It used to be that Taiwan’s multi-generational family lived together and cared for each other. Low birthrates and rising economic pain are reformulating the equation for all.
country: China
Stay updated with comprehensive news on China from Worldcrunch. Discover insights on Chinese politics, economic developments, societal issues, and cultural landmarks with translations from top international sources. Highlights include Beijing, Shanghai, and events like the Chinese New Year.
Nanjing-based Chinese novelist Lu Min walks us through her journey before and after becoming a writer — and how her work explores one of the most transformative eras of social change in China.
It’s not that food delivery has changed our lives, but rather that everything in our lives has been validated by food delivery.
As the U.S.-China standoff sways, President Donald Trump’s administrative stance toward Chinese students has wavered. In the U.S., they’re at times branded as potential spies; in China, coming home can carry the stigma of disloyalty. Caught in the middle, many are weighing life-changing decisions with no safe choice.
The Russian president’s visit to India is significant, indicative of the major moves aimed at redefining the world order — just like Emmanuel Macron’s trip to China.
French President Emmanuel Macron has multiple and perhaps conflicting priorities as he lands in China to meet President Xi Jinping.
Because of her comments that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would constitute an “existential threat” to Japan, the Japanese prime minister has been facing Beijing’s wrath for three weeks. Taiwan is the central issue in East Asian tensions, and Donald Trump has stepped in with characteristic ambivalence.
Packed with more and more digitally-powered features, today’s vehicles are more advanced than ever, and more prone to failure. As recalls surge, experts warn that the race for innovation may be pushing quality control to the limit.
This isolated Central Asian nation, ruled by a tightly controlled regime and sitting on vast natural gas reserves, is being driven to seek new energy markets as the war in Ukraine reshapes global supply routes.
For declaring that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be an “existential threat” to Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been the target of a hostile campaign in China. The Taiwan issue remains explosive, especially given Donald Trump’s ambiguous stance.
Researchers in China say a rising number of unemployed university graduates feel as though they are being forced to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees. It is distorting the entire Chinese academia system.
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have negotiated a truce in their trade war, delaying China’s planned restrictions on rare earth exports. Yet Trump has been forced to back down in the face of a strong Chinese response, a miscalculation that could have long-term consequences, also for Taiwan.
Beyond U.S. tariffs, the deeper economic drag in China is domestic: weak demand, a deflationary price war, debt laden local governments mortgaging assets, and collapsing trust between private business and the state.
Paris Calling, Worldcrunch’s new podcast series, where each episode introduces you to a notable person from somewhere in the world — in their own voice, in English. Today, we have Shi Yang Shi, a Chinese-Italian actor, who takes us through his self-discovery journey from a privileged childhood in China to rebuilding a life in Italy, and how acting became his way of exploring identity, faith and belonging between two worlds.
China is now wielding a U.S.-style extraterritorial law on rare-earth trade. It has tilted the balance of power in its favor, but rattled global markets and left the rest of the world caught in the crossfire.
A week of record highs flipped to panic with new China tariff talk, exposing fragile nerves as experts warn that a fast growing $2.2 trillion private credit market with light oversight, risky PIK structures, and bank and insurer exposure could turn the next shock into a chain reaction.
Tibetan Buddhist nuns are breaking centuries-old barriers, earning the highest degrees in their tradition and taking on leadership roles across monastic and community institutions.
China has halted purchases of U.S. soybeans, cutting American farmers off from billions of dollars in revenue. It is a crucial example of how amid Donald Trump’s trade war is hitting his own voters, and feeding geopolitical rivalries beyond traditional diplomatic or military areas.
China is positioning itself as the world’s champion for renewable energy and has been heavily investing in the sector for the last 20 years. In order to support its renewables sector and consolidate the supply chain, it has also been financing mega-projects that exploit natural resources such as coal and oil — particularly in Africa.
Will compulsory social security weigh down small and medium-sized enterprises and jobs, or safeguard the future of ordinary workers?
China has banned imports of semiconductors from the American company Nvidia, marking a new episode in their technological war with the United States. China is standing up to Donald Trump, bolstered by its technological capabilities that rival those of the Silicon Valley giants.
Xi Jinping’s military show in Beijing and his alliance of autocrats may look like the dawn of a new world order, yet the economic, scientific, and military balance still tilts toward the democracies of the West.
Sales are falling, rivals are surging, and China no longer craves the four rings. CEO Gernot Döllner is cutting bureaucracy, betting on speed, and trying to steer the brand through a maze of tariffs, scandals, and shifting markets.
After several fruitless days glued to livestreams, Zhang Linwei thought about quitting. “When it went from giving me emotional value to draining my energy, I just didn’t want to continue.”
A hot-mic chat between the Russian and Chinese leaders echoes a century of utopian schemes to defeat mortality.
In China, “Fashion Grandmothers” on Douyin are redefining aging, blending style, storytelling, and social media stardom. Retirees in elegant cheongsams and trendy outfits are challenging stereotypes, attracting millions of young followers, and turning old age into the latest cultural trend.
Beijing is using the anniversary of the end of World War II to project its new power in opposition to the United States. Donald Trump has accused Xi Jinping of downplaying American support for China in defeating Japan and of “plotting” against America.
The leaders of Russia, India and China were all smiles as they posed for a photo on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, with their thoughts on the “absent” Donald Trump. The battle for world order in the 21st century captured in a single photo.
With the regional summit in Tianjin and the impressive military parade planned for Wednesday in Beijing, to be attended by Vladimir Putin and other non-Western leaders, Xi Jinping’s China is showing its ambition to position itself as the leader of a “front of opposition” to Trump’s America.
China’s current food waste challenge is more of a production than a consumption problem.
Once seen as a regional military power reliant on outdated Soviet tech, China is now emerging as a global force with cutting-edge weaponry. From stealth jets to next-gen drones, the country’s rapidly advancing arsenal is redefining the balance of power in global conflict zones.
Maoism seduced universities worldwide in the 1960s and 70s, harming tolerance and academic excellence in the process. Today, that fascination has morphed in countries like Colombia into awe of China the superpower, which is equally unnerving.
As Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government doubles down on highways and combustion engines, critics warn that ignoring electric trends and digital innovation could cost Germany its place in the global auto industry.
One-quarter of the way into the 21st century, Israel is emerging not only as a staunch ally of the United States but also as the dominant regional power. That inevitably places it in direct competition with Iran, both in its current theocratic form and in a potential free and democratic future.
With photographs from Kyiv, Bangkok and Zurich — among other places.
With Chinese bank loans overdue, Harare charges residents for major upgrades that were never completed.
On July 3, Russia recognized the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, a decision that will have a significant effect on the positions of other nations, particularly those in Central Asia.
Lavish dinners and alcohol-fueled networking among China’s civil servants face strict new limits, as Beijing imposes austerity measures to curb rising public debt — leaving the catering sector reeling.
The Dalai Lama has warned his followers against any attempt to name his successor outside the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, a veiled reference to the Chinese Communist Party, which seeks to control the reincarnation process of the 90-year-old spiritual leader.
Eight decades after the UN Charter was signed, the so-called rules-based order is looking pretty battered. Still, the fact that someone breaks a rule doesn’t make it invalid. Law and reality never fully align. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need law.