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Focus
SCMP gets to the heart of the matter with its in-depth analysis on the pressing issues in Hong Kong and around the world.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Illustration: Brian Wang
China's economic recovery

Pet healthcare booms in China as furry friends outnumber infants and toddlers

Pet economy offers better career prospects as clinics and hospitals open across country.

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US-China relations

How Trump’s team could use ideology as a weapon in its rivalry with China

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Crime in Hong Kong

Electric shocks, physical assault: inside Southeast Asia’s forced labour camps

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US-China relations

Greenland in cold glare of superpowers as US, China and Russia make moves

Observers doubt the new US president will buy the world’s largest island but his interest underlines its strategic importance.

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Illustration: La Ka-kuen
South China Sea

Taiwan and Philippines try to figure out how to navigate the return of Trump

Manila and Taipei, facing PLA confrontations, may need to depend less on the US and appeal to Trump’s transactional nature, analysts say.

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Macau

Wynn looks to Vegas to help revamp Macau’s US$28 billion casino economy

Macau seeks to source 60 per cent of its revenues from non-gaming sectors by 2028, from 20 per cent at present.

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US-China relations

Trump’s return could mark start of new race with China over drones for military

The US is lagging behind its main rival when it comes to dual-use drones that play a key role in many aspects of modern warfare.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Hong Kong politics

Why are Hong Kong think tanks facing a bleak future?

City’s once vibrant think tank scene has entered what some are calling a ‘dark winter’.

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China’s Communist Party

As China’s think tanks seek wider influence, is more autonomy the answer?

2,000 intellectual groups now advise Beijing, but experts say they are producing fewer ‘constructive comments’ to influence decision makers.

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China manufacturing

Why China’s solar firms face ‘too much uncertainty’ in US amid Trump’s return

A saturated Chinese market and rising trade barriers overseas take shine off solar panel makers’ prospects.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US-China relations

What does 2025 hold for China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun?

Key promotions have eluded Dong, two of whose predecessors fell in corruption probes, with implications for Beijing’s military diplomacy.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Business of climate change

Can China’s solar industry find a solution before it’s too late?

Solar industry faces year of reckoning as Opec-style pact falters amid a price war and excess capacity.

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China manufacturing

Chinese firms face stumbling blocks abroad: competitive mindsets may turn messy

Overseas scandals, setbacks shine light on problematic nature of deeply ingrained business mentality. And the less they notice your Chinese identity, the better, some say.

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Chinese overseas

Chinese firms ‘going global’ learn important lesson: integrate, or die

As China’s companies move to emerging markets, they find clients wanting infrastructure and pathways to local development as well as products.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China manufacturing

China EV giant BYD hits skids in Brazil as ‘slavery-like’ claims slam workforce

China’s labour practices are driving a wedge between the world’s biggest EV maker and efforts to expand globally in areas where employee protections are paramount.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Hong Kong economy

‘High hopes’: how Hong Kong can make waves in the cruise industry

Setting up exhibits at terminals and making sure cruise ships sail in a certain direction to maximise views are among suggestions.

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Hong Kong society

Young Hongkongers say adapting to mainland work culture key to smooth transition

Greater Bay Area youth job scheme offers opportunities, but some struggle to cope with fast pace, long hours.

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China stock market

Taking stock: global investment banks hedge their bets on China market next year

After a forgettable year, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Goldman Sachs and others make their predictions for Chinese equities in 2025.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Taiwan

Beijing’s pilot zone for economic integration with Taiwan running out of steam

By 2022 there were over 3,000 people and nearly 1,300 enterprises from Taiwan in Pingtan, Fujian, but the cross-strait beacon is dimming.

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Taiwan

Why Beijing’s Taiwan integration experiment in Fujian is starting to fizzle

Beijing invests billions into luring Taiwanese to Fujian’s Pingtan county, but it has yet to translate into political loyalty.

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US-China relations

Trump’s first 100 days: can Beijing stop downwards spiral in US-China ties?

Early contact with new administration seen as an important ‘window of opportunity’ for Beijing to help set the course of future relations.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China's population

Too busy for love in time of baby bust: Chinese students embrace being single

Fears expressed that heavier burdens stemming from a focus on finding a job and making money could add to China’s demographic crisis.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Artificial intelligence

China catches up fast in AI race, but US chip curbs cast shadow

Abundant investment and an open-source approach have pushed China to the AI forefront, but a lack of advanced chips may prove devastating.

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China manufacturing

In China’s industry, it’s the law of the jungle. How should Beijing intervene?

A storm is gathering strength in China’s overheated industries, and its name is neijuan, as government intervention squares up against the law of the jungle.

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China energy security

As use of roof solar panels becomes more common in China, can the grid keep up?

‘Distributed’ solar power generation on roofs of houses, factories and airports is spreading across country, but curtailment rate is also rising.

Illustration: Davies Christian Surya
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong fossil findings create buzz, but experts cool on ‘dinosaur tourism’ talk

Recent discoveries are significant, but experts say city needs more resources, talent to deal with them.

Illustration: Brian Wang
China's economic recovery

How has Hengqin helped Macau diversify its casino-dominated economy?

Greater Bay Area plan has added impetus to development of neighbouring island in Zhuhai.

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US-China relations

Superpower showdown: how US-China economic warfare could play out under Trump

As US president-elect Donald Trump forms his hawk-filled cabinet, what might China do to counter and deflect a barrage of blows?

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