li-xin

Playing Tag: Oversized Clothing Labels Aim to Curb Order Returns

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 Double 11 shopping festival, apparel companies have begun attaching A4-paper-sized hangtags to garments to combat excessive returns, including from buyers who return garments after wearing them.

(Not) Old Enough! Chinese Kids’ Apps Under Fire for Explicit Ads

BabyBus, one of the nation’s largest educational app platforms, has been criticized by parents after their children witnessed violent and erotic ads on several of its apps.

Chinese Government Launches Campaign to Regulate Livestream Tipping

China’s internet regulator is stepping up efforts to curb fraudulent and exploitative tipping practices during livestreams, signaling intensified government scrutiny of the fast-growing sector.

Fast, Cheap, Stolen: The Plagiarism Behind China’s Short Drama Boom

As studios rush to feed China’s short-drama craze, web novel writers say their work is being taken, rewritten, and sold without consent or credit.

AI to Health Care: Takeaways From Shanghai’s Top Think Tank

The mayor’s business advisory council met to discuss ways the city can become more globally competitive, with attending experts suggesting it capitalize on AI and develop its health care system.

Winds of Change: China Unveils Vast Wind Power Goals for 2030

The country seeks to double its current wind capacity in the next five years, in line with its overall transition to renewable energies and a sustainable future.

Just a Number: China Eases Age Restrictions on Civil Service

Local governments across China are easing age restrictions for civil service applicants as part of a nationwide push to combat age discrimination, signaling a shift toward more inclusive hiring practices in the country.

Airport Controversy Sparks Accessibility Conversation in China

A well-known disabled Taiwanese singer called out airport staff online for the difficulty he had boarding a plane while using a wheelchair, leading to a national discussion on public accessibility.

Something Borrowed: Young Chinese Fuel a Golden Week Rental Boom

Young travelers are swapping ownership for access, renting drones, cameras, and camping gear to cut costs and waste.

In China’s ‘Sympathy Economy,’ Trauma Finds a Livestream Stage

By selling through personal tragedy, livestreamers are sparking solidarity purchases, and in recent months, fierce debate over whether compassion can, or should, be monetized.

Young Chinese Are Singing the Night Away — and Burning Calories

Young people are taking to KTV parlors explicitly so as to lose weight, with some losing multiple kilos over the course of several hours.

Shanghai Court Fines Game Boosting Studio, Setting Precedent 

The court’s ruling comes amidst the rise of in-game performance-enhancing methods in China, setting the stage for greater regulation of ethical practices in the gaming industry and among players.

Two Unlikely Travel Buddies Find Road to Stardom

After becoming close friends, a Chinese vlogger and a Bangladeshi rickshaw driver have captured the imagination of millions online.

China’s Latest Meme Is Sponge Gourd Soup

A recent viral video involving the humble dish has helped make it synonymous with parental nagging and the generational communication divide between parents and children.

Ziroom Evicts Couple From Guangzhou Rental After Baby’s Birth

The case has sparked debate in China, where authorities are offering subsidies to encourage births even as the rental giant cited occupancy rules in ending the lease.

China Tightens Rules on Study Aids to Ease Student Pressure

Shanghai, Shenzhen and other cities are curbing extra workbooks as authorities double down on reforms to ease exam stress.

China’s Higher Ed Reform Pivots From Old Majors to New Tech

The new plan calls for integrating AI and the sciences into curricula, building a national data platform, and steering resources to high-demand fields.

The Dugong, Mammal of Mermaid Lore, Returns to China’s Waters

Just two years after being declared extinct, the dugong has been sighted again in the South China Sea, a sign of progress in ecological restoration.

‘It was a Trap’: In China, Non-Competes Leave Workers in Limbo

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

Though intended to protect trade secrets, non-compete agreements are being forced on even low-level employees, stifling job mobility and career growth, experts say.

After 4-Day Search, Boy With Autism Found Dead in SW China

The boy’s disappearance during a summer camp trip prompted nationwide concern. Authorities are now investigating the company that organized it.