A news article published in early May suggests that reform may be in the works for China’s long-standing petitioning system, also known as the Letters and Visits system, which is often associated with scandals involving cruelty and inhumanity. On May 9, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported that in March, the State Bureau for Letters and [...]
For the past five days, the air in Beijing has been a toxic, murky haze, but the media discussion around this sensitive topic has been refreshingly open. From official state newspapers to the myriad online portals, Chinese media have reported unflinchingly on the severity of the air pollution – including the presence of PM 2.5, [...]
What do people in China really think about U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Southeast Asia? A glance at Chinese mainstream and social media depicts conflicting narratives, with topics ranging from President Obama’s now-infamous kiss with Aung San Suu Kyi to geopolitical power dynamics between China, Myanmar, and the United States. Kisses, flirtatious eyes, [...]
It’s the new normal in China. Skepticism and rumors about the death toll have seemingly followed every disaster or accident in recent years. The June 30 shopping center fire in Jixian County (蓟县), a suburb of Tianjin, is a typical example. Although the government announced later on the same day that ten people died, netizens [...]
It’s the new normal in China. Skepticism and rumors about the death toll have seemingly followed every disaster or accident in recent years. The June 30 shopping center fire in Jixian County (蓟县), a suburb of Tianjin, is a typical example. Although the government announced later on the same day that ten people died, netizens [...]
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