newsmart – Latest News

koreatimes.co.kr | 7 min. ago NEW

US ends visa waiver for Chinese over birth tourism, people smuggling allegations

Washington has suspended visa-free entry for Chinese visitors to the Northern Mariana Islands amid allegations of birth tourism and people smuggling in the US territory. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday the suspension of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program.

US Senator Mike Lee hailed the move on social media, calling the program a "Biden-era loophole for Chinese birth tourism" and praising the Trump administration for having "closed" the pathway. The program, also known as EVS-TAP, allowed pre-screened Chinese nationals to visit the islands for up to 14 days without a US visa.

Under the new decision, existing authorizations will be cancelled from October 30, although Chinese nationals already in the Pacific Ocean territory may complete their authorized stays. More than 3,000 Chinese nationals entered under EVS-TAP in financial year 2025. The DHS said it had found "good cause" to suspend the program as "PRC [People's Republic of China] nationals are almost certainly exploiting EVS-TAP".

It

scmp.com | 1 hrs. 35 min. ago

Chinese circuit board firm Dongshan Precision plunges at Hong Kong debut

Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co. slumped in its Hong Kong trading debut after an underwhelming HK$9.9 billion (US$1.26 billion) initial public offering (IPO), as investor sentiment was haunted by the deepening sell-off across China’s artificial intelligence (AI) and tech hardware sectors. Shares of the circuit-board manufacturer, a key supplier of components for AI servers, dropped as much as 6 per cent after its debut in Hong Kong market on Wednesday.

It bounced back slightly with a...

scmp.com | 2 hrs. 12 min. ago

Manila speaks with 2 voices on China

Manila sent two strikingly different messages to Beijing on October 13. At the Malacanang Palace, a presidential spokeswoman reaffirmed Manila’s commitment to sustaining diplomatic and economic ties with China, saying “China needs the Philippines, and the Philippines needs China”. That same day, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr rejected a call for military-to-military communication with China, a move that received public support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Teodoro...

scmp.com | 2 hrs. 38 min. ago

Will China travel hurt US students’ careers? FBI battles fears as talent pipeline stalls

An American student considering studying in China attended a briefing with a senior FBI official at a Washington think tank last month to address her concerns about whether such an experience could jeopardise her prospects for a career in the federal government. The official’s message: travelling to China would not automatically disqualify her.

She welcomed the clarification but said she wasn’t “completely reassured”. “I’m still wondering if it’s a good idea to go,” said the student, who...

scmp.com | 3 hrs. 31 min. ago

Global carmakers search for new China strategy as market share slips below 30%

Global carmakers are searching for a way to survive in China’s cutthroat market, as they continue to lose ground to domestic competitors in a landscape that is increasingly tilting towards electric vehicles. International auto brands from Volkswagen to Toyota saw their market share in the Chinese mainland slide once again in the third quarter of the year, as consumers turned away from expensive foreign cars amid an economic slowdown and the Iran war.

Foreign marques accounted for less than 30...

scmp.com | 3 hrs. 31 min. ago

Why is the US reluctant to give South Korea wartime control of its troops?

South Korea wants to take back wartime command of its troops from the United States within the next two years, but analysts say Washington is refusing to commit to a date to keep a hold on a military it sees as vital to countering China.

The dispute is over wartime operational control, known as OPCON, which the US has held since shortly after the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950. If fighting were to break out again under the current arrangements, designated South Korean units would be assigned...

bbc.co.uk | 4 hrs. 10 min. ago

China's families are now supporting more old people than kids

The latest figures mark a major milestone as Beijing grapples with an ageing population.

arstechnica.com | 4 hrs. 11 min. ago

China's top-secret spaceplane can't hide in low-Earth orbit

The DIA's threat assessment suggests China may soon place directed energy weapons in space.

scmp.com | 5 hrs. 28 min. ago

How Hong Kong went from a yuan gateway to a complete currency ecosystem

In September, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled the city’s first five-year plan along with his policy address, highlighting Hong Kong’s strategic role in promoting the greater use of the yuan outside mainland China as a key priority. In the second part of a four-part series on the globalisation of the yuan, Daisy Wu examines Hong Kong’s evolution from an offshore reservoir into a self-sustaining yuan ecosystem.

Of the hundreds of thousands of people who cross the border between mainland...

scmp.com | 6 hrs. 28 min. ago

5 things to watch out for in 2027 US defence bill aimed at countering China

The 2027 US defence bill, covering more than US$1 trillion in proposed defence spending, will be one of the most closely watched pieces of legislation when Congress returns after the midterm elections, with efforts to counter China running through nearly every corner of the text.

The US House of Representatives passed its version of the bill, known as the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), in July. The bill faces a tougher path in the US Senate, where a July procedural vote to begin...

scmp.com | 9 hrs. 43 min. ago

China hands former regulator suspended death sentence over US$65m bribery charge

A former high-ranking official with China’s securities regulator was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Tuesday over bribery charges, as Beijing continues its sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Wang Huimin, who served as a member of the Communist Party committee of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) from 2014 to 2019, was found to have taken more than 436 million yuan (US$65 million) in bribes.

“The amount involved was especially large and caused especially heavy...

scmp.com | 10 hrs. 15 min. ago

Rubio invokes China, Russia to defend disputed Venezuela oil deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended Washington’s oil agreement in Venezuela as an alternative to Chinese and Russian involvement, pushing back against criticism from opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Rubio said most of the oilfields controlled by the company partnering with Washington had previously been held or operated by Chinese or Russian firms.

He argued that the agreement would help revive production while securing US access to reserves in...

scmp.com | 12 hrs. 43 min. ago

Hong Kong lawmakers raise concerns about fresh HK$27 billion funding for tech hub

Hong Kong lawmakers have raised concerns about the hefty cost of developing a flagship tech hub and a neighbouring wetland park near the city’s border with mainland China, as the government seeks to secure a fresh HK$27 billion for the second round of works. During a Legislative Council development panel meeting on Tuesday, government officials explained the HK$27.2 billion proposal.

It covers forming 175 hectares (432 acres) of land at the San Tin Technopole, establishing more than one-third of...

scmp.com | 12 hrs. 43 min. ago

German leader’s China visit latest sign of foreign diplomacy pivot beyond Beijing

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has begun his state visit to China in the eastern province of Anhui, spotlighting a growing trend among visiting foreign leaders to look well beyond Beijing. Steinmeier arrived in the provincial capital Hefei early on Tuesday to begin a five-day state visit, marking his first trip to China in nearly eight years and confirming an exclusive report by the South China Morning Post earlier this month.

When foreign dignitaries bypass Beijing for provincial...

nytimes.com | 12 hrs. 59 min. ago

[$] China Steps In to Rescue Stocks, But the Market Continues to Fall

The Communist Party uses a “national team” of state-owned investment funds to stem the market rout. But this time, investors are not sure it will work.

euronews.com | 13 hrs. 37 min. ago

TikTok parent company founder tops China's rich list amid AI boom

Zhang Yiming has reclaimed his position as China's richest person, with a €89.4 billion fortune driven by AI, as the country's technology sector booms while traditional industries struggle.

scmp.com | 14 hrs. 12 min. ago

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun to miss Asean defence talks as fifth plenum convenes

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun will skip this week’s meeting of Southeast Asian defence chiefs and their dialogue partners in Cebu, with Beijing instead sending its defence attache in the Philippines. Dong has attended the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) for the past two years.

This year’s ADMM and ADMM-Plus, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, coincide with a major Communist Party meeting known as the fifth plenum, which is running in Beijing from Monday to...

euronews.com | 14 hrs. 20 min. ago

Mercedes-Benz cuts 2026 profit outlook amid China market struggles

Mercedes-Benz now expects its 2026 core profit to remain flat at €5.8 billion, abandoning its earlier forecast of 15% growth, further signaling the severe structural crisis threatening Germany's automotive industry.

nytimes.com | 14 hrs. 26 min. ago

[$] In the A.I. ‘Robogym,’ Machines Train to Be More Like Humans

Germany’s Neura is one of the companies at the forefront of efforts to use artificial intelligence in robotics, and crucial to whether Europe can close the gap with China.

bbc.co.uk | 14 hrs. 32 min. ago

Mbappé sorry for 'ill-judged' Mao remark after backlash in China

The France star had referred to the former Chinese leader as a "dictator" during an interview about memes.

scmp.com | 16 hrs. 12 min. ago

Fragile India-China thaw tested by reported fresh Himalayan border face-offs

A fragile rapprochement between China and India is facing a renewed test following reports of military face-offs along the Asian neighbours’ hotly contested border. Last week, Shatrujeet Kapur, director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), said “confrontations with Chinese troops were continuing at multiple locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border”.

“In the past few days, a situation arose where face-off[s] happened at several locations in Arunachal and it still continues,”...

scmp.com | 16 hrs. 12 min. ago

Pop Mart reports 45 to 50% revenue decline as Labubu sales weaken across major markets

Pop Mart, the Chinese toymaker famous for Labubu collectible dolls, reported a 45 to 50 per cent year-on-year decline in third-quarter revenue, as sales weakened across its major markets, with overseas operations and online channels bearing the brunt of the slowdown. Revenue in mainland China fell 25 to 30 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier, while revenue in Asia-Pacific markets outside mainland China and Oceania dropped 65 to 70 per cent, according to a business update filed to...

scmp.com | 16 hrs. 12 min. ago

China’s Hengrui posts 89% rise in third-quarter net profit, beating estimates

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, one of China’s largest drug makers, reported a 20.55 per cent rise in third-quarter revenue to 8.95 billion yuan (US$1.34 billion), beating analyst estimates of 8.55 billion yuan amid stronger innovative drug sales. Net profit reached 2.46 billion yuan for the three months ended September 30, jumping 88.92 per cent year on year and exceeding the Bloomberg analyst consensus estimate of 2.38 billion yuan.

Improving innovative drug sales and out-licensing revenue...

thehindu.com | 16 hrs. 44 min. ago

Chip war exposes India’s semiconductor vulnerabilities, industry leaders say

U.S.–China tensions underscore need for domestic technology capabilities and resilient supply chains; industry flags gaps in materials, manufacturing expertise and specialised talent

cbsnews.com | 17 hrs. 41 min. ago

TikTok parent ByteDance's founder is China's richest person again

The founder of Tiktok parent ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, reclaimed the top spot on a list of China's richest people, driven by his company's push into AI.

thehindu.com | 18 hrs. 1 min. ago

In Kashmir’s traditional rice, clues to a journey from East Asia

Kashmir’s traditional varieties carry cold-tolerance and other locally adapted genes that modern varieties have partly lost, making them potentially valuable as climate change increases stress on crops, new research has found. The analysis also indicated the varieties are more closely related to those from the Korean Peninsula and Northeast China

scmp.com | 18 hrs. 8 min. ago

China stock sell-off could erase another 15% in value, Morgan Stanley says

Weakness in Chinese stocks may persist, with a quick rebound unlikely after a key benchmark slid into bear territory last week, according to global investment banks including Morgan Stanley. China’s onshore and offshore stocks could decline by an additional 10 to 15 per cent before bottoming out, based on valuations during several troughs since 2008, according to Morgan Stanley.

Meanwhile, UBS Group said sentiment would not recover soon even though the further downside room was limited. Chinese...

iol.co.za | 18 hrs. 17 min. ago

BRICS+ Series: Gulf powers rush to Tehran as the clock runs down to polling day

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the talks between a Saudi delegation and an Iranian delegation in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2023.

ft.com | 18 hrs. 19 min. ago

[$] Reckitt cuts sales outlook as Lysol and China businesses hit

Group’s European business returned to growth despite ‘challenging’ consumer environment and lower cold and flu incidence

abcnews.com | 18 hrs. 31 min. ago

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming reclaims top spot in China’s rich list

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has reclaimed the top spot on a list of China’s richest people, driven by his company’s push into artificial intelligence

scmp.com | 18 hrs. 50 min. ago

Is China’s H-6K strategic bomber getting powerful jamming capabilities?

A Chinese H-6K strategic bomber has been sighted with two new electronic warfare pods used for jamming, according to images circulating on social media, potentially indicating an expansion of the aircraft’s capabilities. The photos – which have not been independently verified – emerged on Saturday and show an H6-K in flight with the pods on two of its six pylons.

They appear to be similar to the RKZ930 pods carried by China’s J-16D electronic warfare aircraft. The location and date of the photos...

scmp.com | 18 hrs. 51 min. ago

EU-China hybrid car deal won’t really help European carmakers

Earlier this month, simmering trade tensions between the EU and China ease as the two sides reached an agreement in Beijing limiting hybrid car exports from China to an annual quota of 350,000 units. After the European Union imposed tariffs on fully electric cars from China in 2024, hybrid imports surged.

The quota would result in more than a halving of the 800,000 hybrid cars expected to be sold this year, a figure which may soon exceed a million if unchecked. The quota would likely shift...

abcnews.com | 19 hrs. 6 min. ago

Chinese brands cut ties with French soccer star Mbappé over ‘Chinese dictator’ remark

For months, French soccer star Kylian Mbappé’s face has appeared in ads across China, from subway stations to elevators in residential buildings

livemint.com | 19 hrs. 26 min. ago

Merz Pitches Closer Ties With Asia, Warns on Pressure From China

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe and Asia can benefit from closer ties across trade and security issues as both regions face pressures from great powers, particularly China.

abc.net.au | 19 hrs. 33 min. ago

China tipped to 'step forward' as Woodside exits Timor-Leste gas project

An analyst predicts China will swoop in to help Timor-Leste develop its long-planned Greater Sunrise oil and gas project after Woodside sells its stake.

scmp.com | 20 hrs. 31 min. ago

Why paper straws are worse than plastic; Japan’s ‘silver divorce’ rise: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week 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. Filipinos split on Marcos’ sea handling amid row over Chinese envoy’s remarks Filipinos are almost evenly divided over the Marcos administration’s handling of the maritime dispute with China, even as nearly three in four favour diplomacy over confrontation, according to...

scmp.com | 21 hrs. 41 min. ago

China trial shows gum tissue stem cells help 55% of lifetime diabetes patients

A randomised phase 1 clinical trial conducted by scientists and doctors from Shanghai and Guangzhou has achieved encouraging results in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes using stem cells extracted from the mouth’s gum tissue. More than half of those who received the treatment showed varying degrees of improvement, while one subject was able to discontinue exogenous insulin therapy completely, the researchers said.

Results of the study, which tested a therapy based on gingival mesenchymal stem...

theguardian.com | 22 hrs. 43 min. ago

Chinese markets lose trillions as race for AI supremacy with US takes its toll

Lack of profits and the threat posed by western countries are raising concern about the sustainability of Beijing’s AI boomTrillions of dollars have been wiped from China’s stock markets in recent months amid increasing anxiety about the future of artificial intelligence, as Beijing races against the United States for dominance in the sector.The STAR 50 Index, which tracks technology and innovation companies on the Shanghai stock exchange, has plunged 40% since June.

Other indexes of major companies dropped by about 20% over the same time period. Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

US bans vehicles from China’s BYD at Japan military base, calling them ‘unacceptable’ risk

US military says the restrictions on the electric vehicles at Kadena airbase also apply to delivery drivers and taxisOne of America’s biggest overseas military bases has banned vehicles made by the Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD over security concerns, the US military in Japan said on Tuesday.The ban, which went into effect this week at Kadena airbase on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, has fueled speculation that similar measures could be taken at other US military facilities as part of Washington’s crackdown on Chinese technology it suspects of being used to collect sensitive information.

Continue reading...

timesofindia.indiatimes.com | 1 days ago

China begins key meet, setting stage for Xi’s fourth term