Family

A child is carried along Nanluoguxiang alley in Beijing, China, on 22 January 2023. (Noel Celis/AFP)

Why a sperm bank drive is fuelling fears of infertility in China

The drive in China to get more sperm donations have triggered concerns of a shortfall in supply and rising male infertility rates, but it also plays into the wider national anxiety over a population decline in the country.
In this file photo taken on 11 May 2021 children play outside a cafe in Beijing. (Greg Baker/AFP)

Shrinking population impacting preschools in China

Following the recent report on China’s shrinking population, Zaobao’s correspondent Wong Siew Fong takes a closer look at how this might affect China’s education system, and what the authorities will have to do to mitigate these effects, in terms of planning ahead and being proactive rather than reactive.
A screen grab from a Weibo video showing Chu Yin's remark about being a "good-for-nothing" when one reaches middle age. (Weibo)

China's middle-aged debating their right to be a ‘good-for-nothing’

Chinese youths are “lying flat” to protest against the high-pressure life of involution (meaningless intense competition), and now academic Chu Yin has told the middle-aged group that it's alright to be a “good-for-nothing”. While Chu’s comments have drawn public criticism, the truth remains that much of China’s society are fed up with the stress and competition they face, and yearn to have a simple and peaceful life. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu tells us more.
The eight "aquatic immortals". (Photo taken by Jin and provided by Chiang Hsun)

Heavenly dishes in a little Shanghai restaurant

Chiang Hsun ruminates on a myriad of ingredients, marvelling most at the eight vegetable ‘aquatic immortals’ in Chinese cuisine, which showcase the pure and delicious flavours of the season. Best of all, he enjoyed the heavenly dishes during autumn, in a little Shanghai restaurant that feels like home.
An illustration projected on a screen shows a robot hand and a human one moving towards each others during the "AI for Good" Global Summit at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland, 7 June 2017. (Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters)

AI is us, we are AI

Malaysian academic Goh Chun Sheng ponders the weighty issues thrown up by artificial intelligence, seeking a little assistance from none other than OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
A newly wed couple pose for pictures on Valentine's Day at a marriage registration office in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, 14 February 2023. (China Daily via Reuters)

China is cracking down on exorbitant bride price rates to save marriages

While a bride price or dowry is a marriage custom in China, the monetary value of the bride price has been getting out of hand in many places. At the top of the list is Jiangxi province, where bride prices can go as high as US$116,000. Zaobao’s China Desk examines the phenomenon and what is being done about it.
A woman walks along a street with two children in Beijing, China, on 3 February 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

It's not just China: Asia faces a shrinking population

Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Peter Ong looks into why Asian countries are facing a declining population, especially those that have witnessed successful economic transformation. What social conditions have led to the staggeringly low birth rates? And is migration a solution?
Commuters at a subway station in Beijing, China, on 15 February 2023. (Bloomberg)

China’s youths are feeling the pressure from low wages

AVIC Fund deputy general manager Deng Haiqing recently drew flak for his view that young people should not complain about their low wages because they lack capabilities. Meanwhile, netizens derided him for being a privileged elite that is far removed from the reality of life in China today. Zaobao’s China Desk explores the topic.
This photo taken on 7 January 2023 shows a man guiding goats in a rural area in Tai'an, China's eastern Shandong province. (Noel Celis/AFP)

The complex economics behind gifting in rural China

A common practice in rural China is to give monetary gifts during important occasions, be it weddings or funerals. These gifts can drain a sizeable part of a person’s income, and deciding on the amount to give is an art in itself. Economics professor Zhang Rui tells us more about this longstanding tradition.