policy

Chinese City Offers Families $13,800 for More Kids

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

Hohhot, in North China, says it will pay up to 100,000 yuan per child to families with three or more kids. 

Ding Rui

Tariffs to Climate: The Big Takeaways From China’s Two Sessions

Speaking at the opening of China’s top legislature Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang outlined plans to ramp up fiscal support, drive household spending, and stabilize key industries.

Sixth Tone

Chinese National Football Team’s New Play: Anyone Can Try Out

In a bid to expand recruitment and root out corruption, the Chinese Football Association has launched an open application system that allows any player to apply for the national squad. 

Let It Burn: Why China Is Looking the Other Way on Farm Fires

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 years of strict bans to curb pollution, China is reversing its zero-tolerance stance on crop burning, allowing controlled fires as officials navigate rural challenges and enforcement limits.

China’s Ultrashort Dramas Must Now Clear Official Review

Regulators have introduced a tiered review system for the booming industry, requiring platforms to enforce stricter content oversight before dramas can be released.

Fan Yiying

Now or Naver: The Korean Apps Packing Shanghai’s Restaurants

China’s visa-free policy opened the doors. Naver and Instagram showed them where to go. Now, South Korean tourists are flocking to a handful of Shanghai restaurants, and businesses are scrambling to keep up.

Chen Yiru

China’s Middle Class Frets as Macau Colleges Ban Non-‘Gaokao’ Students

Many Chinese families send their children to international schools to avoid the country’s grueling college-entrance exams. But they are facing growing barriers. 

He Qitong

Emotional Labor: Life Inside a Chinese Orphanage

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

SIXTH TONE ×

A new book explores the tears, fears, and cheers experienced by orphanage staff and the children they care for.

Qian Linliang

China Introduces Yet More Tax Cuts to Spur Real Estate Market

The move comes amid a broader government effort to revive China’s economy.

Li Xin

Life on Call: Why Chinese Anesthesiologists Are Burning Out

Chinese anesthesiologists face a triple threat of high technical demands, high risks, and high workloads while remaining undervalued in the health care system.

The Paper

China’s Latest Pro-Marriage Tactic: Grammable Wedding Venues

The government hopes to tempt couples to tie the knot by letting them register their marriage at local scenic spots, beaches, and temples.

Lin Liuhan

China Clamps Down on Fake Prescriptions After Massive Fraud Case

China will require pharmacies to process certain drug purchases through an online system, after discovering four rogue stores had forged prescriptions worth over $10 million.

Cigarette Sales Are Rising in China, Defying Global Trend

The use of “slim cigarettes” and a slowdown in official anti-tobacco efforts is concerning experts.

China Expands Insurance Coverage for Cochlear Implants

There are over 27 million people affected by hearing loss in China, but many can’t afford surgery.

Li Miaoran

Chinese City Gives Workers Paid Leave to Care for Aging Parents 

Yangzhou has become the latest city to pass new regulations to address the social pressures created by China’s rapid population aging.

Chinese City Wants to Know Who Is Getting Late-Night Massages

Massage parlors in Nanning will be required to record customers’ personal details as part of a campaign targeting fraud, gambling, and prostitution rings.

After Mortgage Rate Cut, China’s Biggest Cities Ease Property Rules

Guangzhou fully lifts home purchase limits, while Shanghai and Shenzhen introduce partial relaxations ahead of the National Day holiday, aiming to boost the property market.

China Rolls Out Major Stimulus, Cuts Mortgage Rates to Spur Growth

The plan reduces mortgage rates by 0.5 percentage points, lowers down payments for second homes, and injects 1 trillion yuan in liquidity.

Jiang Xinyi

China Adds Lung Disease to National Public Health Scheme

The move will enable the country’s more than 100 million chronic pulmonary disease patients to access free annual check-ups.

China Approves First Retirement Age Hike Since 1950s

The gradual increase, starting in 2025, aims to address China’s shrinking workforce and the economic strain of an aging population.