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China society

China society
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.
The US sitcom Growing Pains revolved around the lives of the Seaver family. Photo: Warner Bros. Television
US-China relations

Growing Pains meets the ‘kill line’: a new Chinese hot take on the American dream

Internet commenters retrofit the viral metaphor to US movies and TV to highlight financial and social insecurity.

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Mainland China

Video | Paper AI robot offerings for tomb-sweeping festival

China property

Opinion | Reinflate the property sector? No, China wants an ambitious redesign

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China inflation

Video | Iran war sends Chinese costs soaring

Businesses contend with soaring energy, raw material and freight costs, while Chinese consumers queue at petrol stations amid price hike fears.

Businesses contend with soaring energy, raw material and freight costs, while Chinese consumers queue at petrol stations amid price hike fears.
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Mainland China

Opinion | Why China’s AI automation push is a risky social experiment

Without reforms to improve wages, housing access and childcare, automation could entrench a low-fertility crisis and destabilise the social contract.

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Job hunting

Video | Why is the gig economy sweeping China?

The country has over 200 million gig workers who make a living from various temporary jobs.

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Human trafficking

China’s infamous ‘Aunt Mei’ arrested after decade-long hunt for child trafficker

Police identify the woman, surnamed Xie, as the intermediary who brokered the sale of nine children in Guangdong province.

Police sketches of alleged child trafficker Aunt Mei have regularly appeared on Chinese social media since 2017, with state media calling on the public to “remember this face”. Photo: Weibo
China economy

Opinion | China’s high household savings reflect old values and new anxieties

Economic uncertainties strengthen the deep cultural instinct for thrift. Policies must address the anxieties that make saving feel necessary.

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China jobs

China’s youth unemployment falls for sixth consecutive month in February

But young job-hunters say they are still struggling to find work in a testing post-holiday labour market amid rising global economic uncertainty.

Two Sessions 2026

Editorial | China’s ethnic unity law can foster a shared sense of belonging

The law seeks to bridge ethnic divides for social stability and national development while safeguarding diversity.

Ethnic minority delegates leave after a plenary session of the National People’s Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 9. Photo: AP
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | China’s OpenClaw mania driven by fear of missing next tech gold rush

Fear of missing out and people riding new technology waves to success are familiar narratives, but how will AI agents turn potential into profits?

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People queue to have OpenClaw, an open-source AI assistant, installed on their devices, at Baidu’s headquarters in Beijing on March 11. Photo: AFP
Food and Drinks

Video | Robot goes haywire in hotpot restaurant and refuses to stop dancing

Three restaurant staffers try to restrain the robot, but are powerless to stop it.

Chinese history

As I see it | Rescuing a key Confucian text from centuries of ignominy

The release of an authoritative translation of Kongzi Jia Yu finally places a once-suspected forgery among the traditional canon.

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China consumption

Beijing urged to boost rural pensions as lawmakers fight for farmers’ fair share

Appeals highlight a long-standing lack of benefits for elderly citizens outside cities, and proposals include leveraging state assets and new taxes to bridge the vast disparity.

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An elderly Chinese farmer works a vegetable field in Anhui province. Photo: Getty Images

Video | Chinese dating app lets parents set up dates for their kids

‘Perfect In-laws’ allows parents to communicate with each other to set their kids up, often without them knowing.

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Ageing society

Being Chinese | In China, some of us are keeping elderly care in the family – for now

My extended family has taken time to reach a decision about my grandma’s daily care. As the rest of us age, I’m also preparing options.

Chinese history

Opinion | Why a TV hit in China about waging peace resonates so deeply

Swords into Ploughshares can tell us a lot about Beijing’s approach to the crisis in Iran, cross-strait relations and this year’s ‘two sessions’.

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Animal rights in China

Opinion | Quietly, steadily, animal rights campaigners are making headway in China

With national laws the ultimate goal, progress is being made, one local regulation and court case at a time.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China consumption

Boom or bust? China’s Lunar New Year spending data is in – here is what we know

Initial figures show record travel, shifting spending patterns and a weak box office.

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Sexual harassment and assault

Video | Is ‘family’ becoming a legal shield for rape in China?

More troubling concerns surface in a high-profile case involving a man who fathered children with a mentally ill woman, lawyers say.

Chinese culture

Opinion | Lunar New Year doesn’t need a home-cooked feast to be full of flavour

The most important thing isn’t if you cooked the food yourself or followed tradition to the letter – it’s being with people you care about.

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People enjoy their reunion dinner at a restaurant in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok district on February 12, ahead of the Lunar New Year. Photo: Sam Tsang
Lunar New Year

Video | Chinese tourists have a new favourite country this Lunar New Year

Arrivals by Chinese tourists to South Korea are expected to rise by 52% in February 2026.

South Korea now tops the list of Lunar New Year destinations for Chinese travellers amid heightened tensions between China and the former top destination, Japan.
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China consumption

China’s Spring Festival box office faces plot twist after 2025 smashed records

Home-grown films lead the charge but fail to meet the phenomenal success of last year’s Ne Zha 2, which attracted record-breaking crowds.

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Australia

My Take | Social media’s ‘becoming Chinese’ trend can only be a force for good

Respectful experimentation with Chinese lifestyle habits can further understanding and engagement between people of different cultures.

Mainland China

Video | Dating in China as a senior citizen

Although in their golden years, seniors remain hopeful they can find someone to spend the rest of their lives with.

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Photo: SCMP composite
China's population

Glimmer of hope? Why China’s marriage uptick could spark 2026 birth rebound

Double-digit jump in registration rate, boosted by policy and cultural tradition, offers modest upturn, but demographers are wary of weak fertility intentions.

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A couple participates in a group wedding in August, in China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Getty Images
China's ageing population

Opinion | A loneliness crisis is the price China is paying for rapid modernisation

As migrant workers head home for the Lunar New Year break, it is a good time to reflect on how the loneliness that has gripped Chinese society can be alleviated.

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Science

How old is Chinese civilisation? A scholar says it really dates back 8,000 years

Leading scholar’s argument stretches the timeline back beyond the widely accepted figure of 5,000 years.

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