China

Hong Kong will establish the first national manufacturing innovation centre outside mainland China and a high-level steering committee to spearhead AI development, the finance chief has said, as the city seeks to align with the country’s 15th five-year plan. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also unveiled a citywide artificial intelligence (AI) literacy […]

Hong Kong is betting big on innovation, artificial intelligence and redoubling its focus on its international financial centre role as it aligns its economic future with the country’s development goals, the financial secretary has said while unveiling a budget allocating billions of dollars to these sectors. Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday spotlighted the […]

Hong Kong’s government investment agency will take on a bigger role in attracting commercial property investment while advancing the establishment of an alliance focused on Chinese-developed RISC-V chips, as the financial secretary pledged additional funding to the corporation in Wednesday’s budget speech. The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), […]

Hong Kong is aiming to sharpen its competitive edge as an offshore yuan hub, an asset and wealth management base, and a digital-asset front runner under Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget released on Wednesday. Market participants largely welcomed Hong Kong’s renewed push to strengthen its position as an international financial centre, after […]

Hong Kong’s finance chief has set aside HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion) to kick-start the Northern Metropolis in his latest budget, aiming to accelerate the megaproject through the government’s partnership with developers and tech enterprises. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced on Wednesday that three companies overseeing the Hetao Hong Kong […]

Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices opened the year with a 0.53 per cent month-on-month gain in January, according to official data, sustaining a recovery that began in the second quarter of 2025. Rents in the city, meanwhile, continued to rise, surging by 0.3 per cent from a month earlier to set another peak, according to data released on Wednesday by the […]

Amid snow, lanterns and laughter, the pandas once again demonstrated how cultural exchange can flourish even in winter, warming hearts across the borders of China and Russia.MOSCOW, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Snowflakes drifted softly through the winter air as laughter and the rapid clicks of cameras echoed across Moscow Zoo. Holding a little boy's hand and […]

WUHAN, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A silent aircraft with rotors tucked inside its fuselage lifted off in front of an auditorium in downtown Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, drawing cheers from astonished onlookers who pulled out their phones to capture the spectacle of a machine that looked like it belonged on a sci-fi movie set.However, this […]

Following a complex operation carried out by the 35th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar and local doctors, 31-year-old bus conductor Ali Hamad Kombo, who was forced to stop working after a road accident, is now recovering steadily, rekindling hope for his family's livelihood.DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Three weeks ago, 31-year-old Ali Hamad Kombo […]

Hong Kong authorities will offer sweeteners of about HK$22 billion (US$2.8 billion) to residents and businesses, up from HK$7.8 billion last year, as public coffers are set to pivot from a deficit to a surplus. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday announced a raft of tax concessions and allowances in his annual budget, almost three times what […]

(260225) -- HONG KONG, Feb. 25, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, delivers the 2026-27 budget in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 25, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Ukraine crisis "is a stain on our collective consciousness, and remains a threat to regional and international peace and security."BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- As the Ukraine crisis marked its fourth anniversary on Tuesday, the conflict remains entrenched in a stalemate, with mounting human and economic costs […]

Hong Kong raised its economic growth forecast to between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent this year, as Financial Secretary Paul Chan delivered a budget speech focused on diversifying growth and boosting innovation. The city also will end deficits ahead of schedule, aided by economic growth and stronger stock trading, with an expected consolidated surplus of […]

New Delhi [India], February 25 (ANI): Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on Wednesday criticised the recent protest by the Indian Youth Congress at the India AI Impact Summit, stating that the incident at a prestigious national event has negatively impacted the country's global reputation.Union Minister Gajendra Singh […]

China is leading the wave in the field of sustainable development and produces leading solutions in many markets, said Peter Bakker, president and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).GENEVA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- China is leading the wave in the field of sustainable development and produces leading solutions in many markets, […]

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has announced an array of industry spending and relief measures in Hong Kong’s budget, in response to the city’s quicker-than-expected return to a surplus of HK$2.9 billion (US$370.8 million) in its consolidated account. In a two-hour address to the Legislative Council on Wednesday, Chan pledged substantial government […]

Improving global governance is not only China's firm stance, but also a shared choice of more and more countries worldwide.GENEVA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, released on Tuesday a report titled "Upholding International Justice and Jointly Addressing World Turbulence -- Focusing on China's […]

Patna (Bihar) [India], February 25 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin on Wednesday accused the Nehru-Gandhi family of pursuing a 'compromise mission' that prioritized personal and foreign interests over national welfare, describing Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi as a 'puppet of foreign powers'. Speaking to the media, Nabin […]

(260225) -- BEIJING, Feb. 25, 2026 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2026. Merz arrived here on Wednesday for an official visit to China through Thursday. (Xinhua/Dai Tianfang)

HSBC Holdings unveiled a range of new growth targets and strategies on Wednesday, including plans to boost investment in Hong Kong and other high-growth markets to US$1.8 billion in the coming years. CEO Georges Elhedery said the bank would raise its return target to 17 per cent or higher from 2026 to 2028, while maintaining a sustainable dividend policy. […]

CHANGCHUN, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Wang Xue, a resident of Beijing, booked a Russian king crab for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. She saw on the logistics app on the morning of Feb. 15 that the crab had already departed from the airport in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province.Wang was eagerly awaiting the feast, where this impressive king […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po unveiled his latest budget on Wednesday, revealing an earlier-than-expected operating surplus after three years of deficits. While the improved fiscal position – driven by a […]

BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian social media influencer Liakhova Albina, who is based on China's tropical Hainan Island, had a whirlwind Spring Festival. She decorated her home with red couplets, browsed bustling holiday markets, prepared a Chinese New Year's Eve feast, and watched a dazzling display of drones and fireworks -- sharing each moment with […]

All eyes on Wednesday will be on how the government plans to give a big push to its latest investment darling, the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, its three-year-old vehicle that has yielded impressive early gains. Sources told the South China Morning Post that HKIC would come up as a key highlight in Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget […]

Hong Kong police have launched an investigation into the death of a 23-year-old inspector who shot herself with a pistol inside the Kwun Tong police station. The force said the inspector, who was attached to the Patrol Sub-unit of the Kwun Tong District, shot herself in the loading and unloading area of the police station at about 7.45am on Wednesday. A […]

Taipei [Taiwan], February 25 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence on Wednesday said it detected five Chinese vessels operating near its territorial waters as of 6 am (local time). The ROC Armed Forces monitored the situation and responded, while no PLA aircraft were observed in the area during this period.In a post on X, MND stated, '5 PLAN vessel […]

BERLIN, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is paying his first official visit to China on Wednesday. For the world's second- and third-largest economies, the trip presents a good opportunity to enhance mutual understanding, strengthen pragmatic cooperation and jointly contribute more to world peace and prosperity.At a time when the world […]

Hong Kong’s finance chief will earmark substantial funds for a new innovation hub near the border with mainland China and include incentives to attract more aerospace players to the city in his budget, government sources have said. Highlighting innovation as a key theme of Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget speech to be delivered on Wednesday, […]

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has secured for the first time separate court orders in Hong Kong and the UK to freeze HK$4.3 million (US$552,948) in assets belonging to three alleged insider traders – including a former Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) staffer – who have left the city. The city’s Court of First Instance granted a […]

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will deliver his annual budget on Wednesday, unveiling measures to accelerate the city’s economic recovery after balancing the books, amid mounting expectations for more “sweeteners” in the blueprint. The 2026-27 budget also marks the government’s first major test in aligning the city with mainland […]

(260224) -- ANKARA, Feb. 24, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Dr. Mustafa Ciftci, vice president of the Trkiye Acupuncture Association, operates acupuncture treatment on a patient at his clinic in Ankara, Trkiye on Feb. 17, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: Acupuncture gains ground in Trkiye as trust in ancient Chinese therapy grows" (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

(260224) -- ASHGABAT, Feb. 24, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An artist performs a dance at a "Happy Chinese New Year" celebration event in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 23, 2026. (Chinese Embassy in Turkmenistan/Handout via Xinhua)

Aland's connection with the Chinese zodiac began in late 2014, when its first zodiac-themed stamp for the Year of the Goat received an enthusiastic response.by Zhu Haochen, Elina XuHELSINKI, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- For more than a decade, Aland Post in Finland's autonomous Aland Islands has issued stamp series themed on the Chinese zodiac, with the newly […]

The maxim, “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”, attributed to the Athenian historian Thucydides, described the reality of world politics for millennia. Today there are forces that wish to see a return to a world where “might equals right”. The European Union, born out of the ashes of war to secure lasting peace, stands […]

Beijing [China], February 24 (ANI): The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has intensified oversight of retired officials by introducing stricter curbs on their overseas travel, insiders from multiple provinces told The Epoch Times (TET).In recent months, authorities in Beijing have also expanded restrictions on public employees, Catholic clergy, and private […]

(Photo credit: Nick King/Lansing State Journal/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)NBC Sports struck ratings gold this month with its coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympics on NBC stations and the streaming platform Peacock.The network averaged 23.5 million viewers to become the most watched Winter Olympics since Sochi in 2014, while […]

(260224) -- BEIJING, Feb. 24, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo shows a book of the English edition of the first volume of "China's Governance Under Xi Jinping's Leadership." The Xinhua Publishing House, the publishing arm of Xinhua News Agency, has released the first volume of "China's Governance Under Xi Jinping's Leadership." Compiled by Xinhua, the book is […]

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 24 (ANI): India's top-ranked tennis star Sumit Nagal delivered a commanding performance while local teenager and the country's rising youngster Manas Dhamne showcased nerves of steel to spearhead the Indian charge in the Maha Open ATP Challenger 75 Men's Tennis Championship at the Balewadi Stadium on Tuesday, according […]

BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Xinhua Publishing House, the publishing arm of Xinhua News Agency, has released the first volume of "China's Governance Under Xi Jinping's Leadership."Compiled by Xinhua, the book is available in both Chinese and English versions and is being distributed to readers at home and abroad.Since the 18th Communist Party of China […]

(260224) -- PARIS, Feb. 24, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Performers led by a humanoid robot take part in a parade celebrating the Chinese New Year on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, on Feb. 1, 2026. TO GO WITH "Roundup: Future-oriented Chinese New Year in France blends tradition, technology" (Xinhua/Zhang Baihui)

* During the Chinese New Year holiday, China's consumer market has remained vibrant, with bustling shopping malls and heavy travel flows reflecting robust domestic demand and growing global appeal.* High-quality imported festive goods are gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. The Chinese New Year has evolved into not only a major cultural celebration […]

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 24 (ANI): Former Tibetan political detainees, along with the Lhasa Boys' Association Switzerland, presented a Long Life Prayer ceremony to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamshala, according to a report by Phayul.The ceremony, held on Monday, included a deeply emotional […]

Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department has launched an internal review to improve its strategies for tackling large-scale blazes following the deadly Wang Fuk Court inferno, with officers set to examine operational effectiveness and equipment use. Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin said on Tuesday that his deputy for operations, Derek Armstrong […]

by Xinhua writer Zhang YunlongBEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's film market registered 5.75 billion yuan (about 829 million U.S. dollars) in ticket sales during the nine-day Spring Festival holiday that ended on Monday, China Film Administration data showed on Tuesday. The lucrative cinematic window demonstrated its enduring pull despite the absence of a […]

BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- From bustling ski slopes in Heilongjiang Province in China's far northeast to booming duty-free shopping in south China's Hainan Province, the country's record-long Spring Festival holiday saw a surge in travel, retail activity and tech-powered consumption, underscoring the country's economic vitality and growing global […]