China’s births plunge, Trump’s Greenland pledge in Davos: 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. Baby bust: China births plunge 17% in 2025 to historic low as population shrinksChina’s birth count plummeted to a record low last year, falling by about 10 million from its 2016 peak and slashing the total by more than half in less than a decade, as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year.2. Trump tells Davos US must have Greenland but won’t use force – as it happenedUS President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Photo: ReutersUS President Donald Trump tackled a slew of hot geopolitical topics at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday in a sometimes rambling speech that overran by almost 30 minutes.3. China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returns to Earth broken and unbrokenChina’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returned to Earth with no astronauts inside – just metal, heat and a cracked window – touching down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia on Monday.