Note 17 - Taxation - Reconciliation of the Income Tax (Expense)/Benefit (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Pre-tax loss	$ (13,363)	$ (9,760)
U.S. federal rate	21.00%	35.00%
Income tax benefit computed at U.S. federal rate	$ 2,806	$ 3,416
Rate differential for PRC earnings	561	(724)
Preferential tax treatment effect	(231)	(238)
Tax effect on non-taxable change in fair value of warrant liabilities	350
Tax effect on non-deductible impairment on goodwill	(1,303)
Tax effect on change of net operating loss treatment	1,130
Tax effect on enactment of new tax rate		(1,859)
Tax effect on toll charge income from the Act		(492)
Tax effect on adjustment to provisional amount of toll charge income from the Act	(96)
Provision/reverse of valuation allowance on deferred tax assets	(3,504)	90
Expired tax attribute carryforwards	(365)	(524)
Tax effect on other non-deductible expenses/non-taxable income	(112)	80
Effective income tax expense	$ (764)	$ (251)