Advertisement
Advertisement
-
TOPIC

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

videocam

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

Ageing society

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

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’.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
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.

videocam
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.

4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

Heshun rape case
07:23
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.

videocam
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.

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.

videocam
Moviegoers walked past posters for 2025 blockbusters Ne Zha 2 and Captain America: Brave New World at a cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP
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.

A Lion Dance performance takes place at Trafalgar Square in London, United Kingdom, to celebrate Chinese New Year in January 2025. Photo: Calvin Luo
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
Travellers wait with their luggage at Tianjin Railway Station as people begin returning home ahead of the Spring Festival in Tianjin, China, on February 7. Photo: AP
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.

videocam
35
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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.

videocam
8
Mainland China

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

36-year-old Li Xia operates a high-tech farm in southwestern China with just one finger and one toe, using sensors, cameras and a computer.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China's population

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

Readers discuss why a shrinking population is not a policy failure, and the bottled water procurement scandal.

Children and adults take rides in a park in Fuyang, Anhui province in 2025. Photo: AFP
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.

videocam
15
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.

videocam
4
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.

China’s youth jobless rate has grown in recent years, with many graduates struggling to find work that matches their qualifications. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
19
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.

videocam
33
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement