China targets US rare earth miners as Pentagon faces restocking rush

China put two US rare earth miners on its export control list, along with eight technology companies, in response to the US Department of Defence blacklisting Chinese businesses for their alleged ties to the People’s Liberation Army.MP Materials and USA Rare Earth will both be banned from buying Chinese exports with dual civilian and military uses, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday. Motor maker Aveox and drone companies Red Cat and Teal Drones were among the other companies included in...

China’s evolving political economy, as seen through gaokao scramble

In this long exposure photo, students arrive at a school on the first day of China’s National Higher Education Entrance Examination, known as gaokao, in Huaian, Jiangsu province on June 7. Photo: AFP

Winston Mok, a private investor, was previously a private equity investor.

This week, the results of China’s National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or gaokao , will be released. Within days, candidates will submit their prioritised preferences for universities and majors. Families will have to make the most consequential choices with imperfect information amid uncertainty.

It is a sorting mechanism. Candidates need to find the right match by choosing programmes their gaokao results can


Li Qiang’s tech blueprint: turn China’s old industrial hubs into high-value powerhouses

During an inspection of shipbuilding and nuclear power firms in China’s heavy industrial hub in the northeast, Premier Li Qiang pushed state-owned firms to achieve breakthroughs in high-end equipment manufacturing and to bolster the nation’s core industrial competitiveness.

“Dalian’s shipbuilding industry boasts a long history and a solid foundation in developing high-end equipment manufacturing,” Li was quoted as saying by Xinhua during his visit to a state-owned shipbuilder in the harbour city in Liaoning province on Monday.

He emphasised that


US tops Philippine tourism market, propelled by strong ties, even stronger dollar

Tourists take photos at Chocolate Hills on Bohol Island in Central Visayas province in the Philippines in December 2025. Photo: AFP

The US has overtaken South Korea as the Philippines ’ top source of foreign tourists this year, helped by diaspora travel and closer ties between the long-time allies, giving Manila a boost as it tries to close the gap with more popular destinations in Southeast Asia.
Figures from the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that between January and May, 531,859 visitors came from the US, while 50
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Driver, passenger hurt as taxi collides with truck in Hong Kong

A taxi driver and a passenger were injured after the vehicle collided with a medium goods vehicle on Kwun Tong Road on Tuesday afternoon. Photo: Handout
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Singapore hotel rates skyrocket ahead of sold-out BTS concerts

Some fans complained about the high room prices and suggested staying in neighbouring Johor Bahru instead

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A fan poses with cardboard cut-outs of BTS members before the band’s concert in Mexico last month. Photo: Reuters

Hotel bookings in Singapore are surging ahead of K-pop boy band BTS’ highly anticipated concerts in December, with some reporting demand jumping by as much as 50 times.
The spike mirrors a broader trend across Asia, where cities on BTS ’ tour schedule have recorded significant increases in accommodation searches. Some booking platforms reported

Hong Kong declared Sars-free in 2003 – SCMP archive

This article was first published on June 24, 2003.

WHO gives the all-clear

by Jimmy Cheung, Chow Chung-yan and Benjamin Wong

Hong Kong is ready to spend $1 billion to rebuild its battered image and lure back tourists and businesses after it was officially declared free of Sars by the World Health Organization yesterday (June 23, 2003).

Officials said the announcement had given the go-ahead for a campaign aimed at promoting Hong Kong as the best place for

S.K.H. St. Peter’s Primary School students in Shek Tong Tsui prepare to take off their face masks after the World Health Organization announced the removal of Hong Kong from a list of Sars-affected areas. June 23, 2003. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Malaysian MP slams Johor crown prince over ‘most Hollywood’ populist label

Tunku Ismail Ibrahim did not mention Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman when he referred to a Muar politician as among the ‘Hollywood’ types

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Malaysian politician Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman speaks during an interview with Reuters in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia in 2020. Photo: Reuters

Malaysian lawmaker Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has fired back at Tunku Ismail Ibrahim after the Johor crown prince took a swipe at the former sports minister, describing him as the “most Hollywood” among populist politicians.

Tunku Ismail told a podcast show over the weekend that he “liked


After 6 prime ministers in 10 years, can anyone fix the UK?

The iconic door of 10 Downing Street in London. Photo: EPA

Starmer, who won one of the biggest landslides in British political history, is out after less than two years. The sixth leader to quit in 10 years.

The highest rate of political turnover in almost two centuries. Like his predecessors, Starmer failed to stem popular anger over living standards, which have stagnated since the 2008 financial crash, while


How Japan seeks to win over allies by refuting China’s militarism claim

A sailor raises the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force ensign on board the JS Ise, a helicopter destroyer, as it docks at the international port in Manila in June last year. Photo: AFP

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi ’s pushback against China signals a calculated bid to fend off accusations of Tokyo’s “new militarism” by Beijing to ensure that the label does not stick and slow Japan’s security reforms.

His comments in recent weeks on separate instances are aimed at shaping the perceptions of Tokyo’s state partners, according to analysts.

Speaking