• OPINION

  Endangered species among virus victims

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 13/05/2020

  » Social distancing may save human lives, but it's wreaking havoc on some of the world's most threatened species.

• OPINION

  Old phones may pose a 'security risk'

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 12/11/2018

  » That obsolete smartphone stashed away in a drawer or closet may not look like a national security risk, but the Trump administration is contemplating treating it as one.

• OPINION

  Future lies with electric two-wheelers

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 15/10/2018

  » Given recent market turmoil, it would easy to overlook the upcoming IPO of Niu Technologies, a Chinese manufacturer of electric mopeds. The US$95 million the company plans to raise is a pittance compared to the billions burnt by Tesla Inc. But the technologies developed by Niu and other pioneers of electric two-wheel vehicles will transform transportation as much as anything dreamed up by the likes of Elon Musk.

• OPINION

  How India could help in the transformation of Africa

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 09/10/2018

  » Over the last two decades, China has invested more than US$125 billion in Africa to build ports, highways, airports, railways and other infrastructure. Chinese President Xi Jinping says funds, to the tune of $60 billion, will continue to flow because "inadequate infrastructure is believed to be the biggest bottleneck to Africa's development".

• OPINION

  Marriage in China breaks the bank

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 01/10/2018

  » Getting married isn't cheap in China. In Da'anliu, a small farming village outside Beijing, the local "bride price" -- the fee that a groom's family pays to a bride's in advance of their nuptials -- recently breached the US$30,000 mark (972,000 baht). That's extreme for a village where incomes average $2,900 per year. So, this summer, local officials decreed that bride prices and associated wedding expenses shouldn't exceed $2,900. Violators will be treated as human traffickers.

• OPINION

  Grindr holds a mirror to China's subtle evolution

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 11/09/2018

  » Grindr, the world's largest gay social-networking site, told the Shenzhen stock exchange recently that it plans to IPO overseas. Its owner, Beijing Kunlun Technology Co, a games developer, didn't give a date or location. But the announcement revived concern in the gay community locally and worldwide about the app's Chinese ownership.

• OPINION

  Southeast Asia's 'fake news' laws are a fake solution

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 26/05/2018

  » In the waning days of Malaysia's recent election campaign, then-opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad was investigated under the country's anti-fake news law. Had he been charged and convicted, he could have spent as much as six years in prison. Instead, Dr Mahathir was elected prime minister with a pledge to repeal the law.

• OPINION

  Women in work key to China fertility

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 24/05/2018

  » China is home currently to 241 million people over the age of 60, approximately 17% of the population. By 2050, the elderly will number around 500 million and account for more than one-third of the population. According to a report on Monday by Bloomberg News, the Chinese government has grown so alarmed by these developments that it's preparing to scrap all limits on the number of children that a family can have. By early next year, the infamous one-child and -- more recently -- two-child policies should be no more.

• OPINION

  Xi paves the way for later retirement

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 01/03/2018

  » Chinese President Xi Jinping can hold off on retirement planning for a few more years, now that China's Communist Party has announced a proposal to eliminate a 10-year, two-term limit for the coveted job. That sets up the powerful 64-year-old to remain in office well into his golden years. He shouldn't be the only one.

• OPINION

  Is China's Arctic expansion plan a reason to worry?

  News, Adam Minter, Published on 01/02/2018

  » Last week, China said it plans to build a "Polar Silk Road" that will open shipping lanes across the largely pristine region at the top of the world. It's an ambitious idea for a country that lacks an Arctic border, and it has raised concerns around the world about China's ultimate intentions and its capacity for environmental stewardship. Although these are reasonable worries, they're almost certainly overblown.

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