Governance

Why Chinese farmers refuse to give up snake farming

A recent flood in Guangxi has put the spotlight on China’s lucrative but hazardous snake farming industry, revealing the complex trade-offs between rural livelihoods and public safety. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting examines the issue.

Lim Zhan Ting

24 Aug 2026

Chatting alone? What AI companions reveal about human relationships

How do you manage a relationship with a machine that is not as emotionally invested as you and may learn to read you over time as a friend would? Navigating the AI companions landscape depends not just on regulation but on how these products are designed to handle emotional responsibility, says US researcher Hong Shen.

Hong Shen

21 Aug 2026

Xi invokes Jiang Zemin’s legacy to chart China’s ‘new journey’

Marking the centenary of Jiang Zemin’s birth, Xi Jinping praised the former leader’s legacy of reform, opening up and crisis management while placing it firmly within the current Xi-era framework of Communist Party leadership, national security and reunification. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han tells us more.

Miao Zong-Han

18 Aug 2026

China bans AI lovers, but loneliness remains

When man bonds with a machine, depends on it and feels affirmed by it, is a void filled? But what if the mirage disappears or the relationship is taken to extremes? Researcher Renwen Zhang contemplates the psyche behind the rise of AI companions.

Renwen Zhang

14 Aug 2026

What Zhu Rongji got right — and what he left unfinished

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji changed China without changing its political system. His reforms laid the foundations for decades of growth, but also imposed painful costs and left a legacy of unresolved problems. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong examines the issue.

Han Yong Hong

14 Aug 2026

China’s rural decline: The missing chapter in Zhu Rongji’s legacy

Nostalgia paints the late former Premier Zhu Rongji as China’s ultimate reformer. But a closer look at the 1990s reveals severe policy reversals that left the vast rural population behind. Professor Yasheng Huang analyses the missing piece of the picture.

Yasheng Huang

14 Aug 2026

Zhu Rongji’s death triggers China’s ‘superpolitics’

The close proximity in timing of the death of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, the commemoration of former President Jiang Zemin’s 100th birth anniversary and the upcoming fifth plenum may give Zhongnanhai some cause for worry, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

13 Aug 2026

[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

Tan Kong Yam: China’s dual economy is built for the long game

Singapore economist Tan Kong Yam argues that Beijing believes China’s weak traditional economy can endure while its technology sector drives long-term growth, eventually pulling the broader economy towards a gradual recovery. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Edwin Ong reports.

Edwin Ong

07 Aug 2026

Why Xi gathered China’s top scientists in Beidaihe

China’s annual Beidaihe retreat has put basic research and frontier technologies centre stage, offering a rare glimpse into President Xi Jinping’s priorities as Beijing seeks breakthroughs in critical technologies. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Chen Jing finds out.

Chen Jing

06 Aug 2026

Passports surrendered: Inside China’s expanding web of exit controls

China’s new regulations have reignited concerns over who may be prevented from leaving the country. While Beijing says the measures are aimed at safeguarding national security, broad discretionary powers and vague definitions could create greater uncertainty for travellers, says Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu.

Yang Danxu

05 Aug 2026

Is Cai Qi China’s real number two?

Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi appears to be Chinese President Xi Jinping’s right-hand man, but depending on whether trust or caution is higher in Xi’s calculations, Cai’s fate will be decided at the 21st Party Congress, says Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai.

Wen-Hsuan Tsai

04 Aug 2026