China workplace

Human stories without humans: Has AI degraded China’s micro-dramas?

As AI slashes the cost and time needed to produce micro-dramas, China’s hottest entertainment trend is raising difficult questions about creativity, labour and who really profits. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks to industry insiders.

Lim Zhan Ting

10 Jul 2026

Million-dollar overseas degrees, entry-level Chinese salaries

For decades, studying abroad was seen as a ticket to opportunity. Now, more Chinese graduates are returning home — only to find that foreign credentials carry less weight than before. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu examines the issue.

Liu Liu

08 Jul 2026

[Big read] Why Beijing wants its citizens to lose weight

China’s obesity crisis is growing despite a nationwide campaign to reverse it. Why is the problem getting worse? Lianhe Zaobao China journalist Meng Dandan speaks with experts and ordinary Chinese to find out.

Meng Dandan

08 Jul 2026

How AI is rewiring white-collar work in China

AI was supposed to boost productivity. Instead, for many Chinese workers, it has meant layoffs, lower pay and shrinking job security as companies reshape work around doing more with less.

Caixin Global

26 Jun 2026

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

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

[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

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

[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

[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

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

AI salaries soar, but China can’t find enough experts

China’s AI sector is booming, with top salaries reaching millions of RMB, yet companies still struggle to fill roles. Lianhe Zaobao’s Liu Liu examines how firms are wooing talent and whether universities can keep pace.

Liu Liu

23 Mar 2026