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China Briefing

China Briefing

The latest news, analysis and opinion on China Briefing. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

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Science

China unveils a powerful deep-sea cable cutter that could reset the world order

22 Mar 2025 - 12:43PM

A new device built by Chinese engineers can cut through undersea communications cables. Photo: Shutterstock

Trending in China

Shock as China building workers hung on gate by harnesses as safety training

21 Mar 2025 - 2:00PM

Three construction workers in China were hung from a gate by their harnesses as part of their safety training, sparking public shock. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

United States & Canada

United sued after pilot breaks plane toilet, pulls man out with his pants down

23 Mar 2025 - 11:51AM

A passenger has sued United Airlines after a pilot forcibly pulled him out of the plane toilet. Photo: Shutterstock

China Economy

China is prepared for bigger than expected external shocks: Premier Li Qiang

12 minutes agovideocam

Chinese Premier Li Qiang says foreign firms are indispensable to China’s development. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

China against ‘weaponisation’ of trade, open to candid talks, US senator told

22 Mar 2025 - 10:01PMvideocam

Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng greets US Senator Steve Daines ahead of their meeting at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing on March 22. Photo: AFP

Illustration: Craig Stephens

China Briefing | Xi’s Chinese dream in danger of being hijacked by ultra-left nationalism

The ultra-leftist revival threatens Xi’s plans to revive the economy and turn China into a dominant world power by 2049. It’s time to curb these ultra-nationalistic tendencies and return to pragmatic reform and development.

6 Mar 2023 - 1:00AMvideocam

China Briefing | Post veteran reflects on 26-year career, reporting on China, and Hong Kong return

29 Oct 2022 - 8:00AMvideocam

Coronavirus China

China Briefing | Guiyang’s zero-Covid tragedy evokes old mantra of putting politics in command

24 Sep 2022 - 9:00AMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

China Briefing | Is China closing its doors? Its leaders say no, but actions would speak louder

Fierce debate over a recent academic article on China’s closed-door policies of the past lays bare the unease being felt – both at home and abroad – over how long its present-day zero-Covid isolation will last.

10 Sep 2022 - 9:00AMvideocam

Open doors at The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China’s capital. Photo: Shutterstock

Coronavirus China

China Briefing | Hainan’s chaos shows the bad, ugly – and scary – of China’s Covid control nexus

My family’s Hainan holiday nightmare is more than a cautionary tale for travellers in zero-Covid China. It’s a story of local officials ignoring direct orders from Beijing – and an arbitrary, abusable health code system being used for social control.

27 Aug 2022 - 9:00AM

Coronavirus pandemic

China Briefing | China’s lockdown dramas show Beijing must learn to trust its people

If the CCP wants to continue enjoying a high degree of faith by Chinese nationals, officials need to lock up their paranoia amid the Omicron wave of Covid-19.

30 Apr 2022 - 9:30AMvideocam

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Coronavirus pandemic

China Briefing | Beijing must consider Hong Kong-style cash handouts amid economic worries

While the government has put on a brave face as economic storm clouds gather, retail and household income figures suggest the nation’s leaders are being too optimistic.

23 Apr 2022 - 9:30AMvideocam

A woman gets tested for Covid-19 at a condominium in Shanghai on April 18. Photo: Kyodo

China Briefing | Beijing stopped the panic in stock markets, but it must do more

The intervention by Chinese policymakers to calm panic is welcome but took too long, writes Wang Xiangwei.

26 Mar 2022 - 9:54AM

China Briefing | China should step forward and become a peacemaker in Ukraine

With civilian casualties increasing and the international community rallying behind Ukraine, Beijing’s verbal acrobatics can’t be sustained. It needs a new playbook, writes Wang Xiangwei.

9 Mar 2022 - 1:47PM

China Briefing | China benefits if the US pivots to Ukraine, but don’t mention Taiwan

With Putin’s moves likely to hold the West’s attention for years yet, US attempts to contain China will take the back seat and Beijing will gain room to manoeuvre.

9 Mar 2022 - 1:53PMvideocam

Russian armoured vehicles in the Rostov region, near to the border with Ukraine. Photo: EPA

Coronavirus pandemic

China Briefing | Xi’s zero-Covid message has implicit warning against HK drifting from the mainland

The irony of Hong Kong residents sneaking into the mainland to escape the virus is not lost on the Chinese internet, writes Wang Xiangwei.

19 Feb 2022 - 9:30AMvideocam

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Photo: Robert Ng

China Briefing | Is capital evil? China’s widening crackdown has the ring of a bygone era

Beijing’s warning against ‘colluding with capital’ sounds vague but is likely significant – and a sign its campaign targeting the private sector is about to widen, writes Wang Xiangwei.

29 Jan 2022 - 9:30AMvideocam

China Briefing | TV parades of China’s corrupt officials raise more questions than answers

Focusing on people like Sun Lijun or Hu Huaibang in isolation, without shining light on those around them, belies the claim that no stone is being left unturned, writes Wang Xiangwei.

22 Jan 2022 - 9:30AMvideocam

US-China relations

China Briefing | The days of ‘keeping quiet while making a fortune’ in China are numbered

The guiding philosophies of Jiang Zemin and Deng Xiaoping have been turned on their head. Nowadays firms must keep quiet while struggling to make money, writes Wang Xiangwei.

8 Jan 2022 - 9:30AM

Tesla’s showroom in Urumqi, Xinjiang. Photo: Weibo

China’s Communist Party

China Briefing | Do China’s leaders care about what foreigners say about the country?

‘China believes it is no longer the humble apprentice who used to learn from the masters in the West.’

11 Jan 2022 - 10:07PMvideocam

Jiang Zemin meets CBS anchor Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes.

China’s Communist Party

China Briefing | Why rising ultra-left nationalism is the biggest danger to China’s development

China’s clash with the United States has given leftists an opening to push for their agenda under the guise of patriotism and allegiance to communist ideals, writes Wang Xiangwei.

4 Dec 2021 - 9:30AMvideocam

China Briefing | China shouldn’t cancel its Piano Prince over one night with a sex worker

The British actor was humiliated when he was caught in Los Angeles with a sex worker known as ‘Divine Brown’. Yet he still went on to make the romantic blockbuster Notting Hill.

30 Oct 2021 - 9:45AM

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China Briefing | The secret of the Xi-Biden meeting? No discord, no concord

The leaders have agreed in principle to hold a virtual meeting before the end of the year – the first formal talks since Biden took office

9 Oct 2021 - 9:30AMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, at the time the American vice-president, shake hands in 2013. Photo: Getty Images

US-China relations

China Briefing | Is conflict between the US and China inevitable? Not if they talk to each other

The bombshell revelation that a top US general held secret phone calls with his Chinese counterpart reveals the risks inherent amid rising tensions – but Biden and Xi’s conversation this month is a promising sign that fraught ties can be reset when there are open lines of communication.

18 Sep 2021 - 9:30AM

China Briefing | George Soros, not BlackRock, is the one making a China blunder

The billionaire investor misunderstands the political dynamics of the country, writes Wang Xiangwei.

11 Sep 2021 - 9:30AM

China’s Communist Party

China Briefing | Hyping China’s crackdown as a profound revolution risks a vicious circle

Scaling back capitalist excesses and reining in tech companies are sensible moves, long overdue and in line with the West’s shift in approach, writes Wang Xiangwei.

4 Sep 2021 - 10:41AMvideocam

A giant screen on Renmin Road in Fuyang, shows Chinese President Xi Jinping giving a speech. Photo: Getty Images

China Briefing | As China seeks ‘common prosperity’, it cannot afford restrictions on charity

A clampdown on high earners and efforts to expand the middle class are the cornerstones of Beijing’s bid to fight inequality, but a lack of details has led to rampant speculation – while strict state control over charities has also hampered China’s philanthropic sector.

28 Aug 2021 - 9:47AMvideocam

President Xi Jinping says boosting common prosperity is a key feature of Chinese-style modernisation. Photo: Getty Images

China Briefing | For China, America’s messy Afghanistan exit is more than a laughing matter

The catastrophic failure of American might against a ragtag opponent relying on Mao Zedong-style tactics has given Beijing a propaganda coup – and much to think about, writes Wang Xiangwei.

21 Aug 2021 - 9:34AMvideocam

China stock market

China Briefing | Stock rout: will China learn its US$1 trillion lesson? Signs are unclear

A spate of unexplained regulatory moves against tech and education firms has not only put off top global investors like SoftBank, it has led to speculation that China has had a change of heart on opening up, writes Wang Xiangwei.

14 Aug 2021 - 9:30AM

China stock market

China Briefing | From tech to tutoring firms, China stock rout is a mess of its own making

Chinese leaders should learn to publicly communicate their rationale, pay attention to market sentiment and give professionals more latitude to get ahead of issues of global impact.

7 Aug 2021 - 9:30AMvideocam

People walk over a pedestrian bridge with a monitor for stock exchange values in Shanghai, China. Photo: EPA

China Briefing | Lack of public debate after Henan floods limits preparation for extreme weather

Public discussions are crucial for ordinary people and officials alike to target vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure and the environment.

31 Jul 2021 - 9:30AMvideocam

A flooded road following heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on July 23. Photo: Reuters

China Briefing | When will China open its borders? Non-Chinese vaccines might speed up the answer

China’s ‘zero-Covid’ approach has been successful, but it risks leaving the country increasingly isolated as others open up – so approving inoculations such as Pfizer-BioNTech will help the country re-engage with the world.

24 Jul 2021 - 12:08PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party turns 100

China Briefing | From Mao and Xi to the Snows, does their legacy in Yan’an define China’s future?

As the Chinese Communist Party gears up for its centenary on July 1, the city of Yan’an – where two of the country’s leaders lived – has become a sacred site. But it is also where Americans Edgar and Helen Foster Snow interviewed Mao and brought his story to the West, a prospect that would be much more difficult today.

26 Jun 2021 - 9:30AMvideocam

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