https://www.scmp.com/rss/320461/feed 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. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang For years, China’s embattled real estate sector has been framed as a terminal drag on the economy – a deflating bubble that policymakers are unwilling to rescue but unable to ignore. That framing misses what is happening. The absence of a large bailout is not so much a sign of the leadership’s indifference as a deliberate choice. It points to something more consequential than short-term market stabilisation: a systemic effort to redesign the sector’s role in the macroeconomy. The old development... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347891/reinflate-property-sector-no-china-wants-ambitious-redesign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347891/reinflate-property-sector-no-china-wants-ambitious-redesign?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Emma Zang Emma Zang China is betting artificial intelligence will solve its labour shortage, as policymakers ramp up a nationwide push to deploy AI and robotics across the economy. But it may be worsening a different problem: the erosion of stable jobs for young workers. China’s push has accelerated investment in industrial automation, installing more than half of the world’s robots in 2024 alone and doubling down on AI-enabled production. The strategy is presented as a necessary response to the demographic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347386/why-chinas-ai-automation-push-risky-social-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347386/why-chinas-ai-automation-push-risky-social-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai A shadowy go-between known as “Aunt Mei” allegedly involved in a notorious child trafficking case has been arrested, according to police in southern China. Police in the city of Guangzhou said the woman, surnamed Xie, had been identified last year, and the case was still under investigation, state media reported on Saturday. The reports did not specify when the arrest was made. For years, police were aware an intermediary had been involved in the trafficking case, but Aunt Mei remained at large... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347429/chinas-infamous-aunt-mei-arrested-after-decade-long-hunt-child-trafficker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347429/chinas-infamous-aunt-mei-arrested-after-decade-long-hunt-child-trafficker?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:16:58 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang My grandmother kept her banknotes under the mattress. Even after savings accounts became common and the money my siblings and I gave her began to accumulate, she still preferred to hide cash away at home. She loved saving and hated spending. I thought of her when China’s leaders again emphasised the need to boost domestic consumption at this year’s “two sessions” meetings. With exports facing geopolitical headwinds and the property sector struggling, policymakers hope households will become a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346765/chinas-high-household-savings-reflect-old-values-and-new-anxieties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346765/chinas-high-household-savings-reflect-old-values-and-new-anxieties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s urban youth unemployment rate fell in February for the sixth consecutive month, though the marginal improvement provides little reprieve for jobseekers in a challenging post-holiday labour market. The jobless rate for the 16-to-24 age group, excluding students, edged down to 16.1 per cent in February from 16.3 per cent in January, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. The figure has been gradually declining since August, when a record 12.2 million... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346838/chinas-youth-unemployment-falls-sixth-consecutive-month-february?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346838/chinas-youth-unemployment-falls-sixth-consecutive-month-february?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:57:31 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial To many unfamiliar with Chinese civilisation and history, China seems defined by uniformity rather than diversity. But the truth is that the nation is home to 56 officially recognised ethnic groups spanning vast geographic, social and economic areas. The recent passage of a new national law seeking to promote unity and progress among ethnic groups is a sensible step. With a preamble and more than 60 articles across seven chapters, the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress codifies President... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3346967/chinas-ethnic-unity-law-can-foster-shared-sense-belonging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3346967/chinas-ethnic-unity-law-can-foster-shared-sense-belonging?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The first night I installed OpenClaw on my laptop, I didn’t dare give it much authorisation. From numerous news reports and warnings, I knew that if it made a mistake, there could be serious consequences, like exposing my bank account password, deleting files or sending an offensive message to my boss. I only asked it to do some research, visit a few media websites, find China-centred topics over the past few months and list them, watch some videos and summarise the content for me. It had the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346830/chinas-openclaw-mania-driven-fear-missing-next-tech-gold-rush?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346830/chinas-openclaw-mania-driven-fear-missing-next-tech-gold-rush?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:30:12 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo From around the turn of the century, a revived Confucianism was all the rage. Mainland Chinese academia heavily promoted it. Beijing politicised it as compatible with communist ideology. For state propaganda departments, Confucianism was repackaged as a cultural product for foreign consumption. That wave of interest subsequently died down, along with the closure of many Confucian Institutes around the world. So why study Confucius today? Well, why read any great philosopher? But there is a more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346837/rescuing-key-confucian-text-centuries-ignominy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346837/rescuing-key-confucian-text-centuries-ignominy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Some Chinese lawmakers and advisers are pushing to secure higher pensions for elderly farmers, underscoring the persistent income disparity between the country’s urban and rural residents. The latest government work report, approved on Thursday, confirmed a 20-yuan (US$2.91) monthly increase to basic pension payments for a third consecutive year, bringing the national minimum to 163 yuan. However, some deputies from China’s top legislature contend that this level is inadequate. “A pension of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346368/chinas-rural-pensions-focus-lawmakers-fight-farmers-fair-share-amid-income-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346368/chinas-rural-pensions-focus-lawmakers-fight-farmers-fair-share-amid-income-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Ren Yan Ren Yan My grandma, now in her 90s, has long held together an extended family including four children and six grandchildren. As a Chinese saying goes, “Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure.” While my aunt, father and two uncles all live near her in the same city in northern China, my generation has ventured out to different places. Yet no matter where we have settled, no trip home is complete without a visit to Grandma. When I first moved to Beijing, I had to travel about five hours... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345599/china-some-us-are-keeping-elderly-care-family-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345599/china-some-us-are-keeping-elderly-care-family-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan As the world watches in horror at death raining from the skies in the Middle East, millions of Chinese are glued to the television watching a turbulent drama that unfolded in their own country, albeit some eleven centuries ago. Swords into Ploughshares, a historical TV drama set during the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, has emerged as an unexpected smash hit coming into China’s festive season. Yet it is more than just a television phenomenon. In some ways, it sheds light on the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345366/what-historical-smash-hit-tells-us-about-chinas-strategic-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345366/what-historical-smash-hit-tells-us-about-chinas-strategic-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:41:52 +0000 Ying Xia Ying Xia Public awareness of animal welfare on the Chinese mainland is at an all-time high. The country now has the world’s second-largest pet population, estimated at 430 million in 2024 and growing strongly. The cultural shift was on full display last year when the justice ministry solicited public feedback on its legislative plans. In a massive show of support, an online survey pushing for anti-cruelty legislation attracted over 4.2 million votes, with 96 per cent voting in favour. Yet despite rising... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344884/quiet-revolution-animal-rights-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344884/quiet-revolution-animal-rights-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Consumer spending during China’s Lunar New Year rose modestly this year, according to early official data, as authorities extended the holiday and stepped up stimulus measures to support domestic demand. Average daily sales at major retail and catering firms rose 8.6 per cent year on year over the first four days of the break, Ministry of Commerce data showed. Across 78 pedestrian shopping streets and commercial districts monitored by the ministry, foot traffic and sales revenue grew 4.5 per... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344352/chinas-lunar-new-year-sees-modest-rise-consumer-spending-early-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344352/chinas-lunar-new-year-sees-modest-rise-consumer-spending-early-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:00:51 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang I remember when I was four or five years old, my great-grandmother would get busy days ahead of Lunar New Year. She would clean the house, pickle vegetables in an enormous jar and start pre-cooking dishes for the New Year’s Eve family meal. One star of the night, called “lion’s head”, is steamed minced pork meat balls that take days to make. My great-grandmother would go to the market ahead of time and pick out pork belly that was the right balance of lean and fat meat, carefully chopping the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343871/why-lunar-new-year-celebrations-are-about-people-not-process?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343871/why-lunar-new-year-celebrations-are-about-people-not-process?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 01:30:08 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China’s box office presales topped 200 million yuan (US$28.9 million) by Saturday ahead of the coming Lunar New Year holiday, led exclusively by domestic productions – a decline of more than 60 per cent from about 600 million yuan over the same period last year, according to Taopiaopiao, the online ticketing arm of Alibaba Pictures. Presales are closely watched by distributors and investors as an early indicator of holiday audience demand. Long seen as a crucial pillar of China’s film market,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342186/chinas-box-office-presales-fall-over-60-last-year-crucial-lunar-new-year-window?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342186/chinas-box-office-presales-fall-over-60-last-year-crucial-lunar-new-year-window?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Lunar New Year, widely celebrated around the world, has long provided an opportunity for people unfamiliar with Chinese culture to engage with its festive traditions. The arrival of the Year of the Horse will be marked not only in Hong Kong, mainland China and other parts of Asia, but in cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Paris and Sydney. It is a global celebration enjoyed by Chinese communities and increasingly by non-Chinese participants at new year parades and related events.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3343595/social-medias-becoming-chinese-trend-can-only-be-force-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3343595/social-medias-becoming-chinese-trend-can-only-be-force-good?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:15:07 +0000 Crystal Wu Crystal Wu While dating apps have become a popular way for many single people to meet potential partners, some senior citizens in China are using a different approach. They converge in an area of Lotus Mountain in the southern province of Guangdong and put up posters of themselves. The place known as “matchmaking corner” is where elderly people try to arrange dates with others in hopes of finding someone to share their golden years with. https://www.scmp.com/culture/article/3343449/only-01-chance-elderly-chinese-look-love-shenzhens-matchmaking-corner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/article/3343449/only-01-chance-elderly-chinese-look-love-shenzhens-matchmaking-corner?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:01:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s marriage registrations edged up in 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for the birth outlook this year, but analysts caution that deeper demographic headwinds remain entrenched and difficult to reverse without broader policy support. China recorded 6.76 million marriage registrations nationwide in 2025, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, marking a 10.8 per cent increase from a year earlier, or 657,000 more couples. The number of marriage registrations is closely watched in China,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343330/chinas-marriage-rebound-will-more-2025-knots-bring-more-baby-bumps-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343330/chinas-marriage-rebound-will-more-2025-knots-bring-more-baby-bumps-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok As the Year of the Snake ends, more than 9 billion passenger journeys will unfold during China’s Spring Festival travel period, the greatest annual human migration on Earth. For some, these are the only few weeks in the year when families are together. For many, this is a period when they can find temporary relief from loneliness – from the striving and adjusting, even if not yet assimilating, in the cities where they work, far from their hometowns. The lucky ones, who can make ends meet and are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342802/loneliness-crisis-price-china-paying-rapid-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342802/loneliness-crisis-price-china-paying-rapid-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:01:15 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng A noted archaeologist is challenging conventional wisdom on one of the world’s oldest cultures, arguing that Chinese civilisation has a recorded history stretching back 8,000 years – three millennia beyond the widely accepted benchmark. An article published late last year on the official portal Chinese Social Sciences Net made the bold new claim that the emergence of astronomy should be seen as the starting point of Chinese civilisation. The author was Feng Shi, a member of the Chinese Academy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342760/how-old-chinese-civilisation-archaeologist-argues-it-really-dates-back-8000-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342760/how-old-chinese-civilisation-archaeologist-argues-it-really-dates-back-8000-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee For Choi Yu-jin, a 31-year-old Seoul-based fashion designer, the perfect getaway requires three elements: value, spotless streetscapes and unforgettable flavours. And Shanghai, she says, delivers on all counts. Three visits since 2024, with a fourth planned for April, are testament to a city that is increasingly capturing the imagination – and wallets – of South Korean travellers, buoyed by visa-free access and a burgeoning reputation for cosmopolitan appeal. “Restaurants and streets were... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341851/chinas-visa-free-waivers-spark-korean-travel-boom-underpin-tourism-revival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341851/chinas-visa-free-waivers-spark-korean-travel-boom-underpin-tourism-revival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:30:07 +0000 Emily Chan Emily Chan Li Xia suffers from an incurable genetic disease that has left him paralysed from the neck down. Yet the 36-year-old has overcome the odds by setting up a mini farm that he cultivates from inside his home in China. https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3341881/quadriplegic-man-china-runs-smart-farm-just-1-finger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3341881/quadriplegic-man-china-runs-smart-farm-just-1-finger?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:15:10 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Recently released data shows that fewer than 8 million babies were born in China in 2025. While this figure has alarmed many observers, I am convinced that a shrinking population – especially fewer newborns – is not necessarily a negative outcome for China’s long-term social and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3341240/fewer-newborns-china-may-point-more-humane-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3341240/fewer-newborns-china-may-point-more-humane-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun As the number of people living alone in China skyrockets, a wave of products and services is emerging to address the safety, social and mental health needs of the country’s solo-living population, analysts said. The issue was thrust into the public spotlight earlier this month, when a check-in app called Are You Dead? – or Sileme in Chinese – briefly surged to the top of paid app charts in mainland China and several other markets, revealing the scale of China’s vast and rapidly expanding solo... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341009/solo-dining-safety-apps-chinas-loneliness-economy-booming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341009/solo-dining-safety-apps-chinas-loneliness-economy-booming?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 03:00:13 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun From ice castles in Harbin to ski resorts in Xinjiang and glaciers in Sichuan, China’s ice and snow destinations are seeing a sharp rise in foreign arrivals as the winter weather deepens, with visa rules easing and strong Southeast Asian demand driving triple-digit growth in inbound travel. Inbound bookings to China’s winter destinations have climbed close to 100 per cent year on year this season, with growth in Hebei province, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Inner Mongolia... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339834/foreigners-flock-chinas-ice-and-snow-attractions-130-inbound-tourism-spike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339834/foreigners-flock-chinas-ice-and-snow-attractions-130-inbound-tourism-spike?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Kandy Wong,Alice Li Kandy Wong,Alice Li China’s youth unemployment rate fell slightly in December for the fourth consecutive month, though competition for jobs remains intense as policymakers confront deflationary pressures and a labour market marked by a growing mismatch between skills and vacancies. The jobless rate for those aged 16 to 24, excluding students, fell to 16.5 per cent last month from 16.9 per cent in November, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. That figure has eased since... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340807/chinas-youth-unemployment-rate-falls-slightly-december-beijing-pledges-more-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340807/chinas-youth-unemployment-rate-falls-slightly-december-beijing-pledges-more-support?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:09:20 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang For 11 years after graduating from high school, a 28-year-old woman from a village in Lushan county in the central Chinese province of Henan had fought against pressure from her parents to get married. By her own account, the woman, locally reported as Wei and a history teacher at Lushan’s top high school, had quarrelled, “gone crazy” and even made threats with a knife. Her fight ended on December 10, when she wrote her last post on WeChat and jumped from the seventh floor of what was to be her... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340590/china-pressure-women-marry-deadly-serious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340590/china-pressure-women-marry-deadly-serious?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu As China struggles to boost consumer spending, a professor at one of the country’s top universities has argued that authorities first need to overcome a psychological barrier: a deep-seated “luxury-phobia” that has taken hold among the Chinese public. The suggestion by Su Jian, a professor at Peking University, comes amid a debate in Chinese policy circles about how to revive the country’s sluggish demand, with retail sales slowing despite government efforts to rebalance the economy towards a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340525/chinas-consumers-refuse-open-their-wallets-luxury-phobia-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340525/chinas-consumers-refuse-open-their-wallets-luxury-phobia-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 07:00:33 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s birth count plummeted to a record low last year, falling by about 10 million from its 2016 peak and slashing the total by more than half in less than a decade, as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year. Only 7.92 million babies were born in 2025, down 17 per cent from 9.54 million in 2024, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. This marked the lowest birth figure since records began in 1949 and broke the previous record low set... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340398/chinas-demographic-alarms-blare-births-hit-historic-low-and-population-shrinks-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340398/chinas-demographic-alarms-blare-births-hit-historic-low-and-population-shrinks-again?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:09:40 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Researchers at Tencent Holdings are looking to collaborate with other major artificial intelligence developers to improve how most generative AI services, such as chatbots, interact with the elderly, left-behind children and other vulnerable users in society. Specialised data sets can make AI services more helpful to vulnerable users who have become progressively reliant on them for emotional support and health assistance, according to Lu Shiyu, a senior researcher at Tencent Research Institute... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3340171/tencent-seeks-collaboration-other-major-ai-developers-improve-tech-vulnerable-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3340171/tencent-seeks-collaboration-other-major-ai-developers-improve-tech-vulnerable-users?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 06:00:17 +0000 Jane Cai,Bob Zhao Jane Cai,Bob Zhao For 26-year-old Tianjin office worker Celine Wang, it is an extra cup of milk tea. “One for me and the other for lao ji,” she said, placing the double order on a workday afternoon in January. “After going through all the difficulties from trying to be the best performer at school to surviving at my workplace, I feel tired. “I’ve decided to treat myself well … ai ni lao ji,” she said, using a buzzword that took off in the gaming world and has become a mantra for personal wellness in China. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340250/love-yourself-young-chinas-new-wellness-mantra-cope-rat-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340250/love-yourself-young-chinas-new-wellness-mantra-cope-rat-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 10:00:15 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell More than 2,300 years ago, Aristotle mused in Politics that to live alone, a man must be a god or a beast, or words to that effect. I wonder what he would have thought of the popularity of China’s “Are You Dead?” app. For Aristotle, we are social animals, thriving in the “polis” in the company of family, friends and fellow citizens. The average mother had at least five children. Many homes housed three, even four, generations. Family life was noisy and crowded, full of companionship, contest and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340039/families-shrink-our-primary-relationship-increasingly-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340039/families-shrink-our-primary-relationship-increasingly-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China has ramped up audits involving online influencers and high-wage earners, as part of broader efforts to expand tax revenue and refine the taxation system. The State Taxation Administration on Wednesday spotlighted two fresh cases involving influencers in the centrally administered city of Chongqing and in Gansu province. In Chongqing, authorities ordered an influencer surnamed Peng – who has 30 million followers and works in online video production and commercial advertising – to pay 4.15... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340007/china-targets-wealthy-influencers-audits-fines-fiscal-pressures-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340007/china-targets-wealthy-influencers-audits-fines-fiscal-pressures-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang “Rural heating problems in Hebei cannot wait any longer” declared a recent report in Farmers’ Daily. It described a disturbing reality in parts of northern China: elderly villagers who would rather shiver through freezing temperatures than turn on their heaters, because they simply cannot afford the cost. For many urban readers, this may sound implausible. For millions of rural elderly, it is routine. On the surface, the problem appears to be a side effect of China’s well-intentioned... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339618/without-pension-reform-china-leaving-its-rural-elderly-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339618/without-pension-reform-china-leaving-its-rural-elderly-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Chen Hong Chen Hong In a premium supermarket in Shanghai one recent weekend, 33-year-old information technology specialist Zhao Wenyu paused in front of the health food aisle, comparing protein content and ingredient lists on imported granola and organic milk – rather than checking discounts. Zhao now spends around 3,000 yuan (US$420) a month on organic food, nutritional supplements and functional beverages, up from about 1,200 yuan three years ago. “I don’t mind paying more if I am satisfied with the product’s... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339394/changing-tastes-chinas-new-affluent-consumers-seek-quality-not-extravagance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339394/changing-tastes-chinas-new-affluent-consumers-seek-quality-not-extravagance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 03:30:13 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Horse approaches, distiller Kweichow Moutai has released a limited promotional line of its baijiu sorghum liquor commemorating the occasion as it seeks to bounce back from a prolonged sales slump – a marketing strategy being adopted by several brands in China as they look to give their revenues a festive boost. On Tuesday, Moutai launched three limited Year of the Horse editions priced between 1,899 yuan and 3,789 yuan (US$272 to US$542) a bottle. The company... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339334/horse-power-chinese-brands-look-boost-sales-lunar-new-year-items?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339334/horse-power-chinese-brands-look-boost-sales-lunar-new-year-items?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Chenfei Zhu Chenfei Zhu For two weeks recently, most of my evenings were spent in Douyin’s live-stream section. On Douyin, TikTok’s sibling platform in China, shopping, entertainment and conversation blur into an endlessly scrollable feed. The most prominent virtual rooms here are for shopping: live-streaming hosts talking at high speed, shouting out discounts. Then come the talent rooms, where people sing, dance, play the guitar or do anything that might keep you there for a few seconds longer. As I watched, more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339188/where-do-lonely-hearts-china-go-now-late-night-live-streams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339188/where-do-lonely-hearts-china-go-now-late-night-live-streams?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei As 2026 dawns, China has signalled a renewed crusade: persuading its citizens to spend more, for their own benefit and for the country’s. Yet history offers a cautionary tale. China’s leaders have long harboured an ambivalent relationship with consumption as a growth engine, instead favouring production and investment. This time, though, the signals suggest a deeper resolve. The gravity of this pivot is underscored by Qiushi, the Communist Party’s flagship publication, which last month published... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338496/why-china-still-struggling-invest-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338496/why-china-still-struggling-invest-people?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s box office revenue jumped nearly 22 per cent in 2025, driven by a record-breaking domestic animated hit that helped the market rebound from a soft patch. Total ticket sales reached 51.8 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion), the second-highest level in five years, according to data released by the China Film Administration on Thursday. While surpassing 2024’s haul, last year’s total trailed the 54.92 billion yuan recorded in 2023. Local films continued to dominate the world’s second-largest... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338521/chinas-box-office-22-2025-us74-billion-led-record-breaking-ne-zha-2?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338521/chinas-box-office-22-2025-us74-billion-led-record-breaking-ne-zha-2?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 09:30:12 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu More Chinese travellers are pivoting from mass-market sightseeing to bespoke adventures to ring in the new year, fuelling a surge in demand for pet-friendly itineraries and winter excursions as service consumption defies a broader economic gloom. “Tailored travel is gaining traction,” online travel platform Fliggy said in a December 23 statement, citing a shift towards immersive “experiences that go beyond sightseeing”, favouring more memorable moments and personalisation. In particular,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338357/chinas-service-sector-shines-holidaymakers-embrace-pet-travel-and-bespoke-adventures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338357/chinas-service-sector-shines-holidaymakers-embrace-pet-travel-and-bespoke-adventures?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:00:22 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao Few developments over the past quarter century have been as consequential or widely debated as China’s ascent to global prominence as the vanguard of a rising Global South. To understand this change, we must look not only at outcomes but at the underlying drivers that made them possible. China’s development over the last 25 years did not occur by accident. It was not the result of any single policy. Rather, it was the cumulative product of farsighted design and vision as well as an evolving... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338103/key-lessons-chinas-ascent-over-past-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338103/key-lessons-chinas-ascent-over-past-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Mandy Zuo,Carol Yang Mandy Zuo,Carol Yang Whether in China’s urban centres or its remote rural areas, Christmas is not typically celebrated with the fanfare seen in the West. On the mainland, December 25 is not even a public holiday, with the lion’s share of enthusiasm reserved for the traditional Lunar New Year period beginning in January or February. Zhang Li, who lives in a pastoral section of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the country’s north, was no exception. But this year things have changed, thanks in part to a new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337459/hard-work-and-long-hours-fuelled-chinas-rise-now-it-mulls-benefits-longer-breaks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337459/hard-work-and-long-hours-fuelled-chinas-rise-now-it-mulls-benefits-longer-breaks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China has taken a step towards regulating the childcare industry at the national level, drafting legislation to standardise services and lower costs as policymakers fight to reverse a demographic decline that could have long-term economic ramifications. The draft Childcare Services Law was submitted on Monday to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for review, according to Xinhua. The bill, comprising eight chapters and 76 articles, aims to establish a national legal... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337317/china-eyes-childcare-overhaul-law-boost-births-fix-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337317/china-eyes-childcare-overhaul-law-boost-births-fix-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:30:14 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Shanghai police officer who looks uncannily like the famous Taiwan actor Eddie Peng Yu-yan has trended on social media. A video clip of the officer, who only joined the force quite recently, has racked up over one million likes. Officer Gu Chenhan, who is in his early 20s, patrols underground stations across Shanghai accompanied by a police dog nicknamed Fries, according to a report by Shanghai TV. Gu first attracted attention in September 2023 when, as a police university student, he was sent... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3336067/chinese-rookie-cop-resembles-taiwan-actor-eddie-peng-goes-viral-attracts-1-million-likes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3336067/chinese-rookie-cop-resembles-taiwan-actor-eddie-peng-goes-viral-attracts-1-million-likes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:00:10 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s youth-unemployment rate ticked lower in November, though competition remains fierce for university graduates trying to find work that matches their qualifications. The jobless rate for those aged 16 to 24, excluding students, fell to 16.9 per cent in November from 17.3 per cent in October, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. The rate has eased since August, when the graduation of a record 12.2 million university students over the summer pushed it... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336857/chinas-jobless-rate-young-people-eases-169-graduates-settle-less?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336857/chinas-jobless-rate-young-people-eases-169-graduates-settle-less?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 04:00:11 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang After a pandemic that swept through the world, an economic slump and record-breaking unemployment rate, young Chinese have finally learned to love themselves. The hottest recent trend on Chinese social media has got to be “love you, good old self”. At first glance, it might seem a little schizophrenic – all of a sudden, the internet appears to be full of people answering their own questions. One post says, “Old self, I needed to save money, why did you spend it all?” Underneath it, the same... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336579/how-young-chinese-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336579/how-young-chinese-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 01:30:07 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng When US President Donald Trump first proposed his “gold card” programme earlier this year, offering permanent residency to the super-rich, Beijing-based emigration consultant Jack Jing received unsolicited inquiries from seven high-net-worth families. But that initial enthusiasm quickly waned after the application details were released last week. None of his clients plan to apply in the near term, said Jing, general manager of the migration service provider WellTrend, who has decades of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3336795/wealthy-chinese-appear-shun-trumps-gold-card-immigration-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3336795/wealthy-chinese-appear-shun-trumps-gold-card-immigration-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun McDonald’s China arm has raised prices on most menu items, igniting a social media backlash as consumers grapple with job uncertainty and stagnant wages. Patrons discovered this week that prices for burgers, snacks and combos rose by up to 1 yuan (US$0.14). While modest, the increase drew attention because the chain’s budget combo has long been dubbed the “poor man’s meal” by frugal young adults. Some quipped online that “McDonald’s prices are rising, but my salary isn’t”, or that the popular... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336762/not-lovin-it-chinese-fume-mcdonalds-raised-prices-costlier-poor-mans-meal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336762/not-lovin-it-chinese-fume-mcdonalds-raised-prices-costlier-poor-mans-meal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:30:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun From cash handouts to reimbursed procedures, local governments across China are throwing money at in vitro fertilisation and related fertility treatments in a bid to coax couples into having children. But some experts warn that the hi-tech push ignores the low-tech reality: raising a family is simply too expensive, and fertility subsidies cannot reverse China’s demographic decline. Jingmen, a city in central Hubei province, is the latest to join the fray, announcing subsidies of up to 10,000... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336505/chinas-fertility-push-ivf-grants-grow-high-costs-still-deter-couples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336505/chinas-fertility-push-ivf-grants-grow-high-costs-still-deter-couples?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:30:16 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Amid concern about China’s ageing and shrinking population, a positive factor can be overlooked. Mainlanders are living longer. Average life expectancy hit a record 79 years in 2024, after achieving the goal of growing by 0.2 years annually during the 14th five-year plan. National Health Commission head Lei Haichao says that by the end of the 15th five-year plan in 2030, the country’s newborns should be expected to live an average of 80 years, in line with President Xi Jinping’s “Healthy China”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3335287/silver-lining-chinas-ageing-population-shouldnt-be-overlooked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3335287/silver-lining-chinas-ageing-population-shouldnt-be-overlooked?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:45:08 +0000