Featured Article
From Mahjong Clubs to ‘Chinamaxxing’, Why Chinese Culture Seems to Be Everywhere (August 18, 2026, The Christian Science Monitor)
Chinese culture suddenly seems everywhere, from the mahjong groups springing up nationwide to the surging interest in Chinese trinkets and video games. On social media, Westerners extol the benefits of “Chinamaxxing” by embracing traditional Chinese wellness habits, such as wearing house slippers, and influencers beam gee-whiz China tours to millions of viewers–helping amplify an idealistic, state-sanctioned image of the Asian superpower.
Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs
Tiananmen Square Vigil Organizers in Hong Kong Found Guilty of ‘Inciting Subversion’ (August 21, 2026, The Guardian)
Two Hong Kong activists who organized annual vigils marking China’s deadly Tiananmen crackdown in 1989 have been found guilty of “incitement to subversion” in one of the most high-profile cases in Hong Kong since Beijing imposed its national security law in 2020. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, “incited other persons to organise, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting the state power,” a press summary handed out to reporters said. The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail, with sentencing expected at a later date.
China’s Global Image Is Improving, New Pew Survey Finds (August 21, 2026, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations)
At the beginning of the current decade, views of China were near historic lows in many countries. Recently, however, positive opinions of China have become more widespread, as measured in a recent Pew Research Center survey, and more people now have confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping to do the right thing regarding world affairs. Still, in most of the 37 countries surveyed, and particularly in some of the wealthier ones, views of Xi remain more negative than positive.
How China’s Anti-Corruption Fight Became Xi Jinping’s Most Imortant Policy (August 24, 2026, South China Morning Post)
The South China Morning Post has launched a major data project diving into President Xi Jinping’s signature anti-graft campaign. In the first part of a series accompanying the data project, Phoebe Zhang looks at how the campaign became one of the Communist Party’s most important policies.
Religion
The Growth of Christianity in China May Have Come to an End (January 10, 2026, Sage Journals)
Christianity in China grew rapidly in the decades following the end of the Cultural Revolution. Some scholars and journalists claim that Christianity in China is still expanding in the twenty-first century. In this study, the authors contrast evidence for such claims with the results from two decades of survey data. In 19 nationally representative surveys conducted since the early 2000s, the authors find no clear evidence that Christianity continues to grow as a share of China’s population.
Join Us by Building a Kingdom Legacy (August 19, 2026, ChinaSource)
September 30 will mark the end of the ChinaSource Vision Campaign entitled, A Renewed Vision for the Chinese Church in a New Era. From the beginning God has provided much fruit including the following kingdom ministry outcomes.
Suzhou: Looking for Openings (August 20, 2026, China Partnership)
This August we are praying for Suzhou, a famous, ancient city in eastern China. Suzhou church leaders say that it is difficult to shepherd believers during these times of restriction. They worry that the next generation of Christians does not have the same fervor as Chinese house church fathers. Churches are searching for new ways to share the gospel despite ongoing restrictions, and many have found mercy ministry opens doors for relational outreach.
Charting a Path Forward (August 21, 2026, ChinaSource)
Marking the Chinese Coordination Centre for World Evangelization’s 50th anniversary, the 10th CCOWE in Kuching, Malaysia was a significant occasion to honor the past while contemplating the future. It also brought to the surface key tensions facing the movement as it goes forward.
When “Chinese” Is Not One Thing (August 24, 2026, ChinaSource)
As a second-generation Chinese American Christian whose Chinese language ability is competent but not fluent, I occupy a very strange space in the Chinese theological academy. I have enough capacity to follow the conversation, but I cannot respond with genuine fluency. Despite being a scholar of Chinese Christianity, I am persistently tempted to keep my scholarship within the Anglophone circles I am most comfortable in. After all, many Chinese theologians have mastered enough English to dialogue with Anglophone scholarship and tradition in ways that make my research much easier. But my commitment to lived theology beckons me to stay close to the life worlds of Chinese-speaking faith communities.
After Passing the Microphone (August 25, 2026, ChinaSource)
The Chinese Congress on World Evangelization was originally held every five years, but this gathering was different: a full decade had passed since the previous one. Ten years is long enough for one generation to shift. Those who once attended as “young people” have now become the middle generation, while children who were still in school then have grown into the new faces entering the congress today.
Society / Life
China’s Male Matchmakers and the End of ‘Marrying Up’ (August 18, 2026, The Diplomat)
In early 2024, a grandmotherly figure known as “Wang Po”(王婆) became a national sensation in China for her folksy matchmaking performances in Kaifeng. Less than two years later, the country’s online matchmaking scene has undergone an unexpected gender reversal. A new generation of male matchmaking influencers, including Aoye (鳌烨), Wukong (悟空), Dachao (大超), and Tianshu (天书), has taken over the spotlight.
From Therapy Rooms to AI Chatbots: How China’s Young People Are Redefining Mental Health Care (August 19, 2026, Asia Society)
Over the past three decades, China has moved from widespread silence and stigma around mental illness to a rapidly expanding culture of therapy, psychological self-examination, and mental-health awareness. Yet demand for care has grown faster than the professional system’s capacity to meet it, leaving young Chinese increasingly to seek support beyond the clinic—from podcasts and online communities to therapy apps and AI chatbots.
China Before the Infinite Camera Roll (August 21, 2026, Sixth Tone)
Of the many consumer goods that entered China in the 1980s, one small item transformed how millions of families recorded their lives: 35mm color negative film. In 1984, Fujifilm established its Beijing office, as Chinese photographers were beginning to embrace the company’s color film, known for its green packaging and the distinctive greenish cast of its prints. Kodak, Fujifilm’s main rival at the time, soon followed, expanding its presence and introducing a network of express color photo stores across China in the 1990s.
Chinese Mother Buys Daughters Extra Train Seat, Sparking Debate (August 24, 2026, Sixth Tone)
“We bought three tickets,” a teenager says to a woman asking to use the empty seat beside her—occupied by snacks—her sister sitting on the other side. “We’re all in the same carriage,” the standing woman says. “Shouldn’t we help each other out?” She calls a train attendant for help. “Places 5, 6, and 7—those seats are theirs,” the attendant says after checking the teens’ tickets. “You need to talk to them about it. Telling me won’t help.”
Chinese Women Are Falling Behind in the Office (subscription required) (August 24, 2026, The Economist)
For those unaccustomed to truth in advertising, employers in China can be astonishingly forthright in their help-wanted notices. Huangshi, a city in Hubei, recently sought investment-promotion officers under 35 years old, specifying “men preferred”. A high-speed rail operator in Lanzhou wanted women, but only so long as they were under 25, over 160cm tall and with a “good appearance”. A Suzhou packaging firm, by contrast, stretched to the geriatric reaches of 45 in its search for a sales representative, adding that female candidates should already be married with children—in other words, please no maternity leave.
History / Culture
How China Is Celebrating Qixi This Year | Photo Story (August 19, 2026, The World of Chinese)
Originating more than 3,000 years ago, Qixi was a festival for young women to showcase their weaving, cooking, and handicraft skills. At night, they would gather in courtyards and pray to the Zhinü Star for skillful hands, wisdom, and a happy marriage, a tradition known as qiqiao (乞巧), literally “pray for ingenuity.” In recent years, Qixi is often marketed as the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Brands are taking this golden opportunity to launch themed campaigns, offering special deals and organizing activities ranging from making scented sachets to solving lantern riddles.
Tracing the Route of ‘Cathay’ (August 25, 2026, Sixth Tone)
Indeed, for centuries, the name “Cathay” haunted the European imagination. It conjured visions of a distant, mythical realm of silk and spices beyond China—even as European merchants and missionaries quietly traded with the immense state. The great irony is that for nearly 300 years, Europe operated under the profound delusion that these two magnificent empires were separate neighbors, and perhaps even rivals.
Arts / Entertainment / Media
The Power of Ugly: Why Niu Lai Became China’s Unlikeliest Box-Office Hit (subscription required) (August 22, 2026, What’s On Weibo)
A mother-and-son duo’s animated 3D film earned just 342 yuan ($US50) on opening day. Then its crude visuals turned it into a viral success, propelling it into the top ten of the year’s domestic animated releases. A meaningless ‘miracle’ or sign of shifting cultural sentiments? An explainer.
Travel / Food
Who Owns China’s Ramen? (August 21, 2026, The World of Chinese)
For decades, diners across China have turned to Lanzhou Lamian outlets for an affordable yet reliably filling bowl of hand-pulled noodles. Few, however, know that these noodles have little connection to the city of Lanzhou itself, and a recent rebranding campaign is trying to bring their true origins to light.
Books
Catholic Photography in Modern China (August 25, 2026, China Rhyming)
Catholic Photography and the Evolution of Modern China is a book published by HKU Press. Written by Joseph W. Ho and Anthony E. Clark, the book explores historical photography and Catholic communities in China
Burnout Market Feminism: A Conversation wirth Ling Tang (August 25, 2026, Made in China Journal)
In Burnout Market Feminism: Urban Chinese Businesswomen in the Internet Age (MIT Press, 2026), Ling Tang invites readers to explore the aspirations, achievements, and everyday struggles of women at the forefront of China’s digital economy. Through the stories of elite businesswomen navigating e-commerce and the broader internet industry, the book explores how gender, sexuality, entrepreneurship, and digital capitalism intersect in contemporary China.
Health / Environment
After 9 Years, China Is Reopening Its Borders To Recycled Plastic (August 21, 2026, The Diplomat)
In November 2026, the European Union will prohibit exports of potentially recyclable plastic to non-OECD countries. The EU labeled these exports “waste” and described the cross-border flow as environmental exploitation. At the same time that the EU is shutting down the trade, China has reversed course and committed to expanding the movement of recyclable plastic across its border. For most of the past decade, China was closed to imports of plastic waste entirely.
China’s Typhoon Maysak Death Toll Soars to 159 as Region Tallies Catastrophic Losses (August 21, 2026, South China Morning Post)
The official death toll from Typhoon Maysak’s devastating floods in southern China jumped from 39 to 159 on Friday, as authorities updated the figures for the first time in six weeks. According to media briefings held in Nanning and Guigang in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, ten people remained missing and the disaster affected more than 1.65 million people, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Education
Gaokao Reforms Could Leave Chinese Public Vulnerable to Pseudo-History, Top Academic Warns (August 22, 2026, South China Morning Post)
China’s secondary school students are dropping history as an exam subject, a trend that could leave the public more vulnerable to distorted narratives in the future, an academic at a top university has warned. The note of caution comes as Beijing steps up efforts to counter “historical nihilism”–the official term for narratives that contradict or undermine the state’s official historical line–as well as pseudo-history, such as claims that Ancient Greece did not exist.
Economics / Trade / Business
Will China Rewrite the Rules of Global Supply Chains? (August 25, 2026, The Diplomat)
Faced with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA), US legislation that presumes any goods made in Xinjiang involved forced labor, as well as with new European forced labor rules, China has not retreated. Instead, Beijing is building its own corporate responsibility supply chain standards, limiting how some Western audit and standards systems operate in China, and promoting China-led standards abroad.
Pray for China
August 29 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
On Aug. 29, 1842, the First Opium War (第一次鸦片战争) ended with opium importation legalized by the Treaty of Nanjing (南京条约) that was forced on China by Great Britain. Chinese watched countless ships from imperialist nations enter their harbors, some with merchants and their opium, some with military personnel and their guns, and some with missionaries and their Bibles. By 1879, opium imports equaled 15 million lbs. and the domestic crop added another 56 million lbs. Millions of lives were destroyed by opium. With the support of missionaries, especially those with medical training, the opium trade was abolished just before the empire fell in 1911. Nonetheless, Hudson Taylor (戴德生) once wrote, “I am profoundly convinced that the opium traffic is doing more evil in China in a week than Missions are doing good in a year.” Pray for the millions of Chinese addicted to drugs to hear from Chinese Christians what the Lord has done for their souls and to turn to the Lord Jesus for deliverance. Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. Psalm 66:16
From Deep Thinking to Deep Prayer (July 21, 2026, ChinaSource)
Prayer 2026: Off the Beaten Path (January 1, 2026, China Partnership)
Operation World (April 21, 2025, ChinaSource)
Pray for China (prayforchina.us)
Prayer Walking as a Rhythm of Life (May 30, 2025, ChinaSource)