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SCMP

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. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Taiwan quake: Taipei rebuffs aid offer from mainland China amid deadly disaster
The Taiwanese government has rebuffed an offer of help extended by Beijing as the island contends with the aftermath of a deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Wednesday morning, killing at least nine people. At least 934 people are reported injured and 56 remain trapped in the quake that struck off the east coast at 7.58am and sparked tsunami warnings.
2. Biden and Kishida to announce ‘historic’ US-Japan agreement: envoy

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will announce a “historic” agreement next week that will “upgrade” the two countries’ security relationship, deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said on Wednesday.
3. Hong Kong Rugby Sevens’ nearly 50-year history – a visual guide

The rugby sevens tournament is held annually in Hong Kong over a weekend in late March or early April, now spanning three days. The 2024 edition is expected to be the final one hosted at its long-time venue, Hong Kong Stadium.
4. Sheikh Ali Al Maktoum, who made waves in Hong Kong, has alter ego as singer

A Dubai prince who made waves in Hong Kong recently appears to have gained fame as a singer-songwriter with a fan base in the Philippines before he decided to set up a US$500 million family office in the city, the Post has learned.
5. Why Marcos’ own sister is calling him out over Philippines’ anti-China moves

Senator Imee Marcos, sister to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, has voiced her disagreement with her brother’s recent efforts to counter China’s aggression in the South China Sea, saying that it’s leading the country down a “dangerous path”.
6. Singaporean influencer becomes grandmother at 34, jokes that she ‘inspired’ son
An online influencer from Singapore, who became a grandmother at the age of 34, has promised her 17-year-old son who is the father to “give him more support”. Shirli Ling, 35, who runs a chicken hotpot restaurant, has 17,000 followers on Instagram.
7. ‘Chinese Kobe Bryant’ aims for 1 million fans by being lookalike of basketball star

An influencer in China who bears a striking resemblance to the basketball legend Kobe Bryant has made 80,000 yuan (US$12,000) in just 10 days. Ma Jinghui, 21, from the southwestern province of Yunnan, saw his fan base on Douyin grow from a few thousand to 600,000 all because of his imitation of the sports star.


Trump is turning allies and partners into friends of China

Hong Kong stocks struggle as mainland China markets ride AI wave

Are Japan-Philippines talks a maritime red line for China’s blue-water ambitions?

Why China’s Latin America ties aren’t immune to Trump’s influence

Taiwan

Taiwan earthquake, Kobe Bryant’s lookalike in China, Singapore’s 34-year-old grandma: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

A mother-of-five influencer from Singapore, who has become a grandmother at the age of 34, says she will “support and guide” her 17-year-old son, the new father. Photo: SCMP composite

Buildings were shaken from their foundations in a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in Hualien City, Taiwan on Wednesday morning. Photo: CNA

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk along the Colonnade of the White House in Washington on January 13, 2023. Photo: AP

Illustration: SCMP

Sheikh Ali Al Maktoum (left) and Alira, whose music career has been on a hiatus since 2023. Photo: SCMP

Senator Imee Marcos (left) with her brother, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, after he delivered his second state of the nation address at the Philippine House of Representatives in July last year. Photo: AP

A young man in China who resembles the late basketball icon Kobe Bryant has amassed 500,000 fans in two weeks by copying the sporting legend’s look and style in live-streaming sessions. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Getty Images

UAE prince and Hong Kong, Xi’s policy shift, Singapore ‘Asia’s happiest country’ again: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

Chinese scientists and engineers have created a prototype of a new electromagnetic catapult for aircraft carriers that outstrips anything seen before. Photo: Xinhua via AP

Sheikh Ali Rashed Ali Saeed Al Maktoum was in Hong Kong making high-profile appearances over the past week. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Illustration by Henry Wong

Singaporeans under 30 reported a significantly worse quality of life in the World Happiness Report’s survey than those over 60. Photo: Shutterstock

Sian Rainsley won the Hong Kong leg of the World Triathlon Cup, but the wrong national anthem was played after she received her gold medal. Photo: Elson Li

Chinese war drone, Hong Kong’s Article 23 law, Philippines mail-order bride scheme: 7 highlights of the week

Chinese scientists report they have developed a drone that can rapidly split apart. Photo: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Lawmakers take pictures after the voting of the Article 23 bill in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. Photo: Elson Li

A black-and-white striped cow. Photo: Kojima et al

A Filipino activist yells during a protest in Manila on International Women’s Day earlier this month. Photo: Reuters

The PLA conducts live-fire drills in the Gulf of Tonkin in 2021. Photo: Weibo

Nicholas Tse, tourists in Hong Kong, canteens for seniors: 5 weekend reads you may have missed

Tourists take pictures near the Yick Cheong Building, also known as the “Monster Building”, in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Lee

Passengers ride the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Yik Yeung-man 

The life of China’s final imperial ruler may have been immortalised by way of a Hollywood blockbuster, but less known is that of Puyi’s wife Wanrong and her American tutor Isabel Ingram. Photo: Getty Images

Illustration: Huy Truong

Nicholas Tse in Macau in 2017. Photo: Aleksander Solum

A community canteen for the elderly in Chongqing, China. Photo: Getty Images

Bamboo’s protein potential, rise of India’s manufacturers, Hong Kong’s culture summit: 6 weekend reads you may have missed

As a crop, bamboo is fast-growing, plus has multiple uses including as food and timber. Photo: Shutterstock


Bamboo is not just the food of the giant panda; it also provides a long list of health benefits for human consumption. Photo: Xinhua

Workers clean solar panels at Premier Energies Solar on the outskirts of Hyderabad last year. India has introduced production-linked incentives for sectors such as electronics and renewable-energy equipment. Photo: AP

Illustration: Brian Wang

Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement of 2014 was sparked by student protests against a trade deal with mainland China. Photo: Reuters

Movana Chen at her Knitting Conversations exhibition ongoing at M+. The Hong Kong artist, best known for her clothes knitted from shredded magazines, reveals how her work has helped her forge friendships all around the world. Photo: Edmond So

A view of French photographer and artist JR’s exhibition “Pattern” at Perrotin Hong Kong in 2012. Photo: Perrotin / Laurent Segretier

Ramadan in Gaza, Malaysians feel the pinch, Taylor Swift’s impersonator: 6 weekend reads you may have missed

Displaced Palestinian children queue to collect free food handouts from a street kitchen in central Gaza on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg

A man stirs a giant pot as displaced Palestinians queue to receive food donated by a charity organisation ahead of the fast-breaking “iftar” meal during Ramadan, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 16, 2024. Photo: AFP

A worker arranges packaged fish crackers at a store in Terengganu. Ordinary Malaysians have been hit by the ringgit’s drop in value, as the cost of shopping surges with each depreciation. Photo: Bloomberg

A groom puts a face mask on his bride before their wedding ceremony in Jakarta. Indonesia recorded only 1.79 million marriages in 2020. Photo: AFP 

Japanese primary school pupils on a field trip in Osaka. Photo: Shutterstock

Taylor Sheesh, a Philippine drag act who impersonates American pop star Taylor Swift, performs in Singapore on March 16, 2024. Photo: SCMP

The world’s largest library reading space, in the Beijing City Library in China’s capital, was inspired by nature and designed to be something of a social space. Photo: Yumeng Zhu

News

World

Asia

China

From Taipei rebuffing Beijing’s aid after earthquake to a Singaporean influencer becoming a grandmother at 34, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting


From Taipei rebuffing Beijing’s aid after earthquake to a Singaporean influencer becoming a grandmother at 34, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.


SCMP Highlights

Diplomacy

China-Philippines relations

The Philippines

Taiwan earthquake, Kobe Bryant’s lookalike in China, Singapore’s 34-year-old grandma: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}From Taipei rebuffing Beijing’s aid after earthquake to a Singaporean influencer becoming a grandmother at 34, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. Taiwan quake: Taipei rebuffs aid offer from mainland China amid deadly disaster

2. Biden and Kishida to announce ‘historic’ US-Japan agreement: envoy

From Taipei rebuffing Beijing’s aid after earthquake to a Singaporean influencer becoming a grandmother at 34, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting