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Left-behind children in China

Left-behind children in China
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Left-behind children in China. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
In central China, a father publicly bound his son with rope for failing school, sparking a debate on parenting styles. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

China father ties son with rope and speaks with police about his school dropout

Father travels over 1,000km from job to discipline boy, who had stopped going to school and was drinking and smoking.

Migrant workers in China

China to build migrant children database to improve welfare and services

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China's population

Chinese counties took 2 billion yuan from school meal funds to repay debt: audit

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China education

Opinion | China needs to better protect victims of school bullying

A ruling by China’s top court supporting a victim’s right to self-defence is a good step forward, but more must be done to support students.

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Students leave school in China. Incidents of bullying in schools have prompted calls for stronger laws. Photo: Shutterstock
China society

Opinion | Boy’s death a reminder of China’s neglect of ‘left-behind children’

Detention of three teens over the death of a third – all ‘left-behind children’ – should prompt national reflection on their neglect, first by the parents, then by the state.

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China economy

Opinion | China’s ‘first coffee village’ highlights potential for rural revival

In showing that rural life can be attractive and prosperous, Yunnan’s Xinzhai village is changing the narrative that rural life has to be hard, backwards and inconvenient.

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Trending in China

China boy, 6, shows off new coat from migrant worker dad, warms hearts online

A six-year-old schoolboy in China has delighted mainland social media by expressing his pride in a new coat he got from his single, migrant worker father by excitedly showing it off to his classmates and teacher.

The story of a proud and happy six-year-old boy in China who showed off a new jacket his single, migrant worker father bought for him has captivated mainland social media. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

Online donation flood as ‘mother’s love’ from teacher in China transforms shy boy

A primary school teacher in China has gone viral after she posted videos of herself treating a poor, motherless student like her own child.

China’s Communist Party

China’s top women’s affairs official vows to promote marriage and family

Shen Yiqin, state councillor and president of the All-China Women’s Federation, says women must contribute to the ‘great cause of national rejuvenation’.

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Women and gender

Opinion | Give China’s single mothers equal rights to fix flagging birth rate

Growing numbers of independent-minded Chinese women no longer see marriage as a necessary passage in life, but they might still embrace motherhood. Passing a nationwide law ensuring equal rights for single mothers would remove significant barriers to having children and be good for the country as a whole.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China economy

Opinion | China’s two-speed economy is sapping people’s desire to have children

There are insecurities from limited social welfare, hard decisions for rural migrants about where to raise a family, and the stress of competition and social pressure. In the long term, China needs a more even regional development so it can build public trust and a greater sense of security.

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A woman and child walk through a gallery at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing on February 1. Three years of Covid-19 have exacerbated the urban-rural divide and worsened income inequality. Photo: AP
Coronavirus China

Mental health crisis looms for young Chinese after 3 years of pandemic

Internet friends instead of real-life relationships, online dependence, depression and anxiety are among the pandemic effects noted by researchers.

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Trending in China

Love, courage in China: woman ‘talks’ to dead mum, girl overjoyed by dad’s return

This week in ‘love and courage in China’, we highlight stories celebrating the human spirit featuring a woman ‘texting’ with her dead mother, a small girl’s elation at dad’s surprise return and an observant man saving his neighbour’s life.

Trending in China

‘I just want mum’: plight of China’s ‘left-behind’ children in spotlight again

A distressing video of a small boy clinging to his mother as she tries to depart for her job in another city renews debate about the tens of millions of children who grow up without their parents.

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A video news story about a Chinese boy begging his mother not to work in another city has highlighted the country’s millions of left-behind children. Photo: SCMP composite
Children in China

China’s elderly want to enjoy old age, not raise next generation unless paid for it

An increasing number of grandparents are rejecting social expectations that they raise their grandchildren so they can enjoy an independent retirement.

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Many grandparents are primary caregivers for their grandchildren, but that trend may be changing. Photo: Getty Images
Migrant workers in China

Has one philosophy student changed the face of migrant workers in China?

Social media recently became enthralled by the story of a 31-year-old migrant who taught himself English, translated a philosophy book and found he could make a living without manual labour, bucking migrant stereotypes.

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Children in China

Chinese man ‘sold son and used money to go on holiday’

Police in Zhejiang province accuse the father of selling the two-year-old to a childless couple for US$24,400.

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Migrant workers

Southeast Asia mirrors China with generation of left-behind children

Many parents have come to accept separation as the price they pay for working, while places like the Philippines have come to view migrant workers as heroes.

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Khann Sophea and her daughters in 2018. Photo: Handout
Chinese language cinema

Film that shows plight of China’s ‘left-behind’ children wins praise

Documentary about a Chinese former Olympic baseball star’s efforts to secure a better future through the sport for some of the millions of ‘left-behind’ children in the country has been praised as inspirational by cinema-goers.

China education

Class debate over ‘left-behind’ child’s choice to study archaeology

Online critics say Zhong Fangrong should ignore her dreams and instead choose a more lucrative field to help her climb the social ladder.

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US-China trade war: Opinion

In US-China tussle for the best brains, Beijing must not rest easy

China’s top international test scores belie an education system constrained by rigid exams and political correctness, with very different outcomes geographically. As the US-China rivalry extends to human capital, Beijing must improve the system.

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Candidates for gaokao, the all-important university entrance examinations, relax outside an examination venue in Pingliang city, Gansu province last June. China’s education system risks breeding overtrained test takers, rather than innovative thinkers. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese language cinema

His mum revealed she was abandoned as a kid. A film was born

When filmmaker Yuchao Feng’s mother told him a secret – that she had been abandoned as a child – it gave him the idea for a short film, Pearl. Making it helped rebuild their relationship, and he hopes it can heal the wounds of other families.

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A still from Yuchao Feng’s film, Pearl.
China society

Father of China’s ‘Ice Boy’ responds to critics over poverty aid scheme

Life has improved since Wang Fuman became an internet sensation after he was pictured with his head encrusted in ice after freezing trek to school.

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China society

Are China’s grandparents reaching their limits on free childcare?

Millions of Chinese children are raised by their grandparents but some seniors are demanding compensation.

Children in China

Opinion | To tackle child sex abuse, China needs a national protection network

China’s courts have announced a zero-tolerance policy to punish offenders but more needs to be done to protect victims from fear of exposure and stigma. Setting up a national network for child protection would be a positive step.

Counsellor Wang Ling, of the Maple Women's Psychological Counselling Centre in Beijing, teaches children how to protect their bodies. Photo: Wu Nan
China society

Chinese girl, six, beaten to death while playing with cousin

Police investigation concludes that 12-year-old killed girl but he cannot face criminal charges because of his age.

The six-year-old was found dead in an abandoned home a day after she went missing. Photo: Weibo
Children in China

Police confirm body of abducted girl, 9, found in waters off eastern China

Zhang Zixin was taken from her home on the outskirts of Hangzhou on July 4 and a search had been under way for nearly a week.

China society

Chinese police race to solve missing girl mystery

A day after they promised to return the nine-year-old, the bodies of the pair were recovered from a lake in Ningbo.

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