on September 16, 2024 at 6:27 am

HONG KONG — A Hong Kong man on Monday (Sept 16) pleaded guilty to sedition for wearing a T-shirt with a protest slogan, becoming the first person convicted under the city's new national security law passed in March. Chu Kai-pong, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of "doing with a seditious intention an act". Under the new security law, the maximum sentence for the offence has been expanded from two years to seven years in prison and could even go up to 10 years if "collusion with foreign forces" was found involved. Chu was arrested on June 12 at a MTR station wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" and a yellow mask printed with "FDNOL" — the shorthand of another slogan "five demands, not one less". Both slogans were frequently chanted in the huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019 and June 12 was a key kick-off day of the months-long unrests. Chu told police that he wore the T-shirt to remind people of the protests, the court heard. […]

on September 16, 2024 at 2:36 am

SHANGHAI — Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in Shanghai on Monday morning (Sept 16) as a Category 1 storm, the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly hit the Chinese financial hub in more than seven decades. Packing top wind speeds of 151 kph (94 mph) near its eye, Bebinca landed in the city of nearly 25 million around 7.30am (2330 GMT), state media reported, the strongest storm to strike Shanghai since Typhoon Gloria in 1949. Shanghai is rarely subject to direct hits from strong typhoons that generally make landfall further south in China. Yagi, a destructive Category 4 storm, roared past southern Hainan province last week. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled from the city's two airports since Sunday night and Shanghai railway station has suspended some rail services. These disruptions come as China celebrates the three-day mid-Autumn Festival public holiday. Resorts in Shanghai, including Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinjiang Amusement Park and Shanghai Wild Animal Park, have been temporarily closed and many ferries halted. […]

by Vihanya Rakshika on September 14, 2024 at 12:12 pm

A woman in China was horrified after reportedly finding a human tooth inside a meat-filled mooncake she had bought from supermarket Sam’s Club in Changzhou, in eastern China’s Jiangsu. The woman took to Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin on Sept 5 to share a video of the unexpected discovery she said she had made while eating the mooncake, which was purchased at 30 yuan (S$5.50). In the video, a hand is seen holding what resembles a human molar, with meat filling lodged in it, on a piece of tissue paper over a half-eaten pastry. “My family ate this just now... Look at what they ate? It’s terrifying,” a voice can be heard saying. The tooth, she said, did not belong to any of her family members. She swiftly reported the incident to the police, South China Morning Post reported on Sept 14. One Douyin user commented that it was “repulsive” to find someone else’s tooth in a mooncake. On social media platform X, where the video was also shared, a user quipped: “It not only contains meat, but also provides calcium.&rdquo […]

on September 13, 2024 at 5:23 am

BEIJING — China's defence minister said on Friday (Sept 13) that China would enhance military ties with its neighbours, saying major countries had to take a lead in safeguarding global security. In a wide-ranging speech to China's annual military diplomacy forum in Beijing, Dong Jun made a pitch to the Global South, taking several veiled swipes at perceived Western interference. "Major countries must take the lead in safeguarding global security, abandon a zero-sum mindset and refrain from bullying the small and the weak," Dong said. In a multipolar world, "no one can afford to be an outsider or onlooker", he added. "Countries no matter big or small, developed or developing, should have an equal right to participate in international affairs and voice their needs, and uphold their legitimate rights and interests," Dong said. Dong's remarks come as communications ease between the US and Chinese militaries despite roiling tensions over the South China Sea, Taiwan and Washington's concerns at Beijing's close relationship with Russia. […]

on September 5, 2024 at 7:54 am

HONG KONG — Southern Chinese provinces and cities braced for the arrival of super typhoon Yagi, shutting schools and postponing flights ahead of its expected landfall along Hainan's subtropical coast, in what could be the most powerful storm to hit China in years. Yagi is the Japanese word for goat and for the constellation of Capricornus, a mythical creature that is half goat, half fish. It has more than doubled its strength since devastating northern Philippines earlier this week. Packing maximum sustained winds of 209 kph (130 mph) near its eye, Yagi registers as the world's second-most powerful tropical cyclone in 2024 so far, after the Category 5 Atlantic hurricane Beryl in the summer. Typhoons are becoming stronger, fuelled by warmer oceans, amid climate change, scientists say. Last week, Typhoon Shanshan slammed into southwestern Japan, the strongest storm to hit the country in decades. Yagi strengthened into a super typhoon on Wednesday night (Sept 4) and is currently around 520 kms east of the city of Wenchang in Hainan, local authorities said on Thursday as they raised the typhoon alert to the highest level 1. […]

on September 5, 2024 at 5:13 am

China's top spy agency has warned students with access to sensitive data to be wary of "handsome men and beautiful women" who could fake feelings to lure them into spying for foreign entities, compromising national security. China's ministry of state security on Wednesday (Sept 4) released on its public WeChat social media account detailed cautions to students whom it said could be manipulated in a number of ways to give up information. It said state security departments have found that personnel of foreign espionage and intelligence organs have carried out targeted wooing and infiltration of young students. "They take advantage of the characteristics of young students' strong curiosity and willingness to try new things," a statement said. China has been cracking down on perceived threats to its national security, releasing several warnings this year to its citizens and revealing cases of spying that it has uncovered. […]

on September 3, 2024 at 9:46 am

HONG KONG — Eleven people were killed in China's eastern Shandong province on Tuesday (Sept 3) after a school bus lost control at a busy pedestrian junction, broadcaster CCTV reported, with disturbing footage showing bodies lying on the road and trapped under the vehicle. Six parents and five children were killed in the incident while one remained in critical condition. More than two dozen were injured, CCTV said. Dongping Police Department said in a statement on WeChat that a vehicle picking up students lost control at a junction in Dongping County, Shandong on Tuesday morning. The accident is under investigation, it added. In July, a motor vehicle ploughed into pedestrians in Hunan province, killing eight people. In May, a bus carrying 45 passengers including 39 students collided with a truck in Jiangsu province, partly due to negligent driving. Traffic accidents, often deadly, are common in China because of weak enforcement of traffic rules and a lack of safety awareness. […]

by Khoo Yi-Hang on September 2, 2024 at 3:57 am

Feeling a many-legged cockroach running down your skin is scary enough - but what would happen if it were to crawl down your throat? That's exactly what this man from Hainan, China had to go through before a doctor managed to extract the dead insect from his trachea, Hi News reported last Wednesday (Aug 29). This 58-year-old Chinese individual had visited a hospital in Hainan on Monday (Aug 14) after reporting being unwell. "Doctor, I have a cough, my breath smells like cockroaches and I feel uncomfortable all over,"  the Chinese man told medical staff. He also reported having yellow phlegm after a foreign object got stuck in his respiratory system. According to the man, he had felt an insect crawl up his nose three days prior to his visit to the hospital. Although he felt some irritation, it was minor, so he brushed it off at the time. As his condition worsened, however, something needed to be done - the man decided to visit an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist but ultimately failed to find the cause in his upper respiratory tract.&nbs […]

on September 2, 2024 at 1:36 am

BEIJING — After quitting the education industry in August 2023 due to China's crackdown on private tutoring, He Ajun has found an unlikely second life as an unemployment influencer. The Guangzhou-based vlogger, 32, offers career advice to her 8,400 followers, charting her journey through long-term joblessness. "Unemployed at 31, not a single thing accomplished," she posted in December 2023. Ms He is now making around 5,000 yuan (S$920) per month through ads on her vlogs, content editing, private consultations and selling handicrafts at street stalls. "I think in future, freelancing will be normalised," said Ms He. "Even if you stay in the workplace, you'll still need freelancing abilities. I believe it will become a backup skill, like driving." China is under instruction to unleash "new productive forces", with government policies targeting narrow areas of science and technology, including artificial intelligence and robotics. […]

on September 1, 2024 at 3:51 am

HONG KONG — China's market regulator said on Friday (Aug 30) that Tesla Motors Beijing will recall 870 imported Model X vehicles from Oct 8 due to a need to check the adhesive used to attach the roof of the vehicles which may pose a safety hazard. ALSO READ: Ford recalls about 85,000 Explorer SUVs over engine fire risk […]

on July 12, 2024 at 4:00 pm

DESPITE the sweltering summer heat, tourists visiting Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, now has a new attraction to explore — the world’s largest indoor ice and snow theme park. T […]

on July 5, 2024 at 4:00 pm

CHINA’S first commercial spacecraft launch site is ready for operations in south China’s Hainan Province, having completed a rocket launch simulation rehearsal using its two launch pads. According to […]

on May 3, 2024 at 4:00 pm

THE International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 — which opened in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, last week — offers a comprehensive and on-site “101 handbook” for gardening devotees […]

by Hu Min on October 9, 2023 at 5:04 pm

A group of young foreign tourists went on a fantastic journey to Sanya, a popular coastal destination in south China’s Hainan Province. The exhilarated youngsters were fascinated by the picturesque scenery, […]

by Ma Yue on September 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm

CHINA’S top-two ranked male tennis players Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Yibing will partner each other for the first time. The duo is paired in the doubles competition at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Shangha […]

on September 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm

THAILAND extended a warm welcome to the first batch of visa-exempt flights from China yesterday, marking the launch of the nation’s fresh initiative to reinvigorate its Chinese tourist market. Approximately […]

on September 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm

HOST China snapped up more gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games yesterday. A shooting world record fell to Chinese teenager Sheng Lihao in the men’s 10-meter air rifle with his 253.3 points surpassing […]

on September 21, 2023 at 4:00 pm

TORCHBEARERS in the virtual and physical worlds will jointly light up the cauldron for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou tomorrow, organizers said yesterday. “A green, digital and intelligent Asian Games […]

on September 21, 2023 at 4:00 pm

CHINA contributed nearly one-third of the academic papers published in the most influential international journals in 2022, marking the first time it surpassed the United States to secure the top position, […]

on September 21, 2023 at 4:00 pm

EXPRESSWAYS in China will likely see a record traffic volume during the upcoming holiday due to travel demand, an official said yesterday. According to Wang Xiuchun, from the Ministry of Transport, t […]