South China Morning Post
Chinese rivals to Musk’s Starlink wrestle with rocket constraints
Day: January 20, 2026
China is building world-first triad reactor system to power world-class chemical plant
China plans to power a world-class petrochemical complex under construction with ultra-high-temperature steam from an unprecedented three-reactor nuclear system. The steam can reach up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 Fahrenheit) – high enough to break molecules apart. Located in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, the project combines two third-generation Hualong One pressurised water reactors with one fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) for heating and electricity generation. Advertisement Never before has a single facility integrated multiple generations of nuclear technology to simultaneously provide both power and ultra-high-temperature process heat at industrial scale. The…
Australians fear repeat of ‘Black Summer’ as fires rage
David Jeffries fled his home near Melbourne fearing for his life as some of the worst blazes in years laid waste to rural towns once seen as safe from Australia’s devastating annual fire season. It was gone midnight by the time he returned, his home in the picturesque town of Harcourt all but destroyed. “It was very surreal,” he said. “The house was still alight. I half expected a ghost to jump out. I thought if I closed my eyes and opened them again then maybe it was a dream.”…
Will Iran’s instability force China to rethink its Middle East strategy?
Iran’s streets have once again become a site of uncertainty, but this time the tremors extend far beyond its borders. Unrest that began in late December spread across multiple provinces and continued into January. It was met with a level of repression that has only deepened public anger. What sets this moment apart is not just the scale of repression, but the way sustained instability is beginning to undermine long-held assumptions among Iran’s external partners, especially China. For years, Beijing approached Iran as a paradox it could manage – a…
China sees an opportunity in Greenland, but not in the way that Trump thinks
According to Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, China and Russia must be having a “field day” about Donald Trump’s plans for Greenland, which Kallas says will divide Nato. But according to Trump, his plans are motivated by a desire to counter the very threat that Kallas identified. “World peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. Viewed from Beijing, Trump’s moves on Greenland represent further proof that…
China’s new H-6J maritime strike bomber: more vision, more range, more roles
China’s H‑6J maritime strike bomber, equipped with two reconnaissance pods, indicates it has enhanced long-range strike capabilities while supporting peacetime maritime surveillance, according to military analysts. Cai Suliang, identified as a member of an unspecified People’s Liberation Army bomber formation, said that the H-6J, a new variant of the H-6 bomber series, differed from the H-6K in its external appearance – mainly due to additional reconnaissance pods. “This amounts to giving [the bomber] an extra pair of eyes, allowing it to see maritime targets at greater distances and across a…
China could widen curbs on Japan’s imports, rare earths if tensions worsen: Morgan Stanley
China could launch anti-dumping investigations into Japanese imports, impose more export bans and discourage consumption of the country’s goods if it escalates a dispute with Tokyo that began in November, according to Morgan Stanley. Beijing might also expand a temporary ban on the sale of rare earth metals – crucial components in hi-tech hardware and automobiles – to target civilian manufacturing, the New York-based multinational investment bank said in a note by a team of researchers, led by chief Asia economist Chetan Ahya. The bank said a lack of further…
Harbour BioMed stake in US drug developer Spruce shows Chinese firms’ growing clout
Shanghai-based Harbour BioMed’s acquisition of a stake in US-based Spruce Biosciences is the latest example of China’s novel drug developers progressing from one-time licensing deals into long-lasting equity partnerships with overseas partners. The deal, detailed in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on Monday, also showed Chinese firms’ growing clout on the global pharmaceutical stage, analysts said. “The coming years will see more Chinese biotech firms engaging in equity investments and joint development with global pharmaceutical companies, rather than just out-licensing,” said Celia Deng, Asia president at SAI MedPartners. Advertisement…
China’s coal-fired export ban was cheered by the West. Then came the massive blackouts
In 2021, when Beijing finally pledged to stop building and financing new coal power plants overseas, Western governments and climate advocates rejoiced. John Kerry, US climate envoy at the time, said he was “absolutely delighted to hear” of the decision. It is “a key topic of my discussions during my visit to China”, Alok Sharma, a member of the British House of Lords, wrote on social media, suggesting it was a result of pressure from the West. But now, from Chile to Spain to Portugal, country after country is grappling…
The Guardian view on food security: Britain can no longer trust markets alone | Editorial
Food policy across much of the world is changing. But not in Britain. That may be a costly mistake as the prices of essentials rise because of the climate emergency, geopolitical tensions and the fragility of just-in-time supply chains. Many capitals are now reviving their strategic food reserves. European nations such as Sweden, Finland, Norway and Germany are rebuilding stocks dismantled after the cold war. Climate shocks have led to Egypt and Bangladesh boosting similar programmes. Countries such as Brazil and Indonesia – sensitive to the food needs of their…