Month: October 2025

Japan – with China, North Korea and Russia in mind – plans to test its hypersonic missile-tracking technology in space, after its new HTV-X cargo spacecraft completes a resupply mission at the International Space Station. Advertisement The spacecraft was launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Sunday, carried by an H3 rocket. It arrived at the ISS on Thursday, where it was captured by the station’s robotic arm and docked in. On board is 4.4 tonnes of food and supplies as well as scientific research materials that will be delivered…

Conflicts and disagreements should not define Beijing’s ties with Tokyo, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his first sit-down meeting with the new Japanese prime minister on Friday. Advertisement The 30-minute discussion with Sanae Takaichi, who was formally sworn into office last week, took place on the sidelines of the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea. “The two countries should properly manage differences by focusing on the bigger picture, seeking common ground while reserving differences,” Xi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV. “Efforts should…

“Hydraulic or magnets?” US President Donald Trump asked some baffled American troops stationed in Japan during his visit this week, and demanded to know which was better. Advertisement That was during a speech aboard the USS George Washington, before hundreds of American servicemen and women who appeared to have no idea what their commander-in-chief was talking about. “You know, the new thing is magnets. So instead of using hydraulic that you can be hit by lightning and it’s fine, you take a little glass of water and you drop it…

Chinese police are working with UK law enforcement authorities to track down fugitives and illicit funds involved in a massive cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering case, but experts see little likelihood for victims to recoup their losses. Advertisement According to a statement, police in the northern city of Tianjin were “doing everything possible” to help more than 128,000 Chinese investors recoup funds caught in a web of fraudulent wealth schemes perpetrated between 2014 and 2017 by a syndicate, which converted cash into bitcoins and property to hide the scam’s proceeds.…

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. US does not seek conflict, Hegseth says in meeting with Chinese defence minister US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in person for the first time on Friday, with both sides saying they are pushing for peace a day after a summit between their presidents brought tensions down. 2. In an international win for China’s C919,… South China Morning Post

The world’s two largest powers signalled at least 14 months of likely stability in US-China relations following a pivotal summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump – and hinted they would meet “regularly”, setting the stage for more encounters next year. Advertisement With a trade deal expected to be signed as soon as next week, Beijing and Washington reached a truce on thorny issues ranging from soybeans and rare earths to fentanyl during talks that highlighted the personal connection between the two leaders and struck a…

Deloitte China plans to hire about 1,000 people in Hong Kong and invest HK$500 million (US$64 million) over the next four years, as part of a new initiative that is expected to strengthen the city’s role as a regional talent and innovation hub. Advertisement Called the “Hong Kong LEAP” strategy, the initiative is focused on expanding the company’s capabilities in fintech, capital markets operations and artificial intelligence – areas that would be key to driving the city’s next phase of economic transformation, according to the consultancy. Deloitte unveiled the strategy…

China’s supply chain upgrades have strengthened its hand in negotiations with the United States and are expected to bolster its competitive edge over the next five years – though the country must prioritise domestic demand to sustain innovation and avoid worsening deflation, according to an influential economist. Advertisement “China is probably the only country that is negotiating in a tough way, almost on an equal foot[ing] versus [the] US,” said Robin Xing, chief China economist at Morgan Stanley, in an interview on Thursday. “That’s backed by China’s rising supply chain…

US President Donald Trump hailed his high-stakes meeting on Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “great success”, marked by progress on thorny trade issues. Advertisement Trump agreed to reduce America’s fentanyl-related tariffs on China by 10 percentage points and cut the overall tariff rate on Chinese imports from 57 per cent to 47 per cent. For its part, Beijing will resume buying US farm products, including soybeans, and delay by one year the implementation of its most sweeping export controls on rare earths. Trump said he and Xi…