Tea Leaf Nation

On March 25, China’s Ministry of Finance publicly released the central government’s budget for the 2013 fiscal year, which was approved by the National People’s Congress (NPC) during the closing ceremony of the annual Two Sessions meeting. Though one of the most significant legislative motions the NPC processes each year, information about the budget has [...]

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, [...]

According to the latest figures from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, about 80% of the country’s more than 250 million migrant workers are between the ages of 21 and 50. More than 73% of them are married, but most live far away from their partners. Yet not many asked themselves beforehand how they would deal [...]

Earlier this week, China’s leadership announced the merging of the Family Planning Commission, which oversees the implementation of the policy, with the Health Ministry, drawing speculation as to whether the Chinese family planning policy will be relaxed further or dropped completely in the near future. Yet what would an end to the long-standing policy, also [...]

This article also appears on The Atlantic, a Tea Leaf Nation partner site. On March 10, the secretary-general of China’s State Council, the executive branch of government, announced its plan for bureau downsizing, which was to be approved by the National People’s Congress. Upon the announcement, the plan became the most eye-catching subject for domestic [...]

This article also appeared in The Atlantic, a Tea Leaf Nation partner site. “What is the concept [behind] the Charity Law? A certain amount from everyone’s paycheck will have to be donated, just like a tax… and one single Charity Law can solve all problems facing charity in China.” This controversial idea to treat charitable [...]

A poll currently live on Chinese Internet portal Sina.com shows that a majority of over 62,000 respondents favor amending China’s Marriage Law to allow for same sex marriage. The poll allows respondents four choices: “I support it, love does not require a gender difference” has received 50.1% of the vote thus far. “I oppose it, [...]

On February 27, People’s Daily posted a long list containing 2,987 names on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter. These names are completely unknown to the average Chinese person, yet these are the supposed elected representatives of China’s 1.3 billion people. They will attend the National People’s Congress (NPC), an event of considerable pomp that will be held in [...]

Say cheese and bunny ears! Four young attendants at the National People’s Congress sessions took photos in President Hu Jintao’s throne, with his name plate, after the end of a legislative session. 

It was less than a week ago that discussions of China’s legislative powwow on microblogs seemed like fun and games – catch a few delegates snoozing and blinging, have a few laughs, repeat. No longer. Many netizens have realized that one piece of legislation slated to be passed – the Amendment to the Criminal Procedure Law [...]

The rules of the game have changed. Chinese authorities have certainly performed about-faces before (sometimes for the better), but the resources did not exist for citizens to capture and broadcast the shifts. Enter the blogosphere. Two images making the rounds on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, aptly illustrate what netizens can now do when they catch [...]

If only Guinness kept a record. Ms. Shen Jilan, a 82-year old grandmother from Shanxi province, has served as a representative to the National People’s Congress (NPC) for 55 years. She will soon rival even the late Robert Byrd, the longest-serving member in the history of the U.S. Congress, for political longevity. Considering all the [...]