Society

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.
The Washington Post's article. (Screenshot from The Washington Post)

Lianhe Zaobao's response to The Washington Post’s article

On 24 July, The Washington Post published a feature article titled "In Singapore, Loud Echoes of Beijing’s Positions Generate Anxiety", in which some comments were made about Lianhe Zaobao. Here is Lianhe Zaobao's response to the article.
This photo taken on 4 July 2023 shows fruit vendors waiting for customers along a street in the Chinatown area of Bangkok. (Sai Aung Main/AFP)

Tackling the illicit use of Thai business nominees by Chinese networks

Illicit nominations of Thais as shareholders in businesses run by Chinese operators are threatening local concerns. This highlights a dense network of transnational criminal activity that the Thai authorities are up against.
“Pavel Korchatie” (left) and "Russia Nana" have been accused of using deepkfake AI to pass off as foreigners. (Weibo)

Why are Chinese internet stars pretending to be Russian?

​Finding online fame in China could be as simple as being a foreigner praising Chinese culture and food, as some would believe. This has led to a number of Chinese impersonators using deepfake AI to gain views on social media platforms. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk tells us more about this phenomenon.
A woman walks on a street in Shanghai, China, on 15 May 2023. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Egg freezing in China: A woman’s right to have control over her body

Currently in China, assisted reproductive technology (ART) can only be applied to married couples with infertility issues. Social egg freezing (SEF) is prohibited in most regions of China, except Jilin province. The case of Xu Zaozao, a single lady who sought to freeze her eggs, has cast more attention on this issue. Chinese academic Lorna Wei points out that even as women advocate for the right to decide if she would like to freeze her eggs, they may be stuck in a continuing patriarchal trap.
Huang Deyi and his family members were charged for building a bridge without authorisation. (Weibo)

Illegal bridge by Chinese villager sparks debate

​The case of a family of 18 being punished for illegally building a bridge in Jilin province has brought to light the public’s distrust of the courts and grassroots governance and sparked criticism of the local government’s inaction in solving people’s problems. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu looks into the matter.
Nearly a hundred people gathered outside the headquarters of TEPCO, owner of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, to protest the planned discharge of Fukushima wastewater into the sea, 5 July 2023. (CNS)

[Big read] Doubts over Fukushima wastewater release hard to overcome

It has been 12 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting tsunami that damaged a nuclear power plant at Fukushima. As plans progress to release treated wastewater from the nuclear power plant into the sea, Lianhe Zaobao journalists Tan Jet Min and Foo Choo Wei explore the challenges in the decision, as well as the difficulties facing related industries, such as fishing.