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For the first time, China has produced Fields Medal winners educated on its own soil – and two at once. Chinese mathematicians Wang Hong and Deng Yu took the honour, alongside John Pardon and Jacob Tsimerman. The Fields Medal is the top honour for young mathematicians under 40 years of age. The medals, along with a modest cash prize, were given out on Thursday at the International Congress of Math...
Hong Kong’s cross-border high-speed rail link carried more than 16 million passengers in the first six months of the year – the highest since its debut in 2018 – prompting the introduction of new facilities to meet demand. The MTR Corporation, which operates the 26km Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, said on Wednesday that patronage rose by more than 10 per cent year on year to over ...
Shanghai is exploring dedicated funds to tackle “choke point” technologies and new channels for offshore yuan capital to invest in China’s tech board, while allowing pre-profit tech firms in AI and nuclear fusion to go public. The municipal government will encourage the launch of dedicated funds focused on addressing “supply-chain gaps and breaking through ‘choke point’ technologies”. The funds wo...
Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has revised its tender clauses to require bidders make a statutory declaration they have not engaged in collusion on a project, as part of a wider move to criminalise bid-rigging following the city’s deadliest fire in decades. Senior Counsel Jat Sew-tong, chairman of the Competition Commission, also said on Thursday the body was considering proposing to raise the m...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that there will be no change to the remaining sanctions on 39 Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials in the “near future”, while acknowledging the issue came up in a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Rubio, Washington’s top diplomat, also said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump had allowed a national emergency declaration on Hong Kong to ex...
The global AI community has pushed back against the Trump administration’s claims that Moonshot AI’s groundbreaking Kimi K3 distilled US models, citing a lack of justification and arguing that the practice does not constitute intellectual property theft. In separate posts on X on Thursday, a number of AI experts called the accusations “political” and “reckless”, pointing out that an AI model’s out...
Anthropomorphising artificial intelligence – that is, treating AI systems as though they possess human emotions, intentions, consciousness or moral judgment – is both an ethical and a practical problem. While attributing human qualities to AI systems may make interactions more approachable, it also risks clouding users’ perceptions of the technology’s true nature and limitations. Call a spade a sp...
Beijing and Washington are actively soliciting industry feedback on potential bilateral tariff reductions under the newly established board of trade, according to China’s commerce ministry. “The Chinese side is widely soliciting views from stakeholders – including domestic firms, business associations, local governments as well as American firms and business associations – on relevant tariff reduc...
China and the United States’ agreement to pursue stability appeared to be holding, analysts said, even as President Donald Trump seemed determined to rock the boat ahead of the leaders’ second summit of the year in September. The assessment came as Beijing issued a measured response to his allegations of Chinese interference in the 2020 US elections. That restraint and recent tangible gestures – i...
In early July, a Suzhou court ordered the Chinese tea chain Molly Tea to pay Louis Vuitton 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5 million) after ruling that its four-petal floral pattern infringed on the French luxury house’s registered trademarks. Many online users, angered by the eastern Chinese court’s ruling, shared images of similar motifs found in Tang dynasty (618–907) textiles, musical instruments, and...
In early July, a Suzhou court ordered the Chinese tea chain Molly Tea to pay Louis Vuitton 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5 million) after ruling that its four-petal floral pattern infringed on the French luxury house’s registered trademarks. Many online users, angered by the eastern Chinese court’s ruling, shared images of similar motifs found in Tang dynasty (618–907) textiles, musical instruments, and...
Geely Auto, China’s second-largest carmaker, has struck a deal with Ford Motor to use the US company’s redundant capacity in Spain to build electric vehicles (EVs) amid its stepped-up push to expand globally. Multi-energy cars would be assembled at an idle factory in Almussafes, near Valencia, after the two companies set up a venture, with deliveries expected to begin in 2028, according to a state...
US scrutiny of Chinese technology has expanded to a new frontier, as lawmakers in Washington advance defence legislation prohibiting the military from deploying Chinese-made humanoid robots. The US House of Representatives has passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), an annual military policy bill that incorporates provisions restricting the use of foreign autonomous systems over nati...
The UK government on Thursday announced a tax cut for struggling pubs, clubs and live music venues as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham aims to ease the cost of living crisis. The 20 per cent cut to business rates – a local tax paid by firms – is the third policy announcement since Burnham became prime minister on Monday, including a planned cap on most bus fares in England and the removal of value ...
International architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, which built Hong Kong’s M+ museum and the National Stadium in Beijing, has donated a second collection of models, sketches and drawings to the art institution in the West Kowloon Cultural District. The M+ said on Thursday that the more than 200 archival items follow an initial donation in 2023, when the architecture firm, headquartered in Switzer...
A social media post over an unpaid phone bill has triggered a data-protection investigation in Malaysia, after one of the country’s most recognisable influencers questioned how a stranger obtained details from his telecoms account. The episode involving Khairul Amin Kamarulzaman, better known as Khairul Aming, has raised uncomfortable questions for telcos about how tightly they manage customer acc...
Hong Kong is reaping rewards from a charm offensive with Malaysia as it works to enhance its attractiveness to global fundraising activities, with deals reached on Thursday during a visit to the Southeast Asian country by the city’s financial services secretary. Bursa Malaysia will become the 21st stock exchange recognised by the city’s bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), clea...
The son of a former mainland Chinese official has been jailed for six years and nine months for using deceptive means to secure residency in Hong Kong and laundering more than HK$64 million, including a bribe his father allegedly sought a decade ago. The District Court on Thursday sentenced Xiao Rui, 37, on four counts of money laundering and one of using false instruments for offences he committe...
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has introduced a discounted afternoon ticket and expanded its cooling facilities to help minimise operational disruptions arising from hot weather and heavy rain over the summer. The theme park on Lantau Island on Thursday unveiled a “Summer Chill” 4pm entry ticket for Hong Kong residents, priced at HK$480 (US$61), allowing guests to enter later in the day to avoid the ...
The European Union on Thursday slapped Google with fines worth €890 million (US$1 billion) in a move that risks escalating tensions with the United States. The EU fined the US giant €460 million for illegally favouring the company’s own services – for example, Google Flights or Google Hotels – over rivals in search results. The second fine worth €430 million was because Google did not allow app de...
South Korea has abandoned its campaign prioritising pressure on the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons, a minister said on Thursday, marking a fresh overture by Seoul’s dovish government. President Lee Jae Myung has reversed the stance of his hawkish predecessor since taking power in Seoul in June 2025, offering nuclear-armed Pyongyang talks without preconditions. The hermetic leadership of No...
The elevation of ties between the Philippines and New Zealand to a comprehensive partnership gives both countries a wider framework to deepen cooperation, as Manila expands its network of middle-power partners and Wellington steps up its engagement in Southeast Asia, analysts have said. The upgrade also builds on rapidly tightening defence ties, giving Manila another security partner and New Zeala...
Driven by a global surge in AI spending and fierce competition at home, Chinese tech companies are rapidly expanding their international footprint, not just via physical supply chains, but increasingly through cloud-based software and foundation models. The broader push aligns with recent customs data from the first half of 2026 showing a sharp rise in physical tech exports. Integrated-circuit exp...
The People’s Liberation Army has showcased new airburst munitions that shower targets with metal fragments, offering the latest hint of how its long-range rocket artillery might be used in a Taiwan conflict. Released on Sunday by the PLA-affiliated China Military Bugle social media channel under the title “Steel Rain”, the footage shows several PHL-191-launched rockets detonating above what appear...
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) says Hong Kong customs has stepped up scrutiny of “almost every book shipment” from the island, while a logistics company has separately told bookstores to ensure their orders would not breach the city’s national security laws. Independent bookstores and logistics companies also confirmed on Wednesday that customs had stepped up checks on book shipments from...
Southern and eastern China are bracing for another round of severe weather after twin typhoons and widespread flooding this month. China’s top flood control and drought relief body held an emergency inter-agency meeting on Wednesday to coordinate disaster prevention ahead of the expected 12th named storm of the season. Meanwhile, rainfall remains widespread and intense nationwide, including region...
Southern and eastern China are bracing for another round of severe weather after twin typhoons and widespread flooding this month. China’s top flood control and drought relief body held an emergency inter-agency meeting on Wednesday to coordinate disaster prevention ahead of the expected 12th named storm of the season. Meanwhile, rainfall remains widespread and intense nationwide, including region...
Nearly one in three younger Singaporean men either agreed or were neutral when asked if spousal violence could ever be acceptable, according to preliminary survey findings, raising questions about whether more men may not reject the idea of physical abuse in certain circumstances. The findings from the Gender Norms Perceptions Study were conducted by Her Empowerment (SHE), a Singaporean NGO SG, as...
The foreign ministers of China and the United States adopted a largely cordial tone following a meeting on Wednesday where they discussed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to the US rather than President Donald Trump’s accusations of election interference by Beijing. Their talks were “pragmatic, positive and constructive”, China’s Wang Yi said in a statement after the conversation in Ma...
Shanghai, already home to the world’s largest container port, has unveiled a strategic road map to further bolster its shipping-services sector, escalating a challenge to hubs in Hong Kong, Singapore and London. The Port of Shanghai, China’s most prominent commerce and trading gateway, aims to leverage tech, including artificial intelligence and automation, to boost efficiency and expand value-add...
