China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

Lianhe Zaobao is a Chinese-language broadsheet published by Singapore Press Holdings. It was established in 1983, following the merger of Nanyang Siang Pau and Sin Chew Jit Poh, which were started in 1923 and 1929 respectively. It offers timely, credible news reports and a wealth of features, commentaries and opinion pieces. With a Singapore perspective, it also provides news and valuable insights on developments in East Asia, particularly China. In 1995, Lianhe Zaobao became the first Chinese-language newspaper in the world to go online with its portal zaobao.sg. The website has now grown into two sites — zaobao.com to cater to its readers in the greater China region, and zaobao.sg for readers in Singapore and elsewhere.

The paper has correspondents in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo, and experienced stringers in the Philippines, Japan, Europe and the US. It is one of the few foreign-owned Chinese-language media that is accessible online in China. Zaobao.com has an average of 5 million unique visitors per month, and a monthly pageview count of 100 million in China. The print edition of Lianhe Zaobao is also circulated in Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Vietnam and major cities of China like Beijing and Shanghai.

Customers queue outside an Apple store during the first day of sale of the iPhone 15 smartphone in Beijing, China on 22 September 2023. (Andrea Verdelli/Bloomberg)

Behind Apple’s ‘insult’ of China

A photo on Apple’s customer service webpage sparked controversy in China by featuring a person with “stereotypical” Chinese looks, with slit eyes and a long braid, coming under fire for “uglifying” Chinese people. While aesthetic preferences do differ, is there something deeper under the criticism of a stranger’s looks?
Escape from the British Museum follows the story of a jade teapot, played by Xiatian Meimei, that "escaped" and encountered Chinese reporter Zhang Yong-an, played by Jianbing Guozai, in the UK.

When a Chinese teapot wants to 'escape from the British Museum'

A short video series featuring Chinese artefacts in the British Museum has gone viral on social media in China, with viewers being moved by the story of a teapot trying to go home to China. But even as critics highlight the heavy sentiment and patriotism in the series, it has prompted calls by China and other countries for the British Museum to return artefacts to their rightful owners.
A shot of the 7.15 million RMB (US$0.98 million) Cowherd and Weaving Maid sculpture in Pingdingshan city, Lushan County, in China's Henan province. (Internet)

Why did China's Cowherd and Weaving Maid statue draw flak?

Vanity projects in China often do not pan out as planned, and the latest project to make the headlines is a sculpture of the Cowherd and Weaving Maid in Lushan county in Henan province, which has been criticised for being expensive and ugly, and possibly a copy of another sculpture. Another factor is possible corruption and personal benefit, which is also difficult to root out.
A couple prepare to pose for photos near the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, on 24 June 2023. (Greg Baker/AFP)

Regular phone calls and cash incentives: China goes the extra mile to encourage childbirth

Local governments in Chinese cities are taking extra measures to encourage couples to marry early and have children. However, given the youth’s shifting values and society’s tolerance for singlehood, these measures are falling short. Meanwhile, netizens are lamenting that government policies should not be coercive or objectify women.
An exterior view of the proposed site for the new China embassy, near Tower Bridge in London, Britain, on 23 June 2023. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)

It's complicated: Relocating the Chinese embassy in UK

The Chinese embassy in the UK seems to have missed the appeal deadline against a local council’s decision to block the embassy’s planned relocation to a historic site near the Tower of London. Will this affair mushroom into a larger diplomatic issue warranting reciprocal measures, with the UK government’s silence on the matter further grating on Beijing?
The original artwork that appeared in Brick Lane, with the 12 core socialist values. (@yiqueart/Instagram)

No one wants to see China's propaganda slogans in London. Not even as graffiti

A London-based Chinese student’s graffiti has drawn widespread attention, as he painted the 12 core socialist values of the Chinese Communist Party on a wall in Brick Lane. While he denies political significance in the work, many local residents have responded to it by adding their own take, while netizens are debating its meaning. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks at the young student's motivation and its result.
The logo of Temu, an e-commerce platform owned by PDD Holdings, is seen on a mobile phone displayed in front of its website, in this illustration picture taken 26 April 2023. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

US legal battle exposes Temu and Shein's questionable business practices

Chinese e-commerce giants Temu and Shein are currently locked in a heated battle for the US market and Chinese supply chain. As both sides are digging in their heels and accusing the other side of unsavoury business practices, who will emerge victorious?
Jobseekers attend a job fair in Beijing, China, 16 February 2023. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

China’s youth turn to Africa amid record high unemployment at home

With record youth unemployment rates back home, young Chinese are now setting their sights on Africa, which offers growth potential and a source of lucrative income. However, those who decide to venture into the African market will have to go in with their eyes wide open.
Young people in Guangzhou riding e-wheelchairs. (Internet)

Guangzhou youths are getting about on e-wheelchairs

As Chinese authorities clamp down on e-bicycles, young people — particularly in Guangzhou — are finding an alternative way to get around without walking: e-wheelchairs. While it is convenient and not against the law for able-bodied people to use e-wheelchairs, are there other considerations that they might be missing?