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Economy
China has been Latin America’s second largest trading partner since 2012, and last year total bilateral trade reached a record high of US$486 billion. Against the backdrop of the ongoing friction between Beijing and Washington, and the latter’s push for nearshore trade, Mexico has been the biggest beneficiary.
Culture
Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun reflects on the prominent Arians from history and those he had encountered. Perhaps there is a wildness in them passed on from generation to generation that brings together poetry, instincts, and even the power of madness.
Economy
Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre is now a thing of the past as multinational corporations withdraw from the city and its stock market shows signs of foreign capital outflows. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing finds out if Hong Kong’s financial market is truly on its way down.
Society
Following a recent spike in respiratory illness in China, people in some areas have found that the green codes on their long-dormant health code apps have been reactivated, prompting speculation that this particular measure from the pandemic days might be coming back, and also reviving memories of the painful days of lockdown.
Society
Academic Zhang Tiankan notes that crowded children’s hospitals in Beijing actually reflect social conditions, such as mindsets towards hospital treatment being the best and also the stressful education system, as children do their homework even while hooked up to IV drips. In many cases, rushing to the hospital as an immediate response could do more harm than good and be a great drain on public resources.
How did things change?
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Politics
Academic Antonio C. Hsiang notes that Argentina’s President-elect Javier Milei will be facing several challenges once he assumes office. From carrying out transitional justice to managing economic ties with the Mercosur countries and China, Milei will have his work cut out for him.
Economy
Popular Chinese online shopping app Pinduoduo has done well in terms of profits, outdoing competitors such as Alibaba and JD.com. While a major factor is due to revenue from Pinduoduo's multinational e-commerce platform Temu, it may also be a sign that consumers in China are changing their spending habits and going for cost-effectiveness and value for money.
Politics
Ahead of the 19th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) held in Tianjin, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong shares his thoughts on Singapore-China relations, highlighting the need to renew and expand economic links, reimagine industries and reinforce close ties between the two countries.
Economy
Commentator Jin Jian Guo notes that the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum was of less interest than the sideline meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden. 'Open regionalism', previously synonymous with APEC, seems a thing of the past.
Economy
Following the easing of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in China this year, the city of Dongguan which has been called “the world’s factory” has experienced a sharp decline in business orders as it came in last in economic growth within the province of Guangdong. Following China’s reform and opening up, the city developed rapidly and its GDP had even exceeded a trillion RMB. So, what is behind its current downturn, and where does its future lie?
Politics
Researcher Wei Da looks at three lessons that China needs to learn, from the Lushan Conference and breakup of the USSR, to the war in Ukraine. China cannot afford to make the same mistakes of the past and present, if it is to make itself a major power.
Economy
As the China-Laos Railway (CLR) celebrates its second anniversary on 3 December, academic Chen Xiangming and postgraduate student Shaun Hoang offer a fresh account of the transformative consequences of the China-built railway. They ask: what happens when a small and landlocked country with hardly any railway history launches a new passenger-freight railway as its transformative transport artery?
Politics
As North Korea continues with its efforts in developing its military weapons — the latest being the launch of a reconnaissance satellite — attention is on Russia’s involvement and assistance, much to the protest of some countries. What are the implications of such cooperation and close relations? Lianhe Zaobao executive translator Mak Cor Sin speaks with academics and experts to find out more.
Politics
Concerns about a stronger Chinese engagement — following the unexpected security pact between China and the Solomon Islands in 2022 — rattled the US and its regional allies, Australia and New Zealand, into stepping up their engagements with the Pacific Island countries. Not unexpectedly, these island countries now find themselves beneficiaries of the competition for geopolitical influence even as they try to avoid being drawn into it.
Economy
This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Shanghai, China’s largest financial centre, has sent strong signals of the leadership’s emphasis on the country’s economic development. And it is clear from the itinerary the importance the higher-ups are placing on the three areas of finance, technology and livelihood. Nonetheless, Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes more research needs to be done before the introduction of more powerful policies that can turn the tide of the sluggish economy.
Technology
China’s tech sector has been making mass layoffs, freezing hiring and cutting pay since 2022, and there is little sign of a bounce-back. Cost reductions, efficiency enhancement or talent structure optimisation are often the words these companies use. But what is really weighing on the job market are sluggish business growth, intensified market competition and the unprecedented challenges of the business landscape amid new technology.
Politics
Love him or hate him, Dr Kissinger played a pivotal role in history, teeing up President Richard Nixon’s visit to China and the normalisation of US-China relations. Even when he left office, he continued to advocate for productive relations with China through engagement, and sought to explain Chinese diplomacy to Western audiences. Even as his admirers mourn the passing of a bygone era, it is now up to the young to take up the mantle of improving US-China relations.
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