The China Project

China’s meatier, fattier diet is impacting its health, food security, and environment

Nadya Yeh — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:30:48 +0000

In four decades, Chinese people went from using food coupons to eating fatty meals delivered via mobile phone apps. The country’s rapid economic rise also means that the foods that Chinese people eat are changing — and most of it’s unhealthy.

Germany’s new China strategy is a diplomatic high-wire act

Jacob Mardell — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:45:11 +0000

The German government's recently released "Strategy on China" has struck a balance between the country's more pro-China business interests and the China-skeptic foreign policy establishment. While it is only a position paper, there is reason to believe that it marks an important milestone and irreversible shift in wider European relations with China.

Editor’s note for July 19, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

The problem with Mao’s ‘continuous’ revolution

James Carter — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 11:14:56 +0000

Wuhan fractured in the summer of 1967 amid Mao's Cultural Revolution. On one side were the Red Guards, who believed in continuous revolution against institutions, including the military. On the other side…the military, which fought back, with deadly results.

Ji Qiong’s contemporary take on traditional art

Neocha — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 13:17:12 +0000

The mindfulness and attention with which Ji approaches her art is rare. More than a method of painting, what she preserves is a certain artistic charm, an interest in exploring inner realms.

Editor’s note for July 18, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 13:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

Eclipsing Russia: China’s green energy expansion into Central Asia

Yunis Sharifli — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 12:33:17 +0000

China has a significant comparative advantage in green energy. Growing incentives for Central Asian countries to diversify their energy mix are creating opportunities for Chinese companies, with significant implications for Russia, as well as the U.S. and EU.

China’s relations with Chile, its oldest friend in South America

Alex Colville — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:40:33 +0000

For Chile, China is a bigger destination of exports than the next five countries combined. For China, Chilean resources are crucial in sustaining its solar panel, wind turbine, and EV output. But prosperous partnerships aren’t always trusting ones.

Shanhe University is the perfect Chinese college. Except it doesn’t exist.

Zhao Yuanyuan — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:34:43 +0000

How a made-up university in China became a viral meme — and revealed education inequality in the country.

China’s GDP grew by 6.3% in second quarter, but youth unemployment hits record high

Jeremy Goldkorn — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 16:09:41 +0000

China has released official economic statistics for the first half of 2023. The numbers are not too bad, but they don’t seem to have reassured the markets about the country’s post-pandemic recovery.

Has the West lost the electric vehicle race to China?

The editors — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 15:54:48 +0000

How did the entire world become dependent on China for electric vehicles, from supply chains to manufacturing to car brands? We talked to two of the leading EV experts in this ChinaAccess exclusive webinar.

Denise van der Kamp on how China’s environmental businesses are regulated

Christopher Marquis — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 15:43:23 +0000

China has been lauded by many in recent years for its accomplishments in environmental protection. But on-the-ground experiences show that its path toward emission reduction and environmental sustainability may have inadvertently sowed seeds of long-term challenges.

Editor’s note for July 17, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

10 Chinese-language podcasts you should listen to

Andrew Methven — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 06:28:17 +0000

From interview shows to bite-sized news programs, these are the best Chinese-language podcasts currently being produced.

Between Black & White: Asian Americans Speak Out

Audrey Yang — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 04:51:16 +0000

"There are many divisions and bridge building is incredibly hard. It means going places where people might be hostile, and it means being able to embrace that discomfort. We have to nurture this and help sustain it," says Frank H. Wu, Queens College President.

The Presence and Absence of Asian America: What Truths Lie Beyond the Headlines

Audrey Yang — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 04:51:16 +0000

"Asian Americans are experiencing more violence. It must be addressed, and yet we can do that in a way that emphasizes solidarity with other groups. It’s also important now to be a little bit more thoughtful about what we share, and how we think about anti-Asian violence," says Janelle Wong, Asian American Studies scholar.

The China Agenda for July 17–23 — Kerry in Beijing

Arran Hope — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 23:42:15 +0000

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of July 17–23.

Xi Jinping is ‘an idiot’ and ‘my biggest promotor’ — writer Liao Yiwu

Jonathan Landreth — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 22:57:41 +0000

The Sichuan-born writer and street musician who spent four years in prison for “Massacre,” his poem about Tiananmen Square in 1989, talked to fellow author Ian Johnson about exile in Germany and his plan to print dictators’ faces on toilet paper.

Germany sets new strategy for China

The editors — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:29:40 +0000

The China Project's weekly newsletter | July 14, 2023

This week in video: Knife attack kills six, the new faces of Prada, and American-Chinese food in Beijing

Susan St.Denis — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:12:10 +0000

Want more like this? Subscribe to The China Project's official TikTok channel, The China Project, where Susan St.Denis explains complex topics about China clearly and simply in TikTok’s fast-evolving visual and verbal language and to our YouTube channel, where Lizzi Lee interviews experts to take a closer look at where China is heading.

Editor’s note for July 14, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

‘The other shoe has finally dropped’ — Phrase of the Week

Andrew Methven — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 08:23:13 +0000

The 7.12 billion yuan fine for Ant Group brings an end to years of uncertainty.

The Brazil-China relationship, as seen through the BRICS bank

Jacob Kessler — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 06:41:05 +0000

Elias Jabbour, a prominent Brazilian economist, was hired last month as an aide to New Development Bank president Dilma Rousseff. The appointment of Jabbour, known by some as a "China apologist," stirred up controversy in the Brazilian press, all while current Brazilian president Lula seeks closer diplomatic ties with Beijing.

Pink Power: Sijia Ke unleashes her bubblegum universe

Tomás Pinheiro — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 04:26:52 +0000

Pink-saturated and whimsically defiant, Ke’s art is all about girl power and reclaiming femininity.

China after COVID

Kaiser Kuo — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 13:03:59 +0000

This week on Sinica, UPenn legal scholar Neysun Mahboubi talks about his recently concluded trip back to China — his first time back since the outbreak of the pandemic. Neysun talks about the importance of in-person, face-to-face scholarly exchange, and despite concerns over the more restrictive political space in China, sounds a hopeful note about what the restoration of in-person exchange might mean for the future of U.S.-China relations.

Editor’s note for July 13, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 13:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

The best-connected people the Hong Kong government can buy are lobbying the U.S. government

Eduardo Jaramillo — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 13:01:04 +0000

A new report from the Hong Kong Democracy Council details Hong Kong government affiliates’ lobbying activities in Washington, and the former Congress members on their payroll. Hong Kong Democracy Council’s Mason Wong told us all about it.

The people helping Uyghur children struggling to build new lives in Turkey

Ruth Ingram — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:52:55 +0000

Addiction, homelessness, and low self-esteem plague Turkic Muslim youth cast adrift, far from the financial and emotional support of families locked down in China since 2016. The China Project spoke to older Uyghur exiles dedicated to making positive change.

Cultural boon or abomination? American-Chinese food arrives in Beijing

Zhao Yuanyuan — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 06:25:29 +0000

While homesick expatriates and locals who have studied abroad welcome the restaurant with open arms, others say they will only try its food once out of pure curiosity.

Jeep in China: A failed joint venture at least makes for a fun read

Paul French — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 05:15:49 +0000

"Later, American Motors officials would admit that the Las Vegas meeting had been a disaster. If there was anything they had learned about China, they said, it was this: Don’t take the Chinese to Las Vegas."

China’s plans for a summer of extreme downpours, floods, and heat waves

Nadya Yeh — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 13:25:19 +0000

China is using artificial intelligence to forecast extreme weather events, but there is no relief in sight for a country that is particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Editor’s note for July 12, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 13:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

Prada’s partnership with Chinese women’s soccer team could be a game changer for country’s female athletes

Zhao Yuanyuan — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 06:45:34 +0000

The partnership was revealed 10 days before the 2023 Women’s World Cup begins in New Zealand and Australia. At home, fan enthusiasm and expectations for the Chinese women’s national soccer team have never been higher.

When princedoms (almost) ruled China: The Prince of Ning rebellion

James Carter — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:02:33 +0000

The founder of the Ming dynasty established fiefdoms for all 26 of his sons, who were known as "princes." From the very beginning, they posed a threat to the imperial seat in Beijing. Zhu Chenhao, the fifth generation to hold the title "Prince of Ning," made that threat very real in 1519.

Editor’s note for July 11, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

Su Yang looks at nips and tucks

Neocha — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:46:37 +0000

Yang's paintings are more than gross-out pics: She offers them as a critique of the beauty standards that lead women to submit to traumatizing procedures.

China’s official electric vehicle battery recyclers fight wildcat workshops

Barry van Wyk — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 10:23:36 +0000

China has an amazing, legal battery recycling industry. But opportunistic, informal operators are doing much of the recycling, which is causing serious soil, water, and air pollution.

Joshua Kurlantzick on Beijing’s global propaganda successes and failures

Chris Marquis — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:45:53 +0000

Joshua Kurlantzick talks about his book ‘Beijing’s Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World.’

Inconvenient India — America’s new best friend in the Indo-Pacific

Laurel Schwartz — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:41:24 +0000

The U.S. is cozying up to India partly in response to tensions with China. But no one in Washington, D.C., is quite sure how the new friendliness with Delhi will work out and what values will have to be tossed aside to make the relationship work.

The China Agenda this week

Arran Hope — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:59:09 +0000

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of July 10–16.

Editor’s note for July 10, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

Of course Netanyahu must go to China

Dale Aluf — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:14:22 +0000

Later this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing for the first time since 2017. The past decade has seen China emerge as the largest trade partner for most countries in the Middle East and North Africa. There is no reason for Jerusalem not to expand cooperation with China in multiple realms.

‘Reputation collapse’ — Phrase of the Week

Andrew Methven — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 13:28:02 +0000

Cai Xukun is the latest male pop idol to trash his reputation in China.

This week on TikTok: Wham!, Taiwan’s #MeToo movement, and China’s restrictions on key metals

Susan St.Denis — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 13:12:10 +0000

Ozempic craze hits China as first GLP-1 weight-loss drug is greenlighted

Zhao Yuanyuan — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 12:46:08 +0000

The approval is significant because it opens the door to an expanding, groundbreaking class of drugs for thinness-obsessed Chinese people who are looking for quick weight loss.

‘Farewell My Concubine,’ 30 years on

Amarsanaa Battulga — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 05:38:56 +0000

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Chen Kaige’s timeless classic, arguably the best Chinese-language film of all time.

Cut off from China’s data and info, overseas academics, analysts get crafty

Eduardo Jaramillo — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:24:52 +0000

People who work with and on China in science, business and government are finding new ways to stay informed in spite of new hurdles and risks.

Editor’s note for July 6, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

Why a Chinese province’s trade plans could be a game changer for Africa

Cobus van Staden — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:46:24 +0000

Hunan Province wants to be a key node in Africa’s trade with China and the rest of the world. This is a refreshing change for a continent whose people often feel future-starved, and tired of empty rhetoric from Western capitals.

The myths and realities of China’s Military-Civil Fusion program

Kaiser Kuo — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:03:59 +0000

This week on Sinica, Kaiser chats with Elsa Kania, a Ph.D. candidate in Harvard University's Department of Government and an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security who researches China's military strategy, defense innovation, and emerging technologies. Elsa joins the show to talk about China’s push for “Military-Civil Fusion,” debunking some of the myths about the program that U.S. pundits and policymakers have imbibed.

How does one lose a fortune in China? ‘Mr. China’ knows

Paul French — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 04:59:38 +0000

Tim Clissold's memoir about losing millions would be tragic if it weren't so funny — we laugh, we cry, and we root for the main characters, even though we know they failed.

Chen Jie approaches body art with a poetic grace

Neocha — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:59:03 +0000

Chen Jie's works are a departure from conventional tattoo styles, with an aesthetic that more closely resembles Chinese ink-wash paintings.

‘Seven-Five’ unleashed official clampdown Uyghurs suffer 14 years later

Ruth Ingram — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:55:12 +0000

On July 5, 2009, peaceful protests in Urumqi sought justice for Uyghurs murdered at a southern China toy factory. Three eyewitnesses recall the violence that erupted.

Editor’s note for July 5, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

China to limit the export of two critical metals used in chips

Nadya Yeh — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 13:53:45 +0000

Beijing will impose export restrictions on gallium and germanium, two key metals needed to manufacture semiconductors and other electronics, and which are primarily sourced from China. The move has raised concern over an intensifying global battle on the supply of key chipmaking technologies.

The deep roots of China’s friendship with Zambia

Alex Colville — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:01:53 +0000

Zambia represents one of the People's Republic of China's earliest success stories in Africa. The relationship is one that Chinese leaders past and present have tried to cultivate.

Awakening ‘the lesbian factor’: Young Chinese women are ditching boyfriends and entering same-sex relationships

Forrest Song — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 06:12:58 +0000

Frustrated by emotionally unavailable men, a growing cohort of educated young women in China are experimenting with dating other women, whom they say can better fulfill their emotional needs.

Not just a metaphor: Dragons of imperial China show us how people lived

James Carter — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 05:06:48 +0000

The emperor, as “son of heaven,” was meant to mediate between the natural and the supernatural. When dragons were becoming visible to regular folk, as they were in the Yuan and Ming, the supernatural was bypassing its usual channels — a dangerous deviation.

‘Now I must see it’: ‘Barbie’ movie banned in Vietnam, praised in China over controversial South China Sea map

Zhao Yuanyuan — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 06:53:46 +0000

While Vietnam's culture ministry fumes over a controversial map in the new "Barbie" movie, people on Chinese social media are celebrating Warner Bros. for its "choice" to include the nine-dash line.

The Middle Corridor and China’s reorientation of Eurasian trade

Emil Avdaliani — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 05:06:58 +0000

The war in Ukraine provides an opportunity for the Middle Corridor to become an alternative to the Russian route. Initially, China has been hesitant to embrace the idea, but as the war protracts, the calculus is changing, and the Middle Corridor may be finally getting China’s attention.

Chinese auto firms follow Tesla to Mexico, and from there to the U.S.

Olivia Tan Jia Yi — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 18:47:23 +0000

Auto and auto parts makers setting up nearer Elon Musk’s main EV market — North America — must navigate challenges to avoid U.S. barriers.

Pakistan arrest of anti-China rebel may not protect Belt and Road billions

Akbar Notezai — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:09:56 +0000

Gulzar Imam is only one of many armed separatist leaders unhappy at China’s extraction of Balochistan’s natural resources.

Terrorism, trade and trawlers — Q&A with Li Bijian, former China consul general to Karachi

Akbar Notezai — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:00:09 +0000

An interview with China’s former representative in Pakistan’s biggest city.

Editor’s note for July 3, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

Meet the woman who launched Taiwan’s MeToo movement, Chen Chien-Jou

Ashish Valentine — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:50:42 +0000

"I knew before I came forward that I was definitely not alone in being a survivor, there must be others out there."

Editor’s note for June 30, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

This week in video: The British Museum under controversy, Shein’s influencer blunder and China’s response to the Wagner rebellion

Susan St.Denis — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:12:10 +0000

How Did Beijing React to the Wagner Mutiny? | The Signal with Lizzi Lee

Lizzi C. Lee — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:00:53 +0000

This week on The Signal with Lizzi Lee, Lizzi speaks with Moritz Rudolf, a research scholar at Yale Law School, about the recent revolt of the Wagner Group in Russia. Moritz shares his thoughts on how Chinese media will report on this event and provides some insight into what this could mean for the future of China and Russia’s relationship.

‘Be blinded by a single leaf and not see Mount Tai’ — Phrase of the Week

Andrew Methven — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:32:29 +0000

China’s EV companies are eyeing international markets, but stiff domestic competition may mean they miss the forest for the trees.

‘The Sacred Clan’: Liang Hong turns to fiction to explore rural China

Jonathan Chatwin — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 06:00:38 +0000

Realism and the supernatural mix in Liang Hong’s “The Sacred Clan,” a collection of short stories that continues the author’s lifelong work of capturing rural China.

Epic and ordinary: Shang Zhefeng’s photographs tell the story of China’s majority

Tomás Pinheiro — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 05:00:13 +0000

In the work of millennial photographer Shang Zhefeng, personal stories of China’s working class are told through the lens of their unique surroundings. "The environment I grew up in inspires what I do," Shang says. "Coming from a lower social class, I represent the majority."

Why China’s Global South diplomacy is such a challenge for the United States

Cobus van Staden — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 04:00:04 +0000

Most poor countries — and that means most countries — don’t like the current “rules-based international order,” but America is not prepared for the enormous appeal of China’s influence, argues Cobus van Staden in our inaugural Southern View column.

Exiled Uyghurs push UN to press China for account of relatives detained for being Muslim

Ruth Ingram — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:16:47 +0000

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention demands release and reparations for Uyghurs jailed by Beijing illegally, for no crime.

Editor’s note for June 29, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

China wants to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink

Eduardo Jaramillo — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:30:38 +0000

Elon Musk sells satellite internet to Ukraine and Africa. Could he do it for Taiwan? Meanwhile, China is rushing to catch up to SpaceX and Starlink, and it might be the thing that sets Elon against his Beijing buddies.

Shadow reserves — how China hides trillions of dollars of hard currency

Brad Setser — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:25:32 +0000

China has a lot of foreign exchange reserves that do not show up in the official books of the People’s Bank of China. Those funds have been hidden in the state banks, and largely escaped scrutiny.

Shein invites influencers on Chinese factory tour to mend reputation, but backlash erupts

Zhao Yuanyuan — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:15:26 +0000

The controversy comes at a particularly delicate time for Shein, as it’s aiming to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the U.S. stock market later this year despite having a controversial reputation over its cheap apparel.

The told story of Wham! in China

Paul French — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:54:16 +0000

Simon Napier-Bell was a composer, songwriter, record producer, and author living a hedonistic life in London. Bored, he decided to try the ultimate adventure: making Wham! the first Western pop group to ever perform in the People's Republic of China.

The fortune of copper under an ancient Buddhist site in Afghanistan that China is supposed to mine

Syed Fazl-e-Haider — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:32:02 +0000

In 2008, the Afghan government and a state-owned Chinese company signed a deal to mine copper at Mes Aynak, just south of Kabul. The Taliban renewed the agreement. So why is the project stalled?

Victor Shih on ‘coalitions of the weak’ and how China is ruled

Chris Marquis — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 18:29:31 +0000

A discussion with scholar Victor Shih about his recent book ‘Coalitions of the Weak: Elite Politics in China from Mao’s Stratagem to the Rise of Xi.’

Editor’s note for June 28, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

British Museum under fire for using translator’s work in China exhibition without permission

Zhao Yuanyuan — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:31:16 +0000

Instead of crediting and compensating the translator, the London institution responded to the backlash by removing her work and the original Chinese text — poetry by Chinese feminist and revolutionary writer Qiu Jin — which was an initial part of the exhibition.

Pro wrestling in China is ready for its comeback

Anthony Tao — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:12:25 +0000

The short but eventful history of China wrestling is filled with highs and lows. For a while, rival promoters dreamed of building the WWE of China, but money dried out and then COVID nearly killed the industry. Those who are still kicking — a motley crew of professionals, hobbyists, lifers, dreamers, and realists — are now working together to rebuild this thing they love.

Hua Guofeng’s short-lived reign as chairman and leader of China

James Carter — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 05:02:16 +0000

"With you in charge, I am at ease," Mao Zedong wrote in a note to his successor, Hua Guofeng. Mao's trust was misplaced.

Editor’s note for June 27, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

Lu Yinyin muses on life’s struggles and triumphs

Neocha — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 12:32:27 +0000

Lu doesn’t seem to control her characters from on high, all-knowing and all-powerful. Instead, she faithfully records their embarrassments, their pain, and their helplessness, piercing their fantasies and throwing open a window to let in the bracing air.

China and Japan: East Asia’s ‘severe and complex’ bilateral relationship

Duncan Bartlett — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 12:25:01 +0000

Japan's government defines China as a "strategic challenge" to the international order. The countries clash over many issues, yet a senior Japanese politician has assured The China Project there’s still momentum for dialogue.

An African in China brings global sports to Africa — Q&A with Lloyd Randall

Jonathan Landreth — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 12:19:24 +0000

He moved from civil war torn Sierra Leone to Beijing where he graduated with degrees in IT and management. Now he’s the face of one of the biggest sports TV broadcasters in Africa, and it’s a Chinese company.

Chinese batteries find backdoor to the U.S.

Huiling Zhou — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:12:50 +0000

Chinese EV firms are investing in countries with Free Trade Agreements with Washington to gain access to America’s market and avoid growing opposition to Chinese direct investment on U.S. soil.

In Timor-Leste, China chips away at Australian influence

Alex Colville — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 06:01:20 +0000

In 2017, Timor-Leste signed up to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and hosted Chinese warships in its ports. It led to fears of a political power-play by the P.R.C., with some calling Timor-Leste “Australia’s Cuba.”

Editor’s note for June 26, 2023

Jeremy Goldkorn — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 18:01:24 +0000

A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn.

U.S. lays first charges against China-based fentanyl chemical producers

Nadya Yeh — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:48:21 +0000

The Justice Department has accused four Chinese chemical manufacturers and eight individuals for aiding the production and flow of illegal fentanyl into the U.S.

Why is it so hard to get a straight answer about where COVID came from? Q&A with John Sudworth

Jeremy Goldkorn — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:31:29 +0000

BBC correspondent John Sudworth left China in 2021 after years of harassment for his reporting on human rights abuses in Xinjiang and COVID. His latest project is a podcast on the origin of COVID-19, and it’s a fascinating look into one of the most polarizing issues of our time.

‘Magnificent and spectacular’ — Phrase of the Week

Andrew Methven — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:28:46 +0000

A young football fan seizes the moment to realize his dream of meeting Messi.

Why can’t China tell its own stories well? | The Signal with Lizzi Lee

Lizzi C. Lee — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 12:00:53 +0000

In this week's episode of The Signal, Lizzi Lee speaks with Harry Harding, also known as Hazza, a journalist, TV presenter, radio host, and singer, previously based in China. He speaks about his experiences in Chinese media, and the state of Chinese media today.

Cathay Pacific recruits Mandarin-speaking staff after discrimination scandal

Zhao Yuanyuan — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 05:31:26 +0000

Following a controversy over alleged discrimination against Mandarin-speaking passengers on a flight, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier is hoping to repair its reputation among mainland customers by hiring more crew members capable of speaking their language.

Beijing Sprawl

William McCormack — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 04:32:49 +0000

In this collection of nine interconnected short stories, characters are constantly moving without really going anywhere.

Elderly Uyghurs die alone in jail, detained on trumped-up charges

Ruth Ingram — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 15:12:30 +0000

In Xinjiang, grandparents in their sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties are forced to learn Chinese and subjected to endless Communist Party propaganda in an ongoing campaign to wipe out Uyghur culture.

U.S. red states threaten China divestment, but so far, they are just virtue signaling

Eduardo Jaramillo — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:10:48 +0000

As China’s post-pandemic economic recovery falters, several U.S. states are considering action to divest public funds from Chinese equities, often citing national security and ideological reasons. However, their concerns seem to stop when there is real money at stake.

Mr. Blinken goes to Beijing

Kaiser Kuo — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:03:59 +0000

Former NSC China Director Dennis Wilder shares his thoughts on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China and what it could be for the future of U.S.-China relations.

#MeToo hits Taiwan’s entertainment industry

Zhao Yuanyuan — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:39:57 +0000

#MeToo's arrival in Taiwan has been a long time coming.

The bloodiest civil war ever: The Qing vs. the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

Paul French — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 05:51:26 +0000

"Death in those days came not just from the rain of cannons and muskets, the explosions, or the hatchets and spears. It came not just from the infection and the butchery or from the suicides. It came not just from aching famine in the war zone..."

This is the state of play at Huawei under sanctions

Arran Hope — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 13:57:34 +0000

The giant telecommunications equipment maker is counting on China’s growing indigenous microchip industry to support an ambitious attempt at diversification into new lines of business shielded from U.S. export controls.

China’s meeting with Mahmoud Abbas wasn’t really about peace

Jordyn Haime — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:24:37 +0000

Abbas’s recent trip to Beijing was more about asserting China’s standing in the Middle East than peace between Israel and Palestine.

‘Anticolonial friendships’: How anthropologists study Uyghurs in contemporary China

Darren Byler — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:41:50 +0000

Anthropology cannot “save” the people anthropologists care about. When anthropologists do speak, it should be alongside the voices of the disenfranchised, speaking as listeners and translators.

Liu Xiaobo and his ‘monstrous crimes’

James Carter — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 05:50:54 +0000

Only twice has a Nobel peace laureate died in state custody. The first time was in 1938, when German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky died in Berlin of mistreatment at the hands of his Nazi captors. The second was in the summer of 2017.

Hong Kong murders prompt discussion over reporting on LGBTQ issues

Nathan Wei — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:36:45 +0000

In Hong Kong, where violent acts are rare, a recent double murder has sent major shockwaves among locals and officials. It has also prompted media criticism among some in the LGBTQ community.

Xi met with Blinken, Li courts German businesses, Modi to visit the U.S.

Jeremy Goldkorn — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:38:50 +0000

Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing yesterday, in a bid to stabilize ties between the two superpowers. Meanwhile, China’s No. 2 official is in Berlin on a trip aimed at smoothing things over with Europe’s economic powerhouse.

China now has a lot more batteries than electric vehicles

Barry van Wyk — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:05:26 +0000

China is still producing the world’s best batteries, but a glut of low-quality EV batteries is crowding out more advanced tech.

Laurent Hou offers an offbeat look at Beijing

Neocha — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:47:02 +0000

“Although central Beijing is already overphotographed, this project brings a different vision,” says Hou.

With caution, Honduras begins its diplomatic relationship with Beijing

Alex Colville — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:04:13 +0000

In March, Honduras switched its diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing, a decision that President Xiomara Castro's administration said was purely pragmatic. For China, of course, establishing diplomatic ties wasn't just a way to get easier access to Honduran coffee, bananas, and seafood.

Women on Xiaohongshu don’t want kids. They want this monkey plushie from IKEA.

Zhao Yuanyuan — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:07:17 +0000

A stuffed ape is currently the most popular toy in China. Those who make posts about it on social media are making jabs — self-aware and humorous — at the government's request for young adults to have more children.

‘Swagger around town’ — Phrase of the Week

Andrew Methven — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:28:46 +0000

A Chinese executive is sacked after being caught on camera blatantly having an affair with a colleague.

Messi madness grips Beijing

Mark Dreyer — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:06:32 +0000

Central Beijing ground to a halt yesterday ahead of Argentina’s friendly against Australia. There was only one man everyone wanted to see.

Parsing out China’s political economy

Kaiser Kuo — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:03:59 +0000

Keyu Jin, an associate professor of economics at LSE, talks about the unique Chinese political economy, emphasizing both its successes to date and how it must change to meet the challenges to come.

A Uyghur family fled and Beijing followed, pushing for prison and extradition in Turkey and Morocco

Ruth Ingram — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 13:46:14 +0000

The precarious life of a Uyghur family in exile.

U.S. semiconductor export controls might actually give China the edge

Kyriakos Petrakakos — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 11:28:07 +0000

China’s semiconductor wafer fabrication companies are way behind their Western and Japanese peers. But new multilateral export controls targeting China may actually push Chinese firms to innovate their way into the big league.

China’s war on drugs: From incarceration to rehabilitation

Dylan Levi King — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:33:58 +0000

In the 1990s, China’s inability to contain its relatively modest drug epidemic put it on the same road as America's failed war on drugs. But then, the number of new users in China began to drop dramatically…

What an 18th-century sorcery scare tells us about imperial China

Paul French — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 05:43:28 +0000

Hysteria broke out midway through the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, as people feared that sorcerers were clipping off the ends of men’s queues and stealing their souls. Philip A. Kuhn's landmark study on this episode illuminated not just a campaign against sorcery, but the inner workings of the Qing state.

Baijiu meets coffee: Moutai’s ice-cream stores now offer spirit-infused java

Zhao Yuanyuan — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 04:38:54 +0000

Although Moutai has for years been viewed as a status of wealth and power in China, it has struggled to broaden its customer base beyond middle-aged male drinkers. Enter baijiu-infused coffee.

Honduran president in Beijing cements official ties

Jeremy Goldkorn — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 12:42:11 +0000

Xiomara Castro is the first Honduran president to pay a state visit to China, after her country switched official recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

China’s increasing influence in Myanmar’s civil war

Thompson Chau — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 10:00:21 +0000

Analysts warn that Beijing is gaining leverage in Myanmar, backing the junta and no longer actively urging the regime to return the country to its democratic transition. This doesn't come without risks, however.

Breaching the Yellow River and the horrors of war

James Carter — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 04:49:00 +0000

Yellow River flooding has killed and displaced millions over the centuries. But in June 1938, the river's levees were intentionally breached, leaving half a million civilians dead — another reminder of the impossible choices that defined much of World War II.

The N64-inspired art of Gao Hang

Neocha — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:18:17 +0000

In a painting series sarcastically titled "21st Century Realism," Houston-based Chinese artist Gao Hang reflects on our infotech era and how the fast-paced spread of information affects our social and consumer lives.

China’s Phoenix EV battery promises an eight-minute charge for a 600-mile drive

Barry van Wyk — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:05:35 +0000

Many of China’s upcoming new EV batteries are named after mythical beasts, and some of them have already entered the reality of mass production.

The battle between China and Taiwan for the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere

Alex Colville — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 09:37:17 +0000

Haiti recognizes Taiwan as China’s rightful government, and has done so since 1956. Its alliance with Taiwan — one of just 13 sovereign states that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei instead of Beijing — makes it a pawn in a much-larger political game.

BBC exposé about Japanese subway groping provokes discussion in China, then censorship

Zhao Yuanyuan — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 04:42:28 +0000

A recent BBC documentary briefly dominated Chinese social media — but then censors sprang into action, with state media weighing in.

China’s brand nationalism is actually working for foreign brands, too

Capucine Cogné — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 13:55:43 +0000

As guochao has evolved, so have the China strategies of foreign luxury brands.

Lionel Messi gets overwhelming welcome in China for match on Xi’s birthday

Nadya Yeh — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 13:44:39 +0000

The Argentinian soccer superstar was greeted with roaring adulation when he touched down in Beijing on Saturday. Messi and his national team will play a friendly match against Australia on Xi Jinping's 70th birthday.

‘A Rashomon affair’ — Phrase of the Week

Andrew Methven — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 15:28:46 +0000

A food safety scandal shows the truth is important but elusive.

‘Either way, it’s going to be Xi’s China’ — Q&A with Chun Han Wong

Jeremy Goldkorn — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 15:00:24 +0000

A conversation with Chun Han Wong, author of the new book “Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China's Superpower Future,” about life, business, and journalism in Xi’s China.

The Chairman

Phil Cunningham — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:57:15 +0000

Xi Jinping receives Mao-style adulation in the media and he is unquestionably the boss of everything in China. But there’s still one honor that eludes him.

PetroChina executive’s affair produces an unexpected fashion hit

Zhao Yuanyuan — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 05:56:38 +0000

A scandalous dress has become such a fashion sensation that state-run media had to urge avid gossip consumers not to be distracted.

Xi Jinping and the day the world changed in November 2012

Barry van Wyk — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 22:47:51 +0000

What a difference one day made. On November 15, 2012, Hu Jintao’s face was on the cover of every Chinese newspaper; the next day, Hu was gone from the front pages, and the face of Xi Jinping was (almost) everywhere.

The intellectual mood in China

Kaiser Kuo — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 18:00:34 +0000

Historian David Ownby talks about his trove of translations of writings by mainstream Chinese intellectuals, and his recent trip to China.

Forced labor on China’s cotton farms will enslave Uyghurs until the EU and UN act, a report says

Ruth Ingram — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 13:08:35 +0000

Scholars and activists say that efforts in Europe and America to combat forced labor in China are not enough.

Taiwan’s ruling DPP rocked by sexual misconduct allegations

Jordyn Haime — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:50:19 +0000

A new Taiwanese political drama called “Wavemakers” has inspired victims of sexual harassment to come forward about their experiences, leading to a "MeToo moment" that has roiled the island's ruling political party.

An evergreen reference for China’s myths and legends

Paul French — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:01:58 +0000

Written by an English-Prussian scholar who some considered, in the ugly parlance of the time, to have "gone native," the book "Myths and Legends of China" became an enduring reference for foreign and Chinese readers, writers, and academics.

China braces for another searing summer

Zhao Yuanyuan — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 05:19:10 +0000

Temperatures are already rising to unprecedented levels across China — and they're expected to get worse. Livestock, crops, and power grids are all expected to be affected. Will local governments be ready for the impact of these heat waves?

U.S. drug shortages highlight dependence on China, gray supply chains

Eduardo Jaramillo — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 23:24:45 +0000

Democrats and Republicans both talk about punishing imports of Chinese ingredients and improving America’s ability to make key drugs at home. But right now, Americans need China for their meds.

Mining the heart of Africa: China and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Alex Colville — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:57:44 +0000

At the heart of the relationship between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Republic of Congo is money — but a series of one-sided deals favoring China in the past may have the Congolese more cautious when it comes to negotiating (and renegotiating) deals in the future.

Chinese universities raise tuition fees

Nadya Yeh — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:57:23 +0000

Paying for a university education is getting a little more expensive in China, but it’s still a lot cheaper than many places in the rest of the world.

How ‘filter bubbles’ provide shelter for Chinese LGBTQ communities on social media

Forrest Song — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:52:40 +0000

Algorithmic biases have long been criticized for limiting people's exposure to diverse views. But in China — where content related to homosexuality faces the constant threat of censorship — filter bubbles can protect and nurture LGBTQ communities.

Can Yonghui’s hot tech CEO turn the supermarket chain around?

Barry van Wyk — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 10:16:47 +0000

Born as a farmers’ market in 2001, Yonghui grew rapidly as the first retail chain to bring fresh agricultural produce into Chinese supermarkets. But ecommerce and COVID changed everything. Can its new CEO, a tech platform veteran, turn it around?

Aming Lee captures life on a Taiwanese fishing boat

Neocha — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:57:23 +0000

In "There Is No God Here," Taiwanese photographer Aming Lee documents the lives of these people on what he calls "a floating prison cut off from the rest of the world."

‘White people’s food’ evokes laughter, mockery — and praise — on the Chinese internet

Zhao Yuanyuan — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 05:20:37 +0000

'Have they evolved to a point where they can generate energy without eating actual food?'

U.S.-China chills at the Shangri-La Dialogue

Jeremy Goldkorn — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:00:35 +0000

China's defense minister, Li Shangfu, and his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, had sharp words to say about each other's countries at the Shangri-La Dialogue, dashing hopes that the two superpowers might use the opportunity to stabilize fraught relations.

Taiwan’s unrecognized indigenous tribes are reviving dead languages to achieve recognition

Jordyn Haime — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 11:07:52 +0000

There are currently 16 officially recognized indigenous peoples in Taiwan. Some of the Pingpu — which comprise 10 groups on the island’s lowlands — are lobbying for recognition, and they’re doing it by reviving lost languages and culture.

This week on TikTok: China’s space ambitions and protests over a historical mosque’s renovations

Susan St.Denis — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 13:12:10 +0000

‘Three makes a crowd’ — Phrase of the Week

Andrew Methven — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 12:18:53 +0000

Cathay Pacific is in hot water after three of its crew members were accused of discriminating against passengers from mainland China.