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South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Environmental breakthroughs take centre stage in Hong Kong start-up pitch competition
Every early-stage company entering the 2025 EQT Impact Challenge recognised the need to come up with a business concept that could meet three key criteria: it had to be investible, scalable, and hold promise for the long term. The task was to convey that potential to a panel of expert jurors and demonstrate how the company's innovation could drive meaningful change. The pitch competition, which has held previous editions in Japan, South Korea and Singapore, aims to identify and support early-stage companies with their breakthrough concepts, business plans, financial models, and ambitions to scale for long-term growth. It is organised by EQT, one of the world's largest investment firms, with its philanthropic arm, EQT Foundation, providing the winning start-up capital to fuel growth, and access to a global network of potential industry partners and investors. The event is being held in partnership with the South China Morning Post. The competition focuses on novel, deep tech solutions and scientific breakthroughs related to climate and nature, as well as health and well-being. Many leading contenders were prepared to think big, putting forward ideas and solutions that, given the right backing and once scaled, have the potential to change lives on a global scale.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Why Chinese men are queuing up to marry women from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and why China is worried
A growing trend of Chinese men marrying women from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh is raising concerns about human trafficking. While these unions may appear to be cross-cultural relationships, evidence suggests many are linked to criminal activities. Why is this happening? China faces a significant shortage of women of marriageable age due to the long-term effects of its one-child policy. This policy, in place from 1979 to 2015, led to a preference for sons, creating a demographic imbalance. Now, over 35 million Chinese men are without local partners, and this number is expected to rise. Who is affected? Desperate to find wives, many Chinese men are turning to websites and matchmaking services to find brides abroad, particularly in poorer countries. Some pay large sums to arrange these marriages. According to Ding Changfa, a professor from Xiamen University quoted by South China Morning Post: 'In rural China, we have approximately 34.9 million 'leftover men' who might face the marriage pressures of providing housing, cars, and bride price totalling between 500,000 and 600,000 yuan. Last year, the average disposable income per capita in rural areas across China was just over 20,000 yuan.' How does trafficking occur? Women from low-income communities are often lured with promises of genuine marriage and a better life. However, they find themselves trapped by criminal gangs. The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh has warned citizens against using illegal matchmaking agencies and "buying a foreign wife." Despite laws against deceptive cross-border matchmaking, underground agents continue to operate. Where are these scams happening? Similar issues have been reported in Pakistan, where illegal marriage centers deceive Christian families. Chinese men are presented as wealthy converts, but many women are forced into prostitution or illegal organ trade after arriving in China. Illegal agents produce fake documents to disguise Chinese men as suitable matches. Live Events What are the governments doing? Government responses have been cautious. The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad stated on May 12, 2019, 'There is no evidence of forced prostitution or organ trade involving Pakistani women in China,' but acknowledged illegal matchmaking operations. This comes as China and Pakistan are involved in the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which has brought thousands of Chinese workers to Pakistan, potentially facilitating illegal matchmaking. What are the challenges? Legal gaps and slow legal action hinder efforts to combat trafficking. Chinese citizens can easily obtain visas on arrival in Pakistan, while Pakistanis face strict visa processes to enter China, making it easier for traffickers to operate. What is the impact? Victims are isolated by language, culture, and lack of legal protection. Some in China have suggested lowering the legal marriage age to address the problem. Chen Songxi, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed reducing the age from 22 for men and 20 for women to 18 years.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Japan Changes Rules On Baby Names
Japan has introduced new rules on the names parents can give their children with restrictions on the pronunciation of kanji characters-Chinese‐derived characters written in Japanese. Since the 1980s, some parents have given their children names using kanji characters in such a way that creates a unique pronunciation. This has left schools, hospitals and local offices with registers full of names that nobody knew how to pronounce, according to Hong Kong's daily English language newspaper, the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Critics argue that the rules prohibit linguistic evolution and self-expression. The changes enforcing these officially recognized ways to pronounce each kanji character came into effect with revisions to the Family Register Act on Monday. Standardizing the pronunciation of kanji characters is designed to make administrative procedures easier, the Japanese government says. The way a character is pronounced must be "generally accepted as a reading." Local authorities will have the power to refuse to accept a name, especially if a particular reading could be considered "antisocial" or have "a negative impact on a child's future." Names that have been criticized include Pikachu, from Pokémon, Naiki (Nike) and Pū (as in Winnie-the-Pooh), The Guardian reports. Denmark is another country with strict name laws, with parents there only allowed to pick from an official list of 7,000 approved names, according to WordAtlas. Approved names clearly indicate the child's gender and must conform to Danish orthography. The rules are supposed to protect children from potential ridicule. Other countries have banned specific names considered offensive, such as Germany's ban on the name Lucifer, according to The Times. In the United States, illegal names include Jesus Christ, Adolf Hitler, Santa Claus, Messiah, King, and Queen, according to U.S. Birth Certificates. Yuji Ogihara, assistant professor at Tokyo University of Science, wrote in a paper published in Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology that there has been a rise in unique names for babies in the last few decades. This "suggests a rise in uniqueness-seeking and individualism," Ogihara said. What Happens Next With the new restrictions in place as of Monday, it remains to be seen how the public will react and whether there will be backlash from parents who want more control over their children's name pronunciation. It remains to be seen whether the intended outcome will be achieved and administration across the country will become easier. Related Articles Asian Colleges Aim to Woo Harvard International StudentsTourists Avoiding US After Their Countries Hit by TariffsPhotos Show US and China's Aircraft Carriers Deployed to Pacific WatersUS Stealth Jet Carrier Patrols Waters Near China 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Japan Changes Rules On Baby Names
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Japan has introduced new rules on the names parents can give their children with restrictions on the pronunciation of kanji characters—Chinese‐derived characters written in Japanese. The Context Since the 1980s, some parents have given their children names using kanji characters in such a way that creates a unique pronunciation. This has left schools, hospitals and local offices with registers full of names that nobody knew how to pronounce, according to Hong Kong's daily English language newspaper, the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Critics argue that the rules prohibit linguistic evolution and self-expression. What To Know The changes enforcing these officially recognized ways to pronounce each kanji character came into effect with revisions to the Family Register Act on Monday. Standardizing the pronunciation of kanji characters is designed to make administrative procedures easier, the Japanese government says. The way a character is pronounced must be "generally accepted as a reading." Local authorities will have the power to refuse to accept a name, especially if a particular reading could be considered "antisocial" or have "a negative impact on a child's future." Names that have been criticized include Pikachu, from Pokémon, Naiki (Nike) and Pū (as in Winnie-the-Pooh), The Guardian reports. Denmark is another country with strict name laws, with parents there only allowed to pick from an official list of 7,000 approved names, according to WordAtlas. Approved names clearly indicate the child's gender and must conform to Danish orthography. The rules are supposed to protect children from potential ridicule. Other countries have banned specific names considered offensive, such as Germany's ban on the name Lucifer, according to The Times. In the United States, illegal names include Jesus Christ, Adolf Hitler, Santa Claus, Messiah, King, and Queen, according to U.S. Birth Certificates. File photo of four-kanji character, taken on Dec. 22, 2020, as high school students pose following a calligraphy performance in Osaka. File photo of four-kanji character, taken on Dec. 22, 2020, as high school students pose following a calligraphy performance in Osaka. AP What People Are Saying Yuji Ogihara, assistant professor at Tokyo University of Science, wrote in a paper published in Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology that there has been a rise in unique names for babies in the last few decades. This "suggests a rise in uniqueness-seeking and individualism," Ogihara said. What Happens Next With the new restrictions in place as of Monday, it remains to be seen how the public will react and whether there will be backlash from parents who want more control over their children's name pronunciation. It remains to be seen whether the intended outcome will be achieved and administration across the country will become easier.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
China to collect record $22 billion in BRI loan repayments in 2025
China will turn from a capital provider to a debt collector of 75 developing countries, including the world's poorest and most vulnerable, this year as they are due to pay back a record USD 22 billion loans owed to Beijing, according to data released by an Australian think tank. China has become the leading debt collector of developing countries, shifting from a net capital provider, "as bills coming due from its Belt and Road lending surge in the 2010s now far outstrip new loan disbursements", the latest research report of the Australian think tank, the Lowy Institute, said. In 2025, about 75 of the world's poorest and most vulnerable countries will make record high debt repayments totalling USD 22 billion to China as a result of peaks in new loan commitments made from 2012 to 2018, the report said. China faces a dilemma and growing diplomatic pressure to restructure unsustainable debt besides mounting domestic pressure, particularly from its quasi-commercial institutions, to recover outstanding debts, according to the report prepared by Riley Duke. Duke said that the research was being published now because China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) lending spree peaked in the mid-2010s, and those grace periods began expiring in the early 2020s a likely crunch period for developing-country repayments to China. How China's shift to chief debt collector will impact its reputation as a development partner remains to be seen, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Duke as saying. On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry sought to play down the report, saying that a handful of countries are spreading rumours against Chinese loan assistance to developing countries. China's investment and financing cooperation with the developing countries is in line with the international common practices, the market principles and the principle of debt sustainability, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here while commenting on the report. A handful of countries are spreading the rumours, citing China threat, but they don't talk about the fact that multilateral institutions are the major creditors of developing countries and the source of the debt repayment, she said. Under its influential BRI initiative, the signature initiative of President Xi Jinping, China has doled out billions of dollars of loans to dozens of infrastructure projects in developing countries to further its global influence. However, the investments attracted criticism of being debt traps after China acquired Sri Lanka's Hambantota port for a 99-year lease as a debt swap. Several recipient countries struggled to pay back the loans for the projects, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant economic crisis and poor viability of the undertakings. In 54 of 120 developing countries with available data, debt-service payments to China now exceed the combined repayments owed to the Paris Club a bloc that includes all major Western bilateral lenders, the report said. The research showed that China remains the largest bilateral lender in seven of its nine land neighbours: Laos, Pakistan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. A majority have received new Chinese loan commitments since 2019 and together account for a quarter of all disbursements since China's lending downturn began in 2018, Duke added. Last year, China became the largest creditor of Pakistan, Beijing's all-weather ally, with almost USD 29 billion in loans, according to a World Bank report. China had the single largest share of debt to Pakistan with 22pc share (about USD 28.786bn), followed by the World Bank's 18pc share (USD 23.55bn) and the Asian Development Bank's 15pc share (USD 19.63bn), it said. This year, Pakistan is expected to have significant debt rollover and repayment needs, with estimates ranging from USD 22 billion to over USD 30 billion in external debt maturing. In March, Beijing, which is pursuing a USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) rolled over a USD two billion loan for Pakistan, one of several such rollovers in the last few years. For its part, China which itself is facing an economic slowdown at home has trimmed its future BRI investments from mega projects to small but beautiful undertakings. The BRI, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond.
