technology

China’s Viral New App Is a Safety Tool Called ‘Are You Dead?’

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

The daily check-in interface has led some netizens to applaud the company’s public address of death, while others find the app’s name disturbing.

Fan Yiying

Virtual Reality Is Taking Off in China — as Immersive Shows

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

VOICES & OPINION

Hundreds of VR experiences have launched across the country, allowing visitors to go back in time, visit faraway places, or join the action of their favorite movies.

Huang Wei

Inside China’s Robot Training Factory: Where Humanoids Learn to Work

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

MULTIMEDIA

Lü Xiao

Wu Huiyuan 

China’s Boar-Hunting Drones Fly Into a Legal Vacuum

Drones modified to hunt boars operate in a legal gray area, leading to illegal hunting and livestock theft and prompting calls for tighter regulations.

Jiang Xinyi

The Underground Economy Behind Children’s Smartwatches in China

Children racing to climb smartwatch-based social hierarchies are turning to a smartwatch “gray market,” where they can buy artificial likes and boost their watch account ratings.

Li Xin

China’s Universities Bet on STEM. Arts Grads Bet on Themselves

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

With humanities programs shrinking and competition at record highs, China’s liberal arts grads are learning to code, mastering data skills, and racing to pivot in an economy increasingly shaped by STEM.

Chen Yongyi

Why Painting the Sky With Drones Is Now an Official Job in China

In China’s Brain-Computer Clinics, a Long Wait for a Second Chance

Thousands of paralyzed patients are signing up for brain computer interface trials, but only a handful meet strict medical criteria as doctors balance demand with science.

China’s Drone Training Boom Takes Off

Decoding the Chinese Computer

Your questions, answered. In-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China.

Q & A

Thomas Mullaney breaks down the global history of Chinese computing.

Afra Wang

As AI Booms, China Proposes Global Governance Body for Ethical Oversight

At the World AI Conference, experts urged stronger safeguards and inclusive oversight to manage AI’s rapid expansion — warning that without action, we may unwittingly fall prey to its potential.

In a Landlocked Corner of China, a Farmer Builds a Submarine From Scratch

Zhang Shengwu completed a successful dive in his 2-ton, 40,000-yuan homebuilt submarine — one of a new batch of countryside entrepreneurs eligible for government grants.

Chen Yiru

Watch Out: The Hidden Dangers of Kids’ Wearable Tech

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Smartwatches are helping children make friends — but also exposing them to explicit and potentially dangerous content.

Original (Jiefang Daily)

Can China’s Unused Data Centers Get a Second Life?

A brief but explosive boom in data center construction just before the arrival of DeepSeek has left investors high and dry. But the centers aren’t necessarily a sunk cost.

Evan Freidin

The Lost Art of Chinese Purple

SPECIAL PROJECTS

The nearly 3,000-year-old synthetic pigment’s invention has long been a mystery. Now, archaeologists think they’ve finally cracked the code.

Wu Haiyun

‘Robot Marathon Just the Start’: China’s Engineers on What’s Next

After China’s first humanoid robot marathon, Sixth Tone spoke with four startups about what worked, what didn’t, and how they’re preparing for the next big test this August.

He Qitong

Wu Yufei

Flash of the Future: New Memory Breakthrough in China Rivals RAM

The record-breaking chip could power future AI systems, and may be ready for industry use within five years.

Humanoid Robots Are Poised to March Into the Real World

It’s shaping up to be a big year for China’s robotics industry.

Caixin Global

Chinese Tech Firms Want LLM Experts. AI Majors Need Not Apply.

A recent survey found postings for AI-related technical positions increased by more than a fifth in the first two months of 2025, but nearly half the positions require a postgraduate degree. 

China’s Latest Marketing Craze? Rent-a-Robot

After a hit Spring Festival Gala show, Chinese merchants are renting out robots for thousands of yuan a day.