China

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has proposed halving the cash settlement cycle for share trading as part of efforts to enhance market efficiency and liquidity. The city’s bourse operator said in a consultation paper on Friday that it aimed to implement a “T+1” system – under which trades are settled one day after the transaction – in the […]

An amber rainstorm warning and a leaky roof failed to dampen the mood of fans as the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament kicked off its 50th anniversary edition on Friday. First-time visitors to the city’s signature annual sporting event expressed amazement at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, while a food shortage fiasco that plagued last year’s […]

The transactions have reportedly been routed through a private banks Shanghai office ahead of the expiry of the US waiverIndian refiners are making payments for Iranian oil in yuan, after a temporary sanctions-waiver by the US enabled New Delhi to buy crude from the Middle Eastern country, Reuters reported.The US issued the one-monthwaiveron March 20, which […]

Antalya [Turkey], April 17 (ANI): Tehran has dismissed the possibility of any short-term pauses in hostilities, asserting that it is pushing for a total conclusion to warfare throughout the West Asian region, according to Al Jazeera.Speaking to journalists during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, emphasised that […]

Hong Kong authorities will seek half of the HK$440 million (US$56.2 million) investment for a planned national innovation centre in Yuen Long from the private sector, while setting performance benchmarks that an analyst has called ambitious. The target was announced after Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po revealed the plan in his latest budget in […]

GUANGZHOU/HAIKOU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Two international exhibitions that kicked off in southern China this month are showcasing how China's vast market continues to captivate the globe with an open posture.The 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, opened in south China's Guangdong Province, and the sixth China […]

GUANGZHOU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Lin Zhenhai, general manager of the White Swan Hotel, has been busy serving attendees of the 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (also known as the Canton Fair), which kicked off on April 15. Having worked at the hotel since 1996, he has provided services for Canton Fair attendees for 30 consecutive years.To […]

HAIKOU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in south China's Hainan Province, open to the public from Thursday to Saturday, has attracted a large number of local residents and tourists.

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways and its budget arm had more passengers in March than a year ago, despite the impact of the United States-Israel attack on Iran. In a statement issued on Friday, Cathay Group also said it aimed to restore all flights after June. The company earlier announced it was cutting the number of Cathay Pacific flights by […]

by Xinhua writers Ji Hang, Ma Yunfei and Shao KunJINAN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Forget a conventional Hanfu launch. At a brand show in Caoxian County, east China's Shandong Province, models took the stage holding pint-sized dolls dressed in matching traditional attire, while humanoid robots also appeared in Hanfu, catching much of the audience's attention.Amid […]

Tehran [Iran], April 17 (ANI): Sustainable stability in the Strait of Hormuz can only be achieved through full respect for Iran's sovereignty and rights, Tehran's envoy to the United Nations said, according to Iranian State Media Press TV. Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani, made the statement during a meeting on […]

(260417) -- CHONGQING, April 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Li Yongqiu poses after winning the Junior Dance Tour at the Juste Debout 2026 World Finals in Paris, France on March 8, 2026. Li Yongqiu, a 13-year-old Chinese boy, claimed gold in Junior Dance Tour at the Juste Debout 2026 World Finals in Paris, France on March 8, 2026, making history. It is a famous street […]

CHENGDU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Stand still for just 30 seconds with no physical contact, and a new intelligent healthcare robot can measure heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. It can even identify 13 distinct emotional states, from happiness and tiredness to anxiety.This is no science fiction. It is the real-world performance of "Kangbao" […]

(260417) -- HAIKOU, April 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People queue up to try food during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 17, 2026. The sixth CICPE, open to the public from Thursday to Saturday, has attracted a large number of local residents and tourists. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

(260417) -- GUANGZHOU, April 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Visitors pose for photos with products of Chinese motorcycle maker ZXMOTO at the 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 17, 2026. The recent historic double victory by Chinese motorcycle maker ZXMOTO in the World Supersport category at the […]

Amid a sluggish global economy, the two close neighbors have leveraged their geographical proximity, mutual need and steady diplomacy to create one of the world's most dynamic bilateral economic relationships, with cooperation spanning infrastructure, trade, people-to-people exchanges, artificial intelligence (AI) and green energy.HANOI, April 17 (Xinhua) […]

The owners’ corporation of a Hong Kong housing complex devastated in the city’s deadliest fire in decades failed to convince renovation workers to use fire-resistant materials due to the absence of statutory requirements, a public inquiry heard on Friday. Tony Tsui Moon-come, chairman of the management committee of the incorporated owners of Wang Fuk […]

New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): India and China held their first bilateral consultations on Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) matters in the national capital, exchanging views on the implementation of SCO Leaders' decisions and the future course of the organisation.According to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday, both […]

BEIJING, 17th April, 2026 (WAM) -- The General Women's Union (GWU), in cooperation with the China NGO Network for International Exchanges and with support from the UAE Embassy in China, has organised the UAE-China women entrepreneurs forum. BeijingThe forum took place during an official visit by a GWU delegation to China and as part of the activities of the […]

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The entry of a Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel into the Taiwan Strait severely threatens China's sovereignty and security, and China firmly opposes it and has lodged strong protest with Japan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.Guo said at a regular press briefing that the Chinese military has […]

China's transfer of skills and technologies is transforming agricultural production in Uganda, demonstrating how Global South countries can accelerate development through South-South cooperation, officials said here on Thursday.KAMPALA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China's transfer of skills and technologies is transforming agricultural production in Uganda, […]

Hong Kong’s food hygiene authorities have deployed drones to help dismantle an illegal slaughterhouse in Yuen Long, arresting its 67-year-old operator and seizing 7.4kg of goat meat and offal with an estimated market value of HK$3,000 (US$380). Acting on a tip-off earlier this week, officers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department identified a […]

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China's economic resilience and its ability to support the economic growth of its trade partners, including Malaysia, through its vast manufacturing capacity and huge consumer base, will be a key stabilizing force for regional supply chains and industrial growth, according to a Malaysian business group.Not only has China […]

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China has responded in a resolute manner to the close-in reconnaissance and harassment by a New Zealand Air Force anti-submarine patrol aircraft over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks when answering a related query at a daily press […]

(260417) -- GUANGZHOU, April 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Lin Zhenhai (2nd R) greets a guest of the White Swan Hotel, who arrives for the 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, at a port in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 15, 2026. Lin Zhenhai, general manager of the White Swan Hotel, has been busy serving attendees of the 139th […]

New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): India has emerged as a key supplier of smartphones to the United States, meeting about 40 per cent of the demand that was earlier fulfilled by China, according to a recent report by McKinsey & Company.The report highlighted that the United States has been actively diversifying its import sources and managed to replace […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hail was reported on Hong Kong’s outlying islands on Friday afternoon while an amber rainstorm warning was in force, with heavy downpours also leaking through the closed roof of Kai Tak Stadium during the Sevens […]

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China's top market regulator said Friday that it has imposed a total fine of 3.597 billion yuan (about 524 million U.S. dollars) on seven major e-commerce platforms for their involvement in a string of food delivery "ghost shop" cases and food safety violations.

ISLAMABAD, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Diplomatic momentum is gaining pace in United States-Iran tensions after a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon eased a key Iranian concern, raising prospects for renewed negotiations.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, expressing hope that the development […]

Sindh [Pakistan], April 17 (ANI): As Pakistan's cotton sector faces a steady decline, experts have urged urgent collective action to prevent further deterioration of one of the country's key cash crops. The call came during a conference hosted by the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, where […]

Earlier this week I stumbled on a fascinating piece of research led by geography professor Becky Loo at the University of Hong Kong and soon to be published in the Nature Cities journal. Fascinating not just because of its scale – an analysis of 200,000 household travel surveys covering Boston, Chicago, London, Sao Paulo and Hong Kong – but because of […]

Hong Kong’s security chief has pledged to replace emergency fax messaging between police and firefighters with a digital system and to increase phone lines at call centres, after an inquiry into a fatal Tai Po fire revealed that residents had waited up to 15 minutes for call referrals. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung’s remarks on Friday at […]

(260417) -- CHENGDU, April 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- "Kangbao" (Health Baby), a companion healthcare robot, conducts health check on a user at the National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Next-Generation Internet Data Processing Technology of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan […]

SANYA, China, 17th April, 2026 (WAM) -- The United Arab Emirates will compete in the 6th Asian Beach Games, which will take place in Sanya, China, from 22nd to 30th April, with a delegation of 31 athletes competing in four sports: ju-jitsu, sailing, beach soccer, and open water swimming.China will host the Asian Beach Games for the second time, following […]

(260417) -- GUANGZHOU, April 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Visitors interact with a bionic hand at the 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 15, 2026. The 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, opened here on Wednesday. An exhibition area for service robots […]

New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): India's share of global GDP is projected to rise from 3.7 per cent in 2025 to 7.0 per cent by 2050. This shift marks the country's increasing significance as a destination for alternatives investors seeking diversified long-term growth, according to a report by McKinsey & Company. The report stated that India's private […]

Hong Kong’s conservation officers will step up coordination with police to carry out joint operations to enter private premises when investigating suspected animal abuse, following an ombudsman’s report that found existing procedures ineffective. A lawmaker on Friday also backed strengthening collaboration rather than granting Agriculture, Fisheries and […]

New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): Global investment firm Jefferies in its latest report said that gold has entered a consolidation phase following a strong retail-driven buying surge seen late last year and early this year across key markets including India, China and the United States.The report noted that the earlier rally in gold demand, particularly […]

An 80-year-old Hong Kong man was stabbed in the leg near Cosco Tower on Wing Lok Street in Sheung Wan on Friday morning. He sustained injuries to his left elbow and thigh after being attacked by a man wielding a knife. He was sent to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam for treatment. The case was reported to police at 11.17am. Officers investigated at the […]

(260417) -- TUNIS, April 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Attendees take selfies with an exhibited model during a launch event for Chery's new car in Tunis, Tunisia, on April 16, 2026. Chinese automaker Chery unveiled i03, its first pure electric vehicle in Tunisia, during the car launch event held in Tunis on Thursday. (Xinhua/Zhou Haojin)

An oil tanker sailing under the flag of Hong Kong has passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf of Oman, as a US blockade continues to target vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports, according to a maritime data firm. The tanker, AVA 6, departed from a port in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, Beijing time. It passed through the Strait […]

By Phan Hong Nhung, Hu Jiali, Liu YingHANOI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- When the horn of an international passenger train sounds at Gia Lam station on the eastern edge of Hanoi, Vietnam, it signals more than the arrival of a cross-border service. The train, which connects the Vietnamese capital with the southern Chinese city of Nanning, carries stories that bring […]

Hong Kong customs has arrested seven people in a citywide crackdown on party rooms offering suspected illegal karaoke sets with songs that infringed copyright. The operation, code-named “Magpie”, took place between March 16 and Wednesday this week and involved more than 100 officers, who raided 14 party rooms, a bar and the homes of two online sellers. […]

A primary school on an outlying island in Hong Kong will cease operations in the 2029-30 academic year after failing to submit a survival plan due to an insufficient number of Primary One pupils for next year. CCC Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School will also be the first of 15 under-enrolled schools barred from operating subsidised Primary One […]

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-21 crew aboard China's orbiting space station completed their mission's third series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).The astronaut trio -- Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang -- worked for roughly 5.5 hours and completed their tasks at 1:36 a.m. […]