Washington and Beijing want technological security, but dividing AI into rival blocs could carry a heavy cost. When Washington asks partner countries to choose between American and Chinese AI technology systems, a primitive human instinct takes on a new form. Technology is becoming tribal. Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and critical minerals are no longer treated as…
In one of the clearest official assessments by the party leadership to date, the state security minister names data outflows, cyberattacks and Western technology controls as threats to China’s security. At the same time, he calls for more party control over the internet and data. 13. September 2026 Recipients need a subscription to read 13….
As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong and mainland China are expected to begin sharing cross-border data within the year, when more…
Hong Kong’s New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) has received more than 3,300 applications representing approximately HK$99 billion (US$12.6 billion) in anticipated investment, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui disclosed on April 13. He made the remarks at the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association (HKIFA) 40th anniversary cocktail reception. The figures…
Hong Kong’s New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) received 3,166 applications in its first two years, InvestHK announced Monday, with anticipated investment of approximately HK$95 billion (US$12.15 billion). Of those, 1,762 applicants completed their investments and received formal approval from the Immigration Department. Year two alone produced 2,248 of those applications, up 145% from…
TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, has finalised a deal to establish a majority US-owned joint venture company to avoid a ban on the popular social media app used by more than 200 million Americans. The deal is a milestone for the short video app after years of battles that began in August 2020, when US President…
Starting as a lifestyle trend in the 2010s, the ‘sober curious’ movement has encouraged a substantial societal shift toward more mindful alcohol consumption, driven by people’s growing focus on longevity, mental well-being, and productivity. According to the annual consumer sentiment survey by NCSolutions, 49% of Americans have been actively trying to drink less in 2025,…
A nightclub in eastern China has teamed up with local authorities to offer a marriage registration service, with electronic music festival tickets as a special gift. The Huangpu district civil affairs bureau in Shanghai has partnered with the nightclub INS Land to offer marriage registration and appointment services during two weekends starting on November 14….
Topline Threads, Meta’s text-based social media platform that launched in 2023 as a challenger to the Elon Musk-owned X, for the first time beat X in global daily active mobile users for the month of October, according to data shared with Forbes by market intelligence company Similarweb. Threads surpassed X in the number of daily…
An explosion of digital channels has created a complex ecosystem for fashion and beauty brands to navigate when looking to engage customers today. But it has also unlocked new, unprecedented opportunities to enhance consumer connectivity for the brands willing to reimagine their approach. Early adopters of AI-powered personalisation are already seeing conversion rate increases of…