Mai Mizuhashi’s breakout stardom, Hong Kong’s vanishing books and a weak ringgit — SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week
- From a Japanese pop star to Hong Kong libraries, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues.
1. Overcoming geopolitical divide, Japanese singer becomes breakout star in China
Mai Mizuhashi, known by the stage name MARiA, was the breakout star of the latest season of Ride the Wind, a women-centred reality competition show that invites public figures over the age of 30 to take part in pop idol format competitions.
Because of [Mizuhashi’s] commercial success, it is now in the spotlight how much the Chinese audience is [taking in] from the Japanese subculture
With Chinese productions seeking to expand beyond national borders and create an international audience, and more viewers being open to on-screen diversity, this trend would continue regardless of geopolitical tensions, analysts agreed.
2. Singaporeans eye cheaper trips to Malaysia as ringgit plunges
Singapore and Malaysia share one of the busiest overland borders in the world, with more than 300,000 people travelling across daily. Now, Singaporeans are taking advantage of the weak ringgit for more trips across the border, triggering a shortage of the currency. Meanwhile, Malaysians are demanding answers to the ringgit’s poor performance, which an economist notes could be due to factors including a less aggressive monetary policy and a softer Chinese yuan.