Deputies sit in the plenary hall of the Great Hall of the People during the closing ceremony of the National People's Congress. Johannes Neudecker/dpa

    China’s People’s Congress approves five-year plan prioritizing tech

    China’s National People’s Congress on Thursday approved a new five-year plan for 2026-2030, which will see Beijing accelerate the development of key technologies including semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). Adopted at the closing session of the annual meeting, the plan prioritizes sectors such as robotics and biotechnology as part of China’s push to strengthen its…

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    A ethnic minority delegate stand near Mao Zedong's portrait on Tiananmen Square before a plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

      China is expected to approve a law promoting ‘ethnic unity’

      BEIJING (AP) — China is moving to approve a sweeping law to promote what it calls “ethnic unity,” a measure that critics say would further erode the rights of some minority groups as authorities cement a push toward assimilation. The law, expected to be approved by the country’s ceremonial legislature Thursday, is designed to foster…

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      Agility and adaptability are in Hong Kong’s DNA, former leader CY Leung says

        Agility and adaptability are in Hong Kong’s DNA, former leader CY Leung says

        Escalating geopolitical tensions will not derail Hong Kong’s goal set out in the country’s 15th five-year plan and its efforts to implement the blueprint, former leader Leung Chun-ying has said, describing agility and adaptability as in the city’s DNA. The vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body, also…

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          Advance and green technology aims to power Chinese economy

          China’s top leadership has unveiled a new push to turn advanced technologies into large-scale industrial priorities as part of the country’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, which will guide economic and social development from 2026 to 2030. Officials say the plan is designed to move cutting-edge technologies out of laboratories and into factories, supply chains and…

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            Iran attack could buoy Trump in talks with China’s Xi

            WASHINGTON/BEIJING: The U.S. military campaign against Iran has put Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the back foot ahead of an expected summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who for the second time in as many months has turned America’s military against one of Beijing’s close partners. Trump is set to arrive in Beijing at the…

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            Xia Baolong is scheduled to meet local delegates in a closed-door session on Tuesday. Photo: HKMAO

              ‘Two sessions’ to ‘focus on Hong Kong’s financial role, Northern Metropolis’

              Hundreds of Hong Kong politicians and business leaders head to Beijing on Tuesday for the nation’s annual “two sessions”, with observers expecting discussions to focus on the city’s role as an international financial centre and the Northern Metropolis megaproject. The annual session of the country’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference…

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