‘Provocation’ could accelerate Taiwan reunification, retired PLA major general says

South China Morning Post - Sep 17, 2026

Progress towards reunifying with Taiwan hinges on factors like the island’s level of provocation, retired PLA major general Luo Yan told the South China Morning Post, warning that Taiwan’s leader had challenged Beijing’s red lines. Speaking on the sidelines of the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Luo said the timeline for reunification with mainland China was shaped by “the development of our national strength, our defence needs, the global security environment, as well as the degree of...

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Korea's 1st unmanned military ground vehicle gets ready for battlefield

Korea's 1st unmanned military ground vehicle gets ready for battlefield

CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province — As an employee walked across a test track at Hanwha Aerospace’s Changwon Plant 2, a four-wheeled vehicle trailed several meters behind, matching his path without anyone at the controls. The vehicle was the Arion-SMET, Korea’s first multipurpose uncrewed ground vehicle selected for military deployment. “The Arion-SMET can autonomously follow a soldier in front without any intervention from the operator,” said Lee Yun-su, a research engineer at Hanwha Aerospace’s Manned-Unmanned Teaming R&D Center, during the demonstration Monday. The vehicle then picked up speed under remote control. It can travel at up to 60 kilometers per hour, allowing it to leave dangerous areas or deliver supplies, according to the company. A 7.62-millimeter remote-controlled weapon station mounted on top swiveled toward a target on the test ground. Even as the vehicle moved, the weapon remained trained on it. For the final demonstration, another Hanwha employee loaded supplies onto the vehicle and pressed a button on its side. With no driver aboard, the Arion-SMET mov

Lee vows to crack down on transnational crimes, scalping

Lee vows to crack down on transnational crimes, scalping

President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that he will root out transnational crimes, including voice phishing targeting Koreans. Lee made the remarks on social media while sharing a video showing the arrest of members of a scam ring hiding in Kazakhstan in a joint operation with the local government. "The notion that one can avoid capture by staying abroad must now be abandoned," Lee said, adding that anyone who commits crimes against Koreans will be thoroughly tracked down and punished, no matter where in the world they are hiding. Lee expressed gratitude to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Kazakh authorities for their active cooperation in busting the large-scale voice phishing ring. The Korean National Police Agency announced on Aug. 5 that investigators from a governmentwide special task force on transnational crimes apprehended 14 members of the Korean scam ring in the joint operation in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on July 23. Lee also vowed to crack down on scalpers, while sharing a news report about the arrest of a scalper who had made several billion won by purchasing tickets t

Sungkyunkwan University research offers design guidelines for organic solar cells

Sungkyunkwan University research offers design guidelines for organic solar cells

A Sungkyunkwan University research team has analyzed an ultrafast process through which electricity is generated in organic solar cells, offering design guidelines for developing more efficient materials. The university said Monday that the team, led by chemistry professors Kim Tae-yeon and Ko Doo-hyun, conducted the analysis, providing insights for the development of higher-performance solar cell materials. Organic solar cells are a next-generation clean energy technology prized for their flexibility and transparency. The silicon solar panels commonly seen on rooftops are heavy and rigid. Organic solar cells, by contrast, use lightweight, thin films that can be bent and shaped, making them a promising technology that could be integrated into windows or even clothing. More recently, non-fullerene acceptors have emerged as a new class of materials that can significantly improve the efficiency of converting sunlight into electricity. However, exactly how electricity is generated in these materials at the moment they absorb sunlight has remained uncertain. To unravel this mystery, the researc

9 sent to prosecution for alleged extortion targeting foreigners in Yangsan, Gimhae

9 sent to prosecution for alleged extortion targeting foreigners in Yangsan, Gimhae

Police have referred nine individuals to the prosecution on suspicion of intimidating and extorting money from foreign nationals operating unregistered motorcycles in the southeastern cities of Yangsan and Gimhae, local authorities said Thursday. According to the Yangsan Police Station, two suspects in their 20s allegedly extorted about 2 million won ($1,450) from foreign riders on 24 occasions between June and July in the city located some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul by threatening to report them to police. They actually did so when victims claimed they had no money. The suspects apparently targeted foreigners knowing they would not be reported to the police as the victims feared their own undocumented status or operation of unregistered motorcycles would be exposed. Similarly, seven teenagers in Gimhae, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, were transferred to the prosecution on suspicion of intimidating foreign motorcyclists without license plates, such as by kicking their vehicles, in September 2025 and June 2026, according to the Gimhae Seobu Police Station. Police noted, h

Illegal imports of weight-loss drugs top 5,000 through Aug.: customs agency

Illegal imports of weight-loss drugs top 5,000 through Aug.: customs agency

Korea's customs agency said Thursday the number of attempted illegal imports of weight-loss medications, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, surged from a year earlier to exceed 5,000. A total of 5,030 cases involving the illegal import of weight-loss drugs through overseas direct purchases and other illicit channels were detected in the January-August period, far exceeding the 1,189 cases tallied for all of last year, according to data compiled by the Korea Customs Service. The customs agency has been working closely with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to inspect imported medications as part of efforts to protect public health from unauthorized products. While Wegovy and Mounjaro are prohibited from being brought into the country in travelers' hand luggage, a growing number of Koreans have attempted to purchase the medications from neighboring countries due to price differences. "The customs agency conducts X-ray scans and baggage inspections and returns or discards products that do not meet import requirements," the agency said. "If violations go beyond a failure to meet import requireme

Gov't supports bill easing restrictions on civilian contact with N. Koreans: lawmaker

Gov't supports bill easing restrictions on civilian contact with N. Koreans: lawmaker

The government has expressed support for a bill that would ease restrictions on South Koreans seeking to contact North Korean residents by removing its authority to block such contacts, officials said Thursday. Under the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, South Korean nationals planning to make contact with North Koreans are required to file a report in advance with the unification ministry. The ministry may reject such requests if there are clear concerns that the contact may undermine inter-Korean cooperation or pose a threat to national security, public order or public welfare. A revision proposed by Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party seeks to remove the government's authority to reject such requests, and the government has decided to support the move, Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the main opposition People Power Party said, citing a report from the unification ministry. The ministry confirmed its position, saying, "The government supports the proposed revision, considering the law's purpose of promoting inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, operating a system

President Lee set to meet IEA chief to discuss energy security

President Lee set to meet IEA chief to discuss energy security

President Lee Jae Myung will meet with International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol on Thursday to discuss energy security and other global issues, his office said. The meeting at Cheong Wa Dae was arranged as a follow-up to Lee's proposal during the Group of Seven summit in June to discuss ways to cooperate to strengthen the resilience of Asia-Pacific nations' energy supply chain, it said in a press release. Lee and Birol plan to share views on ways to strengthen global energy security amid the intensifying energy and climate crises seen in the recent war in the Middle East and devastating flood in Nepal. Birol has been at the forefront of efforts to overcome the global energy crisis, such as by getting IEA member countries to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves in response to the Middle East conflict in March, the presidential office said.

Special counsel team raids election watchdog in probe into ballot shortages

Special counsel team raids election watchdog in probe into ballot shortages

A special counsel team on Thursday raided the national election watchdog and other local election commissions as part of its probe into shortages of ballots during the June 3 local elections. It marked the first raid by special counsel Lee Tae-han's team after its launch on Sept. 7 to investigate the shortages that sparked major public outcry after some voters were forced to turn back without casting their votes. Lee's team sent investigators to nine locations, including the National Election Commission (NEC) based in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, and the local election commissions of Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Busan and Daegu. Investigators seek to seize internal records in connection with the ballot shortages. During the elections, the shortages led to voting disruptions at some polling stations in Gyeonggi that surrounds the capital, the western city of Incheon, and the southeastern cities of Busan and Daegu. The special counsel team is tasked with investigating the election watchdog's management of ballot papers and suspected tampering of voter turnout data during the local election

Korean Catholic Church voices 'deep concerns' over abortion bill plan

Korean Catholic Church voices 'deep concerns' over abortion bill plan

The Korean Catholic Church has expressed "deep concerns" over government plans to formally introduce abortion pills and urged for a reconsideration. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) made the call in a statement issued Wednesday after the government announced plans to allow the use of abortion pills by women up to nine weeks pregnant. "The CBCK voices deep concerns as this measure would only institutionalize abortion in an 'orderly' manner, without changing its fundamental nature, while allowing a disregard for life to be more deeply rooted in our society," the organization said. The Korean Catholic Church said the phased introduction of abortion pills is merely a "road map" to expand them, stressing that regardless of how well the process is built, it does not change the fact that the pill kills a human life in the womb. The CBCK said a society that truly respects humans is not one that gets rid of the most vulnerable life to ease the difficulties of women but one that takes the responsibility so that women would not have to give up on new life. In such a regard, it asked

Chungnam National University students complete AI research program in US

Chungnam National University students complete AI research program in US

Chungnam National University on Tuesday welcomed students who had returned from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in the United States after completing research projects there. The welcome ceremony was organized by the university’s National Center of Excellence in Software project team and its affiliated Convergence Security Research Center. Chungnam National University said the ceremony brought together students in the Global Software & AI Talent Program and related university officials. Twenty-four students participated in the AI and Generative Models: From Algorithms to Applications research program. Students from the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence and the Department of Artificial Intelligence in the College of Engineering were selected to participate in the four-week program at UIUC, beginning July 10. Upon their return, they presented the final results of the projects they carried out during their stay at the U.S. university, while also sharing their experiences there. The students conducted a range of advanced research projects focused on generati

Ex-President Yoon indicted over wife's luxury bag case

Ex-President Yoon indicted over wife's luxury bag case

Prosecutors on Thursday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on anti-graft charges in connection with his wife's alleged acceptance of a luxury bag in 2022, officials said. It marks the latest criminal indictment against the jailed former president, who is standing multiple trials following his failed 2024 martial law bid and subsequent ouster from office. In the latest case, Yoon faces charges of failing to report former first lady Kim Keon Hee's alleged receipt of the Dior bag, worth 3 million won ($2,170), from a pastor in 2022 as required by the anti-graft law, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office. Prosecutors had decided not to pursue charges over the case in October 2024, when Yoon served as president, citing a lack of connection to his official duties. The latest move comes after a Seoul district court in June convicted Kim on charges of accepting the luxury bag among other valuables in exchange for favors. The case is currently under review at an appellate court. Separately, prosecutors decided not to indict Yoon on charges of violating the election law fo

Busan unites foreign workers through sports, culture, safety

Busan unites foreign workers through sports, culture, safety

On the factory floors and shipyards of Korea’s second-largest city, foreign laborers power key sectors of the regional economy. Home to over 60,000 foreign residents, the southeastern port city of Busan relies heavily on migrant workers to keep its industrial hubs running. This weekend, city authorities are swapping heavy machinery for tug-of-war ropes, traditional folk dances and workplace safety quizzes to help those workers feel more at home. The city of Busan said Thursday that it will host its third annual Sports and Cultural Festival for foreign workers Sunday. Running from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hwaam Park in the Gangseo District — a heavy industrial heartland housing hundreds of manufacturing plants — the event is expected to draw roughly 700 foreign workers, their families and local community leaders. Organized by the Busan Foreign Worker Support Center and backed by the city government along with local labor unions, the gathering aims to build community bridges in a country rapidly turning to overseas labor to offset its shrinking domestic workforce. The festival blends recr

Korea Foundation honors US Peace Corps vets for decades of grassroots diplomacy

Korea Foundation honors US Peace Corps vets for decades of grassroots diplomacy

The Korea Foundation (KF) presented the 10th Korea Foundation Award to Friends of Korea (FoK), Wednesday, at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul, honoring the nonprofit for its decades of grassroots diplomacy and dedication to fostering ties between Korea and the United States. Founded in 2002 by former U.S. Peace Corps volunteers who served in Korea from the 1960s through the 1980s, FoK has spent over two decades deepening mutual understanding between the two nations. The Peace Corps originally deployed thousands of young Americans to teach English and support rural development across Korea. Since then, FoK has built an extensive historical archive of those early missions while promoting Korean culture in the U.S. through public education, publishing and community outreach. The award ceremony served as a celebration of enduring cross-cultural bonds. FoK Chairman Gerard Krzic and board member Jenna Gibson accepted the top honor on behalf of the group, presenting KF President Song Gui-do with a commemorative plaque titled "Sixty Years of Friendship" to mark six decades of Peace Corps' legacy in Ko

Seoul city to hike Han River ferry fares for weekends starting next year

Seoul city to hike Han River ferry fares for weekends starting next year

The Seoul city government said Thursday it seeks to increase fares for its Han River ferry shuttle service on weekends and public holidays next year in a bid to better distribute costs. The "Hangang Bus" service fare is expected to rise from the current 3,000 won ($2.17) to around 5,000 to 10,000 won on weekends and holidays next year, the city said, as the service marks its first anniversary Friday. The ferry service links major points along the Han River that runs through the capital, and has carried more than 600,000 passengers since its launch on Sept. 18, 2025, according to the city government. The city is pushing for the fare hike as there is more demand for the service on weekends, a city official said, adding that a final decision is expected to be made in April next year after public hearings. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the city also plans to increase the number of piers and ferries to reduce waiting intervals to 15 minutes, while diversifying routes by introducing an express service. The city government said it plans to expand the ferry service into a form of public transit bey

Confirmation hearing reports adopted for justice, defense minister nominees

Confirmation hearing reports adopted for justice, defense minister nominees

Parliamentary confirmation hearing reports were adopted for the justice and defense minister nominees Thursday amid objections from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee adopted a confirmation hearing report for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won as the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) forged ahead despite PPP lawmakers' boycott, protesting that allegations surrounding Kim were not fully addressed. "None of the allegations raised during the hearing have been resolved," PPP Rep. Park Hyeung-soo said before walking out of the session. The DPK argued that the nominee sufficiently explained himself during Tuesday's confirmation hearing, including claims that he illegally lobbied the food and drug safety ministry to speed up approval for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021 at a broker's request. Kim, a two-term lawmaker, served as a judge at the Jeonju District Court and the Suwon District Court before joining the presidential office under the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, where he worked in the office of political affairs

Condoleezza Rice, Lee Kyung-chul receive inaugural Lee Hong-koo Diplomacy Award

Condoleezza Rice, Lee Kyung-chul receive inaugural Lee Hong-koo Diplomacy Award

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Lee Kyung-chul, special representative for Middle East peace at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have been named the inaugural recipients of the Lee Hong-koo Diplomacy Award. The Seoul Forum for International Affairs (SFIA), a private diplomatic think tank, announced it has rebranded its Youngsan Diplomat Award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Korean diplomacy, in honor of former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo. Lee Hong-koo, who died in May at the age of 91, served as the founding chairman of SFIA. The awards were presented Wednesday at FKI Tower in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo District during an event marking SFIA’s 40th anniversary. About 100 guests from Korea and abroad attended, including former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Rice served as national security advisor under former U.S. President George W. Bush before becoming U.S. secretary of state from 2005 to 2009. She is now director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Lee was appointed Korea's special representative for Middle Ea

Korean, US troops conduct annual explosive ordnance disposal drills

Korean, US troops conduct annual explosive ordnance disposal drills

Korean and U.S. troops have conducted joint explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) drills designed to improve interoperability and strengthen cooperation among relevant agencies, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday. The EOD drills took place at the Army's I Corps and 9th Infantry Division in Goyang, just north of Seoul, from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the JCS. Some 200 personnel, including officials from each branch of the military, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and the Korea Airports Corp., participated in the drills. During the drills, EOD teams trained under simulated scenarios involving explosives planted in an urban area, with Korean and U.S. troops conducting joint operations to achieve a shared objective. The troops also took part in a seminar to share information on explosives and discuss ways to improve the EOD teams' operational capabilities in peacetime and wartime. Officials said the drills were not related to recent security developments, including the reportedly ongoing review on the possible deployment of Korean troops to the Strait of Hormuz, noting they hav

Lee faces no-win dilemma as justice minister nominee row threatens prosecution reform

Lee faces no-win dilemma as justice minister nominee row threatens prosecution reform

President Lee Jae Myung is facing a high-stakes dilemma over his justice minister nominee: push forward with Kim Seung-won's appointment at the cost of further eroding his approval ratings or withdraw the nomination and lose momentum on his flagship prosecution reform agenda. Political insiders suggest Lee will press ahead regardless. Analysts say he is likely to frame the standoff as a defining battle for prosecutorial reform — a direct confrontation with what his camp describes as political prosecutors resistant to change. “The (ruling) Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) appears poised to push forward with the appointment, while opposition parties are expected to gauge public sentiment following President Lee’s press conference scheduled on Friday before deciding whether to launch full-fledged street protests,” Seo Yang-ho, a political commentator and former mayor of Seoul’s Jung District, was quoted saying on a TV news program. “At its core, Kim Seung-won's nomination is not simply a Cabinet appointment; it represents a fundamental clash between forces driving President Lee

Assembly passes confirmation motion for Supreme Court justice nominee

Assembly passes confirmation motion for Supreme Court justice nominee

The National Assembly on Thursday passed the confirmation motion for Supreme Court Justice nominee Kim Sung-soo. During a plenary session, the Assembly endorsed the confirmation motion for Kim in a 227-28 vote, with 13 abstentions. Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae last month recommended Kim to President Lee Jae Myung for appointment as the successor to former Supreme Court Justice Lee Heung-ku. Kim's parliamentary confirmation hearing took place Monday and rival parties adopted his confirmation hearing report Wednesday. Kim will become the first Supreme Court justice to take office since the launch of the Lee administration if the president approves his appointment.

Korea plans abortion pill rollout as doctors, women's groups clash over access

Korea plans abortion pill rollout as doctors, women's groups clash over access

As Korea prepares to introduce abortion pills, women’s rights groups and doctors are welcoming the move but remain divided over how broadly the drugs should be made available. Women's rights advocates are calling for wider eligibility and eased prescription rules, while doctors are urging tighter medical oversight, reflecting a broader debate over how to balance reproductive autonomy with patient safety. The government on Wednesday announced a plan to allow the use of abortion pills for pregnancies of nine weeks or less, as early as the first quarter of next year. The move follows a prolonged legislative vacuum since the Constitutional Court ruled in 2019 that the criminalization of abortion was unconstitutional. Lawmakers have remained gridlocked over the deeply divisive issue, leaving follow-up legislation on matters such as permissible gestational limits stalled for years. Amid that vacuum, abortion pills have circulated illicitly, fueling calls for their formal introduction. President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to discuss allowing Mifegyne during a Cabinet meeting in July. M

Donald Trump presses China on fentanyl precursors ahead of US summit

Donald Trump presses China on fentanyl precursors ahead of US summit

US President Donald Trump has urged Beijing to take “more aggressive action” to curb the export of drug precursor chemicals, noting to the US Congress that he had raised the issue “directly” with his Chinese counterpart. Trump’s call comes just days ahead of a planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and just a week after security agencies from the two countries praised progress in cooperation on counternarcotics law enforcement. The call was noted in an annual list sent to the US...

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Seizing the Luding Bridge

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Seizing the Luding Bridge

Held up on the banks of the Dadu River by a lack of ferries to carry its soldiers and equipment across, the Central Red Army was under imminent threat from a vast, rapidly-approaching enemy force. To open up an alternative route across the river, the Red Army's 4th Regiment was ordered to capture the Luding Bridge, 120 kilometers away.

The Long March History | Capturing Luding Bridge

The Long March History | Capturing Luding Bridge

In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached the banks of the Dadu River in Sichuan Province. However, their attempts to cross were severely hampered by the limited number of boats available and the river's swift, turbulent current.

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Held Up at the Dadu River

The Red Ribbon on the Earth | Held Up at the Dadu River

In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached the banks of the Dadu River in Sichuan. However, the possibility of crossing it was complicated by a severe shortage of available ferries.

Intl. media outlets highlight China's role in BRICS cooperation

Intl. media outlets highlight China's role in BRICS cooperation

Intl. media outlets highlight China's role in BRICS cooperation

CityU’s response to disco night ‘misconduct’ an overreaction

CityU’s response to disco night ‘misconduct’ an overreaction

In response to the August 27 case of a young man lifting up and carrying a young woman at a party, City University authorities have established a student discipline panel. The man was reportedly half-naked while the woman was clad in only shorts and a bra. Am I the only person to think that a mountain is being made out of a molehill here? We run the risk of using a sledgehammer to crack the proverbial small nut. One aspect of this case does merit further examination: the issue of consent. Who...

Japan’s Natuna port proposal highlights Indonesia’s balancing act on China

Japan’s Natuna port proposal highlights Indonesia’s balancing act on China

Japan’s proposed port upgrades in Indonesia’s Natuna Islands reflect Tokyo’s push to bolster South China Sea security without building an overt military footprint. However, analysts stress that the move does not mean Jakarta is siding with Japan in its efforts to contain Beijing. Japan, which earlier this year eased its restrictions on lethal weapons exports, is ramping up security cooperation with Indonesia – a crucial bellwether for Southeast Asia. The expanding partnership includes joint...

Hong Kong’s 5-year plan, policy continuity offer investors more stability, experts say

Hong Kong’s 5-year plan, policy continuity offer investors more stability, experts say

Longer-term vision and policies with continuity mapped out in Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, along with the latest policy blueprint, offer investment opportunities and greater stability for investors, according to experts and commentators. Hong Kong marked a historic milestone on Wednesday when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu rolled out the city’s first five-year development plan with his fifth policy address to align with China’s long-term national strategy. The explicit directions Lee...

US Congress passes bill targeting Russia’s leading energy buyers – China and India

US Congress passes bill targeting Russia’s leading energy buyers – China and India

The US Congress on Wednesday passed a bill to strengthen sanctions on Russia by targeting Moscow’s leading energy buyers – China and India – just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to arrive in Washington for a bilateral summit with President Donald Trump. The US House of Representatives cleared the “Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” by a 262-159 vote, making its way to the White House for Trump’s signature. The Senate passed the bill last month by an...

Huawei accused of stealing robot tech to get hands on T-Mobile’s trade secrets

Huawei accused of stealing robot tech to get hands on T-Mobile’s trade secrets

The criminal trial of Huawei Technologies on racketeering charges shifted this week into a slower, more laborious pace in what is expected to be a weeks-long trial as the US Government sought to establish on Wednesday that Huawei was intent on learning about a proprietary robot developed by US telecommunications carrier T-Mobile. Matthew Skurnik, assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, spent hours running FBI Special Agent James Diclemis through a series of emails that...

Hong Kong targets gold trading, FPS-UnionPay link to boost yuan use

Hong Kong targets gold trading, FPS-UnionPay link to boost yuan use

Hong Kong will expand the use of the yuan in areas including gold trading and cross-border payments, as policy blueprints call for the city’s biggest push yet to internationalise the Chinese currency. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday devoted part of the city’s first five-year plan and his annual policy address to developing a gold trading ecosystem and creating a regional intellectual property trading centre in the city. “We will consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an...

Hong Kong aims to raise innovation spending to 3% of GDP by about 2030

Hong Kong aims to raise innovation spending to 3% of GDP by about 2030

Hong Kong will strive to raise its expenditure on innovation activities to a level equivalent to 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by around 2030, nearly double the current rate, according to the city’s first five-year plan. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled the ambitious goal, together with measures to boost frontier technologies, including aerospace research, on Wednesday. Among the 22 indicators laid out in the plan, the government aims to raise the ratio of total domestic...

Police arrest man after wife found dead with knife wounds in Heng Fa Chuen

Police arrest man after wife found dead with knife wounds in Heng Fa Chuen

Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after his wife was found dead in a flat at a private residential estate. The force said the woman, 53, was discovered with knife wounds to her neck in a flat in block 2 of Heng Fa Chuen in Chai Wan at about 7.50pm on Wednesday, a police spokesman said. She was confirmed dead at the scene. Officers arrested the man, 52, and announced that an investigation was under way. Heng Fa Chuen is a major private waterfront residential estate...

Hong Kong sets 5-year plan to double innovation spending, boost new industries

Hong Kong sets 5-year plan to double innovation spending, boost new industries

Hong Kong’s leader has unveiled the city’s first five-year blueprint, aligned with China’s national development strategy, setting targets to nearly double innovation spending and raise the share of manufacturing and new industries to 5.5 per cent of the economy. In a historically significant new approach, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu prefaced his annual policy address on Wednesday with a comprehensive set of binding and anticipatory or aspirational longer-term targets for Hong Kong up to the...

China uses 100,000 home-grown AI chips to build leading weather forecast system

China uses 100,000 home-grown AI chips to build leading weather forecast system

China said it can now predict weather 10 days in advance at a cutting-edge resolution of 5km (3.1 miles), finer than most major systems in routine use around the world. The advance was achieved by a Chinese-developed weather forecasting model running on Sugon 8,000, a massive home-grown computing system built entirely with domestically made AI chips. Most major global forecasting systems have resolutions of roughly 5km to 10km, according to the China Meteorological Administration and...

Pinglu Canal opens with wildlife bridge for safer animal crossings

Pinglu Canal opens with wildlife bridge for safer animal crossings

The 134.2-km-long Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region officially opened to navigation on September 16, connecting the Xijiang River waterway with the Beibu Gulf. Among the canal's 104 bridges is a special ecological overpass designed exclusively for wildlife, locally dubbed a "bridge of life."

Hong Kong leader vows support for media’s global reach, to review TV practice code

Hong Kong leader vows support for media’s global reach, to review TV practice code

Hong Kong’s leader has expressed renewed support for the local media industry, including strengthening its global reach and reviewing the code of practice for television to ensure it keeps abreast with the times. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the pledges in both the city’s first five-year plan and the policy address he unveiled on Wednesday. In the section on “Develop an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange” under the five-year plan, Lee said: “We will strengthen...

Wang Yi calls on China, Brazil to strengthen strategic coordination

Wang Yi calls on China, Brazil to strengthen strategic coordination

China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Wednesday called on China and Brazil to strengthen strategic coordination on major international and regional issues, continue to stand on the side of international fairness and justice, and jointly uphold multilateralism.

Wujiang Village: A traditional way of life along the Wujiang River

Wujiang Village: A traditional way of life along the Wujiang River

Wujiang Village: A traditional way of life along the Wujiang River

Chinese defense minister meets attendees of Beijing Xiangshan Forum

Chinese defense minister meets attendees of Beijing Xiangshan Forum

China's Defense Minister Dong Jun on Wednesday said the Chinese military is ready to work with all parties to jointly safeguard international and regional stability, foster a favorable security environment, and provide a guarantee for peaceful development.

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