As they made their debut, China’s new leadership laid out a promising vision of the future for the world’s second largest economy, but may face difficulties making that vision a reality. New Premier Li Keqiang unveiled a plan during a National People’s Congress press conference: 10 million rural residents will move to cities each year, [...]
This article also appears on The Atlantic, a Tea Leaf Nation partner site. Has China just become a country run by lawyers? That does appear to be the case at first blush. Three newly-minted top leaders all have legal degrees. President Xi Jinping has an LLD from Tsinghua University, Prime Minister Li Keqiang has an LLB [...]
What has the world come to? Is nothing sacred anymore? The venerable propagandist institution known as the 7pm newscast on China Central Television (CCTV) usually offers comfort to those drowning in the turbulent sea of information by producing hopelessly formulaic segments on comings and goings of China’s top leadership, night after night. Alas, the February 6 [...]
This article also appears on Tea Leaf Nation partner sites ChinaFile and The Atlantic. Glad-handing with the locals. Kissing babies. Eating fast food. These are tried and true ways that American politicians seek to advertise their common touch; but when China’s new leaders employ these methods, it is greeted as a pleasant surprise, maybe even a sign [...]
This article also appears on The Atlantic, a Tea Leaf Nation partner site. In late October and early November, a 25-year-old man sought treatment for lung cancer at two hospitals in Beijing and the northeastern Chinese city of Tianjin. After a blood test, he was found to be HIV positive. Doctors at both hospitals refused [...]
With China’s new slate of top leaders finally unveiled, Web users quickly took to Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, to share their impressions. While many were confined to speculating about whether new leader Xi Jinping and his colleagues would pursue the road toward reform, others attempted something a bit more, er, scientific: The horoscope. Less than [...]
If China’s economy collapses, you certainly won’t be able to say that well-known commentator Liu Shengjun (@刘胜军改革) didn’t warn you. On Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, Liu started an ongoing thread entitled “China’s Miracle is an Illusion.” He wrote: “I was speaking about reform at a gathering of colleagues. Our view: At present, the Chinese economy [...]
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