Chinese overcapacity isn’t a numbers problem. It’s a productivity gap
If Chinese factories can produce more cheaply thanks to better batteries, automation and supply chains, maybe older factories are simply no longer viable
· Jeffrey Wu
Follow the story
Asia
A focused view of neutral reporting on Asia, brought together across publishers.
Explore all topics →
Neutral reports only
Newest first · UTC+11:00Unitree IPO 5,550 Times Oversubscribed As UBS Says Grey Market Points To 3.5x Open
The global market leader in humanoid-robot shipments, China-based Unitree, is set to begin trading on Shanghai's STAR Market on Wednesday, potentially sparking a wave of robotics listings in Asia as the race for physical AI remains in its early innings.
· Tyler Durden
Harvard, MIT among 30 US universities ordered to audit China research ties
Higher education group says Pentagon implied wrongdoing without presenting evidence, as House China committee calls for ‘real consequences’
· Teresa Elena Frontado
Harvard, MIT among 30 US universities ordered to audit China research ties
Higher education group says Pentagon implied wrongdoing without presenting evidence, as House China committee calls for ‘real consequences’
· Teresa Elena Frontado
Mexico weighs tougher trade rules for China, as US talks grind on
The move would deepen Mexico’s alignment with Washington while President Sheinbaum pursues an extension of the USMCA pact with Trump
· Bloomberg
Mexico weighs tougher trade rules for China, as US talks grind on
The move would deepen Mexico’s alignment with Washington while President Sheinbaum pursues an extension of the USMCA pact with Trump
· Bloomberg
Japan reports increase in rental car accidents involving foreigners
Japanese authorities plan to install signs and road markings near some rental car shops to help foreigners make turns safely. (Photo by Riku Tazaki)
· Staff Writer
Australian ambassador to Japan floats Indo-Pacific network to counter China
Andrew Shearer, Australian ambassador to Japan, holds a signed rugby ball from a match between the countries earlier in August. (Photo by Koji Nozawa)
· Staff Writer
AFP: China presence in WPS shifts from navy to coast guard
China appears to be shifting its maritime presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) toward coast guard and research operations, with the Philippines monitoring fewer Chinese navy and maritime militia vessels and more China Coast Guard (CCG) and research vessels in the first half of 2026, the Armed Forces of the Phil…
· Gabryelle Dumalag
[Kim Seong-kon] Korea depicted in recent American TV shows
Due to the unprecedented popularity of K-pop, K-film and K-dramas, Korea is in the global spotlight these days. As a result, recent American television shows are reflecting this trend by frequently casting actors of Korean origin or showing the streets of Seoul to attract viewers’ attention.
· Korea Herald
Japan and OAS award Haiti $3M to help it prepare for long-awaited elections
Haitians register to vote in the upcoming general election in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
El Pentágono ordena auditar alianzas de 30 universidades con instituciones extranjeras
Unas personas toman fotos a la estatua de John Harvard, en la Universidad de Harvard, el 2 de enero de 2024, en Cambridge, Massachusetts. (AP Foto/Steven Senne, Archivo)
· Heather Hollingsworth
Why open-weight AI is the new frontier in the US-China tech race
PALO ALTO, California/HONG KONG -- China's DeepSeek is once again causing a stir in American tech and policy circles, this time with the release last week of V4 Pro, a so-called open weight AI model that is free for anyone to download. The move has Washington and Silicon Valley debating more intensely than ever whet…
· YIFAN YU
Hong Kong population up 20,000 on influx from mainland China
Immigration helped Hong Kong reach a net population increase in the past year despite recording more deaths than births. (Photo by Nikkei)
· KENSAKU IHARA
Why Trump is mad at South Korea
By Mishel Bychkova, Vice-President, Center for Middle Eastern Studies (Moscow)
· RT
Why Trump is mad at South Korea
By Mishel Bychkova, Vice-President, Center for Middle Eastern Studies (Moscow)
· RT
Japan middle class loses spending power despite years of pay raises
Households have cut back on non-essential spending such as learning and entertainment amid declining purchasing power. (Source photos by Nikkei)
· Staff Writer
Takaichi's BOJ appointments in 2027 loom over pace of rate hikes
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seen as reluctant to embrace the rate hikes pursued by BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Nikkei)
· Staff Writer
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including the .
The PostMag Quick CrosswordWednesday, 19 Augustloading
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including Mini Sudoku.
Mini SudokuWednesday, 19 Augustloading
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including the SCMP Cryptic Crossword.
The SCMP Cryptic CrosswordWednesday, 19 Augustloading
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including Word Search.
Word SearchWednesday, 19 Augustloading
Asian allies stress 'critical' US cooperation as Trump scales back South Korea drills
SEOUL — Japan underlined on Tuesday that security cooperation with the United States and South Korea was “critical” for the region’s stability, after President Donald Trump alarmed allies by scaling back military drills with Seoul while hailing his ties with Pyongyang.
· Agence France-Presse
Russia rebukes Japan’s envoy over Kuril Islands row
MOSCOW — Russia on Tuesday rebuked Japan’s ambassador to Moscow over the disputed Kuril Islands, which President Vladimir Putin visited for the first time last week.
· Agence France-Presse
PlayTime Esports Conquers Games of the Future 2026
PLAYTIME Esports has captured the Games of the Future 2026 Dota 2 Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, defeating China’s Yakult Brothers in a commanding 3–0 Grand Final sweep to claim the tournament title and its $350,000 first-place prize.
· The Manila Times
Pax Silica: What’s in it for Philippine cities?
THERE are a lot of opinions about Pax Silica, even though very little is still known about what we, the Philippines, exactly signed up for. The silence and lack of transparency are deafening. The misleading analysis, distracting. The frantic rush, alarming. In simple terms, Pax Silica is a US-led international partn…
· Daphne Oseña-Paez
‘Dear You’: How cinema can bridge Philippines-China relations
DESPITE attempts to reset Philippines-China relations, the recent arrest of more than a hundred Filipinos in China due to labor-related issues has once again exposed the fragility of people-to-people ties between Manila and Beijing. These incidents are stern reminders that bilateral relations are not only about mari…
· Rommel C. Banlaoi
‘Dear You’: How cinema can bridge Philippines-China relations
DESPITE attempts to reset Philippines-China relations, the recent arrest of more than a hundred Filipinos in China due to labor-related issues has once again exposed the fragility of people-to-people ties between Manila and Beijing. These incidents are stern reminders that bilateral relations are not only about mari…
· Rommel C. Banlaoi
NSA Blocked Reports Of China Interference In US Elections From Reaching Trump: Declassified Docs
Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times,
· Tyler Durden
Japan braces for Trump demands on defense, yen ahead of US midterms
U.S. President Donald Trump may try to score diplomatic wins from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government. (Source photos by Nikkei)
· Staff Writer
China tightens border crossings after Meta's play for AI startup Manus
Facebook parent Meta's attempted acquisition of Chinese agentic AI developer Manus is thought to have spurred Beijing to add the new regulations. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)
· Staff Writer
Pentagon orders audit of universities' foreign partnerships
People take photos near a John Harvard statue, left, on the Harvard University campus, Jan. 2, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
· Heather Hollingsworth
Jordan's King Abdullah meets Chinese business leaders in Shanghai | The National
Jordan's King Abdullah met leading Chinese business executives in Shanghai, the royal palace said, on the second day of his trip to China focused on economic co-operation amid the Iran war.
· The National
Drills cut by Trump are central to the US-South Korea alliance
The U.S. Army’s soldiers conduct a training exercise on a river in Yeoncheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
· Hyung Jin Kim
Alexandra Eala, Yu Zidi all aboard as Japan’s Asian Games preparations enter ‘final stages’
Filipino tennis star, Chinese swimming sensation and Indian cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make waves with a cruise ship in Nagoya
· Agence France-Presse
Alexandra Eala, Yu Zidi all aboard as Japan’s Asian Games preparations enter ‘final stages’
Filipino tennis star, Chinese swimming sensation and Indian cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make waves with a cruise ship in Nagoya
· Agence France-Presse
The Polar pivot? China debuts regular Arctic shipping service as Iran war drags on
Operators are fast-tracking northern routes that bypass vulnerable chokepoints in the Middle East
· Emma Ma
The Polar pivot? China debuts regular Arctic shipping service as Iran war drags on
Operators are fast-tracking northern routes that bypass vulnerable chokepoints in the Middle East
· Emma Ma
Meet the Chinese AI star who splashed a reported US$70m on a California mansion
Tony Wu Yuhuai, co-founder of Elon Musk’s AI lab, reportedly buys 12-acre estate, putting a spotlight on China’s Silicon Valley talent
· Iris Deng
Meet the Chinese AI star who splashed a reported US$70m on a California mansion
Tony Wu Yuhuai, co-founder of Elon Musk’s AI lab, reportedly buys 12-acre estate, putting a spotlight on China’s Silicon Valley talent
· Iris Deng
Owner of unleashed 60kg dog arrested after 2 small pets killed in Hong Kong | South China Morning Post
Distressing footage online shows the large dog clamping its jaws on the smaller victim’s neck as the owner collapses in grief, while passers-by try in vain to intervene.
Xi hits out at ‘outside interference’ in Latin America in meeting with Ecuador’s president
Chinese leader’s message to Daniel Noboa comes amid increasing US efforts to assert its influence in the region
· Carol Yang
Xi hits out at ‘outside interference’ in Latin America in meeting with Ecuador’s president
Chinese leader’s message to Daniel Noboa comes amid increasing US efforts to assert its influence in the region
· Carol Yang
Chinese doctors get double-thigh amputee to walk again in world first
After 20 months of recovery, the 51-year-old man is walking indoors with a frame, manages daily tasks and has regained lower leg sensation
· Dannie Peng
Chinese doctors get double-thigh amputee to walk again in world first
After 20 months of recovery, the 51-year-old man is walking indoors with a frame, manages daily tasks and has regained lower leg sensation
· Dannie Peng
Nokia to close almost all sites in mainland China by year end, sources say
Retreating from China, once Nokia’s largest single-country market globally, would mark an acquiescence to domestic competition
· Minxiao Chang
Nokia to close almost all sites in mainland China by year end, sources say
Retreating from China, once Nokia’s largest single-country market globally, would mark an acquiescence to domestic competition
· Minxiao Chang
Top general inspects border troops amid key allied drills
South Korea's top military officer visited units near the border with North Korea on Tuesday to check their readiness amid key drills with U.S. forces, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
· Yonhap