Central vs local government

People ride on a scooter past residential buildings under construction in Beijing, China, on 6 September 2023. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

China’s trillion-dollar local government ‘hidden debt’ dilemma

As China’s financial system remains plagued by trillions of dollars in local governments’ hidden debt, policy makers may need to take drastic measures to solve the problem.
A couple prepare to pose for photos near the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, on 24 June 2023. (Greg Baker/AFP)

Regular phone calls and cash incentives: China goes the extra mile to encourage childbirth

Local governments in Chinese cities are taking extra measures to encourage couples to marry early and have children. However, given the youth’s shifting values and society’s tolerance for singlehood, these measures are falling short. Meanwhile, netizens are lamenting that government policies should not be coercive or objectify women.
This photo taken on 20 June 2023 shows a view of a complex of unfinished apartment buildings in Xinzheng city in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China. (Pedro Pardo/AFP)

Can new policies revive China's home sales?

In a bid to boost home purchases in what has normally been the peak sales period of September and October, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have announced preferential policies for homebuyers. However, Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Chen Jing notes that market confidence is still at a low; are the new policies enough to boost the Chinese property market’s recovery?
People ride elevators at a shopping street in Beijing, China, on 16 June 2023. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

Crisis of trust underlies Chinese private sector's unwillingness to invest

Erratic and unreasonable governance of local governments and a shift in public opinion towards left-wing ideology are just some of the causes for the private sector’s lack of confidence in China, says academic Han Heyuan. Even with the latest measures to boost the sector, government efforts seem to fall short of expectations.
People walk in a shopping district in Beijing, China, 14 July 2023. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

China needs a new model of economic development to revive the economy

Over the past four decades, China’s economic growth has been mainly driven externally by exports and internally by investments. But China can no longer count on exports to drive economic growth. Thus, the country is seeking to boost domestic demand. Academic Gu Qingyang shares that China needs a multi-prong approach, which would require a significant transformation of the economy.
Huang Deyi and his family members were charged for building a bridge without authorisation. (Weibo)

Illegal bridge by Chinese villager sparks debate

​The case of a family of 18 being punished for illegally building a bridge in Jilin province has brought to light the public’s distrust of the courts and grassroots governance and sparked criticism of the local government’s inaction in solving people’s problems. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu looks into the matter.
A taxi drives under Chinese and Hong Kong flags outside a shopping mall in Hong Kong, China, on 5 July 2023. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Hong Kong’s pursuit of overseas activists could backfire

Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing looks at the recent issuance of Interpol “red notices” by the Hong Kong government on eight pro-democracy activists living overseas, and what the move signals.
A woman wearing a protective face mask walks by a graffiti painted wall in the Chinatown neighborhood of New York City, US, 11 May 2023. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Vast difference in expectations of local governments in the US and in China

Wu Guo notes that local governments in the US are rarely intrusive in the lives of residents, often getting involved only in matters of taxation, public environment and public health. But corruption and dereliction of duty does exist too, and Chinese immigrants may miss that if they do not cast off their utopian blinkers.
A screen shot from the video featuring the wall along the National Highway 214 in Yunnan province, blocking the view of the Jinsha River. (Internet)

Why China's local governments are building walls around tourist attractions

While local governments in China understandably want to capitalise on natural scenery for tourism, some places of interest can go to ridiculous lengths to earn the tourist dollar. China Desk looks at what the authorities are resorting to, from building walls around natural sights to blocking the view from those passing by, to charging a “transit fee” for those passing through.