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China Watch
Geopolitics, domestic life, and the view from inside. China through Chinese eyes.
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Coverage
How Ukraine and Iran Are Becoming One Conflict
The wars in Ukraine and Iran were once treated as separate crises. Increasingly, they look like two fronts in a single, expanding conflict....
Did the US Really Ask Korea to Hand Over Samsung and SK Hynix Profits?
Washington may not want cash alone. It may want something even more valuable....
Israel Says It Could Fight Iran Again “Tomorrow.” Bluff, Pressure, or a Real Regional Risk?
Why Israel’s latest threat is rattling the region again....
Iran’s “Alien” Drones? What That Viral US Pilot Story Really Tells Us
A US pilot said Iran’s drones looked “alien.” The real story is even more unsettling....
Trump Wants Car Giants to Make Missiles. Is America Quietly Preparing for a Bigger War Economy?
The real story is not Trump’s headline. It is what it reveals about U.S. military capacity....
DF-17 Launch Footage Goes Public: Why China’s Multi Vehicle Salvo Matters
The launch footage went viral in China. Here is what military watchers saw in it....
Why Iran’s Hormuz Move Matters Far Beyond the Gulf
Iran says stop. The U.S. says it is open. The world now has to decide whom to believe....
A Midnight Smell Panic in Shanxi: What Might Have Filled Yuncheng’s Air?
A whole city woke up choking on a strange smell that disappeared by sunrise....
Why the Next Global Conflict May Not Look Like a World War
The West Is Not Marching Toward World War III. It Is Drifting Toward Something Stranger and More Dangerous....
The Spectacle and the Quagmire: Why Global Adversaries are Humoring a Waning Empire
A superpower can survive setbacks. What it may not survive is the widening gap between its image and its actual capacity....
Why Putin Announced a China Visit Right After Trump Left Beijing
Trump leaves Beijing. Putin announces he is next....
Bringing a 20th Century Military to a 21st Century War
For decades, Washington assumed money, bases and firepower guaranteed control. The confrontation with Iran is exposing how outdated that assumption has become....
Why Iran’s Foreign Minister Rushed to Beijing
Iran’s foreign minister is in Beijing, and the timing is everything....
Did Iran Just Fire on a U.S. Warship in Hormuz?
Iran says it fired. America says nothing was hit. The real story is what happens next....
Israel Gets 6,500 Tons of Arms. What Comes Next?
Israel says it may act again soon. Washington’s latest shipment says a lot....
What Happens When a Superpower Can No Longer Sustain War
Wars do not only destroy cities and stockpiles. They destroy myths. This one may have shattered the biggest myth of all....
UAE Quits OPEC: What Just Broke in the Gulf?
The UAE walked away from OPEC and crude prices moved fast. Here is why....
Iran’s Putin Visit: Peace Bid or War Upgrade?
Is Tehran chasing peace, or preparing for a harder fight?...
Why Trump Blinked First in the Iran Standoff
Trump threatened escalation, then extended the ceasefire hours later. So what changed?...
Is the US Really Preparing to Hit Iran Again?
A leaked US plan, moving ships, and a shaky ceasefire. Here’s what Chinese observers are seeing....
When Military Power Becomes Strategic Failure
Explosions make for compelling images, but spectacle is not strategy. The current conflict may prove how badly power can misread its own limits....
Tokyo's New Arms Policy Is Raising Alarms in Asia
Tokyo calls it modernization. Critics call it remilitarization....
What Iran’s New Hormuz Corridor Really Means
What looks like traffic management may actually be a power play with global consequences....
The War Washington Cannot Quite Admit It Is Losing
For years, Washington treated Iran as a weaker regional power. This war is exposing how costly that miscalculation may be....
Ukraine Began the Unraveling. Iran Is Accelerating It
The war in Ukraine exposed the strain on U.S. power. A conflict involving Iran may be showing just how far that erosion has already gone....
Iran Opens Hormuz Again. Here’s the Catch
This was not a peace deal. It was a tactical pause dressed as one....
What the West Still Refuses to Say About Israel
Diplomatic caution has become a form of denial. The world knows what is driving this crisis, yet still refuses to say it plainly....
US Stumbles, Russia and China Step Up in the Middle East
The US stumbled in the Middle East. Now, China and Russia are stepping in. Discover what Zhihu users are saying....
US Hormuz Blockade: What It Means for China and Oil
This is not just an Iran story. It is an energy and China story too....
Hormuz Falls Silent Again: How Bad Is the Global Shock?
Shipping has stalled again in Hormuz. The global ripple effects could be huge....
21 Hours, No Deal: Inside the US-Iran Breakdown
21 hours of talks, no deal, and Hormuz is back at the center of the crisis....
Lebanon Is Now the Test of US-Iran Diplomacy
Iran says the US agreed. Washington has not confirmed. So, what is really going on?...
The War Isn’t Over. It’s Just Changing Shape
The headlines say pause. The region says prepare for round two....
Iran Deletes Islamabad Post. Is Diplomacy Collapsing?
One deleted post. One huge signal. What is Iran really saying?...
China Bridge Collapse Report Reveals Shocking Failures
Fake paperwork, bad bolts, fatal consequences. Inside the collapse report....
Iran Says It Won. China’s Internet Isn’t Buying It
Iran says it won. Trump says peace is coming. The facts are much murkier....
Why RMB Payments Just Had a Breakout Moment
CIPS just surged to a new high. Here’s why global money is suddenly paying attention to China....
Did America Win the Rescue but Lose the Narrative?
Washington says success. Tehran says failure. The truth may be both....
China Issues Urgent Warning for Millions of iPhone Users
Why China Just Issued an Emergency Alert for Apple Users...
Did Israel Frame Iran in the Riyadh Embassy Attack?
Iran says it was not behind the Riyadh embassy strike. So who was?...
The Path of Escalation Has No Natural End
This crisis is becoming more than a regional war. It is testing whether the world can restrain powers addicted to escalation....
Another F-35 Down?
Tail markings, debris, and one big question: what really went down?...
Are US Ground Troops Heading To Iran? Zhihu Says Yes
Is the US emptying the Pacific to fight Iran? Chinese OSINT trackers just spotted highly unusual naval movements....
US vs Iran: How Chinese Netizens Decode the Troop Buildup
The Next Gulf War? Chinese Netizens Decode the US Military Buildup in the Middle East...
The Great WeChat Silence & The Plastic "Prayer" Problem
Why 40% of young Chinese have stopped posting, plus a bizarre ritual in Foshan....
No House, No Hukou: Why China’s Youth Refuse to Leave
With housing prices in Tier 1 cities out of reach and the infamous "age 35 layoff" curse looming, why do millions of young Chinese continue to flock to Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen? They know they will likely never buy a home or gain residency. They know they might eventually be forced to leave. Yet, the consensus from a massive online debate this week is clear. The hometown is not a sanctuary. It is a trap.
Bill Gates in China: Escaping the Epstein Shadow?
While Gates may have hoped for a warm reception, Chinese social media users on platforms like Zhihu have been less than forgiving. The prevailing sentiment is not one of awe but of suspicion. Netizens have pointed out the convenience of his timing. With legal and social pressure mounting in the United States, China represents a friendly environment where his status as an "old friend" grants him a certain level of immunity from aggressive questioning.
