Articles by Zhang Guanghui

China’s political debate finds a new home on YouTube

China’s political debate finds a new home on YouTube, where overseas-based commentators build a parallel public sphere still widely accessed in China via VPN, even as some voices remain on the ground. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui explores the shift.

Zhang Guanghui

12 May 2026

[Big read] China’s rural officials are performing for attention online, with Xi’s blessing

China’s village officials are turning to livestreams, dances and short-form videos to sell rural products and boost local economies, citing President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on e-commerce to justify the shift, though it sits uneasily with expectations that officials keep a low profile. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui reports.

Zhang Guanghui

24 Apr 2026

[Big read] The rise and fall of China’s independent bookstores

Built by idealists and sustained by belief, independent bookstores became places to gather and breathe in China. As the tide turns, their owners face the hardest question: how long to keep the lights on. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui speaks to academics and those in the industry to find out more.

Zhang Guanghui

19 Jan 2026

Chinese public questions transparency over delays in deadly accident reports

Delayed official reports of public safety incidents have stirred up public discord. Is the lack of regulations in the timely release of public information an attempt to sweep things under the rug and cover up incidents? Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui takes a look at the matter.

Zhang Guanghui

03 Dec 2025

Censored but unstoppable: How male desire and grievances go viral in China

Chinese authorities have set out another campaign to stamp out online negativity, now with the men from the lower rungs of society its target. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui takes a look at why talk of “Android”, “Apple”, “sexual repression” and “ligong (力工) show hand” has come under the authorities’ cross hairs.

Zhang Guanghui

06 Nov 2025

How Trump sparked China’s new vodcast fever

After years of short video domination, Chinese platforms like Douyin and Bilibili are betting on vodcasts as the next frontier — transforming the “ear economy” into a visual revolution inspired, in part, by Trump. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui takes a look at the phenomenal growth of this new form of content in China.

Zhang Guanghui

24 Oct 2025