li-xin

‘Raising Lobsters’: How OpenClaw Became China’s Hottest AI

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

The agent, which operates as an autonomous personal manager rather than a query-and-response platform, represents a key advance in the field. But barriers to entry and security risks are steep.

Young Chinese Are Asking AI for Fashion Advice, and Going Viral

Users are asking the Doubao chatbot for outfit advice in real time, then filming themselves following its bizarre suggestions.

Shanghai Opens First Criminal Case Against Video Game Leaks

One suspect told investigators he thought deleting the videos after warnings would avoid consequences.

As Services Expand, More Foreigners Seek Treatment in China

Lower costs, shorter waits, and expanding services are drawing more overseas patients to Chinese hospitals.

Chinese Scientists Save Patient Using Pig Liver Outside the Body

The new procedure could buy critically ill patients time to recover or wait for a human transplant.

Short-Term Eldercare Services Fill Spring Festival Care Gaps

Cities across China reported increased demand for temporary senior care as families navigated holiday travel and caregiver absences.

Young Chinese Are Diagnosing Themselves With ADHD — and Finding Community Online

Netizens are feeling increasingly seen in ADHD’s diagnostic criteria, commiserating online over lives defined by procrastination and distraction, but experts urge caution over the dangers of self-diagnosis.

China Startup Starts Selling Spaceflights at $430,000 a Seat

As China’s private space sector moves toward tourism, a Beijing-based company is taking reservations for suborbital flights planned for 2028.

Shanghai’s Roadmap for the Next Decade: Finance, AI, Green Tech

The city’s new five-year plan outlines economic priorities through 2030 and sets a long-term goal of doubling per capita GDP.

Table for One: Why McDonald’s Solo Seats Are Viral in China

The design taps into a growing demand for low-pressure public spaces, as digital life reshapes how people interact.

China’s ‘Old Man’s Joy’ Cars Test the Limits of Road Safety

Low-speed vehicles once aimed at older adults are now widely used across China, prompting calls for stricter safety regulation.

China Takes a Shot at Pet Obesity — Using Weight-Loss Drugs

Pharma giants in China are racing to adapt GLP-1 drugs for pets, among others, betting that health-conscious owners will pay up.

Game Plan: Shanghai Rolls out New Policy to Boost Esports

China’s gaming and esports hub aims to support its homegrown video game developers in pursuit of economic and cultural gains abroad.

Hoping to Curb Obesity, Chinese City Implements Health Ordinance

With nearly half of Chinese adults classified as overweight or obese, the policy represents the first time a city has enacted reforms directed at weight loss.

China’s Mercury Thermometer Ban Sparks Debate, and a Buying Rush

As authorities move to end production by 2026, households are split between safety concerns and trust in familiar devices.

Pain, Hunger, Viral Fame: Inside China’s Wildest Survival Show

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

In Hunan province’s mountains, a bare-bones survival show pushes ordinary people to the edge while millions watch, searching for something real in an increasingly curated digital world.

Reality Bites: Meituan’s ‘Rosy’ Delivery Ad Hits a Nerve in China

An advertisement by food delivery giant Meituan about the possibilities of delivery work has led to criticism that the ad romanticizes a profession known for long hours and time pressure.

Another Day of (Artificial) Sun: China Unveils Fusion Energy Project

The country has publicly announced the creation of a new tokamak to advance its fusion energy research and clean energy ambitions, and invited international scientists to collaborate.

A New Leaf: China’s First Autumn Break Triggers Travel Boom

This fall, multiple provinces have rolled out updated academic calendars to accommodate new holiday policies and local weather conditions, in the hope of encouraging family time and economic consumption.

Livestream Law: Why China’s Lawyers Are Taking Their Practice Online

From divorce battles to labor disputes, real-time legal advice is drawing huge audiences and reshaping how China’s young lawyers grow both their careers and their client bases.