Why is China calling itself a democracy when it is not according to most definitions? China scholar Ian Johnson, a fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, discusses this and other political issues at the Council on Foreign Relations. In the same way, it is not a dictatorship where Xi Jinping can decide on all issues in the country, he says.Read More →

Former Shanghai-based foreign correspondent Howard French recently returned to Shanghai for the first time after corona and takes stock of its current state, by talking to Chinese and foreign residents in the city. In Foreign Policy he reports about these findings. French: “All I can say with certainty is that we are all in for a turbulent, costly, and possibly dangerous ride.”Read More →

China marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok discusses her success in supporting companies selling in China in a new Growth Tactics podcast by Jeff Towson. “China is a big country,” says Ashley Dudarenok,  “but what’s trending in Shanghai today? How can I make my post, my message? Connected with that broader topic that is featured in the media or in on a specific platform et cetera.”Read More →

AI expert Alvin Wang Graylin dives into the future of the metaverse and discusses his book Our Next Reality: Preparing for the AI-powered Metaverse, and how the world finds itself at the crossroads of a new industrial revolution, in a discussion with Cecilia Lascialfari.Read More →

Retail sees a fast-moving playing field, as data analysis, AI, AR, and an ongoing integration of online and offline developments. Hong Kong-based marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok dives into the future of retail at her updated website.Read More →

Unlike their counterparts in the rest of the world, China’s youngsters are fiercely saving their money, says business analyst Shaun Rein at CNBC. “Unlike youths in the 2010s who often spent more than they earned and borrowed money to buy fancy items like Gucci handbags and Apple iPhone, young Chinese have started saving more,” he told CNBC. Read More →

China veteran Ian Johnson, author of China’s Underground Historians and their Battle for the Future (September 2023), announces he will leave as senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations and move from New York to Berlin. He will work as a fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and work from Berlin starting on July 1, 2024, writing a new book on the misuses of religion in Xi’s China in the summer of 2024.Read More →

What happened to former foreign minister Qin Gang one year ago is still unclear. After a stellar career, the sudden disappearance of Qin triggered a slew of rumors, including an extramarital affair with a British spy, an affair with Xi Jinping’s daughter, and more speculations. Political analyst Victor Shih tells Politico that China’s leadership is still unsure of how to handle this case.Read More →

In numbers, the Chinese tourists might be reaching this year pre-pandemic levels, but their destinations will be more domestic and cheaper, says marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok at CNBC. She expects recovery in Chinese traveling internationally to take longer, partly as “the feeling that the rest of the world is mad and unsafe is even higher than in 2023.”Read More →