Legal

From Soviet autonomy to a Chinese melting pot: Why China wants ethnic unity now

Looking at China’s Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress from the angle of the evolution of ethnic politics in China, it is not a sudden change but part of continuous efforts to eradicate ethnic discrimination, promote equality and in fact, to emulate the US’s “melting pot” model, says academic Enze Han.

Enze Han

07 Oct 2026

China’s new graduates get hired, then cut loose

China’s new graduates are finding that landing a first job is no longer the end of the struggle. Offers are being withdrawn, probationary hires cut and entry-level roles squeezed by AI, leaving young workers searching for a foothold in an increasingly uncertain market.

Caixin Global

02 Oct 2026

How China’s ethnic unity law targets Taiwanese identity

China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law goes beyond domestic ethnic policy, bringing cross-strait exchanges, media, education and online activity into a broader political narrative aimed at shaping Taiwanese identity and advancing unification, argues academic Chang Chun-Yen.

Chang Chun-Yen

29 Sep 2026

What kind of superpower will China be?

Chinese President Xi Jinping received the red-carpet treatment in Washington. Whether or not this means that China is increasingly seen as the US’s equal, it is becoming harder for China to avoid the term “superpower”. As it navigates this role, interesting is the way it is extending its socialist legal system as a semi-permeable membrane for selective globalisation. Academic Frank N. Pieke explains.

Frank N. Pieke

29 Sep 2026

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