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

Token of Trust: Beijing Links AI Usage to Company Loans

The new municipal government program uses AI token consumption to help assess tech companies seeking loans, offering another route to financing for companies that struggle to secure conventional credit.

Chen Yiru

After Beijing Bowel Accident, Hyrox Changes Its Rules

An athlete continued competing in a Saturday event, and ultimately won, despite losing control of her bowels. Following public debate, the sport has added a rule on body fluid contamination.

Jiang Xinyi

The Chinese Dating App Promising Marriage — or Your Money Back

The app, called Liangpei, uses 20-minute AI interviews and compatibility rankings to match users, who can talk to only one potential partner at a time.

Fan Yiying

China Approves Obesity Drug for Severe Fatty Liver Disease

The approval follows increased competition among pharmaceutical companies pushing to attain weight-loss medication approval to treat a wider range of illnesses.

Frog Gone: China’s Beloved Traveling Game Is Going Offline

The mobile game, popular since 2018, features a frog who holidays across China. Users say they can’t bear to delete it.

Xiao Chuhan

Pizza Bao, Spaghetti Stir-Fry: Chinese Students Hack Home Cooking Abroad

To save money and recall nostalgic flavors from home, Chinese students abroad are increasingly posting videos online of themselves making Chinese classic dishes, with some innovative, low-budget takes.

Li Xin

Liu Haowen

Top-Ranked Chinese Netflix Series Divides Viewers at Home

“The Early Spring” is among the top 10 series in over 20 countries, but viewers at home have criticized its depiction of China’s workplace culture as well as the male protagonist’s belittlement of his female counterpart.

One Last Night With Shanghai’s ‘Sleep No More’ Superfans

After nearly a decade in Shanghai, the immersive theater production “Sleep No More” has closed, ending a run that drew some fans back hundreds of times for its shifting storylines, favorite performers, and private one-on-one encounters.

Chinese Auto Supplier Faces Backlash for Firing 107 Recent Grads

The company apologized and disciplined four managers after the dismissals drew scrutiny over the difficulties recent graduates face finding new jobs.

How a Rotten Apple Brought China’s Internet Into a Mushroom Lab

After a mushroom grew from an apple, researchers turned online curiosity into a two-year breeding project with help from samples sent in from across China.