Day: August 22, 2025

Award-winning HIV scientist Shan Liang, a tenured associate professor at the Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine), has taken up a full-time role in Shenzhen, southern China’s tech and innovation hub. Advertisement He has joined the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) as a senior researcher and will head its Institute of Human Immunology, according to an announcement on SMART’S official social media account on August 15. Shan has dedicated himself to studying the mechanisms of immunobiology of HIV infection and developing strategies to combat the virus…

Malaysia’s ban on exports of unprocessed rare earth metals this week signals that the Southeast Asian country has a realistic shot – on its own terms – at feeding the mineral-hungry United States amid its strained trade ties with the world’s dominant supplier, China, according to analysts. Advertisement Kuala Lumpur will bar exports of unprocessed rare earth minerals, which are globally prized raw materials used in a range of electronic hardware, to keep supplies onshore for investment in downstream industries, a Malaysian official said this week. The country’s minister of…

In the first of a two-part series about Hong Kong’s market for initial public offerings, Zhang Shidong and Ao Yulu report that more Chinese companies opted to list in Hong Kong in the first eight months of 2025 than in New York. Advertisement Hong Kong has overtaken the US as the new listing venue for mainland Chinese companies, marking a major milestone for the world’s fourth-largest capital market after a decade of betting on its growth in its much larger and stronger hinterland. As many as 46 China-domiciled companies raised…

China is on a mission to turn its military into a modern fighting force. In this four-part series, we look at the rapid transformation of the People’s Liberation Army, starting with changing perceptions of its capabilities. Advertisement A decade ago, China held a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II. Back then, the People’s Liberation Army was seen as no match for the United States military in the Indo-Pacific. But with an ambitious modernisation effort under way, that view is changing. China has…

House Democrats unveiled a new bill on Friday to set legal thresholds for chips deemed too advanced to send to China without congressional approval, attempting to set clear limits in the ongoing debate about how tightly to control the flow of the technology amid national security concerns. Advertisement The bill, sponsored by Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Ami Bera of California and Jill Tokuda of Hawaii, would prevent the export of certain advanced chips without both a US Commerce Department-led inter-agency review and a joint resolution from Congress. Under the…

The Greater Bay Area development zone is one of the most economically dynamic regions in the world. With a population of over 86 million and a gross domestic product of around US$2 trillion, it connects global manufacturing hubs, financial centres, technology clusters and tourism destinations. Advertisement As Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province become more integrated, they are also becoming more exposed to shared risks from extreme weather events. A disruption in one jurisdiction can quickly cascade through supply chains, travel networks and service sectors in others. Climate resilience is…