Boycott Maldives campaign, why Taiwan election matters, chaos at Cathay Pacific: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

Hong Kong’s flag carrier was once again thrust into the spotlight this week when Cathay Pacific announced it would cut an average of 12 flights a day until the end of February in a bid to avoid cancellations during the Lunar New Year holiday – one of the busiest travel periods of the year in China.

Indian tourists have started cancelling visits to the sun-kissed beaches of the Maldives as a social media call to boycott the island has gone viral in the world’s most populous country following disparaging remarks made about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

China is seeking to sell its Y-20 Kunpeng airlifter to foreign buyers, with its manufacturer expanding production capacity in preparation, according to media reports. The heavy-lift transport plane – nicknamed “chubby girl” for its large fuselage – is comparable to the Soviet Ilyushin Il-76 and America’s Boeing C-17.

A little-known town in southern China has sent shock waves through the civil service rank and file after naming and shaming eight grass-roots officials as examples of “lying flat”.