Immigrants

Can India-Taiwan ties withstand backlash over Indian migrant workers?

While Taiwan looks for ways to diversify its labour pool with Indian workers high on that list, civil society and the opposition have come in with scaremongering tactics that may jeopardise Taiwan’s steady relations with India. Academic Ghulam Ali weighs in on the issue. 

Ghulam Ali

06 May 2026

Empire in decline? Asian Americans in an age of anxiety

Amid intensified immigration enforcement, many immigrants and Asian Americans report rising fear, discrimination and uncertainty, reshaping daily life and eroding confidence in the American promise. Chinese American academic Wu Guo shares some insight on the long-term impact of ICE operations on the psyche of the Asian community.

Wu Guo

23 Apr 2026

There’s no city like Singkawang: Where Hakka is the lingua franca and Cap Go Meh dazzles

In Singkawang, West Kalimantan, writer Teo Han Wue found kindred spirits, a vibrant Chinese community and a chance to witness the colourful culmination of Chinese New Year celebrations there — a spirit-medium parade, known to the locals as Cap Go Meh or Pawai Tatung.

Teo Han Wue

02 Apr 2026

With Japan less than welcoming, where do the Chinese ‘run’ to?

Amid “involution” and competition in China, some Chinese are opting to migrate to Japan. However, given the current political tension between China and Japan, things are not as rosy as they had hoped. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks to some Chinese in Japan to get their views.

Lim Zhan Ting

26 Mar 2026

[Big read] Can China’s new migrants find a home in Takaichi’s Japan?

Relaxed immigration policies and shifting geopolitical dynamics have ushered Japan into the “era of one million overseas Chinese”. Writer Foo Choo Wei discovers that amid shifts in policy and deteriorating China-Japan relations, these Chinese migrants must balance good neighbourliness while preserving their culture and language.

Foo Choo Wei

13 Mar 2026

[Big read] Pay or reveal: How America’s borders favour the wealthy

As Washington courts millionaires with a fast track to residency, ordinary travellers — even from visa-free countries — may be asked to surrender years of online history, marking a new hierarchy at America’s borders. Lianhe Zaobao executive translator Mak Cor Sin speaks to academics and experts to find out more.

Mak Cor Sin

08 Jan 2026

[Big read] AvePoint co-founder Jiang Tianyi’s tenacious spirit of self-reliance

As the son of Chinese intellects that were “sent-down” to the coal mines during the Cultural Revolution, AvePoint co-founder Jiang Tianyi knows the value of education. Lianhe Zaobao associate business editor Hu Yuanwen speaks with Jiang to learn more about how he went from being a humble paperboy to the co-founder of a cyber security company listed on NASDAQ and the Singapore Exchange. 

Hu Yuanwen

04 Dec 2025

Red banners and tea ceremonies: Inside the world of a Chinese wedding planner in Singapore

Despite Western influences, many young Singaporean couples choose to incorporate traditional Chinese customs into their wedding. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Lee Geok Hoon speaks with Jenny Zheng, who has borne witness to marital unions in Singapore for the past 27 years. Beyond her role as a shopkeeper of wedding paraphernalia, Zheng is a guardian to this cultural heritage.

Lee Geok Hoon

17 Oct 2025

[Big read] When the American dream of birthright citizenship fades for Chinese parents

Chinese parents once flocked to the US for birthright citizenship, but new immigration policies have cast doubt on that path. Facing uncertainty, many are now turning to countries like Chile for affordable, stable alternatives — signalling a major shift in the global birth tourism landscape. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Claudia Liao explores the impact of the shift in policy.

Claudia Liao

02 Oct 2025

[Big read] Joe Wong: The Chinese stand-up comedian who performed at the White House

With a PhD in biochemistry and a bespectacled, unassuming appearance, Joe Wong does not fit the profile of a typical comedian. However, his perceptive, cross-cultural humour has endeared him to audiences in the US and China. The Chinese-American comedian tells Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Heyang about his passion for stand-up comedy, performing in Chinese and English, and the challenges of bringing stand-up to China.

Zhang Heyang

23 Jul 2025

A Foochow coffee boy’s journey through Singapore’s kopitiam history

At 12, Choo Ee Choo came to Singapore from Fuzhou and began life as a kopi kia in Balestier. Now 80, he recalls a time when brewing coffee was a guarded craft, and the Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association helped settle disputes and support the community. For Choo, coffee wasn’t just a drink — it was a way of life, even for the poorest coolies with only half a cup to spare. Lianhe Zaobao lifestyle correspondent Tang Ai Wei finds out more.

Tang Ai Wei

11 Jul 2025

Pork at the table, not at the altar: A Chinese Singaporean clan’s Muslim legacy

Despite generations living in Singapore, the descendants of the Guo clan from Baiqi, Fujian, China, remain close-knit while assimilating Chinese cultural and Muslim customs. Lianhe Zaobao lifestyle correspondent Tang Ai Wei speaks with clan members to find out how they keep the kinship ties alive in Singapore.

Tang Ai Wei

23 May 2025