policy

Fake Tests, Hidden Ads: China Targets Review Influencers

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

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.

Chen Yiru

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.

Li Xin

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.

Jiang Xinyi

Wu Haiyun

Luo Yahan

The Quiet Pressure of School Guard Duty in China

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

SIXTH TONE ×

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.

The Paper

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.

Inside China’s Historic Electricity Milestone and Clean Energy Revolution

China’s power usage now exceeds the combined consumption of the EU, Russia, India, and Japan as renewables drive a cleaner energy mix.

Shanghai Moves to Expand Labor Rights, Family Leave, Health Care

Top municipal policymakers convened to discuss the city’s future plans.

Shanghai Two Sessions: Officials Pledge Better Eldercare for 2026

Policymakers hope to expand eldercare access and services to the city’s aging population.

Sixth Tone

Overdoing It: The Cheap Pain Pills Hooking Young Chinese

After a clampdown on a popular psychoactive drug, doctors say many young people have switched to abusing a cheaper, addictive alternative.

The  Beijing News

Shanghai’s Roadmap for the Next Decade: Finance, AI, Green Tech

The city’s new five-year plan outlines economic priorities through 2030 and sets a long-term goal of doubling per capita GDP.

China Moves to Protect Child Actors in Viral Short Dramas

Children have become central to the ultrashort drama industry, with public concerns rising about long hours and the dissonance between dramatic themes and children’s lived experiences.