Government Intervention

Winning the AI race without an OpenAI

Countries don’t need to build the next OpenAI to lead in AI. The real advantage lies in embedding AI across the economy, institutions and public services faster than everyone else, argue researchers Laurence Liew and Willie Shi.

Laurence Liew, Willie Jianzheng Shi

02 Jul 2026

China’s military purge is reaching the heart of Xi’s reformed PLA

China’s military purge has widened with six senior PLA officers removed from the National People’s Congress, signalling that the anti-corruption campaign is still expanding. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei reports on the crackdown’s reach and implications.

Sim Tze Wei

01 Jul 2026

How did a plane breach China’s most protected airspace?

How did a light aircraft manage to get past aviation security in Beijing and crash into a skyscraper, and what does the incident say about the measures taken in China’s capital? Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han finds out more.

Miao Zong-Han

30 Jun 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

From SpaceX to Meta: The geopolitics of who gets to invest

While SpaceX underwriters barred orders from investors in mainland China and Hong Kong leading up to its IPO, the Chinese government blocked Meta’s acquisition of Manus. Law experts Tan Chong Huat and Amanda Chen analyse the implications of such moves.

Tan Chong Huat, Amanda Chen

25 Jun 2026

Undersea cables: The new US-China frontline

From trade wars to the seabed, Washington and Beijing are locked in a high-stakes struggle for control over global undersea cables and leadership of the future digital order. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei looks into the matter.

Sim Tze Wei

24 Jun 2026

[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

Why desperate local governments fund corporate fantasies

Driven by an insatiable hunger for economic performance, China’s local officials are plunging public funds into overhyped corporate ventures. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting looks inside the desperate game of “fleecing the old geezers”, or beng laotou.

Lim Zhan Ting

17 Jun 2026

Has China hit the limits of chip self-reliance?

China is producing more chips than ever, but because its exports remain cheap compared to high-end imports, Beijing still depends heavily on foreign semiconductor technology. Economist Min-Hua Chiang shares her findings.

Min-Hua Chiang

16 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

[Video] China tightens rules on money, data and talent going overseas

China’s new outbound investment rules place tighter oversight on money, technology, data and talent going overseas, formalising a series of cross-border controls introduced this year. ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming discusses why some Chinese fear the country is closing itself off from the world and how the changes might impact society.

Lu Lingming

11 Jun 2026

Built to impress: Why China’s tourism boom leaves white elephants behind

China’s tourism boom has produced a wave of ambitious megaprojects across the country, but many have stalled or failed to attract visitors, leaving behind costly white elephants. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu reports.

Liu Liu

10 Jun 2026