The unofficial lotteries and clandestine casinos of China are the source of many tales of instant wealth and dramatic financial loss. But in Yunnan province, you’re more likely to see amateur gamblers pin their hopes, and their savings, on lumps of rock as they hunt for precious jade.

Jade is big business in China. In Yunnan province alone, the industry employs more than 500,000 people and annual sales of the precious stone have reached nearly US $2.5 billion. The prized stones flow across the border from Myanmar, and most find their way to counters in cavernous showrooms and glittering jewellery emporiums in Ruili, a small city near the frontier.

Many Cambodians are paying a high price for development as the dust settles on bulldozed beachfront businesses, writes Patrick Cordwell.

Chinese production of illicit drugs has skyrocketed and domestic demand is keeping pace, writes Patrick Cordwell.