https://www.scmp.com/rss/330822/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China is facing renewed calls to lower its legal marriageable ages – the oldest in the world – after its number of marriages plunged to a new low last year. But some demographers are questioning the effectiveness of allowing people to tie the knot earlier in life, as a trend of delayed marriages is expected to continue while China becomes more urbanised and its young people shy away from the high costs of raising a family. The number of Chinese people in their first marriages fell nearly 50 per... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3172427/chinas-demographic-crisis-sparks-renewed-calls-lower?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3172427/chinas-demographic-crisis-sparks-renewed-calls-lower?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Mar 2022 10:30:56 +0000 China’s first-tier cities are losing their lustre as mass lay-offs and rising costs are increasingly driving people to seek a life in secondary cities such as Chengdu and Hangzhou amid the economic headwinds facing the country. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou used to be the most glamorous cities in China, heavily coveted by young people and college graduates. Yet, the latest data shows that the populations of these cities have either declined or stagnated. In 2021, the number of residents in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3172161/chinas-biggest-cities-losing-appeal-rising-costs-and-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3172161/chinas-biggest-cities-losing-appeal-rising-costs-and-job?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Mar 2022 13:30:23 +0000 China’s decades-long urbanisation push may have reached a bottleneck, after the movement of rural residents to large cities rose by less than 1 percentage point last year for the first time in 25 years. And the downward trend looks to continue this year, experts say, as various local governments have lowered their economic growth targets, making it difficult to generate enough jobs to further support migrant workers working and living cities. The nation’s urbanisation rate of permanent residents... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3168678/chinas-urbanisation-push-could-be-bottleneck-slowest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3168678/chinas-urbanisation-push-could-be-bottleneck-slowest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Feb 2022 10:30:19 +0000 In the past couple of months, a 31-year-old migrant worker has gained notoriety in China for teaching himself English and immersing himself in philosophical studies while doing blue-collar work for more than a decade. When he was not toiling away in garment factories, warehouses and printing houses, Chen Zhi translated a version of American academic Richard Polt’s Heidegger: An Introduction – considered one of the most authoritative explorations of German philosopher Martin Heidegger’s work –... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3165371/chinas-migrant-workers-challenging-status-quo-chasing-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3165371/chinas-migrant-workers-challenging-status-quo-chasing-their?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jan 2022 08:00:23 +0000 Shanghai’s authorities have unveiled a grand plan to develop new townships out of five suburban districts to relieve the population density in the sprawling megapolis of almost 25 million people. Five new towns will be developed in the Qingpu, Fengxian, Jiading, Nanhui and Songjiang districts, where Shanghai mayor Gong Zheng had promised to build major industrial projects with high-quality public infrastructure and comprehensive transport hubs. The grand plan is already attracting early... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3129329/shanghai-looks-five-suburbs-reduce-population-density?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3129329/shanghai-looks-five-suburbs-reduce-population-density?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Apr 2021 01:45:12 +0000 Every Tuesday and Thursday, Inkstone Index features a single, illuminating number that helps you make sense of China. 3.6 percentage points: the gap between the ability for rural and urban Chinese youth to access the internet. Young people in rural China are catching up with their city counterparts when it comes to going online. About 94% of urban Chinese youth have access to the internet, compared to 90.3% of rural youth, according to the China Internet Network Information Center, a government... https://www.scmp.com/society/inkstone-index-chinas-digital-divide-between-rural-and-urban-areas/article/3086262?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/inkstone-index-chinas-digital-divide-between-rural-and-urban-areas/article/3086262?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2020 10:18:42 +0000 Satellite images provided by Planet Labs, a company operating Earth-imaging satellites, show empty sites around the world as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.scmp.com/society/what-coronavirus-pandemic-looks-space/article/3076392?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/what-coronavirus-pandemic-looks-space/article/3076392?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2020 11:17:19 +0000 By ranking fourth in the world, the megacity of Shenzhen was the highest-ranking Chinese metropolis in a new study that ranked how important a city is to the global economy.  China generally performed well in the rankings, but the list was dominated by the US.  New York City topped the chart for the third consecutive year. London took the second spot, followed by Singapore and Shenzhen. San Jose, California took fifth and Tokyo was sixth.  The report, which was produced by the Chinese Academy of... https://www.scmp.com/society/china-ranks-well-most-competitive-cities-list-us-dominates/article/3042653?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/china-ranks-well-most-competitive-cities-list-us-dominates/article/3042653?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 10:42:54 +0000 Living abroad can be a life of romance, personal growth and exciting opportunities. Or it can be a nightmare of expensive rent, culture shock and loneliness.  But if you are to take the plunge, Asian cities could be your best bets, according to a recent survey. Four of the top five of the world’s best cities for expatriates to live are in Asia, according to the survey of more than 20,000 expatriates. Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, topped the chart for the second year in a row. Malaysia’s... https://www.scmp.com/society/best-and-worst-asia-cities-expats-live-and-work/article/3040783?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/best-and-worst-asia-cities-expats-live-and-work/article/3040783?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2019 10:39:50 +0000 As a gray haze shrouded Beijing on Monday, Yu Xixi biked to an Ikea store on the edge of the Chinese capital and perched on a queen-size bed called Nesttun. She could doze off for an hour or two if she wanted. Just ask Ikea.  After years of ambivalence over what to do with the many people who nap in its stores, Ikea has effectively given a green light to the popular Chinese past-time. “We are very happy to welcome many customers to visiting our stores, for using our stores to sleep, as well,”... https://www.scmp.com/business/ikeas-china-head-says-you-can-nap-showroom/article/3024396?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/ikeas-china-head-says-you-can-nap-showroom/article/3024396?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2019 11:39:09 +0000 Behind the towering modern skyscrapers of Shanghai, some older corners of the city still remain. The Laoximen neighborhood is one of the city’s oldest. Once the location of the west gate of the former walled city, the area’s history dates back 500 years. It’s home to some of the final remaining examples of colonial buildings built when Shanghai was one of the only places in China where foreigners were permitted to trade. But urban redevelopment has steadily chipped away at Laoximen, with the... https://www.scmp.com/society/shanghais-laoximen-neighborhood-poised-be-demolished/article/3001066?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/shanghais-laoximen-neighborhood-poised-be-demolished/article/3001066?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Mar 2019 09:30:53 +0000