China

Hong Kong’s legislature has passed a bill providing the legal basis for implementing a “co-location” arrangement at the upgraded Huanggang border crossing following a four-hour meeting, after the city’s security chief said it must be approved by July 31. The passage of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill, which was gazetted on Tuesday, […]

Hong Kong police have arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of wounding for allegedly shoving a classmate who was later sent to hospital. The force said on Friday that the boy was arrested on suspicion of wounding on Monday after an in-depth investigation. The teenager was subsequently released on bail pending further investigation and was required to […]

Washington DC [US], July 17 (ANI): A bipartisan group of more than 60 US senators on Thursday (local time) introduced revised legislation to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and its supporters, replacing the earlier proposal for blanket tariffs with targeted measures aimed at the world's largest buyers of Russian energy. The bill, introduced days after […]

Some Hong Kong workers have said they intend to quit smoking as a new ban on smoking at construction sites came into force on Friday. The ban came in the wake of the deadly fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court housing estate, a disaster that killed 168 people last November and was suspected to have been caused by workers smoking while carrying out […]

SHANGHAI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) training and seminars over the next five years, President Xi Jinping said Friday.Xi made the announcement when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI […]

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. The young Chinese scientist behind ‘impossible’ breakthrough on sodium batteries […]

SHANGHAI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday presented four observations on artificial intelligence (AI) development and governance while addressing the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance.First, adhering to the principle of openness and win-win cooperation while boosting […]

JINAN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- When post-2000s couple Li Zhenghong and Sima Miaomiao in the city of Linyi, east China's Shandong Province, were planning their wedding, they opted for a "lightweight" package at just over 10,000 yuan (about 1,473 U.S. dollars). No lavish spending and no one-upmanship could be detected, just the warm blessings of family and […]

A Hong Kong taxi driver has died after his vehicle crashed into a railing in Tsuen Wan. According to police, the accident happened at 11.45pm on Thursday on Ma Tau Pa Road, when the cabby reportedly lost control of his vehicle and drove into a railing while travelling towards Tsuen Wan Riviera Park. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and found the […]

The suspect vandalized monuments to the victims of Ukrainian nationalist massacres to inflame international tensions, investigators sayThe Polish authorities have accused Russian intelligence of orchestrating the desecration of World War II memorials after charging an 18-year-old Ukrainian with vandalizing monuments commemorating Poles massacred by […]

(260717) -- JINAN, July 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 28, 2025 shows newlyweds riding a bus as their wedding vehicle in Feixian County of Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province. TO GO WITH "China Focus: Less show, more love now evident at rural China weddings" (Xinhua)

The Hong Kong Observatory has cancelled the amber rainstorm warning after more than three hours but urged residents to stay vigilant, as river flooding could pose a danger. The signal, issued at 9.50am and cancelled at 1pm, was the second amber rainstorm warning to be issued on Friday. An earlier alert was issued just after midnight and was cancelled at […]

Washington DC [US], July 17 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) alleged that members of the 'Deep State' within US intelligence agencies suppressed information about China's alleged interference in the 2020 US election, announcing investigations into an alleged cover-up that kept the intelligence from both the President and the […]

Victor Dawes, lead counsel for a panel investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, delivered his closing remarks at the final public inquiry session, wrapping up a months-long hearing into the tragedy. The 600-page statement covered the causes of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each involved […]

by Xinhua Writer Zheng BofeiBEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The scent of fresh ink lingered in the air as Ren Baoquan brushed a thin layer of it across a carved wooden block. Elsewhere in his workshop, digital-style paintings and trendy souvenir envelopes lined tables, reflecting wider efforts by a town in Beijing's outskirts to take traditional heritage into […]

KUNMING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- At a time when Asian elephant numbers are declining globally, one herd in southwest China has added seven members in just five years.The herd, known as the "short-nose family," captured worldwide attention in 2021 after roaming more than 1,400 kilometers across Yunnan Province. It returned to its traditional habitat with 14 […]

(260717) -- CHELYABINSK, July 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People visit a photo exhibition showcasing the achievements of Chinese modernization in Chelyabinsk, Russia, July 15, 2026. A photo exhibition showcasing the achievements of Chinese modernization opened Wednesday in Russia's central city of Chelyabinsk, attracting more than 100 participants from political, […]

(260717) -- ASTANA, July 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gulmira Bekmanova, vice rector of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, receives an interview with Xinhua in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 15, 2026. TO GO WITH "Roundup: Kazakh experts say Xi's book on governance provides key to understanding contemporary China" (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

(260717) -- BERLIN, July 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People visit an exhibition of "Paradise on Earth: An Exhibition of Han Dynasty Pictorial Art from Sichuan" at the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin, Germany on July 15, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: Han Dynasty art exhibition in Berlin offers glimpse of ancient Sichuan" (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

(260717) -- HARARE, July 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People attend an investment promotion event for the Goromonzi Agro-Industrial Park in Harare, Zimbabwe, on July 16, 2026. TO GO WITH "Zimbabwe seeks Chinese investment for agro-industrial park" (Photo by Tafara Mugwara/Xinhua)

Earlier this month, the first batch of 14,000 free tickets to visit the People’s Liberation Army’s naval vessels during their stopover in Hong Kong was claimed within minutes of being released. Families queued online for the opportunity to step aboard the ships, and the open days quickly became one of the most talked-about events of this year’s […]

The US president has announced the release of declassified intelligence on alleged vulnerabilities in voting infrastructureUS President Donald Trump is delivering a primetime White House address on election security, announcing the immediate release of declassified intelligence documents on alleged vulnerabilities in America's voting infrastructure."Every […]

The president has claimed US intelligence officials suppressed information about a massive breach of American voter dataUS President Donald Trump is delivering a primetime White House address on election security, announcing the release of declassified intelligence documents detailing alleged vulnerabilities in America's voting infrastructure.Trump accused […]

The US president has announced the release of declassified intelligence on alleged vulnerabilities in voting infrastructure US President Donald Trump is delivering a primetime White House address on election security, announcing the immediate release of declassified intelligence documents on alleged […]

The president has claimed US intelligence officials suppressed information about a massive breach of American voter data US President Donald Trump has delivered a primetime White House address on election security, announcing the release of declassified intelligence documents detailing alleged vu

HOHHOT, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Journalists from the United States, Morocco, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, Vietnam, as well as Chinese central media outlets, visited local ecological conservation frontlines, new energy equipment production workshops, and intangible cultural heritage inheritance sites in Tongliao, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous […]

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping economies, industries and daily life at breakneck speed. The question that matters now is not who builds the most powerful system, but whether AI becomes a weapon in geopolitical rivalry or an engine of shared global progress.The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), […]

Taxi trade leader Chau Kwok-keung says he has never felt as much fear as he does now after transport minister Mable Chan set a 10,000-vehicle cap for ride-hailing service permits in May, in a bid to resolve what she called a “long-standing controversy” between traditional cabs and online service providers. Chau, a 40-year veteran of the industry, […]

The new Shanghai-based body unites 29 nations that want to ensure the use of artificial intelligence is safe, fair and benefits all of humanityRussia and China have joined forces with over two dozen other nations to create a new international organization to help guide cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) development in accordance with a […]

The blocs future depends on offering something Washington and Brussels never could: development without dominationAs BRICS adjusts to its expansion in 2024 and 2025, it faces two linked questions. How can the group stabilize itself internally, and how can it assume a more important role in global governance?The answer shouldn't be to imitate existing […]

Although retail sales in Hong Kong rose more than 10 per cent year on year in the first five months of 2026, a wave of shop closures continues, leaving tenants and landlords with vastly different assessments of the retail leasing market. Many tenants say that despite racking their brains for solutions, their businesses remain stagnant. They are losing money […]

Hong Kong’s schools stand at a critical juncture as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes learning. The government’s Blueprint for Digital Education Development in Primary and Secondary Schools, launched last month just days ahead of Digital Education Week, sets out a clear vision with students as the focus, teachers as professionals, schools as the […]

Washington, DC [US], July 17 (ANI): The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially announced the final rule to eliminate the 'duration of status' framework for F, J, and I nonimmigrant visa holders.The Department, in an official statement on Thursday, stated that this move will 'officially eliminate the 'duration of status' loophole that […]

The exhibition features scenes of farming and weaving, salt production, land and water transport, and local customs in the ancient Bashu region around 2,000 years ago. The works are reproductions of rubbings taken from Han Dynasty pictorial bricks and stone carvings found in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Jointly organized by the Chinese Cultural […]

From healthcare to education, a new model of technological development aims to put everyday users - not monopolies - first Artificial intelligence is no longer simply a technological race. It is becoming a question of how the world chooses to govern one of the most transformative innovations of the modern […]

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 16 (ANI): Chinese authorities have reportedly demolished a centuries-old fortress in Tibet's eastern Gyalrong region, triggering widespread criticism from Tibetans in exile and raising concerns over the preservation of the region's cultural heritage.Videos widely shared on social media show heavy machinery […]

SHANGHAI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in east China's Shanghai on Thursday.Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, welcomed Dar, who is in China to attend the upcoming World Artificial Intelligence […]

Seoul [South Korea], July 16 (ANI): The memory chip industry is competing to get a bigger share of the automotive segment as semiconductors gradually become one of the main inputs for car manufacturers. Modern vehicles come with high-end infotainment systems and ADAS features that consume memory that is now almost as much as laptops or desktops. A Korea […]

Taipei [Taiwan], July 16 (ANI): Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will invest an additional USD 100 billion in Arizona as it plans to expand capacity to deliver advanced chips to the AI industry, Focus Taiwan reported. The announcement was made by its chairman C.C. Wei on Thursday as the company announced blockbuster second quarter earnings […]

(260716) -- SHANGHAI, July 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is in China for the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance and an official visit, arrives in Shanghai, east China, July 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

(260716) -- SHANGHAI, July 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the signing ceremony and signs the agreement on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on behalf of the Chinese government in Shanghai, […]

ASTANA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- At an event promoting the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" here on Wednesday, participants agreed that the book offers deep insights into China's governing philosophy.More than 200 representatives from publishing houses, media organizations, think tanks, universities, enterprises and other sectors from China […]

(260716) -- ASTANA, July 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on July 15, 2026 shows copies of a casebook titled "ESG in Action across Central Asia: Outstanding Practice Cases." A symposium on deepening cooperation between China and Central Asia under the framework of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has been held in Astana, the capital of […]

XISHUANGBANNA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The 5th Yunnan International Communication Forum kicked off in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province on Thursday, gathering experts, media practitioners and representatives of relevant institutions from home and abroad to explore new mechanisms and pathways for international […]

(260716) -- XISHUANGBANNA, July 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo shows copies of the think tank report titled "Living in Harmony with Nature: The Ecological Civilization Behind China's Wild Elephant Sanctuary." The report was released Thursday by the Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency at the 5th Yunnan International […]