Family

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.
A woman walks on a street in Shanghai, China, on 15 May 2023. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Egg freezing in China: A woman’s right to have control over her body

Currently in China, assisted reproductive technology (ART) can only be applied to married couples with infertility issues. Social egg freezing (SEF) is prohibited in most regions of China, except Jilin province. The case of Xu Zaozao, a single lady who sought to freeze her eggs, has cast more attention on this issue. Chinese academic Lorna Wei points out that even as women advocate for the right to decide if she would like to freeze her eggs, they may be stuck in a continuing patriarchal trap.
This picture taken on 11 March 2023 shows people riding in a trishaw in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP)

From Borneo to Penang: Preserving our culture and language for future generations

If languages and cultural practices are disappearing fast in the indigenous communities of Borneo to the Chinese community in Penang and elsewhere, can digital technology and AI play a bigger role to document pieces of our identity that can be preserved beyond time and space?
Taiwanese host Mickey Huang is facing sexual assault allegations amid a #MeToo wave sweeping across Taiwan. (CNS)

#MeToo in Taiwan: Why public opinion matters

While it is easy for public commentators to lash out at perpetrators and victims alike in #MeToo cases, the psychological factors behind each case are complex. Would angry bashing tamp down our empathy for the afflicted in rooting out the underlaying issues behind sexual assault?
Mother's embroidery draft on coarse fabric. (Photo provided by Chiang Hsun)

Mother’s hands in the handicraft era: Taiwanese art historian

Musing at the way modern hands are preoccupied with the mindless scrolling of mobile phones, art historian Chiang Hsun remembers his mother who knew the weight of things with one touch of her hands. Those same hands made countless beautiful sweaters and embroidery for her family — it was her labour of love.
An accident scene involving three vehicles in Chiayi, Taiwan, 12 June 2023. (CNS)

Taiwanese fail miserably when it comes to traffic safety and etiquette

While Taiwan is known for its food and scenery, it is also notorious for its dangerous roads. A series of recent accidents has brought the problem into the spotlight. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Woon Wei Jong looks into Taiwan’s road safety issue and what can be done to improve it.
People walk in a public park in Beijing, China, on 15 April 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)

Chinese youth cut ties with relatives even as family size gets smaller

On top of the multiple stressors that Chinese youths struggle with in their daily lives — from the bleak economic outlook to poor employment prospects and the financial blow caused by the pandemic — annoying relatives are getting the boot. Lianhe Zaobao China Desk looks into why young people are no longer tolerating toxic familial relationships and if this is an inevitable trend of modernisation.
Standees in a shopping mall in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, to promote The First Slam Dunk, 20 April 2023. (CNS)

China's youths love Japanese anime, no matter what anyone says

Anime is one of Japan’s best-known global exports, and it is hardly surprising that anime has maintained its popularity in China even amid the highs and lows of China-Japan relations, not least with the two biggest releases in recent years, The First Slam Dunk and Suzume. Zaobao’s China Desk examines the appeal of anime.
Xu Zaozao speaks to the media before a second hearing of her case suing a Beijing hospital for refusing to freeze her eggs on the basis that she is unmarried, at the No. 3 Intermediate People's Court in Beijing, China, on 9 May 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

A woman's right to freeze her eggs: Chinese society debates

As China faces a dire population crisis of ageing population and declining birth rates, public discussion on female reproductive rights have gained attention. Assisted reproductive technologies such as egg freezing has become a sought-after option for women looking to delay child bearing, but it remains a contentious issue in China. Lianhe Zaobao's China Desk tells us more.