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. China finds way to land its stealth jet on aircraft carriers. How does it work? The designers of China’s J-36 stealth fighter are working on a computer system that will help pilots achieve the difficult and dangerous manoeuvre of landing a sixth-generation jet on a moving aircraft carrier, according to a research paper. 2. ‘He’s panicking’: Trump’s tariff comments put China in control, analysts say The White House’s latest signs of easing its position on tariffs against China do not indicate a notable advancement in US-China trade talks, but may present Beijing an opportunity to get a better deal, economists said. 3. Chinese universities are dominating global research on chips, US report says As the United States continues to tighten restrictions on chip exports to China in a bid to curb the country’s access to advanced semiconductors, Chinese researchers have gone into overdrive. 4. China is weaning itself off US soybeans as decade-long outlook comes into view China is poised to grow more soybeans and improve the crop’s yield over the coming decade amid an accelerated self-sufficiency drive, and the nation’s more abundant domestic harvests are expected to hit American exporters and farmers who have long relied on China’s business. 5. Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental hotel set for US$100 million renovation The 61-year-old Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central will undergo a US$100 million renovation demonstrating the company’s continued faith in Hong Kong as a premier tourism destination, the group’s chief executive has said, dismissing suggestions the city suffered from a negative image overseas. 6. ‘Do not be racist’: Thai park ranger sacked after ‘ni hao’ tourist clash A Thai national park ranger has been fired after criticising foreign tourists who greeted him in Chinese in a controversial video that has since gone viral online. 7. Chinese table tennis chief Liu quits, Wang, Ma Long to lead LA Games charge Liu Guoliang resigned as president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) on Wednesday, saying he was stepping down to leave his replacement enough time to guide the nation’s preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.