crime

Fare Play: China Targets Ride-Hailing Drivers Using Fraud Software

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

Authorities investigate drivers using illicit software to inflate fares, fake locations, and bypass ride-hailing platform rules.

Fan Yiying

Casting the Net: How ‘Scam Farms’ Trap Aspiring Actors

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Southeast Asia-based scammers are luring young Chinese performers to the region with fake film projects and promises of exposure.

Original (Jiefang Daily)

Chinese Actor’s Trafficking Ordeal Leaves Thai Tourism Reeling

The actor’s rescue from a trafficking ring has revived fears of cross-border scams, prompting Chinese tourists to cancel trips en masse.

Her Abuse Was a National Story. Now Her Husband Is Going to Prison.

He Zhongyang, whose violent assault last year left his wife hospitalized with permanent organ damage, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Jiang Xinyi

Chinese Livestreamers’ Latest Sales Tactic: Fake Life Crises

Livestream hosts are going to ever greater lengths to win viewers’ sympathy — from faking divorces to pretending their kids have been kidnapped.

Her Dog Was Poisoned. Now She’s Fighting to Reform Pet Laws in China.

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

After her dog was poisoned, Li Yihan’s pursuit of justice has become a landmark legal battle, one that could bring significant changes to China’s approach to pet protection laws.

Ding Rui

A Brutal Stabbing in a Quiet District Leaves Shenzhen Reeling

A 10-year-old Japanese boy was fatally stabbed near his school in southwestern Shenzhen, sparking grief, fear, and growing concerns about safety in the city.

Jiefang Daily

Why Are Chinese Hospitals Charging Men for Gynecological Exams?

A government investigation has uncovered thousands of examples of hospitals falsifying insurance claims.

Li Xin

Fool’s Gold: Fake Antique Livestreams Prey on China’s Elderly

In recent months, livestream scams targeting the elderly with counterfeit antiques like coins, pottery, and artwork have surged. Victims’ families have now banded together online to share advice, file complaints, and reclaim lost money.

Yin  Ziyuan 

Is China Ready to Rethink Its Approach to Minor Crimes?

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

Misdemeanors are increasingly the focus of law enforcement, for better or for worse.

Zhu Guangxing

Chinese University Fires Professor Over Sexual Harassment Claims

A Beijing student has accused her Ph.D. supervisor of trying to coerce her into a sexual relationship, and Beijing police said they had started to investigate.

Ye Zhanhang

The Million-Yuan Tomb Heist Confounding Chinese Police

In 2010, a pair of priceless stone lions vanished from a Tang dynasty emperor’s mausoleum in northwest China. Fourteen years later, the case is still confounding Chinese police.

A School Bus, a Knife Attack, and an Unexpected Hero’s Last Stand

From a small village in eastern China, Hu Youping moved to the city seeking a better life. Her journey tragically ended during a school bus attack, where she sacrificed her life to protect the children in her care.

China Confronts an Insidious New Privacy Risk: Lifelike Silicone Masks

In China, it is now possible to buy masks so lifelike that they can be used to fool facial recognition scanners. And criminals already appear to be using them.

China Has a Problem With AI Fraud. Can a Browser Plugin Solve It? 

The rise of deepfake technology has led to a surge in fraud cases in China over the past year. But a new AI detection tool could help stem the tide.

He Qitong

Li Dongxu

He Spent 23 Years Searching for His Daughter. Last Month, He Found Her.

After his daughter was abducted in 2001, Shi Chunxin began a relentless campaign to find her and other Chinese victims of human trafficking. Now, his efforts have finally paid off.

China Deploys AI, Facial Recognition to Deter Exam Cheats

Authorities have vowed to crack down hard on cheating in this year’s college entrance exams, with cities using everything from iris scanners to artificial intelligence-powered security cameras.

Her Boyfriend Killed Himself. The Internet Blamed Her.

After a Chinese gaming influencer took his own life, his former girlfriend was subjected to a vicious online hate campaign. Now it has emerged that the influencer’s family orchestrated the doxxing.

Ding Xiaoyan

Do China’s ‘Left-Behind’ Children Have a Delinquency Problem?

A number of high-profile incidents have shined a spotlight on minor misbehavior in China’s countryside. But a closer look at the data suggests that kids aren’t the problem.

Huang Wan

In Sichuan, Influencers Jailed for Exploiting Rural Hardship

An investigation by local police revealed that the influencers, working with an agency, used fabricated tales of rural China to sell agricultural goods on e-commerce platforms.