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Society
On top of the multiple stressors that Chinese youths struggle with in their daily lives — from the bleak economic outlook to poor employment prospects and the financial blow caused by the pandemic — annoying relatives are getting the boot. Lianhe Zaobao China Desk looks into why young people are no longer tolerating toxic familial relationships and if this is an inevitable trend of modernisation.
Society
Are women in China getting more conscious about their body image? Or is the clothing industry part of the problem as it makes smaller-sized clothes that could even fit children? Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks into the trend in clothes manufacturing and its impact on Chinese women’s body image.
Society
China’s ride-hailing market has seen exponential growth this year, which some attribute to the recovery of economic activity. However, others believe that the increase in ride-hailing drivers reflects increased unemployment. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Daryl Lim looks into the potential oversaturation and different factors impacting the market.
Politics
Today, China faces almost the same set of problems that the capitalist states are struggling with. In a post-capitalist world where an entire demographic degenerate into the “useless class”, capitalism will lose the market on which it depends. EAI senior research fellow Lance Gore imagines what this could mean for the Chinese Communist Party and other advocates of the socialist path.
Culture
While on an intangible cultural heritage expedition in Changzhou with a group of global experts, cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai tucks into Changzhou’s local delights. Trying more than 20 snacks all at once, he was full but could not resist having a taste of thin egg noodles that was a perfect marriage of Suzhou and Shanxi noodles. This is the last article of a four-part series on Changzhou food and drink.
Incense and mirth
Culture
During an interview about her life in the mountains, Taiwanese author and former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai said that even a metropolis like Singapore which does not have a mountain within its borders is linked to “mountains” in the sense that all of us need a spiritual mountain, a shelter from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She feels that literature and reading can help us cultivate this mental reserve. Zaobao correspondent Wang Yiming tells us more.
Politics
Malaysian academic Benny Teh assesses that the recent G7 summit in Hiroshima was a show of Japan’s more assertive role in international diplomacy in the face of greater threat perceptions, not least from China. In inviting a host of other countries that could further its ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ agenda, it sought to open dialogue that could help build a bulwark against rising alternative groupings courting the global south.
Politics
China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui's trip to Europe and Russia to discuss the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis could be a historic milestone for China, says academic Yuan Hang. The country has far played a marginal role in the shaping of European security affairs in the past century, but this could all change if recent approaches are sustained.
Economy
Nearly 20 senior executives and officials from the government-controlled China National Tobacco Corporation (China Tobacco) and the regulator, State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, have been caught up in the anti-graft investigation since 2021. Huge profits and the vertical management structure have made the tobacco industry a breeding ground for corruption.
Society
Chinese restaurant chains from China have been making their presence felt in Singapore, satisfying fickle tastebuds with street food favourites and regional specialities. Will the increasing number of these restaurant chains affect the local food culture? Jiang Yuxuan shares the findings of a Zaobao study of 12 Chinese restaurant chains from China.
Technology
The tech sector has seen a massive shift since the introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November last year. The AI wave has brought much trepidation for its potential in advancing education, innovation and more; but along with it comes new challenges, especially those that raise copyright infringement issues or break the law. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks into how AI has been misused in China and the responses.
Politics
Following a residential building collapse in Hunan last year, several officials have been investigated, including Chongqing mayor Hu Henghua, who left Hunan 18 months ago. Does this mean that officials are now held accountable for incidents from their previous posts, and also for life? What does this say about China's current political climate?
Economy
Hong Kong youths are getting a lot of support from the HK government as well as local governments from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to develop their entrepreneurial potential in the GBA. While it means more opportunities for HK youths to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, starting a business in an unfamiliar turf is no child's play. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing reports from the GBA.
Economy
The Greater Bay Area remains China’s manufacturing vanguard with great potential, despite the hard knocks weathered by the tech and fintech firms in the area. Be that as it may, greater centralised technological leadership is a double-edged sword, say Hong Kong analysts Naubahar Sharif and Wendy Weng.
Politics
Voices discussing the expansion of the BRICS are getting louder, leading up to the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to be held this week in Cape Town. While China sees possible expansion of the BRICS as a useful development in growing its influence, other members of BRICS like India may view it with mixed feelings. ISAS academic Amitendu Palit explains.
Society
China’s local tourism chiefs have been dressing up in elaborate costumes and starring in high-quality promotional videos to find online fame to drive tourism in their respective regions. However, netizens observe that not all of them are doing it right, or for the right reasons, and the state media has also spoken against the trend.