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.
Tag: 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.
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.
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.
Put yourself in Vladimir Putin’s shoes for a moment: how satisfying must it be to see France and the United Kingdom, co-leaders of the “coalition of the willing” formed in support of Ukraine, sinking into political crisis.
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.
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.”
👋 Haaahe!* Welcome to Friday, where Vladimir Putin warns Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be “legitimate targets,” Afghanistan is struck by third quake as death roll tops 2,200, and today’s quiz question is about David Bowie’s secret final project. Meanwhile, Bogotá-based daily El Espectador examines the debate over banning former Colombian soldiers from fighting […]
👋 Sannu!* Welcome to Thursday, where Kim Jong-un affirms his support for Vladimir Putin, the UAE denounces Israeli plans to annex the West Bank, and today’s quiz question is about a Nazi-looted Italian painting. Meanwhile, we offer a tour du monde of the state of the debate as to whether adults can physically discipline children. […]
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.
👋 Allo!* Welcome to Tuesday, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived for a historic visit in Beijing, a landslide kills more than 1,000 in Sudan’s Darfur region, and today’s quiz question features a surprising find by the French police. Meanwhile, Juanjo Ramón in Catalan-language digital media outlet Catalunya Plural looks at how Spain’s […]
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.
👋 Zdravo!* Welcome to Tuesday, where Russia continues to strike Ukraine despite Trump’s ultimatum, a lone gunman kills four in a Manhattan skyscraper and our daily quiz question is about Portugal’s down-to-earth president. Meanwhile, Basma Al-Atty in Beirut-based independent media Daraj looks at how sudden floods following years of drought have fueled conspiracy theories about […]
America is carrying massive debt, and half of it is financed by the rest of the world. If foreign nations and investors coordinated, they could force Trump to negotiate more reasonably on tariffs. Will they take the risk?
👋 Aссалом* Welcome to Tuesday, where Trump threatens Russia with steep tariffs if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days, Netanyahu’s coalition is under pressure after an ultra-Orthodox party quits and our daily quiz question is about the hacking of a famous puppet’s X account. Meanwhile, Johanna Jürgens for German weekly Die Zeit […]
While Mattel’s Barbie doll is the world’s most popular fashion doll, she faces competition from local and regional dolls: from Mimi in South Korea to Steffi Love in Germany, Worldcrunch takes a look at her past and present counterparts around the world.
May 31-June 1 • Who owns AI?• RIP Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o• Reading from a mile away• … and much more ⬇️ STARTER Poland’s presidential showdown, between Europe and its illiberal shadow It has become something of a classic pattern: every election in Europe is presented as decisive in the battle between democracy and illiberalism — […]
👋 Héébee!* Welcome to Wednesday, where fears of starvation mount as aid has yet to reach Gaza, China voices concerns over Donald Trump’s new $175-billion “Golden Dome” missile defense system, and today’s quiz highlights a slip-up by Japan’s farm minister. Meanwhile, in the wake of a very awkward moment involving the French and Turkish presidents, […]
President Donald Trump has begun eroding the United States presence in Antarctica by announcing deep funding cuts to his nation’s science and logistics on the icy continent.
As the conclave approaches, Vatican intrigue intensifies, with Italian ambitions, global rivalries and conservative strategy shaping the next papal election.
The U.S. president has tried to impress (and reshape) the world with a “tough guy” act. But it’s hardly going as planned: start by looking north of the border.
It took China a full day to finally issue a polite statement on the Pope’s death. It was one more sign of the utter failure of the Vatican to normalize relations with the Chinese as Francis had hoped.
No matter how he spins it, the U.S. president has been revealed as vulnerable — and the U.S. lost something it may never get back.
Volvo is setting records, especially with its electric cars. At its plant in Belgium, it becomes clear why the Swedish-Chinese brand is better equipped than its competitors to ride out a looming global trade war.
Trump’s tariffs are putting China’s shaky growth at serious risk. The standoff threatens to escalate across the globe, and the worst-case scenario would find the world’s two superpowers turning to other means.
The EU should resist the temptation to retaliate against U.S tariffs on European cars. If we look closer at the recent past and the uncertain future, Trump’s bad intentions produce some good.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed Ukraine and other international matters during a call on Tuesday. What do the two leaders have in common? A shared worldview alone no longer explains it.
Piles of Chinese-made plastics are now an inescapable part of Zimbabwe’s landscape, and corruption is making it impossible to clean up the mess.
The birth of a royal heir, a political assassination attempt, and the birth of Bollywood cinema.
The new U.S. tariffs on China have triggered a sharp response from Beijing. Both countries are convinced that a war between them is inevitable someday — and they’re preparing for it. While Europeans keep their eyes on Russia, Americans remain fixated on China’s rise.
In Dronero, the overwhelming majority of students enrolled in primary schools are of foreign descent, while the children of Italian parents go to school in neighboring villages. Some point to racism to explain the phenomenon, but the reality is a different one.
Washington once promoted an open, unrestricted internet, and criticized Beijing’s efforts to control its citizens’ access. But the recent “sell or ban” controversy over ByteDance’s social media platform TikTok shows that the United States may now be siding with China when it comes to digital sovereignty. Is internet freedom dead — and if so, who killed it?
China continues to rack up diplomatic points for its largely hands-off approach to the war in Ukraine, but the “grotesque” spectacle of Trump publicly abandoning a U.S. ally in need is the ideal symbol for Beijing’s message for the rest of the world about America’s would-be leadership.
With photographs from Nepal, Germany, Israel, China — among other places.