Currents in Context

As activist Joshua Wong invoked the Cold War and the Berlin Wall while reiterating his cause for free elections and greater autonomy in Hong Kong, a social media account operated by the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper went on the attack. 

Empty container cars heading home on the China Railway Express have long symbolized for some the lack of reciprocality in trade with China, which exports more to Europe than it buys. But what does it mean when most of the trains coming from China are empty? 

As nationalistic Chinese internet youth rallied on a popular message board to plan an attack on media and platforms outside China's Great Firewall to oppose demonstrations in Hong Kong, they invoked disturbing notes from Germany's past.