Red Lanterns

Nine hours of lessons a day plus homework in the evening, parental expectations, anxiety about the gaokao, the exam that opens the doors to the best universities. A recent study reveals the widespread feeling of never being good enough. The toll of the long years of the ‘one-child policy’ is also evident in the relational difficulties of today's teenagers.

The implications of Trump’s trade war are being vetted in Beijing. For sociologist Sun Liping, it is time “to overcome the obsession with a production-oriented model of society” and instead increase “domestic consumption”.

China’s Ministry of Commerce accuses Washington of "unilateral bullying" but keeps channels of communication open. Beijing had already launched stimulus measures for domestic consumption, expecting lower exports, but now it will also have to deal with the fallout from the heavy tariffs imposed on Southeast Asia. The chances for free trade area with Japan and South Korea have improved.

The Bangladeshi leader starts a four-day visit that is viewed with suspicion in New Delhi at a time when the regional balance of power in South Asia is still shaky after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. Reducing interest on its loans is Dhaka's most important request to Xi Jinping. Large Chinese investments in solar panel production and other outsourcing opportunities in Bangladesh are other top issues.

One million Chinese will be living in Japan by next year, according to some estimates, driven by families enrolling their children in academies linked to Japan’s animation industry, where the best talents are offered the possibility of permanent residence. About 70 per cent of foreign students today come from mainland China, but distrust is growing towards them.

Called "space oil” because it makes people feel as if they were in space, the substance is taken through electronic cigarettes. Its basic ingredient is an anaesthetic, etomidate. It is increasingly popular among youth in Hong Kong, but also mainland China and Taiwan. A “zero tolerance” policy has failed so far to deal with the real causes of the problem.

One way to understand the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative is to look at where most students at Chinese universities come from, namely Central Asia, Africa, and South America. For them, the People's Republic is the land of opportunities, but also the cultural backdrop of their daily life. They are unlikely to stay in China but will end up working for Chinese companies in their home countries.

Despite the risk of persecution, Thailand deported 40 Uyghurs held for over a decade. Activists and NGOs say the group risks persecution in China. The Thai government confirmed the news after the fact, while for Beijing it is a case of “illegal migration”.

The Global Times describes Trump’s attack on Zelensky as interference in internal affairs and his proposal to end the war a hasty solution that risks increasing tensions, further complicating geopolitical dynamics. China does not want to be left on the sidelines of the issue. Some analysts see a "Nixon in reverse" effect to break Xi-Putin axis.

Mainland Chinese scholars are increasingly challenging the Out-of-Taiwan theory for aboriginal peoples whose ancestors crossed the ocean and settled thousands of miles. This comes as Beijing and Taipei continue their battle over alliances in the Pacific.

The explosion of "cheap" alternative to ChatGPT is the result of China’s bet on internal competition among large companies and startups to develop the most advanced AI systems. A stinging defeat in a Go tournament is having a greater impact than US sanctions on the advanced microchip exports to China.

In agreement with the Holy See, the current bishop of Xiamen took office today in one of the most historically important sees of the Church in China. The province is right across from Taiwan in a politically very sensitive context. For him, the challenge of reaching out to underground communities, while reiterating cumbersome slogans about “patriotism”.