https://www.scmp.com/rss/264789/feed Brian is a veteran newspaperman with two decades in the industry. Before joining the SCMP as a Beijing-based journalist in 2011, he cut his teeth on hard news and political reporting in the US, with thousands of bylines and a few awards. He is now a Political Economy editor in Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com “Lying flat” is a movement about doing nothing. And that makes it about everything. For months, the chatter surrounding lying flat, or tang ping, has permeated Chinese society, sowed discourse and become ubiquitous enough to finally warrant a public condemnation by President Xi Jinping. “It is necessary to prevent the stagnation of the social class, unblock the channels for upward social mobility, create opportunities for more people to become rich, and form an environment for improvement in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3153362/what-lying-flat-and-why-are-chinese-officials-standing-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3153362/what-lying-flat-and-why-are-chinese-officials-standing-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Oct 2021 06:00:29 +0000 What is iron ore? Iron ore is mined raw material used to make crude iron, also known as pig iron, and nearly all of it is used to make steel. Roughly 1.5 tonnes of iron ore are required to produce one tonne of steel. The higher the iron content in the ore, the higher it is graded and the more valuable it becomes. Why does China need iron ore? China consumes more iron ore than any other nation, as it is by far the world’s largest steel producer, with its output greater than all other steelmaking... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3120761/how-iron-ore-powering-chinas-infrastructure-boom-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3120761/how-iron-ore-powering-chinas-infrastructure-boom-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Feb 2021 20:30:15 +0000 How is China’s unemployment measured? The official surveyed unemployment rate for urban workers in China rose to historic levels in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, touching a nearly two-decade high of 6.2 per cent in February. Since then, the figure has gradually retreated to near pre-pandemic levels. In May 2021, the surveyed jobless rate stood at 5 per cent from 5.1 per cent in April.  Beijing has set a target of creating over 11 million new urban jobs in 2021 and a surveyed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3110193/china-unemployment-rate-how-it-measured-and-why-it-important?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3110193/china-unemployment-rate-how-it-measured-and-why-it-important?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 09:30:14 +0000 As Hong Kong turns the calendar on another month of violent unrest that has divided the city and plunged mental health to crisis levels, things are about to get really hairy. And it couldn’t have come at a mo’ meaningful time. Movember – a portmanteau of “moustache” and “November” –­­­ is once again casting a spotlight on men’s health issues by turning some of those closest to us into scruffier, more dishevelled versions of themselves. 5 restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau that are fighting... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3035916/movember-mens-health-awareness-and-hong-kong-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3035916/movember-mens-health-awareness-and-hong-kong-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 07:37:01 +0000 My beard was really put through the wringer in recent weeks. It wasn’t intentional or pleasant, but it coincided with my prep work for this companion piece to my maiden barbershop visit, so I’d be remiss to leave it out. I always have some facial hair. So, when a colleague on STYLE magazine asked me in early November if I’d like to be the bearded man in their barbershop video, I didn’t take much convincing. STYLE Edit: Slimane debuts Celine’s first menswear collection I was a barbershop virgin... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2181698/diary-barbershop-virgin-adventures-bearded-man-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2181698/diary-barbershop-virgin-adventures-bearded-man-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jan 2019 08:45:50 +0000