Lijia Zhang
Lijia Zhang is a rocket-factory worker turned social commentator, and the author of a novel, Lotus.
Lijia Zhang is a rocket-factory worker turned social commentator, and the author of a novel, Lotus.
Languages Spoken:
English
China’s pressing economic problem is that ordinary people still have too little money in their pockets.
The importance of rice is reflected in our language and assumptions. As abundance becomes the norm, will we forget what hunger taught us?
To arrest its falling birth rate, China must ensure women do not have to choose between motherhood and the lives they have built.
Instead of being caught between great powers, the five Central Asian nations are using hegemonic rivalries to advance their own interests.
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The positive view many Chinese had for the US has been replaced with one of a complex society dealing with many challenges.
Despite lacking geopolitical alignment, Brics captures a prevailing mood among emerging economies that won’t fade away any time soon.
Half of my close friends in London are Chinese; the other half are not. This balance did not happen by accident.
Economic uncertainties strengthen the deep cultural instinct for thrift. Policies must address the anxieties that make saving feel necessary.
The path of China-South America relations will be decided in neighbourhoods and kitchens, not just presidential palaces or investment forums.
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.
It is important that Japan, China and South Korea collectively reckon with the legacy of military aggression and wartime atrocities.
The rationing era imprinted something on me – not just a craving for food, but a reverence. In Chinese culture, food is never just food.
The bloc stands at a crossroads: can it become a true alternative to the G7, or is it merely a fractured mirror of diverging interests?
A leaked Russian memo reportedly calling China a potential threat continues the long and tangled arc of Sino-Russian history.
When China opened up and millions went abroad, it influenced everything from fashion and cuisine to values and perspectives.
Can China credibly claim climate leadership while doubling down on its dirtiest fuel?
I have more equal status than my grandmother did in the pre-communist era. But young women are still pushing back against discrimination.
By speaking out, the actress can help break the culture of silence around mental health and help others rethink their attitudes.
The popular author’s passing has sparked debate on a matter weighed down with stigma despite years in the public consciousness.
I learned English as a bored young factory worker and began writing in it to avoid censorship. But my decision has come with pros and cons.
Whether the country’s ethical decline has worsened or not, the current situation is dire and must be addressed through education.
China must enforce its disability rights laws and improve accessibility, but social attitudes also need to shift beyond discrimination and pity.
Women in China once believed marriage to be a necessary passage in life. Now they know they can choose to follow their desires.
The most compelling stories are the human ones. China must allow books and films that don’t always portray it in glowing terms.
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.
The rollback of face scanning in hotels across the country is a good start. Citizens’ concerns about privacy in sectors including finance and transport must also be addressed.
Claims of Nongfu Spring being pro-Japanese are risible and attacks on the drinks company and its founder Zhong Shanshan only damage the country and its economy. The company should be celebrated, not pilloried.
China must urgently deal with the issue of the country’s wealth inequality as letting it fester could put the goal of achieving common prosperity in danger and undermine faith in the government among the impoverished and young people who lack hope for the future.
A viral video where a manager admitted that a sacking was illegal – but ‘so what?’ – has sparked a heated debate over worker rights and labour grievances.
