Conversation
10.04.24Tick Tock for TikTok
Will TikTok succeed in defending itself on First Amendment grounds, or will it be forced to shut down in the U.S.? Or will ByteDance find a creative way out of the problem? What will this case mean for Chinese business interests in the U.S. and the...
Media
11.01.23ChinaFile Presents: China Reporting in Exile
ChinaFile and The New York Review of Books co-hosted a panel discussion with Chinese journalists working from abroad. Participants included reporter, editor, and digital media entrepreneur Annie Jieping Zhang, New York Times columnist Li Yuan,...
Notes from ChinaFile
05.15.23‘Beijing’s Global Media Offensive’
Over the past several years, there has been an active debate about Chinese influence overseas. Amidst allegations that Beijing has influenced foreign elections and politicians, state newswire Xinhua has expanded into one of the largest news agencies...
Viewpoint
08.27.20When China Reporters Can’t Report from China
Shortly after midnight on March 18, a phone call awoke Steven Lee Myers in his Beijing apartment. The call was followed by a flurry of messages: WhatsApp, text, email. Friends and colleagues were asking him questions: What is going on? What does...
Conversation
10.24.19Can China’s Government Advance Its Case on Twitter?
How successful have Chinese officials been at their use of English-language social media? Has the Chinese Party-state’s use of Facebook and Twitter been good or bad for Chinese soft power?
The China Africa Project
05.16.19Chinese and Africans are Having Totally Different Conversations About Their Relationship
Chinese news coverage and African and international reports are often starkly different from one another, even when discussing the same issues. With Chinese and African news consumers reading vastly different perspectives, what can be done to narrow...
Viewpoint
09.04.18Peak Xi Jinping?
The adulation of Xi Jinping, China’s State President, Party General Secretary, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, has yet to reach similar lofty heights as that of Mao Zedong. However, on September 3, the official Beijing media took a...
ChinaFile Recommends
04.25.18A Documentary Reveals the Dangerous Fickleness of Online Fame in China
Slate
In The People’s Republic of Desire, Hao Wu films the lonely shadows where the lines between online and offline dissolve.
Conversation
04.11.18China’s Communist Party Takes (Even More) Control of the Media
China’s Communist Party made moves last month to solidify and formalize its (already substantial) control over the country’s media. China’s main state-run broadcasters are to be consolidated into a massive new “Voice of China” under the management...
Sinica Podcast
03.01.18Can Chinese Journalists Criticize the Party-State?
from Sinica Podcast
Outside observers typically view China’s media as utterly shackled by the bonds of censorship, unable to critique the government or speak truth to power in any meaningful sense. In part, this is true. Censorship and other pressures do create “no-go...
ChinaFile Recommends
02.08.18China Loves Trump
Atlantic
In January of last year, around the time of the presidential inauguration, as jitters about the relationship between Donald Trump and China mounted, I regularly joined the mob of reporters at the Chinese foreign ministry’s daily briefings in Beijing.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.20.17Australian Furor over Chinese Influence Follows Book's Delay
New York Times
The book was already being promoted as an explosive exposé of Chinese influence infiltrating the highest levels of Australian politics and media. But then, months before it was set to hit bookstore shelves, its publisher postponed the release,...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.10.17Trump's Visit to China Provides a Propaganda Bonanza
New York Times
#TrumpHasArrived! The Chinese news media broke out the hashtags this week as soon as Air Force One landed in Beijing, delivering both President Trump and an irresistible propaganda opportunity for President Xi Jinping of China.
ChinaFile Recommends
08.01.17Chinese State Media Mocks Trump’s “Emotional Venting” on Twitter
“Only the Fake News Media and Trump enemies want me to stop using Social Media,” Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday morning, referring to himself, characteristically, in the third person. “Only way for me to get the truth out!” Of course, the list of...
Sinica Podcast
03.17.17Big Daddy Dough: Hip-hop and Macroeconomics in China
from Sinica Podcast
By day, Andrew Dougherty is a macroeconomist who manages a China research team for Capital Group, one of the world’s largest actively managed mutual funds. By night, he is Big Daddy Dough, creator of an album of parody hip-hop songs that explain...
Books
03.16.17Hollywood Made in China
China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 ignited a race to capture new global media audiences. Hollywood moguls began courting Chinese investors to create entertainment on an international scale—from behemoth theme parks to blockbuster films. Hollywood Made in China examines these new collaborations, where the distinctions between Hollywood’s “dream factory” and Xi Jinping’s “Chinese Dream” of global influence become increasingly blurred. With insightful policy analysis, ethnographic research, and interviews with CEOs, directors, and film workers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Los Angeles, Aynne Kokas offers an unflinching look at China’s new role in the global media industries. A window into the partnerships with Chinese corporations that now shape Hollywood, this book will captivate anyone who consumes commercial media in the twenty-first century. —University of California Press{chop}
ChinaFile Recommends
03.12.17After $225 Billion in Deals Last Year, China Reins In Overseas Investment
New York Times
On Saturday, in the strongest public signal yet that Beijing is changing course, China’s commerce minister castigated what he called “blind and irrational investment.”
Viewpoint
01.23.17The Chairmen, Trump and Mao
The January 13, 1967 issue of TIME magazine featured Mao Zedong on its cover with the headline “China in Chaos.” Fifty years later, TIME made U.S. President-elect Donald Trump its Man of The Year. With a groundswell of mass support, both men...
Media
01.19.17The U.S. Media’s Unfortunate Obsession with One Beijing Rag
On January 11, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson raised eyebrows in Washington when he said, “We’re going to have to send China a clear signal that first the...
ChinaFile Recommends
12.20.16Donald Trump Accuses China of 'Unpresidented' Act Over US Navy Drone
Guardian
President-elect makes spelling error in belligerent early morning tweet; China says ‘hyping up’ of issue is not helpful but agrees return of vehicle
ChinaFile Recommends
12.14.16For China’s State Media, Trump Victory Can’t Cure the ‘American Disease’
New York Times
China’s ruling elite seems to be consoling itself with the idea that Trump will take charge of a country staggering into decline and disunion
ChinaFile Recommends
11.15.16Unswayed by Extraordinary Public Outcry, China Executes Nail Gun Killer
Washington Post
China sends messsage that ordinary people can’t take the law into their own hands, and the Communist Party is simply not going be swayed by a public outcry.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.15.16With Odes to Military March, China Puts Nationalism into Overdrive
New York Times
President Xi has been making the case for a “new long march,” using the anniversary to rally the public and warn against creeping complacency
ChinaFile Recommends
11.10.16What Will a Trump Presidency Mean for China?
NPR
The response of China's state-controlled media to Donald Trump's victory seemed almost gleeful. What's happens next?
The China Africa Project
10.05.16China’s Media Challenges Western Narratives of Africa
The Chinese media presence across Africa has expanded dramatically over the past ten years, as Beijing has built a vast distribution network for its newspaper, radio, and TV content. China’s flagship TV network, China Central Television (CCTV),...
ChinaFile Recommends
09.28.16Chinese State Media Say U.S. Debate Shows Vote is ‘Lose-Lose’
Bloomberg
Party paper report calls Trump nervous, Clinton well-prepared
ChinaFile Recommends
09.22.16How to Counter China’s Global Propaganda Offensive
New York Times
It has been a difficult year for many Western democracies — and China is rubbing it in.
Viewpoint
05.26.16China and the End of Reform
Is the Chinese Communist Party putting an end to the decades-long process of China’s opening to the outside world? Is the era of liberal reform over? Consider the latest piece of evidence: on April 28, the Standing Committee of the National People’s...
ChinaFile Recommends
05.03.16China Enlists Rap Video for Military Recruitment
Financial Times
China’s military has released a rap music video titled “Battle Declaration” as part of a campaign to lure young recruits.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.26.16Chinese Corruption Gets House of Cards Treatment with Communist Mini-Series
Guardian
State-sanctioned TV drama will focus on the Communist Party’s resolve to eradicate corruption.
The China Africa Project
04.07.16A Chinese Journalist Reflects on Reporting the China-Africa Story
How foreign journalists report on the China-Africa story is often determined by the national origin of their news organization. While there are no doubt exceptions, the U.S. news media frequently frame China as the neo-colonial aggressor and Africa...
Conversation
03.15.16What’s Driving the Current Storm of Chinese Censorship?
The latest lightning flashes on China’s shifting media horizon this month took the form of the banishment from social media of a real estate tycoon who voiced support for constructive criticism, the firing of an editor at a newspaper that appeared...
ChinaFile Recommends
03.09.16Chinese Publication, Censored by Government, Exposes Article’s Removal
New York Times
Caixin Media reported that the government had deleted its March 3 article because it contained “illegal content.”
Conversation
02.23.16How Long Can China’s Internet Thrive if the Rest of the World Gets Shut Out?
Last week, Chinese authorities announced that as of March 10, foreign-invested companies would not be allowed to publish anything on the Chinese Internet unless they have obtained government permission to publish with a Chinese partner. What does...
ChinaFile Recommends
02.22.16China Unveils Tough Controls on Foreign Media Activities
Variety
Foreign-owned media or joint ventures in China will not be able to publish online without prior approval.
Media
12.17.15Smarter, Sexier State Media: There’s an App for That
Before the Internet age, it used to be relatively straightforward for authoritarian regimes to dictate popular news consumption: just control all the major newspapers, as China’s ruling Communist Party has done since the founding of the People’s...
Media
12.14.15R.I.P. SCMP?
On December 11, Chinese Internet behemoth Alibaba announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Hong Kong’s flagship English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The announcement came as no surprise, as the ailing paper...
ChinaFile Recommends
12.10.15Mission Improbable—Jack Ma, China’s Biggest E-Commerce Tycoon, Wants To Be a Media Mogul Too
Economist
Jack Ma, Alibaba’s billionaire boss, wants to be a global media mogul.
ChinaFile Recommends
12.09.15Chinese State Media Hits Back at Claims of Racist 'Star Wars' Poster
CNN
"Finn (who happens to be black) and Chewbacca (happens to be Wookiee) get shafted in China."
ChinaFile Recommends
12.04.15China Box Office Hits $6.3 Billion for 2015, Marking 48 Percent Yearly Growth
Hollywood Reporter
Local Chinese films accounted for $3.7 billion (23.7 billion yuan), more than 59 percent of the total box office earnings for the year to date.
Media
11.20.15Pulitzer’s ‘Lookout on the Bridge’ vs. China’s ‘News Ethics Committees’
In a recent harangue on the imperative of better journalism, a website run by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department tore a jagged page from the wisdom of American newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer: “A journalist is the...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.17.15China Box Office: 'Spectre' Has the Competition Shaken and Stirred
Hollywood Reporter
It took a while, but James Bond finally won over Chinese audiences as Spectre, the 24th film in the franchise.
The China Africa Project
11.17.15A Journalist’s View on Reporting the China-Africa Story
The U.S.-based online news site Quartz is among a growing number of international media companies that is investing resources to better cover Africa. The company launched Quartz Africa in June 2015 with the opening of a new bureau in Nairobi and the...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.16.15China to Tighten Limit on Foreign TV and Video Imports
Wall Street Journal
Tighter licensing could further reduce amount of foreign content streamed in China.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.06.15China Is on Track to Surpass U.S. as World's Biggest Movie Market by 2017
Los Angeles Times
Despite the recent economic slowdown in China, the country's film market is growing even faster than anticipated.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.03.15China Box Office: 'Ant-Man' Narrowly Wins Another Week
Hollywood Reporter
Marvel's "mighty" superhero Ant-Man continued to punch above its weight at the Chinese box office, winning a second consecutive week.
Media
10.30.15Xi’s State Visits As Seen on the Cover of ‘China Daily’
The state visits of Chinese Communist Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Washington, D.C. in September and London last week were both significant milestones in China’s long term “rejuvenation,” a key element in Xi’s vaunted notion...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.28.15Hong Kong Is the Happiest Place in China, According to WeChat Posts
Quartz
Hong Kong is home to the happiest people in Greater China, closely followed by Taiwan, according to Tencent.
Sinica Podcast
10.27.15Hope and Fear in the Age of Asia
from Sinica Podcast
The West has spent decades pleading with China to become a responsible stakeholder in the global community, but what happens now that China is starting to take a more proactive role internationally? In this podcast, Kaiser Kuo and David Moser are...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.26.15Leaving China? Your books, Maps and DVDs May Be Confiscated
Los Angeles Times
An odd thing happened when movers came to box up Ruth Kirchner's furnishings as she was preparing to return to Berlin after a decade in China.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.16.15Culture Shock: Chinese Ministry Slammed on Not-so-Social Media
WSJ: China Real Time Report
Watch the country’s culture ministry get eviscerated on social media.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.15.15The Chinese Oscar Winner that Wasn’t
Foreign Policy
Wolf Totem is a spectacular film, but its soul is missing. That's just how Beijing wants it.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.15.15China Burnishes Xi Jinping’s Legend With TV Drama of His Years in Rural Hamlet
Guardian
Chinese bloggers label 45-part drama called Liangjiahe as latest homage to omnipotent ‘Big Daddy Xi’.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.15.15China Tightens TV Censorship after Cleavage Controversies
Hollywood Reporter
New rules may require some Chinese shows to delay broadcasts by as much as six months.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.14.15In China’s State News Media, What Is Said May Not Be What’s Printed
New York Times
An Australian journalist was misquoted as saying the people of Tibet had a “wonderful life.”
ChinaFile Recommends
10.05.15China Box Office: 'Lost in Hong Kong' Surges Past $200 Million
Hollywood Reporter
The film will soon surpass its predecessor, 'Lost in Thailand', which grossed $208 million in 2012, the most ever for a Chinese film at the time.
Media
10.01.15When Chinese Internet Users Call Xi Jinping Daddy
Internet censorship in China has inspired the invention of a menagerie of online creatures: the river crab, the elephant of truth, the monkey-snake. Each beast’s name plays on a word or phrase that has at some point angered Chinese Internet users,...
The China Africa Project
09.19.15The News Media’s Mixed Record in Covering China-Africa Ties
News organizations from across Africa and around the world are devoting more resources to covering China’s engagement on the continent. The overall quantity of coverage has undoubtedly increased over the past decade. The key question, though, is...
ChinaFile Recommends
09.18.15Controversy Brewing Around China’s Oscar Submission
Hollywood Reporter
Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke revealed that producers are lobbying for his latest feature, Mountains May Depart, to be submitted.