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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. Precision strike: China targets US, Japan stranglehold on photoresist supply
China’s push for semiconductor self-sufficiency is shifting from broad aspiration to a precision strike on chokepoint materials, with photoresist – the light-sensitive chemical essential for etching microscopic circuits onto silicon wafers – emerging as a new battlefield.
2. China and the US end trade talks in Paris as doubts form over Trump visit
China and the US wrapped up their sixth round of trade talks in Paris on Monday, with the agenda ranging from a possible extension of bilateral tariff and non-tariff measures as well as bilateral investment.
3. Things ‘I do not like’ led me to quit US for Hong Kong, top mathematician says

World-leading Vietnamese mathematician Ngo Bao Chau has said his decision to leave the US was not just the result of the worsening academic environment there, but also a vision to transform Asia into the next global powerhouse for maths and science. Ngo, the first Vietnamese recipient of the prestigious Fields Medal, will join the University of Hong Kong in June.
4. Papers please: China raises pressure on Panama with ship inspection wave
Beijing has increased its inspections on Panama-flagged vessels entering Chinese ports, a source from the shipping industry said, an action intended to raise the Latin American country’s stress level after its courts voided the operating rights of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison in the Panama Canal.
5. Why US warships’ pit stop in Malaysia is raising eyebrows

The apparent docking of two light US combat ships in Penang over the weekend has raised eyebrows among Malaysian government critics regarding the country’s position on the US-Israel war on Iran, and questions over the deployment of de-mining vessels thousands of miles from the conflict zone.
6. J-20 fighter jet designer scrubbed from Chinese Academy of Sciences website

The chief designer on the J-20 stealth fighter jet has been removed from the website of China’s national research institute, amid a sweeping campaign to stamp out corruption in the defence sector.
7. Why Philippines’ Jollibee is Southeast Asia’s lone global food chain

The company ranked fifth on Brand Finance’s 2026 list of the world’s strongest restaurant brands – released in February – making it the only Southeast Asian brand in the top tier of the London-based consultancy’s annual ranking.


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

Cheaper durians for China, Hong Kong helpers camp in tents: 5 weekend reads you missed

King Charles’ gift amuses Chinese, anti-spy agency makes allegation: SCMP’s 7 highlights

SCMP Highlights

China, US end trade talks in Paris; chip self-sufficiency drive: SCMP’s 7 highlights

The United States Navy’s USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara are seen docked at the North Butterworth Container Terminal in Penang, Malaysia, on Sunday. Photo: Facebook / Sherwynd Kessler

China is expanding the scope of its chip self-sufficiency drive under the new 15th five-year plan amid an intensified race with the US in advanced chipmaking. Photo: Xinhua

Ngo Bao Chau says he wants to help turn Asia into a powerhouse of maths and science. Photo: Handout

Yang Wei led the design of the J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. Photos: Handout, AP

A Jollibee restaurant sign in London, United Kingdom. Jollibee was also voted as the best fast-food fried chicken in America by USA Today last year. Photo: Reuters

News

World

From US warships’ stop in Penang to Jollibee representing Southeast Asian brands globally, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting


From US warships’ stop in Penang to Jollibee representing Southeast Asian brands globally, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.


China, US end trade talks in Paris; chip self-sufficiency drive: 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 US warships’ stop in Penang to Jollibee representing Southeast Asian brands globally, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. Precision strike: China targets US, Japan stranglehold on photoresist supply

From US warships’ stop in Penang to Jollibee representing Southeast Asian brands globally, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting