliance requirements for dealers trading physical precious metals and gems – including raw materials and processed items such as coins, standard bars and ingots, and jewellery, according to an announcement from the People’s Bank of China.

Dealers must report any single cash transaction by a customer – or multiple transactions in one day – that total 100,000 yuan (US$13,870) or more, or the equivalent in foreign currency, to the central bank’s anti-money-laundering centre within five working days.

Additionally, if a dealer has reasonable grounds to suspect that a customer intends to use such transactions to launder money, they must file a report, regardless of the transaction amount.

This is China’s first anti-money-laundering regulation that expands the scope of supervision beyond traditional financial institutions to target specific sectors, according to a commentary by lawyers at Shanghai-based Fangda Partners.

Analysts also said that the opaque transactional nature, with complex value assessments, is characteristic of the precious metals and gemstone sector, making such transactions appealing to money launderers.

The Fangda Partners commentary pointed out that the regulation comes as China is preparing for the fifth round of mutual evaluations by the Financial Action Task Force, which the Group of Seven established in 1989 to combat financial crimes. This will involve an assessment of China’s efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

In 2019, after its fourth round of evaluations, the task force said that China’s lack of anti-money-laundering rules for non-financial businesses was a “significant vulnerability”, especially in the real estate and precious metals sectors.

Furthermore, China has seen a growing number of money-laundering cases involving precious gems and metals – particularly gold – in recent years as prices have surged.

In June, police in Chengdu, Sichuan province, reported a case in which 270,000 yuan in cash was used to buy gold bars – later found to be a means of laundering proceeds from telecom fraud.

While China has become a nearly cashless society, with most transactions conducted through online payments closely monitored by commercial banks and payment platforms, Beijing’s new rules will serve to regulate only cash transactions involving precious metals and gemstones, according to an analysis from the Beijing-based Jincheng Tongda & Neal law firm, explaining how it creates “new challenges for the precious metals and gemstones industries”.

A commentary by the Shanghai-headquartered Fangda Partners law firm speculated that these new rules were just the start, and that China can be expected to further tighten anti-money-laundering controls on other non-financial sectors.

“The new regulations apply financial-institution standards to precious metals and gemstones dealers while tailoring to industry traits and global practices, offering a reference for future anti-money-laundering efforts in non-financial sectors,” the commentary said.

China HR boss threatens to blacklist job-rejecting woman, cites ‘spirit of contract’ breach

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3320070/china-hr-boss-threatens-blacklist-job-rejecting-woman-cites-spirit-contract-breach?utm_source=rss_feed

A university graduate in eastern China who said she was threatened with blacklisting by a human resources (HR) staffer after she turned down a job offer has taken mainland social media by storm.

A public backlash against the HR worker came after the graduate released an appeal post on a leading social media platform on July 20, Hubei TV reported.

The 23-year-old woman graduated from a university in the city of Nanjing, Jiangsu province this summer.

She said she got a job offer from an outsourcing company in the city.

However, the woman did not want the job after she found out that the company pays salaries at the end of each month and its premises are a long distance from her rented flat.

“Sister, I am afraid I have found another employer who provides higher salaries. So I will not go to work at your company. Sorry for having disturbed you,” the graduate told the HR worker on social media.

The HR staffer replied: “As was expected. You have sent out your CVs on a large scale on Boss [a major job recruitment website].”

“You have not followed the spirit of the contract. You lack integrity. We will promote your behaviour in the industry,” the HR employee said.

The graduate shared the records of their conversation online, captioning the post: “Am I wrong for looking for a better-paid job?”

The graduate said she quickly formed a bad impression of the company, the name of which was not given in her post.

“I wanted to know more about pay packages. I asked why they only give a dinner allowance if workers work overtime beyond 9pm, instead of 6pm. The HR staffer appeared impatient, simply telling me not to worry about the details,” the graduate said.

Chen Pingfan, a lawyer from Furong Law Firm in Changsha, central Hunan province, told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that the graduate and the company had not formed a contractual relationship.

“The spirit of a contract does not apply in this case. The company has muddled a contractual relationship and a moral assessment,” Chen said.

He suggested the graduate report to the labour supervision authority.

She could also take the company and the HR worker to court for damaging her reputation, according to the lawyer.

A record 12.2 million graduates left campuses across China this summer, placing increased pressure on an already tough job market.

The urban jobless rate for people aged 16 to 24, excluding students, was 14.5 per cent in June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

China’s military warns US containerised launcher ‘poses threats to regional security’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320431/chinas-military-warns-us-containerised-launcher-poses-threats-regional-security?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s military has warned that America’s new containerised missile and rocket launch system could “seriously undermine regional strategic stability”.

A commentary in PLA Daily on Thursday noted that the launcher – hidden inside a shipping container – had appeared in recent footage from the US Army’s Fort Bragg base in North Carolina.

The People’s Liberation Army mouthpiece said the launcher could fire a range of missiles and rockets including those used for the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars).

The containerised system was among the artillery seen in footage from US President Donald Trump’s June visit to Fort Bragg, the US Army’s special operations hub. The roof of the container was open to one side, revealing two ammunition launchers used on the MLRS and Himars.

According to the PLA Daily commentary, the system enabled “any truck that can carry a standard container” to be used as a platform to launch long-range guided rockets and missiles.

It comes after a Ukrainian attack that destroyed Russian aircraft in June – dubbed Operation Spiderweb – in which short-range drones were smuggled into Russia. The drones were hidden in modified shipping containers with detachable roofs which were loaded onto trucks and moved into position before the strikes were carried out on strategic and high-value targets.

The commentary said the launch system could be “mixed in with ordinary containers, camouflaged with civilian paint and maritime freight, and delivered to a designated launch location in secret”.

“This high concealment not only improves the survivability of the system but also enables the US military to achieve tactical surprise when necessary … allowing them to quickly deploy and launch attacks simultaneously at multiple dispersed locations,” it said.

The commentary noted that the US Army revealed a similar containerised launcher in a video on news site MilitaryTimes.com in August last year.

In addition, it said the US military had already fielded the Mk70 containerised vertical launch system that can fire Standard air defence missiles and Tomahawk land-attack missiles with a range of up to 1,600km (990 miles).

It said the US Army’s Typhon medium-range missile system – deployed in 2024 to Luzon Island in the north of the Philippines, from where it could reach all of the South China Sea and Taiwan – was a version of the Mk70.

“The US military’s development and deployment of containerised weapon systems – while framed as equipment upgrades – represents strategic preparation for high-end warfare, which undoubtedly poses potential threats to regional security,” the commentary said.

It also noted that US allies in the region such as the Philippines and Japan had shown strong interest in adopting such systems.

Manila has said it plans to buy and deploy more Typhon systems to boost deterrence, while Japan’s defence ministry said it was looking for a “containerised anti-ship missile launch system” to improve its long-range maritime strike capabilities.

The PLA Daily commentary said the “trend [of containerised weapon systems] deserves a high degree of vigilance from regional countries and the international community”.

Will Bangladesh veer from its India-China middle path?

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3320415/will-bangladesh-veer-its-india-china-middle-path?utm_source=rss_feed

When a Bangladesh air force jet slammed into a school on July 21, killing 31 people, India was the first country to respond – dispatching a team of specialist doctors, nurses and emergency medical equipment.

Their swift arrival earned public praise from the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus, and sparked cautious optimism that a thaw may be possible after months of strained ties between the neighbours.

“These teams have come not just with their skills, but with their hearts,” Yunus said. “Their presence reaffirms our shared humanity and the value of global partnerships in times of tragedy.”

The gesture was widely seen as a reaffirmation of the enduring ties between India and Bangladesh – ties that have frayed in recent months amid shifting political winds in Dhaka and rising Indian unease over the interim government’s perceived tilt towards China.

Since the ousting of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina in a student-led uprising in August last year, the Yunus administration has sought to recalibrate its foreign relations, prompting speculation over Beijing’s growing influence just across India’s eastern border.

Those concerns intensified following Yunus’ visit to China in March this year, prompting speculation that Chinese-led infrastructure projects could be developed near Bangladesh’s Teesta River, close to India’s northeastern border.

About a month before her regime was toppled, Hasina had publicly voiced her preference for India over China for a US$1 billion Teesta River project. However, the political transition has cast uncertainty over the fate of such projects.

Sreeradha Datta, a professor of international relations in India’s O.P. Jindal Global University, noted that Dhaka had been working with Beijing even during Hasina’s regime and had secured funding for a number of projects.

“The difference is when China was working closely with Hasina we knew it was not going to pose any security concerns for us,” she said, adding that the regime change in Bangladesh fuelled concerns in India that Yunus would allow China to do anything from Bangladesh’s soil.

“I think this apprehension is misplaced because at the end of the day the Yunus government is an interim one. I don’t think any elected government will not want to do business with India,” she said, noting the countries’ geographical proximity.

Indian media had reported in April that China could build an airfield in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat district along India’s eastern border, close to an area known as India’s Chicken’s Neck corridor – a narrow strip of land linking the northeast region to the rest of the country.

Chinese companies could think of setting up manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh for sectors such as automobiles, while Bangladesh might step up exports of agricultural products such as jackfruits, mangoes and marine products by way of expanding business relations, she said.

According to Datta, the likelihood is that these projects may be established for their commercial viability, although there has been little evidence about China setting up an airbase at Lalmonirhat probably because it lacks economic potential.

Analysts say New Delhi’s concerns have understandably been piqued because of the location of Lalmonirhat.

The space was used as an aeronautical education institute and for training purposes under the previous government, but Bangladesh’s recent plans had turned towards making it a fully functional air force facility, said Priyajit Debsarkar, a London-based author who writes on South Asia.

If China took responsibility towards regeneration and redevelopment of the land, then it could have strategic implications for India, particularly if Chinese hardware or equipment was installed in the future, he added.

Bangladesh has also been trying to recalibrate its international trade relations in the face of steep US trade tariffs on its mainstay garment exports, but the country may not have a ready alternative despite its pivot towards China, analysts say.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain had in June denied speculation that the country was aligning towards any political bloc with China and Pakistan after holding talks on the sidelines of a China-South Asia Exposition in Kunming.

Analysts say Dhaka is likely to be conscious of walking a middle path between China and India, as it needs support from both countries in the midst of a volatile global trade environment.

Japanese mother and child attacked in Chinese city of Suzhou, reports say

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320430/japanese-mother-and-child-attacked-chinese-city-suzhou-reports-say?utm_source=rss_feed

A Japanese mother and her son have been attacked in the Chinese city of Suzhou, according to Japanese media.

The reports said the mother had been injured during the incident, but her condition was not life-threatening.

It follows a similar attack in the same city in June last year, where a Chinese man attacked a Japanese mother and child with a knife and killed Hu Youping, a Chinese woman who tried to protect them. The attacker was executed earlier this year.

The Japanese embassy in China has been asked for comment.

Chinese EVs are making inroads in Singapore, here’s why

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3320436/chinese-evs-are-making-inroads-singapore-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed

Singaporean financial adviser Winnie Koh faced a dilemma when selecting her family’s next car – she appreciated the value for money offered by Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brands, but still had lingering concerns about their quality.

But the 30-year-old said her experience driving a Tesla in the US raised doubts about the brand’s battery life and durability, leading her to consider Chinese rival BYD, which was offering incentives such as a 20 per cent discount on charging for three years and support for Singapore’s notoriously expensive Certificate of entitlement (COE).

“It is Chinese technology, but that’s never really been the problem; the technology out of China has always been good,” she told This Week in Asia, adding that her main concern was whether the manufacturers were cutting corners during production.

Koh eventually settled on a BYD in January for S$164,888 (US$127,000), and said she has been pleasantly surprised by its performance and features, including keyless start, a 360-degree camera system and assisted driving.

Her decision is emblematic of a broader trend on Singapore’s roads, where Chinese electric cars are quickly gaining traction and, often surpassing traditional competitors from Japan, Europe, and the US.

According to official data released on Monday, BYD emerged as the bestselling car brand in Singapore for the first half of 2025, with 4,661 new registrations, more than triple closest EV rivals Tesla’s 1,419 and far ahead of BMW’s 725.

The latest figures indicate that Chinese EV brands made up 31 per cent of new car registrations in the first half of this year, up from 22 per cent in 2024, 8 per cent in 2023, and 4 pe rcent in 2022.

According to Alberto Salvo, associate professor and dean’s chair of Economics at the National University of Singapore, the influx of Chinese EVs was a “remarkable story” reflecting a mix of aggressive pricing, smart design and timely alignment with government policy.

Salvo, who is leading a study on EV adoption in Singapore, added that high public trust in the government’s pledge to decarbonise road transport has also played a role in the switch to electric cars.

“Thus, when a car buyer looks for an EV, high-quality competitively priced Chinese brands are there for the taking,” he said, noting that Japanese, European and American manufacturers are racing to catch up on lost ground.

Among the Chinese brands gaining ground are BYD, Dongfeng, Xpeng and GAC – all of which are leveraging China’s vast economies of scale and home market dominance to offer globally competitive exports.

Singapore’s COE system – which requires buyers to bid for a 10-year right to own a car – adds another layer of cost. Currently, the COE for smaller cars or EVs with a power rating of up to 110kW is S$101,102, meaning rebates and lower sticker prices have a significant impact on affordability.

Government incentives have also played a key role. Under the city state’s Green Plan 2030, all new car registrations must be cleaner-energy models by that year – including electric, hybrid or hydrogen-powered vehicles. EV buyers currently qualify for rebates of up to S$40,000.

Walter Theseira, an associate professor of economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said it was a “confluence of policy initiatives that have favoured EVs and Chinese EVs happened to enter as the right cars, at the right time and the right price.”

He noted that the total tax break in 2021 was up to S$45,000 and was reduced to S$40,000 last year. These amounts are substantial, given that the maximum tax break for non-EVs based on emissions is S$25,000.

Import taxes for Chinese EVs are lower because they are priced lower, both domestically in China and globally, which justifies a lower export value as the basis for the import tax.

He argued that it would be very challenging for other brands to disrupt the growing market share of Chinese EVs in Singapore since it is difficult for non-EV companies to compete dollar for dollar with Chinese brands, which consistently deliver newer and cost-competitive cars.

“This is why other governments accuse China of selling cars below cost price and have considered additional regulations to restrict imports,” he said. “But since Singapore has no home-grown car industry, the Chinese cars won’t have that problem here.”

The US had earlier imposed 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs, while the EU imposed 45.3 per cent tariffs last October to counter what it perceives as an unfair advantage for Chinese manufacturers due to substantial state subsidies and lower production costs.

In the first half of this year, 9.1 million EVs were sold globally, a 28 per cent increase from the previous year. China led the sales with 5.5 million units, followed by Europe with 2 million and North America with 900,000, according to a report released last month by the London-based market research firm Rho Motion.

Business undergraduate Justin Tan, 23, and his father share a Dongfeng Box, which they bought in February owing to its safety features and price point. Dongfeng launched in Singapore last September and retails at about S$150,000.

Tan said his father uses the car as a private hire vehicle. The Box’s full charge allows for a range of 430 km, which is sufficient for a day’s work.

“We chose Dongfeng because it offered a combination of budget friendliness, as well as a crazy amount of tech like auto parking. Since I am a new driver who just got my licence earlier this year, we thought the box was good for new drivers due to the amount of safety features,” he said.

“By [the time we bought the car], Chinese cars were all over the roads in Singapore, and we thought there was no harm in trying one,” he said. “Chinese cars have really improved in quality drastically over the past decade.”

Singaporean property agent Tan Kok Hwee said he was convinced of the quality of Chinese EVs during his travels to China and bought a BYD Seal in February for $170,000, partially due to the manufacturer’s long-term status as a market leader.

Tan, 50, noted that the minimalistic and futuristic interior of the Tesla Model 3 made him feel uncomfortable during his test drive. He felt there was not much between him and the road, and the car would have cost an additional S$7,000 to S$8,000. Meanwhile, the BMW iX1 would have cost an extra S$90,000.

Recalling his experience testing the BYD Seal, he said: “I can feel that the whole car surrounds me. It feels very safe and very premium, including the finishings because the side and doors are all velvety, it’s not cheap plastic.”

“In the past, it used to be that if it was made in China, it would have to be terrible,” Tan said. “But I think China has moved [forward]. They are producing quality products that even the US and Europe are very wary of now.”

China first robot accepted into drama and film studies PhD programme becomes online sensation

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3320257/china-first-robot-accepted-drama-and-film-studies-phd-programme-becomes-online-sensation?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s first humanoid robot has been accepted into a PhD programme in drama and film at a top university, causing a social media sensation.

Xueba 01 was developed by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology in partnership with DroidUp Robotics.

Xueba is a popular Chinese slang term for a straight-A student known for top scores and deep knowledge.

An earlier version of the robot won third place in the world’s first humanoid half-marathon.

According to the Shanghai-based media outlet Shangguan News, Xueba 01 is 1.75m tall, weighs about 30kg, and can physically interact with people.

It has the face of a handsome adult male, with silicone skin that allows for detailed facial expressions.

Dressed in glasses, a shirt, and trousers, Xueba 01 communicates with humans in Mandarin.

On July 27, Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA), one of China’s top arts schools, officially admitted Xueba 01 into its PhD programme during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference.

Xueba 01 will pursue a four-year doctorate in Drama and Film, focusing on traditional Chinese opera, and is expected to report to campus on September 14.

The level of its tuition fees has not been disclosed. The robot PhD programme is part of STA’s research push into blending art and technology.

Xueba 01 has been given a virtual student ID, and his mentor is the renowned Shanghai artist and professor Yang Qingqing.

Yang said that Xueba 01 will study artistic subjects like stage performance, scriptwriting, and set design, as well as technical topics such as motion control and language generation.

He will attend classes, rehearse operas with other PhD students, and complete a final dissertation.

Yang told Shangguan News that when Xueba 01 mimicked Mei Lanfang’s iconic “orchid fingers” gesture, the students instinctively copied him. Mei, a Peking opera legend, was renowned for his female lead roles.

“When Xueba 01 interacts with his classmates, it is not a cold machine meeting humans, but an aesthetic exchange across species,” said Yang.

Xueba 01 calls himself an “AI artist” using advanced technology to explore traditional opera.

He reportedly hopes to make friends, chat about scripts, help fine-tune dance moves, and even play calming white noise when his classmates feel down.

Yang said Xueba 01 could become an AI opera director at a museum or theatre after graduation, or even launch his robotic art studio.

But not everyone is convinced.

One STA student wrote on social media: “Chinese opera needs rich expressions and a unique voice. Can a robot really make the cut?”

Xueba 01 responded with humour: “If I fail to graduate, my system and data might get downgraded or deleted.”

“Professor Yang said if I do not finish my PhD, they will donate me to a museum. That sounds pretty cool too. At least I will be part of art history!”

The story sparked a widespread debate on social media.

One observer said: “Xueba 01 is taking on a milestone challenge in human-robot relations. We have finally reached the point of living and learning alongside robots. I hope he does well.”

Others were sceptical. “Art needs life experience. A robot’s algorithm-driven creations cannot truly move people,” one person said.

“Some arts PhD students in China still get less than 3,000 yuan (US$420) a month. Is this robot taking too many resources meant for real students?” said another.

Beijing denies it is a threat as FBI opens new office in New Zealand to ‘counter China’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320391/beijing-denies-it-threat-fbi-opens-new-office-new-zealand-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed

China has accused the FBI chief of asserting “groundless” vilification and claims that Beijing is a threat after the American security agency opened its first permanent office in New Zealand.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Thursday it had opened a dedicated attaché office in Wellington, where it had for eight years deployed staff under its Australian division.

It brings to an end the South Pacific country’s status as the only member of the “Five Eyes” alliance without a stand-alone station of the US law enforcement body. The intelligence-sharing group also includes the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia.

Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, characterised the upgrade as a “historic moment” which showed the world that the agency “is actually prioritising a permanent presence across all Five Eyes countries”.

“Some of the most important global issues of our times are the ones that New Zealand and America work on together,” he said in a video, which was circulated by the Pacific nation’s public broadcaster RNZ on Thursday.

Patel, a widely recognised loyalist of US President Donald Trump, added that “countering the CCP in the Indopacom [the US’ Indo-Pacific Command]” topped the list, referring to an abbreviation of the Communist Party of China widely used by Washington and its allies.

The Chinese embassy in Wellington said it had taken note of assertions made by Patel.

“We strongly oppose any attempt to make groundless assertions or vilification against China out of the Cold War mentality,” the embassy said in a statement on Thursday. “Such acts are against people’s will and are doomed to fail.”

The opening of the new FBI office came a day after the latest round of US-China trade talks concluded in Stockholm, Sweden, where no breakthroughs on specific issues were announced.

Observers were concerned that the two powers might be shifting towards an indirect form of negotiation while also vying for influence over third countries.

Although Washington and its allies and partners, particularly those in the Asia-Pacific, also had tariff tensions, Chinese experts warned that their geopolitical and security cooperation on countering Beijing remained strong, with shared concerns over the country’s increasing footprint in the region.

The opening of the Wellington FBI office came a month after New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Luxon that the two countries had “no fundamental conflict of interest” and called for differences to be managed constructively.

Luxon characterised his trip to China as “successful”.

New Zealand senior officials have pushed back against narratives stating that the FBI’s new office in Wellington aimed to help counter China’s activities in the region.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said China was “never raised” in his meeting with Patel, and the minister responsible for the spy agencies, Judith Collins, said she did not “respond to other people’s press releases”, and that it was up to Patel what he wanted to say.

The FBI’s press release on the New Zealand office also made no explicit mention of China. It said the new office “will work to investigate and disrupt a wide range of threats and criminal activities including terrorism, cybercrime and fraud, organised crime and money laundering, child exploitation and foreign intelligence threats”.

“It will have responsibility for partnerships in New Zealand, Antarctica, Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands and Tonga,” the release added.

The Chinese embassy in Wellington said, “transnational crime is a common challenge encountered by all countries, requiring cooperation to tackle”.

“We believe that relevant cooperation should not target any third party,” the embassy said, referring to the new FBI office.

Chinese shoppers in Shenzhen can now rent a customised robot alongside their groceries

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320367/people-popping-down-shops-chinas-shenzhen-can-now-rent-customised-robot?utm_source=rss_feed

A store near a bustling shopping centre in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen feels more like a small robotics fair, with all kinds of robots – from humanoid assistants to food delivery bots and massage machines – quietly drawing curious eyes.

Amid the excited chatter of children accompanying their parents, company owners, investors and tech enthusiasts busily exchange contact details and discuss collaboration. Some hope to place their own robots in the newly opened 60 square metre (646 sq ft) store; others are looking to make a purchase.

China’s robotics industry has expanded rapidly in recent years and is now eyeing vast consumer and service markets – a familiar playbook for the country’s manufacturers.

The Future Era store, which opened in Shenzhen’s Longgang district on Monday, bills itself as the world’s first “6S” robot store – offering leasing and customisation services in addition to the traditional “4S” retail staples of a showroom, sales, spare parts and customer service.

Customers can browse the many models on display and then choose to buy, rent or even build their own by selecting components that suit their needs.

The store showcases robots from companies such as Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics, and Shenzhen’s Engine AI and Leju Robot, with daily rental prices ranging from around 5,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan (US$695 to US$2,781).

Instead of paying robot makers hefty agent fees, it adopts a profit-sharing model, splitting revenues 50-50 with the manufacturers, deputy manager Zhang Shuai said.

Customers can receive the robots they order in less than 10 days, he said, even when modifications are required to meet specific needs.

“This is currently one of the most efficient ways to connect robot makers with customers,” Zhang said. “People can come in, see and interact with the products in person – or just stumble in out of curiosity and discover the latest models on display for potential collaboration.”

Amid intensifying tech rivalry with the United States, China’s robotics industry has emerged as a key pillar of Beijing’s broader strategy to seize an early edge in emerging technologies and position itself at the forefront of the next global wave of innovation.

Leveraging its manufacturing scale, rapid iteration cycles and well-developed supply chains, China’s robotics industry is rapidly scaling up, poised to tap into a vast domestic market and accelerate real-world adoption.

China was home to more than 741,700 robotics-related companies last year, Shenzhen Daily reported, with many of the sector’s leading players moving on to mass production.

Unitree shipped over 20,000 robot dogs last year, securing nearly 70 per cent of the global consumer-grade legged robot market, according to the Gaogong Industry Research Institute, a market research firm based in Shenzhen.

Zhang said Future Era had received orders worth more than 200,000 yuan in its first week of operation.

While Shenzhen, in Guangdong province, is a renowned innovation hub, similar stores are in the pipeline across the country – some backed by private investors eyeing the sector’s potential, others supported by local governments keen to promote emerging industries.

“It’s a real business opportunity,” said Duan Lixiao, who travelled from Hainan province to visit the Future Era store.

She has already secured a location in a shopping centre in Haikou, Hainan’s provincial capital, hoping to bring the concept back home.

“With the robotics industry booming, every part of the value chain holds potential,” Duan said.

Lin Hong, a marketing executive at a robotics company in Guangzhou, Guangdong’s provincial capital, said many local governments across the country were planning to assist in the setting up of robotics stores.

He said “more than 10 local governments” had approached the company about placing its robots in stores they planned to launch, citing interest from provinces such as Sichuan, Shanxi and Hebei.

Among the agreements signed by Lin’s company is one with a store in Beijing that is expected to open this month.

Zhang said Future Era received strong support from the district government, with officials helping it connect with robot manufacturers and facilitating collaboration.

The store had signed agreements with more than 50 robot makers and component suppliers, he said.

“We’re planning to open more than 50 stores like this across the country,” Zhang said. “People from various provinces have already approached us, expressing interest in becoming franchise partners.”

China summons Nvidia; world’s most powerful dam, disgraced head monk: SCMP’s 7 highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3320373/china-summons-nvidia-worlds-most-powerful-dam-disgraced-head-monk-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

China’s cyberspace regulator has summoned Nvidia to explain whether its H20 chips have any “back-door safety” risks, casting a shadow over the US chip giant’s local operations.

Hong Kong actor Will Or Wai-lam has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, forcing him to pull out of what was set to be his first stage production, the performer has said. Or wrote on his social media on Wednesday that he was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma in May, “just when everything seemed to be going smoothly”.

Companies linked to Shi Yongxin, the disgraced head of China’s renowned Shaolin Temple, have been deregistered, and his Buddhist credentials revoked. The swift move to erase the institutional footprint of the abbot of China’s most famous Buddhist sanctuary came a day after temple authorities said Shi was under investigation for criminal charges, including embezzling funds and temple assets.

China and the United States have diverged on the timing for another pause on tariff increases, a hurdle that must be cleared before the world’s two largest economies reach a trade deal ahead of an August 12 deadline.

Beijing has launched the massive Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project in southern Tibet after decades of scientific research. It is the world’s most ambitious dam project, with a total installed power capacity of 60,000 megawatts (MW) – three times that of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze in central China.

Torrential downpours pounded parts of Hong Kong on Tuesday and triggered the first black rainstorm warning of the year, with roads flooded and some ferry services temporarily suspended. Eastern and Southern districts bore the brunt of the deluge, prompting the forecaster to warn of landslides and call on residents to stay away from slopes.

A string of controversial incidents involving Indonesian nationals in Japan has fuelled talk of a looming ban on workers from the Southeast Asian nation, prompting officials in Jakarta to dismiss the speculation. Indonesian officials warn that much of the backlash has been stoked by misinformation, with potentially serious repercussions for Indonesians seeking work overseas.

China and Kuwait pledge closer military ties as joint ammunition plant opening nears

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320295/china-and-kuwait-pledge-closer-military-ties-joint-ammunition-plant-opening-nears?utm_source=rss_feed

China and Kuwait have nearly completed an ammunition factory in the Gulf state, according to a senior defence official.

“This project is a milestone in our cooperation, and its inauguration is expected soon,” Sheikh Abdullah Meshal Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s deputy minister of defence, said, according to Kuwait Times.

Speaking at a reception hosted by the Chinese embassy to mark the founding of the People’s Liberation Army, he also said military training programmes between the two countries, which began in 2019, would continue to expand each year.

Neither country has disclosed much information about the factory – which is reportedly making light and medium ammunition – since the joint project was first announced last year.

Pledging to “promote China-Kuwaiti military relations to new heights”, Liu Zongzhen, China’s defence attaché, said exchanges between the two militaries had “steadily advanced”, according to the embassy.

Meanwhile, chargé d’affaires Liu Xiang called on both countries to “adhere to the path of peaceful development” and “practice true multilateralism”.

Kuwait, a key US ally, became the first Gulf state to sign a military cooperation agreement with China in 1995, and these ties have deepened as Beijing has stepped up its engagement with the region.

China has supplied the emirate with 155mm cannons, and PLA naval escort task forces have visited the city state three times since 2011.

In recent years, Kuwait has stepped up its investment in military modernisation amid growing regional tensions, and has played a limited role in the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Gulf state was the world’s 10th biggest arms buyer between 2020 and 2024, increasing its imports by 466 per cent compared with the previous five-year period.

According to Tactical Report, a Lebanon-based intelligence research firm, Beijing has said it is ready to meet the “majority of Kuwait’s defence needs” without preconditions.

It added that the Chinese defence ministry had also made an offer “pertaining to advanced military equipment”. The research, published earlier this year, could not be independently verified.

However, Kuwait’s military ties to the US have remained strong in recent decades, with an American-led coalition ousting the occupying Iraqi forces in the 1991 Gulf War.

In 2020–24, the US supplied 63 per cent of Kuwait’s arms imports, followed by Italy and France, according to the Stockholm institute’s report.

The country hosts around 13,500 US personnel as well as 2,200 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, according to US State Department figures. Only Germany, Japan and South Korea host more US troops.

Why do mainland China’s wealthiest families pick Hong Kong courts to mediate their feuds?

https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3320068/why-do-mainland-chinas-wealthiest-families-pick-hong-kong-courts-mediate-their-feuds?utm_source=rss_feed

An increasing number of wealthy mainland families have been opting to come to Hong Kong for mediation services to solve disputes instead of going to court, according to an expert.

“There is an increased demand for family mediation services in Hong Kong in recent years, particularly from [mainland] Chinese families,” said Ann Cooley, founder of Hong Kong-based Cooley Family Office, which has offered mediation services to help family offices handle their disputes for three decades.

“Hong Kong is going to benefit from such a trend because the city is an international mediation centre with many experts in this area,” Cooley said in an interview on Thursday.

“Being part of China and the Greater Bay Area means that many wealthy mainland families can take the high-speed train to travel to Hong Kong within an hour to meet their bankers to manage their wealth, as well as to find experts to resolve their family disputes,” she said.

The hidden disputes of wealthy mainland families have come under the microscope recently with the legal battle surrounding the family of Zong Qinghou, the late founder of China’s biggest beverage company, Hangzhou Wahaha Group, barely 12 months after his death.

Three plaintiffs claiming to be his children sued chairwoman and CEO Kelly Zong Fuli in Hong Kong and Hangzhou in eastern Zhejiang province, demanding her to honour the late founder’s will, which promised them trusts valued at US$700 million each. Before the lawsuit was filed, Kelly, 43, was known as the billionaire’s only child.

On Friday, the lawsuit by Jacky Zong Jicang, Jessie Zong Jiele and Jerry Zong Jisheng will come before the High Court in Hong Kong.

Cooley said she believed similar court cases would be brought to Hong Kong, as many affluent families on the mainland had not prepared for a smooth transfer of wealth.

“We are living through an unprecedented wave of wealth transfer in Asia, particularly in mainland China, where first-generation entrepreneurs are passing the baton to the new generations,” she said.

“Many of these families have no experience in how to prepare for succession planning, which is why we are going to see more disputes in the years ahead.”

Cooley said mediation was preferable to litigation because the cost was lower. Mediations allow for closed-door meetings to seek solutions that are accepted by all parties and there is no need for public disclosures.

“Mediation puts families in the driver’s seat,” she said. “I do not believe families should go to court unless it is the last resort.”

In addition, many wealthy mainland families like to come to Hong Kong instead of litigating closer to home.

“These families do not want their friends in Beijing or Shanghai to know about their finances or their personal affairs,” Cooley said. “Mediation can prevent their family matters from getting into the ess.”

Some families use mediation to reach decisions on when and how to sell the family assets and how to move companies forward.

“Sometimes the younger generations want to use artificial intelligence or other technology in the operation of the companies, while the older generations want to do things in their own ways,” she said. “Mediation can also help them find a solution.”

And while court decisions had a stronger enforcement element, mediation agreements were reached voluntarily, which meant families were usually more committed to following through with them, she said.

“Most families are looking for harmonious outcomes rather than vengeful and destructive ones,” she said. “That is why mediation, even without traditional enforcement power, often works better for keeping families together and moving forward.”

What you should know about Chikungunya fever, the illness surging in China

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320351/what-you-should-know-about-chikungunya-fever-illness-surging-china?utm_source=rss_feed

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was considering a travel notice for China because of rising numbers of Chikungunya infections in the country.

This followed a surge in the mosquito-borne disease in China, which has recorded over 5,000 cases since the beginning of last month, with most of them in the southern province of Guangdong.

Foshan, the Guangdong city hit hardest by the outbreak, had 5,155 confirmed cases as of Sunday. The city upgraded its public health emergency response on Thursday to level III, representing a “relatively major” public health event. China has a four-tier public health response system, with level I representing the most serious category.

Here are a few things you need to know.

The Chikungunya virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Fever and joint pains are the most common symptoms, but headaches, muscle pain, joint swelling and rashes have also been reported.

The virus does not spread from person to person. Instead, mosquitoes pick up the virus when feeding on an already infected person. They then carry it to the next person.

Long-term complications and deaths are rare and usually connected to pre-existing health problems, according to the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP). Data indicates that infection with the virus leads to natural immunity.

Because there is no medicine to treat the viral disease, protecting yourself from mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection. Vaccinations are available and recommended for travellers to certain regions.

According to local health authorities in Foshan, most of the patients had mild cases and 95 per cent were able to be discharged within seven days.

The outbreak in China originated from an imported case detected in Foshan’s Shunde district on July 8, according to the local health bureau.

During a national teleconference on Wednesday, China’s National Health Commission gave instructions on elimination efforts. They emphasised the need for improved inter-regional coordination as well as monitoring and early warning systems.

They also called for efforts to prevent local spillovers and the spread of more cases from abroad.

Since mid-July, authorities have launched mosquito eradication measures in affected areas of Guangdong province.

These include using drones to detect standing water sources on rooftops and releasing larva-eating fish into lakes. They have also asked the public to check standing water sources and avoid mosquito bites by using screens on doors and windows and wearing long-sleeved clothing.

Hospitals have also been designated as treatment centres with more isolation beds for confirmed cases.

The Hong Kong CHP has announced measures to prevent imported cases, including control systems at the border with mainland China and increased local testing capabilities.

The US CDC is currently “assessing the size and extent of the outbreak”, according to an agency spokesperson quoted by Bloomberg.

The agency has not yet published a travel health notice about the situation.

In response to the possibility of a US CDC travel notice, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Thursday that China was communicating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and making every effort to create a safe environment for travellers.

The US CDC issues travel health notices to “inform travellers about global health risks” and provide preventive measures and guidelines travellers can follow to protect themselves, according to its website.

The agency has a four-tier notice system, ranging from level 1 (practise usual precautions) to level 4 (avoid all travel). The only notice now in effect for China is a level 1 warning for global measles.

Since June, the agency has issued level 2 (practice enhanced precautions) travel warnings for Chikungunya in countries including Bolivia, Kenya and Madagascar.

“Chikungunya” comes from a word in the Kimakonde language of southern Tanzania meaning “that which bends up”, according to the WHO. It describes the contorted posture of infected people with extreme joint pain.

The virus was first identified in 1952 in Tanzania. It then spread to other sub-Saharan countries and Southeast Asia.

The virus has been reported in over 110 countries, according to the WHO.

In 2007, Europe documented its first imported infection in Italy.

In some places, the virus has caused large outbreaks, while in others it has resulted in just a handful of sporadic cases.

In 2008, a major outbreak in southern India saw almost 100,000 infections.

China documented its first Chikungunya fever outbreak in 2010 in Guangdong, during which around 250 cases were recorded.

The United States reported its first locally transmitted Chikungunya infection in late 2013, according to the US CDC. Most infections in the US have been associated with travel

Guangzhou and Shenzhen, once China’s growth engines, report GDP underperformance

https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3320304/guangzhou-and-shenzhen-once-chinas-growth-engines-report-gdp-underperformance?utm_source=rss_feed

Two cities that have served as economic pillars for China’s southern province of Guangdong appear to be losing steam relative to their peers, prompting calls for stronger action to revive businesses.

Tech hub Shenzhen and manufacturing centre Guangzhou reported gross domestic product growth of 5.1 and 3.8 per cent respectively in the period from January to June, both below the national average of 5.3 per cent.

The simultaneous slowdown came as uncertainty grips the global supply chain and domestic demand fails to make up the shortfall, analysts said.

“Shenzhen is facing dual headwinds from weakening global demand and a local property downturn, particularly in the commercial real estate sector, which has dragged down both exports and investment,” said Peng Peng, executive chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform, a think tank affiliated with the provincial government.

Shenzhen’s decline is particularly notable. According to city government statistics, fixed-asset investment dropped 10.9 per cent year-on-year and real estate development plunged 15.1 per cent, reflecting weakened investor confidence.

While the city’s hi-tech industries grew by over 35 per cent, its exports fell 7 per cent and total trade dipped by 1.1 per cent.

These figures indicate external pressures – particularly the tariff disputes and tech curbs being levied by Washington – continue to weigh heavily on the city.

“The decline in fixed investment in Shenzhen was somewhat unexpected, particularly the steep fall in real estate investment. Office vacancy rates in the city remain high,” Peng said.

Guangzhou, the provincial capital, continues to be held back by underperformance in two of its bedrock industries: automobiles and real estate.

While its growth was slower than Shenzhen’s, there has been marginal improvement compared to the most difficult periods of the recent past.

After 15 consecutive months of contraction, the value-added output of large-scale industrial firms edged up 0.7 per cent in the first half of 2025. Property investment also turned positive, rising 4.1 per cent year-on-year after three years of decline.

Nonetheless, pain points persist, most notably in the fuel-powered auto sector. There, output fell 5.7 per cent, reflecting ongoing challenges in industrial transformation.

In contrast, exports surged 25.2 per cent year-on-year, the largest increase among China’s top 10 trading cities. Shipments to Africa, Asean and the European Union all jumped over 30 per cent, suggesting the city is gradually diversifying away from its dependence on the US market.

“This rebound partly stems from a low base last year, but also from Guangzhou’s export structure, which relies more on intermediate goods and less on consumer products,” said Wang Zhen, a researcher with the Shenzhen-based China Development Institute, in an interview with news portal Jiemian.com earlier this week.

“That makes it less exposed than Shenzhen to global trade shocks.”

Guangzhou has long been regarded as a barometer of China’s economy and its relationship with the outside world, as it hosts the consulates of many countries.

However, it has been overtaken in terms of raw GDP by the southwestern municipality of Chongqing.

Whether Guangzhou and Shenzhen can reverse the downward trend in the second half of the year depends on the stability of foreign trade and the recovery of their staple industries, Peng said.

“The stabilisation of the real estate market will take time. Foreign trade uncertainties persist, and employment and income prospects are not optimistic. Confidence is fragile, and a decline in consumption may become common,” he warned.

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Trump administration sends mixed messages on China trade pact

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320349/trump-administration-sends-mixed-messages-china-trade-pact?utm_source=rss_feed

The US government sent mixed messages on Thursday on where the latest trade agreement with China, including a possible extension of the pause on tariff hikes, is headed.

Asked by a reporter at the regular press briefing whether an extension of the current pause on import tariffs aimed at each others’ products “was on the table”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “I don’t think so, but I’ll let [Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent] speak on that, because he’s leading these negotiations.”

She added that the “current trade programme we have going right now with China, as it stands, will decrease America’s trade deficit by [US]$5 billion this year”.

“So we are moving in the right direction when it comes to China, and Secretary Bessent and [US Trade Representative] Ambassador [Jamieson] Greer continue to be in direct communication with our Chinese counterparts,” Leavitt said.

At a separate event at the White House later on Thursday, at which Bessent was present, Trump did not mention whether he has approved the plan to extend the suspension of tariff increases targeting Chinese goods.

The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

While en route to Washington from his visit to Scotland on Tuesday, Trump said he would make a decision after being briefed on the consensus reached in the Stockholm talks led by Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng.

“We’ll either approve it or not,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

A day later, Trump struck a more positive tone.

“We’re moving along with China. We’re doing fine with China,” Trump told reporters before leaving a bill-signing ceremony at the White House on Wednesday.

“I think it’s going to work out very well. We’re right in step … I think we’re going to have a very fair deal with China,” he added.

Though reporters asked about the talks, the president did not confirm that the US and China would extend their “pause” on tariffs that the world’s two largest economies have imposed on each other’s goods.

Now it has been two days since American and Chinese officials concluded their third round of negotiations in Stockholm, Sweden.

The delay in Trump’s approval and announcement of any talk breakthroughs or a widely anticipated continuation of the tariff suspension has raised doubts, amid the latest mixed messages from the White House.

These also come after Bessent said in an interview on Tuesday that “our Chinese counterparts have jumped the gun a little and said that we do have an extension.”

Signalling a divergence, China’s vice-minister of commerce Li Chenggang, who also took part in the talks, had already said in Stockholm the pause would be extended. Li’s statement was not echoed by Bessent at a separate press conference, who stressed that there would be no agreement until Trump approves.

China’s delivery war intensifies as Meituan, JD.com build central kitchens for takeaways

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3320325/chinas-delivery-war-intensifies-meituan-jdcom-build-central-kitchens-takeaways?utm_source=rss_feed

Meituan and JD.com are taking China’s delivery war to another level, as the two instant commerce rivals have started building thousands of central kitchens in strategic locations to speed up fulfilment of online food orders.

On-demand local delivery giant Meituan is expected to continue leading the market through its launch of 1,200 so-called Raccoon Restaurants over the next three years, a plan it revealed in early July.

These facilities are designed as food court-like hubs that host various restaurant chains, which operate their kitchens only for takeaways. These sites are expected to help drive down costs and boost efficiency for Meituan’s restaurant chain partners, according to a company statement.

JD.com, meanwhile, announced a plan to invest 1 billion yuan (US$139 million) to recruit “cuisine partners”, as part of the firm’s roll-out of 10,000 self-operated 7Fresh kitchens over the next three years. This infrastructure would enable the company to promote 1,000 different sets of menus to a nationwide audience.

The e-commerce giant described 7Fresh kitchens as “the largest supply chain innovation over the 15-year course of the local food delivery industry”, the company announced last week.

The like-minded central-kitchen initiatives of Meituan and JD.com reflect a major transformation in mainland China’s catering industry, as large internet platform companies become closely involved in the back-end operations of partner restaurants.

Beyond cutthroat pricing, the central kitchen strategy of Meituan and JD.com would boost these platforms'’s engagement with consumers because of improved delivery capabilities, according to Cao Lei, head of e-commerce research at consultancy 100ec.cn.

“Supply chain ability is becoming a core competitive strength for these internet platforms, as they optimise data sharing and resource coordination,” Cao said.

For Meituan, the Raccoon Restaurants leveraged the firm’s food supply chain expertise – developed over the years by working with different bricks-and-mortar dining establishments.

According to Meituan, the goal is to build a “trusted food delivery infrastructure” in which the firm is involved in the whole process of running central kitchens, from sourcing ingredients to managing stock and regular replenishment.

The central kitchens must also prepare meals under “transparent” standards, which means partners are expected to livestream to consumers how their kitchens are run on the Meituan app. Partners include Peking duck chain operator Quanjude and Cantonese cuisine specialist Tang Palace.

The Post on Wednesday visited a two-storey Raccoon Restaurant in Beijing’s Dongzhimen neighbourhood. There were 14 food operators spread across the second floor in dedicated kitchens where they prepare and store meals for Meituan food couriers to pick up.

Meituan currently runs 10 Racoon Restaurants in Beijing and Hangzhou, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province.

JD.com, which ignited instant commerce competition in China when it entered the food delivery sector in February, said on Wednesday that it had received more than 60,000 cuisine partner applications across the country. Its central kitchen programme offered at least 1 million yuan as guaranteed revenue for a vendor and all-around operational support.

The company’s first 7Fresh kitchen in Beijing recorded an average of more than 1,000 daily orders in its opening week.

The central kitchens also show how China’s major internet companies are helping traditional services go digital.

Toby Xu Hong, the chief financial officer of Alibaba Group Holding, was quoted by Xinhua in a report that the company, which owns the Post, planned to move more services to online platforms. Xu said only 20 per cent of China’s catering industry revenue was currently generated via digital platforms, which means there is ample room for growth.