Beijing (dpa) – North Korea’s surprise claim that it had successfully conducted a fourth nuclear bomb test this week renewed fears and ignited a chorus of condemnation around the world. If confirmed, the detonation would …
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Why millions of Chinese parents left their children behind
Beijing (GlobalPost) — In some ways, Lai Wei and her husband faced the same dilemma that many foreigners who move to Beijing to pursue career opportunities struggle with. Should they bring their daughter to the big city, …
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Worst smog of the winter blankets Beijing, angers residents
Beijing (dpa) – The worst smog of the winter so far enveloped Beijing Monday as recorded air pollution levels reached over 20 times international safety limits. Authorities in the Chinese capital on Sunday issued the …
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South China Morning Post CEO confirms talks over possible sale
By Christy Choi and Joanna Chiu, dpa Hong Kong (dpa) – The venerable Hong Kong-based English broadsheet South China Morning Post confirmed it is in talks to sell stakes in the paper with a yet unidentified interested …
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Alibaba smashes sales record for China’s Singles’ Day with $9.3 billion in 12 hours
Beijing (Mashable) — China’s Singles’ Day, otherwise known as the world’s biggest online shopping event, was bigger and better this year, going by the numbers of its lead online shopping sites. Alibaba said that by mid-day on …
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The very real danger of fake cosmetics from China
Beijing (Mashable) — China is the world capital of fakes. Here you can get counterfeit handbags, watches and electronics that look identical to the real goods. You can visit an amusement park with over 130 replicas …
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Mobile chat apps are latest battleground in war on Chinese fakes
Beijing (dpa) – A woman from south China’s tropical island province of Hainan made 400,000 yuan (63,000 US dollars) last year by selling counterfeit handbags using a mobile chat application. The 27-year-old, who only gave …
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Interview: China-Taiwan summit: High stakes in meeting, says mainland academic
Beijing (dpa) – Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou are scheduled to hold talks on Saturday in Singapore, the first face-to-face meeting between leaders since the two sides split in 1949 after …
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Commentary: Turn up the volume on Canadian media diversity
Herizons, fall 2015 – As a journalist in my mid-20s, I should have plenty to feel confident about. After getting a master’s degree in journalism from an Ivy League university, I moved to China, where I …
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China to let couples have two children as it ends one-child policy
Beijing (dpa) -China is to abolish its one-child policy and allow all couples to have two children, the official Xinhua news agency reported Thursday from a meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party …
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Legal loopholes in China fail to stop sexual abuse of children
Beijing (dpa) – A tax official in south China’s Sichuan province paid 6,000 yuan (945 dollars) in 2009 to have sex with a virgin but escaped with only a 5,000-yuan fine after he told police …
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Managing migration
Tongzhou (The Economist) – Yuan Quan has beaten the odds as a young woman from a small mountainous city in Hubei, a province in central China. She earned one of the few spots available to non-local …
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Chinese philanthropist arrested for rape in school charity scam
Beijing (dpa) – A man in south China’s Guangxi province has been arrested on suspicion of raping underage girls after earning their trust through setting up a charity that raised money for their schooling, according to …
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Chinese models ignore rampant sexual harassment to collect higher-than-average paychecks
This is the first in my series of monthly investigations into China’s fashion and beauty industries for Glammonitor. “Last winter during lunar new year festival, I had to shoot off firecrackers in the snow wearing …
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Beijing on lockdown ahead of big Victory Day military parade
See @dpa’s full coverage of the parade here. Beijing (dpa) – Beijing residents have been relishing “blue sky days” in the run-up to a huge military parade next week, to mark the 70th anniversary of the end …
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Chinese feminists jailed
Commentary for Herizons magazine. Views expressed are my opinions only. I recently had lunch in Shanghai with a young woman who helped to put on plays to raise awareness about gender inequality in her community. In …
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China investors brace for stock market free fall
Beijing (dpa) – China has rolled out a dizzying array of stimulus and loosening measures this year, including multiple interest rate cuts and this month’s surprise yuan devaluations. But investors are increasingly showing signs that …
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Many Chinese gays prefer fake marriages to facing family at home
BEIJING, Global Post— William and Andi, husband and wife of four years, hadn’t seen each other for months. Andi arrived at William’s apartment sweaty from a bicycle ride through the Beijing summer haze. William brought her …
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After scare of yuan’s fall, world anxious for answers on path ahead
Beijing (dpa) – “Trust the market, respect the market, fear the market, and follow the market,” the deputy governor of China’s central bank said at a rare press briefing Thursday as the world tried to …
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At least 50 dead after blasts rock Tianjin, fire fills sky over port
Beijing (dpa) – Explosions and a fireball at a chemical warehouse killed at least 50 people in the north-eastern Chinese port city of Tianjin, news reports said Thursday. The magnitude of the initial blast late …
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China publishes “confession” of law firm director, arrests continue
Beijing (dpa) – Chinese state media has published an alleged confession from the director of a law firm that has been a focus of a nationwide crackdown on human rights lawyers. “I plead guilty,” Zhou …
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Over 100 China lawyers and activists arrested in nationwide crackdown
Beijing (dpa) – More than 100 human rights lawyers and activists from 15 cities and provinces in China have been detained, have disappeared or been summoned by police in a nationwide crackdown, rights groups said …
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Chinese investors dismiss government efforts to prop up stock market
Beijing (dpa) – A quote from China’s architect of free market reforms, Deng Xiaoping, has been going viral on the country’s WeChat messaging service. “Certain aspects of capitalism can be adopted by socialism. We should …
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China adopts sweeping new national security law
Beijing (dpa) – China’s legislature approved a sweeping national security law Wednesday to tighten control of the internet and empower the state to take “all necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty. The far-reaching and vaguely …
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China-led development bank set up in Beijing
Beijing (dpa) – A China-backed Asian development bank was officially established in Beijing Monday, state media reported, capping months of debate over which countries would participate and about China’s growing financial clout abroad. China will …
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Chinese investment in Europe hits 46 billion euros
Beijing (dpa) – Chinese capital is increasingly flowing into Europe, soaring from virtually zero in the mid-2000s to 14 billion euros (16 billion dollars) in 2014, according to the first comprehensive study of China’s investment …
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What next for Hong Kong’s democracy movement?
Hong Kong (dpa) – Hong Kong lawmakers on Thursday successfully blocked a Beijing-backed election reform package that triggered the biggest unrest in years in the Chinese territory. Legislators voted to reject the controversial plan that …
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China detains two rights activists in widening crackdown
Beijing (dpa) – Two former directors of a Beijing-based human rights group have been detained, the group said late Sunday. Guo Bin and Yang Zhanqing, former senior staff members of the Yirenping Center, were detained Friday and accused …
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Chinese lawyers, activists question Beijing report on rights record
China has released an annual report extolling the country’s “unique pattern of protecting human rights.” But activists and lawyers say 2014 was “appalling” for the country’s human rights record. Beijing (dpa) – China released a …
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Chinese authorities censor questions about Yangtze ship sinking
Beijing (dpa) – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang bowed his head Wednesday morning in a moment of silence for victims of a cruise ship accident on the Yangtze River. Since the ship capsized in stormy weather Monday, state media have …
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Hundreds feared dead on riverboat “journey of no return” in China
Beijing (dpa) – Zhang Hui did not know how to swim but he floated in the stormy waters of the Yangtze River for 10 hours after a cruise ship he was travelling on along with …
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Relatives blame “metal foam houses” for China rest home deaths
Beijing (dpa) – Relatives of two people who died in a fire that killed dozens at a retirement home in central China blamed poor quality housing for many deaths Tuesday. At least 38 people died …
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Solar flight pilot: Pacific leg is “most challenging” ever attempted
Beijing (dpa) – Andre Borschberg is attempting to break the record for the longest solo plane flight in history – and he plans to do so in a plane that runs entirely on sunlight. The …
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Chinese question risk of war after US navy plane’s overflight
Beijing (dpa) – A US navy surveillance plane flew over disputed islands in the South China Sea, prompting the Chinese navy to issue several warnings, a news report said Thursday. “This is the Chinese navy … …
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Migrant workers in Beijing to get chance for more equal rights
Beijing (dpa) – When Zhang Jing’s neighborhood was named a pilot zone for a government scheme where migrant workers could earn points toward resident status, she thought it was the stroke of fortune her family …
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China scrambles to fill job vacancies amid graft crackdown
Chinese President Xi’s anti-corruption crackdown has made headlines around the world, but it has also created a headache for provincial authorities having to fill thousands of suddenly vacated posts. Datong, China (dpa) – The new brick …
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China calls for new regional order, defends Silk Road plan
Boao, China (dpa) — Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the world’s nations on Saturday to support Beijing’s ideas for a new development bank and “Silk Road” strategy to serve Asia. The development bank and plans …
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Detained Chinese feminists in dangerously poor health, lawyers warn
Beijing (dpa) – Concern is growing over the health of two out of five feminist activists detained in China this month in the run-up to International Women’s Day, their lawyers said Tuesday. Wang Man is suffering …
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Beijing ramps up Winter Olympics bid campaign amid human rights objections
Beijing (dpa) – Human rights groups are warning that giving the 2022 Winter Olympics Games to Beijing would be “making the same mistake twice”, as the bidding process between Beijing and one other competitor enters …
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Chinese debate potential collapse of Communist Party
Beijing (dpa) – A debate over the potential collapse of the Chinese Communist Party, sparked by a US academic, has hit a nerve in China as the country’s top legislators meet in Beijing. President Xi …
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China sets lower growth target as annual congress begins
Beijing (dpa) – China’s Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday lowered the growth target for China this year to “approximately 7 per cent.” The sobering projection was in his report presented at the opening of the …
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Atmosphere of fear expected to dominate China’s annual parliament
Beijing (dpa) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to “comprehensively apply strictness in governing the party.” If anyone was in doubt of that, they needed to look no further than the at least 36 senior …
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China’s military corruption threatens Communist Party, analysts say
Beijing (dpa) – China’s Red Army, founded in 1927, holds a lofty place in Chinese Communist Party lore as a band of peasants, bandits and idealists who used guerilla tactics to stave off Japanese invasions …
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Students in China rail against government restrictions
Beijing (dpa) – Foreign relations student Cai is no fan of being told what books he can – or rather cannot – study for his degree at the North China Institute of Science and Technology. …
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Novelist Chan Koonchung on rifts and desire for belonging in China
A renowned Chinese author has published a novel exploring the tension between Han Chinese and Tibetans. He tells dpa in a Beijing interview how he copes with censorship and what government officials warned him about …
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Difficult transition ahead as China’s coal consumption drops
As China’s coal consumption drops for the first time in years, environmentalists and experts say China can seize the opportunity to reform a polluting industry. Beijing (dpa) – China, the world’s largest consumer of coal …
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China’s VPN crackdown a bad sign for online freedom, analysts say
Beijing’s recent clampdown on virtual private networks, used to get around internet restrictions, is mostly a political measure aimed at Chinese citizens, not foreigners, experts say Beijing (dpa) – China is upgrading its internet controls, known collectively …
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Chinese economic growth slowest in 24 years
Beijing (dpa) – China’s economy grew last year by 7.4 per cent, the weakest growth in 24 years, according to official figures released Tuesday. The annual growth figure missed the government’s target of 7.5 per cent …
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Car-buying limits spark national debate in China
Major Chinese cities are restricting the numbers of new cars on the road in an attempt to tackle the twin urban headaches of pollution and congestion – but are they doing any good? Beijing (dpa) …
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Here’s what’s next for Hong Kong’s embattled democracy movement
GlobalPost — Pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong have entered their third month, with protesters in parkas and toques now camped under Christmas lights. But while some vow to step up confrontations with police, protest leaders are …
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China changes foster parenting rules to improve quality of care
New regulations for foster care could benefit children in the long term, experts say, but may make scarce foster families even rarer Beijing (dpa) – Five-year-old Jian Jian was abandoned at a shelter as a …
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Corrupt former Chinese officials hiding out in Western countries
Beijing (dpa) – A former vice minister tasked with steering China’s economy was reportedly holding a fake Australian passport, an airline ticket to Sydney and about 2 million dollars in cash when he was arrested …
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Hong Kong’s protests: Poor conversation
The city’s leader suggests democracy could give the poor too much power From the print edition, The Economist – IT WAS a scene that must have made China’s leaders squirm with uncomfortable memories. On October 21st senior …
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Hong Kong’s protests: Chipping away
From the print edition, The Economist – MORE than two weeks after failing to shift pro-democracy protesters with tear gas and pepper spray, police in Hong Kong have begun to step up pressure on the …
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Police and pro-democracy protesters clash in Hong Kong
Hong Kong (dpa) – Police were struggling to keep crowds off main roads in Hong Kong late Friday after nearly three weeks of demonstrations for open elections in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Protesters in the “Occupy” movement used …
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More argy-bargy: Hong Kong heats up again
The Economist, Analects – MASKED men attacked pro-democracy protesters for the second time in as many weeks on the morning of October 13th in Hong Kong’s Admiralty business district. The scuffles prompted bankers walking to work …
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Thousands return to Hong Kong streets in protest
Sylvia Hui and Joanna Chiu, Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands of protesters poured into a main road in Hong Kong for a pro-democracy rally late Friday, reviving a civil disobedience movement a day …
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Hong Kong protests: Ebbing but maybe not ending
Analects, The Economist – THE number of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong has shrunk from tens of thousands at the demonstrations’ peak to a few hundred scattered across three districts of the city, as people return …
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Hong Kong street brawl reveals limits of protest leadership
A large but mostly ‘leaderless’ movement is struggling to control supporters scattered throughout the city Al Jazeera America – Hong Kong protest leaders watched helplessly from afar as hostile mobs destroyed encampments and attacked demonstrators in …
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Profile: Prominent figures in the Hong Kong democracy movement
Hong Kong (dpa) – Over the past week, thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong have blocked government buildings as well as major roads in five key districts of the Chinese territory. The protests have been …
