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. Why Beijing’s new plan to bolster its South China Sea claims has Manila worried
China’s designation of a national nature reserve in the contested Scarborough Shoal – and its punitive measures for unauthorised entry – have prompted strong pushback from the Philippines, with analysts warning the move could escalate tensions in the strategically important waterway.
2. ‘Just hiccups’: Trump’s India nominee pledges to pull New Delhi away from Beijing
US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to India has pushed back on fears that New Delhi was drifting towards China, pledging to draw India closer to the US, open its markets to American goods and end Russian oil purchases, while telling senators that India and China had little in common and were unlikely to forge closer ties.
3. China’s cash-conscious consumers force Europe’s luxury giants to think small
A slowing economy, shifting tastes and higher prices have dampened Chinese enthusiasm for overly expensive luxury goods.
