China conducts test flight of a giant coil array. Can it detect nuclear submarines?

News - South China Morning Post June 9, 2026 at 9:00 AM

At an undisclosed test site, a helicopter takes off, towing a kite-like array of massive coils. The system, called Airborne Transient Electromagnetic (Atem) detection, works by firing a powerful pulse of electricity through a giant transmitter coil. This creates a brief, strong electromagnetic field that penetrates the ground or water. When the pulse is turned off, the magnetic field induces tiny, decaying “eddy currents” in any conductive material it hits. These currents, in turn, create their...

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Spying in Xinjiang? No, I was reporting from China’s energy heartland

News - South China Morning Post June 9, 2026 at 7:00 AM

As the war in Iran disrupts global oil and chemical supplies, China’s coal-heavy energy sector is seizing an unprecedented opportunity. Dannie Peng visited Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to witness the operations of one of China’s four major bases for large-scale, modern coal-chemical production. In this reporter’s note, she documents her observations and experiences during the trip. For her reporting, read the two-part series here. As a journalist working for a non-local, non-state media...

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Update: Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection endeavors

Kyrgyzstan News June 8, 2026 at 9:46 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices.Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" thanks to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, all located in

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Update: Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection endeavors

Tajikistan News June 8, 2026 at 9:46 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices.Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" thanks to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, all located in

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Update: Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection endeavors

Turkmenistan News June 8, 2026 at 9:46 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices.Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" thanks to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, all located in

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1st LD-Writethru-China Focus: Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection endeavors

Kyrgyzstan News June 8, 2026 at 8:49 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices. Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" thanks to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, all located i

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1st LD-Writethru-China Focus: Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection endeavors

Tajikistan News June 8, 2026 at 8:49 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices. Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" thanks to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, all located i

Read full story →

1st LD-Writethru-China Focus: Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection endeavors

Turkmenistan News June 8, 2026 at 8:49 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices. Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" thanks to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, all located i

Read full story →

Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection

Tajikistan News June 8, 2026 at 5:16 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices. Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" due to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces and in some parts

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Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection

Kyrgyzstan News June 8, 2026 at 5:16 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices. Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" due to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces and in some parts

Read full story →

Tech breakthroughs boost China's black soil protection

Turkmenistan News June 8, 2026 at 5:16 PM

NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have released research results documenting technological breakthroughs in combating black soil degradation and boosting modern agricultural development through the use of modern precision practices. Referred to as the "giant panda of cultivated land" due to its fertility and scarcity, black soil in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces and in some parts

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China turns African port into tourist spot, students rethink Hong Kong: 5 weekend reads

South China Morning Post June 8, 2026 at 9:29 AM

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China is transforming historic African slave port into waterfront tourism magnet 2. The new Panama? Why Nicaragua could be next front in US-China influence battle 3. Is the dream over? Mainland students rethink Hong Kong over costs and cultural fit 4. How Chinese drink chains are testing the...

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China’s Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea after hailing everlasting friendship

South China Morning Post June 8, 2026 at 8:17 AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Pyongyang on Monday for a two-day visit, his first to North Korea since 2019. In an article published by Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, on Monday morning, Xi said the combat friendship “forged in blood” and comradely bond of mutual trust between the two countries stood the test of time and the changing international landscape. Xi pledged to deepen strategic communication and interact frequently...

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Tibet quartz discovery boosts China’s self-sufficiency push for hi-tech materials

South China Morning Post June 8, 2026 at 7:00 AM

China has discovered a new source of high-purity quartz in its western Tibet autonomous region, potentially reducing its reliance on imports of the critical material to make solar panels and semiconductors. High-purity quartz is a gold standard manufacturing material for numerous hi-tech items, including some whose global market is dominated by China. China has relied on imports to obtain the important material, with most coming from the United States, because of a lack of domestic sources for...

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China cleaner inspired by university students gets into graduate school after year of self-study

South China Morning Post June 8, 2026 at 6:00 AM

A university cleaner in southwestern China has secured a place in a master’s programme after a year of self-study while raising two children. Li Jia, 33, from Chengdu in Sichuan province, works full-time as a cleaner at Chengdu University of Technology. She and her husband once ran a restaurant near the campus, but it closed after struggling to stay afloat, according to local reports. Li later took a sanitation job at the university, valuing its stability, proximity to home and fixed hours,...

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Hong Kong tycoon bets China will overtake US economy ‘in next decade or so’

South China Morning Post June 8, 2026 at 5:30 AM

Hong Kong property tycoon Gordon Wu Ying-sheung has predicted that China will overtake the US as the world’s largest economy in the next decade or so, propelled by rapid technological advances while Washington is weighed down by massive defence expenditure and national debt. Yet the 90-year-old founder and chairman of Hopewell Holdings, who rarely speaks to the press, said Hong Kong should look past geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington to build closer ties with the United States,...

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China adds warheads as nuclear powers ‘walk away’ from disarmament: SIPRI

South China Morning Post June 8, 2026 at 3:01 AM

China expanded its nuclear warhead stockpile over the past year and might have increased the number deployed with operational forces, a Swedish think tank report said, warning that major powers were “walking away” from disarmament commitments. According to the report released on Monday as part of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) latest yearbook, China added 20 warheads to its nuclear stockpile as of January 2026, bringing the total to 620, up from 600 a year...

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