China’s 3-satellite surveillance network, Hong Kong’s inflation surge: SCMP’s 7 highlights

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. 3 satellites to track all? Chinese radar images confirm US military fearsLast month, China released a series of undated radar images of the Towa Maru. It marked the first time ever that a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite had successfully achieved long-term tracking of a moving maritime target.2. Chinese AI solves decade-old maths problem in hours, with no human interventionA Chinese artificial intelligence framework has autonomously resolved an open problem proposed more than a decade ago by a US mathematician, according to the Peking University-led team that developed it.3. From toilet paper to travel: why inflation could soon hit Hongkongers hardCustomers buy food at a shop in Sham Shui Po. Photo: May TseWith various Hong Kong industries battered by the world’s highest petrol and diesel prices, economists and business leaders predict the oil crisis caused by the Middle East war will trigger a wave of imported inflation, driving up the cost of items ranging from toilet paper and laundry services to asphalt.4. China’s C919 faces ‘final exam’ as EU pilots stay in Shanghai ‘permanently’: sourcesA C919 model on display at the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre, in February. Photo: ReutersChina’s aviation authorities have mobilised a range of resources to support European certification of the C919, the home-grown airliner aiming to take on Boeing and Airbus, with steady progress made in recent months, multiple sources said.5. ‘Not a reliable ally’: Japan eyes Nato as Trump erodes faith in US guaranteesJapan and Nato are drawing closer together, with 30 representatives from the transatlantic security alliance’s member states set to visit Tokyo this month amid mounting concern over Washington’s reliability as a security partner.6. ‘I was taught to shrink’: rugby player fights against Asian beauty standardsGerman-Chinese rugby player Sofie Fella, who competes for the German national team, wants women to understand that they can be physically strong if they want to be, and that they are allowed to “take up space”. Photo: Jonathan WongTo understand why German-Chinese athlete Sofie Fella felt compelled to design a T-shirt featuring the Chinese character da – Mandarin for “big” – one must understand the rigid expectations of Asian femininity.7. Chinese man with stomach pain finds thermometer swallowed as child still inside himA 32-year-old Chinese man sought medical attention for stomach pain and was astonished to learn that a thermometer he had swallowed when he was 12 years old had remained inside him for 20 years. Photo: SCMP composite/WeiboA 32-year-old Chinese man who went to hospital suffering from stomach pain was shocked to discover that a mercury thermometer he had swallowed 20 years ago was still inside him.Further Reading