Chinese Whispers

While the EU-China Agreement on Investment remains a highly disputed issue in Europe, how is it framed by the Chinese public? What topics are highlighted, and what is omitted?

As ever stricter media controls and mass surveillance take root in China, gaining a clear picture of Chinese society is difficult. In this commentary for Echowall, writer Wen Kejian suggests that social resistance will continue to exist alongside state efforts at stability preservation.

A quarter century on from the Fourth World Conference for Women in Beijing, how far has China come in terms of protecting the rights of women? The reality today, writes Joan Lee, is a study in stark contrasts. 

Spurring consumer spending now lies at the heart of efforts by Chinese policymakers to tackle economic challenges. But while liberating the desire for consumption at first seemed to be good news, the darker side of borrowing to spend, particularly for China's youth, is now becoming more apparent. 

For years, China’s booming internet sector has symbolized the innovative spirit in its economy. But a grueling work culture is exhausting a generation of young tech professionals. What does this mean for China’s future?

Behind the story of China’s rapid economic development is the growing instability of life for the country’s young migrant workers, who are increasingly ditching factory work for short-term, informal jobs.

In China, the world's largest contract electronics maker, Taiwan's Foxconn, has long been synonymous with worker exploitation and the heartlessness of low-wage manufacturing. In the Czech Republic, the company presents another face – which may reveal just how much national contexts make a difference. 

Even as a consensus has emerged that coal must be phased out, Chinese investment is empowering the growth of coal power across the globe. At the crossroads of this debate in Europe is a series of new coal power projects in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

China is now at the top of the tables when it comes to investment in research and development. But problems like bureaucracy and short-term thinking continue to hold innovation back.