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Left-behind children in China

Left-behind children in China
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Left-behind children in China. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A 10-year-old girl in China has moved many people online with a farewell note to her migrant worker parents, offering them US$120 of her lai see money to treat themselves. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

Left-behind Chinese girl’s US$120 farewell gift to migrant parents touches hearts

Thoughtful 10-year-old saves up her lai see money then hands it to migrant worker mum and dad as they prepare to leave home.

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Artificial intelligence

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

Trending in China

China father ties son with rope and speaks with police about his school dropout

Migrant workers in China

China to build migrant children database to improve welfare and services

National action plan meant to ease the plight of these children, particularly the disabled and those without guardians

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China is compiling a database of children whose parents leave their hometown for long stretches in search of work. Photo: EPA
China's population

Chinese counties took 2 billion yuan from school meal funds to repay debt: audit

More than 100 counties involved in wrongdoing, State Council audit report tracking school meal subsidies for rural students finds.

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China education

Opinion | China needs to better protect victims of school bullying

A ruling by China’s top court supporting a victim’s right to self-defence is a good step forward, but more must be done to support students.

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China society

Opinion | Boy’s death a reminder of China’s neglect of ‘left-behind children’

Detention of three teens over the death of a third – all ‘left-behind children’ – should prompt national reflection on their neglect, first by the parents, then by the state.

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Children play in the schoolyard of Chongshan Primary School in Longfu township, in southern China’s Guangxi, in 2015. Photo: AFP
China economy

Opinion | China’s ‘first coffee village’ highlights potential for rural revival

In showing that rural life can be attractive and prosperous, Yunnan’s Xinzhai village is changing the narrative that rural life has to be hard, backwards and inconvenient.

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Trending in China

China boy, 6, shows off new coat from migrant worker dad, warms hearts online

A six-year-old schoolboy in China has delighted mainland social media by expressing his pride in a new coat he got from his single, migrant worker father by excitedly showing it off to his classmates and teacher.

Trending in China

Online donation flood as ‘mother’s love’ from teacher in China transforms shy boy

A primary school teacher in China has gone viral after she posted videos of herself treating a poor, motherless student like her own child.

Maternal love shown by a teacher in China to a poor, motherless boy in her class has transformed his life, earning her praise online and garnering donations for his family. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
China’s Communist Party

China’s top women’s affairs official vows to promote marriage and family

Shen Yiqin, state councillor and president of the All-China Women’s Federation, says women must contribute to the ‘great cause of national rejuvenation’.

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Chinese state councillor and president of the All-China Women’s Federation Shen Yiqin has called for greater effort to eliminate gender discrimination and domestic violence. Photo: Reuters
Women and gender

Opinion | Give China’s single mothers equal rights to fix flagging birth rate

Growing numbers of independent-minded Chinese women no longer see marriage as a necessary passage in life, but they might still embrace motherhood. Passing a nationwide law ensuring equal rights for single mothers would remove significant barriers to having children and be good for the country as a whole.

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China economy

Opinion | China’s two-speed economy is sapping people’s desire to have children

There are insecurities from limited social welfare, hard decisions for rural migrants about where to raise a family, and the stress of competition and social pressure. In the long term, China needs a more even regional development so it can build public trust and a greater sense of security.

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Coronavirus China

Mental health crisis looms for young Chinese after 3 years of pandemic

Internet friends instead of real-life relationships, online dependence, depression and anxiety are among the pandemic effects noted by researchers.

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Chinese students, who were already subjected to intense academic pressure before the pandemic, have had to endure long lockdowns and periods of social isolation because of their government’s strict zero-Covid measures. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

Love, courage in China: woman ‘talks’ to dead mum, girl overjoyed by dad’s return

This week in ‘love and courage in China’, we highlight stories celebrating the human spirit featuring a woman ‘texting’ with her dead mother, a small girl’s elation at dad’s surprise return and an observant man saving his neighbour’s life.

A woman ‘texts’ with her dead mother and a little girl is delighted when dad makes a surprise homecoming. Photo: SCMP composite
Trending in China

‘I just want mum’: plight of China’s ‘left-behind’ children in spotlight again

A distressing video of a small boy clinging to his mother as she tries to depart for her job in another city renews debate about the tens of millions of children who grow up without their parents.

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Children in China

China’s elderly want to enjoy old age, not raise next generation unless paid for it

An increasing number of grandparents are rejecting social expectations that they raise their grandchildren so they can enjoy an independent retirement.

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Migrant workers in China

Has one philosophy student changed the face of migrant workers in China?

Social media recently became enthralled by the story of a 31-year-old migrant who taught himself English, translated a philosophy book and found he could make a living without manual labour, bucking migrant stereotypes.

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After a migrant worker translated a difficult philosophy book into Chinese, it sparked discussions and debates across various social classes. Image: Sohu
Children in China

Chinese man ‘sold son and used money to go on holiday’

Police in Zhejiang province accuse the father of selling the two-year-old to a childless couple for US$24,400.

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Migrant workers

Southeast Asia mirrors China with generation of left-behind children

Many parents have come to accept separation as the price they pay for working, while places like the Philippines have come to view migrant workers as heroes.

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Chinese language cinema

Film that shows plight of China’s ‘left-behind’ children wins praise

Documentary about a Chinese former Olympic baseball star’s efforts to secure a better future through the sport for some of the millions of ‘left-behind’ children in the country has been praised as inspirational by cinema-goers.

Ma Hu appears in Tough Out.
China education

Class debate over ‘left-behind’ child’s choice to study archaeology

Online critics say Zhong Fangrong should ignore her dreams and instead choose a more lucrative field to help her climb the social ladder.

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Zhong Fangrong scored 676 out of 750 on her college entrance exam and has been admitted to Peking University. She wants to study archaeology. Photo: Weibo
US-China trade war: Opinion

In US-China tussle for the best brains, Beijing must not rest easy

China’s top international test scores belie an education system constrained by rigid exams and political correctness, with very different outcomes geographically. As the US-China rivalry extends to human capital, Beijing must improve the system.

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Chinese language cinema

His mum revealed she was abandoned as a kid. A film was born

When filmmaker Yuchao Feng’s mother told him a secret – that she had been abandoned as a child – it gave him the idea for a short film, Pearl. Making it helped rebuild their relationship, and he hopes it can heal the wounds of other families.

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China society

Father of China’s ‘Ice Boy’ responds to critics over poverty aid scheme

Life has improved since Wang Fuman became an internet sensation after he was pictured with his head encrusted in ice after freezing trek to school.

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Nine-year-old Wang Fuman’s family has now moved from their mud hut to a two-storey home. Photo: AFP
China society

Are China’s grandparents reaching their limits on free childcare?

Millions of Chinese children are raised by their grandparents but some seniors are demanding compensation.

For generations in China grandparents have provided childcare, but some are no longer willing to do so for free. Photo: Shutterstock
Children in China

Opinion | To tackle child sex abuse, China needs a national protection network

China’s courts have announced a zero-tolerance policy to punish offenders but more needs to be done to protect victims from fear of exposure and stigma. Setting up a national network for child protection would be a positive step.

China society

Chinese girl, six, beaten to death while playing with cousin

Police investigation concludes that 12-year-old killed girl but he cannot face criminal charges because of his age.

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