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

RisingTones

After Exposé, China Probes Sale of Sex Dolls Resembling Children

Findings about the manufacture and online availability of childlike sex dolls across Chinese e-commerce platforms have fueled national debate and calls for stronger protections.

He Qitong

China’s Cliff Coffins: DNA Ties a 3,000-Year-Old Enigma to the Living

Suspending coffins on sheer cliffs is a mysterious and 3,000-year-old burial tradition. New genetic evidence shows how it may have spread in China and beyond.

Jiang Xinyi

Revised Law Sparks Debate in China Over Petty Offense Privacy

As part of a law amended earlier this year, China will now mandate the confidentiality of “administrative violations” relating to drug use, prostitution, and gambling, except in select situations.

Fan Yiying

8th China International Import Expo Kicks Off in Shanghai

Thousands of companies from around the world attended the event, where China pledged to expand world access to its market and showcased hundreds of new products and technologies.

Sixth Tone

The ‘Training Loan’ Scam Trapping Young Chinese in Debt

An online job scam boasting flexible hours and high salaries has targeted fresh graduates, demanding thousands of yuan for training modules and jobs that fall far short of expectations.

China’s Mice See Stars as Nation Sends Its First Rodents to Space

The mice launched on Oct. 31 and are currently aboard China’s Tiangong space station, where they are being studied for their behavioral response to the spatial environment.

Chen Yiru

China Highlights Weight Management Products at 8th CIIE

This year’s import expo features gastric balloons, watches claimed to stimulate fullness, and interactive booths that measure body composition.

Neurodivergence and Depression: Psych and Tech Merge at CIIE

Companies at the eighth China International Import Expo presented AI-driven products aimed at addressing suicidality in children, neurodivergence in schools, and the need for companionship in adults, among other issues.

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.

After Hong Kong Fire, China Orders Sweeping High-Rise Safety Check

The country has more than one million high-rises. Authorities face growing pressure to manage the fire risks as these buildings age.

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.

From “Wet Bodies” to Moaning: China Curbs Raunchy Livestreams

The country’s top regulator has banned three categories of sexually suggestive content in group livestreams, making “vulgar” behavior used to solicit money and gifts illegal.

Chinese Men More Likely to Cheat When Less Educated Than Wives: Study

A new analysis of more than 4,000 married Chinese adults found male infidelity rises sharply when wives are more educated and earn less.

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.

Li Xin

Muscle, Memory: Inside China’s Last Bull Wrestling School 

In eastern China, a 71-year-old Hui Muslim master works to keep the 700-year-old tradition of bull wrestling from fading into history.