Year: 2025

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 subscribing. 1. China’s economy strains in August as retail sales, industrial output miss forecasts China’s economy showed signs of strain in August, as sluggish domestic demand, headwinds from the US trade war and a prolonged property downturn continued to weigh on several major indicators. 2. Zheng Yongnian on why China must look beyond the West to build a better AI The… South China Morning Post

This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. The fourth in a series of reports examining ties between the two powers reveals a shift underway in the attitudes of younger Europeans towards China and the opportunities it offers. More than two years after stringent Covid-19 restrictions prompted an exodus of foreigners from China, there are… South China Morning Post

Beijing on Monday slammed US calls for its allies to impose tariffs on China over its oil trade with Russia, warning of swift retaliation if its interests are undermined. “China will take resolute countermeasures to protect its sovereignty, security, and development interests if its legitimate rights and interests are harmed,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said during a regular press conference on Monday. He added that Beijing strongly rejected the imposition of illegal unilateral… South China Morning Post

US President Donald Trump on Monday declared that the high-stakes trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington had wrapped up “VERY WELL” in Madrid, announcing that the talks produced a deal involving TikTok. He added that he is scheduled to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. The upbeat message from the US, however, was accompanied by fresh strains on another technology front, with US semiconductor giant Nvidia caught in the crosshairs of an antitrust investigation by… South China Morning Post

A young Winston Churchill once warned: “The wars of peoples will be more terrible than those of kings.” In our current moment, this warning feels less like prophecy and more like diagnosis. Across the globe, nationalism is no longer a quiet undercurrent; it is a dominant force shaping identities, policies and personal destinies. And nowhere is this more visible than in the two most influential powers of our time, the United States and China. In the US, the death of Charlie Kirk, a young… South China Morning Post

China’s swift recognition of Nepal’s interim government reflects Beijing’s interest in regional stability, according to analysts who said that the political transition was unlikely to have a significant impact on relations between the two countries. Former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as the country’s interim leader on Friday after days of tumultuous protests forced prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign earlier in the week. Karki is the first woman to hold the position as well as… South China Morning Post

China, which already boasts the world’s largest energy-storage capacity, is set to nearly double that level by 2027, with an anticipated investment of 250 billion yuan (US$35 billion), according to Beijing’s latest action plan. Advertisement As outlined in the action plan, China’s “new-energy storage system” capacity – primarily based on lithium-ion batteries – is set to exceed 180 gigawatts within two years, up from 95GW as of June. Released jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration (NEA) on Friday, the plan also aims to…