China youths

Photo collector Hsu Chung-mao tells us how he first met current Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Huning over 30 years ago at an international university debate competition in Singapore, when Wang was a university professor in charge of a debate team. Wang subsequently became a prominent strategist for Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, as well as current President Xi Jinping. This article gives a glimpse into Wang’s approach to debating and politics.

Chinese commentator Ma Haotian points out that when segments of the population feel the pain of China’s strict Covid controls, discontent boils over in search of an outlet. As China knows from its history, it is impossible to achieve outcomes that tick every box. It will have to learn to be flexible and accept trade-offs if the country and its people are to move forward from the yoke of zero-Covid.

China’s resurgence of Covid-19 infections has widened the gap between the young workers opposed to the tightening of controls, and the older generation that feel safer with strict measures in place. Given that the elderly make up a high proportion of the Chinese population, Chinese authorities seem to be holding fast to the dynamic-zero policy. Zaobao correspondent Wong Siew Fong tells us more.

Amid the difficult environment of unceasing Covid-19 restrictions, geopolitical tensions and grim economic and employment outlook, Chinese students are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to their higher education. College and visa applications, taking online classes and returning to China to seek employment are proving to be one hurdle after another for the new generation. How will they cope?

Zaobao correspondent Wong Siew Fong notes that consumer spending attitudes have changed since the pandemic, especially among Chinese youths — the biggest spending market. This spells a more difficult road to recovery for China’s ailing economy.

China has more than 170 million sandwich-generation families. While the sandwich generation grew up in the 80s as "little emperors", they are feeling the strain now with the double pressure of looking after their children and the elderly. Most of them focus on "children first", but if a married couple’s parents live in two different cities, that makes it even harder to care for all four parents at the same time.

Under President Xi Jinping, the CCP has encouraged greater youth participation in politics, but on their terms, such as bringing in new blood through the “selected graduate” (选调生) system. However, both the youths and the Communist Party know that this is an expedient relationship that may not be for the long term. This is the fourth in a five-part series of articles on the future of China.

Comic artist Bai Yi's artwork gives a glimpse into a dystopian world where individual lives are considered insignificant before the all-powerful and all-important state machine, and where herculean efforts are needed to uphold the dignity of human lives.

A prosperous, strong and friendly China is not only good for the Chinese people but also for the current turbulent world order, and this warrants a reevaluation from the mainland Chinese side. Political commentator Bai Gao believes that while the mainland’s policies towards Taiwan have been aggressive, a softer policy stance would be more beneficial as Taiwan’s future is still crucially dependent on the will of the Taiwanese people.