China News Live: Hong Kong plans new deals to encourage longer stays from mainland concertgoers

Hong Kong authorities are intensifying efforts to attract mainland Chinese visitors for longer stays, with Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui stating on Saturday that new initiatives like concert deals, hotel packages, and discounts on other offerings will be introduced, South China Morning Post said in a report. This strategy aims to address concerns about tourists predominantly making short trips and the issue of overcrowded border facilities.

A 30-year-old domestic tourist damaged two of China's ancient Terracotta Warriors on Friday, May 30, 2025, after jumping over a guardrail and protective net into a display area at the world-famous museum in Xi'an, public security officials stated on Saturday, May 31, 2025, as per a report in The Guardian. The individual reportedly "pushed and pulled" the clay figures, causing varying degrees of damage to the artifacts.

China voiced criticism on Saturday, May 31, 2025, labeling as a "double standard" any attempts to link the defense of Ukraine with the need to safeguard Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, according to a report in Reuters. This was a thinly veiled reference to a speech delivered by French President Emmanuel Macron in Singapore on Friday night, May 30, 2025, where he addressed the risks of division between China and the United States and touched upon the parallels between the European conflict and potential threats to Taiwan.

China's approach to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in 2025 continues to be defined by a complex interplay between fostering state-controlled innovation and enforcing stringent regulation, as per a report in The Diplomat. This enduring strategy sees the nation actively pursuing the development and expansion of its central bank digital currency, the digital yuan, to harness blockchain's potential under governmental oversight. Simultaneously, strict measures, notably the comprehensive ban on cryptocurrency transactions and mining established in 2021, remain in place to mitigate financial risks and assert state authority over the financial sector. This policy framework highlights the government's clear distinction between supporting controlled blockchain applications and suppressing decentralized digital currencies.

Chinese authorities, including the Ministry of Education, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and the Ministry of Public Security, have jointly announced a campaign to heavily crack down on scams related to the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, particularly those promoting the use of artificial intelligence to predict actual exam questions, South China Morning Post says in a report. This initiative, announced on Friday, May 30, 2025, aims to investigate and eliminate "illegal and harmful information" associated with the highly competitive exams.

Enterprise management expert Wang Zhongqiu has reportedly provoked an online debate and outrage in southern China’s Guangdong province after criticizing the local custom of diners washing their own tableware with hot water at restaurant tables, according to a report in South China Morning Post. In a video statement released on May 12 on a major social media platform, Wang Zhongqiu, whose current role is an expert in enterprise management, described this common behavior among Guangdong diners as “disgusting” and stated it made him uncomfortable. These comments have since led to many social media users in the region defending their long-standing tradition and expressing their disapproval of the scholar's reproof.

Chinese firm Pop Mart is achieving substantial commercial success through its tiny blind box collectible toys, with characters such as Labubu inspiring a widespread collecting phenomenon among Gen Z consumers in Asia, the United States, and Europe, as per a report in Financial Times. This trend highlights the significant business generated by these miniature collectibles, indicating a strong market appeal that transcends international borders and resonates deeply with younger demographics, who are actively participating in this collecting frenzy.

China's navy recently executed combat patrols near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a development that occurred as South Korea announced the discovery of new Chinese buoys in its Yellow Sea exclusive economic zone, Al Jazeera said in a report. These Chinese naval activities near Scarborough Shoal follow a period of increased confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in other contested areas of the South China Sea, such as the Second Thomas Shoal. The Scarborough Shoal itself, located within the Philippines' EEZ, was a subject of a 2016 international arbitral ruling which stated China's historical claims over such features lacked legal basis, though the ruling did not decide on sovereignty.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles called for increased openness from China concerning its military build-up and activities during the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore, as per a report in Reuters. Marles, whose current role is Australian Defence Minister, highlighted that Pacific nations are preparing for a more assertive Chinese presence in the region, emphasizing the need for clarity on China's rapid military modernisation and the deployment of its forces. This call comes amid broader concerns about China's growing defence budget, increased military activity in the Indo-Pacific, and recent close encounters between Chinese and other nations' military forces, which underscore the urgency for measures to prevent miscalculation.

A candid narrative by a Beijing courier, described as 'wild' for its truthfulness about challenging work conditions in China, has recently struck a significant chord with the public and notably bypassed state censorship mechanisms, Financial Times said in a report. The story's viral spread, occurring within the last week, highlights ongoing social tensions surrounding arduous labor, particularly within the gig economy, and underscores the public's desire for authentic portrayals of everyday struggles, even amidst strengthened internet controls and official narratives. This incident demonstrates the potential for personal accounts to fuel public discussion on sensitive topics, posing a challenge to information control.

Hong Kong's Tuen Ng Festival has commenced with participants in high spirits, despite strong winds impacting the dragon boat races, South China Morning Post said in a report. Tourism authorities anticipate a 14 per cent increase in mainland Chinese visitors compared to previous weekends for the festival. A key event, the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championship, saw its venue packed with racing teams and residents on Saturday morning. Alan Chan, team captain of the West Kowloon Cultural... team, noted that the "little windy" weather "may affect our performance."

The US-China trade war cast a significant, unspoken shadow over Asia's largest tech expo, Computex Taipei, where new technologies like AI-enabled laptops and glasses-free 3D displays were showcased to 86,521 prospective buyers, according to a report in South China Morning Post. This 'elephant in the showroom' atmosphere reflects the ongoing broader technology competition between the US and China, persistent cross-strait tensions, and global realignments in tech supply chains, all of which heavily influence the industry discussions and business environment at the event.

Nightly drone patrols are conducted in Nanjing, China, to monitor areas like underground station exits and the riverside with the aim of deterring potential criminals, a system that has been operational since 2024, according to a report in South China Morning Post. The city’s police bureau, in a report published in April 2025, detailed how artificial intelligence is used to plan these patrol routes, enabling a focus on the city’s less visible or vulnerable locations.

An 18-year-old male secondary school student in Hong Kong has been placed under a mandatory isolation order by health authorities after being diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and subsequently declining treatment, leading to his discharge from hospital against medical advice, South China Morning Post said in a report. The Centre for Health Protection announced on Friday (May 30, 2025) that it was managing the case of the student, who had been hospitalized on May 14 with symptoms including shortness of breath, persistent coughing, blood in his sputum, fever, and weight loss. In response to the public health risk, screening measures have also been arranged for the student's teachers and classmates.

Hong Kong's corporate activity and yuan-driven business have been revitalised as global market participants strengthen ties to China’s economy amid tariffs and geopolitical tensions, as per a report in South China Morning Post. Ole Matthiessen, current head of corporate banking for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Deutsche Bank, stated that companies and investors have, in recent developments, increased their exposure to China and hedged against the US dollar as they adjusted their supply chains and portfolios in response to market volatility.

China has initiated several subtle overtures towards Japan in recent weeks aimed at stabilising bilateral ties, South China Morning Post said in a report. These actions, occurring within the past seven days as of May 31, 2025, include Japan's government confirming on Thursday, May 30, 2025, that China had dismantled the second of two oceanographic buoys it had previously installed without Tokyo’s consent within Japan’s exclusive economic zone near Okinawa. This was followed by China easing a politically charged seafood import ban. Observers suggest these developments are a 'tactical recalibration' by Beijing rather than a 'true reset' in the relationship, indicating a cautious approach to interpreting these signals of de-escalation.

China has officially inaugurated its first overseas new-generation radio telescope in northern Thailand, with the 13-metre antenna in Chiang Mai commencing operations on May 16, 2025, South China Morning Post says in a report. This project, a collaborative effort between the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and Thailand's National Astronomical Research Institute, aims to bolster a global scientific network dedicated to observing deep space signals and monitoring subtle changes in the Earth’s rotation and tectonic plate movements.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in his first address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2025, characterized the threat from China as "real and potentially imminent" and pressed allies in the Indo-Pacific region to allocate more resources to their own defense capabilities, as per a report in Reuters. Hegseth's remarks at Asia's premier defense forum highlighted Washington's strategic focus on countering China and aimed to encourage greater allied contributions to regional security.