Aw Cheng Wei

China Correspondent

Cheng Wei is China correspondent at The Straits Times. He is based in the Chongqing municipality in south-western China, where he documents the changes of everyday life as the world’s second-largest economy tries to carve a way to the top. He was previously based in Beijing and Singapore. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Oxford.

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China police crack down on errant private cinemas over alleged sex services

awcinema - An example of a private cinema room in Chongqing.
ST PHOTO: AW CHENG WEI

Singapore, China roll out digital renminbi pilot for tourists

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong (left) meeting Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang in Chongqing, China, on Dec 15.

As jobs dry up, China’s migrant workers are returning to their villages and staying put

Significant numbers of unemployed migrant workers are returning to their home towns and remaining there.

DPM Gan to head to Chongqing for high-level Singapore-China talks

This is Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong’s second visit to China in four months.

Dying breed: Chongqing’s iconic porters struggle for relevance as economy shifts

Once a common sight in the city, porters have been increasingly phased out by delivery riders and improvements to Chongqing’s transport system.

Chinese police investigations reveal brutality in fraud farm operations in Myanmar

FILE PHOTO: Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, are stuck in limbo at a compound inside the KK Park, a fraud factory, and a human trafficking hub on the border with Thailand-Myanmar after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, operated by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myawaddy, Myanmar, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Big dreams, shiny projects and regional inequalities in China’s inland cities

awinland -
The world’s largest high-speed rail station - Chongqingdong - that opened its doors in June this year is a landmark in the historic Nan’an district, flanked by some of the country’s most modern tracks that can facilitate the movement of train carriages up to speeds of 350 km/h. Roughly the size of 170 football fields - it can accommodate 10,000 passengers and visitors every hour. The eight-storey station with six funnel-shaped pillars at its entrance, resembling the municipality’s signature white fig trees and their wide-spreading canopies, is the latest symbol of Chongqing’s development. Mr Xi has labelled the city a “comprehensive transportation hub for the opening of inland cities”.

under Foreign By and Copyright: Handout by Ni Qiansong

Manila to hold its ground at Scarborough Shoal even as Beijing cranks up pressure

A Philippine Coast Guard vessel was among the government ships sending supplies to 40 Filipino fishing boats at Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on September 16, 2025.

Chill in US ties prompts India to seek common ground with China during Wang visit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) being welcomed to New Delhi on Aug 19 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Beijing-Manila row over collision of Chinese ships chasing Filipino boat a reminder of geopolitical risk

An incident between a Chinese Navy vessel (far left, bow pictured) and a Chinese Coast Guard ship (second from left) as seen from a Philippine boat in the South China Sea on Aug 11.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2025 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.