Month: February 2026

In Washington, a city often in the spotlight for domestic and international politics, Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham views his instrument as a platform that can bridge cultures, transcend politics and connect people across borders. At 28, fresh from a landmark international competition victory, Sham is building a global career where his music often speaks louder than diplomacy. On Wednesday, just before stepping onto the stage at the US capital’s Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium for a Year of the Horse recital, he spoke with the South China Morning Post about…

Beijing has called for all hands on deck to work out what ever-unpredictable US President Donald Trump might demand when he sits down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a few weeks. Several sources, all speaking on condition of anonymity, said various Chinese government departments had been told to research and assess the US leader’s potential demands and come up with possible concessions Beijing could put on the table. Advertisement Agreements are being mapped out in a range of areas but, the sources said, a breakthrough on Taiwan remained…

Beijing has called for all hands on deck to work out what ever-unpredictable US President Donald Trump might demand when he sits down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a few weeks. Several sources, all speaking on condition of anonymity, said various Chinese government departments had been told to research and assess the US leader’s potential demands and come up with possible concessions Beijing could put on the table. Advertisement Agreements are being mapped out in a range of areas but, the sources said, a breakthrough on Taiwan remained…

Importers in the United States are expected to front-load goods from China after the Supreme Court struck down the use of emergency powers as the legal basis for US President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, potentially opening a brief window of relief, analysts said. Companies selling products made in China, or using Chinese raw materials, were likely to place larger orders in the coming weeks amid uncertainty over whether Trump’s pledge to raise a new tariff – from 10 per cent to 15 per cent – would take effect under…

Chinese scientists have developed a promising new battery technology that could dramatically increase the driving range of electric vehicles and allow them to perform more reliably in cold weather. Lithium batteries are essential components in products such as smartphones and EVs, but at present they are approaching their energy density ceiling, which limits the scope to improve their performance. The most common types of liquid-state battery – lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium – are nearing their theoretical limits of around 350 watt-hours per kg, prompting many companies to switch…

China urged its citizens to leave Iran as soon as possible on Friday amid the growing risk of US air strikes after the latest round of talks ended without a deal. The foreign ministry in Beijing warned there had been a “significant increase in external security risks” in Iran and said its citizens should not travel to the country. It also said those who were already there should “strengthen their security precautions and evacuate as soon as possible”. Advertisement “Chinese embassies and consulates in Iran and neighbouring countries will provide…