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1. ‘Potassium railway’: China’s hidden card in the trade war

For over a decade, China has invested heavily to build a dual-purpose passenger and freight railway through the thick rainforest between Kunming and Vientiane, the capital of Laos. This railway has become a critical conduit for China to secure potassium – a strategic resource vital for agricultural production.

2. Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen-ning Yang dies aged 103

Chen-ning Yang, “one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 20th century”, helped to promote collaboration between Chinese and American scientists. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

Chen-ning Yang, “one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 20th century”, helped to promote collaboration between Chinese and American scientists. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Chen-ning Yang died in Beijing on Saturday, weeks after marking his 103rd birthday.

3. China’s new space-borne radar tech can track stealth aircraft 24/7: study

China has rapidly expanded its on-orbit radar satellite constellation, deploying systems not only in low Earth orbit but also in high-altitude geosynchronous orbits – configurations that allow persistent surveillance over vast regions.