policy

China Tests Pausing Countdowns for Delivery Riders at Red Lights

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

Three delivery platforms announced they will stop factoring in time riders spend stopped at traffic lights into overall delivery time to decrease platform penalties.

Chen Yiru

No Smoke Without Ire: China’s Campuses Struggle to Stub Out Cigarettes

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

SIXTH TONE ×

A lack of anti-smoking policies at Chinese universities is forcing students affected by secondhand smoke to suffer in silence — or take matters into their own hands.

The Paper

China’s Henan Province to Enforce Paid Annual Leave

A notice requiring employers to ensure workers take leave sparked widespread discussion online, causing it to be retracted shortly after publication. Authorities say it is being revised for later reissuance.

Yang Yang

Jiang Xinyi

China Expands Work Injury Insurance for Gig Workers Nationwide

Coverage will apply to food delivery workers, rideshare drivers, and other platform-based flexible workers, even without formal labor contracts, with companies paying all premiums.

Guangdong Proposes Tighter Rules on Cancer-Linked Betel Nut

The province has set out plans to assess the current state of the industry surrounding the naturally occurring but addictive and cancer-causing stimulant before proceeding with legislation.

Li Xin

Title Fight: China’s New TV Credit Rules Target Toxic Fandoms

To ease fandom and legal disputes, names will now be listed according to the number of brushstrokes in actors’ surnames.

Fake Tests, Hidden Ads: China Targets Review Influencers

After years of complaints about disguised ads and rigged product tests, regulators are tightening oversight of the online review industry.

Fan Yiying

Li Rongxuan

Instead of Theses, Chinese Students Submit Fertilizers, Novels

Over the last year, at least 59 top Chinese universities have revised degree requirements to let students submit practical or creative projects.

Deep-Sea Water to Microchips, China Curbs Flashy Admission Packages

Universities spent years competing with increasingly elaborate welcome packets featuring everything from microchips to deep-sea water. Now regulators are urging schools to return to a simple one-page letter.

He Qitong

Shenzhen Lets Homeowners Call the Shots on Redevelopment

Faced with needing to raise investments for demolition and construction, cities like Shenzhen have begun exploring ways for homeowners to redesign aging structures themselves.

China to Phase Out Old Power Rates in Green Push

For decades, the country has relied on a system that charges higher electricity prices in the day, and lower prices at night. With the rise of solar and wind power, that’s now changing.

China’s Toughest Regulations on Fireworks to Take Effect

The new rules provide more detailed classifications and safety standards for fireworks and firecrackers.

China’s Next Megaprojects Are Built for Big Science

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

Data shows how China’s infrastructure drive is beginning to include new scientific instruments built to explore the frontiers of physics, astronomy, and energy.

Wu Haiyun

Luo Yahan

The Quiet Pressure of School Guard Duty in China

China’s school gate has become the front line of a quiet war over where the school’s responsibilities end and the family’s begin.

Hidden Dangers Loom Behind China’s Wildlife Feeding Craze

From hand-fed wolves to biscuit-dependent birds, China’s wildlife is paying the price of viral tourism, as experts call for prioritizing distance, respect, and the long-term health of ecosystems.

Caixin Global

Shanghai Announces 2026 Tobacco Control Plan

The city is banning smoking at bus stops, ramping up oversight of areas where smoking is forbidden, and mandating smoking questionnaires during patient intake.

China Mandates 15-minute Breaks Between School Classes

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

To Boost Take-Out Safety, China Tightens Rules on Ghost Kitchens

Vendors operating only as take-out platforms must now disclose their status or face heavy fines.

To Widen Market, Shanghai Eases Homebuying Rules

The new policy allows residents without long-term social insurance records to enter the housing market.

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.