Month: August 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 warns US over military build-up as warships head towards Venezuela As US destroyers closed in on Venezuela’s coast, China condemned Washington’s military build-up and warned against foreign interference, backing Nicolas Maduro in a showdown that is drawing in powers far beyond the Caribbean. 2. Why are 7 large mainland Chinese cargo ships sailing in the Taiwan Strait? A fleet of large civilian cargo…

Beijing is likely to increase its economic support for Venezuela, its only all-weather strategic partner in South America, as tensions rise between Washington and Caracas. Advertisement However, analysts suggest that China will hold back on direct military aid or actions that could provoke a direct confrontation with the United States. The assessment comes after Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that China opposed “any move that violates the purposes and principles of the United Nations’ Charter and a country’s sovereignty and security”. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil…

The chairwoman of Inner Mongolia in northern China has been placed under investigation for alleged corruption as part of a wider crackdown in the autonomous region. Advertisement Wang Lixia, who is also the region’s deputy Communist Party chief, is suspected of committing “serious violations of discipline and laws”, the party disciplinary body and China’s anti-corruption watchdog announced on Friday. According to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, Wang is undergoing a disciplinary review and supervisory investigation. Wang, 61, is of Mongol ethnicity and the fourth…

As America retreats from clean energy investment around the world, with US President Donald Trump labelling wind and solar power “the scam of the century” on Wednesday, Chinese “cleantech” firms have been striding into emerging markets in Southeast and Central Asia and Latin America. Advertisement Mabill Technologies, a Malaysian cleantech start-up developing a predictive AI algorithm that will connect energy efficiency analytics and sustainable cooling solutions, said Chinese investors had been showing “renewed interest” in its business. Chinese cleantech firms “are deepening their influence in Asean by embedding proprietary technologies…

China is gearing up for an intense week of diplomacy as it finalises preparations for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin this month, followed by a grand military parade in Beijing to commemorate the end of World War II. Advertisement All eyes will be on how China asserts its diplomatic clout and positions itself as a world power to be reckoned with at a time when global geopolitical tensions are on the rise. On Friday, China’s foreign ministry announced a list of more than 20 world leaders and 10…

A new Chinese flying-wing aircraft – possibly the CH-7 stealth drone or another new model seen recently on satellite imagery – could be undergoing test flights, an image circulating on social media suggests. Advertisement The photo, which could not be verified, shows the large aircraft in flight from the rear, its landing gear down and split rudders near the wing tips. Its low-observable, flying-wing design combines the wings and fuselage, giving the aircraft a wide, flat appearance. It is not known when or where the photo was taken and its…

A record high number of private-sector executives and chief scientists have been shortlisted this year to compete for academicianship in China’s top institute for engineering science and technology. Advertisement Nineteen are included on the newly released candidate list for the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), including Hu Guoping, 48, principal researcher and co-founder of AI specialist iFlyTek; Wu Kai, 57, chief scientist and co-president of battery manufacturer CATL; Lian Yubo, 61, chief scientist of carmaker BYD; Jia Zhenhua of Yiling Pharmaceutical; and Xu Xun, chief researcher at genomics company BGI…

China’s Victory Day parade next month is expected to feature new strategic heavy weapons, with observers closely watching for the possible debut of new air-launched and sea-based nuclear-capable missiles. Advertisement On Wednesday, Wu Zeke, deputy director of the parade leadership office, briefed reporters on preparations for the event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. “All the weapons and equipment in this parade have been selected from domestically made systems currently in active service, with a large proportion appearing for the first time,” he said. Wu…