https://www.scmp.com/rss/328179/feed Phoebe Zhang is a senior reporter with the South China Morning Post. She has a master's degree in journalism. She likes to write human-interest stories and has written many about people living on the fringes of society. She believes there's no story or person that's too small. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Fourteen people died and dozens more were hospitalised after a fire broke out in a high-rise building in northern China on Sunday. The fire erupted at around 5pm in the Haosheng International Apartment building in Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi province, according to the Yingze district government. It was put out by around 7pm and rescue efforts ended at around 8.30pm, the authorities said. That night, 38 people were sent to hospital, among whom five died. By Monday morning, the death toll... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373750/fire-northern-china-high-rise-building-kills-14-injures-dozens-more https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373750/fire-northern-china-high-rise-building-kills-14-injures-dozens-more Mon, 09 Nov 2026 04:44:16 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Alyssa Chen Phoebe Zhang,Alyssa Chen The United States should not blame China’s rise for its own problems and should not expect that these can be solved by changing presidents, China’s longest-serving former ambassador to Washington has said. “China’s development has never aimed to replace or challenge the US – it never has. Naturally, I also hope the US can resolve its own issues and that its future development will not come at the expense of China’s interests,” Cui Tiankai, who served as ambassador to the US from 2013 to 2021,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373707/us-must-stop-blaming-china-problems-home-former-envoy-cui-tiankai https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373707/us-must-stop-blaming-china-problems-home-former-envoy-cui-tiankai Sun, 08 Nov 2026 14:30:20 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang For the first time, delivery couriers, ride-hailing drivers and influencers could become delegates to the Communist Party’s five-yearly national congress, as Beijing seeks to keep the group close to the official ideology. Guidelines on selecting delegates for the meeting, to be held in the second half of next year, were issued on Saturday. The 21st party congress is expected to bring together 2,360 delegates, according to Xinhua. They will vote to elect more than 300 full and alternate members... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373702/china-eyes-gig-workers-and-influencers-delegates-communist-party-congress https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373702/china-eyes-gig-workers-and-influencers-delegates-communist-party-congress Sun, 08 Nov 2026 12:30:19 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese lawmakers are proposing to restrict a contentious form of detention and police surveillance measure, among other changes to the country’s Criminal Procedure Law. Known as residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL), the measure was originally intended as a mild restriction of personal freedoms to lower the rate of detention and arrest. Since RSDL’s introduction in 1996 and expansion in 2012, it has become the harshest form of detention used in state security cases, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373546/china-narrow-scope-contentious-designated-location-surveillance-measure https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373546/china-narrow-scope-contentious-designated-location-surveillance-measure Sat, 07 Nov 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A Chinese court has begun hearings in a defamation case filed by authorities and institutes in Beijing and Wuhan against the US state of Missouri over accusations tied to Covid-19. In a notice on Monday, the Wuhan Intermediate People’s Court said it held a hearing on Friday and legal proceedings were continuing. The case was jointly filed on April 30, 2025 by the Wuhan government in Hubei province, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and its subordinate entity, the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV),... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373161/chinese-court-hears-us535-billion-covid-defamation-case-against-us-state-missouri https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3373161/chinese-court-hears-us535-billion-covid-defamation-case-against-us-state-missouri Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,William Zheng Phoebe Zhang,William Zheng Construction workers have been working late into the night in downtown Shenzhen as the city makes its final preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in two weeks’ time. On a weekday night, a South China Morning Post reporter saw at least 50 construction workers gathered at an intersection about 1km (just over half a mile) from the Apec venues in the central district of Futian, laying down pebbles and planting trees along the pavements. The main road that leads up to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3372880/apec-china-summit-traffic-curbs-tree-planting-shenzhens-plans-enter-final-phase https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3372880/apec-china-summit-traffic-curbs-tree-planting-shenzhens-plans-enter-final-phase Mon, 02 Nov 2026 02:00:10 +0000 William Zheng,Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang William Zheng,Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang Beijing has promoted General Zhang Shengmin, the key player in the anti-corruption campaign that has cut deep into the military’s top leadership, to its top decision-making body, the Politburo. Zhang, who was last year promoted to vice-chair of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top command body, was the military’s anti-corruption chief from 2018 until July this year, and is the top enforcer in Beijing’s fight against corruption in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). That drive left the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3372591/china-promotes-general-zhang-shengmin-politburo https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3372591/china-promotes-general-zhang-shengmin-politburo Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:48:24 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A Chinese investigative blogger who exposed telecoms fraud and other illegal activity was killed by criminals hired on social media, according to media reports, prompting calls for heavier punishment for the perpetrators. The body of Wu Kai, who used the name “Huijian” on social media and had written for years about telecoms fraud in Southeast Asia, was discovered in southern China in November 2024. His death and details of the case were revealed this week. In August 2024, Wu accused Liu Ren – a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3372403/chinese-anti-scam-blogger-killed-contractors-hired-online-silence-his-work https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3372403/chinese-anti-scam-blogger-killed-contractors-hired-online-silence-his-work Wed, 28 Oct 2026 06:30:31 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang All efforts need to be focused on search and rescue for survivors and treating the injured, President Xi Jinping instructed on Friday morning, after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed 16 and injured 65 in China’s Tibet autonomous region overnight. “The disaster-hit area is located in a high-altitude region with cold weather. It is imperative to closely monitor seismic activity and weather changes and implement rescue operations accordingly, while preventing secondary disasters,” he said,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371850/chinas-xi-jinping-orders-urgent-relief-after-tibet-earthquake-leaves-16-dead https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371850/chinas-xi-jinping-orders-urgent-relief-after-tibet-earthquake-leaves-16-dead Fri, 23 Oct 2026 02:31:49 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang There is “no way out” for corrupt officials no matter how senior they are, China’s top anti-corruption watchdog has warned following the downfall of a former big-city mayor who survived numerous previous scandals. This week, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced both the probe into Huang Qifan, the former mayor of Chongqing, and the expulsion of a senior figure in Sichuan province. On Saturday, the commission said these developments showed the party’s “unwavering... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371257/corrupt-officials-have-nowhere-hide-chinas-anti-graft-watchdog-warns https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371257/corrupt-officials-have-nowhere-hide-chinas-anti-graft-watchdog-warns Sat, 17 Oct 2026 11:00:06 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang In Shenzhen, drones are banned, shiny new hotels have opened their doors and taxi drivers are carrying devices that can translate nearly 150 languages. Since President Xi Jinping announced last year that China’s southern tech hub would host Apec meetings in November, the city has done all it can to get ready under the watchful eyes of the local, provincial and national authorities. While every Apec summit draws the world’s attention, this year’s edition is considered to be especially high-stakes... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371206/chinas-shenzhen-ready-host-xi-trump-and-putin-during-apec-summit https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371206/chinas-shenzhen-ready-host-xi-trump-and-putin-during-apec-summit Sat, 17 Oct 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The owner of a Chinese kindergarten has been jailed for life after more than 200 children were poisoned by lead in the country’s worst food safety scandal for almost two decades. A total of six people were jailed by the Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Gansu province on Friday for making or selling harmful foodstuffs. Li Huifang, owner of the Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, was handed a life sentence and fined 500,000 yuan (US$75,000), while Zhu Jinglin, the principal, was jailed for 15... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371229/chinese-kindergarten-owner-given-life-sentence-over-lead-paint-poisoning-scandal https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3371229/chinese-kindergarten-owner-given-life-sentence-over-lead-paint-poisoning-scandal Sat, 17 Oct 2026 04:10:18 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Beijing has invited White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to visit the country more often after she said in an interview that China “doesn’t even have proper toilets”. The newly appointed spokeswoman for the Trump administration made the controversial remarks in an interview on Thursday with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec, when talking about the perception around 2016 that “the gold days, the glory days of the US were over and China was on the horizon”. “I remember this very... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371184/china-invites-trump-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-visit-after-proper-toilets-slur https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371184/china-invites-trump-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-visit-after-proper-toilets-slur Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:53:29 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang As the Chinese saying goes, “Even an upright judge finds it hard to settle family matters.” Whenever Chinese TV channels air reality shows that centre on couples or parent-child relationships, controversy is guaranteed. Heated debates ensue over who is right and who is wrong. Viewers examine every facial expression in microscopic detail and overanalyse every word before arriving at their verdict. Yet, that wasn’t the case with Zhang Jiaqi after the Olympic diving medallist and her mother, Xiao... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370667/young-chinese-are-choosing-healthy-relationships-over-toxic-filial-piety https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370667/young-chinese-are-choosing-healthy-relationships-over-toxic-filial-piety Thu, 15 Oct 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Azerbaijan and three Balkan countries amid Beijing’s push to shore up its trade corridors and geopolitical influence in the regions. Wang will attend the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday “as special representative of President Xi Jinping”, according to China’s foreign ministry. Aside from Azerbaijan, Beijing’s top diplomat will visit Croatia, Montenegro and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370626/chinas-top-diplomat-visit-azerbaijan-croatia-montenegro-and-bulgaria-boost-ties https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370626/chinas-top-diplomat-visit-azerbaijan-croatia-montenegro-and-bulgaria-boost-ties Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:11:19 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Zhou Xianwang, the former mayor of Wuhan widely criticised for the initial handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption. Zhou used various positions he held between 2003 and 2025 – including party secretary of Huangshi, mayor of Wuhan and vice-governor of Hubei province – to “provide assistance to companies and individuals in contracting projects, business operations and administrative approvals”, Shangqiu Intermediate People’s Court in Henan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3370481/wuhans-covid-mayor-zhou-xianwang-jailed-14-years-corruption https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3370481/wuhans-covid-mayor-zhou-xianwang-jailed-14-years-corruption Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:00:16 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang For the first time in a decade, China has returned to the top 100 out of 145 economies in an annual global report assessing gender equality. China closed 69.9 per cent of its gender gap in 2025, rising to 96th place from 103rd the previous year and increasing 1.3 percentage points, according to the 2026 Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), an international non-profit organisation based in Switzerland. It marks the first time China has been ranked in the top 100... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3369621/china-returns-top-100-gender-parity-ranking-first-time-2016 https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3369621/china-returns-top-100-gender-parity-ranking-first-time-2016 Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China’s industry minister is set to lead Anhui province, a key semiconductor hub, in the latest personnel reshuffle within the Communist Party. Li Lecheng, 61, has served as minister of industry and information technology since April 2025. State news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday that Li had been appointed the party secretary of Anhui and a member of its standing committee, taking over both roles from Liang Yanshun. Liang, Anhui party chief since June 2024, retains his role as party... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368494/china-puts-industry-minister-charge-key-semiconductor-hub-anhui-province https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368494/china-puts-industry-minister-charge-key-semiconductor-hub-anhui-province Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:14:03 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Foreign visitors to China who choose to stay somewhere other than a hotel can now register their accommodation with the authorities online, which analysts say will make travelling to the country more convenient. China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law mandates that foreigners register their accommodation with the police within 24 hours of arrival. Those who fail to do so could be issued a warning or fined up to 2,000 yuan (US$298). This applies both to foreign visitors arriving in the country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368253/china-allows-foreign-visitors-skip-police-stations-register-stay-online https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368253/china-allows-foreign-visitors-skip-police-stations-register-stay-online Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:14:04 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Qin Weizhong, former mayor of the southern technology hub of Shenzhen, is under investigation for corruption, the country’s top watchdog has confirmed. According to a statement by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Monday, Qin is “suspected of grave disciplinary and law violations and is currently undergoing review”, which usually means a corruption probe. Qin was appointed deputy party secretary and mayor of Shenzhen in May 2021. On August 24 this year, those positions were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368269/former-shenzhen-mayor-qin-weizhong-under-graft-probe-chinas-discipline-body https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368269/former-shenzhen-mayor-qin-weizhong-under-graft-probe-chinas-discipline-body Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:41:33 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Zhang Dongdong has been fielding ever more requests for legal advice from jittery entrepreneurs, nervous government officials or their desperate relatives. They usually do not tell him the whole story, and sometimes say it happened “to a friend”, but most want to know the same thing: what to do when they are targeted by China’s corruption busters. “Some had received a tip-off that they were being investigated, some got a call from disciplinary inspectors asking them to cooperate, but in most of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368119/chinese-lawyers-offer-coaching-when-corruption-busters-come-knocking https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368119/chinese-lawyers-offer-coaching-when-corruption-busters-come-knocking Sun, 20 Sep 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang One stormy night last month, a driver surnamed He saw two tall men get out of a car in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and pull a young woman off the street and into the vehicle. During the struggle, her umbrella fell to the ground. She did not appear willing. Suspicious, He followed the vehicle and later reported the incident to local police, supplying them with footage he had recorded. Thanks to him and the police, the abducted 18-year-old was rescued from a forced marriage. According to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367606/why-women-china-are-still-risk-abduction-and-forced-marriage https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367606/why-women-china-are-still-risk-abduction-and-forced-marriage Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Beijing has urged the United States to “immediately stop all espionage activities” targeting Chinese companies, warning that it had “firm resolve and abundant means” to retaliate after a senior CIA official defended spying on China’s artificial intelligence (AI) and chip sectors. The call from China’s Ministry of Commerce comes just two weeks ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, where AI and advanced technologies – the new battleground in the US-China rivalry – are expected to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367300/china-urges-us-stop-all-spying-or-face-retaliation-slams-gangster-logic https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367300/china-urges-us-stop-all-spying-or-face-retaliation-slams-gangster-logic Sat, 12 Sep 2026 10:19:16 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang “Separatists” and the United States are putting Taiwan in greater danger, mainland China’s state broadcaster has warned, days after Washington’s de facto ambassador to the self-ruled island said it only needed to convince a potential adversary that landing forces would be very difficult. “Taiwan doesn’t need to demonstrate that it can win a war outright,” Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, said in a keynote address at the 2026 Taipei Security Dialogue on Wednesday. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3367283/us-wants-taiwan-serve-cannon-fodder-against-mainland-china-state-broadcaster-cctv https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3367283/us-wants-taiwan-serve-cannon-fodder-against-mainland-china-state-broadcaster-cctv Sat, 12 Sep 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Two laboratories in central China have been shut down for alleged surrogacy activities, an underground practice that persists despite repeated crackdowns. On Wednesday, the health bureau in Changsha, Hunan province, said six people were detained after a tip about a “laboratory that illegally uses assisted reproductive technologies”, according to state news agency Xinhua. A day earlier, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, in neighbouring Hubei province, announced that an illegal lab had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3367023/why-surrogacy-china-proving-so-difficult-ban-despite-crackdown https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3367023/why-surrogacy-china-proving-so-difficult-ban-despite-crackdown Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:56:02 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Alcott Wei Phoebe Zhang,Alcott Wei When you are denied a pay rise, when you feel anxious about your children’s education, or when you are alienated by colleagues, Chairman Mao can help. At least, that is what China’s online influencers and their hundreds of thousands of followers believe. Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Mao Zedong, founding father of the People’s Republic of China. Chinese authorities have not announced any plans to mark the date, as former state leaders are usually commemorated on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3366813/young-chinese-turn-mao-zedong-life-advice-50-years-after-his-death https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3366813/young-chinese-turn-mao-zedong-life-advice-50-years-after-his-death Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Xinlu Liang,Phoebe Zhang Xinlu Liang,Phoebe Zhang China’s top legislature has reviewed a draft law aimed at combating cross-border corruption as part of Beijing’s latest efforts to expand its anti-graft legal framework beyond its borders. On Tuesday, the draft Anti-Cross-Border Corruption Law was submitted for its first reading during the 24th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), which runs until Friday. The text of the bill is not yet available to the public. Enacting the law is a vital initiative to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3365160/chinas-anti-corruption-legal-framework-about-extend-beyond-its-borders https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3365160/chinas-anti-corruption-legal-framework-about-extend-beyond-its-borders Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:53:17 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The South China Morning Post has launched a major data project diving into President Xi Jinping’s signature anti-graft campaign. In the first part of a series accompanying the data project, Phoebe Zhang looks at how the campaign became one of the Communist Party’s most important policies. In the early years of President Xi Jinping’s first term, when graft fighters were taking down senior officials in ways that raised eyebrows, Chinese authorities constantly had to remind the public that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3365052/how-chinas-anti-corruption-fight-became-xi-jinpings-most-important-policy https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3365052/how-chinas-anti-corruption-fight-became-xi-jinpings-most-important-policy Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:00:07 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A banking veteran has been appointed the new deputy Communist Party secretary and acting mayor of the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen, just months before the city is scheduled to host a series of Apec meetings. The positions have been filled by Li Yun, who spent more than two decades working in financial institutions and has been the vice-governor of Guangdong province since March last year. As Shenzhen’s new deputy party secretary and acting mayor, Li takes over from Qin Weizhong, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3365065/banking-veteran-li-yun-fills-senior-shenzhen-posts-countdown-apec https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3365065/banking-veteran-li-yun-fills-senior-shenzhen-posts-countdown-apec Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:23:55 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The official death toll from Typhoon Maysak’s devastating floods in southern China jumped from 39 to 159 on Friday, as authorities updated the figures for the first time in six weeks. According to media briefings held in Nanning and Guigang in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, 10 people remained missing and the disaster affected more than 1.65 million people, state news agency Xinhua reported. The typhoon triggered “historically rare, large-scale and persistent heavy rainfall” in the province in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3364814/chinas-typhoon-maysak-death-toll-soars-159-region-tallies-catastrophic-losses https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3364814/chinas-typhoon-maysak-death-toll-soars-159-region-tallies-catastrophic-losses Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:12:15 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang This past week, another unlikely film went viral in Chinese cinemas. On its August 5 debut, the animated film Niu Lai, or The Arrival of the Ox, only earned 3,420 yuan (US$507) at the box office. About 10 days later, it suddenly saw a spike in viewers and generated six figures of revenue. On Saturday, its box office climbed to 717,000 yuan and reached more than 11 million yuan on Monday. Its accumulated earnings placed it in the top 10 of China’s domestic animated film box office charts for this... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364373/why-chinese-film-goers-are-flocking-movie-they-hate https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364373/why-chinese-film-goers-are-flocking-movie-they-hate Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang During a crackdown on organised crime, Zeng Jianbin, a real estate developer in Mianyang, in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for being a “gang leader”. In 2023, the Mianyang Intermediate People’s Court convicted Zeng of nine offences, including provoking trouble, illegal lending at high interest and intentional destruction of property. His sentence was particularly harsh because of the organised crime accusations. But two years later, during his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3364158/china-launches-new-gang-crackdown-lawyers-fear-wrongful-convictions https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3364158/china-launches-new-gang-crackdown-lawyers-fear-wrongful-convictions Sun, 16 Aug 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has “strongly condemned” Japanese leaders for visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and making an offering on the 81st anniversary of Japan’s announcement of surrender in World War II. Beijing said it had lodged a formal protest after Japanese defence chief Shinjiro Koizumi and others visited the shrine on Saturday. China and many other Asian countries view the site as a symbol of Japanese militarism. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not visit in person but she sent a ritual... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364135/china-blasts-japanese-officials-visit-yasukuni-shrine-wwii-anniversary https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364135/china-blasts-japanese-officials-visit-yasukuni-shrine-wwii-anniversary Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:00:48 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese police have dismantled more than 1,000 gangs and detained about 8,200 suspects, just 10 days after the country’s top security official announced a year-long campaign against organised crime. The Ministry of Public Security said on Monday that the crackdown focused on crimes that had evolved into “more covert” forms and spread rapidly online. “New types of crimes such as online predatory lending, soft-violence debt collection … coerced consumption and online harassment have become major... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363666/over-8200-detained-china-launches-year-long-crackdown-organised-crime https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363666/over-8200-detained-china-launches-year-long-crackdown-organised-crime Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:00:22 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Residents in Beijing have been warned not to go outside unless it is absolutely necessary as the capital and multiple other cities are on high alert for the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin, which is travelling north. In Beijing, a red rainstorm alert – the second highest – was issued on Monday for a number of districts, with rain expected to continue over the next three days. According to the city’s forecaster, the rain will get increasingly stronger with the most concentrated period expected to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363486/40-flights-grounded-shanghai-long-lived-typhoon-dolphin-moves-north https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363486/40-flights-grounded-shanghai-long-lived-typhoon-dolphin-moves-north Mon, 10 Aug 2026 04:29:59 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang “Women hold up half the sky.” This iconic quote attributed to Mao Zedong has been central to Beijing’s messaging about gender equality for decades. It was not just a slogan. After the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, the Communist Party passed a Marriage Law that banned arranged marriages, abolished foot-binding and encouraged women to enter education and the workplace. But the party’s stance on where women belong has shifted over the decades, according to a new study. To gauge the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363407/chinas-party-newspaper-carrying-more-stories-highlighting-womens-role-mothers https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363407/chinas-party-newspaper-carrying-more-stories-highlighting-womens-role-mothers Sun, 09 Aug 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Ferry routes have been suspended, construction halted, fishermen evacuated and drones deployed to patrol over the sea as China’s coastal provinces prepare for the landfall of Typhoon Dolphin, the fourth typhoon to hit the country this summer. As of Friday morning, Dolphin was about 820km (510 miles) from China’s east coast, the National Meteorological Centre said. It is forecast to make landfall between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces sometime from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning. The centre... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363262/13-times-size-zhejiang-china-deploys-drones-ai-typhoon-dolphin-nears-coast https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363262/13-times-size-zhejiang-china-deploys-drones-ai-typhoon-dolphin-nears-coast Fri, 07 Aug 2026 05:53:42 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang In just two months, Yale graduate Edward Kuperman went from being praised by Chinese state media to being bombarded by public accusations that he was a spy. It began with a June 18 article from state news agency Xinhua, in which he was described as an eager 24-year-old sinophile who made the unconventional choice of spurning China’s eastern metropolises to live in Dunhuang, an oasis in the country’s northwestern Gansu province. His interest in China started with a Chinese language class in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363174/why-was-us-yale-graduate-hounded-out-his-job-promoting-chinese-culture https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3363174/why-was-us-yale-graduate-hounded-out-his-job-promoting-chinese-culture Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:06:04 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang International students once saw US colleges as a gateway to a world-class education and career head start but shifting United States immigration policies, tightening visa conditions and high-profile ICE raids are causing them to reconsider. In the first in our series, Phoebe Zhang looks at how Chinese students are preparing for life – and safety – in America. The second instalment in our series is here. Beijing student Lulu Lu was just preparing for bed when she was startled by loud banging at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3361878/fake-ice-raids-and-kidnapping-drills-how-chinese-teens-prepare-us-college https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3361878/fake-ice-raids-and-kidnapping-drills-how-chinese-teens-prepare-us-college Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Trains were stopped, schools were halted and residents were evacuated in southern China as Typhoon Noul headed towards the coast. The National Meteorological Centre issued an orange typhoon alert – the second highest level in a four-tier system – on Saturday morning as it moved northwest across the South China Sea at a speed of 20km/h (12mph). It was expected to land somewhere between Hong Kong and Lufeng in eastern Guangdong overnight with wind speeds of up to 151km/h and then move... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3361828/rail-and-air-services-cancelled-and-schools-shut-southern-china-braces-typhoon-noul https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3361828/rail-and-air-services-cancelled-and-schools-shut-southern-china-braces-typhoon-noul Sat, 25 Jul 2026 05:20:37 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang In the past week, one regulation has forced many people in China to say goodbye to long-standing “relationships”. As of July 15, the government placed artificial intelligence (AI) companions under tight supervision. It comes as automated companions have experienced something of a boom over the past few years. According to the rules, AI-human interactions should not encourage violence or harm users’ physical and psychological well-being. Moreover, AI bots should not lure users into sharing... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361300/chinas-crackdown-ai-companions-wont-fill-emotional-void https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361300/chinas-crackdown-ai-companions-wont-fill-emotional-void Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang With four months to go until it hosts the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is already tightening its security, banning travellers on the subway from carrying perfume and imposing a no-fly zone for drones. In a notice on Sunday, the city government said subway passengers would be scanned and their carry-on items would be X-rayed to “completely ensure travel safety”. In addition to items such as explosives that have long been banned on the system, passengers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3361329/perfume-ban-no-fly-zone-apec-summit-looms-shenzhen-ramping-security https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3361329/perfume-ban-no-fly-zone-apec-summit-looms-shenzhen-ramping-security Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:07:47 +0000 Jane Cai,Phoebe Zhang Jane Cai,Phoebe Zhang Chinese social media users reacted with mockery, scepticism and concern after US President Donald Trump accused Beijing of meddling in US elections in a prime-time address. In his speech on Thursday evening Washington time, Trump focused heavily on US election security and made explosive claims about China, accusing Beijing of orchestrating the “largest compromise of election data in history” and declaring an end to complacency in the face of “Chinese interference”. He alleged that China had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360935/let-them-fight-chinese-social-media-reacts-trumps-election-interference-claims https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360935/let-them-fight-chinese-social-media-reacts-trumps-election-interference-claims Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:25 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Every year, summer rains cause flooding in China. They also bring high-stakes work for officials. Once an evacuation order goes out, local governments have long checked on families by calling them on the phone. Xie Yunshi, an official in the suburbs of the Chinese capital, told Beijing Daily that when waters rose in the past, his department would organise a dozen people to call every single family, sometimes at midnight. But this year, Xie spent the price of a latte to solve this problem. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360650/after-floods-kill-dozens-local-chinese-official-uses-ai-build-evacuation-app https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360650/after-floods-kill-dozens-local-chinese-official-uses-ai-build-evacuation-app Thu, 16 Jul 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Chinese forecasters warned that more extreme weather was on the horizon as the country continued to battle the aftereffects of former typhoon Bavi on Wednesday. Jilin province in the northeast issued an emergency alert on Tuesday night for flooding of multiple rivers. Authorities called for traffic controls, cautioned residents to stay home and ordered people near the rivers to evacuate. Jilin weather authorities said that due to heavy rain, at least 10 cities in the foothills of the Changbai... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360678/china-warns-more-extreme-weather-typhoon-bavi-leaves-trail-rain-flooding https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360678/china-warns-more-extreme-weather-typhoon-bavi-leaves-trail-rain-flooding Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:36:58 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Bridges were under water, cornfields were flooded and classes and work were cancelled in northeast China as Typhoon Bavi continued to move north on Monday, prompting several local governments to issue emergency alerts. In Shenyang, capital of the northeastern province of Liaoning, all classes at junior high schools, primary schools and kindergartens were suspended for the day, along with construction work and outdoor activities, while 94 tourist attraction sites remained closed. Roads were also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360315/schools-and-tourist-sites-closed-typhoon-bavi-heads-through-northern-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360315/schools-and-tourist-sites-closed-typhoon-bavi-heads-through-northern-china Mon, 13 Jul 2026 03:44:25 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Caroline Lin,Alcott Wei Phoebe Zhang,Caroline Lin,Alcott Wei Flights have been cancelled and airlines are offering refunds in at least 10 airports, as a weakened Typhoon Bavi nears China’s coast, where it is expected to land between Fuqing in Fujian province and Wenling in Zhejiang. Zhoushan’s airport said in a social media post that 14 flights to and from the island city in Zhejiang province were cancelled for Friday. In Wenzhou, 17 inbound flights have been cancelled. Multiple airlines – including Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360056/flights-disrupted-ex-super-typhoon-bavi-continues-towards-chinas-coast https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3360056/flights-disrupted-ex-super-typhoon-bavi-continues-towards-chinas-coast Fri, 10 Jul 2026 02:56:35 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Caroline Lin Phoebe Zhang,Caroline Lin Worried residents in China are preparing for Super Typhoon Bavi to land, stocking up on supplies and rethinking travel plans. Satellite imagery from China’s official weather forecaster shows Bavi covering nearly 940,000 sq km (363,000 square miles) – an area about nine times the size of the eastern province of Zhejiang or 850 times that of Hong Kong. Hui Xinyi, a high school English tutor in the Zhejiang capital of Hangzhou, is among those constantly refreshing weather apps and scrolling through... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3359921/lions-dead-zebras-run-floodwaters-devastate-zoo-southern-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3359921/lions-dead-zebras-run-floodwaters-devastate-zoo-southern-china Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:53:39 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Emergency shelters are stocking up on supplies, weather forecasters are gearing up for rolling alerts and rescue teams are on 24-hour call, with Super Typhoon Bavi expected to land on China’s eastern coast between Saturday night and Sunday morning. In a statement on Tuesday evening, the government of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, said all departments should be “highly alert” and prepared for the worst. It called for officials to review past cases, including Typhoon Lekima, which killed 66 people... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3359787/woodworkers-buried-landslide-death-toll-rises-21-weather-ravaged-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3359787/woodworkers-buried-landslide-death-toll-rises-21-weather-ravaged-china Wed, 08 Jul 2026 01:43:18 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Landslides, floods, strong rainstorms and tornadoes have led to multiple deaths across China, with meteorologists warning the country faces “complex” disaster prevention challenges this year. The annual flood season, which officially began on July 1, would be affected by global warming and El Nino, they said. President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out” emergency rescue and relief efforts, medical treatment for the injured and resettlement for affected residents, state broadcaster CCTV reported on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3359671/8-dead-1-missing-china-tornado-days-after-warning-extreme-weather-ahead https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3359671/8-dead-1-missing-china-tornado-days-after-warning-extreme-weather-ahead Tue, 07 Jul 2026 03:23:16 +0000