SCMP China·Wednesday, December 31, 2025

SCMP China - Wednesday, December 31, 2025

10 stories~15 min

Listen to this episode

Hear all 10 stories summarized and read aloud.

▶Play on Tera.fm

Stories Covered

Was PLA’s Taiwan drill testing ‘inexpensive’ ways to wear down island’s air defence?

The latest People’s Liberation Army drills around Taiwan may have been testing how to wear down the island’s air defences using rockets that are “cheap enough to be used in large quantities”, military observers said. On Tuesday, the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command wrapped up a two-day live-fire exercise named Justice Mission 2025. The exercise surrounded large parts of the island and came less than a fortnight after the United States approved a US$11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan – the...

Read original →

China imposes beef-import quota, slaps over-quota tariffs to shield local industry

China is kicking off 2026 with a three-year import quota for beef shipments from major trading partners, in a move aimed at protecting its struggling domestic industry over the coming years. Effective Thursday, a 55 per cent tariff will be levied on over-quota beef from countries including Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, New Zealand and the United States, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Wednesday. “The objective of these safeguard measures on imported beef is to help the domestic...

Read original →

In New Year’s speech, Xi urges growth and vows ‘unstoppable’ Taiwan reunification

President Xi Jinping issued a rallying cry for the country to double down on efforts to boost economic growth and technological advancement as he delivered his annual televised New Year’s speech on Wednesday. The call came as Beijing faces complicated geopolitical challenges while pushing for economic transition at home, with the coming years seen as critical to consolidating its position in its rivalry with Washington. Xi also mentioned Taiwan, describing the island’s reunification with the...

Read original →

Nexperia, Wingtech set for fresh face-off in January with US$8 billion at stake

Dutch chipmaker Nexperia and its Chinese parent, Wingtech Technology, are set for another showdown in early 2026, as the legal battle over control of the semiconductor firm intensifies. The two sides will face off before the Dutch Enterprise Chamber on January 14, a court representative told the Post on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The hearing aims to determine whether there were valid reasons to doubt the sound management of Nexperia before the chamber’s ruling in early October,

Read original →

Great Green Wall 2.0: China is geoengineering deserts with blue-green algae

Deserts are hard to reclaim because plants cannot survive on shifting sand, but scientists in northwest China are changing that – by dropping vast amounts of blue-green algae onto the dry terrain. These specially selected strains of cyanobacteria can survive extreme heat and drought for long periods, according to China Science Daily on Thursday. When rain finally comes, they spring to life, spreading rapidly and forming a tough, biomass-rich crust over the sand. This living layer stabilises the.

Read original →

Multiple Chinese cities curb public New Year’s Eve countdowns as police stress safety

Police in multiple Chinese cities have issued pre-emptive notices stating that no official New Year’s Eve countdowns will be held at popular landmarks, as they prioritise public safety and order ahead of the holiday. This coordinated messaging, consistent with recent years, emerged through a flurry of police notices issued on Tuesday and Wednesday. It reflects a cautious strategy by authorities to prevent a recurrence of tragedies like the 2014 Shanghai stampede. Authorities in major Chinese...

Read original →

Nvidia asks chipmaker TSMC to ramp up H200 production as China demand jumps, sources say

Nvidia is scrambling to meet strong demand for its H200 artificial intelligence chips from Chinese technology companies and has ‌approached contract manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to ramp up production, sources said. Chinese tech companies have placed orders for more than 2 million H200 chips for 2026, while ‍Nvidia currently holds just 700,000 units in stock, two of the people said. The exact additional volume Nvidia intends to order from TSMC remains unclear, they...

Read original →

China rolls out trade-in funding for 2026 as campaign to spur spending continues

China has unveiled the details of an extension to its popular consumer goods trade-in scheme, a policy which has helped to fuel short-term boosts in consumption and contributed to the achievement of nationwide targets for economic growth. On Tuesday, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) – the country's top economic planner – announced with the Ministry of Finance that 62.5 billion yuan (US$8.93 billion) in ultra-long-term special bonds would be fast-tracked to local governments.

Read original →

How China cracked US ‘super code’, health benefits of lard: 7 science highlights

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. How China cracked US ‘super code’ that controls most power grids in the world China is no longer using American software to run its power grid. The Southern Regional Electricity Market (SREM) – the world’s largest unified power market – has switched fully to Tianquan, a solver developed by Chinese engineers...

Read original →

Beijing hits back at ‘extremely hypocritical’ critics of PLA drills around Taiwan

Beijing has hit back against concerns raised by foreign countries, including Japan, over its military drills around Taiwan, accusing critics of being “extremely hypocritical”. The foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Japan, Australia and European governments had turned “a deaf ear” to the efforts of “Taiwan independence” forces using military means, while ignoring external interference in Beijing’s internal affairs. Beijing carried out massive live-fire drills and blockade exercises around...

Read original →