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China society

China society
Latest news, features and opinion on all aspects of society in China, including crime, education, health, culture, technology and tourism, and the impact of the one-child policy, an ageing population and mass internal migration on the country and its people.
China’s youth jobless rate has grown in recent years, with many graduates struggling to find work that matches their qualifications. Photo: Shutterstock
China jobs

China’s youth jobless rate edges down – but labour market strains persist

Beijing vows to prioritise job market in 2026, the first year of new five-year plan.

Women and gender

Opinion | In China, the pressure on women to marry is deadly serious

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China consumption

China’s consumers refuse to open their wallets. Is ‘luxury-phobia’ the problem?

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China's population

Baby bust: China births plunge 17% in 2025 to historic low as population shrinks

With Beijing having accelerated family-support policies and childcare subsidies, analysts warn that structural reforms are vital to arrest the deepening slide.

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A nurse feeds a newborn at a hospital in Nanjing, China. The nation’s birthrate plunged by double digits last year. Photo: Getty Images
Artificial intelligence

Tencent seeks cooperation with other AI firms to better serve vulnerable users

Tencent Research Institute looks to build expert data sets for AI models that could broadly benefit the world’s second most populous nation.

Mainland China

‘Love yourself’ – young China’s new wellness mantra to cope with the rat race

Stagnant job markets and long gruelling hours at work have led to widespread burnout and disillusionment when effort fails to yield rewards.

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Ageing society

Outside In | We are speeding towards a demography of loneliness

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Around the world, more people are growing up as only children; marrying late, if at all; having children late, if at all; and living alone in old age. Photo: Shutterstock
China’s crackdowns

China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

Big data is used to flag income gaps for top online stars and overseas earners, as regulators recover billions in unpaid levies amid slumping land sales and value-added tax revenue decline.

China's ageing population

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

What looks like a side-effect of ‘coal-to-gas’ heating programmes is really a structural issue: rural pensions are not enough to live on.

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China’s private sector

Changing tastes: China’s new affluent consumers seek quality not extravagance

Rise of upper middle class reshapes China’s retail market, driving demand for quality goods and creating a battleground for global brands.

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The success of US retailer Sam’s Club in China is attributed to its “premium-value” offering sought by upper-middle-income consumers. Photo: Eugene Lee
China consumption

Horse power: brands in China seek sales boost with Lunar New Year items

Distiller Kweichow Moutai among the companies launching limited-run Year of the Horse products to jolt revenues during the festive season.

Distiller Kweichow Moutai has released a limited promotional line of liquor commemorating the Year of the Horse. Photo: Kweichow Moutai/Handout
ByteDance

Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

I was swiping past the noise on Douyin when a calm, warm voice stopped me. So began my evenings in the world of companionship live streams.

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Social media

Video | Why has America’s ‘kill line’ gone viral in China?

The public debate has inevitably drawn parallels with problems faced by China’s own population.

Mainland China

Video | Why are women-only communities growing in China?

Economic independence and educational opportunities are enabling women to focus on their own needs, while social media has exposed many to alternative lifestyles.

Demand for single-gender spaces, including bars, gyms and co-working hubs, is rising in China as women gain economic power and prioritise peace of mind and safety.
China economy

Opinion | Why China is still struggling to ‘invest in people’

To boost demand, Beijing must upend its long-held mantra of production over livelihoods and investment over consumption.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China consumption

China’s box office up 22% in 2025 to US$7.4 billion, led by smash hit Ne Zha 2

World’s second-largest movie market sees domestic films capture nearly 80 per cent of sales, while Disney’s Zootopia sequel sets new high for imported titles.

China travel

China’s service sector shines as holidaymakers eye bespoke adventures with pets

While broader consumption remains soft, demand for personalised itineraries and snow sports is growing, offering a boost to the holiday economy.

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China economy

Opinion | Key lessons from China’s ascent over the past 25 years

The country’s rise was shaped less by a single turning point than by its commitment to long-term planning, meritocracy and global engagement.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China consumption

Hard work, long hours fuelled China’s rise. Now, it weighs longer breaks

China, one of the world’s hardest-working countries, is adopting incentives to increase time off – and potentially boost consumer spending.

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China's population

China eyes childcare overhaul with a law to boost births, fix demographic crisis

Proposed legislation seeks to lower child-rearing costs and standardise services, especially for children under three, to ease the burden on parents.

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Trending in China

Chinese rookie cop resembling actor Eddie Peng goes viral, attracts a million likes

Newly graduated officer with a canine partner called Fries shuns online fame, wants to focus on work, says he already has a girlfriend.

A rookie police officer in China who resembles Taiwan actor Eddie Peng has gone viral, with his video attracting more than one million likes. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote/IG@yuyanpeng
China jobs

China’s youth-unemployment rate eases to 16.9% as graduates settle for less

Job market remains plagued by a mismatch between skills and vacancies, pushing more graduates towards blue-collar jobs or gig work.

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Applicants take part in a campus job fair at the Minhang campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Photo: Xinhua
Trending in China

Opinion | How young Chinese learned to stop worrying and love themselves

Amid disillusionment and a stagnant economy, China’s young people are taking the initiative to embrace self-compassion and treat themselves well.

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US-China relations

‘A risk’: wealthy Chinese appear to shun Trump’s ‘gold card’ immigration scheme

Initial excitement fizzles amid limited benefits and security concerns, immigration agents say.

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China consumption

Not lovin’ it: Chinese fume at McDonald’s prices, costlier ‘poor man’s meal’

Fast-food giant increases menu items by 0.5 to 1 yuan, testing pricing power in a deflationary market where per-capita dining spending has been plunging.

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A woman sits on a swing attached to a giant McDonald’s logo in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
China technology

Video | Humanoid robots take centre stage at Shanghai summit

Competitions mainly focused on robotic applications in industrial assembly, home services, flower arranging, healthcare and elderly care, as well as restaurant services.

Competitions mainly focused on robotic applications in industrial assembly, home services, flower arranging, healthcare and elderly care, as well as restaurant services
China's population

China’s fertility push: IVF grants grow, but high costs still deter couples

Local governments are subsidising a portion of expensive treatments, but experts warn that cash handouts will not fix the economic pressure of raising a family.

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China's ageing population

Editorial | Silver lining in China’s ageing population shouldn’t be overlooked

Increase in life expectancy affirms Beijing’s commitment to boosting healthcare standards and presents economic opportunities.

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