Following the announcement that Cui Tiankai, China’s longest-serving US ambassador, will be stepping down, it has been reported that his likely replacement will be Vice-Minister Qin Gang of the Chinese foreign ministry. Qin is a seasoned diplomat who is believed to have the ear of President Xi Jinping. At the same time, Qin has criticised “baseless smears on China” by “evil wolves” and is known for his assertive approach. What lies ahead for US-China relations with Qin as the chief interlocutor?

Mainland China has most recently sent 28 aircraft close to Taiwan, prompting concerns that the situation in the Taiwan Strait might boil over, not least with US-led actions possibly internationalising the issue. What’s the true temperature of the situation? Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu reports.

With China’s annual gaokao or university entrance exams ending yesterday, Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu looks at the furore caused by a Beijing student who had left his test centre early and seemingly breezed through the exam. Netizens were quick to point out that regional differences in resources, administration and test papers have led to unfair advantages. In the face of serious concerns, is it time to look this perennial issue squarely in the face?

Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu journeys to Yan’an, northern Shaanxi — the old base of the Chinese Communist Party — ahead of the latter’s 100th anniversary on 1 July. She finds that Shaanxi speaks of the wins and woes of China’s development in recent years. Despite impressive economic growth, China is grappling with complicated problems such as urban-rural gaps and pockets of poverty in its vast hinterland.

Social media went into overdrive when news that Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu and mainland Chinese hotelier Wang Xiaofei were headed for divorce surfaced. It appears that a difference in views on cross-strait issues could have been the cause. Whether the news is just a smokescreen or a reality, the prickly views expressed are symptomatic of declining relations between Taiwan and the mainland.

In China, the term involution (内卷, neijuan) has been used to refer to various forms of inward spiral, regression or stagnation. Applied to education, it is the vicious cycle of kids being primed and plumbed for their potential. Cram-style preschool education, intense competition for places in elite schools, crazy property prices in school districts... the list goes on. If no one steps off the wheel, is there no end in sight?

In the CPC’s leadership renewal plans, the post-70s generation plays a leading role, having by this time risen to middle and senior positions. Yang Danxu takes stock of political stars in this generation as they take up key positions at the provincial level in the lead-up to the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s 20th Party Congress in 2022.

A recent post from an official social media account of the Chinese authorities mocking India’s coronavirus situation has been removed following intense debate. Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu speaks to Chinese academics, who note that such crass comparisons do no favours for China’s image in the international arena.

The US, albeit belatedly, and China are both extending aid to New Delhi in its hour of need in the fight against Covid-19, says Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu. However, it seems that India has only responded positively to the US and is wary of China’s overtures. Are India’s fears justified?