english.news.cn/20250605/d4d...

AFP: Japan births in 2024 fell below 700,000 for first time

"The fast-ageing nation welcomed 686,061 newborns in 2024 — 41,227 fewer than in 2023, the data showed. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1899."

www.digitaljournal.com/life/japan-b...

The Party’s Interests Come First: Five Takeaways Today is publication day for The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping, by Joseph Torigian. Those of us who occupy nerdy China circles have long been anticipat…

I really love this review of my Xi Zhongxun biography from the wonderful @mauracunningham.bsky.social , who keeps the focus on Xi Zhongxun, the subject of the book (even though the book does have something to say about Xi Jinping too)

mauracunningham.org/2025/06/03/t...

Oh, this is really good!

My latest in the #China Leadership Monitor:

“Going Xianzhong Mode”: Can Local Governments Stop “Revenge Against Society” Attacks? #献忠 #献忠学 #枫桥经验

prcleader.org/post/going-x...

China's unemployed Gen Z are proudly calling themselves 'rat people' and spending entire days in bed Instead of even trying to chase jobs that seem out of reach, Gen Z is embracing living like a rat—not showering or leaving the house for days at a time.

Where can I sign up?

fortune.com/2025/05/11/u...

Behind Xi’s Strongman Image, a Demanding Father Always Loyal to the Party Xi’s self-styled image as a leader with absolute authority has roots in his formative years as the son of a revolutionary hero.

Thrilled to see this Wall Street Journal feature on my new book about Xi Jinping’s father Xi Zhongxun

www.wsj.com/world/china/...

學者杜鋼建稱「馬克思是中國人」 被批無恥的笑話 - 國際 - 自由時報電子報 中共當局多年來大搞「馬克思主義中國化」，以將馬克思主義理論與中國國情、中國文化傳統和歷史結合，2021年11月，中國十九屆六中全會更吹噓，「習近平新時代中國特色社會主義思想實現了馬克思主義中國化新的飛躍」。有學者投中共高層所好，近日發表最新研究稱「馬克思是中國人」，在網路瘋傳，引發網友嘲諷後緊急刪文。湖南大學教授、曾任汕頭大學法學院院長的杜鋼建，5月5日在微信公眾號上發表文章，並公布他的研究成果，...

If you're wondering about the current state of Marxist scholarship in China, Du Gangjian from Hunan University just published a piece claiming Marx was Chinese. Not metaphorically or spiritually, like literally his bloodline originates in China

To understand why Jeremy Daum freaking begged me not to compare an American panopticon with the Chinese panopticon that is not, the social credit system, see here:

S. Korea experts propose raising elderly age to 70 S. Korea experts propose raising elderly age to 70

Chosun Daily: S. Korea experts propose raising elderly age to 70

Furthermore, they also recommend raising the age thresholds for pension eligibility. Currently that is set to rise from 63 to 65 by 2033. They propose raising it further to 68 by 2048.
www.chosun.com/english/nati...

China’s Migrant Worker Population Is Aging, With Almost One Third Older Than 50, Report Says

Yicai: "China’s migrant workers are getting noticeably older, with nearly a third (31.6 percent) now over 50 years' old. This is a notable jump from 17.9 percent in 2015."
www.yicaiglobal.com/news/chinas-...

"La Chine de Xi Jinping va s’enfoncer dans une lente décadence" : les prédictions de Carl Minzner En pleine guerre commerciale contre les Etats-Unis, la montée en puissance de la Chine semble inévitable. Pourtant, rappel l'universitaire Carl Minzner, le régime de Xi Jinping traverse une ère de "co...

En pleine guerre commerciale contre les Etats-Unis, la montée en puissance de la Chine semble inévitable. Pourtant, rappelle l'universitaire @CarlMinzner, le régime de Xi Jinping traverse une ère de "contre-réforme" ➡️ l.lexpress.fr/v61

"La Chine de Xi Jinping va s’enfoncer dans une lente décadence" : les prédictions de Carl Minzner En pleine guerre commerciale contre les Etats-Unis, la montée en puissance de la Chine semble inévitable. Pourtant, rappel l'universitaire Carl Minzner, le régime de Xi Jinping traverse une ère de "co...

En pleine guerre commerciale contre les Etats-Unis, la montée en puissance de la Chine semble inévitable. Pourtant, rappelle l'universitaire @CarlMinzner, le régime de Xi Jinping traverse une ère de "contre-réforme" ➡️ l.lexpress.fr/v61

The share of tier 3 cities’ investment in real estate has grown from 32% in 2000 to over 60% in 2021.

Overbuilt? Assessing the Diminishing Returns to Building in China

SCCI Brief: Overbuilt? Assessing the Diminishing Returns to Building in China

Almost 80% of China’s housing stock has been built in less wealthy tier 3 cities, which have experienced slower income growth and an exodus of population.
sccei.fsi.stanford.edu/china-briefs...

This is the official White House account.

Weekend Long Read: How to Stop Northeast China’s Population From Shrinking The total population of the three northeastern provinces has fallen by more than 11 million over the past decade. To reverse the decline, the region needs to reinvent its cities

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Interesting Caixin article on the structure of population decline: "Before 2021, population loss in the Northeast was primarily caused by a net population outflow characterized by educated young people moving to...

www.caixinglobal.com/2025-04-30/w...

One key fact all of us China specialists face is state officials manipulating all kinds of data, particularly things regarded as politically sensitive.

Question for US specialists: how easy would it be for a US administration to start altering econ/financial stats to make things look more rosy?

Call for Applications: Public Intellectuals Programs Ninth Cohort (2025-2027) This two-year program is designed to identify outstanding members of the next generation of American China scholars, enrich their understanding of policymaking processes in the United States and Great...

Applications are now open to join the next generation of American China specialists as the ninth cohort of the Public Intellectuals Program (PIP).

Deadline: May 11, 2025
Learn more: www.ncuscr.org/applications...

Call for Applications: Public Intellectuals Programs Ninth Cohort (2025-2027) This two-year program is designed to identify outstanding members of the next generation of American China scholars, enrich their understanding of policymaking processes in the United States and…

Call for applications: @ncuscr.bsky.social will welcome its 9th cohort of fellows in the Public Intellectuals Program this year—China scholars and specialists are invited to apply to the program by May 11.

‘Survival Comes First’ Generation Z has now become the primary force among China’s growing ranks of China’s online content moderators, who number in the tens of thousands. Their physical stamina means they generally fare be...

"The point of this censorship is not to drive public opinion in any certain direction. It’s beside the point whether something is positive or negative. The point is for censors to obliterate the event so that the public completely forgets about it."

Great interview with a Gen Z PRC content auditor

The decade-long growth of government-authored news media in China under Xi Jinping | PNAS Autocratic governments around the world use clandestine propaganda campaigns to influence the media. We document a decade-long trend in China towar...

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) – The decade-long growth of government-authored news media in China under Xi Jinping
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Launching a Research Report on the Impact of the Three-Child Policy on Women's Reproductive Rights The Three-Child Policy Monitoring Network has released a 22,000-word research report that compiles pro-natalist policies introduced by the Chinese government, outlines various governmental measures to...

(ICYMI) Three-Child Policy Monitoring Network: "The Impact of the Three-Child Policy on Women's Reproductive Rights"
hrichina.substack.com/p/launching-...

Close to a million Chinese citizens live in Japan. via @nikkei-asia.com

part of the global attacks on humanities in higher ed, president of Fudan university, one of the most prestigious in China, says they are planning to reduce student intake in humanities and social sciences (文科) from the current 30-40% to 20%.
finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2025-03...

China Islamic group rebrands as Beijing tightens grip on religions Semi-official group drops logo and Islamic symbols from website and social media account, a move that may risk alienating ordinary Muslims.

What does China Islamic Association’s rebrand reveal about Beijing’s integration drive? – SCMP: ‘the official website of the China Islamic Association is now devoid of any logos or Islamic imagery’

Can Today’s American people learn something from the Chinese Cultural Revolution? - SOAS China Institute Michel Bonnin argues that there are parallels between the Trump administration's overhaul of the US govt and Mao’s Cultural Revolution.

blogs.soas.ac.uk/china-instit... Michel Bonnin, "Can Today’s American people learn something from the Chinese Cultural Revolution?"

Caixin: Why Individuals May Need to Shoulder More of China’s Social Insurance Burden

Faced with an aging society and worsening local government debt, fiscal subsidies required to support China's social insurance programs nearly tripled from 2015 to 2024.
www.caixinglobal.com/2025-03-12/i...

Amid Broad Public Support for Proposed Abolition of Divorce “Cooling-off” Period, Weibo Censors Related Hashtag China’s annual Two Sessions political meetings recently drew to a close, minus the presence of National People’s Congress (NPC) Chairman Zhao Leji, the nation’s third most senior official. (Zhao’s une...

Amid Broad Public Support for Proposed Abolition of Divorce “Cooling-off” Period, Weibo Censors Related Hashtag

"This isn’t saving marriages, but it’s clearly fueling a ‘divorce arms race.’"