Vice

Turning Lu Xun into a smoking icon is a cruel irony

Amid the controversy surrounding a mural of Lu Xun smoking at the Shaoxing Lu Xun Memorial Hall, academic Zhang Tiankan asks: has anyone considered what Lu Xun — the leading figure of modern Chinese literature — would have wanted?

Zhang Tiankan

12 Sep 2025

[Big read] China’s sex workers find opportunities with tech but big data sparks fear

Lianhe Zaobao Shenzhen correspondent Daryl Lim speaks with academics and insiders about how technological advancements have changed the way the sex industry operates in China, as the use of big data and its regulations have made it more difficult for sex workers to stay under the radar.

Daryl Lim

06 Aug 2024

Macau's 'junket mogul' and his unnerving name list of Chinese gamblers

Macau's police have arrested Alvin Chau, the chairman of the city's biggest casino junket operator, on allegations of illegally operating casinos and money laundering. Given that there are 80,000 customers of Chau's network within mainland China, the bigger implication is that this group might include civil servants and employees of state-owned enterprises, who might end up being traced, given China's crackdown on vice activities.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

01 Dec 2021

Li Yundi's case shows the immaturity of Chinese society?

Last month, Chinese pianist Li Yundi was arrested for hiring a prostitute, setting off a storm of controversy, including the loss of some titles and accolades, and various institutions distancing themselves from him. His arrest shows that Chinese laws are fair but does it also expose the immaturity of Chinese society?

David Ng

08 Nov 2021

Cambodia: Hard landing for China's soft power?

Since the early 2000s, there has been an influx of Chinese nationals, investment, and development assistance as part of China's projection of its soft power in Cambodia, most prominently in Sihanoukville. All this has led to resentment among Cambodians, amid China's seeming efforts to turn Sihanoukville into Cambodia's Shenzhen.

Jing Jing Luo, Kheang Un

12 Oct 2020

Crime boss's death sentence and lessons for China's economic development

The retrial and reinstatement of a death sentence meted out to crime boss Sun Xiaoguo is not only a win for those championing legal reform, but also those looking to strengthen China's business environment. This landmark case exposes corruption ills and eradicates bad hats in one fell swoop.

Deng Qingbo

09 Jan 2020