China workplace
Technology
When employees leave, their AI clones carry on working
Companies are racing to turn workers’ skills and know-how into AI-powered digital employees. But as the technology advances, more workers are fighting to stop their expertise from being extracted — and used against them.
Caixin Global
19 Jun 2026
Economy
China’s gig economy nears half the workforce but worker protections lag behind
Over 44% of China’s workforce is now engaged in flexible employment. While closing the white-collar income gap, this massive shift exposes major gaps in workers’ rights and social security stability. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang analyses the data.
Li Kang
12 Jun 2026
Technology
[Big read] The returnees: Inside China’s AI talent reversal
From Silicon Valley to Beijing and Shenzhen, a growing number of AI researchers are returning to China, reshaping careers, companies and the global balance of tech talent. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Sha examines this high-stakes return and what drives it.
Liu Sha
26 May 2026
Technology
How AI is mining worker data to reshape the labour market
China’s AI boom is entering the office: companies are increasingly turning employees’ habits, decisions and workflows into digital workers — fuelling fears that staff are quietly training their own replacements.
Caixin Global
19 May 2026
Society
[Vox pop] How do Chinese people see AI?
In recent years, China has become one of the fastest-moving players in the global AI race. AI is now becoming part of everyday life for many Chinese people. And now, amid the sweeping changes triggered by this technological wave, ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina speak with some Chinese to hear what they really think about AI today.
Lu Lingming, Yi Jina
08 May 2026
Technology
[Big read] China’s young workers pay the price of AI before reaping the gains
Jobs are not only being replaced by artificial intelligence, those seemingly secure will be restructured, with different tasks or a cut in pay. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang speaks with Chinese employees who are feeling the impact to find out what they are doing to secure their future.
Li Kang
14 Apr 2026
Society
As jobs dry up, personal trainers are going door-to-door
In China’s cities, trainers are bringing the gym to people’s doorstep — turning courtyards into classrooms and fitness into a booming “on-demand” service. But as doubts over income, trust and longevity grow, is this just a fleeting trend?
Caixin Global
06 Apr 2026
Economy
China’s confidence campaign: Can slogans solve economic woes?
Beijing urges the media to “sing loudly” about growth, but empty malls, job struggles and property woes show confidence must rest on real economic fundamentals, not rhetoric, says Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu.
Yang Danxu
18 Mar 2026
Technology
When tech writes the story, do we still need the press?
Newsrooms in China are increasingly feeling the squeeze with the advent of AI-generated content (AIGC). This not only calls into question job functions, but the overwhelming influence of deep tech and tech giants, and an erosion of the agenda-setting role of the media. Chinese media commentator Ni Tao discusses the issue.
Ni Tao
13 Mar 2026
Society
From Nepal to Kazakhstan: Why Chinese students study in unlikely destinations
Amid the fierce competition in China’s higher education, many Chinese youths are choosing to stay off the beaten — and more expensive — path to further their studies in less popular countries such as Nepal and Kazakhstan. However, Lianhe Zaobao journalist Lee Chee Yang finds out that notwithstanding the challenges of language and academic pressure, there is no guarantee of improvement in prospects for these students.
Lee Chee Yang
11 Mar 2026
Society
Retiring on 300,000 RMB: China’s youth flee big cities for smaller towns
Amid uncertainty in China’s economic outlook and job market, the American concept of “Financial Independence, Retire Early” has trended among Chinese youth. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang finds out that people are motivated not just by the goal of early retirement, but also by regaining control of their time and life.
Li Kang
09 Mar 2026