Society

People walk on the street in Taipei, Taiwan, on 25 July 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Will cross-strait civilian exchange exit from long Covid?

While international tourism and study can be a bridge towards cross-strait understanding and reconciliation, it can sometimes be deployed as a geopolitical gambit. Taiwanese academic Ho Ming-sho shares more.
Men gather at a labour market in Beijing on 15 August 2023, where people are hired for temporary jobs at factories and construction sites. (Pedro Pardo/AFP)

China’s information wall is distorting people’s worldviews

US-based academic Wu Guo visited his friends and relatives in China after the lifting of Covid restrictions. Based on his observations and interactions, he shares his worries that most Chinese only have one single source of information, and live in a world of simplified Chinese characters, which could result in them developing a distorted and illusory view of the world. 
The original artwork that appeared in Brick Lane, with the 12 core socialist values. (@yiqueart/Instagram)

No one wants to see China's propaganda slogans in London. Not even as graffiti

A London-based Chinese student’s graffiti has drawn widespread attention, as he painted the 12 core socialist values of the Chinese Communist Party on a wall in Brick Lane. While he denies political significance in the work, many local residents have responded to it by adding their own take, while netizens are debating its meaning. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks at the young student's motivation and its result.
Medical workers wheel a patient at a hospital in Shenyang, China's northeastern Liaoning province, on 21 October 2021. (AFP)

China’s medical crackdown has unintended repercussions

Over the past month, China’s medical sector has been swept by a wave of anti-corruption efforts, with nearly 180 hospital directors and secretaries under investigation so far. Some people cheer the aggressive effort, but it has also created a lot of unintended repercussions. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Chen Jing discusses her own experience seeing doctors in China and warns of the potential drawbacks of a stern crackdown.
A rescuer is helping a resident to get on a vehicle in Zhuozhou on 1 August 2023.

How a 140-year flood caught Beijing and nearby cities off guard

After experiencing the hottest June on record for the city, Beijing is now witnessing the most rainfall in the 140 years since records began. How did Typhoon Doksuri bring the prolonged heavy rainfall to northern China thousands of kilometres away from its landing point?
Jobseekers attend a job fair in Beijing, China, 16 February 2023. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

China’s youth turn to Africa amid record high unemployment at home

With record youth unemployment rates back home, young Chinese are now setting their sights on Africa, which offers growth potential and a source of lucrative income. However, those who decide to venture into the African market will have to go in with their eyes wide open.
Singapore flags seen adorning the rooftop carpark of People's Park Complex in Chinatown, Singapore, 28 July 2023. (SPH Media)

Singapore ambassador to the US responds to Washington Post: Singapore media will not choose sides

In response to the Washington Post’s recent article that accused Lianhe Zaobao for echoing Beijing’s propaganda, Singapore ambassador to the US Lui Tuck Yew argues that Singapore’s media, along with the country’s foreign policy, will not choose sides between the US and China.
Young people in Guangzhou riding e-wheelchairs. (Internet)

Guangzhou youths are getting about on e-wheelchairs

As Chinese authorities clamp down on e-bicycles, young people — particularly in Guangzhou — are finding an alternative way to get around without walking: e-wheelchairs. While it is convenient and not against the law for able-bodied people to use e-wheelchairs, are there other considerations that they might be missing?
Workers are seen at the construction site of a newly-built shopping centre in Beijing, China, on 30 May 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

Time is running out for China to take care of its ageing migrant workers

China’s first-generation of migrant workers who joined the labour force in the 1980s and 1990s will reach their sixties over the next decade. Despite the number of working years under their belt, they could be left financially worse for wear once they reach retirement. How should the officials ensure this generation of workers have enough to support themselves when the time comes? Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk tells us more.