policy

To Protect Small Sellers, China Moves to Limit E-Commerce Fees

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

Amid the annual 618 shopping festival, new draft rules propose more transparency on online platforms, as regulators respond to mounting complaints from merchants.

Fan Yiying

Till Debt Do Us Part: Gansu Takes Aim at Exorbitant Bride Prices

Gender imbalance, competition, and societal pressure to marry have meant that betrothal gifts have grown ever more lavish in the region — now the local government wants to rein them in.

Chen Yiru

China Bans Alcohol and Lavish Banquets Among Government Staff

In an attempt to rein in bureaucratic excess and promote frugality, the government has renewed guidelines taking aim at conspicuous consumption and glut.

He Qitong

Wu Yufei

Home Comfort: China’s New Building Code Puts Livability First

The revised national standard for residential projects aims to boost quality and market growth, but could pile more pressure on developers.

Li Xin

Sweeping Change? Call to Protect Janitors’ Right to Rest

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Students and office workers across China urge employers to give cleaning staff a break by providing designated rest areas.

The Paper

China Announces New Stimulus Plan

As tariffs bite, policymakers are cutting rates and injecting liquidity into the market.

TikTok to Tariffs: The Obscure Chinese App US Shoppers Just Found

DHgate, a two-decade-old wholesale app, is suddenly surging in the U.S. as shoppers rush to buy before new tariffs take effect.

Chinese City Offers Families $13,800 for More Kids

Hohhot, in North China, says it will pay up to 100,000 yuan per child to families with three or more kids. 

Ding Rui

Tariffs to Climate: The Big Takeaways From China’s Two Sessions

Speaking at the opening of China’s top legislature Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang outlined plans to ramp up fiscal support, drive household spending, and stabilize key industries.

Sixth Tone

Chinese National Football Team’s New Play: Anyone Can Try Out

In a bid to expand recruitment and root out corruption, the Chinese Football Association has launched an open application system that allows any player to apply for the national squad. 

Let It Burn: Why China Is Looking the Other Way on Farm Fires

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

After years of strict bans to curb pollution, China is reversing its zero-tolerance stance on crop burning, allowing controlled fires as officials navigate rural challenges and enforcement limits.

China’s Ultrashort Dramas Must Now Clear Official Review

Regulators have introduced a tiered review system for the booming industry, requiring platforms to enforce stricter content oversight before dramas can be released.

Now or Naver: The Korean Apps Packing Shanghai’s Restaurants

China’s visa-free policy opened the doors. Naver and Instagram showed them where to go. Now, South Korean tourists are flocking to a handful of Shanghai restaurants, and businesses are scrambling to keep up.

China’s Middle Class Frets as Macau Colleges Ban Non-‘Gaokao’ Students

Many Chinese families send their children to international schools to avoid the country’s grueling college-entrance exams. But they are facing growing barriers. 

Emotional Labor: Life Inside a Chinese Orphanage

A new book explores the tears, fears, and cheers experienced by orphanage staff and the children they care for.

Qian Linliang

China Introduces Yet More Tax Cuts to Spur Real Estate Market

The move comes amid a broader government effort to revive China’s economy.

Life on Call: Why Chinese Anesthesiologists Are Burning Out

Chinese anesthesiologists face a triple threat of high technical demands, high risks, and high workloads while remaining undervalued in the health care system.

China’s Latest Pro-Marriage Tactic: Grammable Wedding Venues

The government hopes to tempt couples to tie the knot by letting them register their marriage at local scenic spots, beaches, and temples.

Lin Liuhan

China Clamps Down on Fake Prescriptions After Massive Fraud Case

China will require pharmacies to process certain drug purchases through an online system, after discovering four rogue stores had forged prescriptions worth over $10 million.

Cigarette Sales Are Rising in China, Defying Global Trend

The use of “slim cigarettes” and a slowdown in official anti-tobacco efforts is concerning experts.