chen-yiru

Two Sessions: China Boosts Science and Tech Spending

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 government simultaneously cut spending on business trips and meetings to free up funds for developing key sectors.

China Mandates 15-minute Breaks Between School Classes

The new policy comes amid concerns that existing breaks were not long enough for students’ health.

New Chinese Trial Offers Roadmap to Cut Antibiotic Overuse

A large rural trial finds digital prompts and peer reviews sharply reduce unnecessary prescriptions.

‘Better Than Gold’: China’s Traders Cash in as Memory Chip Prices Soar

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

AI demand is tightening memory supply and driving sharp price swings, creating windfalls for traders while forcing China’s tech firms into an increasingly volatile market.

‘So Tired I Want to Cry’: China’s AI Subsidy War Swamps Shops

AI-driven Chinese New Year giveaways triggered a surge of instant drink orders, leaving shops and delivery riders scrambling to keep up.

Viral Documentary Sends Crowds to Fragile Wolf Habitat in China

The decade-old film’s creator is now urging the public to stay away, saying the attention is harming a sensitive ecosystem.

In National First, China Founds ‘School of Space Exploration’

The institution, envisioned roughly 70 years ago, will bring together scientists from multiple fields to advise the country’s next generation of aerospace scientists.

Among China’s Oldest, Vegans Less Likely to Reach 100: New Study 

Vegetarianism is widely seen as a way to prevent cardiovascular disease and obesity. A new study reveals that for older people, the relationship between diet and health is more complex.

Brain Implant Trial in China Leaves Patients with Gambling, Sexual Urges

Participants in a deep brain stimulation trial for drug addiction say the implants triggered compulsive behavior that upended their lives.

China Targets the Algorithms That Made Loyal Shoppers Pay More

New rules ban data-driven price discrimination and tighten oversight of algorithmic pricing on e-commerce platforms.

China Moves to Protect Child Actors in Viral Short Dramas

Children have become central to the ultrashort drama industry, with public concerns rising about long hours and the dissonance between dramatic themes and children’s lived experiences.

The Making and Unmaking of China’s Backpacker Hostels

As China’s early independent travelers age and costs climb, the youth hostel model that once offered cheap beds and shared life is thinning out, leaving scattered holdouts and fading memories.

Ancient Fossil in China Rewrites Story of Early Animal Migration

The discovery of a new dicynodont species suggests early land animals moved across Pangaea later and more widely than previously thought.

China Bans Retractable EV Door Handles Over Safety Concerns

Safety concerns after fatal crashes have prompted rules requiring doors to open without electricity.

New Chinese Study Links City Childhood to Early Puberty in Girls 

Based on brain scans and survey data from nearly 3,000 young women, researchers used age at first menstruation and personality tests to examine how urban childhood environments shape development.

No Free Lunch: China’s Takeout War Wraps Up Without a Winner

Meituan, JD.com, and Alibaba poured billions into subsidies. Now they’re pulling back after steep losses.

China Performs First Brain Implant Procedure Under State Pricing

A patient has received a brain implant to help with hand function, the first BCI procedure billed through China’s new regulated pricing system.

‘Lens Bullying’: Outrage Over Tourists Photographing Minority Women

A post by a traveler who captured tourists crowding and taking photos of multiple Yi minority women on a train in southwestern China has sparked a heated debate online over appropriate tourist conduct and respecting locals.

Down the Toilet: Shanghai Bids Farewell to Chamber Pots

A multi-decadelong government initiative to renovate the city’s old buildings and install indoor plumbing in all housing has brought an end to the era of chamber pots.

The Chinese College Student Who Took on Annoying Elevator Ads

A college junior in Shanghai used a “universal key” to shut down elevator ad screens to protest their intrusive noise, going viral online after netizens applauded the move.