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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. Chinese maths star Wang Hong solves ‘infamous’ geometry problem
Chinese mathematician Wang Hong has solved an “infamous” geometry problem called the Kakeya conjecture within three dimensions. It is considered a breakthrough that could have implications for imaging, data processing, cryptography and wireless communication.
2. China pledges to spend more an hour before Donald Trump promises to cut back

Two starkly divergent views of the future were laid out on opposite sides of the Pacific on Wednesday, as Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged more aggressive spending to drive growth, while US President Donald Trump vowed to scale back the federal government to balance the books.
3. China solves F-22’s stealth coating cracks with 3,000-year-old silk weaving tech

While US stealth fighters like the F-22 Raptor grapple with delaminating radar-absorbent coatings – a vulnerability likened to “moulting cicada wings” – China claims to have found an ancient solution for its fifth-generation jets.
4. ‘Severe blow’: over 10,000 Indonesians lose their jobs in Sritex collapse

More than 10,000 factory workers have lost their jobs in Indonesia after Southeast Asia’s largest textile manufacturer closed its doors. In its heyday, Sritex was a giant of Indonesian industry, churning out military uniforms for Nato and the German Army.
5. ‘Gone down a lot’: why Chinese travellers are shunning US and Europe

Chinese tourists are increasingly turning away from traditional destinations such as the United States and Europe in favour of hotspots in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America, according to foreign exchange firm Travelex.
6. Hong Kong actor Vinci Wong bankrupt after alleged HK$2.8 million loan default

Vinci Wong Yin-chi, actor and former chairman of Hong Kong’s oldest and largest charity, has been declared bankrupt. The 54-year-old filed for bankruptcy in December last year, just a day after a credit company sued him for allegedly defaulting on an unsecured loan of HK$2.8 million (US$360,046).
7. The secret sauce of DeepSeek’s AI success: liberal arts graduates
The eloquence and human touch in text responses generated by Chinese start-up DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence (AI) models, which have quickly gained popularity, can be partly credited to a small team of liberal arts graduates who curated the training data, according to former employees and analysts.


Selfies and symbolism: behind the scenes from Xi’s summit with Trump and Putin

Leaders Xi, Putin meet over tea; rare earth find in northeast China: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Shenzhen’s 24-hour spa, a glimpse of 1970s Hong Kong: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Xi’s back-to-back meetings with Trump and Putin in Beijing: everything you need to know

SCMP Highlights

Chinese maths star solves geometry problem, Hong Kong actor bankrupt: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Chinese mathematician Wang Hong is an associate professor at the New York University Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Photo: Handout

Premier Li Qiang speaks during the opening session of the NPC in Beijing. Photo: AFP

America’s F-22 jets are known to suffer coating cracks, but China is now using ancient weaving techniques to create a more advance type of coating to solve the problem. Photo: AFP

A former Sritex textile factory worker weeps as she listens to a farewell speech on Friday in Sukoharjo, Central Java. Photo: AFP

Chinese travellers are increasingly skipping traditional Western destinations in favour of the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia, currency data suggests. Photo: Getty Images

Actor Vinci Wong has been declared bankrupt. Photo: Handout

China’s UN chance, tariff challenges, ‘don’t poke the dragon’: 7 US-China relations reads

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the United Nations General Assembly via video in September 2020. Donald Trump’s targeting of the UN has created an opportunity for China to expand its power. Photo: UN handout via Xinhua

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Photo: AP

Photo: Bochen Han

Illustration: Brian Wang

Photo: Panama Presidency handout via AFP

Photo: Reuters

Photo: Shutterstock

Ramadan price gougers, Philippines’ US exemption, India-Taliban ties: 7 Asia highlights

Soldiers march during a military parade held to mark the 89th founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila on December 20, 2024. Photo: AFP

Two Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jets fly with two US Air Force B-1 bomber aircraft during a joint patrol and training over the South China Sea on February 4, 2025. Photo: AP 

People buy food from street vendors for iftar (fast-breaking) meals at the Ramadan bazaar in conjunction with the celebration of the holy month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in March 2024. Photo: Getty Images

The Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi pictured in 2016. Indonesia is reportedly considering buying the recently retired vessel. Photo: AFP

Students at a university campus in Seoul. Photo: Shutterstock

The Afghan embassy in New Delhi, India, in September 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

Firefighters battle a wildfire in Ofunato, Iwate prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

A foreign tourist sunbathes on a beach in Pattaya in Thailand. Photo: EPA-EFE

Shenzhen’s tech rival, China’s Mach 16 jet fuel engine: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Chinese researchers have developed an engine that uses standard aviation kerosene to travel up to Mach 16, which could be a game-changer in hypersonic flight. Photo: X

 Illustration: Brian Wang

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po  leaves the chamber after delivering the budget speech on February 26, 2025. Photo: Elson Li

Dong Mingzhu ignited controversy by insisting that a restaurant swap out its air conditioner for one from her brand. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo

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Hong Kong

From Chinese maths star making a breakthrough to Hong Kong star declaring bankruptcy, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting


From Chinese maths star making a breakthrough to Hong Kong star declaring bankruptcy, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.


Chinese maths star solves geometry problem, Hong Kong actor bankrupt: SCMP’s 7 highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Chinese maths star making a breakthrough to Hong Kong star declaring bankruptcy, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. Chinese maths star Wang Hong solves ‘infamous’ geometry problem

2. China pledges to spend more an hour before Donald Trump promises to cut back

From Chinese maths star making a breakthrough to Hong Kong star declaring bankruptcy, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting