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.

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Locked Out of China’s AI Boom, Graduates Turn to Bootcamps

With new graduates facing a crowded job market, AI bootcamps are offering three-month courses designed to turn newcomers into junior AI workers.

Fan Yiying

Mao Rui

Goose, Goose, Duck: The Unmaking of a Beijing Street Food Legend

Auntie Goose Legs, a cult favorite at Beijing’s top universities, admitted the goose legs that made her famous were actually duck, triggering backlash and an official investigation.

Xie Anran

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.

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.

Chen Yiru

China’s Lifelike Emotional Companion Bots Go on Sale

The life-size robot is billed as an emotional companion, employing both affective AI and encrypted memory storage.

Jiang Xinyi

Livestreamed Readings of Hit Chinese Novel Spark Copyright Debate

The recent TV adaptation of Chen Yan’s “The Protagonist” has inspired hosts to read the novel aloud during livestreams, potentially infringing on copyright.

He Qitong

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.

No Team at the World Cup, China Rallies Around a Referee

Ma Ning, a veteran referee nicknamed “card master,” has become an unlikely celebrity in China, attracting sponsorship deals, viral memes, and millions of social media interactions.

Li Xin

Marrying at This Chinese University Comes With a Diamond Ring

The Harbin Institute of Technology has put on an annual wedding for doctoral students and their partner for over a decade. In recent years, participants have received lab-grown diamond rings.

Why Young Chinese Are Flocking to Bathhouses

From students to working professionals, young Chinese are heading to 24-hour bathhouses for everything from relaxing escapes from reality to thesis writing sessions and corporate retreats.