South China Morning Post

Chinese vapers are defending the health value of e-cigarettes, after the government further tightened sales of vaping devices in the country. 

On Friday, the country’s tobacco regulator announced a ban on online sales and advertising of e-cigarettes as part of a campaign to prevent minors from accessing vaping products. 

The new rule brings e-cigarettes under a sales and advertising ban similar to tobacco.

With more than 300 million smokers, China is seen as a potential growth driver for the…

The world’s first new drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease in nearly two decades, based on seaweed, was approved by the Chinese government this weekend.

The drug, Oligomannate, could represent a breakthrough in the global effort to develop treatments for the neurodegenerative disorder, which has no cure and is predicted to affect 150 million people worldwide by 2050.

The National Medical Products Administration, China’s drug regulator, said Oligomannate had been approved for the treatment of…

When you take the subway in cities across China, you often have to go through a security check before being allowed to board the train. 

The checks can vary from a simple bag search to going through an airport-style scan in metropolises like Beijing. The procedures were implemented after a 2014 knife attack at a railway station in southwest China, in which 31 people were killed.

This week, an official in charge of Beijing’s subway network made international headlines when he revealed a…

China’s tech industry could benefit from a US government crackdown on foreign influence, which is taking a toll on ethnic Chinese researchers, according to a top investor.

“While the US is driving talent away, it is the perfect time for us to race to bring them back to China,” said Ning Tao, president and partner of Sinovation Ventures, one of China’s leading venture capital firms with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI).

This talent, she said, would be the key asset in fueling China’s…

A hospital in eastern China has suspended 11 medical staff for leaking photos of medical waste, including a needle and drip bag, from Mando-pop star JJ Lin, in a case that highlights obsessive fan culture.

Following a concert last Saturday, Lin visited the Zhenjiang First People’s Hospital in Jiangsu province after feeling ill, according to local media. 

But after he was discharged, photos of the needle and drip bag used by him began circulating online. Some of the posts jokingly suggested…

Glass bridges have mushroomed across China in recent years, offering adventurous travelers an adrenaline rush as the country tried novel ways of boosting tourism.

But after a series of accidents, the northern Chinese province of Hebei has officially shut down all 32 of its glass walkways and bridges for safety checks, according to the Beijing News. The attractions had been suspended since March 2018.

At least four other Chinese provinces also closed its glass bridges and ordered safety checks…

Masked protester or trick-or-treater? Hong Kong’s police may soon have to spot the difference to enforce a recent ban on face masks intended to end months of civil unrest.

The Hong Kong police force has planned to deployed water cannons and 3,000 riot officers to prepare for potential clashes on Thursday night. 

Hong Kong has been gripped since June by demonstrations sparked by opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill that has resulted in frequent street violence and confrontations…

The sweet, chewy boba balls are not only in your bubble tea, they could also be on top of your pizza. 

Domino’s and Pizza Hut are offering pizzas topped with boba in Taiwan, the birthplace of the original bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea. 

The boba pizza is already being sold at Domino’s on the island. It costs NT$199 ($6.50) to have a “brown sugar boba pizza” delivered. It’s topped with black boba, white mochi balls, honey and cheese. Customers can pay extra for extra cheese. 

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A megacity in south China has become the first in the country to pass a law promoting breastfeeding, which remains unpopular despite the myriad proven benefits of human milk.

The law, passed in Guangzhou, requires public places such as train stations, museums and parks to set up dedicated lactation rooms, or face fines. Employers must provide breastfeeding mothers with a one-hour daily break to feed or pump.

It also bans hospitals and medical institutions from taking money from or…

A woman reported to be China’s oldest mother gave birth last week at the age of 67.

If the claim is substantiated, the woman, surnamed Tian, would have overtaken the previous record held by a woman who gave birth at the age of 64 in 2016.

But that woman, from the northern Chinese province of Jilin, reportedly conceived her child from in vitro fertilization. It was not known whether she had used her own eggs or eggs from a donor.

Celebrities such as Janet Jackson and Brigitte Nielsen have…