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.

Visitors pose for a picture in front of a national flag sculpture at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing on 11 November 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP)

How the CPC plans to seize the democracy narrative

The Communist Party of China has just passed a resolution on the party’s achievements over its 100-year history, the third of such resolutions. Zaobao’s associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that the resolution seeks to turn the page on the past and pave the way for the party’s leadership guided by “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”. This includes building a governance framework based on Marxist ideology, and creating a society that supports “whole-process people’s democracy” or “Chinese-style democracy”. Will China be able to beat the West at their own game by seizing the democracy narrative?
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during the Double Tenth Day celebration in Taipei, Taiwan, on 10 October 2021. (I-Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg)

Tsai Ing-wen's comments on cross-strait relations: Brash or brilliant?

Leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait made declaratory statements over the last weekend, the anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution and what the Taiwanese celebrate as Double Tenth Day or their national day. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s comments were provocative, yet managed to stay within the bounds of ambiguity. But the Taiwanese military did forecast that mainland China will be able to launch an attack on Taiwan by 2025 to 2027. Will brazen remarks stoke the flames?
University students display a flag of the Communist Party of China to mark the party's 100th anniversary during an opening ceremony of the new semester in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, on 10 September 2021. (STR/AFP)

How is mainland China planning to achieve reunification with Taiwan, when a common history no longer holds the same significance?

For Beijing, the anniversary of the 1911 Xinhai Revolution on 10 October is replete with political significance, not least as a reiteration of the Chinese Communist Party’s mission and an assertion of its one-China stance. But for Taiwan's younger generation, the revolution and even the history of the Republic of China are fast losing their meaning. How will mainland China communicate its thoughts on cross-strait relations as it commemorates the Xinhai Revolution over the weekend? With such different perspectives on the history, present and future of "China", how is mainland China going to achieve its goal of reunification?
People walk in Qianmen street in Beijing, China, on 21 September 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP)

Mainland China and Taiwan: The political hot potato of their CPTPP bids

Soon after mainland China put in its official application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Taiwan followed suit. The CPTPP is an agreement forged between 11 members sans the US when the latter withdrew from the then Transnational Pacific Partnership (TPP). Joining it would require tough internal changes from both mainland China or Taiwan. Who is more committed to the needed reforms? But does that even matter when it will be the political signature that counts from here on? Incoming CPTPP chair Singapore will have its work cut out.
A woman cries as she and other people gather at Evergrande's headquarters in Shenzhen, China, on 16 September 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP)

Will the Chinese government save Evergrande?

While retail investors and observers fear that Evergrande’s fall from grace will trigger a subprime mortgage crisis in China, the Chinese authorities seem quite comfortable letting Evergrande cover its own losses, despite the short-term instability foreseen. Han Yong Hong explains why.
This aerial photo taken on 1 September 2021 shows students attending the opening ceremony on the first day of the new semester in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. (STR/AFP)

A new Cultural Revolution? Why some Chinese are shocked by the CCP's relentless pursuit of 'common prosperity'

The Chinese authorities’ recent moves to regulate industries from internet platforms to tutoring to gaming have prompted fears of a new Cultural Revolution. Despite benign intentions expressed and a clear line drawn in the sand on history, what are people so afraid of? Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong ponders the question.
US Vice-President Kamala Harris Harris (left) and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hold a joint news conference in Singapore on 23 August 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/AFP)

China-US competition: Why small countries will not choose sides

The recent visit by US Vice-President Kamala Harris to Singapore and Vietnam has brought the spotlight on Asia. Is Asia and the Indo-Pacific really a priority for the US, or is that just lip service? And as Singapore’s former ambassador to the US Chan Heng Chee asked: what does the US expect from the region? Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong reflects on small countries' limited options amid great power competition.
A young girl sits on her father's shoulders outside a shopping mall in Beijing, China, on 1 June 2021. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP)

Building a moral and prosperous Chinese society: Prelude to a social revolution in China?

Following the Chinese government's crackdown on big capital, China has recently announced its ambition to achieve "common prosperity" and wealth redistribution, with a strong emphasis on fairer income and good morals across society. Chinese internet giant Tencent responded immediately by investing 50 billion RMB (S$10.5 billion) to help promote the new initiative. Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong asks: "Is this the prelude to a social revolution?"
A woman walks past a sign of the Financial Street in Beijing, China, 9 July 2021. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

Why China is cracking down on big capital

It is not new for the evils of capitalism to be criticised in China. But the recent crackdowns on whole sectors, be it tech, tuition centres, or online gaming, has businesses wondering what just hit them. Is this the state’s way of showing who’s boss, and how will China’s economic vibrance be affected?