Discrimination

[Vox pop] ‘Not all Chinese, but always Chinese?’ How Chinese tourists are seen overseas

Chinese tourists often spark debate in global travel circles: admired for their spending power, yet frequently criticised online for behaviour such as cutting queues or littering. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina and Lu Lingming speak with foreign travellers and mainland Chinese tourists about how these images are formed and how fair they are.

Yi Jina, Lu Lingming

13 Feb 2026

[Big read] Tiny steps, big change: How everyday efforts are building an inclusive Guangzhou

Every week, volunteers like Feifei travel across Guangzhou to teach skills to visually impaired residents. These small acts — training, apps, accessible facilities — are just the beginning of building a truly inclusive society, with much more still to be done. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zeng Shi reports.

Zeng Shi

18 Nov 2025

The 25-centimetre gap separating China from a truly civilised society

The recent incident of Taiwanese singer Zheng Zhihua at Shenzhen Airport has brought to light the struggles of disabled people in China. Academic Zhang Tiankan believes that their voices must be heard and more needs to be done to ensure accessibility, only then can China call itself a civilised society.

Zhang Tiankan

17 Nov 2025

[Big read] Why China’s funniest women are also its most controversial

As Chinese female stand-up comedians challenge deep-rooted gender norms, critics accuse them of fuelling gender divides. But comedy is only exposing what has long festered across film, gaming, and public life. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zeng Shi finds out more.

Zeng Shi

15 Sep 2025

DEI turns coercive: How sinologist Perry Link was punished

When renowned sinologist Perry Link questioned race-based hiring at UC Riverside, he faced censure, public shaming and erased data. His case reveals how America’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, once a tool for inclusion, can be wielded to punish dissent and suppress academic freedom, notes commentator Tao Ray.

Tao Ray

08 Sep 2025

From Beijing to Shanghai: How China’s invisible migrants claim space through sports

The decision to support a football or basketball team might seem like a trivial matter, but master’s candidate Wang Yuchen says that it reveals deeper issues of urban identity and social integration in China. He explains how internal migrants in cities like Beijing and Shanghai express dissatisfaction and negotiate their identity through their support for hometown teams.

Wang Yuchen

07 Jul 2025

Spies among China’s returning talents: Truth or bias?

A recent observation by the chairperson of China’s GREE that there may be spies among so-called “returning talents” to China has sparked discussion about that possibility, and about whether China’s local tertiary institutions are good enough to nurture the same level of talent as overseas. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chen Jing explores the issue.

Chen Jing

06 May 2025

How US suspicion is pushing Chinese researchers into Beijing’s arms

Amid worsening China-US relations, many beleaguered Chinese academics and researchers targeted by the US government are choosing to return to China. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chen Jing tells us more about what this means for academia in both China and the US.

Chen Jing

14 Apr 2025

What cultural identity challenges do Chinese children face in US adoptions?

US academic Wu Guo shares his observations on the challenges faced by Chinese children adopted by American parents, amid China’s recent announcement that it would no longer send children overseas for adoption. Insensitivity to racial and identity issues may be unintentional, but still just as difficult to bear for the adopted Chinese children involved.

Wu Guo

11 Sep 2024

China moves to raise retirement age to bolster workforce, ease pension pressure

As China grapples with a rapidly ageing population, the delay in retirement — a decade-long initiative — is nearing reality.

Caixin Global

08 Aug 2024

Yellen’s China visit: ‘China problems’ are actually US problems

Commentator Qinglian He says that while US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen spoke of “problems” with China on her recent visit, such as a weak economy and cheap Chinese goods, closer analysis seems to suggest that perhaps the problems are not China’s, but the US's, in terms of equipping its people with the skills necessary to boost manufacturing and other sectors.

Qinglian He

23 Apr 2024

Political taboo of questioning PKI's role in Indonesia's history: Documentary Eksil deals a blow

A popular documentary about ten exiles has had an extraordinary run in Indonesia, not least because it sings a different tune from the official historical narrative about the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and its supporters, perpetuated since the Suharto era.

Max Lane

18 Mar 2024