Articles by Yi Jina

[Video] AI, robots, innovative drugs: China’s high-tech trio rattles the West

AI, robotics and innovative drugs, coined the “new ‘new three’”, are leading China’s exports up the value chain, marking the country’s shift from labour-driven to knowledge-driven growth. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina explains.

Yi Jina

19 Oct 2026

[Video] This PhD dropout exposes China’s academic fraud — can he change the system?

Online exposés by Student Geng, a PhD dropout-turned-influencer, have led to the downfall of top Chinese researchers and the largest academic misconduct investigation to date. ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina find out what is fuelling the problem.

Lu Lingming, Yi Jina

09 Oct 2026

[Video] Trump and Xi meet again: What changed and what didn’t

This year’s historic Trump-Xi state visits delivered memes and pageantry, though Xi’s trip to Washington was shadowed by protests and Trump’s media ban. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina and Lingming Lu compare the two summits to see what changed and what didn’t.

Yi Jina, Lu Lingming

29 Sep 2026

[Vox pop] Why ‘light medical aesthetics’ are going mainstream in China

Cheaper and safer than plastic surgery, light medical aesthetics are increasingly accepted in China by women and men alike, reflecting a shared desire for subtle enhancement. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.

Yi Jina

23 Sep 2026

[Video] China’s robots are getting faster, stronger and more human

The second World Humanoid Robot Games saw humanoids breaking human running records and executing complex dance moves and precise hand tasks. What a difference a year makes. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.

Yi Jina

28 Aug 2026

[Video] Effortlessly beautiful: China’s new obsession with ‘invisible’ cosmetic procedures

Why are millions of Chinese paying for cosmetic procedures that nobody is supposed to notice? The pursuit of “natural beauty” is reshaping the country’s booming medical aesthetics industry. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.

Yi Jina

31 Jul 2026

[Video] Rare Hubei tornadoes expose China’s rising weather risk

Three rare tornadoes in Hubei exposed a stark new reality: China must prepare for increasingly complex extreme weather with better forecasting, more resilient cities and stronger disaster response. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina and Lu Lingming find out more.

Yi Jina, Lu Lingming

24 Jul 2026

[Video] ‘Bullying our ancestors’: Why Chinese netizens are boycotting LV

A seemingly ordinary trademark dispute between Louis Vuitton and Chinese milk tea chain Molly Tea has escalated into a wider debate over intellectual property and cultural ownership. As backlash builds, with many even calling for LV’s trademark to be revoked, the case has become a broader reckoning on how cultural motifs should be protected in a modern commercial world.

Yi Jina

14 Jul 2026

[Vox pop] Blood, lion dance or dialect: What makes a Chinese Singaporean?

As the movie Dear You brings the history of early Chinese migrants back into the spotlight, online conversations about Chinese identity and cultural heritage have grown louder. ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina speak with Chinese Singaporeans about what Chinese identity, or “Chineseness”, means to them today.

Lu Lingming, Yi Jina

03 Jul 2026

[Video] Dear You: How grassroots authenticity wins over Chinese filmgoers

A small Chaoshan dialect film, made on a tight budget with no celebrities and minimal marketing, went on to gross over 1.6 billion RMB at the box office, outperforming a wave of expensive, star-studded blockbusters. Chinese audiences shared positive word-of-mouth on social media, describing it as a “slow-cooked” film that offers a sincere and understated portrayal of ordinary lives. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina explores the factors behind Dear You’s strong resonance with viewers.

Yi Jina

17 Jun 2026

[Vox pop] Views of China and President Xi Jinping may be turning more positive

Based on soundings from our street interviews with people from different countries, perceptions of China seem rather positive, not only in terms of China’s economic power and high-tech manufacturing leap, but its leadership. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina speaks to the public to understand how views on China, its leadership and its global role are evolving — and what reservations remain.

Yi Jina

05 Jun 2026

[Video] Living in the moment: Two Singaporean artists finding home in Jingdezhen

In Jingdezhen, China’s porcelain capital, Singaporean ceramists Ken Lu and Nelson Lim have each found their own mecca — a place for Ken to put down roots, and for Nelson to continually return to. Living in the Moment, produced by Lu Lingming and Yi Jina, is ThinkChina’s first documentary film. It explores how the city reshapes Ken and Nelson’s identities as Chinese Singaporeans, while tracing their lifelong pursuit of art and craft.

Lu Lingming, Yi Jina

22 May 2026