Beijing (China)
‘Parentese’ Is Truly a Lingua Franca, Global Study Finds
We’ve all seen it, we’ve all cringed at it, we’ve all done it ourselves: talked to a baby like it was, you know, a baby. “Ooo, hellooooo baby!” you say, your voice lilting like a rapturously accommodating Walmart employee. Baby is utterly baffled by your unintelligible warble and your shamelessly doofus grin, but “baby so […]
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Yuzuru Hanyu Retires and Figure Skating Won’t Be the Same
Yuzuru Hanyu, the two-time Olympic champion, said on Tuesday that he would no longer participate in competitions, and the landscape of the sport of figure skating will never be the same. To get an idea of how much he has meant to his sport for the past dozen years, consider some of the fans who […]
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China’s Surveillance State Encounters Public Resistance
Chinese artists have staged performances to highlight the ubiquity of surveillance cameras. Privacy activists have filed lawsuits against the collection of facial recognition data. Ordinary citizens and establishment intellectuals alike have pushed back against the abuse of Covid tracking apps by the authorities to curb protests. Internet users have shared tips on how to evade […]
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As China Doubles Down on Lockdowns, Some Chinese Seek an Exit
Clara Xie had long wondered whether she might leave China one day. She chafed at the country’s censorship regime, and as a lesbian, she wanted to live in a country more accepting of same-sex relationships. Still, the idea felt distant — she was young, and didn’t even know which country she would choose. The coronavirus, […]
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John Lee Wins Hong Kong’s Rubber-Stamp Election
HONG KONG — John Lee “will make Hong Kongers and international investors feel relaxed, at ease and full of confidence,” a pro-Beijing newspaper declared. He will help the city “start anew to achieve greater glories,” the state-run China Daily wrote, in one of a series of articles praising him. His rise to the top leadership […]
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Inside China’s Zero-Covid Fortress, Xi Admits No Doubts
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, waved at crowds of giddily cheering students. He held meetings with Olympic Games officials, economic policymakers and European leaders. He toured a tropical island. But there was a revealing gap in Mr. Xi’s busy itinerary last month, exposing the predicament that Covid is creating in a politically crucial year when he […]
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China’s Covid Lockdown Outrage Tests Limits of Propaganda
Immediately after Beijing said it had detected a new coronavirus outbreak, officials hurried to assure residents there was no reason to panic. Food was plentiful, they said, and any lockdown measures would be smooth. But Evelyn Zheng, a freelance writer in the city, was not taking any chances. Her relatives, who lived in Shanghai, were […]
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In Hong Kong, China’s Covid Aid Gets the Cold Shoulder
HONG KONG — Soon after Omicron overwhelmed Hong Kong’s health care system in a deadly outbreak, Beijing rushed to help. Contractors from mainland China built vast isolation facilities. The central government sent more than 1,000 medical workers to staff treatment and testing centers, as well as butchers to help stabilize the local meat supply. To […]
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China’s Covid Lockdowns Set to Further Disrupt Global Supply Chains
BEIJING — Trucks are being delayed by the testing of drivers. Container rates are rising as ships wait for many hours at ports. Products are piling up in warehouses. As Chinese officials scramble to contain the country’s worst outbreak of Covid-19 since early 2020, they are imposing lockdowns and restrictions that are adding chaos to […]
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