Beijing

Later generations of Chinese may take reform and opening up for granted, but this key national policy and strategy was in fact hard fought by an earlier generation of leaders such as the late former Premier Li Keqiang. With great outpourings of grief seen after Li's demise, are the Chinese people learning something about cherishing something only after it's gone?

The sudden death of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang from a heart attack at the age of 68 has prompted an outpouring of shock, as well as tributes in the form of videos about his life and work, as well as quotes. Lianhe Zaobao journalists Chen Jing and Miao Zong-Han look back on Li's career and give a sense of the reactions to his passing.

Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao shows us the scenes of times past of Vietnam’s imperial city of Hue. From the architecture influenced by China, to the struggles within, the four walls of the Citadel are brimming with history.

Despite the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the office vacancy rate in China’s capital Beijing has not recovered, and is set to increase. From considerations such as rental cost and traffic, internet companies are opting to move out of prime central locations. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Meng Dandan tells us more.

Japanese academic Sugiura Yasuyuki notes that Beijing has been normalising military activities around Taiwan, and these activities seem to be heading towards actual combat, while being used for propaganda. One clear example is the recent Exercise "Joint Sword" in April 2023. There are increasing concerns that such activities will cause issues between China and the US, or China and Taiwan.

While hutongs are a unique historical sight in Beijing, they are quickly disappearing as people move out and relocate to government housing with modern amenities. Those who remain are generally the older generation, while the look and function of hutongs is also changing. How much longer will hutongs last?

Singapore's former Foreign Minister George Yeo gave a keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Forward Forum in Taipei, where he spoke on cross-strait relations, the "one China" policy, and the future of mainland China and Taiwan, as well as his personal experiences interacting with individuals from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

After experiencing the hottest June on record for the city, Beijing is now witnessing the most rainfall in the 140 years since records began. How did Typhoon Doksuri bring the prolonged heavy rainfall to northern China thousands of kilometres away from its landing point?

​Population figures are going down in China's major cities, not only in Beijing and Shanghai, but also in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. This trend is not only due to higher costs of living, but deeper concerns that prevent economies from finding a certain equilibrium after headwinds. Economist Li Jingkui explains.