Social Media

China’s AI idol craze: Fad or future?

China’s virtual idols are moving beyond entertainment, winning followers, landing brand deals and taking on roles once reserved for real people. As AI gives these digital characters voices, memories and agency, is China witnessing a passing craze — or the start of a new kind of celebrity? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Christine Li Yage dives into the matter.

Christine Li Yage

27 Aug 2026

Xi may meet Modi. But can China-India trust return?

Xi Jinping may meet Narendra Modi at next month’s BRICS summit, in what could mark another step in the China-India thaw. But after years of tensions, how far has the improvement in official ties extended to public perceptions? Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei examines the issue.

Sim Tze Wei

26 Aug 2026

How an American influencer exposed China’s ‘crotch nationalism’

The scandal surrounding an American influencer in China has exposed how quickly pro-China digital personas can turn sour, leaving female victims caught in a crossfire of nationalist judgment. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu dives into the matter.

Liu Liu

26 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

China bans AI lovers, but loneliness remains

When man bonds with a machine, depends on it and feels affirmed by it, is a void filled? But what if the mirage disappears or the relationship is taken to extremes? Researcher Renwen Zhang contemplates the psyche behind the rise of AI companions.

Renwen Zhang

14 Aug 2026

Did DeepSeek’s leak hand the US an AI roadmap?

A leaked transcript of DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng’s investor meeting has exposed China’s AI industry’s chip constraints, US pressure and the growing geopolitical risks facing its tech leaders. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk reports.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

31 Jul 2026

[Video] Effortlessly beautiful: China’s new obsession with ‘invisible’ cosmetic procedures

Why are millions of Chinese paying for cosmetic procedures that nobody is supposed to notice? The pursuit of “natural beauty” is reshaping the country’s booming medical aesthetics industry. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.

Yi Jina

31 Jul 2026

[Big read] Shopping over politics: How Chinese goods are winning over South Koreans 

South Koreans youths are embracing Chinese brands — from bubble tea and electric cars to robot vacuums — separating politics from life products. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Kang Gwiyoung finds out why and if this could lead to improved China-South Korea relations.

Kang Gwiyoung

27 Jul 2026

China’s underground market for anti-corruption leaks

Self-media accounts by insiders have turned anti-corruption leaks into a profit-making industry, prompting a nationwide push to curb a new form of political information leakage. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Zhang Guanghui finds out more.

Zhang Guanghui

24 Jul 2026

[Video] China made it to the World Cup, just not on the pitch

China’s men’s football team is once again absent from the World Cup, but China is visible almost everywhere else around the tournament. ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming looks at how China made it into the World Cup economy, even as its team remains off the pitch.

Lu Lingming

17 Jul 2026

[Video] ‘Bullying our ancestors’: Why Chinese netizens are boycotting LV

A seemingly ordinary trademark dispute between Louis Vuitton and Chinese milk tea chain Molly Tea has escalated into a wider debate over intellectual property and cultural ownership. As backlash builds, with many even calling for LV’s trademark to be revoked, the case has become a broader reckoning on how cultural motifs should be protected in a modern commercial world.

Yi Jina

14 Jul 2026

Too fast to censor: How online rage is turning on China’s elites

From singer Han Hong to China’s ambassador to India, recent online backlashes reveal how China’s attention economy can turn public frustration into viral outrage before regulators are able to respond. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong tells us more.

Han Yong Hong

10 Jul 2026