Day: March 1, 2026

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Several US military aircraft crashed in Kuwait on Monday morning, according to a statement issued by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence, which confirmed that the crew were safe. “Authorities immediately initiated search and rescue operations, evacuating the crews and transporting them to a hospital for medical evaluation and treatment,” the statement said, quoting a spokesman who “noted that their condition is stable”. Advertisement Meanwhile, the US embassy in Kuwait…

South China Morning Post

Li Yanqing, executive vice-president and secretary general of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (Cansi), discusses the impact of US trade policies, global market cycles and China’s strategic pivot towards high-quality manufacturing. As a shipbuilding veteran who also serves as chairman of the ISO/TC 8 ships and marine technology committee, which oversees international standardisation for shipbuilding and marine operations, Li is a prominent voice for China’s industry on the global stage. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Advertisement The United States has its own…

As China’s leaders convene for the annual “two sessions” starting this week, the eyes of the world will be fixed on Beijing. This gathering is no ordinary policy meeting. Beyond setting the economic growth target for 2026, it will finalise the 15th five-year plan (2026–2030), a blueprint that will define the nation’s economic and social priorities for the second half of this decade. In an era of intensifying great-power competition, particularly with the United States, these decisions will shape how China builds technological strength, economic resilience and national security. Crucially,…

The US military on Sunday confirmed that three American service members have been killed and five seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury, a joint military assault by the United States and Israel against Iran launched a day earlier. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are being returned to duty, according to the US Central Command. “Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” the command said in a social media post. Calling the situation “fluid”, the statement did not say where the service…

China has strongly condemned the killing of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which has left Tehran in turmoil and the Middle East facing a major regional escalation. However, analysts believe that China’s position as Iran’s top oil buyer and trade partner will endure through any political upheaval. They also expect Beijing to adopt a pragmatic approach towards Iran’s next leadership, despite the potential threat to Chinese diplomatic and defence ambitions in the Middle East should Tehran now pivot to the West. Advertisement The death of Khamenei, 86, in…