Joseph Popper

China steels itself for new front in trade war after US proposes tariffs on metals

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The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office also initiated a probe into China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, alleging that Beijing used “unfair, non-market policies and practices” to dominate these sectors. Henry Gao, a law professor at Singapore Management University, said he would not be surprised if China imposes countermeasures against the proposed tariffs through countervailing … Read more

China lays out 3-year plan to build digital workforce and overcome shortfall of workers needed to win tech race

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China has launched a three-year action plan to nurture and attract digital talent and workers in its tilt towards an innovation-driven economy as it competes with the West on tech. China will launch an array of programmes and campaigns until 2026 to train digital engineers, technicians and workers in areas including big data, artificial intelligence, … Read more

Chinese police arrest over 1,500 for online rumours in campaign targeting influencers, bloggers and live-streamers

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China’s Ministry of Public Security said police around the country have made over 1,500 arrests and solved 10,000 cases since the launch of a campaign targeting online rumours in December. The ministry has imposed administrative penalties on about 10,700 people and debunked more than 4,200 rumours since it launched the campaign last December, according to … Read more

China reveals it executed scientist for spying in 2016 in documentary about ‘shocking’ cases

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According to the documentary, Huang Yu, then a researcher at a top secret communication system development project, sent a note to “the website of a certain country’s spy agency” containing classified Chinese military codes. Huang was bitter after being removed from a unit that was working on the project due to poor work performance and … Read more

From China to India, how deepfakes are reshaping Asian politics

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Experts say the rise of deepfake technology may pose a significant threat to democracy in 2024, with major elections happening in India and the US. These manipulated videos, created using artificial intelligence, can deceive viewers by replacing faces or altering voices. Deepfakes are created for humorous or malicious purposes, and their potential impact on elections … Read more

Chinese spy agency says foreign agents targeting rare earth and food technology sectors

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China’s top spy agency has accused overseas institutions of targeting the rare earth sector and food industry in the latest in a series of warnings encouraging the public to be alert to the risk from foreign spies. The warnings come amid growing concern among foreign investors about the impact of the country’s latest anti-espionage laws … Read more

Ma Ying-jeou’s mainland China trip shows he’s Beijing’s best hope to win Taiwanese hearts and minds

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“Even though our political systems and perspectives may differ from those of the mainland, we are all descendants of the Yellow Emperor, belonging to the same Chinese nation,” Ma said upon returning to Taiwan on Thursday, wrapping up a trip he dubbed a “journey of peace”. “I also hope that the young people of Taiwan … Read more

China’s stock market: Beijing issues unprecedented guidelines calling for transparency, risk-management

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The document released by the State Council after the markets closed on Friday evening sets out nine guidelines that formulate a framework to develop the market, demanding a better mechanism for protecting investors’ interests and an improvement in the quality of listed companies over the next five years. By 2035, the market should have achieved … Read more

China names high-profile law enforcer working with US in fentanyl fight as assistant public security minister

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China has promoted a veteran police officer who oversees cooperation with the US in the fight against fentanyl as assistant public security minister. The promotion of Hu Binchen, the 53-year-old director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, to assistant minister rank and as member of the ministry’s Communist Party committee, … Read more

Chinese nationals in Philippine Coast Guard, twin sisters reunite: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

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A research team in China says it has discovered a potentially fatal flaw in Nasa’s hypersonic aerodynamics software. This small deficiency amid tangled equations could lead to “inevitably erroneous outcomes” when scientists simulate and analyse important issues, such as high-temperature ablation, the team said. 3. Is it time for Hong Kong authorities to take a … Read more