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South China Morning Post

All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world

Why Thailand, a US treaty ally, is stocking up on Chinese weapons

Thailand, a US treaty ally, has been adding to its arsenal of Chinese-made weapons with deals for ships, tanks and other high-value hardware. Analysts put the trend down to pragmatic considerations. The Royal Thai Army has finalised a deal to buy an additional batch of Chinese-made VN-1 armoured vehicles for 1 billion baht (US$32 million). This is expected to add around 20 new units to its...
Why old China custom requires brides to bring ‘toilet’ or chamber pot for wedding ceremony

An old Han Chinese wedding custom mandates that the bride brings her own “toilet,” typically filled with red eggs, red dates, and peanuts, which symbolise fertility and abundant blessings. Traditionally linked to filth and unpleasant odours, the chamber pot may seem an unlikely addition to a bride’s dowry. Nevertheless, in many regions of China, particularly rural areas, it was once deemed a...
Hong Kong homebuyers keep up robust demand as new launches draw brisk sales

Hong Kong homebuyers continued to show strong demand for new residential launches over the weekend, potentially pushing primary market transactions to a five-month high, according to agents. By 3.30pm on Saturday, about two-thirds of the 108 units released at Park Seasons – a Lohas Park project in Tseung Kwan O developed by Wheelock Properties and the city’s subway operator MTR Corp – had found...
Hong Kong to extend building inspection deadline for contractor checks

Hong Kong authorities will extend the deadline for mandatory building inspection orders to let homeowners vet contractors’ conviction records on a new platform launching later this year, the city’s development chief said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also said on Saturday that the prequalification list on the Urban Renewal Authority’s (URA) electronic platform, currently...
Distracted at Davos, leaders are ignoring one critical issue

Some weighty themes were addressed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, from the apparent return of the Monroe Doctrine and US “manifest destiny” in geopolitics, to a replay of the 19th-century “Great Game” among competing nations elsewhere. But one critical issue that did not receive sufficient attention was the prospect of a global financial system crisis undermining such monumental...
‘Becoming Chinese’: foreigners adopt habits of drinking warm water, practising qigong

Many overseas internet users have recently embraced a new trend of “Becoming Chinese” by incorporating elements of everyday Chinese life into their routines. These lifestyle changes predominantly involve common self-care practices in Chinese culture, such as drinking warm water instead of cold, wearing slippers indoors rather than walking barefoot, consuming cooked vegetables instead of raw...
Viral lies: AI deepfakes hijack reality in Nepal’s election run-up

A video showing three of Nepal’s most recognisable political figures walking side by side set social media abuzz late last year, stirring widespread speculation that a new political alliance was taking shape ahead of a looming national election. But there was a catch: the meeting depicted never took place. The clip, depicting Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Rabi Lamichhane, Kathmandu’s former...
US defence strategy banks on strength – not confrontation – to deny China in Indo-Pacific

The United States will use strength – not confrontation – to deter China in the Indo-Pacific, the Defence Department said, laying out its national strategy to protect the “homeland”. The US would also push allies to spend more on their own defence, it said on Saturday in the 34-page document outlining the country’s security environment and approaches for the next four years. According to the...
China’s top uniformed officer Zhang Youxia among 2 generals placed under investigation

Top Chinese military leaders Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli have been placed under investigation for suspected “serious” disciplinary violations, according to the Ministry of National Defence. Zhang is the first-ranked vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military command body headed by President Xi Jinping, while Liu is chief of its Joint Staff Department. Zhang’s...
Nvidia CEO tours Shanghai amid fresh signs of China thaw

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has begun his latest trip to China – visiting a grocery market in Shanghai on Saturday after touring the chipmaker’s local office – at a time when Beijing is expected to allow imports of the company’s H200 artificial intelligence chips. Huang was seen at a grocery market on Saturday in Shanghai’s busy Lujiazui area, looking relaxed, according to multiple photos circulated...