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. In world first, Chinese scientists find rare earth minerals from a living plant
A Chinese-led team of scientists says it has found a naturally formed mineral with rare earth elements in a fern, a world first that offers a “green circular model” for extracting high-value rare earths, according to an institution behind the study. The researchers said the discovery of nanoscale monazite in a living plant “opens new possibilities for the direct recovery of functional rare earth element materials”.
2. Beijing vows to strike back if Japan uses military force in Taiwan Strait
Beijing has warned that any Japanese military involvement in the Taiwan Strait would be regarded as “an act of aggression” and vowed to strike back in response, marking the latest twist in a diplomatic spat over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan.
3. Meet Ma Weiming, the Chinese naval genius behind the Fujian’s catapult
Only a select few People’s Liberation Army officers attended last week’s commissioning of the Fujian, but among them was Rear Admiral Ma Weiming – the man whose technological breakthrough put the aircraft carrier among the most advanced of its kind.