Income Inequality
Society
Censored but unstoppable: How male desire and grievances go viral in China
Chinese authorities have set out another campaign to stamp out online negativity, now with the men from the lower rungs of society its target. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui takes a look at why talk of “Android”, “Apple”, “sexual repression” and “ligong (力工) show hand” has come under the authorities’ cross hairs.
Zhang Guanghui
06 Nov 2025
Society
[Big read] From 80 square feet to a home: New hope for Hong Kong’s poor?
Hong Kong’s persistently high property prices have left hundreds of thousands of its residents with little choice but to rent subdivided units with terrible living conditions. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing speaks to residents to find out if government initiatives are helping.
Tai Hing Shing
08 Oct 2025
Economy
Luxury brands close shops across China as domestic demand drops
Once a booming market for high-end fashion, China’s middle class is eschewing luxury goods from designer labels like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, amid economic difficulties such as mass layoffs. Lianhe Zaobao Shanghai correspondent Li Kang tells us more about how these luxury brands are grappling with the downturn.
Li Kang
05 Jun 2025
Politics
US presidential elections: A battle between old and new America
Commentator Chen Kuohsiang notes that Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris portrays her opponent Republican Donald Trump as an eccentric person who wants to return to the past, while he describes her as a radical, far-left, socialist harbinger of chaos. Indeed, their differences and opposition have framed the US presidential election as a battle between old and new America.
Chen Kuohsiang
03 Sep 2024
Society
[Video] Livestreamers take to Shenzhen's pedestrian street to make it big
As singers, dancers and even those just chit-chatting fight to stand out in the highly saturated livestream industry to get traffic and monetary contributions from their viewers, Dongmen Pedestrian Street in Shenzhen has become the place to be. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Daryl Lim speaks to livestreamers in Dongmen to get a feel of the industry and what it takes to survive.
Daryl Lim
30 Jan 2024
Economy
The chaos of America is what makes it great
Political infighting within and between parties, a ballooning federal debt and a widening income gap; these are just some of the multitude of challenges that the US is dealing with now. However, commentator Jin Jian Guo says that even amid the chaos, the US environment that supports innovation and diverse values is what helps it thrive globally.
Jin Jian Guo
01 Nov 2023
Economy
China joins effort to avert sovereign debt crisis
China, India, Saudi Arabia and the Paris Club of mostly Western traditional creditor nations are collaborating on debt resolution cases in multiple countries for the first time. Lengthy negotiations on debt reduction have been underway among creditors to determine who should bear potential losses and how restructuring plans should be arranged. Whether and how China will provide debt relief is a key element of these discussions.
Caixin Global
30 Jun 2023
Economy
Jack Ma has returned but Chinese entrepreneurs will still have a hard time
Jack Ma's recent return to China has made waves and offers some hope for the revival of the entrepreneur class in China. But this group of people have never shaken off their dual identity as entrepreneur-capitalists. With the rise of a group of diehards romanticising the glory of past eras, entrepreneurs, and in turn the development of China's market economy, face obstacles.
Jin Jian Guo
04 Apr 2023
Economy
Can China's economic choices build its dream society?
As the world's second largest economy, China's domestic consumption has a major influence on the global economy. The Chinese government has said that its focus is on boosting China's domestic economy and consumption. But how should it go about achieving it? Researcher Ding Ke says it depends on the kind of society China wants to build.
Ding Ke
29 Mar 2023
Society
The complex economics behind gifting in rural China
A common practice in rural China is to give monetary gifts during important occasions, be it weddings or funerals. These gifts can drain a sizeable part of a person's income, and deciding on the amount to give is an art in itself. Economics professor Zhang Rui tells us more about this longstanding tradition.
Zhang Rui
16 Feb 2023
Politics
What is China's 'new era'? [Part 1]
EAI senior research fellow Lance Gore explains why the sudden reversal of globalisation, constant turbulence due to global developments and the fragmentation of international relations are some very real coordinates of China's "new era". In response, apt and concrete policies along the socialism axis can be devised to meet the challenges.
Lance Gore
03 Feb 2023