SCMP China·Wednesday, December 17, 2025

SCMP China - Wednesday, December 17, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

BYD plans giant Brazil factory to scale electric bus and truck production

Chinese carmaker BYD plans to build a new factory in Brazil within the next three years after rising demand for electric buses filled its existing production capacity and forced the company to redraw its manufacturing strategy in the country. The project would sharply expand output, create hundreds of jobs and support exports across South America, with Africa also being considered, as BYD strengthens a business segment that predates its move into passenger electric vehicles. BYD has assembled...

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Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid simmering tensions

The growth rate of Chinese tourists to Japan significantly slowed in November, according to official data released by Tokyo, as Beijing cut flights and issued travel warnings amid rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan. According to the latest report released by the Japan National Tourism Organization on Wednesday, although Chinese tourists continued to visit Japan in November and the numbers kept growing, it was at a much slower pace than before, both year on year and month on month. In...

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Wealthy Chinese appear to shun Trump’s ‘gold card’ immigration programme

When US President Donald Trump first proposed his “gold card” programme earlier this year, offering permanent residency to the super-rich, Beijing-based emigration consultant Jack Jing received unsolicited inquiries from seven high-net-worth families. But that initial enthusiasm quickly waned after the application details were released last week. None of his clients plan to apply in the near term, said Jing, general manager of the migration service provider WellTrend, who has decades of...

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What does future hold for Brazil, US in China’s soybean balancing act?

China, the world’s top soybean consumer, faces a complex balancing act when securing supplies. With 90 per cent of market demand met by imports, Brazil and the United States remain its top suppliers, but intensifying efforts to promote self-sufficiency are seeking to reduce reliance on imports. From price swings and quality traits to strategic roles in the market, soybeans from the three countries tell different stories about China’s quest for stability and security that can be broken down into.

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How will Jimmy Lai’s conviction affect China-UK ties and Keir Starmer’s planned visit?

The conviction of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in a high-profile Hong Kong trial has drawn sharp reactions in London, casting uncertainty over thawing Sino-British ties before Keir Starmer visits China. Although the outcome of Lai’s 156-day national security trial was widely expected, observers say it poses a significant test for the Labour government’s balancing act on China, which could narrow the space for engagement even if its immediate impact on bilateral relations is...

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PLA division’s new leaders, lessons from 2025 trade war: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. PLA division overseeing Taiwan sees newcomers in charge The Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command, the division that oversees Taiwan and that has been hit hard in Beijing’s anti-graft campaign, appears to be presided over by two officers who joined the division only recently. 2. Senior US and Chinese defence officials continue ‘military-to-military’...

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Chinese city sues Missouri for US$50 billion in tit-for-tat Covid-19 litigation

China’s top science academy is among three parties suing Missouri for roughly US$50 billion for alleged damage to reputation and economic losses from the US state’s legal action over the Covid-19 pandemic. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said on Tuesday that her office was notified last week of the civil lawsuit filed in the Wuhan Intermediate People’s Court. According to court documents, the case was brought by the municipal government of Wuhan, where Covid-19 was first detected,...

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Tencent restructures AI operations, promotes high-profile recruit to chief AI scientist

Tencent Holdings has initiated a major restructuring at its artificial intelligence group with the promotion of recent high-profile recruit Vinces Yao Shunyu, a former researcher at OpenAI. Without mentioning his Chinese name, Shenzhen-based Tencent’s announcement on Wednesday came with a photo of Yao. He was tasked to lead the company’s new AI infrastructure efforts, including the development of large language models (LLMs). Yao’s official position is chief AI scientist under the CEO’s office..

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PLA’s Fujian aircraft carrier transits Taiwan Strait as Taipei watches closely

The Fujian, mainland China’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, has made its first transit of the Taiwan Strait since its commissioning, with Taipei keeping a close eye on its movements. Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that while the carrier, Beijing’s third, passed through the waterway, it appeared to be heading back to a Shanghai shipyard for repairs. The ministry also released a surveillance photograph of the Fujian, reportedly captured by F-16 fighter jets, showing no...

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Are these the first pictures of China’s new military transport plane taking to the skies?

China’s newest transport aircraft has conducted its maiden flight, images circulating on social media suggest, as the People’s Liberation Army moves to update its tactical transport fleet. Photographs and videos circulating online on Tuesday showed a four-engine turboprop aircraft. The most detailed images showed it had six-blade propellers, a T-tail, a blended winglet configuration and possibly an aerial refuelling probe positioned above the cockpit – a structure found on the Airbus A400M. A...

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