Legal

I went to Nanning to find the pyramid schemes that lured Singaporeans

After 52 Singaporeans were arrested in Guangxi, Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei travelled to Nanning to trace the pyramid schemes said to have lured them in — and found a city where real policies and projects can be repackaged as fake investment opportunities.

Sim Tze Wei

07 Sep 2026

What Beijing still needs is Hong Kong, not Xiānggǎng

Responding to economist Stephen Roach’s piece “From Hong Kong to Xiānggǎng”, Chinese academic Shinan (Austin) Hao argues that it is in fact in China’s interest to keep Hong Kong unique from the mainland.

Shinan (Austin) Hao

19 Aug 2026

How a toy bamboo cicada stung Huawei’s public image

A traditional bamboo cicada toy triggering a major PR headache for Huawei highlights how corporate overreaction can fuel massive backlash in Chinese cyberspace. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks into the matter.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

17 Aug 2026

Dating apps build a business around catfishing older men

China’s dating scams are becoming an industrial business. Fraud rings use dating apps, fake local profiles and paid chat operators to build emotional ties with men and push them to spend on virtual gifts, ensnaring thousands of victims.

Caixin Global

14 Aug 2026

[Big read] China’s multidimensional squeeze: ‘Governing’ Taiwan before reunification

Beijing is widening its Taiwan strategy, using diplomacy, law, maritime pressure and integration to gradually create conditions for reunification. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han speaks with experts to find out.

Miao Zong-Han

12 Aug 2026

[Video] Is China stopping its own citizens from leaving?

China has introduced new rules on exit and entry administration, setting out when authorities can intervene in border crossings and when citizens may be barred from leaving the country. The regulation brings national security, export controls and technology concerns more directly into the rules governing cross-border movement. ThinkChina’s Lingming Lu looks into the issue.

Lu Lingming

07 Aug 2026

Why China rescued Vietnam’s ship in the South China Sea but targets the Philippines

China rescued a Vietnamese vessel in disputed waters even as maritime tensions with the Philippines flared. The contrast reveals Beijing’s South China Sea calculus. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei explains.

Sim Tze Wei

30 Jul 2026

Ex-employee dispute looms over RedNote’s IPO prospects

A former RedNote employee’s dismissal dispute has raised questions about the company’s corporate structure and disclosures. This could lead to greater regulatory scrutiny and complicate any future Hong Kong listing.

Caixin Global

24 Jul 2026

Buying certainty: How Hormuz is redefining global shipping

As conflict reshapes the Strait of Hormuz, markets are placing a premium on geopolitical certainty. The shift could redefine not only global shipping but the future of maritime governance, says US academic John Calabrese.

John Calabrese

21 Jul 2026

Did Louis Vuitton trademark an ancient Chinese motif?

Louis Vuitton’s trademark win against Molly Tea has fuelled debate over whether modern IP law can give exclusive rights to designs many Chinese see as part of their cultural heritage. Academic Zhang Tiankan explains.

Zhang Tiankan

17 Jul 2026

Ten years after the South China Sea ruling: Is China’s position better or worse?

The reality of the South China Sea is increasingly being shaped by Chinese power. This is the outcome that could matter more than 2016’s arbitral ruling and the countries rallying around it, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

16 Jul 2026

A decade on, 14 nations reaffirm a South China Sea ruling China rejects

A 14-nation statement reaffirming the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling has drawn a sharp rebuke from Beijing, underscoring how the decade-old award remains a focal point of strategic rivalry even as a new dispute over the Batanes Islands emerges. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu speaks to academics for an analysis.

Liu Liu

13 Jul 2026