Youths

[Big read] Why Malaysian youths are choosing mainland China over Taiwan for degrees

For generations, a Taiwan degree meant upward mobility for Malaysian Chinese. Today, a rising China and evolving local options are changing where students choose to carve out their futures. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tan Jet Min reports.

Tan Jet Min

03 Jun 2026

Beyond trade: The human ties reshaping Indonesia-China relations

Beyond Chinese infrastructural investment or resources extraction in Indonesia, the web of exchanges formed from building mobility, education and institutional links could help to foster a more holistic approach to building bilateral relations and make them stronger, says analyst Kevin Zongzhe Li.

Kevin Zongzhe Li

28 Apr 2026

Nepal’s new guard: How Gen Z fuelled a political sea change

In an unforeseen political upheaval for Nepal that saw the Rashtriya Swatantra Party win the largest political mandate in modern history, academic Rishi Gupta explores why Balen Shah and his party struck a chord across age groups, and how the new government plans to do a balancing act between India and China.

Rishi Gupta

02 Apr 2026

Miniso: In the business of joy and emotional connections

From adopting a “glocal” strategy, to crafting a “cultural retail” model, Miniso is taking the world by storm, with Singapore as a springboard. Lianhe Zaobao senior writer Lee Kuo Ai speaks with Miniso’s chief marketing officer, Robin Liu, to find out how the company looks to build brand awareness across borders, even amid US-China trade tensions.

Lee Kuo Ai

29 Dec 2025

VTubers: China’s youth find comfort in virtual idols

In today’s China, young people live under immense academic and economic pressures, navigating precarious jobs and chronic self-doubt, while family communication often struggles to keep pace with these realities. Lianhe Zaobao visual journalist Fio Zhang explores how digital avatars reshape emotional connections, generational dialogue and companionship.

Fio Zhang

28 Nov 2025

[Video] Boys’ Love in China: From fan fiction to cultural soft power

Once a niche subculture, China’s danmei (耽美), or Boys’ Love fiction, has grown into a global phenomenon adored by millions of young women. But after a wave of crackdowns and tighter online controls, questions are rising over danmei’s future, both within China and as a vehicle of global soft power.

Yi Jina

14 Nov 2025

Censored but unstoppable: How male desire and grievances go viral in China

Chinese authorities have set out another campaign to stamp out online negativity, now with the men from the lower rungs of society its target. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui takes a look at why talk of “Android”, “Apple”, “sexual repression” and “ligong (力工) show hand” has come under the authorities’ cross hairs.

Zhang Guanghui

06 Nov 2025

Red banners and tea ceremonies: Inside the world of a Chinese wedding planner in Singapore

Despite Western influences, many young Singaporean couples choose to incorporate traditional Chinese customs into their wedding. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Lee Geok Hoon speaks with Jenny Zheng, who has borne witness to marital unions in Singapore for the past 27 years. Beyond her role as a shopkeeper of wedding paraphernalia, Zheng is a guardian to this cultural heritage.

Lee Geok Hoon

17 Oct 2025

Nepal’s youth lead change as India and China watch closely

After the fall of the KP Sharma Oli government following Gen Z protests, Nepal continues to deal with political instability under the interim government. In foreign policy, key neighbours India and China will have to contend with this changed landscape and cash in on how much (or how little) they have put effort into bringing Nepali youth to their side. Researcher Rishi Gupta gives his take on the matter.

Rishi Gupta

01 Oct 2025

How China’s Shandong is fighting involution to win back its youth [Eye on Shandong series]

With quality jobs, lower life-costs and transparent career paths, Shandong could turn its brain drain into a comeback story. The province’s future depends on whether staying becomes the smart career move — not just the sentimental one. Shandong economics professor Yan Song explains. 

Yan Song

26 Sep 2025

[Big read] Marrying without love? China’s youth say yes to new marriages 

Amid Chinese women’s rising economic status and youth’s need for individual freedom, traditional forms of marriage are giving way to new arrangements such as cooperative marriages, AA marriages and two-sided marriages. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks with couples and experts to find out the pros and cons of these modern forms of marriage.

Lim Zhan Ting

25 Aug 2025

Hard work, little reward: What’s driving China’s ‘lying flat’ generation

Despite growing scepticism toward the system and traditional paths to success, many young Chinese still value personal effort and believe in their ability to shape their own future. EAI researchers Shan Wei and Chua Jing Yee explain.

Shan Wei , Chua Jing Yee

04 Jul 2025