China Stories

What should be done when values like the free-flow of information conflict with equally important values like the rule of law and the protection of personal and property rights? The legal battle over the diaries Li Rui, a former secretary to Mao Zedong, asks that very question. Read the article by John Pomfret: https://www.thewirechina.com/2021/09/26/the-diary-duel/ Narrated by Cliff Larsen....

The latest casualty of the celebrity crackdown: the plastic surgery industry. Read the article: https://www.weekinchina.com/2021/09/scalpels-under-scrutiny/ Narrated by: Alex Urist. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The embattled developer has shown itself to be a master at hiding debt, employing methods such as debt disguised as equity and acquisitions that have yet to be paid for. Read the article by Wang Jing, Chen Bo, Yu Ning, Zhu Liangtao, Wang Juanjuan and Zhou Wenmin: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-09-22/in-depth-how-evergrande-hid-its-debt-101776300.html Narrated by: Nandini Venkata. See Privacy Po...

Tencent and Bytedance are racing to plant their flags on the ‘metaverse’. Read the article: https://www.weekinchina.com/2021/09/digital-realities/ Narrated by: Sylvia Franke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Hydropower-rich Yunnan is struggling to balance its longtime role as a source of cheap electricity with aspirations to build up its own manufacturing industry. Read the article by Luo Guoping, Chen Xuewan and Wang Jing: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-09-16/in-depth-chinas-climate-goals-leave-one-province-torn-between-past-and-future-101774377.html Narrated by: Anthony Tao. See Privacy Policy at...

Maritime archeology sees a boost as China looks to reclaim its Silk Road history. Read the article by Emily Conrad: https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2020/09/under-the-sea/ Narrated by Sylvia Franke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Jiang Zemin, who succeeded Deng Xiaoping and was the first PRC leader who was not of the Long March generation, proved to be more formidable than anyone anticipated. Read the article by James Carter: https://supchina.com/2021/09/22/jiang-zemin-and-the-prcs-first-orderly-transfer-of-power/ Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...

What do the big policy announcements on Qianhai and Hengqin mean? Read the article: https://www.weekinchina.com/2021/09/in-the-zone-2/ Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

For years, Amazon recruited Chinese sellers aggressively. But many Chinese sellers' bad practices now have the e-commerce giant on the defensive. Read the article by Anastasiia Carrier: https://www.thewirechina.com/2021/09/19/package-deal/ Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A number of accounts have been suspended, even deleted, after voicing support for the plaintiff. Read the article by Shen Lu: https://www.protocol.com/china/china-weibo-metoo-account-suspension Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A slew of recent work-related deaths have prompted Chinese to ask themselves some unusual questions. Read the article by Wei Zhou: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-02-06/weekend-long-read-deaths-on-the-job-make-people-mull-the-meaning-of-work-101660925.html Wei Zhou is a columnist for Caixin. Narrated by: Nandini Venkata See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

The Chinese startup has won over Western shoppers by churning out trending styles at ultra-low prices. But at what cost? Read the article by Wu Peiyue: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1008472/the-shady-labor-practices-underpinning-sheins-global-fashion-empire Narrated by Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-...

China's drive to reform the beautiful game is riddled with scandal, debt, and disregard for fans. Read the article by Sam Davies: https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2021/09/foul-play-why-chinese-football-is-built-on-shaky-ground/ Narrated by: Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Chinese women are fed up with dating self-absorbed men. Now, “butler cafés” are offering them more attentive male company — for a fee. Read the article by Zhang Wanqing: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1008384/chinas-hottest-new-rental-service-men-who-actually-listen narrated by: Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy...

Simon Murray’s page-turner book recounts his days with KS Li and Jardines. Read the article: https://www.weekinchina.com/2021/09/a-life-in-full/ Narrated by: Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A state-produced TV series chronicling the May Fourth Movement and the founding of the Chinese Communist Party is an unexpected critical success. Read the article by Brian Wu: https://supchina.com/2021/09/14/age-of-awakening-chinese-revolutionary-drama/ Narrated by Sarah Kutulakos. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel...

Though not as well remembered as Nixon's trip or ping-pong diplomacy, the "music diplomacy" carried out by the Philadelphia Orchestra was a key aspect in China's attempt to re-engage with the world as the Cultural Revolution wound down. Read the article by James Carter: https://supchina.com/2021/09/15/in-1973-the-philadelphia-orchestra-visited-china/ Narrated by John Darwin Van Fleet. See Privacy...

Academics debate how China’s wealth inequality can be addressed, from tinkering with markets to adjusting government redistribution. Read the article written by Yu Hairong, Cheng Siwei and Thomas Zhang: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-09-09/in-depth-whats-standing-in-the-way-of-common-prosperity-101771234.html Narrated by Heather Mowbray. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Calif...

Why does China need a new stock exchange in Beijing? Read the article: https://www.weekinchina.com/2021/09/a-tale-of-three-cities/ Narrated by Sylvia Franke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Many Chinese migrants crossed the border illegally, often to engage in telecom and online fraud. China wants them back. Read the article by Qin Jianhang, Yi Yingzi, Zhu Tianyi and Cai Xuejiao: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-09-10/in-depth-chinese-migrants-long-way-back-from-scammer-havens-in-myanmar-101771748.html Narrated by Heather Mowbray. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

These company-controlled organizations will promote the interests of the Party, not workers. Read the article by Shen Lu: https://www.protocol.com/china/china-tech-companies-unions Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The wild stock movements of several small cap Chinese companies — and the U.S. firms that advise them — are raising eyebrows on Wall Street. Read the article by Katrina Northrop: https://www.thewirechina.com/2021/09/12/the-boom-bust-backlash/ Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The recent crackdown on the entertainment industry shows that Chinese want cultural icons to have high moral standing. Read the article by Wei Zhou: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-09-04/weekend-long-read-why-chinese-pop-stars-are-expected-to-be-moral-models-and-fail-101768643.html Narrated by Kaiser Kuo See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art...

China’s addictive snack, binglang, is part carcinogen, part cultural heritage. Read the article by Hatty Liu: https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2019/07/tough-nut-to-crack/ Narrated by Alex Urist. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The attitudes that shaped the Open Door Notes remain visible in the ways the two nations view one another: China bristling at affronts to its sovereignty, America imagining itself as able to transcend the rivalries and arrangements of other nations. Read the article by James Carter: https://supchina.com/2021/09/08/u-s-china-trade-was-never-intended-to-be-fair/ Narrated by John Darwin Van Fleet. Se...