Publication
SUMMIT HAILED AS ‘FANTASTIC’ AND ‘HISTORIC’
In the past, the last day of state visits to China has typically featured a deal-signing ceremony presided over by leaders from both sides. However, the last day of United States President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing yesterday was marked by...
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XI AND TRUMP SEEK STABILITY IN RELATIONS
The meeting may have been delayed but when the summit between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump took place yesterday, it yielded a forward-looking agreement. Sitting down for talks at the Great Hall of the People in central...
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TRUMP ARRIVES FOR HIGH-STAKES SUMMIT
US President Donald Trump arrived in China last night – flanked by his top aides and American tech leaders – as Beijing rolled out a lavish welcome ceremony at the airport. He was received by VicePresident Han Zheng at Beijing Capital International...
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ENTOURAGE OF U.S. EXECUTIVES JOINING TRUMP VISIT TO BEIJING
US President Donald Trump is expected to be accompanied by more than a dozen business leaders, including Tesla chief executive Elon Musk and Tim Cook of Apple, during his trip to China this week. Seventeen CEOs have been invited in total, according to...
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HK to be partner in pandemic readiness
Hong Kong will act as a global partner in pandemic preparedness, leveraging its “unrivalled” status as a medical innovation hub to combat emerging health threats such as a recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu...
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LABOUR CHIEF REVEALS DETAILS OF BUILDING SITE SMOKING BAN
Cigarette butts will be considered “strong evidence” of a possible breach under a proposed construction site smoking ban, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-Han has said, even as he sought to reassure contractors that preventive measures...
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NEW SANCTIONS BY U.S. TARGET MAINLAND AND HK COMPANIES
The United States has sanctioned nine mainland and Hong Kong companies and individuals, accusing them of helping Iran’s military. The decision, which risks complicating US President Donald Trump’s visit to China this week, was announced on Friday by...
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Building chiefs slammed for ‘mechanical mindset’
The “mechanical mindset” of building authorities has come under scrutiny at a hearing into the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze, with a former inspection director conceding his team had “blindly” followed outdated guidelines when deciding not to conduct...
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Beijing reveals its wish list for summit
China hoped to maintain “stable and predictable” trade ties with the United States, Premier Li Qiang told visiting US Senator Steve Daines yesterday, a week ahead of a highly anticipated presidential summit between the two countries. Meeting Daines at...
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10% JUMP IN MAINLAND VISITORS OVER HOLIDAY
Hong Kong welcomed more than 1 million mainland visitors during the five-day Labour Day “golden week” holiday, a 10 per cent rise from a year ago, exceeding government expectations, but industry leaders have said their spending was...
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PROSECUTIONS VOWED AS TOLL FROM FIREWORKS BLAST HITS 26
The death toll from a fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan province, yesterday rose to 26 as Beijing sent Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing to supervise the aftermath of the blast, according to state media. Zhang said the State Council, China’s...
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PROPOSAL TO CLAMP DOWN ON CLAW MACHINE ARCADES
The authorities have proposed amending gambling laws to tighten oversight of claw machines and other prize-based amusement games by issuing individual licences for each device, in a bid to prevent addiction. In a document released by the Home and...
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CITY’S LATEST GROWTH FIGURES ‘STRONGEST FOR FIVE YEARS’
Hong Kong is set for its strongest quarterly growth in nearly five years, the finance chief has said, citing a 17 per cent rise in visitor numbers and a 5.2 per cent increase in retail and catering spending. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in...
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PRUDENT SPENDING AS VISITORS POUR INTO CITY
Hong Kong recorded a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in mainland visitors on the first day of the “golden week” Labour Day holiday, but a lawmaker for the restaurant trade noted that tourists’ shift towards more cautious spending resulted in only...
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MAINLAND TOURISTS FLOCK TO CITY AS ‘GOLDEN WEEK’ BEGINS
Hong Kong has recorded more than 242,000 trips by mainland visitors on the first day of their Labour Day “golden week” break, with many heading to the countryside for scenic views and others opting for “city walks” to explore picturesque locales. Some...
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VAPERS USE STEALTH TACTICS TO DEFY BAN
Some Hong Kong residents are still vaping in hidden corners despite a new ban on the public use of alternative tobacco products, the South China Morning Post has observed, with at least four already penalised by authorities. “We will issue penalty...
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LPG RELIEF TO EASE BURDEN ON OPERATORS
The government will introduce a two-month subsidy for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used by taxis, minibuses and school buses starting in May amid soaring fuel prices, while previously announced support on diesel costs for other transport operators...
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Work begins on new medical school’s interim site
A university establishing the city’s third medical school has broken ground on an interim teaching and research complex that is set to be completed by mid-2028 to welcome the first batch of students. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology...
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META BID TO BUY MANUS BLOCKED BY BEIJING
Beijing has blocked the proposed purchase by Meta Platforms of artificial intelligence firm Manus, a start-up that is officially registered in Singapore but developed its products in mainland China. The National Development and Reform Commission...
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LISTINGS TOP HK$140 BILLION IN CITY’S ‘UNSTOPPABLE’ MARKET
Hong Kong’s initial public offering (IPO) market has raised more than HK$140 billion as of April, maintaining its global lead, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-poh has said, while indicating a renewed push to develop gold trading amid rising demand for...
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MARINA DEVELOPMENT DRAWS LOCAL AND OVERSEAS INTEREST
Hong Kong’s new marinaresidential tourism project has attracted local and overseas interest, with the city’s leading yacht club and a Singapore-based operator seeking partnerships with developers to expand their presence. Experts in the real estate...
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FIRE CHIEF ADMITS NEED FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION
Hong Kong’s fire services chief has acknowledged that better communication with building authorities is needed after an independent committee earlier revealed his officers had taken no action against possible safety breaches during renovations at Wang...
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Salvaged memories
Volunteers and officials carefully hold a wedding photograph wrapped for its protection that was yesterday recovered from one of the units at fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Emotional residents returned yesterday to the most severely damaged of...
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TOUGH LAWS PLANNED TO BOLSTER FIRE SAFETY
Authorities have proposed new offences with tougher punishments for fire installation contractors who fail to obtain prior approval before deactivating firefighting systems or do not report malfunctions within 24 hours, following the deadliest blaze in...
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CITY TO LAUNCH CONSULTATION ON FIVE-YEAR PLAN
The government plans to launch a public consultation this quarter on its first five-year blueprint aligned with national development, aiming to gather views on which policies to focus on in the coming years. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu yesterday...
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WANG FUK COURT RESIDENTS RETURN TO FIND POSSESSIONS
Members of more than 70 former households of a fire-damaged block of Wang Fuk Court returned to their homes yesterday for the first time since a deadly inferno ravaged the estate last November to recover cherished items such as wedding rings, paintings...
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IRAN ‘KEEN TO REACH DEAL THAT ENDS WAR’
The economic toll of war is pushing Iran to find a resolution to the hostilities beyond its fragile two-week truce with the US, according to a Middle Eastfocused think tank leader and businessman who is familiar with the status of the...
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Not a seat to spare
Haruka Uematsu said she felt as though she was in a dream standing on the pitch at Kai Tak Stadium after being called on despite a 24-12 loss to Thailand during the Sevens yesterday. There was double delight for debutant Uematsu, who scored late on in...
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Robots, K-pop and 34,368 fans as Sevens turns 50
Hong Kong welcomed back its iconic Sevens rugby tournament for a 50th year, with an opening ceremony yesterday featuring robots, K-pop and a light show almost as sparkling as some of the action on the pitch. Not even what may have been a hole in the...
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CHINA’S ECONOMY BEATS FORECASTS WITH 5% GROWTH
China’s economy grew 5 per cent year on year in the first quarter, beating market expectations despite the global impact of the US-Israel war with Iran, which analysts said indicated the country remained on track to meet its full-year growth target...
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XIA URGES PATRIOTISM THROUGH ACTION
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has urged businesspeople to serve as the “main force” driving the city’s economic development by investing in innovation and the Northern Metropolis megaproject, calling on them to demonstrate their patriotism...
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HUI KA-YAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FRAUD
China Evergrande Group’s founder and former chairman Hui Ka-yan has pleaded guilty to charges including embezzlement of corporate assets and corporate bribery, according to a statement by the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court. The court said it...
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U.S. BEGINS BLOCKADE OF IRANIAN PORTS
The US blockade of Iran’s ports took effect at 10pm yesterday (Hong Kong time), a move that will bring more uncertainty to the already fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz. After talks in Pakistan between Washington and Tehran ended without a...
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TRUMP SAYS U.S. WILL BLOCKADE HORMUZ STRAIT
United States President Donald Trump yesterday announced a sweeping naval operation targeting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit chokepoints, in a move that risks deepening a global crisis. The announcement yesterday...
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PEACE TALKS UNDER WAY WITH U.S. AND IRAN DEEPLY DIVIDED
Iran and the United States held talks in Islamabad yesterday, aiming to reinforce a fragile ceasefire more than a month after their war erupted. The discussions were threeway, face-to-face talks, with Pakistan as the mediator. They marked the highest...
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‘WE NEED PEACE’, XI TELLS KMT LEADER
Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party both highlighted the message of peace across the strait as they met in Beijing yesterday, marking the first such talks between the sitting leaders of the two parties...
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Strait of Hormuz closed again over Israeli strikes
Iran’s reclosure of the Strait of Hormuz has strained its tenuous ceasefire with the United States but will not necessarily send the two countries sliding back into war, according to analysts. However, Israel was a wild card, they said, following...
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U.S. AND IRAN TO START PEACE TALKS
Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a ceasefire agreement with the United States brokered by Pakistan, as the two sides also agreed to start negotiations in Islamabad tomorrow for a peace deal. Hours after the ceasefire was announced, Iran...
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RESEARCH BODY SET TO RAMP UP ‘A.I. FOR ALL’
A new research institute in Hong Kong is set to ramp up efforts to develop “AI for all” as early as this month, mapping out a strategy to strengthen the government’s capabilities while ensuring all residents and sectors benefit from the technology, a...
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City’s restaurant revenues drop over Easter break
Hong Kong’s catering sector registered an estimated 6 to 7 per cent drop in business over the long weekend, according to an industry representative, as potential gains from the 15 per cent increase in mainland Chinese tourists on the first three days...
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Thousands brave storm to sweep tombs
Thousands of Hongkongers braved heavy rains to sweep tombs during the Ching Ming Festival yesterday, with some Wang Fuk Court residents returning to the fire-ravaged housing estate to mourn the victims. The spring trek to graveyards around the city...
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Shenzhen draws droves over the border
Hongkongers crossed the border into Shenzhen in droves on the second day of the Easter holiday yesterday, drawn by a wider range of bargain-priced shopping, dining and entertainment options, as well as new landmark attractions including a futuristic...
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More than 685,000 leave HK for the Easter exodus
More than 685,000 residents left Hong Kong as the Easter break got under way yesterday, even as some said ongoing geopolitical tensions had made them more cautious about making future travel plans. An industry leader noted that more Hongkongers had...
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TRUMP HAILS ‘VICTORIES’ BUT VOWS MORE STRIKES ON IRAN
US President Donald Trump declared the US-Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict heavy damage on...
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STAFF BROKE RULES BY TURNING OFF ESTATE FIRE SAFETY SYSTEM
Staff at the property management company at inferno-ravaged Wang Fuk Court housing estate acted with disregard for legal requirements, taking such actions as deactivating the fire safety system despite knowing they needed a registered contractor to do...
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ESTATE FIRM CLERK UNAWARE OF DEACTIVATED FIRE ALARMS
A property management worker at the housing estate ravaged by the city’s deadliest fire in decades was unaware that fire alarms had been deactivated after the hose reel system was shut down for water tank repairs, an evidentiary hearing has been...
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NEW CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS CHIEF TO LEAD FIVE-YEAR PLAN
Retired civil servant Janice Tse Siu-wa has been appointed the new secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, with her top priority being the formulation of Hong Kong’s first five-year plan. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu yesterday said he...
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HK ‘STABLE’ DESPITE VOLATILE OIL PRICES
Hong Kong authorities are closely monitoring the war in the Middle East sparked by the US-Israel attack on Iran and the resulting volatility in global oil prices, although the immediate impact on the city’s economy remains limited, Financial Secretary...
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BIG BOOST FOR YACHT TOURISM WITH NEW 200-BERTH MARINA
A section of Hong Kong Island’s southwest coast at Aberdeen will be revamped into a new marina with 200 berths, a clubhouse and about 250 private flats by 2032 as part of government efforts to boost yacht tourism. The Development Bureau yesterday said...
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HK MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO DENY DEVICE PASSWORDS
Hongkongers who refuse to provide passwords for smartphones or other electronic devices during national security investigations face up to a year in jail under legal changes that also allow police to question organisations if they have reasonable...
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LI URGES GLOBAL OPENING AMID ‘RAMPANT’ POWER POLITICS
Beijing has urged global commitment to opening up, while pledging to create more blue ocean markets in a world engulfed by protectionism. Delivering the opening address to the China Development Forum yesterday, Premier Li Qiang said “protectionism is...
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WEEKLY FUEL PRICE UPDATES TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY
and Hong Kong authorities will issue weekly announcements about changes in international and local fuel costs from April, following mounting suspicion that businesses are prematurely raising prices because of the United States-Israeli war on...
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Residents misled over renovation, fire inquiry told
Residents of a housing complex destroyed in one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires were misled into picking a convicted contractor for the estate’s renovation project amid “widespread” bid-rigging and other corruption in the construction industry, a public...
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TAI PO FIRE REVEALED ‘SYSTEMIC DEFECTS’
Contractors for a renovation project at the site of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades got away with covering up the use of substandard material because of systemic defects in government supervision, a public inquiry into the blaze that claimed 168...
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TRUMP CONFIRMS DELAY OF HIS SUMMIT WITH XI
US President Donald Trump has said a planned meeting with his counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing would be delayed by “five or six weeks”, as China noted the two sides would remain in communication about the visit. “We’re working with China. They were...
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CHINA ‘COMMUNICATING’ WITH U.S. ON TRUMP VISIT
China yesterday said it remained “in communication” with the United States over President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, after Trump said he had requested a delay of about a month because of the ongoing war with Iran. “China and the US are in...
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CHINA-U.S. TRADE TALKS WRAP UP WITH TARIFF STABILITY VOW
China and the United States wrapped up their sixth round of trade talks in Paris yesterday, with the agenda ranging from a possible extension of bilateral tariff and non-tariff measures to investment. “China and the US conducted deep, frank and...
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NEW TRADE DISCUSSIONS UNDER WAY IN PARIS
Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Paris, as the two sides seek to pave the way for US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Beijing later this month. The delegations – led by VicePremier...
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‘Shed HK-centred mindset to support the national needs’
Hong Kong should move beyond a “city-centred” approach that merely seeks Beijing’s policy support and instead take steps to align with national priorities by advancing the internationalisation of the yuan and supporting global expansion of mainland...
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HKEX OPENS DOOR FOR DIVERSE INNOVATIVE COMPANIES TO LIST
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) yesterday unveiled its biggest listing reforms since 2018, broadening its special listing regime for innovative companies and opening the door for smaller and more diverse firms to list in the city. The exchange...
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China-sanctioned Rubio set to take part in Trump visit, sources reveal
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit China with President Donald Trump this month after appearing to show little interest in previous invitations from Beijing, the South China Morning Post has learned. According to sources, speaking...
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CUSTOMS IN CRACKDOWN ON SMUGGLERS OF FUEL
Hong Kong customs officers have intercepted more cross-border vehicles suspected of smuggling petrol into the city as fuel prices surge amid the war in the Middle East. Commissioner of Customs and Excise Chan Tsz-tat said some had even increased the...
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HK Airlines to raise fuel surcharges by up to 35%
Hong Kong Airlines will raise its fuel surcharges by up to 35.2 per cent from tomorrow amid soaring oil prices driven by escalating conflict in the Middle East, becoming the first local carrier to do so. The airline announced on its website yesterday...
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CHAN STRESSES CITY’S ROLE IN DRIVING CHINA’S DEVELOPMENT
Hong Kong is not merely China’s testing ground but a key driver of the country’s development, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said, underscoring the city’s role as the nation’s international financial centre. Chan yesterday also said that Hong...
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Trump visit on track despite war, Wang signals
The United States and China could still have a “big year” in bilateral ties despite Washington’s strikes against Iran, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday, suggesting a planned visit by US President Donald Trump remained on track. Uncertainty has...
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XI SPELLS OUT P.L.A. MISSION: NO CORRUPTION, TOTAL LOYALTY
President Xi Jinping has again sought to shore up the military’s ideological defences, demanding absolute loyalty to the Communist Party from all ranks, just weeks after the country’s top general came under investigation for corruption. “There must be...
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Cathay repatriation flights ‘ruled out’
The Hong Kong government has ruled out chartering Cathay Pacific Airways flights to bring home residents stranded in the Middle East, given the potential danger of navigating partially reopened airspaces and challenges in securing take-off slots at...
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CHINA SETS CAUTIOUS GOAL FOR GROWTH
Beijing has set a relatively cautious yet pragmatic economic growth target for 2026 amid persistent domestic headwinds and escalating external pressures. A 4.5 to 5 per cent GDP growth target – the lowest since 1991 – was announced by Premier Li Qiang...
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NATION TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC RESILIENCE
China will focus on economic resilience as lawmakers gather in Beijing for the country’s annual legislative session – just weeks before US President Donald Trump touches down in the Chinese capital. Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the National People’s...
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MIDEAST TURMOIL ‘LIKELY TO SPARK BEIJING POLICY RETHINK’
The escalating crisis in Iran is unlikely to dominate the agenda at this year’s national legislative sessions in Beijing but is expected to feature in policy discussions, according to observers. Analysts said the turmoil could prompt a broader rethink...
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War continues to spiral as both sides launch strikes
Day three of the US-Israel war on Iran was marked by fresh barrages of air strikes, as Tehran unleashed retaliatory missile waves amid mounting casualties. China has been directly affected by the conflict. One Chinese national was killed in the...
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IRAN VOWS TO AVENGE KHAMENEI’S KILLING
Iran moved swiftly to fill a power void following the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in American and Israeli air strikes over the weekend, with the Middle East bracing for more conflict. Yesterday’s confirmation of Khamenei’s...
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