Yu Zeyuan

Yu Zeyuan

Beijing Correspondent and Senior Researcher, Lianhe Zaobao

Yu Zeyuan (real name Yu Haisheng) started in 1993 as a journalist and editor with Xinhua's foreign news desk, then joined the University of Hawaii as a visiting academic from 1996 to 1997. Since 2000, he has been Lianhe Zaobao's Beijing correspondent and senior researcher.

China's President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other participants attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 16 September 2022. (Sergei Bobylyov/Sputnik/AFP)

China gains stronger foothold in Central Asian region

Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan analyses the outcomes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan and the implications of China’s perceived stronger courting of the Central Asia region.
Pedestrians walk past a screen showing footage of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers during an evening news programme, in Beijing, China, 2 August 2022. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

Post-60s generation takes the helm of China’s military

As the 20th Party Congress approaches, key reshuffles of theatre command leaders have taken place, with the post-60s generation becoming the backbone of the PLA’s senior military generals. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan takes us through the key military leaders, and who will be part of the Central Committee of the CCP.
A still from the movie Return to Dust, with Wu Renlin (left) and Hai Qing in the lead roles. (Internet)

Can China's movies depict poverty and the ugliness of society?

The movie Return to Dust depicts the difficult circumstances of a rural couple in China. Despite the high ratings and box office takings, some detractors say that the film feeds Western stereotypes of rural Chinese. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan looks at whether the movie panders to Western tastes, and whether it invalidates China’s efforts at poverty alleviation.
A pedestrian walks past a giant display showing the Shanghai Composite Index, in Shanghai, China, 3 August 2022. (Aly Song/Reuters)

China-US audit inspection deal does not mean greater financial cooperation

China-US cooperation in the finance sector is making headway after the announcement of the recent signing of an audit oversight cooperation agreement. While the general public opinion in China bears optimism for this development, some are still wary of the risks to national security. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan looks into the implications of the agreement.
Internet personality Sima Nan is caught in yet another storm of polarised public opinion. (Wikimedia)

'Patriotic' Chinese internet celebrity attacked by netizens for owning US house

Some Chinese netizens are furious with internet personality Sima Nan, known for his anti-US rhetoric, for owning a house in the US. Sima has blamed the onslaught of public opinion on Lenovo, claiming that the enterprise has plotted against him. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan suggests that people such as Sima who incite disputes and conspiracy theories will gradually lose ground in China's online public space.
People walk along a street in Beijing, China, on 26 July 2022. (Noel Celis/AFP)

Financial decoupling: China’s next step amid intensifying China-US rivalry?

Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that the announcement of Chinese SOEs’ planned exit from the US market is a result of the intensifying China-US rivalry, and a sign of economic and financial decoupling. However, the exit might be just the beginning — there may be more Chinese companies pulling out of the US market in future.
A Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner taxis past the Final Assembly Building at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, South Carolina, US, 31 March 2017. (Randall Hill/Reuters)

Boeing losing out amid strained China-US trade relations

Three of China’s major airlines have announced plans to purchase about 300 aircrafts from Europe’s Airbus, much to the chagrin of the US’s Boeing. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan discusses the reasons behind the move and what this might portend.
This screen grab made from video released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV shows the launch ceremony of the Fujian, a People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft carrier, at a shipyard in Shanghai on 17 June 2022. (CCTV/AFP)

With the Fujian, is China catching up to the US in aircraft carrier manufacturing technology?

The Fujian, China’s third aircraft carrier, was launched on 17 June. The highlight is the electromagnetic catapult system for launching aircraft, which could put it on par with much of the US’s cutting-edge technology in the field. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan takes a closer look at the implications of this development.
Le Yucheng, the new deputy head of the National Radio and Television Administration. (CNS)

China's foreign ministry Russia expert lost chance for a ministerial job

Among the recent appointments and removals of Chinese officials, Vice-Foreign Minister Le Yucheng’s move is of particular concern. As Le was seen as a potential leader in the foreign ministry, analysts believe that his appointment as deputy head of the National Radio and Television Administration is a career setback that might have to do with his misjudgement of the war in Ukraine.