Asian Insider: Xi expanding his circle of friends | Slimmer, shorter sumo wrestlers in Japan

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We hope you’ve been keeping well.

World leaders have just completed their twin summits in South America - the Apec forum in Peru, followed by a Group of 20 leading economies meeting in Brazil.

While the theme of Donald Trump 2.0 dominated the gatherings, what was also clear was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s determination to use the events to shore up China’s relations with key partners, writes China correspondent Lim Min Zhang. China is bracing itself for a more turbulent second Trump presidency, and Mr Xi is keen to promote his country as a supporter of open trade and global stability.

In Germany, the collapse of the government has ironically provided relief and hope for a new beginning. Germany and the rest of Europe are keenly aware that a stable government and leadership are crucial to tackling challenges presented by Trump 2.0, says Markus Ziener.

Over in China, with three mass murder sprees in just over a week, bureau chief Tan Dawn Wei and correspondent Joyce ZK Lim look at what’s driving some Chinese to take revenge on society.

Ahead of the Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat scheduled for the end of 2024, Malaysia’s Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan sat down for an exclusive interview with The Straits Times. He shared the Cabinet’s views on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail project, and also revealed how Johor Forest City’s plans for family offices are gaining pace.

Finally, on a “lighter” note, while size used to matter in sumo wrestling, high attrition rates have meant that the ancient Japanese sport is allowing shorter and slimmer men to join, reports correspondent Walter Sim.