Xi Jinping’s economic rally cry, Hong Kong takes Singapore’s crown: SCMP’s 7 highlights

President Xi Jinping has issued a rallying call in an unexpected Politburo meeting to help the private sector and mobilise officials across the nation to prioritise reviving the economy.

Hong Kong has dethroned Singapore to become Asia’s top financial centre for the first time in two years, according to the latest edition of the semi-annual Global Financial Centres Index released on Tuesday.

The People’s Liberation Army launched its first known intercontinental ballistic missile test in 44 years on Wednesday morning, sending an ICBM into the Pacific Ocean, according to the Chinese defence ministry.