Blackpink in Vietnam, Fukushima water release, China’s demand for durian: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week
- From China’s demand for durian to girl group Blackpink facing outrage in Vietnam, 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. How durian became the coveted gift for girlfriends, future in-laws in China
Durian, the pungent tropical fruit, is growing increasingly popular in China, with imports soaring by more than 150 per cent in the first quarter. Ma Qian, a twenty-something based in Miyang county, said: “The old folks believe that durian is highly nutritious and that eating one durian is equal to eating three chickens.”
2. Blackpink, Barbie and Beijing’s South China Sea claims collide in Vietnam
First it was a scribbled map in the Warner Bros’ Barbie film, now Blackpink is facing the ire of Vietnamese nationalists calling for a boycott of the K-pop girl group’s coming tour dates in Hanoi, as pop culture increasingly takes collateral damage from geopolitics.
3. Woman seeks daughter, who was taken 40 years ago, to give her US$138,000 inheritance
A 64-year-old woman’s search for the daughter she was forced to give up four decades ago to give her more than 1 million yuan (US$138,000) in inheritance has captivated China after being aired on television. The only clues Wang Yunjuan has about her daughter are her name, a red birthmark on her left arm and that she is living in Beijing.
4. Hong Kong’s Japanese eateries unsure about survival if city bans seafood imports over Fukushima discharge plan
Hong Kong’s Japanese restaurants could suffer worse than they did during the pandemic under a potential import ban on some seafood amid controversy concerning the release of waste water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. One operator in North Point said customers had already been scared off, calling the situation “worse than when the government banned restaurant dining during the Covid pandemic”.
5. How deep is the snow on Mount Everest? A Chinese team has new answers
The mantle of snow on top of the world’s highest peak is much deeper than previously thought, a finding that could affect understanding of climate change, according to a group of Chinese scientists. “Our measurement revealed an astonishing mean snow depth ...”, Professor Yang Wei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, said.
6. ‘Never been this popular’: Hong Kong pop singers enjoy rebirth thanks to AI
Hong Kong cult icon Wan Kwong was astonished when Cantopop songs supposedly sung by him became hits with listeners recently, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence. YouTube content creators used AI to generate his voice before integrating it with two songs – “Solitude” by songwriter Terence Lam Ka-him and “My Dear Friend” by Keung To of Hong Kong boy band Mirror. “I don’t even know how to sing these songs,” said the 79-year-old Wan.
7. Malaysia’s Mahathir, 98, isn’t done with politics. Is he ‘obsessed’ with Anwar?
With two stints as premier and an already untouchable legacy in Malaysian politics, Mahathir Mohamad is facing mounting questions over the motivation for his “Malay Proclamation” activism that is bound to whip up anxiety among Malays – and Malaysia’s other religious and ethnic groups. The answer appears to lie with his former protégé Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, observers say.
