Featured Article
In China, AI Is No Longer Optional for Some Kids. It’s Part of the Curriculum (January 27, 2026, NPR News)
Starting in the fall, every student in elementary and middle school in Beijing, and several other districts, began learning about AI. Third graders learn the basics. Fourth graders focus on data and coding. By fifth grade, students are learning about “intelligent agents” and algorithms. It’s about preparing kids for life ahead, Wang said. And another thing: “It’s about enhancing the country’s competitiveness by securing a future pool of skilled professionals.”
Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs
China Sees an Opportunity in Greenland, but Not In the Way that Trump Thinks (January 20, 2026, The Guardian)
In 2018, China published a white paper outlining its Arctic policy. Somewhat implausibly, it described itself as a “near-Arctic state” with corresponding interests in the region. The paper said China “hopes to work with all parties to build a ‘Polar Silk Road’ through developing the Arctic shipping routes,” positioning China’s Arctic strategy as being part of Xi Jinping’s signature belt and road initiative. China also stressed the opportunities for scientific research in the Arctic.
Targeted Attacks on Chinese Nationals in Afghanistan: A Wake-Up Call for Beijing? (January 22, 2026, The Diplomat)
The January 19 suicide bomb attack on a restaurant in Kabul that killed seven people is the latest in an a series of attacks on Chinese citizens and interests in Afghanistan, a country that has become a key strategic partner for Beijing.
Supressing the Memory of June 4: Tiananmen Mother’s New Year Gathering Blocked in Beijing; Vigil Organizers On Trial in Hong Kong (January 24, 2026, China Digital Times)
On January 15, non-governmental organization Human Rights in China (HRIC) reported that, for the first time, the Chinese government obstructed the annual New Year’s gathering of the Tiananmen Mothers. Formed in September 1989 by Ding Zilin and other parents whose children were killed in the military crackdown on the Tiananmen protests, the Tiananmen Mothers have continued to meet, provide mutual support, and pressure the Chinese government to reverse its position on the 1989 protests and subsequent massacre. The group has come under pressure before, with members having been arrested, harassed, surveilled, and prevented from recording their June 4 commemorations.
Why the Xinjiang Camps Closed (January 26, 2026, Domino Theory)
China’s mass reeducation campaign in Xinjiang began in early 2017, and almost immediately thereafter, so, too, did researchers’ efforts to document it. They compiled satellite imagery, interviewed survivors and combed through construction bids. The United Nations—drawing on the work of German anthropologist Adrian Zenz, among others—found enough evidence to conclude, some 18 months after the crackdown began, that around a million people were being held without trial.
Crowds Bid Farewell to Japan’s Last Pandas Before Return to China Amid Souring Ties (January 27, 2026, CNN)
Japanese fans rushed to farewell the country’s last two pandas on Sunday ahead of their return to China, in a departure that highlights strained relations between the two countries. Twin cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei left Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Tuesday, local media reported, after meeting their fans for the last time on the weekend.
Religion
The Persecuted Church (January 22, 2026, China Partnership)
This is the third and final part of an interview with Lu Rongyu, who is finally home after spending several years in jail. He talks candidly about what it’s really like to share Jesus with his persecutors, how he stayed close to God while he was in jail without a Bible, and how he hopes to help encourage his own church to persevere through persecution. We hope reading these experiences helps us to better remember and pray for brothers and sisters in China who are experiencing persecution because they follow Jesus.
When It Finally Happens (January 23, 2026, ChinaSource)
When I first saw the news that a pastor had been taken into state custody and gone incommunicado—what Chinese reports described as shilian (失联)—it was on Facebook. Like many others outside China, I was stunned. It was October 9. Within hours, messages began circulating through overseas Christian networks—prayer letters, social media posts, private updates passed quietly from one contact to another. The speed itself was striking. Concern followed almost immediately. In contrast, conversations with believers inside China revealed a different rhythm. Information moved more slowly, often indirectly, shaped by caution and uncertainty about what could safely be shared or acknowledged.
Narrating Persecution (January 26, 2026, ChinaSource)
The digital media revolution has undeniably brought cultures and nations closer together, granting people around the world instantaneous access to information about what is happening on the other side of the globe. Yet greater access to information does not engender greater understanding. Rather, the proliferation of information appears more likely to lead to greater misunderstanding, with facts and “alternative facts,” multiple interpretations of events, and competing narratives all vying for attention. As AI becomes more prominent, this effect is only multiplied.
Society / Life
As China’s Retirement Age Rises, ‘Perceptions of Unfairness’ Grow (January 21, 2026, The Christian Science Monitor)
In the gritty industrial town of Tangshan in northern China, Lin Liang pauses by the hulking mining company where he has worked in maintenance for 15 years. He has decades to go until he can retire with a pension – longer than he had planned, thanks to a recent mandate raising the retirement age across China. Facing a rapidly aging population, which threatens to bankrupt the country’s pension system, Beijing last year started implementing its first increase in retirement age since the 1950s.
Overdoing It: The Cheap Pain Pills Hooking Young Chinese (January 22, 2026, Sixth Tone)
In September, Lin Ke found herself in a hospital emergency room after swallowing more than 20 pills of the prescription drug pregabalin—roughly 10 times the recommended daily dose. The medicine is primarily used to treat epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and general anxiety disorders, but Lin had been self-medicating to suppress a raging sense of fear, and had wanted to “temporarily avoid reality.”
6 Lives, 3 Years, and a Long Look at China’s Short-Video Era (January 22, 2026, Sixth Tone)
A young migrant worker moves from job to job, saying goodbye more often than he stays. A Yi ethnic minority youth leaves his mountain hometown to chase a football dream, filming the process as setbacks pile up. A retired single mother and practitioner of jiu-jitsu tries to return to competition, weighing ambition against the realities of love and family. These three lives are part of “Nobody, But Somebody,” a new six-part documentary series set far from the spotlight of urban China.
“AI Bedtime Stories” Are Going Viral in China, but They Don’t Work (January 27, 2026, Chinaskinny)
A new trend known as “AI bedtime soothing” has gone viral on Douyin, with users asking AI tools to generate personalized bedtime stories to help them fall asleep. Ironically, instead of inducing sleep, many of these AI-generated stories are so strange, dramatic, or entertaining that they wake people up.
Economics / Trade / Business
Which Chinese Provinces Splash Their Cash? (January 22, 2026, The Economist) (subscription required)
At last China’s government wants to ramp up domestic consumption. So far, there’s not much to show for it. Figures released on January 19 showed that GDP grew by 5% in 2025, driven by buoyant exports. At about 4.2%, household consumption growth lagged GDP. “Who is actually still spending money?” asks a headline on a Chinese news site. The article shows a chart that has gone viral: Chinese provinces categorized into those that “dare” to consume, and those that are “happy,” “cautious,” or “afraid” to do so, it suggests.
China’s Economy in Q4: Strong Exports Offset Domestic Weakness (January 23, 2026, MERICS)
Beijing’s policymakers will be pleased with the end-of-year report card for China’s economy. Exports delivered a record trade surplus of USD 1.2 trillion, despite renewed trade frictions with the United States. The 5 percent GDP growth target was met. Major priorities progressed, for instance managing debt levels and growing China’s strategic industries. However, growth slowed toward the end of the year, highlighting underlying domestic weaknesses.
China’s Consumer Spending Push Faces Major Challenge – Debt-Averse Households (January 27, 2026, South China Morning Post)
Chinese households have accelerated deleveraging—cutting debt relative to gross domestic product—at the fastest pace in years, a shift that could weigh on the consumer spending that Beijing needs to sustain growth in the world’s second-largest economy. Household sector debt expanded by just 0.5 per cent year on year in 2025, marking a historic low. The size of the debt dropped by 0.1 per cent in the third quarter and by 0.8 per cent in the fourth quarter—the first quarterly declines since 1995.
Education
Podcast – The Highest Exam: Jia Ruixue and Li Hongbin on China’s Gaokao and What It Reveals About Chinese Society (January 21, 2026, Sinica Podcast)
This week on Sinica, I speak with Jia Ruixue and Li Hongbin, coauthors of The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China. We’re talking about China’s college entrance exam—dreaded and feared, with outsized ability to determine life outcomes, seen as deeply flawed yet also sacrosanct, something few Chinese want drastically altered or removed. Cards on table: I had very strong preconceptions about the gaokao. My wife and I planned our children’s education to get them out of the Chinese system before it became increasingly oriented toward gaokao preparation. But this book really opened my eyes.
Why Chinese Students Aren’t Choosing to Study in the U.S. (January 24, 2026, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations)
100,000 fewer Chinese international students are in the United States compared to 2019, and this trend is showing no signs of slowing. These students are a major economic driver in small college towns and large cities across the U.S. In 2024, Chinese international students had an estimated $14.6 billion-dollar economic impact in the United States through tuition and living costs alone. They also greatly add to the science and engineering fields in the United States, particularly in AI and quantum computing. The cost of Chinese international students’ contribution to the US economy and academic institutions is difficult to calculate, but what impact does fewer Chinese international students have for the US?
Travel / Food
Traditional Chinese Medicine Transforms into Trendy Beverages (January 24, 2026, China Daily)
For generations, traditional Chinese medicine arrived with ceremony as dried roots and peels carefully measured from wooden drawers, taken home, and simmered in a slow, bitter ritual that demanded attention when the body called for care. Today, it can be ordered iced and sipped while commuting.
Arts / Entertainment / Media
For Chinese Writers, a Room of Their Own on Fifth Avenue (January 21, 2026, ChinaFile)
Accent Sisters is a New York publisher, bookstore, event space, and online network dedicated to fostering Chinese and Asian diaspora creative writing and culture. It is a strong facilitator and participant in the Chinese cultural scene organically growing throughout cities around the world that is changing the meaning of being “Chinese.”
Xi Jinping: A Year in the Headlines (January 26, 2026, China Media Project)
Last year, an apparent drop in the frequency of appearances by President Xi Jinping in the state media—alongside cancelled participation in international gatherings such as the BRICS summit—invited speculation that China’s strongman was losing his grip on power. Closely observing the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship People’s Daily newspaper, we argued last July that these shifts were overstated. It was just too early to tell. The headline results for 2025 are now in. So what observations can we now make about the standing of China’s top leader?
Ticket to Shanghai: How an American Trumpeter Rocked China’s Jazz Scene (January 27, 2026, Sixth Tone)
In early 20th-century Shanghai, jazz was made by composers, performers, and bandleaders from across Asia and beyond. This is the second article in a four-part series tracing how that sound took shape, and who made it matter.
Language / Language Learning
Chinese Subtitles and Transcripts: Reading Before, While or After Listening (January 15, 2026, Hacking Chinese)
Subtitles and transcripts can help you understand spoken Chinese, but do they also help you become a better listener? Should you read along, read first, or save the text for after you’ve listened?
History / Culture
From “Big Brother Zhao” to Emperor Taizu: The History Behind Where Winds Meet (January 21, 2026, The World of Chinese)
In the video game, Zhao Dage moves the story along and offers guidance and help with tasks. But the real Zhao Kuangyin was no mere sidekick advising the protagonist. He was an emperor thrust onto the throne by circumstance, a statesman whose shrewd political maneuvers laid the foundation for three centuries of civil governance, yet one who died without ever reclaiming the “sixteen prefectures of Yan and Yun (燕云十六州),” an area from present-day Beijing to Datong in northern Shanxi. These lost territories are directly referenced in the game’s Chinese title, which literally translates as “Sixteen Sounds of Yan and Yun (燕云十六声).” It’s time to put down the controller and meet the real Big Brother Zhao.
Books
Rethinking Chinese Christianity through a Pentecostal Lens (January 27, 2026, ChinaSource)
Book Review—Spirit(s) and Chinese Religiosity: Retelling the History of Chinese Christianity from a Pentecost Perspective by Jacob Chengwei Feng. Pentecostalism, as we know it, is perhaps the fastest-growing movement in the global Protestant church today. It is commonly known to be a movement that originated from the West and associated with the Azusa Street Revival (1906–1909) in Los Angeles, California. Today, many ethnically Chinese Christians around the world seem to have charismatic practices in their traditions. Yet, are they embracing a foreign import or something far more indigenous to their own culture?
Events
Book Circle Discussion US China Catholic Association
January 31, 2026, 9AM ET
On January 31, the US-China Catholic Association Book Circle will discuss Terri McNichol’s article, “Re-attuning to Nature’s Rhythms: The Chinese Art of Being, Relating, Acting.” A long-time Book Circle participant, Terri is an award-winning artist, a Chinese art historian, and president of Ren Associates—a consulting firm dedicated to the creative re-imagining of business education. Her article is available to Book Circle participants along with a separate document of the visual images referenced in the article.
Online Course—Being Bridges Across Cultures and Generations (Ambassadors For Christ – Online Symposium for Church and Lay Leaders)
February 1, 2026, 8pm EST
Join us to hear one church’s journey of bridging cultures and generations to serve in missions. The pastor and members of the Living Water Evangelical Church will share about how their outreach to Afghan refugees provided an opportunity for them to serve cross-culturally as well as learn how to carry out intergenerational collaboration. Though this story focuses on the ministry to the Afghan refugees, the journey of bridging across cultures and generations goes beyond this ministry. May the personal stories from this journey be an encouragement to other like-minded congregations.
East Asian Christianity Conference: Christian Witness and Presence Among East Asian Religions (Gordon-Conwell Seminary)
April 9-11, 2026, Hamilton, Massachusetts, US
As an annual gathering, this event brings scholars and practitioners together to engage comparative research on Christianity’s development and significance in East Asia, with implications for church ministry and mission today. The theme of this year’s conference is Christian witness and presence among East Asian religions. Church leaders from Asia and the West will come together to foster creative Christian discourse on outreach and leadership, drawing on current academic research and the lived experience of those in frontline ministry.
Pray for China
February 2 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
On February 2, 1924, Shanghai native Zhu Youyu (朱友渔主教) married Xu Lingyu (许灵毓女士-Caroline Huie), one of the six remarkable missionary daughters of Rev. Xu Qin (许芹牧师-Huie Kin) and Louise Van Arnam (露易丝·阿尔南女士). Zhou spent a quarter of a century in China ministering with the Episcopal Church before retiring to the United States shortly after the Communist Party took power. Pray for Chinese Christian returnees to mature in their faith as they persevere in the fight for joy. “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.” (Philippians 1:25)
Prayer 2026: Off the Beaten Path (January 1, 2026, China Partnership)
Praying Through the ChinaSource Journal (October 13, 2025, ChinaSource)
Praying Through ZGBriefs (August 29, 2025, ChinaSource)
Operation World (April 21, 2025, ChinaSource)
Pray for China (prayforchina.us)
Prayer Walking as a Rhythm of Life (May 30, 2025, ChinaSource)