SCMP China·Tuesday, December 30, 2025

SCMP China - Tuesday, December 30, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Oil tankers still arriving in Venezuela despite US blockade, data shows

At least two oil tankers have made their way to Venezuela in recent days and others are navigating towards the country, a sign of ‍state-run oil and natural gas company PDVSA’s effort to expand floating storage and keep selling crude even as a US blockade has reduced exports to a minimum. US President Donald Trump this month announced a blockade of all sanctioned vessels going in or out of Venezuelan waters as part of a strategy to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US move has...

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China’s ‘carrier killer’ hypersonic anti-ship missile YJ-20 in final testing: video

China has signalled that its YJ-20 hypersonic ship-to-ship missile is ready for mass production with the release of a video showing the advanced weapon being put through its “finalisation test”. The footage of the YJ-20 being fired from the vertical launch system (VLS) of the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi was posted to social media on Sunday by China Military Bugle, the official People’s Liberation Army account. “Missile hit. Target destroyed,” the crew can be heard saying over the radio, though...

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If Trump wants a deal with China, he must rein in US allies in Asia

US President Donald Trump’s hopes for a grand deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping are being undercut by American allies’ self-interested amplification of the “China threat”. This year’s Nanking massacre memorial was particularly poignant in light of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s controversial remarks on Taiwan. Beijing warned that any attempt to challenge the post-war international order or undermine established historical truths would be “doomed to failure”. Meanwhile, Singaporean

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‘CEO monk’ scandal: China creates new oversight body for Buddhist clergy

China’s official national Buddhist association has established its first supervisory body less than six months after the high-profile downfall of the “CEO monk”, former Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin. The move to improve oversight of Chinese Buddhist monks’ conduct was announced on Tuesday, a day after the Buddhist Association of China’s (BAC) 11th national congress concluded in Beijing. Shi Zhengci, the abbot of Wuzu Temple in Huangmei county, Hubei province, was elected as the association’s.

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South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung to visit China on economic and nuclear mission

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will make a state visit to China next week as the two countries try to find a way through their intense economic rivalry to improve ties. The trip will make Lee the first sitting South Korean president to travel to China since 2019, and will include a three-day stop in Beijing from Sunday, a presidential official in Seoul said on Tuesday. Lee will meet President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital before heading to Shanghai and then back to Seoul. The talks...

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China’s Shenzhen targets AI in ‘every household’ as US tech rivalry heats up

Shenzhen, China’s top tech hub, plans to roll out what it calls “full-suite, full-time” adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across households and businesses over the next five years – a move analysts say could position the city at the forefront of the country’s intensifying tech race with the United States. The local government announced the goal on Monday in a new policy paper on Shenzhen’s 15th five-year plan, the socio-economic blueprint covering the years 2026 to 2030. The document...

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China and US need new ways to engage in push for stable ties, Wang Yi says

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday called for a new paradigm for engagement with the United States, emphasising the need for stable, cooperative ties while firmly defending what he described as China’s core interests, particularly Taiwan. During a speech in Beijing, the foreign minister also accused Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of “openly challenging” Chinese territorial sovereignty after she suggested last month that a potential Taiwan conflict could threaten Japan’s...

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China unveils new ethnic unity and language laws with ‘national security perspective’

China has unveiled new legislation to promote ethnic unity and the use of standard Chinese, warning of legal penalties for those who obstruct the use of the national language and linking its approach with national security policy. A draft Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress underwent its second review by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s top legislative body, last week and will be open for public consultation until January 25. Meanwhile, the...

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China’s lagging basic research demands core tech pivot as US curbs bite: economic adviser

China cannot merely chase the technological frontier – it must seize ownership of it, a prominent economist has warned, urging Beijing to accelerate basic research and master core technologies to gain leverage against Washington’s targeted restrictions. “China can no longer play follower. The US won’t let it,” said Wang Yiming, vice-chairman of the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, a Beijing-based governmental think tank, noting that the United States’ “small yard, high fence”..

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China-founded AI-agent start-up Manus acquired by Zuckerberg’s Meta for ‘billions’

A China-founded start-up that specialises in artificial intelligence agents was acquired by US tech giant Meta Platforms for billions of dollars, marking a landmark deal amid US-China competition in AI technology. The acquisition of Singapore-based Manus just nine months after its public launch in March underlines China’s AI competitiveness despite Washington’s efforts to deprive its rival of access to advanced US chips and funding. According to announcements from both sides, Manus would...

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