cross-border

In Laos, a New Railway Signals a Future in China’s Orbit

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

In Laos, a new $6 billion rail line is driving rapid social and economic changes — and bringing China ever closer.

Sixth Tone

On the China-Laos Border, a Cautionary Tale of Hot Money and Wild Dreams

Chinese investors have poured money into the small Lao town of Boten, believing a new railway would bring massive growth. But the hoped-for boom has yet to arrive.

Cai Yiwen

To Rescue Its Devastated Tourism Sector, Laos Looks to China

Emerging from a pandemic-induced slump, Laos is leaning on a multi-billion dollar railway to revitalize tourism. A significant portion of its recovery blueprint hinges on drawing more visitors from China.

In a Post-COVID Laos, China’s Influence Grows Ever Larger

A new $5.5 billion railway is bringing a flood of Chinese investment to the Lao capital of Vientiane. After COVID-19, it’s desperately needed.

The Fujian Way: How One Chinese Region Became a Dominant Force in Africa

For decades, a network of entrepreneurs from China’s rough-and-tumble southern coastline have been quietly expanding their presence in Africa. Now, they’re driving a new wave of investment on the continent.

Li Yijuan

Bordering on Recovery: Life on China’s Vietnamese Frontier 

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

Fu Beimeng

Wu Huiyuan 

China’s ‘Parachute Generation’ Grows Up

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

Prior to the pandemic, tens of thousands of Chinese kids left home every year to attend high school in the United States. Was it worth it?

Tu Siqi

Russia Hoped for a Chinese Tourist Boom in 2023. It’s Still Waiting.

In Russia, many believed that China’s exit from “zero-COVID” restrictions would provide a shot in the arm to the country’s flatlining inbound tourism sector. Those hopes are now fading.

Li Pasha

How China’s Silk Road Ambitions Are Reshaping the World of Archaeology

Until a decade ago, Chinese archaeologists had never conducted major excavations overseas. Now, as China pours funding into Silk Road research, they are quietly transforming our understanding of the ancient world.

Wu Haiyun

Bordering on Recovery: Life on China’s Russian Frontier

Xue Haolin

Lü Xiao

Hong Kong-Shenzhen Border: Back to Business, But Not as Usual

Three years of strict border restrictions disrupted the lives of thousands who depend on commuting between the two cities. More than a month after the border fully reopened, travel is still gradually returning to normal.

Ni Dandan

Li Wei

Bordering on Recovery: Ruili, the Jade Town on the China-Myanmar Frontier

With Jobs at Home Scarce, Young Chinese Are Heading to Africa

Today’s Chinese graduates are facing the toughest domestic job market in decades. That’s leading many to look further afield for opportunities.

The Overseas Chinese Students Trapped Between Two Pandemic Realities

In Australia, a generation of Chinese students have been effectively cut off from their homeland for three years. Sixth Tone asked five of them to share their stories — and explore how the pandemic has changed their outlooks.

Christine Schindler

A Vietnamese Bride’s Chinese Dream

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

SIXTH TONE ×

For Vietnamese brides, cross-border marriages are like a lucky draw: some good, some not.

Investigation 107

How Chinese Students Abroad Navigate Race and Nationality

Chinese international students in the U.S. are often criticized for a lack of engagement in racial justice. But how do the students themselves view their struggle?

Qing Tingting Liu

For China’s New ‘New Women,’ a Dream of Flight

Scholar Fran Martin on why young Chinese women are so keen to study abroad — and how that experience changes their lives after they graduate.

Fran Martin

Regulations Cut Jobs for China’s Tutors. Will TikTok Save Them?

Those who can, teach. Those who can’t go on TikTok.

Luo Meihan

In Southwest China, Bankers Now Double as Border Guards

Tasked with preventing COVID-19 transmission across China’s border with Myanmar, officials in the small city of Ruili have mobilized everyone from bureaucrats to bankers.

Zhang Fangliang

In Cambodia, a Network Rescuing Trafficked Chinese Teens Is Unraveling

Cyber criminals rely on forced labor. A recent scandal spurred authorities to crack down — not just on the gangs, but also on those trying to set their victims free.