• Washington draws rebuke from Beijing after Panamanian lawmakers join ‘anti-China’ group
• China steps up Belt and Road Initiative funding with focus on Central Asia
• Philippines warns China not to cross ‘red line’ over grounded warship in South China Sea
• Why US is joining China in race to ‘game-changing’ rotating detonation engine
• China’s tech industry hails Beijing’s AI blueprint as local chip, server makers set to gain
• For China, Trump’s furniture-tariff threat could complicate efforts to reassemble trade
• Trump defends China student move, Tiangong space station beats ISS: SCMP daily highlights
• China offers South Asia a choice between swords and ploughshares
• ‘Will you leave US for China?’ It depends, mathematician Terence Tao says
• Hong Kong must hone ‘geopolitical instincts’ amid China-US rivalry: Kishore Mahbubani
• Chinese firms slam Trump’s claim that Europe gives them ‘a complete pass’
• China rejects Trump proposal to join US-Russia nuclear disarmament talks
• ‘Proud’ Chinese dad walks 800km in 31 days with his young children to toughen them up
• China elevates infrastructure push in Tibet, aiming to raise investments on world’s roof
• What worries Chinese businesses most about political chaos in France?
• Sandstorm batters Chinese farm as live-streamer tries selling melons
• China races to embed AI use across major industries with ambitious 2030 target
• CR Land, Sunac post better interim results as China’s property shows signs of recovery
• China’s first high-speed jet drone, top aviation engineer leaves US: 7 science highlights
• Chinese man thrown out of pet fair after boasting dog was given tattoos without anaesthesia
• China tests meltdown-proof tech for nuclear waste-recycling fast reactor
• What Vietnam’s South China Sea island-building spree means for Asean
• China’s ‘little Nvidia’ Cambricon sees 4,348% revenue surge amid AI frenzy
• India’s air chief urges caution over Modi’s military reforms inspired by US, China
• China’s Tiangong beats ISS in heated space research race
• China’s industrial profits fall more slowly amid crackdown on price wars
• In a first, US-China team turns plastic waste into petrol in 1 step
• China court cancels auctioning of cat to repay owner debts, feline finds loving home
• China’s ceramics-and-furniture hub Foshan bets on robotics with US$488 million in funding
• China’s Pony.ai eyes ‘sizeable fleet’ in Hong Kong, unfazed by Tesla robotaxi competition
• China’s 2027 PLA goal: Victory Day parade puts progress and challenges on show

Washington draws rebuke from Beijing after Panamanian lawmakers join ‘anti-China’ group

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323405/washington-draws-rebuke-beijing-after-panamanian-lawmakers-join-anti-china-group?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s state media and diplomats lashed out at Washington on Wednesday after nine Panamanian lawmakers joined a global parliamentary alliance that Beijing denounced as an anti-China front.

The move, announced in Panama’s National Assembly a day earlier at a ceremony backed by the US ambassador, drew sharp criticism from state outlets such as the China Daily and Global Times, which accused Washington of coercion and manipulation.

The lawmakers declared their membership in the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, known as IPAC, on Tuesday. The event was attended by US Ambassador Kevin Cabrera, who said Panama’s participation aligned the country with democratic partners even as he warned of growing Chinese influence worldwide.

“Cabrera’s move represents the latest proof of the US’ coercive and bullying actions”, a China Daily editorial said, terming it “a brazen attempt to drive a wedge between China and Panama”.

Cabrera cited what he described as cyberattacks in Latin America and economic practices that generate unsustainable debt. He also pointed to a Chinese-owned company that Panama’s comptroller general says owes the government US$600 million.

One of the deputies, Manuel Cohen, said the coalition’s central mission was to “defend democracy and human rights in each of the nations we love”.

He added that the Assembly’s commitment was to safeguard the democratic system against external interference and announced that IPAC will hold an international meeting in November to examine China’s influence in greater detail.

IPAC was founded in June 2020 by parliamentarians from eight countries and the European Parliament, on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. It now includes more than 240 members from 27 national legislatures and the European Parliament. The alliance campaigns on issues ranging from human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet to China’s policies in Hong Kong and its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The coalition is supported financially by the US government-backed National Endowment for Democracy, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Open Society Foundations.

Beijing has dismissed the group as a tool of Washington and accused it of spreading disinformation. Some members have faced sanctions, travel bans and cyberattacks attributed to Chinese actors.

On Wednesday, China Daily condemned the US role in Panama, calling the ambassador’s actions “despicable” and accusing Washington of creating excuses to strengthen its hold over the Panama Canal. The paper said only a small minority of deputies had been drawn into what it called a US anti-China agenda.

The Global Times echoed the criticism, warning lawmakers not to fall prey to “Cold War mentality”. It described IPAC as a “political body with no credibility”, arguing that it had been designed from the start to undermine China’s rise.

The Chinese Embassy in Panama issued a statement urging the National Assembly to respect the country’s sovereignty and independence. It said China-Panama relations benefit both sides and enjoy wide support in Panamanian society. The embassy called it “despicable for the US to instigate some Panamanian lawmakers to join the IPAC to tie them to the US’ anti-China chariot”.

Panama switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2017, opening the door to a series of trade and infrastructure agreements with Beijing. The country subsequently became a focal point in the growing geopolitical competition between Washington and Beijing.

President Donald Trump accused China of “operating” the Panama Canal, a claim rejected by Panamanian leaders, and vowed that the US would “take it back”, setting the tone for renewed strategic tension over control of the canal.

China steps up Belt and Road Initiative funding with focus on Central Asia

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323354/china-steps-belt-and-road-initiative-funding-focus-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed

Investments under China’s Belt and Road Initiative surged in the first half of the year – particularly for projects in Central Asia related to metals and mining – leading some analysts to conclude Beijing is seeking access to critical natural resources as a precaution against escalatory trade restrictions from the United States.

The 150 countries taking part in the global infrastructure initiative received a combined US$124 billion in investments and construction contracts from January to June, more than the US$122 billion reported for all of 2024, the US-based China-Global South Project research organisation said on its website Tuesday.

Crunching data compiled in July by the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, the organisation noted an “unusually high concentration” of funding allocated to Central Asia, a region it said Chinese investors were “keen” on for mining projects, particularly those extracting aluminium and copper.

At the same time, it found, funding has diminished in Europe, East Asia and the Middle East.

Kazakhstan was the primary destination for Chinese capital, with US$23 billion invested there in the first six months of 2025. The largest project in the country in terms of investment size was a US$12 billion aluminium complex led by the Chinese conglomerate East Hope Group.

“China’s decision to commit such an enormous investment in Kazakhstan’s aluminium sector is the product of both internal economic pressures and shifting global trade dynamics,” the China-Global South Project said.

The 12-year-old Belt and Road Initiative has traditionally focused on the construction of airports, seaports, roads and power plants, mostly by Chinese companies, in countries with which Beijing trades. These projects are designed to remain in the host countries for local use.

A shift to mineral- and metal-related projects in Central Asia makes sense, because transport infrastructure has already been built in that region under the initiative, said Andy Xie, an independent Chinese economist in Shanghai. Minerals could be shipped to China by railway.

Trade tensions with Washington have sparked fears among Chinese policymakers that the US may attempt to secure dominion over prized minerals in Central Asia, said Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

Kazakhstan has reserves of 15 rare earth elements, plus several metals used for making computers and cars.

Its president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, together with heads of the other four Central Asian countries, will participate in a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on Sunday.

“China might be more interested in hedging against a worsening of trade relations with the US,” Menon said, giving it a “first-mover advantage”.

US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in February that the US looked forward to working with Uzbekistan on “mutually beneficial opportunities for investment in critical minerals”.

China and the US have clashed this year over rising trade tariffs, export controls and differences over geopolitical issues.

But large-scale projects take time to develop, meaning the trade war might have “accelerated” rather than “driven” efforts in Central Asia, said Christoph Nedopil Wang, director of the Shanghai-based Green Finance & Development Centre.

Philippines warns China not to cross ‘red line’ over grounded warship in South China Sea

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323393/philippines-warns-china-not-cross-red-line-over-grounded-warship-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed

The Philippines has warned China that any attempt to board or tow away its grounded warship at the Second Thomas Shoal would be crossing a “red line” after Manila detected a sharp rise in Chinese maritime activity around the disputed feature in the South China Sea.

Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for West Philippine Sea operations, told reporters on Tuesday that the military was closely monitoring a surge in Chinese maritime activity near the shoal, including the deployment of a navy tugboat for the first time.

He stressed that contingency plans were in place to respond to any attempt to remove or attack the BRP Sierra Madre – the ageing World War II-era ship deliberately grounded there in 1999 to serve as the Philippines’ military outpost.

“The commander-in-chief mentioned that the death of a Filipino will be grounds for invoking the MDT,” Trinidad said, referring to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s earlier guidance on when Manila might seek to invoke its Mutual Defence Treaty with the United States. “This was amplified by the [Armed Forces’] chief of staff. This is now a red line.”

Any Chinese action to “remove the BRP Sierra Madre” would also be viewed as crossing that threshold, he added.

However, he said, “it is our assessment that that tugboat is for their own use in the event that the ships that are now inside Ayungin Shoal would run aground”.

Trinidad said Chinese activity around the shoal had risen sharply since August 20, increasing from an average of seven maritime militia vessels and two coastguard ships to about 20. Based on photos and videos taken by the armed forces, the Chinese vessels conducted sea manoeuvres using water cannons and drones, he said.

The number of ships had dropped but remained significant on Monday, he said, with the military tracking one large People’s Liberation Army-Navy tugboat, two China Coast Guard vessels and 13 maritime militia ships, including two or three rigid hull inflatable boats equipped with covered heavy-calibre cruiser weapons.

These were spotted some two to 2.5 nautical miles from the Second Thomas Shoal. Known in the Philippines as Ayungin, it is located around 105 nautical miles west from Palawan island and over 600 nautical miles from Hainan.

He disclosed that the Chinese inflatables “tried to come closer to BRP Sierra Madre twice [but] two of our [inflatables] were able to block them and drive them away and they complied”.

He slammed these actions as a part of China’s “salami slicing” strategy. “If we don’t call this out, they would like us to adapt to the new normal and accept their actions and their presence – which are all illegal, coercive and aggressive.”

China has long demanded the removal of the BRP Sierra Madre, asserting sovereignty over the Second Thomas Shoal – which it calls Ren’ai Jiao – as part of its sweeping claims in the South China Sea. Manila rejects this position, saying the vessel’s presence is a lawful assertion of its maritime rights, bolstered by a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that invalidated Beijing’s “nine-dash line” claim.

On Friday, the China Coast Guard said it had taken “control measures” against two Philippine vessels deployed from the BRP Sierra Madre near Ren’ai Jiao, releasing a short video of the encounter.

“The China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in the waters near Ren’ai Jiao in accordance with the law, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” spokesman Gan Yu said.

In a separate statement the same day carried by state media, the coastguard urged Manila to “immediately stop all infringement activities, provocations and false accusations”, vowing to continue law enforcement operations around the shoal to “resolutely defend” China’s maritime rights.

In Manila, the military struck a defiant tone. Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr on Friday also noted the increased Chinese presence and attempts by inflatables to approach the BRP Sierra Madre. He said troops stationed on the vessel had been instructed to stop any boarding attempt using “appropriate force”.

“If they do that, we will prevent them from doing so. By boarding our ship, it’s like coming into our territory,” Brawner said.

Asked on Tuesday what Brawner meant by “appropriate force”, Trinidad declined to elaborate on the “operational details” for security reasons.

“There are already contingency plans in place for any possible eventuality [and] we do not dictate upon them, but we provide them sufficient flexibility,” he said. “We do not infringe on the decisions of the ground commanders when it comes to the safety of their men, their unit and other units. They have a certain flexibility when it comes to implementing the rules of engagement.”

Trinidad also downplayed concerns that the Chinese navy tugboat might be used to remove the grounded warship. “It will take more than a tugboat to pull out BRP Sierra Madre,” he said, noting that the vessel was “strongly anchored on corals”.

He also denied that the men on board the BRP Sierra Madre had low morale. “They are used to it. They have been jeering at the maritime militia and the Chinese coastguard. This only indicates that their morale is sky high,” he said, adding that they were also veterans of the Mindanao campaign against Islamic rebels.

“We are not here to provoke. We are not here to claim what is not ours. We are here merely to secure and to defend what is rightfully and legally ours,” he said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs last week reaffirmed that Manila’s rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre were covered by a Provisional Understanding agreement with China intended to prevent incidents at the Second Thomas Shoal.

“The Philippines will continue to implement the Provisional Understanding as agreed,” the department said, describing the missions as “routine humanitarian operations” conducted within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Why US is joining China in race to ‘game-changing’ rotating detonation engine

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323315/why-us-joining-china-race-game-changing-rotating-detonation-engine?utm_source=rss_feed

The United States has developed and tested its own version of a potentially transformative technology that could redefine the future of high-speed warfare and is already being mastered by China.

The rotating detonation engine (RDE) programme, a collaboration between the RTX Technology Research Centre and Pratt & Whitney, has moved into the practical validation phase after a decade of designing and testing.

These trials, conducted at a lab in Connecticut, aimed to integrate the RDE engine into a ground test bed ahead of future flight tests with the goal of eventually incorporating the technology into weapon systems, according to an article on the Breaking Defence website.

The concept of a detonation engine was first proposed in the 1950s. It is only in the past decade, with accumulating research results, that it has captured the attention of academia and industry.

The basic difference from traditional air-breathing engines lies in the RDE’s combustion process, which uses detonation to achieve a highly efficient conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy.

Fuel is injected into the RDE’s combustion chamber at a specific frequency where it mixes with air and is ignited. This creates a high-speed rotating detonation wave that cycles within the chamber, generating a sustained high-pressure shock wave.

By eliminating the need for complex mechanical components like compressor blades, the RDE requires far fewer parts, resulting in a more compact and lightweight structure. The combustion method is also more efficient and generates higher peak pressure.

The engine could be a promising power system solution for hypersonic missiles. It is expected to meet high thrust-to-weight ratio demands, extend missile range and enable flight speeds exceeding Mach 5.

Development challenges remain, including the requirement for the engine casing to withstand continuous explosive forces, demanding advanced materials and manufacturing techniques.

Meanwhile, stabilising the detonation wave requires the fuel to be injected with microsecond-level precision, putting the accuracy and reliability of the injectors to the test.

Pratt & Whitney chief engineer Steven Burd told Breaking Defence that the RDE was a “game changer” and among the most disruptive technologies he had worked on in more than 25 years with the company.

Chinese universities and private companies have made advances in the field, though specific parameters of these tests are rarely disclosed because of the technology’s sensitivity.

In 2022, the private company TWR-Engine said it had completed ground testing of a prototype RDE, called the H1-M, developed in collaboration with Chongqing University.

In March the following year, the company announced that its H2 model had achieved a thrust of 1,000 Newtons. By September, it was conducting taxiing tests with an RDE designated the FB-1 mounted on an aircraft.

TWR-Engine spokesman Hu Xing has said the company was developing RDEs with greater thrust.

In January 2022, a team led by Wang Bing of Tsinghua University’s school of aerospace engineering obtained crucial real-flight data from a successful test flight of its Qinghang I rotating detonation ramjet engine.

By December 2024, Wang and his team had announced that their new Qinghang III engine had also completed a successful flight test and was moving towards the engineering application phase.

China has also built the world’s most powerful hypersonic wind tunnel, which was completed in May 2023.

The JF-22 super wind tunnel can simulate hypervelocity flight at 10km per second (6.21 miles per second) – 30 times the speed of sound, according to the design team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Mechanics.

Jiang Zonglin, head of the design team, said the wind tunnel would be used to test a “standing oblique detonation ramjet engine” developed by the researchers.

A team led by Michal Kawalec at the Polish Institute of Aviation conducted multiple tests in 2016 based on a large-scale – 200mm diameter – continuous rotating detonation rocket engine, exploring the impact of gas mixture parameters on engine performance.

In 2016, the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research, an organisation dedicated to defence-related advanced technologies, announced the completion of tests on a pulse detonation engine.

In 2021, Russia’s United Engine Corporation, a division of the state-owned Rostec, claimed to have completed first-stage testing of a prototype with a specific thrust 50 per cent higher than traditional engines.

Rostec said the development could be applied to orbital vehicles, supersonic and hypersonic aircraft, as well as next-generation rocket and space systems.

In July 2021, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency conducted the world’s first in-space practical flight demonstration of an RDE using its S-520-31 sounding rocket, proving its feasibility.

China’s tech industry hails Beijing’s AI blueprint as local chip, server makers set to gain

https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3323367/chinas-tech-industry-hails-beijings-ai-blueprint-local-chip-server-makers-set-gain?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s tech industry has hailed Beijing’s latest strategy to widely apply artificial intelligence to economic and social enterprises amid hopes the move could boost market prospects for local suppliers of chips, servers and AI solutions.

Beijing’s decision to implement AI in research, industry and consumption has further boosted confidence in the sector, particularly in computing power and domestic AI chips, amplifying the momentum triggered by DeepSeek’s V3.1 AI model.

China’s AI ecosystem, which was mainly supported by domestic suppliers, was set to “prosper faster with both policy and technological advancements”, according to a Wednesday research note by Kaiyuan Securities.

Ping An Securities analysts wrote in a note on Wednesday that industries to facilitate computing capacity were “poised to benefit significantly”, while “the semiconductor sector, as the core hardware, will usher in new growth opportunities”.

The stock price of Chinese graphics processing unit (GPU) maker Cambricon Technologies gained another 3.2 per cent on Wednesday after it reported a 4,348 per cent surge in revenue for the first half of the year.

Separately, Thunder Software Technology gained 11.7 per cent while Zhongji Innolight gained 3.5 per cent. In Hong Kong, SenseTime Group gained 8.9 per cent on Wednesday while 4Paradigm’s shares were up 5.8 per cent.

The latest AI policy from the State Council, China’s cabinet, sets a goal of achieving an adoption rate of intelligent devices and AI agents of at least 70 per cent by 2027, extending to 90 per cent by 2029. AI agents are software programs that can autonomously perform tasks on behalf of human users and systems.

The policy support – along with DeepSeek’s new V3.1 model that uses the innovative UE8M0 FP8 data format compatible with local chips – means the domestic AI ecosystem would “prosper faster with both policy and technological advancements”, according to Kaiyuan Securities.

The increased attention on the local semiconductor industry’s growth prospects comes amid Beijing’s concern that Nvidia’s H20 chips might come with data security issues.

The government scrutiny of Nvidia “highlights existing challenges in the expansion of foreign computing chips within the domestic market and underscores the growing importance of self-developed, controllable domestic computing solutions”, Ping An Securities said.

Zhou Hongyi, founder of 360 Security Group, said the guidelines marked a new era of AI being commercially applied at a large scale, which “presents opportunities greater than the internet era”, according to a Wednesday report by state-backed newspaper Securities Times.

The AI momentum has spilled over to other related tech sectors. On Tuesday, Changjiang Securities said that shares in China’s telecommunications sector had risen by nearly 45 per cent, the largest growth among all industries.

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For China, Trump’s furniture-tariff threat could complicate efforts to reassemble trade

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3323381/china-trumps-furniture-tariff-threat-could-complicate-efforts-reassemble-trade?utm_source=rss_feed

US President Donald Trump’s renewed threat to impose tariffs on imported furniture could erode some of China’s exports while doing little to bring manufacturing back to America as he promised, according to analysts.

And they added that such a move risks escalating tensions between the world’s two largest economies, whose earlier extension of a trade truce, coupled with conciliatory statements, had suggested a more amenable posture in trade negotiations.

Trump announced plans to impose steep tariffs on furniture imports in a bid to revive the domestic industry in the US states of North Carolina and South Carolina. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he suggested duties could reach 100 or even 200 per cent, while signalling that the measures would be implemented “pretty quickly”.

“That [furniture] business was stolen from us by others, not only China,” he said. “All of a sudden, you’re ordering furniture from China.”

Trump’s latest pledge followed his announcement on social media last week that his administration had launched a tariff investigation into furniture imports, with findings expected within 50 days.

“The measures are likely broad-based with the intention to reshore furniture manufacturing rather than directly target China,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING.

“China’s furniture exports and production have already been under pressure this year after the US tariff hikes,” he added. “Given that the margins tend to be thin and these products are often competing on the low price segment of the market, further tariff hikes will worsen the competitiveness.”

Vietnam and China are the two largest suppliers of furniture to the US, which imported US$25.5 billion worth of furniture in 2024 – a 7 per cent increase from 2023. Vietnam accounted for nearly 37 per cent of those imports, while China made up about a quarter, according to media outlet Furniture Daily.

James Chin, a professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia, said tariffs could “wipe out” half the Chinese furniture export market while hitting small to medium-sized businesses especially hard.

“It can be done easily, because furniture is not like electronics. You cannot ship in bits and parts and screw it together in North America,” he said.

The American furniture-and-fixtures manufacturing sector employs about 269,000 workers and generated roughly US$104 billion in sales from March 2024 to March 2025. The industry is notably concentrated in southern states, which account for 33 per cent of all domestic manufacturers, according to data provider IndustrySelect.

Meanwhile, the bulk of China-made furniture comes from the Pearl River Delta and areas east of Shanghai.

Song added that, if the US tariffs are applied globally with no carveouts, China would not be hit any harder than its competitors.

“But recent patterns have suggested that carveouts could be applied for companies willing to invest in the US,” he said. “And in that scenario, China may be hit harder.”

Xu Tianchen, a senior China economist with the Economist Intelligence Unit, said Trump’s tariff decision was unlikely to significantly bolster domestic producers, given the country’s heavy reliance on imports.

“An immediate issue is, will there be enough domestic production to fill the gap? That’s quite unlikely,” Xu explained. “It would be a lose-lose-lose situation, with the only winner being the US government through tariff collections.

“If sky-high tariffs are imposed, Chinese and Vietnamese exporters will make losses, US importers will make losses, and US consumers will buy less.”

China would retaliate if the US were to raise tariffs on furniture or any other single type of export, said Victor Gao, vice-president of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based think tank.

“Now the position is, whatever they do, China will retaliate,” Gao said. “It would trigger a retaliatory tariff on one or more items exported from the US to China.

“The point is you cannot go down to the level of item by item,” he added. “What matters most is the level of principle, and the principle is that China refuses to be pushed around.”

Trump is bothered by having not yet reached a trade deal with China during his second term, said Professor Chin, and “he’s just looking for a fight”.

On Monday, Trump also demanded that China guarantee a steady supply of permanent magnets or face 200 per cent tariffs.

The US and China have been maintaining an uneasy truce after several rounds of back-and-forth tariff increases, with no wide-ranging deals reached during three separate sets of trade talks.

Following last month’s two-day meeting of both countries’ representatives in Stockholm, a 90-day extension was agreed upon to continue negotiations.

Since 2018, Section 301 tariffs imposed during Trump’s first term have pushed import costs on Chinese furniture as high as 34 per cent.

Trump defends China student move, Tiangong space station beats ISS: SCMP daily highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323392/trump-defends-china-student-move-tiangong-space-station-beats-iss-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 .

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his proposal to admit hundreds of thousands of Chinese students, saying the US is “honoured” to host them and warning that the American college system would “go to hell” without them.

The 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II is intended to display both the strength and solidarity of the People’s Liberation Army. But just two weeks before it is set to take place, Beijing announced that former navy chief of staff Li Hanjun – a veteran who took part in similar parades in 1984 and 2009 – had been removed as a delegate in the national legislature on suspicion of “serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption.

Would mathematician Terence Tao consider leaving the United States for Hong Kong or mainland China in light of funding cuts under the Trump administration? When the South China Morning Post put the question to the Fields medallist and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) professor, his response was measured but telling.

South Korea’s investments announced this week for the US shipbuilding sector will mildly rock China’s busy shipyards but – at least in the short term – are unlikely to put a dent in the Chinese industry, which enjoys scale and cost advantages over other countries, according to analysts.

China’s Tiangong space station has set a new record in space-based materials research after a tungsten alloy was heated to temperatures exceeding 3,100 degrees Celsius (5,612 degrees Fahrenheit).

In its latest road map for artificial intelligence, China has set targets for the adoption of AI-powered devices across various industries – aiming for over 70 per cent by 2027 and over 90 per cent by 2030.

Julie Eadeh, the new US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau, is set to arrive in the city at the end of this month, having received Beijing’s approval for the much-watched appointment, according to sources.

China offers South Asia a choice between swords and ploughshares

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3323179/china-offers-south-asia-choice-between-swords-and-ploughshares?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi didn’t just tour South Asia earlier this month; he redrew the region’s strategic map. In three stops – India, Afghanistan and Pakistan – Beijing offered a tactical reset, a warning and a lifeline. The choreography was deliberate; the message was unmistakable: China is shaping the region’s future, one handshake at a time.

The stops were not random. They were sequenced with intent, each one revealing something about China’s ambitions, South Asia’s anxieties and the increasingly fragile scaffolding of global power.

Wang began in New Delhi, India. On August 19, he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The optics were cordial, but the subtext was unmistakable: China was offering a tactical reset, not a warm embrace.

India and China have previously agreed to a partial troop disengagement along the disputed Line of Actual Control and the resumption of direct flights. Both countries also vow to reopen commercial channels that have been frozen since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. India, facing economic headwinds and a two-front security dilemma, was reminded of what it stood to gain – access to Chinese markets and infrastructure investment.

Afterwards, Wang was in Kabul, Afghanistan, meeting the country’s caretaker prime minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund. The conversation was less about pleasantries and more about pragmatism: counterterrorism, connectivity and the Belt and Road Initiative. China pledged to deepen trade ties but also stressed the importance of countering militant groups that destabilise Pakistan and threaten China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

In Kabul, a trilateral dialogue brought together Wang, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The final stop was Islamabad, Pakistan, where Wang co-chaired the sixth Pakistan-China foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue. In Islamabad, the tone seemed warmer, characterised by affirmations of deep trust and expanded economic cooperation. For Pakistan, struggling with inflation and debt, Chinese investment is more than welcome – it’s essential.

The sequence of Wang’s itinerary was no accident. It was a strategic arc: reach out to a rival, stabilise ties with an estranged partner and reaffirm ties with an ally. And it came at a moment when the region was still reeling from its latest brush with catastrophe.

Just three months earlier, in May, India launched Operation Sindoor in response to a militant attack in Kashmir. Claiming it was targeting “terrorist camps”, Indian jets bombed Pakistan. Islamabad responded with Chinese-supplied J-10C fighters and beyond-visual-range missiles, testing India’s air defences and rattling assumptions about military superiority. A ceasefire on May 10 narrowly averted escalation, but the message was clear: the next war might not be short, and it certainly won’t be clean.

Into this tense backdrop stepped US President Donald Trump, who claimed in June that he personally stopped the war. It was classic Trump – boastful, vague and oddly timed. New Delhi is unimpressed, insisting the ceasefire was a bilateral affair. Regardless, the episode underscored Washington’s waning credibility in South Asia. The US still supplies arms and intelligence, but its appetite for direct entanglement – especially in a two-front Asian war involving nuclear powers – is shrinking.

India, meanwhile, finds itself in a bind. Its partnership with the US through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue offers prestige, but not necessarily protection. Bolstered by Chinese technology, Pakistan has achieved a form of near-parity. The next confrontation could be longer, costlier and more unpredictable than anything we’ve seen before, which brings us back to Wang’s visit.

In New Delhi, the tone was pragmatic. Talks focused on de-escalating the border, easily accessible visas for businesspeople and reopening trade routes. Facing challenges such as unemployment, India’s economy could hardly ignore the potential benefits of economic interdependence.

In Kabul, Wang’s pitch was also developmental. However, he suggested that bilateral economic cooperation depended on tighter security ties and Afghanistan’s efforts to counter militant groups. Cross-border attacks complicate Beijing’s regional calculus. China offered the Taliban a semblance of international legitimacy, albeit with conditions.

Islamabad was, predictably, the friendliest stop. Boosting cooperation and investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor dominated the agenda. For China, the corridor is a strategic artery.

However, India remains wary of Chinese overtures in the region. A more pragmatic path would acknowledge that engaging China may require dialogue with Pakistan, reviving backchannels on Kashmir, exploring joint economic zones and leveraging multilateral platforms like Brics and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. These steps aren’t capitulations; they’re hedges against perpetual instability.

China aims to complete its military modernisation goals by 2035. Until then, it has every incentive to avoid clashing with India. This breathing space is India’s chance to prioritise poverty alleviation, infrastructure renewal and regional diplomacy over endless brinkmanship.

The alternative – deepening defence ties with the US while confronting a Pakistan strengthened by Chinese technology – risks a permanent stand-off. Mutually assured destruction may prevent an apocalypse, but it won’t stop the slow bleed of non-nuclear conflict.

South Asia must choose. It can persist in a cycle of suspicion, proxy wars and fragile ceasefires, hoping nuclear weapons will restrain catastrophe. Or it can recognise that interdependence, however imperfect, is a sturdier guarantor of peace than military posturing.

Wang Yi’s tour reflected the region’s contradictions, missed opportunities and latent potential. The door to interconnected peace has been nudged open. Whether South Asia walks through it, or slams it shut, is the question that will shape the next decade.

‘Will you leave US for China?’ It depends, mathematician Terence Tao says

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323325/will-you-leave-us-china-it-depends-says-mathematician-terence-tao?utm_source=rss_feed

Would mathematician Terence Tao consider leaving the United States for Hong Kong or mainland China in light of funding cuts under the Trump administration?

When the South China Morning Post put the question to the Fields medallist and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) professor, his response was measured but telling.

“The situation is very fluid and unstable right now – far more than it has been at any previous point in the last 30 years,” Tao wrote in an email on August 21.

“What happens next depends largely on whether the administration continues its current trajectory, or whether it significantly changes course.

“At this time I cannot make any predictions about the future.”

Now 50, the mathematician – hailed as the “Mozart of maths” – finds himself at a crossroads of geopolitics and scientific freedom.

Born in Australia to Chinese parents from Shanghai and Hong Kong, Tao has spent most of his life in America, where he became a tenured professor at UCLA at 24 and won the Fields Medal at 31.

But after decades of quiet dedication to pure mathematics, he has been thrust into the public eye for speaking out against political interference in science.

On August 18, Tao published an open letter on the Home of the Brave platform, criticising what he called the Trump administration’s significant interference in the American scientific research system.

The article was titled: “I’m an award-winning mathematician. Trump just cut my funding”.

Tao has repeatedly criticised the administration of President Donald Trump over alleged suppression and attacks on the scientific community.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are among top US government institutions hit with sharp funding cuts since Trump took office in January.

Earlier this month, NSF and NIH funding for UCLA was frozen, with Tao’s laboratory among the facilities affected.

“A court order has restored some of the NSF funding, including the current year funds for my personal grant and for IPAM; but the status of the future year awards are still uncertain, and the NIH grants were not subject to the court order and still ongoing,” Tao wrote in his article.

He was referring to UCLA’s Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, which has had its US$25 million grant suspended by the NSF.

“So IPAM and my research group both have funds for now until the end of the year, but after that it is still unclear.

“This is no way to run a world-class scientific institution.”

Tao earned his Mozart nickname by displaying his talent at a very early age, as well as his gentle personal style.

He was never argumentative, according to his father, who has said in interviews with Western media that Tao focused on collaboration rather than blaming others. But today, Tao has emerged as a leading critic of Trump’s policies on de-funding scientific research.

“In the more tranquil past, I myself was content to largely focus on technical or personal aspects of my own research, teaching, and mentoring, and leave the broader political debate and activism to others; but in our current environment, when even the most benign activities are subject to capricious disruption and political interference, the luxury of disengagement is no longer a viable option,” Tao wrote.

The article set off a wave of responses, with many criticising the Trump administration in the comments, and some suggesting that Tao leave the US for more welcoming academic environments, including Australia, Hong Kong and mainland China.

Australia is his country of birth, Hong Kong is where his parents met, and mainland China has been attracting outstanding scientists from around the world in recent years, especially mathematicians.

“Come to China”, “Come to China”, “Peking University welcomes you” – comments like these flooded Chinese social media platforms once news broke that Tao’s research funding had been cut.

“Don’t be surprised if China offers Terry Tao the chair of the mathematics department at Tsinghua University. And all the funding he wants. Because it is possible for the US to fumble the bag as the destination for global talent. And indeed it is fumbling that bag right now,” one user commented on social media.

Another called on Australia to act before China did. “Adelaide-born mathematician and Fields Medal winner Terence Tao is considering leaving the US due to Trump’s funding cuts. The brain drain out of the US has started. Australia should pay attention and offer people like Tao opportunities here,” the post said.

Tao first visited China in 2009, as one of the judges for the Shing-Tung Yau Mathematics Prize for outstanding high school students. The prize is named after another mathematician of Chinese descent and Fields medallist, who leads the Yau Mathematical Sciences Centre at Tsinghua.

During a public appearance at Tsinghua in 2009, he was received like a rock star.

As soon as he appeared, the Tsinghua auditorium filled with cheers and applause, and students rushed forward to ask for his autograph and to take photos with him, Tao recalled in an interview with China Education News, a ministry-backed publication.

They crowded out Yau, who had to wait in the aisle, unable to return to his seat next to Tao, while the young maths star amicably complied with the students’ requests.

In the afternoon, Tao was at the Great Hall of the People, where he was received by Chen Zhili, then vice-chairwoman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee and former education minister with a background in science.

“I really like the history and culture here,” Tao said in the interview. “This is my first time coming to the Chinese mainland; many years ago, I visited Hong Kong when I was still very young.”

For him, the US is more familiar territory, as he has spent much more time there than in his birthplace, Australia.

Tao was 17 when he went to the US and began to set one record after another in maths. He joined Princeton University, where he studied under Elias M. Stein, a recipient of the Wolf Prize, obtained his doctorate at the age of 21, and became a tenured professor of maths at UCLA when just 24.

“Sesame Street taught me to count; Carl Sagan’s Cosmos inspired a fascination with the natural world; and books from the Mathematical Association of America deepened my love of mathematics,” he wrote in his open letter on Home of the Brave.

But the US of today is much changed from that of 33 years ago, when Tao first arrived in America.

His social media posts and open letters have prompted numerous comments questioning whether “useless” mathematicians should receive funding.

On August 19, the day after Tao’s open letter was published, US Congressman Mike Gallagher wrote an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal urging the White House to expel Chinese students from Harvard University.

The reason given? These students could all be spies, or at least potential spies.

It was less than eight months into Trump’s second term, with more than three years to go.

Tao cannot speak Mandarin, but he is said to understand Cantonese. He also has a great fondness for Hong Kong culture and is a fan of Hong Kong martial arts films.

Earlier this year, he introduced his thinking method, “cheating strategically”, during an interview with Lex Fridman, a renowned American computer scientist and podcaster.

“If there are 10 things that make your life difficult, find a way to shut down nine of them, leaving only one and solve it, and then address another one after that,” Tao advised.

He also mentioned his love of Hong Kong action movies as a child. “The hero gets surrounded by 100 bad guys, but the camera always arranges for him to fight only one person at a time. If the villains just swarm in at once, the movie would be much worse, and the bad guys would win.”

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Hong Kong must hone ‘geopolitical instincts’ amid China-US rivalry: Kishore Mahbubani

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3323382/hong-kong-must-hone-geopolitical-instincts-amid-china-us-rivalry-kishore-mahbubani?utm_source=rss_feed

Hong Kong needs to develop its “geopolitical instincts” to navigate the US-China rivalry amid the broader global shift in power from the West to the East, a former top diplomat from Singapore has said.

Kishore Mahbubani, who previously served as Singapore’s permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council, also called for the West to cede ground to emerging powers in international organisations amid the rise of a multipolar world.

Mahbubani was speaking in Hong Kong on Wednesday at the latest Fullerton Forum, a lecture series organised by the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World.

Responding to a question about Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” governing model, Mahbubani said the city’s “differentiation” from mainland China was an asset and called on its leaders to communicate that point more strongly both domestically and abroad.

“At the end of the day, Beijing wants Hong Kong to succeed, and one of the reasons why … is because the United States doesn’t want Hong Kong to succeed,” he said.

“In the US-China contest, Hong Kong is going to become a political football, and if you are going to be caught in the geopolitical game, the Hong Kong establishment must develop geopolitical instincts,” Mahbubani said.

Mahbubani, who is now a distinguished fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, likened his remarks to knowing “when to dodge when the arrows are coming”.

Since US President Donald Trump initially launched his trade war against China during his first administration, Hong Kong has increasingly found itself caught in the crossfire of the two superpowers’ geopolitical rivalry.

Washington has sanctioned several Hong Kong officials, including Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, for their role in enforcing the city’s two national security laws while also revoking a special trade status it had granted the city on trade matters.

Among those in attendance to hear Mahbubani on Wednesday were former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, and a number of consular representatives from countries such as Russia, Turkey and Vietnam.

Mahbubani said that Asia had benefited from the world order that had been “gifted” to it by the West following World War II, but that it was now under threat due to the resistance of Western powers – namely Europe – to create room for emerging powers.

He noted that China’s GDP was now roughly the equivalent of the European Union’s, while India has surpassed the UK to become the world’s fifth largest economy.

Germany’s GDP was also expected to be about half that of Asean by 2050, compared with being roughly equal today, he added.

Given the “massive shift” in global power dynamics, Mahbubani said the “logical” thing to do would be to adapt the world order to reflect this growing change.

“Unfortunately, that is not happening,” he said.

Describing geopolitics as “the most cruel game in the world”, Mahbubani said that European countries continued to play an outsized role compared with their peers in international institutions such as the IMF and UN Security Council.

He added that it was contradictory for the West to preach the importance of democratic values while refusing to allow what he called the “global village council” to represent the views of most of the world’s population.

When asked about the role alternative institutions could play given the difficulties in reforming the UN Security Council, Mahbubani said Brics was clearly a “sunrise” bloc with many countries seeking to join, while he also predicted the G20 would play a more significant role in the coming decades.

Brics refers to the association of five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

He later added that the multipolar order had already arrived, which was a good thing for the world.

“In a multipolar world, there are more actors, so there are more balancing forces at play in conflict and rivalries, and it creates … more opportunities,” he said.

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Chinese firms slam Trump’s claim that Europe gives them ‘a complete pass’

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323343/chinese-firms-slam-trumps-claim-europe-gives-them-complete-pass?utm_source=rss_feed

US President Donald Trump has dragged China into his battle against European taxes and regulations targeting American technology giants, accusing Europe of singling out US firms and giving Chinese tech companies “a complete pass”.

The claim was quickly rejected by the Chinese business community, with one executive dismissing Trump’s post as “political rhetoric” that does not “align with the reality”, while analysts said the attack was likely part of Trump’s plan to pressure Europe into easing regulations and favouring US firms.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said he would take action against “countries” that use tools including digital taxes and digital service legislation “to harm or discriminate against American technology”.

Trump appeared to be making a coded reference to the digital taxes imposed by several European countries and the European Union’s Digital Services Act regulating major tech companies – policies that the president has vocally opposed.

“They also, outrageously, give a complete pass to China’s largest tech companies,” Trump added in the same post.

The idea that Europe was soft on Chinese technology companies was strongly rebutted by Chinese businesses on the continent.

“Trump’s attempt to link the EU’s digital tax to China is largely political rhetoric and does not align with the reality,” a Chinese executive in Europe told the Post.

In fact, Chinese tech companies face far tougher scrutiny than their US rivals in Europe, which imposes varying levels of restrictions on Chinese firms’ involvement in 5G infrastructure, public procurement programmes, and emerging industries including quantum computing and artificial intelligence, according to the source.

France has introduced restrictions on the use of equipment from the Chinese telecoms giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE in its 5G network, while Germany is set to implement its own curbs in 2029. Italy also previously vetoed a deal between Huawei and the Italian telecoms company Fastweb.

“Chinese companies also face serious and persistent security allegations that substantially limit their market access,” said the executive, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

American tech firms, by contrast, enjoy largely unrestricted access to the EU market despite facing occasional fines due to regulatory breaches, the executive pointed out.

“If given the choice, Chinese firms would happily exchange their situation for that of American companies,” the source said.

The EU and US also have much deeper institutional cooperation in digital policies, exemplified by the Data Privacy Framework for transatlantic data transfers.

Amazon, Microsoft and Google together accounted for 70 per cent of the EU’s €61 billion (US$70.9 billion) cloud computing services market in 2024, while local providers had only a 15 per cent market share, according to a report published by Synergy Energy Group in July.

The dominant position of US tech giants in Europe helped America record a services trade surplus of US$88.6 billion with the EU in 2024, a 20.9 per cent increase year on year, according to data from the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Trump’s attempt to drag China into the discussion on European tech regulation is designed to up the pressure on Europe and force European lawmakers to give US companies preferential treatment, analysts said.

“The Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act have been applied to both US and Chinese companies; however, there are fewer large Chinese online platform providers operating across Europe to be important enough for these legislations to be applied to them,” said Antonia Hmaidi, a senior analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies.

EU authorities have also targeted a string of major Chinese tech companies with investigations, including TikTok, Alibaba Group and Temu, Hmaidi pointed out.

Trump’s end goal was likely to pressure Europe to ease its regulations on US tech giants, she said. His reference to China was simply designed to highlight how unfairly he believed the US was treated and was probably not intended to serve any deeper purpose, she added.

The president could also pressure Europe to purchase more US tech equipment, especially countries like Spain that have remained relatively open to Huawei, said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis.

China rejects Trump proposal to join US-Russia nuclear disarmament talks

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323375/china-rejects-trump-proposal-join-us-russia-nuclear-disarmament-talks?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it was “neither reasonable nor realistic” for Beijing to join trilateral nuclear disarmament talks reportedly discussed between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Trump told reporters on Monday that Washington and Moscow were discussing ways to reduce their nuclear arsenals, adding that he hoped China would also join the process.

On Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun rejected the proposal at a regular press briefing.

“Demanding that China join China-US-Russia trilateral nuclear disarmament talks is neither reasonable nor realistic,” he said.

Trump’s push for trilateral negotiations followed his summit with Putin on August 15 in Alaska, where nuclear arms control featured prominently.

The US leader told reporters at the Oval Office: “One of the things we’re trying to do with Russia and with China is denuclearisation, and it’s very important.”

“Russia is willing to do it, and I think China is going to be willing to do it too,” he added.

The timing is particularly significant as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) – the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia – expires on February 5 next year. The treaty limits both countries to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads each.

Trump’s proposal faces further complications as Moscow has signalled that it would want Britain and France’s nuclear arsenals included in any future talks, potentially broadening the framework to five nations. With New Start’s expiration approaching and no successor agreement in sight, the prospects for renewed arms control appear increasingly uncertain.

Guo stressed that China and the US operated with fundamentally different nuclear capabilities and policies.

“China’s nuclear strength is by no means on the same level with that of the US,” he said, noting that “our nuclear policy and strategic security environment are also completely different”.

Guo reiterated China’s long-standing nuclear doctrine, which is centred around three core principles: a no-first-use pledge under any circumstances, maintaining nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security, and refusing to engage in arms races with other nations.

“Countries possessing the largest nuclear stockpiles must diligently fulfil their unique responsibilities regarding nuclear disarmament,” Guo said, placing the burden on Washington and Moscow to lead reductions given their dominant arsenals.

The disparity in stockpiles underscores Beijing’s argument. Russia holds about 5,580 nuclear warheads and the United States around 5,044, while China has an estimated 600-plus warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The figure for China marked an increase from about 500 last year.

Even if China meets projections of 1,500 warheads by 2035, its arsenal would still represent only about a third of the current US or Russian totals.

Beijing’s doctrine of “minimum deterrence” contrasts with American and Russian postures, which allow for first use under certain circumstances and keep weapons at higher states of readiness. China stores its warheads separately from delivery systems and does not maintain them on high alert, while urging all nuclear-armed states to adopt a no-first-use policy.

‘Proud’ Chinese dad walks 800km in 31 days with his young children to toughen them up

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322623/proud-chinese-dad-walks-800km-31-days-his-young-children-toughen-them?utm_source=rss_feed

A man in southern China who took his 10-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son on an 800km walk to toughen them up has been praised on social media.

The father, surnamed Wu, and his two children started their month-long trek from the Baoan District in Shenzhen, southern China, on July 17 and ended it on August 17 in Changsha in the country’s central Hunan province, according to a report in Jimu News.

“I had not expected they would carry it through to the end. I feel relieved and proud of them,” Wu told the media.

Wu said that because he is usually busy with his driving school business in Shenzhen, he spends little time with his children.

Two years ago, he had an idea to take them back to his hometown in Hunan by foot, but did not see it through at that time because of the children’s young age.

“I wanted to strengthen their minds through the hiking experience,” he said.

“My children tend to give up easily and shy away from challenges. I wanted them to be persistent and form a habit of finishing what they start.”

On the trip, Wu carried a 10 kg pack on his back while the children each carried a 5 kg bag. They walked at least 23km every day.

He encouraged the children to carry on during the trip.

“When I noticed they were tired, I would tell them they were stronger than their Dad,” he said.

“The longer distance they walked, the more sense of achievement they had.”

Wu said the youngsters did not suffer from foot blisters, but he did.

He set a daily expenses figure for the children and if they exceeded it they had to pay the difference out of their own pocket money.

At 1.30am on August 17, the trio arrived at Changsha South railway station, where Wu’s wife, Wang, had been waiting for them.

“At first, I did not agree with the hiking plan. The weather was so hot and there was also the safety issue. But the three of them all agreed, so I had to say yes. I worried about them every day,” Wang was quoted as saying.

“I think the hike changed the children. My daughter is not as finicky as before while my son is more independent. I hope their journey will benefit their development,” she said.

“These two kids are awesome! Their father is responsible for taking good care of them during the journey,” said one online observer.

While another said: “What a great father! The success in education is better than the success in earning money.”

China elevates infrastructure push in Tibet, aiming to raise investments on world’s roof

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323352/china-elevates-infrastructure-push-tibet-aiming-raise-investments-worlds-roof?utm_source=rss_feed

From giant dams to sprawling railways, Beijing has pledged to step up investments along the so-called roof of the world, led by state-owned enterprises, as China marks the 60th anniversary of the Tibet autonomous region’s establishment.

The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac), China’s top state asset regulator, is calling for more targeted measures to boost industries, with more capital flowing into grass-roots projects and a greater promotion of cultural and tourism sectors to benefit local communities, according to a statement released on Tuesday.

“[We will] step up infrastructure investment and construction in Tibet, and advance major projects, including the Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower plant and the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, as well as continuously expand the investment and business footprint in the region,” the commission said.

The pledge came after President Xi Jinping emphasised that Tibet should develop competitive plateau industries based on local conditions, during his visit to Lhasa last week to celebrate the anniversary.

Located on China’s southwestern frontier and bordering four Asian countries, Tibet has distinct advantages in agriculture, animal husbandry and clean energy.

Wang Jiang, deputy dean of the Institute of China’s Borderland Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, said transport and environmental conditions remain barriers to developing the high-altitude region, despite substantial infrastructure advances having already been made there.

“Infrastructure will better integrate Tibet into the domestic economic circulation and facilitate smoother cross-border links with neighbouring countries,” he said.

Last month, China officially kicked off construction of the world’s largest hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, dubbed the “project of the century” by Premier Li Qiang, with an estimated investment of 1.2 trillion yuan (US$168 billion).

The mega dam is expected to drive infrastructure investment and generate up to 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually upon completion – three times the output of the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River.

It could supply electricity not only to Tibet but also to power-deficient countries in Southeast Asia, such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand, reducing their reliance on energy imports from India and Malaysia, Dongxing Securities said in a note on August 1.

Earlier this month, China also launched its Xinjiang-Tibet Railway project by setting up an operating entity with a registered capital of 95 billion yuan. The state-owned China Railway Group is the sole shareholder, according to an official platform of company registrations.

Some analysts expect the new railway to cost around 500 billion yuan, with construction spanning 20 years.

The railway is one of 45 major projects outlined in the Ministry of Transport’s 2025 plan released in February.

It will form part of China’s five planned railway corridors into Tibet – joining the completed Qinghai–Tibet Railway, the under-construction Sichuan–Tibet and Yunnan–Tibet routes, and the planned Gansu–Tibet Railway.

Meanwhile, at a promotional event held by Sasac in late July, 16 centrally administered state-owned enterprises pledged support for Tibet, with the signing of 75 investment deals worth 317.5 billion yuan, covering sectors such as energy, power, telecommunications and infrastructure.

Landlocked and mountainous, Tibet was once one of China’s most poverty-stricken regions, burdened by its high altitude, harsh environment and poor transport. However, official figures show that, in 2024, Tibet’s GDP reached 276.5 billion yuan – 155 times the level in 1965, when the autonomous region was established – marking an average annual growth rate of 8.9 per cent.

What worries Chinese businesses most about political chaos in France?

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3323360/what-worries-chinese-businesses-most-about-political-chaos-france?utm_source=rss_feed

The Chinese business community in France is anxiously awaiting clarity on the country’s economic direction following French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s shock announcement on Monday that he plans to call a vote of confidence on his centrist minority government on September 8.

His high-stakes gamble, which most political pundits expect to fail, is of particular concern for Chinese businesses because it could open the door to power for the protectionist far-right National Rally party.

Bayrou announced the confidence vote in a news conference focused on the country’s dire debt situation, following widespread public opposition to austerity measures he has proposed to cut spending and increase productivity – including removing two public holidays in May.

His move has sparked speculation about the likelihood of fresh parliamentary elections, with the current fragmented chamber unable to create a stable government. Mainstream polls in recent months have all put the National Rally and its allies far ahead of a leftist coalition and French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc.

“The National Rally is not pro-China, they are protectionists and anti-Europe, close to [United States President Donald] Trump,” said Sacha Courtial, a China researcher at the French think tank Institut Jacques Delors.

“It’s much more likely that they will align themselves with the US against China.”

And while National Rally does not officially deny climate change, its politicians have often voted against related legislation in the National Assembly, and some of its members have claimed that human activity is not to blame.

“The broader political climate – including policy shifts within French society and their influence on the digital and low-carbon transitions – continues to be closely monitored,” said one Chinese executive based in Europe.

“In recent years, Chinese companies have observed signs of protectionist and discriminatory tendencies, particularly in sectors such as automotive and clean technologies, alongside a more cautious sentiment. There are genuine concerns that this atmosphere could deteriorate further.”

France’s renewable energy sector, including the production of solar panels and car batteries, relies heavily on Chinese investment. Zhejiang-based Das Solar began building its first foreign factory in the French town of Mandeure in April. Chinese battery giant Envision is a major partner of French carmaker Renault and Macron’s ambitious plan to build a “battery valley” industrial cluster in northern France.

There is also a short-term concern about a decline in investors’ confidence amid persisting political chaos.

Michel Barnier, Bayrou’s predecessor, was ousted by a vote of no confidence after only three months in power, making him the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic.

“France’s roller-coaster political situation is undoubtedly casting a shadow over investor and business confidence, as stability and predictability remain fundamental to long-term investment and operational commitments,” said the Chinese executive, who requested anonymity.

Analysts are pessimistic about the prospects of political stability if the current government collapses. Macron could either appoint another centrist prime minister or go with someone more on the right, but either would come under immediate opposition pressure, with Courtial saying the situation is unlikely to improve before the next presidential election in 2027.

Despite the shifting political tides, the Chinese executive said France remains a key destination for Chinese companies looking to expand overseas and a key partner for China in Europe, with long-standing cooperation across tourism, luxury goods, agriculture, nuclear energy and aviation sustaining bilateral ties.

Sandstorm batters Chinese farm as live-streamer tries selling melons

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323324/sandstorm-batters-chinese-farm-live-streamer-tries-selling-melons?utm_source=rss_feed

A sandstorm battered a farm in western China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region as a man tried selling melons on a live-streaming platform.

China races to embed AI use across major industries with ambitious 2030 target

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323323/china-races-embed-ai-use-across-major-industries-ambitious-2030-target?utm_source=rss_feed

In its latest road map for artificial intelligence, China has set targets for the adoption of AI-powered devices across various industries – aiming for over 70 per cent by 2027 and over 90 per cent by 2030.

The targets, unveiled in guidelines by the State Council, China’s cabinet, on Tuesday, are part of Beijing’s “AI Plus” strategy, which seeks to integrate the cutting-edge technology across manufacturing, agriculture and services.

“[The strategy aims to] boost productivity, reshape how industries operate, and accelerate the growth of a smart economy and society built on human–machine collaboration, cross-sector integration and co-creation,” according to the guidelines.

The document also called for a strong push in developing AI-powered smartphones, computers, robots, home appliances and wearable devices, as well as connected cars.

The “AI Plus” strategy followed the 2015 “Internet Plus” initiative, which helped transform China into a highly digitised society by leveraging the internet as a driver of productivity and innovation.

Amid the intensifying tech rivalry with the United States, the world’s second-largest economy has stepped up efforts to secure a leading position in next-generation technologies.

The latest guidelines pledged to speed up the integration of AI with the metaverse, low-altitude aviation and brain–computer interfaces, while exploring new AI-driven smart products.

To support AI use, China would enhance its computing infrastructure by pushing for breakthroughs in chips and software, as well as by accelerating the roll-out of large-scale intelligent computing clusters.

The guidelines stressed the need for a national integrated computing network that effectively coordinates data, computing, power and networks. They underscored the importance of innovative models, a high-quality data supply, open-source AI communities, talent training and a supportive financing system.

According to the document, AI should enhance daily life by addressing labour shortages and performing work in high-risk environments, as well as by contributing to healthcare and care services for children and seniors.

The AI industry was projected to become a significant driver of economic growth, adding over 11 trillion yuan to China’s GDP by 2035 – about 4 to 5 per cent of total output, according to Rao Shaoyang, director at the China Telecom Research Institute, speaking at the China Computing Power Conference.

In a research note released on Wednesday, analysts at Kaiyuan Securities said the central government’s policy support for the industry was strengthening.

“We are optimistic that downstream AI applications will flourish and be deployed at an accelerated pace,” the note’s authors said.

“And the recent release of DeepSeek’s V3.1 model will support the development of next-generation domestic chips. We expect China’s AI ecosystem to see rapid growth, driven by both policy support and technological breakthroughs.”

CR Land, Sunac post better interim results as China’s property shows signs of recovery

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3323304/cr-land-sunac-post-better-interim-results-chinas-property-shows-signs-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s embattled property market is showing signs of a tentative recovery, as some developers posted stronger earnings and reduced losses, supported by government stimulus measures and recovering consumption.

China Resources Land’s first-half net profit increased by 16.2 per cent from last year to 11.9 billion yuan (US$1.66 billion), according to the state-owned developer’s statement on Wednesday. Sales rose 20 per cent to 94.9 billion yuan.

Sunac, one of China’s largest privately owned developers, founded by the magnate Sun Hongbin, said on the same day that its interim loss narrowed by 14.4 per cent to 12.8 billion yuan, helped mainly by lower operating and financing costs.

The improved results underscore how a recovery in mainland China’s retail consumption and the government’s policy lifelines towards the builders and developers have begun to sow the seeds of recovery in the property industry. As recently as a year ago, many developers including Sunac were still in crisis mode as they struggled with ballooning debt, tepid sales and a dearth of financing from banks.

CR Land’s earnings growth was driven by a 25.8 per cent rise in property development revenue to 74.4 billion yuan, which accounted for more than three-quarters of the total. Revenue from investment properties - earned through rental income and property value appreciation, including shopping malls and offices - rose 5.5 per cent to 12.1 billion yuan.

Consumption recovery and strong retail sales lifted profitability in the shopping centres segment owned by China Resources. The Shenzhen-based developer said retail sales from its malls surged 20.2 per cent to 110.2 billion yuan, “significantly outpacing” the national total retail sales. Operating profit margin for the segment also reached a record 65.9 per cent.

But CR Land’s residential development business, which makes up the bulk of its revenue, remained under pressure as home prices continued to decline while homebuyer sentiment stayed weak.

Interim core net profit - a measure that strips out one-off items - fell 23.8 per cent to just under 4 billion yuan, contributing to a 6.6 per cent decline in the group’s overall core net profit to 10 billion yuan.

“Although the sector faces short-term structural adjustment challenges, the proportion of upgrade-driven demand is steadily increasing, with a clear trend towards quality-oriented consumption,” said chairman Li Xin. “This is continuously solidifying the foundation for market recovery and reinforcing the long-term positive outlook for the sector.”

CR Land declared an interim dividend of 0.2 yuan per share, flat from the previous year. Its shares dropped 0.96 per cent to HK$30.80 during morning trading in Hong Kong.

Sunac’s residential property business remained under strain. Property sales, the company’s main revenue source, fell during the first six months to 14 billion yuan, only half of last year’s level. Its share of total revenue also declined from 82 per cent in June 2024 to under 70 per cent.

The slump in property sales was the main driver behind an overall revenue plunge of 41.7 per cent to 20 billion yuan, following a 41.4 per cent drop in the same period last year, according to management.

The company had managed to crimp its total liabilities to 805.9 billion yuan as of June 30, from 827.7 billion yuan in December. Its gearing ratio, calculated by dividing net debt by total capital, rose to 84.1 per cent, compared to 81.3 per cent six months ago.

Sunac’s shares dropped 4.4 per cent to HK$1.53 in Hong Kong after the results were announced.

China’s first high-speed jet drone, top aviation engineer leaves US: 7 science highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323300/chinas-first-high-speed-jet-drone-top-aviation-engineer-leaves-us-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

In an aviation tech breakthrough that could change naval warfare, Chinese aerospace engineers have unveiled what could be the world’s first high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone powered by a jet engine. The sleek, runway-independent uncrewed aircraft can be launched from the decks of ordinary warships – even in rough seas – and transition seamlessly into a fast, long-range cruise flight.

Zhou Ming, renowned as the mastermind behind key industrial software used in planes such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380, has left his leadership role at US-based global engineering giant Altair to return to China.

Chinese scientists have developed a technology that can make organs such as the brain or the heart transparent, allowing an exceptionally clear view of their inner workings.

While the US suffered its largest recorded collapse in its commercial honeybee colonies, China’s bee population has reached a historic high, maintaining the country’s long-standing position as the world’s largest producer of apiary goods.

Chinese space engineers made small but deliberate changes to last year’s historic sample retrieval mission to the far side of the moon to avoid political friction in the South China Sea, according to a new paper. The Chang’e-6 spacecraft left the Wenchang spaceport on Hainan Island on board a Long March-5 rocket in May 2024, returning to Earth the following month with the world’s first lunar samples from the moon’s hidden side.

Chinese scientists have found a way to turn human stem cells into dopamine-producing brain cells, transplanting them into mice and helping reduce depressive behaviour and boost pleasure. When the engineered neuron-like cells were grafted into depression-model mice, they helped lessen symptoms like anxiety and resignation while increasing feelings of enjoyment.

Planting trees in some parts of the world could cause droughts, according to a Chinese-led study that suggested greening efforts should take regional conditions into account to be effective. Through a complex multi-decade study of vegetation and soil moisture patterns combining several databases and models, the researchers found that nearly half of the world had experienced a pattern of “greening-drying.”

Chinese man thrown out of pet fair after boasting dog was given tattoos without anaesthesia

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3323207/chinese-man-thrown-out-pet-fair-after-boasting-dog-was-given-tattoos-without-anaesthesia?utm_source=rss_feed

A hairless dog covered in colourful tattoos at Pet Fair Asia in Shanghai has sparked public outrage after its owner claimed the animal was inked without anaesthetic.

On August 22, a video posted by someone attending the fair, one of the largest pet industry events in Asia, showed a Mexican hairless dog, the age of which was not disclosed, covered in large, colourful tattoos.

The video showed an elaborate dragon tattoo extending from the dog’s back to its upper limbs. The dog was also wearing a gold chain and a wristwatch.

Eyewitnesses said that the owner encouraged people to take photos and claimed that no anaesthetic was used during the tattooing. He even lifted the dog by the scruff of the neck while telling onlookers: “See? It does not hurt at all. It feels nothing.”

However, visitors hit back on social media, saying the dog appeared visibly distressed.

“It looked terrified the whole time,” one person wrote.

“It would not even eat snacks offered by other booth operators,” added another.

Some also claimed they saw injuries on the dog’s legs.

In response, event organisers banned the tattooed canine’s owner from entering the venue.

Lv, the tattoo artist who did the work, told Phoenix Publishing and Media Group that the tattoo was applied in June last year.

Although he initially refused the request, the dog’s owner insisted, claiming that the Mexican hairless breed has less sensitivity to pain.

After repeated pleas, Lv finally agreed to perform the procedure at a pet hospital.

“He said the dog was like his child and would look cooler with a tattoo,” Lv said, adding that he did not consider it animal abuse at the time, though he was concerned about the dog’s recovery afterwards.

Lv said disposable tools were used and discarded immediately after the session. He said the pet was given a liquid anaesthetic injection beforehand.

Throughout the process, the owner comforted the dog while a veterinarian handled disinfection and provided guidance.

“I sincerely apologise for any harm caused to the dog or to viewers online. It was unintentional,” Lv added.

Another tattoo artist expressed disbelief that a dog could endure repeated needle pricks.

“Areas with thinner skin, like the wrist, are more painful because there is less fat and muscle, and more nerve endings. Tattoos in those areas are significantly more painful,” the artist said.

The incident quickly went viral, with many netizens condemning the owner’s actions.

One person angrily said: “What do you mean by low pain sensitivity? If I inject you with anaesthetic and slice you open, would that be OK too?”

“This is clearly abuse. Even with low pain tolerance, it still hurts. You are just taking advantage of the dog’s inability to speak!” said another.

While a third wrote: “This owner is inhumane. What a horrible person. The poor dog is so unlucky to have ended up with someone like this.”

According to a report by iiMedia Research, China’s pet industry has grown rapidly and is projected to reach a market value of 811 billion yuan (US$115 billion) by 2025.

China’s current Wild Animal Protection Law only offers legal protection to wildlife, leaving domestic and stray animals largely unprotected.

China tests meltdown-proof tech for nuclear waste-recycling fast reactor

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323301/china-tests-meltdown-proof-tech-nuclear-waste-recycling-fast-reactor?utm_source=rss_feed

China has tested a new residual heat removal system that could make its next-generation, radioactive waste-recycling nuclear power plants more meltdown-proof.

The China Institute of Atomic Energy said it “recently” conducted the simulation of a passive heat removal system for fast nuclear reactors, calling it a breakthrough in the development of a fourth-generation nuclear plant with a closed-loop fuel cycle.

“This is the first proof-of-principle test in China for a new passive residual heat removal technology for [integral] fast reactors,” the institute wrote on Monday, although it did not state when the simulation took place.

While conventional thermal reactors, cooled by water, use slow neutrons to maintain a nuclear chain reaction, fast reactors use high-energy neutrons, allowing them to be more fuel-efficient.

Some fast reactors can act as a breeder, meaning the nuclear fuel that is consumed is turned into more fissile material, which can be reused.

Integral fast reactors use liquid metal as a coolant, typically sodium. Such reactors are distinguished by a closed-loop fuel cycle in that spent fuel is reprocessed within the same facility as the reactor.

This can allow for 100 times more energy to be extracted from the same type of fuel used in water-cooled reactors, as unused uranium can be converted into new plutonium atoms and recycled.

The continuous recycling of nuclear fuel could also lead to a 90 per cent reduction in nuclear waste, according to the US Department of Energy.

Residual heat removal systems are designed to dissipate the decay heat produced by a reactor even after the nuclear chain reaction is stopped. The systems are necessary to prevent fuel from overheating and causing a meltdown.

These systems can be active, using pumps or heat exchangers to force coolant through the reactor core to transfer heat.

Yet they can also be passive, relying on natural heat transfer or gravity, for instance, to dissipate heat and allowing them to function even in the event of power loss.

“Passive removal of core residual heat through natural circulation of the coolant is a key aspect of the inherent safety of fast reactors,” according to the China Institute of Atomic Energy.

“Effectively implementing and verifying natural circulation in fast reactors is currently a hot topic and a challenge internationally,” it added.

China’s most recent fourth-generation nuclear plant, the CFR-600 sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor in Xiapu in the southeastern province of Fujian, also relies on passive cooling.

The heat removal system within the reactor uses a passive working principle, according to a presentation by the institute’s researchers to the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2019.

The CFR-600 and its planned successor, the CFR-1000 – due to be China’s first commercial gigawatt-level fast reactor – are stepping stones to a fast reactor with a completely closed fuel cycle.

The new passive heat removal system has been incorporated into the design of its integral fast reactor, the institute said.

As the inner workings of a reactor can be difficult to examine, the researchers developed an experimental simulation technology to study the efficacy of heat removal systems.

Using this technology, they developed an integral fast reactor simulation test facility that reproduces a reactor’s transition from normal operation to post-shutdown heat removal. The researchers used the facility to carry out tests on their new system.

“It serves as a crucial platform for understanding the operating principles of the novel passive residual heat removal system for integral fast reactors and is expected to play a key role in the design and development of other fast reactors,” the CIAE said.

The institute said the results of the test had been reviewed by experts from various institutions, including Tsinghua University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, North China Electric Power University and Chongqing University.

What Vietnam’s South China Sea island-building spree means for Asean

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323262/what-vietnams-south-china-sea-island-building-spree-means-asean?utm_source=rss_feed

Vietnam’s rapid expansion of artificial island construction in the disputed Spratly Islands has put it on track to surpass China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea, according to new satellite imagery.

Yet the development could deepen strains within Asean, analysts warn, as member states and rival claimants seek to juggle sovereignty disputes with regional unity.

Fresh satellite imagery released on Friday by the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies shows Vietnamese dredging and landfill operations at eight previously untouched features, building on a surge of reclamation that began in 2021.

The report, by the centre’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, documents how once-isolated Vietnamese outposts, previously little more than pillboxes on rocks or low-tide elevations, have been transformed into artificial islands at Alison, Collins, East, Landsdowne and Petley reefs.

Vietnam has also expanded three existing sites – Amboyna Cay, Grierson Reef and West Reef – where earlier dredging had created medium-sized islands.

The Spratlys, a scattering of reefs and islets, are one of the most widely contested features in the South China Sea. In addition to Vietnam, fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ members the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei all hold competing claims, while Beijing asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire waterway.

The latest analysis by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative estimated that as of March, Vietnam had created “about 70 per cent as much artificial land in the Spratlys as China had”.

“Reclamation at these eight new features all but ensures that Vietnam will match – and likely surpass – the scale of Beijing’s island-building,” it added.

Vietnam has offered no public comment on its latest reclamation, a silence consistent with its low profile approach in the South China Sea.

But the location of the new structures appears to run counter to earlier claims that it might be building full-length runways on the Spratlys’ longer features. The report said a runway at Barque Canada looked to be the only one being constructed, joining “Vietnam’s sole existing airstrip” in the area.

Analysts say that the size of these artificial islands alone will not alter the region’s strategic balance.

“I’m personally not too convinced that it’ll be any game changer to the South China Sea power balance,” said Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“At the end of the day, these artificial island outposts are static physical possessions and serve as symbols of their respective claims. However, one should otherwise see these outposts more as an enabler than a tool for projection of presence.”

The real instruments of power projection are “mobile assets” such as aircraft and vessels, according to Koh.

Against China’s overwhelming military and coastguard advantage, he said Vietnam’s new construction represented “a distant pipe dream” in terms of altering the strategic equation.

“It’s not the first time Vietnam’s South China Sea project was made public, but it elected to remain silent,” Koh said. “The international public attention span is very limited, and soon this news will become a non-event, and everyone moves on”

Hanoi is likely to frame the reclamation work as defensive, observers say – reinforcing features it already occupies in response to years of Chinese militarisation.

“It will pair that with support for Unclos and the CoC [code of conduct] talks, plus quiet bilateral management with fellow claimants while keeping quiet channels with China active,” said Minh Son To, a doctoral candidate at Australian National University researching Southeast Asian international relations.

“The visible reclaiming pattern … fits a resilience narrative rather than a bid for regional dominance.”

Vu Lam, a policy analyst and Asean observer, said Vietnam’s rationale was “likely territorial” as it sought to maintain its claims while avoiding confrontation.

“Vietnam in general does not want to upset its Asean relations, still one of the most important foreign policy achievements they managed in recent history,” he said.

While Vietnam’s dredging “will make Asean messaging harder […] it will not split the bloc,” To added, noting that other claimants such as the Philippines were also focused on China’s behaviour.

Deepening ties between Hanoi and Manila – including a coastguard hotline and incident-prevention protocols – might help both states manage overlapping claims while presenting a more united front on China, he said.

“Manila and Hanoi have built guardrails,” To said. “These make it easier to manage incidents while both focus attention on China’s behaviour. So I think that friction is possible, but it is likely to be contained.”

Koh agreed. “For decades, various Asean parties in the South China Sea have pursued their own national agendas, including island-building, militarisation, and even turning occupied features into dive tourism resorts, without any particular impact on intra-Asean unity,” he said, adding that intra-Asean disputes in the waterway “have been largely overshadowed by the obvious elephant in the room, and that’s none other than China.”

While Vietnam’s reclamation was no secret to its neighbours, Lam said it was tolerated as a lesser challenge compared with Beijing’s sweeping assertiveness.

“It is far easier to deal with the Vietnamese than the Chinese,” he said, pointing to Vietnam and the Philippines’ “relative power parity, conciliatory attitudes, and the Asean connection”.

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China’s ‘little Nvidia’ Cambricon sees 4,348% revenue surge amid AI frenzy

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3323288/chinas-little-nvidia-cambricon-sees-4348-cent-revenue-surge-amid-ai-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed

Cambricon Technologies, the Beijing-based chipmaker seen as a potential alternative to Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs), reported a record revenue surge in the first half amid a Chinese stock market frenzy driven by DeepSeek’s breakthrough AI models.

Cambricon’s revenue surged 4,348 per cent year on year to 2.88 billion yuan (US$403.8 million) in the first six months of 2025, a record high for the company since it went public in 2020.

Profit reached 1.04 billion yuan, reversing a net loss of 533 million yuan seen in the first half of 2024, according to its financial report filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

The company’s shares surged 6 per cent on Wednesday morning to trade at 1,408.9 yuan per share, continuing a rally that has seen a nearly 10-fold increase over the past two years.

The stock has more than doubled over the past month, leading an AI-driven stock market frenzy that got a further boost after Chinese start-up DeepSeek said its latest V3.1 model was trained using a new data format which was “suitable for home-grown chips soon to be released”.

Cambricon attributed the revenue surge to its “continued market expansion and active support for the implementation of AI applications”, according to the financial report.

Cambricon was founded in 2016 by two brothers, Chen Yunji and Chen Tianshi, who are now 42 and 40 years old, respectively. They both were students in the elite “genius youth class” at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a special education programme designed to train top local talent.

In the financial report, the company claimed progress in both its hardware and software development for chips used in AI training and inference.

For large models, its training software platform, seen as a potential rival to Nvidia’s CUDA toolkit, has further expanded support for major AI models in China, including DeepSeek, Alibaba Group Holdings’ Qwen, and Tencent Holding’s Hunyuan, the company said, adding that the platform’s overall performance was now “comparable to those of mainstream competitors” in the field of reinforcement learning.

Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

In the first half, Cambricon invested 456.5 million yuan in research and development. It has a team of 792 people, representing nearly 80 per cent of its total workforce.

The company’s revenue had already started to take off in late 2024 amid surging demand for AI chips and intensified US export controls on advanced chips.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Cambricon recorded its first quarterly profit of 272 million yuan, while revenue rose 75.5 per cent year on year to 989 million yuan.

The company was added to Washington’s trade blacklist in December 2022, restricting it from acquiring US core technology, including using foundry services offered by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

India’s air chief urges caution over Modi’s military reforms inspired by US, China

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3323284/indias-air-chief-urges-caution-over-modis-military-reforms-inspired-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed

India’s top air commander has advised caution about an ongoing military overhaul that is the largest in seven decades, in a show of scepticism over a plan Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is embracing.

“Disrupting everything and making one structure now at this time” may not be the best way forward, India’s Chief of Air Staff A.P. Singh said on Tuesday at a seminar to discuss new technologies and warfare.

India should not pick up “theatre commands” from any other country, Singh said at the event in Mhow, a garrison town in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. “We don’t really actually need another structure at the lower level,” he said.

Modi is looking to reorganise the military into theatre commands that would pool warships, patrol craft, soldiers and fighter jets. The commands would work with other missile and gun regiments that have a network of ground radar to address major threats along disputed borders with China and Pakistan.

India’s army, navy and air force mostly operate separately in training, equipment and planning. “I feel having joint planning and coordination at the apex level is what is required,” Singh said.

The reorganisation would create at least four theatre commands: one in the west looking at Pakistan, another in the east focused on China, a maritime command for the Indian Ocean region and an air defence command, Bloomberg has previously reported.

The northern areas of Jammu and Kashmir, which have faced unrest, would remain untouched for now, military officials have said. The move is designed to allow India’s military to operate seamlessly across land, sea and air.

The country has been considering proposals for transformation since the 1990s. Powers such as China, the US and Australia have all moved to versions of theatre command.

“Every country has its own requirements,” Singh said. India needs to evaluate its needs; otherwise “we will go wrong”, he said.

China’s Tiangong beats ISS in heated space research race

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323171/chinas-tiangong-beats-iss-heated-space-research-race?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s Tiangong space station has set a new record in space-based materials research after a tungsten alloy was heated to temperatures exceeding 3,100 degrees Celsius (5,612 degrees Fahrenheit).

That surpasses the highest temperatures previously achieved aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

On the ISS’s Japanese module, Kibo, scientists used a similar method – known as electrostatic levitation – to suspend tiny metal samples in mid-air and heat them with lasers, reaching around 3,000 degrees. The technique eliminates the need for a physical container that could contaminate or interfere with the sample at extreme temperatures.

The Chinese experiments, conducted in a container-free laboratory cabinet inside Tiangong’s core module, aimed to study heat-resistant materials used in fusion reactors, rocket engines and hypersonic vehicles, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The cabinet was developed by physicist Hu Liang and his team at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xian, Shaanxi province.

“The findings will help scientists design better tungsten alloys and support fundamental research into ultra-high-temperature materials for nuclear and aerospace applications,” Hu told CCTV.

He added that the experiments also demonstrated the reliability of the cabinet. In operation for four years, the device has been used to test tungsten alloys, niobium alloys and other advanced materials in orbit.

Hu noted two key advantages of conducting such research in space. First, the microgravity environment allows molten tungsten to form a nearly perfect sphere, making it easier to precisely measure properties like surface tension and viscosity.

Second, tungsten’s high density makes it difficult to mix uniformly with other elements on Earth – heavier components tend to sink while lighter ones rise. “But in microgravity, we can produce alloys with a much more uniform composition and structure, which helps improve their performance,” he said.

Tungsten is the most heat-resistant metal known, with a melting point of about 3,420 degrees. Its extreme thermal stability makes it indispensable for high-performance applications, especially in harsh environments such as nuclear fusion reactors. Yet scientists still struggle to fully understand how it behaves at the edge of its thermal limits.

Containerless experiments using levitation began on Earth in the late 1980s and were introduced to the ISS about a decade ago by European and Japanese teams.

For the Tiangong experiments, Hu’s team built a prototype electrostatic levitation set-up in a ground lab, where they tested and refined the technique before adapting it for space, according to the CCTV report.

The record for such experiments on Earth was set at Nasa’s Electrostatic Levitator at the Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, where temperatures of up to 3,400 degrees were reached while testing ultra-high-temperature materials like tungsten.

China’s industrial profits fall more slowly amid crackdown on price wars

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323281/chinas-industrial-profits-fall-more-slowly-amid-crackdown-price-wars?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s industrial companies saw their profits fall at a slower pace in July, in a potential sign that efforts to curb overcapacity are starting to ease the strain from aggressive competition among producers.

Industrial profits declined 1.5 per cent last month from a year earlier, falling the least since they began shrinking in May, according to data released on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics. For the first seven months of the year, earnings contracted 1.7 per cent year on year.

Profits climbed much faster in the manufacturing sector, growing 6.8 per cent in July from a year ago after a gain of 1.4 per cent in June, statistician Yu Weining said in a statement accompanying the data release. Producers of raw materials, steelmakers and petroleum refiners moved from losses into profits in the month, but profits in the mining sector continued to fall.

“Policy measures to promote a reasonable rebound in prices were gradually implemented, driving corporate profitability to recover continuously,” Yu said.

Profit margins are still under pressure after domestic demand softened further, even as a government-led campaign to curb excess competition begins to translate into better earnings. The world’s second-largest economy weakened across the board in July, with consumer inflation slipping to zero while retail sales growth cooled.

Factory-gate prices have declined for 34 consecutive months, pointing to entrenched deflation that could hold businesses and households back from spending and act as a drag on corporate bottom lines.

While overseas shipments to non-US markets more than compensated for a drop in orders from the United States, a gauge of China’s new export orders fell at the quickest pace in three months, boding ill for foreign demand in the coming months.

Industrial earnings are a vital gauge of the financial health of factories, mines and utilities, shaping their investment decisions in the months to come.

Profits in the mining sector kept dropping, with a year-on-year decrease of almost 32 per cent in the first seven months of the year. Coal miners and washers remained among the worst hit due to a supply glut in their industry.

Manufacturers saw earnings rise in the first seven months of the year, as some continue to benefit from state subsidies that encourage companies and consumers to replace old equipment and home goods with new ones.

Profits in hi-tech manufacturing surged by 19 per cent year on year in July, Yu said, citing advancements in aerospace equipment and semiconductors.

In a first, US-China team turns plastic waste into petrol in 1 step

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323139/first-us-china-team-turns-plastic-waste-petrol-one-step?utm_source=rss_feed

Scientists in the US and China say they have developed a one-step method to safely turn toxic mixed plastic waste into petrol, with more than 95 per cent efficiency at room temperature.

Compared to conventional ways of turning plastic into fuel, their process requires less energy, less equipment and fewer steps, making it scalable for industrial applications.

At the end of this conversion process are the main components of petrol or gasoline, chemical raw materials, and hydrochloric acid. That means the end product could be used for water treatment, metal processing, pharmaceuticals, food production or the petroleum industry.

“The method supports a circular economy by converting diverse plastic waste into valuable products in a single step,” the researchers wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science on August 14.

The team comprises researchers from the US Department of Energy-funded Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Columbia University, the Technical University of Munich, and East China Normal University (ECNU).

This is the first time that difficult-to-degrade mixed plastic waste has been efficiently converted into premium petrol at ambient temperature and pressure in just one step, according to a social media post by ECNU on August 18.

Most of the world’s plastic waste is made up of polyolefins, particularly polyethylene and polypropylene, which account for around half of global plastic production. Their chlorinated derivative, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), accounts for another 10 per cent of production.

These plastics are used in all kinds of items – from packaging and containers to pipes, household appliances, medical devices and clothing.

Global cumulative plastic production has now reached 10 billion tonnes, and most of it is doomed to become hard-to-recycle waste, according to ECNU.

PVC is produced using vinyl chloride, a colourless gas that is classed as a carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency. This means that traditional plastic waste-to-energy methods, including incineration, require PVC to be dechlorinated before processing to prevent the release of toxic compounds.

Chemical upcycling methods – which aim to chemically break down the plastic into high-grade chemical components – also require high-temperature dechlorination.

This multi-step process has reduced efficiency and requires high energy consumption, highlighting the need for a simpler process that couples dechlorination together with the other steps.

“We present here a strategy for upgrading discarded PVC into chlorine-free fuel range hydrocarbons and [hydrochloric acid] in a single-stage process,” the researchers said in the paper.

To achieve this, the team combined plastic waste with light isoalkanes, a type of hydrocarbon or organic compound that is available as a byproduct from refinery processes.

The team said their process produced “gasoline range” hydrocarbons, mainly molecules with 6 to 12 carbons, which are the primary component of gasoline.

The recovered hydrochloric acid can be safely neutralised and reused as a raw material in many modern industries, according to the paper. Current hydrochloric acid production relies on several high-temperature, energy-intensive processes.

Conversion efficiency of the plastic at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) reached 95 per cent for soft PVC pipes, and 99 per cent for rigid PVC pipes and PVC wires.

The team also tested the conversion of a mixture of PVC materials along with polyolefin waste and found that the solid conversion efficiency was 96 per cent at 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit).

“The process is suitable for handling real-world mixed and contaminated PVC and polyolefin waste streams,” the researchers said.

China court cancels auctioning of cat to repay owner debts, feline finds loving home

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322533/china-court-cancels-auctioning-cat-repay-owner-debts-feline-finds-loving-home?utm_source=rss_feed

A court in eastern China which was set to auction a cat to repay its owner’s debts has cancelled the event, and the animal has been adopted by a feline lover.

On August 23, the cat was removed from the auction platform after creditors withdrew their request, no reason for the move was disclosed.

According to Hongxing News, the cat has been adopted by a cat lover.

The auction had garnered over 450,000 views and attracted more than 5,000 bidders, each of whom was required to pay a 50-yuan deposit, which has now been refunded.

The court in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, had put the three-year-old Chinese Li Hua cat up for online auction, sparking much attention on social media.

Reports say the cat is called “Coal Ball”, but this has not been officially confirmed.

Under Chinese law, pets such as cats and dogs are treated as personal property.

If they are not a protected species, they can be seized and auctioned to cover debts.

According to the mainland media outlet Hongxing News, the feline’s owner defaulted on nearly four million yuan (US$560,000) in bank loans, and in 2022 the court seized all of their assets, including the cat valued at 714 yuan (US$100).

The cat was being kept in a pet shop where boarding fees had risen to above 20,000 yuan (US$2,800).

The auction notice said the male feline had been vaccinated, was unneutered and in good health. The pet shop owner also described him as “sweet-natured”.

Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, had been set to host the one-day auction on its Alibaba Judicial Auction Platform on September 3.

The unconventional auction had caused a buzz on mainland social media.

One online observer said: “The cat was forced to ‘sell himself’ to pay off his former owner’s debts the moment he was born. Poor little thing.”

“I am glad the auction was cancelled. The cat got too much attention, and if it had gone through, he might not have found a loving home,” said another.

A lawyer said the court would have required bidders to prove they could provide proper care to ensure the cat was not abandoned.

Chang Sha, a Beijing-based lawyer at Jingdu Law Firm, said that if an animal welfare group submits a fostering plan, the court may allow the cat to be placed with a third party until a permanent home is secured.

It is not the first time a Chinese court has auctioned animals to cover debts.

In March, a court in Shenzhen, southern China, auctioned 100 tonnes of live crocodiles with a starting price of four million yuan after the company that owned them failed to meet its financial obligations.

China’s ceramics-and-furniture hub Foshan bets on robotics with US$488 million in funding

https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3323209/chinas-ceramics-and-furniture-hub-foshan-bets-robotics-us488-million-funding?utm_source=rss_feed

The city of Foshan, the country’s furniture and ceramics manufacturing hub in southern Guangdong province, has rolled out multiple initiatives to support the robotics industry in the latest example of how local governments are embracing the country’s strategic industries.

The Greater Bay Area city launched two industrial funds worth at least 3.5 billion yuan (US$488 million) combined, which would be “professionally managed” for the robotics industry, Foshan Vice Mayor Liu Jie said at a press conference in the city on Tuesday.

The local fiscal authority would grant at least 150 million yuan every year to support research and development, with each “key technology breakthrough project” receiving a maximum of 50 million yuan. This would cover core components like controllers, sensors, high-performance motors, lightweight materials and robotic bionic skin, according to a press release on Tuesday.

The initiatives also included “computing power vouchers” to cover up to 30 per cent of the cost of renting computing power for model training and inference, with an annual cap of 500,000 yuan per company.

The municipal government would also provide up to 500,000 yuan annually for schools, institutions and companies to train highly skilled workers and industrial designers for AI applications.

A citywide “AI and intelligent robot industrial alliance” was formed on Tuesday, with German robot maker Kuka, acquired by Foshan’s Midea in 2016, Huawei Technologies, and home appliance producer Hisense as members, chaired by the city’s robot maker Huashu Robot.

This initiative sees one of China’s biggest manufacturing hubs join other major Chinese cities - including Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou - to bet on robotics.

Liu said that the city’s industrial robot output surged 43.5 per cent last year, while the entire robotics market in China was set to grow at an annual rate of 23 per cent to US$108 billion by 2028 from US$47 billion in 2024, according to a June report by Morgan Stanley.

The Tuesday event also witnessed a slew of new products from local firms. Kuka showcased a new collaborative robot named iico that boasts an ultra-high repeat positioning accuracy of 0.03 millimetres, equivalent to one-third the diameter of a human hair, enabling the robot arm to handle electronics and automotive parts.

The local branch of PICC Property and Casualty, the mainland’s largest non-life insurer, on Tuesday unveiled an “AI and robotics R&D insurance”, the first such package in the country to cover “technical solution defects” and “raw material defects”, according to a company statement.

The city’s government offered to reimburse up to 5 per cent of the insurance buyers’ annual rate, with each policy holder covered by up to 300,000 yuan.

Huashu Robot on Tuesday unveiled a welding robot powered by AI models in collaboration with Huawei and local welding machine maker San Qiao. The machine is able to scan workpieces with three-dimensional vision, automatically extract weld seam information, and plan welding paths and postures.

The product aims to make up for a labour shortage in the welding industry. In 2024, China was short of nearly 3.5 million welders, according to Huashu executive deputy general manager Yang Lin.

China’s Pony.ai eyes ‘sizeable fleet’ in Hong Kong, unfazed by Tesla robotaxi competition

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3323243/chinas-ponyai-eyes-sizeable-fleet-hong-kong-unfazed-tesla-robotaxi-competition?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese autonomous driving technology firm Pony.ai expects to deploy a fleet of robotaxis in Hong Kong after completing regulatory hurdles, while downplaying potential competition from Tesla.

“We have already set a footprint in Guangzhou and we are eyeing Hong Kong,” chief financial officer Leo Wang said at a media event in the city on Tuesday.

He said Pony.ai needed to work with local authorities and partners to explore the best way forward.

On working with the city’s Transport Department, Wang said Pony.ai has engaged in dialogue already, “but a lot needs to be done”.

“This is an effort we’ll be relentlessly working on, but due to the complexity, it’s a bit hard to predict,” he said. “So when we’ll actually have a sizeable fleet on Hong Kong Island, I’m not sure yet. Hopefully soon.”

The optimism of Guangzhou-based Pony.ai reflects its achievement as the only firm with approval to operate robotaxi services in the mainland’s four most developed cities, as it pursues growth in the Greater Bay Area and explores potential new markets in Europe.

The Greater Bay Area is “a unique region with far more intercity travel than other parts of China”, Wang said.

On Tuesday, Pony.ai debuted the seventh generation of its robotaxi line-up, including models from a joint venture with Toyota Motor and a collaboration with Chinese carmaker GAC. The Gen 7 models are supposed to be the world’s first to achieve 100 per cent autonomous driving kit “ADK”.

Pony.ai expected the new models to boost its revenue growth. The Gen 7 models are expected to reduce bill of materials by 70 per cent, lower autonomous driving computational costs by 80 per cent and cut Lidar costs by 68 per cent, the company said.

The company’s key component suppliers include Nvidia and Horizon Robotics. Other platform collaborators include Uber Technologies, Ant Group’s Alipay, and Alibaba Group Holding’s Gaode Maps. Alibaba owns the Post.

On Tesla’s plans to compete in the robotaxi space, Pony.ai sees the US firm as “not really competing”.

“I think I can be a bit blunt here,” said James Peng, founder and CEO of Pony.ai. “If you look at the three stages of development testing, Tesla is really only at the first stage.”

“They still have a safety operator inside the vehicle and their fleet is about 20 vehicles, so I think they’re really in a trial period,” Peng said.

By comparison, Pony.ai started at the second stage three years ago, according to CFO Wang. He added that there was no competition from Tesla until it deploys a “sizeable fleet that is fully driverless on the road”.

China’s 2027 PLA goal: Victory Day parade puts progress and challenges on show

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3323170/chinas-2027-pla-goal-victory-day-parade-puts-progress-and-challenges-show?utm_source=rss_feed

China is on a mission to turn its military into a modern fighting force. In the final article in this , we look at President Xi Jinping’s military goals and obstacles facing the People’s Liberation Army.

The 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II is intended to display both the strength and solidarity of the People’s Liberation Army.

But just two weeks before it is set to take place, Beijing announced that former navy chief of staff Li Hanjun – a veteran who took part in similar parades in 1984 and 2009 – had been removed as a delegate in the national legislature on suspicion of “serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption.

Li’s downfall, announced before this year’s massive parade on September 3, seems to underline two simultaneous trends: the PLA’s rapid pace of modernisation, and a determined campaign to net corrupt generals.

While some question if the hunt for corruption will hamper the PLA’s war readiness, others argue it shows Beijing’s determination to create a fighting force “capable of winning wars”, as President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasised.

The world may be better able to answer this question next week when Beijing showcases its latest weapons and a new generation of commanders.

It has been eight years since Xi set the goal of “building a world class military by the middle of the century”, a target understood to put the PLA on a par with the United States.

In another key report, delivered at the 20th Party Congress in 2022, Xi said the PLA must be able to “win local wars”.

And, as Xi inspects formations next month, the PLA will be less than two years from its “centennial goal” deadline on August 1, 2027. While there are few publicly available details, observers have estimated potential implications of the target, including regarding Taiwan.

Analysts believe the comprehensive planning of PLA strategic objectives – such as capacities near Taiwan – seems largely on track, and there are many in China who argue that Xi’s campaign will improve, not worsen, his country’s readiness for combat.

However, corruption is not the only obstacle the PLA must face. It also has to overcome slower economic growth and an ageing population to meet its goals.

And strict technological controls imposed by China’s main rival, the United States, are considered a potential factor affecting progress.

While Beijing has been deliberately vague about the development goals for its military for 2027, 2030 and 2049, many observers use the PLA’s readiness to take Taiwan by force as a yardstick.

Some US officials, including Admiral John Aquilino, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and former CIA director William Burns, said the PLA would act to take Taiwan by 2027.

However, Beijing has stated that “peaceful reunification” remains its preferred option. Xi has repeatedly emphasised that Beijing is willing to achieve this with “utmost sincerity” through the “one country, two systems” arrangement.

Fu Qianshao, a military analyst and a former member of the PLA air force, said that regardless of Beijing’s strategy, its military must ensure it has the capabilities to prevent Taiwan from seeking full independence.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and will use force to achieve reunification if necessary. Most countries do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, including the US, Taiwan’s main arms supplier. However, Washington opposes any attempt to change the status quo by force.

At next month’s military parade, the PLA is expected to showcase advanced weapons, including its latest fifth-generation fighter jet, intercontinental ballistic missiles, amphibious armoured vehicles and cutting-edge unmanned vehicles.

Most could play a key role in a possible Taiwan conflict under the aims of amphibious attack, air dominance or blocking external intervention.

Since William Lai Ching-te, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), became Taiwan’s leader last year, the PLA has held several large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, aimed at deterring what Beijing views as provocative actions to push the island to lean further towards independence.

“Resolving the Taiwan issue is one of the PLA’s most important tasks,” Fu said, adding that Taiwan would be front of mind as the PLA developed training and equipment.

Fu said the PLA’s main goal was to “safeguard national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity” as well as “resisting external provocation”.

“The ultimate goal is clear: to achieve reunification,” he said.

Tai Ming Cheung, professor at the University of California, San Diego’s (UCSD) School of Global Policy and Strategy and director of the University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, also saw Taiwan as the most important aspect of China’s military goal.

He said it referred to “the operational attainment of joint tactical-level combat capabilities able to effectively project Chinese war-fighting capabilities” while aiming to “dissuade major powers … from intervening in potential conflicts in the Asia-Pacific, of which the Taiwan Strait is of foremost importance”.

But neither believes that connection suggests a possible timeline for the PLA to launch an operation against Taiwan.

Recent signalling by the PLA has hinted at progress in its capacities near Taiwan.

In a documentary aired this month, the PLA showcased its advanced amphibious assault and landing capabilities, apparently targeting Taiwan, and rare progress in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which are believed to be a major deterrent for US warships and military bases in the region.

Coordination drills between two Chinese aircraft carriers that are key to its strategy of blocking a US intervention, started in the West Pacific in October, while China’s third aircraft carrier awaits entry into service, likely to be this year.

The PLA’s daily manoeuvring near Taiwan has also grown in size, become more complicated and is getting closer to more of the island.

Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former PLA instructor, said that with the appearance of new weapons and the completion of military reforms, the PLA’s centennial goal “is being realised step by step and will be achieved by 2027”.

However, Song shared an alternative view aired by some analysts suggesting that Beijing’s military might be guided by a target other than Taiwan.

Song said the US was Beijing’s target, and that the PLA’s centennial goals “have little to do with Taiwan, which is not the main focus of our military development”.

“The US does pose a significant threat to China, so it is essential that we build a first-class military to ensure the security of our country and resist the challenges posed by major military powers, including the US.”

Mark Cozad, a senior international defence researcher and professor at the Rand School of Public Policy, believes the PLA “has made substantial progress in terms of its technological modernisation and the quality and quantity of its weapons systems”.

But Cozad said the “continuing challenge for the PLA” was that “corruption, operational proficiency, leadership and command, and political reliability remain significant problems for the PLA, particularly in Xi’s eyes”.

In the past three years, the anti-corruption campaign into PLA leadership has accelerated significantly, disgracing two of the seven-man Central Military Commission, the powerful commanding body led by Xi: former defence minister Li Shangfu and political work officer Miao Hua.

A third member, its vice-chair He Weidong, has been missing for five months, and former defence minister Wei Fenghe has been sacked.

Generals in various units, including the rocket force, army, navy and the equipment sector, have also been hunted down by graft fighters.

The pace of anti-graft probes has led to questions about the PLA’s war readiness.

Dennis Wilder, professor of practice at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and senior fellow at Georgetown’s Initiative for US-China Dialogue on Global Issues, said “high command turbulence may lead officers to become risk averse, and that will affect combat planning”.

Cozad, of the Rand School of Public Policy, said “the most significant impact that the anti-corruption campaign will likely have is on PLA commanders’ decision-making and their willingness to demonstrate greater initiative and creative thinking”.

But Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at the US-based Rand organisation, believed the anti-corruption campaign would not significantly affect PLA modernisation or “result in a shortage of combat-capable leaders”.

Some of China’s fallen generals had extensive experience related to Taiwan. Miao Hua and He Weidong both served for many years in Fujian, a province opposite the strait of Taiwan that is expected to play a central role in preparing for a conflict across the strait.

But their departure would not seriously affect decision-making in a potential Taiwan conflict, said Lu Li-Shih, a former instructor at the Taiwanese Naval Academy in Kaohsiung and a former captain in Taiwan’s navy.

He said that in exercises targeting Taiwan, the PLA’s approach had been established, “which is to simulate attacks on Taiwan’s regional infrastructure, not the general public”.

“The absence of any individual will not affect overall decision-making,” Lu said.

Chinese military commentator Song said the purge of corrupt generals was “precisely an important manifestation of making the military purer and more combat-effective”.

From the outset, the modernisation of the PLA has preoccupied Washington, which first rolled out export restrictions on chips for the Chinese market during US President Donald Trump’s first term.

Washington doubled down on those efforts last month, with export restrictions placing a sharper focus on AI models – a defining factor in future warfare.

However, China has advanced its own technologies through domestic innovation in recent years.

Thomas Shipley, an analyst at Oxford Analytica, a global analysis and advisory firm, wrote that China’s defence sector could face short-term hurdles because of limited access to advanced AI systems.

But the PLA might accelerate domestic AI research to mitigate the effects of US restrictions, Shipley wrote in an article published on the firm’s website in November.

According to a report last month, the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics), a non-profit German think tank, found China was pursuing AI self-reliance at every level of technology and Beijing had made “independent and controllable” AI a key objective.

Merics found that China’s semiconductor industry had produced its own AI chips, but their performance did not yet match that of US semiconductor designer Nvidia.

However, in models and applications, China had closed in on the US and, coupled with a protected home market, given rise to large language model (LLM) developers such as DeepSeek. Hardware challenges still hindered wider deployment, but the local adoption of LLMs remained high, and China’s AI industry was pivoting towards specialised applications, the report said.

Although imports are still required for some high-end chips, Beijing has repeatedly stated its determination to rapidly make this sector local.

This month, Beijing mandated that public computing centres procure more than 50 per cent of their chips from domestic manufacturers to support China’s semiconductor industry.

The requirement is even more stringent in sensitive sectors such as defence and aerospace, with several defence suppliers stating that Beijing requires military institutions to achieve 100 per cent domestic production of “core systems”.

Song said that China was “giving priority” to chip development in the military and aerospace sectors, and although this was “very costly, it would ensure security and reliability”.

Slower economic growth

Another factor commonly cited as a potential stumbling block for China’s efforts to modernise the PLA is its slowing economy.

Recent headwinds include high youth unemployment, weak consumer spending, massive local government debt and a rapidly declining real estate market, resulting in a significant decline in GDP growth compared with a decade ago. Although at around 5 per cent, it is still higher than that of other major economies.

However, data suggests there is no sign of slower spending on China’s military – the second largest in the world and growing an average 7.2 per cent over the past three years.

Mainland military analyst Fu said that “despite the changes in the international situation, it is appropriate for military spending to slightly exceed GDP growth … A growth rate of 7.2 per cent is sufficient to support the 2027 target”.

He said China’s defence budget was “a much lower percentage” of the country’s GDP compared to the US, whose defence budget growth faced challenges such as inflation.

Compared with major powers, China’s military spending as a percentage of GDP is not high and appears to have room for growth.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China’s military spending last year accounted for 1.7 per cent of its GDP. US military spending accounted for 3.5 per cent of its GDP, while Russia’s was around 7.1 per cent. South Korea spent 2.4 per cent of its GDP on defence, and Japan has set a 2 per cent target for 2027.

Instead, Beijing has emphasised that military spending must be “used more efficiently”.

Compared with militaries in the US and Europe, which have repeatedly experienced delays in the delivery of key weapon platforms, such as aircraft carriers and next-generation fighters, the PLA’s arsenal seems to have grown at a steady pace, with public plans to further expand its production lines.

For recruitment, the economic downward pressure might even aid military recruitment in China, according to Heath.

“On the positive side, higher numbers of unemployed educated youth could improve the PLA’s recruitment prospects. On the negative side, there may be downward pressure on defence budgets,” he said.

PLA official media outlets have repeatedly discussed the military value of AI and humanoid robot technologies.

Song said China’s economy had “growing pains” as it transitioned from labour-intensive to technology-intensive – something the country’s military would also undergo during its own transformation.

“Despite the apparent slowdown in China’s economic growth, our investment in defence remains unwavering,” Song said.

He said that in terms of industrial capacity, “China has a complete industrial chain and supporting chain … which is crucial for the indigenisation of the military industry system”. Compared with developed countries, China’s labour and land costs were lower, reducing the overall cost of military research and development, he said.

Analysts believe the true obstacle to be overcome by the PLA by 2027 is a lack of experience, especially given that the PLA has not fought a war in four decades.

Cozad of the Rand School of Public Policy said a “key component” of the PLA’s efforts to achieve its 2027 goal was “overcoming and improving institutional and organisational shortfalls, such as training, doctrine development, developing personnel and implementing new concepts of operation”.

Heath also saw training and experience as crucial elements of the PLA goal.

“The bigger constraint is the lack of experience and inadequate training and education system,” he said.

“Even without the anti-corruption campaign, the PLA faces a shortage in skilled commanders and staff capable of fighting a modern war.”