Han Yong Hong

Han Yong Hong

Associate Editor, Zaobao; Editor, Zaobao.com

Yong Hong is an associate editor of Zaobao and the editor of Zaobao.com. She joined Lianhe Zaobao as a journalist in 2000, covering theatre, music and visual arts. In 2005, she was assigned to the Beijing bureau as a correspondent, and became the chief correspondent in 2009. She received the Business China Young Achiever Award in 2011, making her the second recipient of this award, and the first journalist to receive this recognition.

People walk past a Huawei store with advertisements for the Mate 60 series smartphones, at a shopping mall in Beijing, China, on 30 August 2023. (Yelin Mo/Reuters)

Is China emerging from the chip chokehold with Huawei's Mate 60 Pro smartphone?

Amid the China-US tech war, US sanctions dealt a great blow to Huawei's growth and development. However, the company's launch of a new, apparently 5G, phone was announced during US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s visit to China. Is it sending a message to the US that China’s technological development cannot be stopped? Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong gives her take on the issue.
From left: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China's President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov raise their arms as they pose for a group photograph, at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on 23 August 2023. (Alet Pretorius/Pool/AFP)

BRICS expansion ups ante but can the momentum be sustained?

It would be a mistake to think that the soon-to-be 11-member BRICS would unite to become a formidable coordinating force at the international level, says Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong.
Baiterek, a monument and observation tower, in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. (Photo provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan)

Big Read: Kazakhstan’s economic emergence amid US-China-Russia power struggle

Kazakhstan’s development since gaining independence in 1991 has led it to become a leader in the Central Asia region. With much potential still waiting to be explored in this resource-rich country, Kazakhstan is walking a tightrope to balance its relations with the US, China and Russia. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong shares findings from her visit.
Security officers stand guard inside the Great Hall of the People ahead of the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China, on 11 March 2023. (Greg Baker/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)

China's never-ending battle against corruption

The recent spate of reports about investigations into senior Chinese officials — especially in the military — have prompted questions about what is happening in China. Given the lack of transparency in the Chinese government, it is hard to come to any firm conclusion about what these “fallen tigers” have done, but it is easy to see that corruption is still a major problem in the highly centralised system.
Staff wait for the arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of his meeting with China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on 18 June 2023. (Leah MillisAFP)

Qin Gang’s dismissal: Reflections on the Chinese system

Qin Gang’s removal as Chinese foreign minister seems to confirm the rumours about his month-long absence from the public eye, especially since the authorities do not seem to have entirely refuted them. Questions swirl in people’s minds, with some asking: is the Chinese system’s quality of decision-making in selecting and appointing talents in question?
Chinese President Xi Jinping and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger attend a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, on 20 July 2023. (China Daily via Reuters)

What can Kissinger’s visit to China achieve?

Veteran diplomat and centenarian Henry Kissinger visited China this week, meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials. But amid the ongoing US-China tussle, can a civilian, even someone as seasoned as Kissinger, make much of an impact?
A residential building in Changsha collapsed, with 54 dead and nine injured. (Internet)

No running away: China's officials to bear 'lifelong accountability' for past mistakes

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?
(Clockwise left to right) US President Joe Biden, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Charles Michel, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a meeting during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on 19 May 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

Ongoing tug of war as G7 meet and China looks on

At the G7 summit in Hiroshima from 19-21 May, the topics in focus are set to be China's impact on the world, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war. It is clear that every nation is trying to maximise its interest and chance for influence and survival in a state of global flux. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong looks at the anticipated discussions of the G7 meeting.
People walk through a shopping mall on the second day of the 5-day Labour Day holiday in Beijing on 30 April 2023. (Greg Baker/AFP)

Has the pandemic left a 'permanent scar' on the Chinese economy?

Almost all countries have been suffering the impacts of the pandemic since 2020, but China was hit by the pandemic first and had implemented the longest and strictest anti-Covid policy. China could suffer a worse "scarring effect" as a result, both on the societal and economic levels. China is desperate for solutions to get out of this situation.