business

In Shanghai, All That Glitters Can Be Sold — at an ATM for Gold

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

In a corner of a busy Shanghai mall, a vending machine buys and sells gold as record prices draw both old and young to trade.

Chen Yiru

Retail Giants Collide as Meituan and JD Target Each Other’s Turf

The two firms are expanding into rival territory, escalating a high-stakes fight over speed, reach, and market share.

He Qitong

Wu Yufei

Humanoid Hype: Top VC Sounds the Alarm on China’s Robot Boom

Zhu Xiaohu, an early backer of unicorns like Didi and Xiaohongshu, says he’s pulling back from humanoid robotics. 

Li Xin

China’s CEOs Become Online Influencers to Gain Edge

Chinese entrepreneurs are taking a more personal, down-to-earth approach toward the public to gain an advantage in fiercely competitive markets.

Cat Clause: Pet ‘Loan’ Disputes Spread in China

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

Nationwide complaints about cat “adoption” businesses are exposing the darker side of China’s booming pet industry.

Ding Rui

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.

Fan Yiying

Chinese Home Repair Giant Promises Fix for Business Practices

Woodpecker, the country’s biggest home repairs platform, was dinged for price gouging during the consumer rights-focused “315 Gala.”

Zest for Zen: Brands Tap Spiritual Shift in Young Spenders

As young Chinese turn to mysticism for luck and protection, companies are capitalizing with brand tie-ins and metaphysical products and services.

Li Miaoran

Amid Retail Price Wars, JD.com Bets on a New Market — Food Delivery

The e-commerce giant is waiving commissions for early restaurant partners as it pivots beyond retail, entering China’s fiercely competitive food delivery market.

‘KOS’ Players: Can Social Media Revive China’s Luxury Sector?

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

SIXTH TONE ×

To reverse the slump in sales, high-end brands are allowing media-savvy staff to create social content in the hope it engages broader audiences.

Jiemian News

A New Look: Can China’s EV Boom Rescue Its Design Industry?

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

VOICES & OPINION

China’s carmakers are spending wildly on dealerships, accessories, and branding. For designers still reeling from the real estate crash, it’s been an unexpected lifeline.

Cai Yineng

The Big Switch

SPECIAL PROJECTS

China is producing EVs at an unprecedented scale, reshaping industries, economies, and daily life. Sixth Tone unpacks what’s working, what’s breaking down, and what’s next in a race that’s upending the global auto market.

Sixth Tone

The Missing Link in China’s EV Boom: Who Will Fix Them?

EVs now make up more than half of new car sales in China. But a shortage of skilled repair technicians threatens to slow the momentum.

China’s EVs Are Smart, Green, and Cheap — Until They Aren’t

For millions of Chinese EV owners, early promises of affordability, convenience, and cutting-edge tech are now tested by aging batteries, replacement costs, and warranties.

The Chinese City Betting Everything on Tiny Cars

In Liuzhou, compact EVs reshaped the city’s economy, daily life, and identity. Now, it offers a blueprint for small cities looking to ride China’s electric wave.

The Motor Cities Behind China’s EV Empire

China’s push to dominate the EV market starts in factory towns deep in the countryside, where assembly lines run day and night and life is tethered to nonstop production.

Jiang Xinyi

Wu Huiyuan 

The Foot Soldiers Steering China’s EV Ambitions Abroad

China exported more than a million EVs in 2024. But between a price war at home and trade tensions abroad, the industry’s future depends on a handful of expat sellers.

Matryoshka Marketing: What’s Really Inside China’s Russian Shops

Regulators are cracking down on self-proclaimed Russian goods stores selling products from around the world — including China.

China Slaps Heavy Fine on Top Dating Platform for False Ads

Zhenai, one of China’s oldest matchmaking services, was penalized for misleading users with fake profiles, exaggerated claims, and aggressive sales tactics, according to regulators.