Featured stories about China
Stories about China
Australian journalists imprisoned in China anxiously await diplomatic breakthrough
Australian novelist Yang Hengjun has been awaiting the verdict on his case in China for more than two years after being accused of spying. Now he fears he may die in detention
The Chinese 2023 map has nothing new. But why are China’s neighbours mad about it?
The strongest reactions came from countries in Southeast Asia as the Chinese map claims virtually the entirety of the South China Sea.
China retaliates as Japan discharges treated radioactive water from Fukushima
China is the only country in the world that bans seafood from Japan over Fukushima discharge of treated radioactive wastewater.
China is on the precipice of its own major financial crisis
Many are worried that the bankruptcy of Evergrande will trigger a domino effect that extends that crisis from the property to the finance sector.
Which African countries may join the BRICS group of nations, and why do they want to?
"Economic considerations, with BRICS countries constituting a significant portion of global GDP, offer expansive trade and investment opportunities for African economies ... [and] can attract direct foreign investment, technological advancement, and bolster export capabilities."
‘I haven't seen a tree in three years’: An Australian journalist’s prison letter from China
"I miss the sun. In my cell, sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year. ... Most of all, I miss my children."
Hong Kong artist in exile in Taiwan uses protest art to resist Beijing's attacks on freedom in the region
For Hong-Kong political activists, journalists, and artists, Taiwan remains the last free Chinese-speaking society where they can operate. Global Voices interviewed Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong who moved to Taiwan in 2021.
Chinese propaganda takes over a graffiti wall on London’s Brick Lane
"Their performance captures China’s characters: When 'China' is present, it erases all the diverse colors and cultures brutally with zero respect."
What is ‘soft resistance’? Hong Kong officials vow to take a hard line against it, but provide no definition
Hong Kong officials have vowed to take a hard line against “soft resistance” but failed to define the term. HKFP tracks the term's usage and quotes views from legal scholars.
A starter guide to Chinese open source data for non-Chinese speakers
This mini guides offers practical tools for non-Chinese speaking researchers and journalists to make a professional use of official Chinese sources to map China's presence across the world.
Devastating floods in Hebei expose the site selection problem of China’s sub-capital, Xiong’an
One Weiboer put the water channeling politics in China in a nutshell: "Whether a place is submerged or not relies not on its altitude but on its political status."
Hong Kong’s homegrown security law, Article 23, is back in the spotlight
An attempt to pass the city’s own security law collapsed in 2003 under the weight of mass protests. This time, public opposition is likely to be muted.
Hong Kong court rejects government application for ban on pro-democracy protest song
A Hong Kong judge believes that perfectly innocent people might refrain from engaging in lawful acts involving the song for fear of trespassing the injunction.
Can Taiwan become a hub for journalists fleeing mounting authoritarianism in Asia?
Taiwan is rated as one of the freest societies in Asia, but are the Taiwanese authorities ready to turn the island into a welcoming and safe haven for journalists fleeing authoritarianism in their home countries in Asia?
Commentators discourage extending national security crackdowns to ‘soft resistance’ in Hong Kong
The government is considering clamping down on “soft resistance” when drafting the local version of National Security Law (HK-NSL).
The Great Leap Backwards of media in China
To understand the nuances of censorship, state violence, resilience and journalistic courage in China, Global Voices interviewed Cédric Alviani, head of the Taiwan-based office of RSF for East and Southeast Asia.
Speculations about China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappearance from the public eye include alleged affair and power struggle
Beijing has cited unspecific “health reasons” to explain Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang's disappearance from the public eye for over three weeks, yet few believe in this official explanation.
A forensic investigation finds a site that doxxes Hong Kong activists and journalists is likely backed by Beijing
Toronto-based Citizen Lab finds circumstantial evidence that suggests the campaign operators held links to mainland China.
How Chinese students’ aspiration for equality is reflected in the fictional Shanhe University
The students' utopian dream has exposed the dim reality of China's education system and the systemic discrimination against students from poor provinces.
Hong Kong pro-democracy exiles not intimidated by China’s arrest warrants and bounties
"Trying to spread fear at home, abroad, and travelling in between. Further incentive to fight for the #rights, #freedom, and #democracy that we deserve"
China uses higher education to increase its influence in North Macedonia
"Probably the most important and long-term strategy for anchoring China’s soft power in North Macedonia is the opening of the Confucius Institute in Skopje, at the oldest and most renowned public university, Ss. Cyril and Methodius in 2013."