Articles by Sim Tze Wei

[Big read] China’s smart farms boost output, but can farmers afford the upgrade?

BeiDou-guided harvesters and soil big data are reshaping China’s agricultural heartland. But Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei explains why high-tech solutions alone cannot fully guarantee China’s food security.

Sim Tze Wei

13 Oct 2026

APEC Summit: Can Beijing pull off a Trump-Xi-Putin meeting?

Bringing together the leaders of China, Russia and the US during the APEC summit in November is one thing, but getting them to the same negotiating table is another. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei takes a look at how Shenzhen could become host to high-stakes diplomacy.

Sim Tze Wei

05 Oct 2026

[Big read] How China’s pyramid schemes used ‘state secrets’ to lure victims

China’s pyramid schemes have abandoned centralised communes to recruit via social media, romance-baiting and promises of quick wealth. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei examines how state rhetoric is weaponised to keep victims in the dark.

Sim Tze Wei

30 Sep 2026

What is the worst acceptable outcome for Trump and Xi?

Ahead of their high-stakes Washington summit, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping face a tenuous truce: while tactical deals on trade procurement and AI safety offer temporary fixes, core rifts over Taiwan, tech dominance and rare earths remain fundamentally unresolved. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks to academics to find out.

Sim Tze Wei

23 Sep 2026

[Big read] Can new industries lure talent back to China’s rust belt?

The affordable and idyllic life in Liaoning, Shenyang and Heilongjiang are drawing young professionals back home, but some are torn by the low wages, scarce job opportunities and an economy struggling to transform. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks with these returnees.

Sim Tze Wei

15 Sep 2026

I went to Nanning to find the pyramid schemes that lured Singaporeans

After 52 Singaporeans were arrested in Guangxi, Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei travelled to Nanning to trace the pyramid schemes said to have lured them in — and found a city where real policies and projects can be repackaged as fake investment opportunities.

Sim Tze Wei

07 Sep 2026

Can the West force China into a new Plaza Accord?

Calls are growing in the West for a stronger renminbi as China’s vast trade surplus fuels tensions with the US and Europe. But today’s economic realities make a repeat of the landmark 1985 Plaza Accord far more difficult, says Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei.

Sim Tze Wei

03 Sep 2026

Seven minutes to disaster: How climate change exposed a Himalayan blind spot

A glacier collapse near the China-Nepal border triggered a catastrophic mudslide in just seven minutes, exposing gaps in monitoring and early warning as climate change raises the risk of extreme Himalayan disasters. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei finds out more.

Sim Tze Wei

31 Aug 2026

Xi may meet Modi. But can China-India trust return?

Xi Jinping may meet Narendra Modi at next month’s BRICS summit, in what could mark another step in the China-India thaw. But after years of tensions, how far has the improvement in official ties extended to public perceptions? Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei examines the issue.

Sim Tze Wei

26 Aug 2026

Beijing unleashes confidence campaign to reassure markets

Chinese authorities are using commentaries to reshape the country’s economic narrative, manage expectations and rebuild market confidence ahead of key political events. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks with academics to analyse the matter.

Sim Tze Wei

25 Aug 2026

How China’s role in the global order has changed

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji’s passing and the commemoration of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin’s centenary calls to mind how China has evolved from the era of integrating with the global economy to shaping the world, notes Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei.

Sim Tze Wei

20 Aug 2026

Fudan targeted as universities become casualties of the tech war

Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have been placed on a US national security list, while China has targeted a European university. The moves signal a new era in which academic research is increasingly treated as a security risk. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei reports.

Sim Tze Wei

18 Aug 2026