Internet

How ‘China Inc.’ is discovering its new world in Brazil

Chinese companies are turning Brazil into their new frontier, from electric vehicles and digital platforms to mining and energy, and navigating local challenges as they chart a daring new chapter in global expansion.

Caixin Global

Why Taiwan is cracking down on RedNote

Taiwan’s crackdown on RedNote isn’t about ideology or censorship, asserts Taiwan academic Ho Ming-sho. It’s a legal showdown over accountability, as the island demands foreign platforms obey its laws — or lose access.

Ho Ming-sho

China’s microdrama mogul: How COL is conquering global screens from Singapore

Digital content company COL (中文在线) has made its name as a popular microdrama platform in China, and now it is leveraging Singapore as its international business hub to expand its microdrama offerings globally. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Thomas Li Tao speaks with COL president Tong Zhilei to find out more.

Thomas Li Tao

‘Brainless’ but satisfying: How Chinese micro-dramas are taking over our screens

The ubiquity of mobile phones has driven the rapid growth of Chinese micro-dramas, with a diverse audience that spans even to the US. Chinese academic Tang Yonghua takes a look at why people are paying for cheesy plots and dated values in these “brainless” yet satisfying escapes from reality.

Tang Yonghua

[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

Revenge on Gold Diggers: China’s hottest game sparks gender war

A new video game in China has reignited the gender debate, with its premise of women as “gold diggers”. Is it misogynistic, or realistic? Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks at the line between raising fraud awareness and pointing fingers.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

Alibaba fights Tencent for dominance over AI in China

As China’s AI landscape rapidly evolves, tech giants Alibaba and Tencent are locked in a fierce battle for supremacy. While Alibaba invests heavily in AI infrastructure and open-source models, Tencent focuses on integrating AI into its massive consumer platforms. With both companies reshaping the future of AI in China, the race to define the next era of computing is just beginning.

Caixin Global

How China’s all-in-one platforms are reshaping the AI battlefield

The super-integration capability of Chinese internet giants was never previously seen as a competitive advantage over their US counterparts, until the artificial intelligence era. With the widespread enterprise adoption of large AI models since 2024, this strength has taken the spotlight, says technology expert Yin Ruizhi.

Yin Ruizhi

The influencer-in-chief: How Trump tamed the social media beast

Extensive free speech protections and the advent of the internet and social media have rendered the US fertile ground for the rise of influencer leaders, argues academic Fei-ling Wang. Leading the charge is US President Donald Trump, says Wang, who tells us more about the recent political trend.

Fei-Ling Wang

Broligarchy: When businessmen govern America

With Trump’s return to the White House, it seems there is a group of wealthy and powerful tech moguls who are eager to support him, as they see that he is likely to implement policies that would favour their industry. This is reminiscent of the oligarchy system in Russia. Former journalist Goh Choon Kang looks into the phenomenon.

Goh Choon Kang

Chinese AI startups make gains in challenge to US-based OpenAI

For many of China’s emerging AI startups, the chief challenge is surviving the competition with established domestic giants that dominate market share and user access.

Caixin Global

No job, no problem? The rise of China’s resignation bloggers

There has recently been a rise in the number of “resignation bloggers” — content creators who document their resignation and subsequent unemployment — on social media. Lianhe Zaobao’s Zhang Guanghui discusses the phenomenon and its implications.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao