Central Vs Local Government
Politics
A sudden exit: Why Shenzhen replaced its mayor 100 days before APEC
With the high-stakes APEC summit just months away, Shenzhen’s sudden leadership change underscores intense political vetting. The last-minute reshuffle hints at a career setback for a rising star and sets an urgent task for his successor. Lianhe Zaobao’s China news editor Yang Danxu gives her take on the issue.
Yang Danxu
02 Sep 2026
Economy
Beijing unleashes confidence campaign to reassure markets
Chinese authorities are using commentaries to reshape the country’s economic narrative, manage expectations and rebuild market confidence ahead of key political events. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks with academics to analyse the matter.
Sim Tze Wei
25 Aug 2026
Economy
[Big read] Can Tibet build an economy beyond state support?
High-altitude wine, beekeeping and conservation drones — these are just some of the businesses in Tibet generating employment and income. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu finds out more about the plateau’s thriving niche markets from the locals and academics.
Liu Liu
19 Aug 2026
Technology
How China is funding its AI ambitions without US capital
China’s hard tech sector once relied heavily on US and other overseas capital. As geopolitical tensions closed that funding channel, Beijing built a multi-tier domestic capital system that is now reshaping how Chinese AI and semiconductor companies grow, exit and attract private investment, opines technology specialist Yin Ruizhi.
Yin Ruizhi
13 Aug 2026
Politics
[Video] Zhu Rongji: The iron-fisted premier who reshaped China’s economy
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji reshaped China’s economy through sweeping reforms that came at a heavy social cost. His forceful style earned him the “economic tsar” label, but his legacy also reflects the limits of his power. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han reports.
Miao Zong-Han
13 Aug 2026
Economy
Zero self-sufficient provinces: China’s new fiscal reality
Data shows no province in China was able to fully cover its own spending in the first quarter, highlighting growing dependence on central government transfers as tax revenues become increasingly concentrated in Beijing. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Chen Jing finds out more.
Chen Jing
29 Jul 2026
Politics
From property boom to AI: China’s next corruption risk
The downfall of former Politburo member Ma Xingrui exposes how political influence and commercial interests became intertwined during China’s property boom. In the AI age, can new forms of public resources be governed without creating new opportunities for rent-seeking? Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei explores.
Sim Tze Wei
23 Jul 2026
Politics
Top tigers fall in Xi’s endless purge
A fresh wave of high-level investigations suggests Beijing’s anti-corruption drive is no longer a periodic campaign but an enduring mechanism for strengthening party discipline and political control. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong analyses China’s efforts.
Han Yong Hong
03 Jul 2026
Society
[Big read] Inside China’s arts exam shadow market
Behind China’s arts entrance exams lies a costly world of influence and opaque deals, where talent alone rarely secures a place. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Qi Lu speaks to those who have lived through such experiences, and to academics who explain how the system works.
Qi Lu
23 Jun 2026
Economy
Why Chinese banks now act like local governments
China’s banks are increasingly shaped by state-directed targets, whitelists and performance indicators, pushing them to prioritise policy goals over market logic and resemble local governments in their behaviour. Economist Chen Kang warns of the systemic risks in trading market pricing for rigid policy-driven lists.
Chen Kang
23 Jun 2026