https://www.scmp.com/rss/322624/feed Mimi Zou is the inaugural Fangda Fellow in Chinese Commercial Law at Oxford University. She is the author of An Introduction to Chinese Contract Law. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com As a university researcher, I often work “997” – 9am to 9pm, seven days a week. Ten years ago, I left another 997 job as a junior lawyer and decided to embark on a PhD at Oxford. But I rarely question my motivation to work 997 these days, even on a paycheck that is one-third of what I received in my former corporate jobs. In the current debate on the “996” work culture in China, many have argued that companies should reduce working hours, particularly on grounds of health and safety and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/issue-chinas-996-work-culture-isnt-about-long-hours/article/3007452?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/issue-chinas-996-work-culture-isnt-about-long-hours/article/3007452?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2019 10:04:12 +0000 As a university researcher, I often work “997” – 9am to 9pm, seven days a week. Ten years ago, I left another 997 job as a junior lawyer and decided to embark on a PhD at Oxford. I rarely question my motivation to work 997 these days, even on a paycheck that is one-third of what I received in my former corporate jobs. Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, which owns the Post, is right when he said: “If you find a job you like, the 996 problem does not exist; if you’re not passionate about it, every... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3007176/chinas-996-work-culture-should-not-turn-charlie-chaplins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3007176/chinas-996-work-culture-should-not-turn-charlie-chaplins?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2019 04:30:07 +0000 When Fan Bingbing “disappeared” in July, there was much speculation about what had happened to China’s highest-paid actress. She returned to the spotlight last Wednesday when Chinese authorities announced that she has been ordered to pay nearly 884 million yuan (US$129 million) in unpaid taxes, fines, and penalties for tax-related offences. Fan is the most high-profile personality to date to be subject to the Chinese government’s crackdowns on celebrities’ earnings and tax evasion... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2167508/fan-bingbings-fall-grace-turns-spotlight-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2167508/fan-bingbings-fall-grace-turns-spotlight-far?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Oct 2018 02:00:15 +0000 It is a common question: what does China want for itself and its future? The issue following on from this, often in the same breath, is what the country thinks of the outside world and the role it might play in achieving what it wants. Non-Chinese get particularly perplexed by the latter because it relates directly to them. Lord Macartney wrote in his memoirs that when he led the first British Mission to China in 1793, he was deeply puzzled as to what the Chinese he met thought of the outside... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2165790/china-puzzle-least-australia-knows-itself-uk-hasnt-clue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2165790/china-puzzle-least-australia-knows-itself-uk-hasnt-clue?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Sep 2018 08:03:05 +0000 With some fanfare, the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong will take place on Wednesday. The “One Belt, One Road” initiative has been given significant attention by our city’s leaders. The summit will feature panels on trade, finance and infrastructure, though corporate social responsibility isn’t included. Huge potential gains of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ are worth the risks The Belt and Road aims to foster economic connectivity between China and over 60 countries in Asia, the Middle East,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1945649/china-must-set-ethical-standards-its-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1945649/china-must-set-ethical-standards-its-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 May 2016 09:09:01 +0000