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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. ‘Time is ripe’: why China is eyeing another vast canal link to Southeast Asia
China has almost finished building the US$10 billion Pinglu Canal to deepen trade ties between its southwestern provinces and Southeast Asia. Now, it is considering an even more ambitious – and expensive – project further inland.
2. Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security crimes

A Hong Kong court sentenced former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison on Monday for violating the national security law, closing a chapter on what has become a geopolitical flashpoint between China and the West.
3. China failed to hit 2025 soybean meal dependence target. US deal makes it harder
China has been working to cut the use of soybean meal in animal feed – the primary end-use of imported soybeans – as part of its strategy to reduce external dependence, but the latest industry data suggests these efforts have made limited headway.
4. Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Foundation gifts 5,000 Disneyland tickets to domestic helpers

The Li Ka Shing Foundation and the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort are arranging free visits to the theme park for 5,000 domestic helpers under an expanded programme this year.
5. UK, US cybercrime cooperation ‘continues’ after Chen Zhi extradition to China
Cambodia continues to work with China, the United States and Britain on the case of Chen Zhi, the business tycoon accused of masterminding a vast network that scammed billions from victims around the world, according to a government minister in Phnom Penh.
6. Vietnam’s legendary maths genius Ngo Bao Chau to join University of Hong Kong

Mathematician Ngo Bao Chau, who made history in 2010 as the first Vietnamese recipient of the prestigious Fields Medal, will join the science faculty at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) as a chair professor in June.
7. Malaysia’s ‘illegal’ temple row: PM slams vigilantism after rally ban

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday warned against allowing disputes over “illegal” houses of worship to spill into communal confrontation, after police detained 19 people linked to a planned rally in central Kuala Lumpur that authorities said risked inflaming racial and religious tensions.


Shanghai’s changing expats, Hong Kong trail sign fallout: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Exhibition on gardens of China, Europe; art director’s top spots: 7 Lifestyle highlights

China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’, war on Alzheimer’s: 7 science highlights

UAE’s Opec exit, why Japan shared Mogami warship design with India: 7 Asia highlights

SCMP Highlights

China’s canal link to Southeast Asia; Malaysia’s ‘illegal’ temple row: SCMP’s 7 highlights

The Li Ka Shing Foundation and the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort are providing 5,000 domestic helpers with a free visit to the theme park. Photo: Jonathan Wong

China has invested US$10 billion to build the Pinglu Canal in the southern Guangxi region. It is also considering an even larger canal project further inland, which could cost more than US$20 billion. Photo: Weibo

Cardinal Joseph Zen and Jimmy Lai’s wife Teresa Lai leave West Kowloon Court. Photo: Sam Tsang

Ngo Bao Chau made history in 2010 as the first Vietnamese recipient of the prestigious Fields Medal, regarded as the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Photo: Handout

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a press conference with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (not pictured) in Putrajaya on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong Airlines plane issues mayday call amid runway closure in Taipei

Debris caused by an earlier incident involving a T’way Airlines flight from South Korea forced the runway to be temporarily closed.  Photo: CNA

A T’way Airlines aircraft lost a tyre upon landing at the airport scattering debris across the north runway. Photo: Handout

China becomes Brazil’s biggest vehicle exporter in January, surpassing Argentina

In May, BYD unloaded 7,292 electric vehicles at Itajai port in southern Brazil using its own cargo ships. Photo: Handout

China’s expat pilots; Indonesian woman faints after 140 lashes: SCMP’s 7 highlights

China’s Dayang Yihao has been surveying the Arabian Sea since December 19, according to SeaLight, a Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis group. Photo: Handout

Illustration: Henry Wong

Hong Kong graduates are facing the gloomiest job market in the city since 2021. Photo: Sun Yeung

The 20-gigawatt Tesla-type pulsed power driver can operate continuously and stably for a minute. Photo: Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology

A woman in China accidentally left her water tap on, flooding her residential community and turning it into an ice rink after the water froze overnight. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/news.china.com

News

World

From free Disneyland tickets for Hong Kong’s helpers to China’s link to Southeast Asia, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting


From free Disneyland tickets for Hong Kong’s helpers to China’s link to Southeast Asia, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.


China’s canal link to Southeast Asia; Malaysia’s ‘illegal’ temple row: 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 free Disneyland tickets for Hong Kong’s helpers to China’s link to Southeast Asia, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. ‘Time is ripe’: why China is eyeing another vast canal link to Southeast Asia

From free Disneyland tickets for Hong Kong’s helpers to China’s link to Southeast Asia, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting