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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.
A food seller prepares dishes at a restaurant in Shanghai on January 21. Photo: AFP
China travel

China’s visa-free waivers spark Korean travel boom, underpin tourism revival

Shanghai bookings surge as visitors flock to cosmopolitan streets and affordable dining, with analysts predicting the trend will spread inland.

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Mainland China

Video | The quadriplegic man who runs a smart farm with just 1 finger

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China's population

Letters | Fewer newborns in China may point to a more humane future

China's population

‘Loneliness economy’: how China is adapting to a rapid rise in solo living

The viral success of check-in app Are You Dead? has exposed the vast demand for services catering to China’s rapidly growing single population.

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A user checks in using the viral app Are You Dead?, also known as Demumu in English, which surged to the top of the paid app chart on Apple’s AppStore in China last week. Photo: Reuters
China travel

Foreigners flock to China’s ice and snow sights, with 130% inbound tourism spike

Freezing temperatures will not dampen the spirits of snow seekers, as China cements its reputation as the world’s ultimate winter playground.

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China jobs

China’s youth jobless rate edges down – but labour market strains persist

Beijing vows to prioritise job market in 2026, the first year of new five-year plan.

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Women and gender

Opinion | In China, the pressure on women to marry is deadly serious

Wedding-day death of Henan teacher highlights desperation of young women caught between modern hopes and traditional expectations.

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Some people in China are sharing AI-generated videos of middle-aged single women crying in hospitals, regretting their choice not to marry or have children. Photo: SCMP composite / Shutterstock / Douyin
China consumption

China’s consumers refuse to open their wallets. Is ‘luxury-phobia’ the problem?

Chinese households are not splashing out on luxury goods partly because they feel ‘stigmatised’ for doing so, scholar argues.

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China's population

Baby bust: China births plunge 17% in 2025 to historic low as population shrinks

With Beijing having accelerated family-support policies and childcare subsidies, analysts warn that structural reforms are vital to arrest the deepening slide.

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Artificial intelligence

Tencent seeks cooperation with other AI firms to better serve vulnerable users

Tencent Research Institute looks to build expert data sets for AI models that could broadly benefit the world’s second most populous nation.

Tencent Research Institute is looking to improve the output of generative AI services when interacting with the elderly and other vulnerable users in society. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

‘Love yourself’ – young China’s new wellness mantra to cope with the rat race

Stagnant job markets and long gruelling hours at work have led to widespread burnout and disillusionment when effort fails to yield rewards.

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Ai ni lao ji, a Chinese expression meaning “love yourself first”, has become a popular mantra for prioritising one’s own happiness. Photo: AP
Ageing society

Outside In | We are speeding towards a demography of loneliness

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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China’s crackdowns

China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

Big data is used to flag income gaps for top online stars and overseas earners, as regulators recover billions in unpaid levies amid slumping land sales and value-added tax revenue decline.

China's ageing population

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

What looks like a side-effect of ‘coal-to-gas’ heating programmes is really a structural issue: rural pensions are not enough to live on.

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A worker sweeps snow in the town of Zhengding in north China’s Hebei province on January 5, 2020. Photo: Xinhua
China’s private sector

Changing tastes: China’s new affluent consumers seek quality not extravagance

Rise of upper middle class reshapes China’s retail market, driving demand for quality goods and creating a battleground for global brands.

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The success of US retailer Sam’s Club in China is attributed to its “premium-value” offering sought by upper-middle-income consumers. Photo: Eugene Lee
China consumption

Horse power: brands in China seek sales boost with Lunar New Year items

Distiller Kweichow Moutai among the companies launching limited-run Year of the Horse products to jolt revenues during the festive season.

ByteDance

Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

I was swiping past the noise on Douyin when a calm, warm voice stopped me. So began my evenings in the world of companionship live streams.

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Social media

Video | Why has America’s ‘kill line’ gone viral in China?

The public debate has inevitably drawn parallels with problems faced by China’s own population.

What is a ‘kill line’ and why are Chinese netizens using it to describe living in the US?
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Mainland China

Video | Why are women-only communities growing in China?

Economic independence and educational opportunities are enabling women to focus on their own needs, while social media has exposed many to alternative lifestyles.

China economy

Opinion | Why China is still struggling to ‘invest in people’

To boost demand, Beijing must upend its long-held mantra of production over livelihoods and investment over consumption.

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China consumption

China’s box office up 22% in 2025 to US$7.4 billion, led by smash hit Ne Zha 2

World’s second-largest movie market sees domestic films capture nearly 80 per cent of sales, while Disney’s Zootopia sequel sets new high for imported titles.

A display promoting the record-breaking animated hit Ne Zha 2 is seen in China’s Liaoning province on February 13. Photo: Xinhua
China travel

China’s service sector shines as holidaymakers eye bespoke adventures with pets

While broader consumption remains soft, demand for personalised itineraries and snow sports is growing, offering a boost to the holiday economy.

More Chinese travellers are pivoting from mass-market sightseeing to bespoke adventures, fuelling a surge in demand for pet-friendly itineraries and winter excursions. Photo: Getty Images
China economy

Opinion | Key lessons from China’s ascent over the past 25 years

The country’s rise was shaped less by a single turning point than by its commitment to long-term planning, meritocracy and global engagement.

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China consumption

Hard work, long hours fuelled China’s rise. Now, it weighs longer breaks

China, one of the world’s hardest-working countries, is adopting incentives to increase time off – and potentially boost consumer spending.

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China's population

China eyes childcare overhaul with a law to boost births, fix demographic crisis

Proposed legislation seeks to lower child-rearing costs and standardise services, especially for children under three, to ease the burden on parents.

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A nurse takes care of a newborn baby at a hospital in China’s Anhui province. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

Chinese rookie cop resembling actor Eddie Peng goes viral, attracts a million likes

Newly graduated officer with a canine partner called Fries shuns online fame, wants to focus on work, says he already has a girlfriend.

A rookie police officer in China who resembles Taiwan actor Eddie Peng has gone viral, with his video attracting more than one million likes. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote/IG@yuyanpeng
China jobs

China’s youth-unemployment rate eases to 16.9% as graduates settle for less

Job market remains plagued by a mismatch between skills and vacancies, pushing more graduates towards blue-collar jobs or gig work.

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Trending in China

Opinion | How young Chinese learned to stop worrying and love themselves

Amid disillusionment and a stagnant economy, China’s young people are taking the initiative to embrace self-compassion and treat themselves well.

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