ChinaFile
@chinafile.bsky.social
Online magazine from Asia Society
Reporting, Analysis, Photography, Video and Conversation on China
Reporting, Analysis, Photography, Video and Conversation on China
Pinned
ChinaFile
@chinafile.bsky.social
· Jun 30
NEW: A ChinaFile investigation into China's powerful, but leaky, internet censorship system at locknet.chinafile.com
1/21
1/21
Incredible reporting from the wreckage of a brutal Chinese-run scam center in Myanmar that wreaked devastation across the globe and in the lives of its workers from @hkbeech.bsky.social. Must read.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/w...
At This Office Park, Scamming the World Was the Business
www.nytimes.com
January 17, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Incredible reporting from the wreckage of a brutal Chinese-run scam center in Myanmar that wreaked devastation across the globe and in the lives of its workers from @hkbeech.bsky.social. Must read.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/w...
Reposted by ChinaFile
"my grandfather told her in great detail about that train station farewell, how they parted and his French wife was holding this baby girl and waving this white scarf until they disappeared and none of them knew this was going to be forever…"
A Family Derailed: On Writing “Trains” | ChinaFile
ChinaFile recently published “Trains: A Chinese Family History of Railway Journeys, Exile, and Survival,” by Zha Jianying, the journalist and author of some of the most memorable recent books on contemporary China and particularly Chinese culture. This is a lightly edited, abridged transcript of a conversation between Zha Jianying and ChinaFile Editor-in-Chief Susie Jakes and
www.chinafile.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:57 PM
"my grandfather told her in great detail about that train station farewell, how they parted and his French wife was holding this baby girl and waving this white scarf until they disappeared and none of them knew this was going to be forever…"
"my grandfather told her in great detail about that train station farewell, how they parted and his French wife was holding this baby girl and waving this white scarf until they disappeared and none of them knew this was going to be forever…"
A Family Derailed: On Writing “Trains” | ChinaFile
ChinaFile recently published “Trains: A Chinese Family History of Railway Journeys, Exile, and Survival,” by Zha Jianying, the journalist and author of some of the most memorable recent books on contemporary China and particularly Chinese culture. This is a lightly edited, abridged transcript of a conversation between Zha Jianying and ChinaFile Editor-in-Chief Susie Jakes and
www.chinafile.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:57 PM
"my grandfather told her in great detail about that train station farewell, how they parted and his French wife was holding this baby girl and waving this white scarf until they disappeared and none of them knew this was going to be forever…"
Reposted by ChinaFile
"We know from public opinion data that perceptions of the U.S. and faith that the U.S. is a trustworthy ally have declined since Trump returned to office." (Lev Nachman)
We asked a panel of experts: How will Trump's moves and threats against Venezuela, Greenland and other countries affect Beijing’s investments in Venezuelan oil industry, its calculus on Taiwan, and its relations with the rest of the world?
How Will China Respond to Maduro’s Capture? | ChinaFile
On January 3, the U.S. military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a nighttime raid on Caracas and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Trump announced the U.S. would temporarily “run” Venezuela until a transition of power occurs. Beijing immediately released a statement condemning the U.S.’s “blatant use of force against a sovereign
www.chinafile.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:24 PM
"We know from public opinion data that perceptions of the U.S. and faith that the U.S. is a trustworthy ally have declined since Trump returned to office." (Lev Nachman)
Reposted by ChinaFile
In @chinafile.bsky.social's conversation on whether the capture of Maduro affects Beijing's calculus for Taiwan with a number of distinguished experts
www.chinafile.com/conversation...
www.chinafile.com/conversation...
How Will China Respond to Maduro’s Capture?
On January 3, the U.S. military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a nighttime raid on Caracas and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Trump announced the ...
www.chinafile.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:30 PM
In @chinafile.bsky.social's conversation on whether the capture of Maduro affects Beijing's calculus for Taiwan with a number of distinguished experts
www.chinafile.com/conversation...
www.chinafile.com/conversation...
We asked a panel of experts: How will Trump's moves and threats against Venezuela, Greenland and other countries affect Beijing’s investments in Venezuelan oil industry, its calculus on Taiwan, and its relations with the rest of the world?
How Will China Respond to Maduro’s Capture? | ChinaFile
On January 3, the U.S. military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a nighttime raid on Caracas and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Trump announced the U.S. would temporarily “run” Venezuela until a transition of power occurs. Beijing immediately released a statement condemning the U.S.’s “blatant use of force against a sovereign
www.chinafile.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:13 PM
We asked a panel of experts: How will Trump's moves and threats against Venezuela, Greenland and other countries affect Beijing’s investments in Venezuelan oil industry, its calculus on Taiwan, and its relations with the rest of the world?
'Mistress Dispeller' has been shortlisted for the Oscars. Here is a recent interview with director Elizabeth Lo by ChinaFile Editor-in-Chief Susan Jakes:
‘Mistress Dispeller’ | ChinaFile
The new documentary feature film Mistress Dispeller probes the unraveling and redemption of a marriage at breathtakingly close range. Director Elizbeth Lo follows Teacher Wang, a professional “mistress dispeller,” as she counsels a middle-aged wife undone by her husband’s infidelity and unspools a covert plan to rid them of his lover. The film is currently playing at the IFC
www.chinafile.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:52 PM
'Mistress Dispeller' has been shortlisted for the Oscars. Here is a recent interview with director Elizabeth Lo by ChinaFile Editor-in-Chief Susan Jakes:
Reposted by ChinaFile
The verdict in the national security trial of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai is set to be delivered next Monday, according to the judiciary. In full: buff.ly/mahJGVX
BREAKING: Jimmy Lai nat. security case verdict to be handed down Monday | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP
The verdict in the national security trial of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, 78, is set to be handed down next Monday, according to the judiciary. The founder of Hong Kong’s defunct Apple Daily...
buff.ly
December 12, 2025 at 3:14 AM
The verdict in the national security trial of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai is set to be delivered next Monday, according to the judiciary. In full: buff.ly/mahJGVX
Reposted by ChinaFile
Lettere d'amore di un artista cinese dal carcere
Gao Zhen attende il processo in Cina
sua moglie è in un limbo
sostenuta dai lavori che lui realizza con la carta
Le immagini sono state accuratamente strappate a mano da fogli di carta da lettere
realizzate dal marito in carcere di notte 👇
Gao Zhen attende il processo in Cina
sua moglie è in un limbo
sostenuta dai lavori che lui realizza con la carta
Le immagini sono state accuratamente strappate a mano da fogli di carta da lettere
realizzate dal marito in carcere di notte 👇
December 8, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Lettere d'amore di un artista cinese dal carcere
Gao Zhen attende il processo in Cina
sua moglie è in un limbo
sostenuta dai lavori che lui realizza con la carta
Le immagini sono state accuratamente strappate a mano da fogli di carta da lettere
realizzate dal marito in carcere di notte 👇
Gao Zhen attende il processo in Cina
sua moglie è in un limbo
sostenuta dai lavori che lui realizza con la carta
Le immagini sono state accuratamente strappate a mano da fogli di carta da lettere
realizzate dal marito in carcere di notte 👇
Reposted by ChinaFile
I did a Q&A with Violet Feng on her new film:
Violet Feng's "The Dating Game" follows a romance coach in Chongqing and three of his students. In this Q&A, Feng talks about:
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
November 24, 2025 at 8:31 PM
I did a Q&A with Violet Feng on her new film:
Reposted by ChinaFile
This is fascinating
Violet Feng's "The Dating Game" follows a romance coach in Chongqing and three of his students. In this Q&A, Feng talks about:
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
November 25, 2025 at 12:46 AM
This is fascinating
Reposted by ChinaFile
Filmmaker Violet Du Feng's latest work is ‘The Dating Game,’ which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Filmed in Chongqing, the film follows a group of desperate bachelors participating in a dating “boot camp.” Read her @ChinaFile.bsky.social Q&A:
“The Dating Game” in China
Violet Du Feng has produced and directed more than a dozen documentary films about China. Her latest is The Dating Game, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Filmed in Chongqing, the…
www.chinafile.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Filmmaker Violet Du Feng's latest work is ‘The Dating Game,’ which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Filmed in Chongqing, the film follows a group of desperate bachelors participating in a dating “boot camp.” Read her @ChinaFile.bsky.social Q&A:
Reposted by ChinaFile
👉What does this trend reveal about China’s fertility pressures, shifting social norms, and the global surrogacy economy? chinaobservers.eu/a-surrogacy-...
Originally published in @chinafile.bsky.social
Originally published in @chinafile.bsky.social
A Surrogacy Silk Road: Chinese Parents Head West for Babies – chinaobservers
This article was originally published in ChinaFile and is republished here with the permission of the author. On the popular Chinese social media platform Xia
chinaobservers.eu
December 3, 2025 at 12:33 PM
👉What does this trend reveal about China’s fertility pressures, shifting social norms, and the global surrogacy economy? chinaobservers.eu/a-surrogacy-...
Originally published in @chinafile.bsky.social
Originally published in @chinafile.bsky.social
Violet Feng's "The Dating Game" follows a romance coach in Chongqing and three of his students. In this Q&A, Feng talks about:
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
November 24, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Violet Feng's "The Dating Game" follows a romance coach in Chongqing and three of his students. In this Q&A, Feng talks about:
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
• China's gender imbalance
• 'Left behind' children
• AI boyfriends in China
• Pick up artist culture & global crises of masculinity
Two days after our preview of independent Chinese-language film festivals in Berlin and New York, the NY event was cancelled because of pressure on filmmakers in China. We've updated out story with links to a statement from the organizer and NYT piece.
A New Global Scene for Independent Chinese Film | ChinaFile
On November 6, the IndieChina Film Festival announced its cancellation because of pressure from authorities on China-based filmmakers and participants.This November, two unrelated festivals of independent Chinese-language films are taking place outside of China. The CiLENS Berlin Indie Chinese Cinema Week, which runs from November 1 to 9, is now in its fourth year. In New
www.chinafile.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Two days after our preview of independent Chinese-language film festivals in Berlin and New York, the NY event was cancelled because of pressure on filmmakers in China. We've updated out story with links to a statement from the organizer and NYT piece.
Reposted by ChinaFile
25% of the polysilicon in solar panels comes from China’s Uyghur region. While the global solar industry is on the rise, so is forced labour in the sector. New piece from @chinafile.bsky.social on ensuring the green transition doesn't come at the cost of slavery: www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
Renewable Energy Still Comes at the Cost of Forced Labor. It Needs to Be Stopped.
Despite dominating global production, China has a polysilicon problem. Having subsidized and encouraged production of this critical ingredient in solar cells and panels, the country now faces massive ...
www.chinafile.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
25% of the polysilicon in solar panels comes from China’s Uyghur region. While the global solar industry is on the rise, so is forced labour in the sector. New piece from @chinafile.bsky.social on ensuring the green transition doesn't come at the cost of slavery: www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
Reposted by ChinaFile
With mini profiles of filmmaker/curators Echo Xuedan Tang and Zhu Rikun, and a quote from @shellyk.bsky.social
As China’s space for independent film continues to shrink, two filmmakers-turned-curators have established festivals in Berlin and New York, creating vital platforms for Chinese cinema that can no longer be shown at home.
A New Global Scene for Independent Chinese Film | ChinaFile
This November, two unrelated festivals of independent Chinese-language films are taking place outside of China. The CiLENS Berlin Indie Chinese Cinema Week, which runs from November 1 to 9, is now in its fourth year. In New York, the inaugural IndieChina Film Festival is on from November 8 to 15.It’s a surprisingly positive development. “Many of us attending a conference on
www.chinafile.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:06 PM
With mini profiles of filmmaker/curators Echo Xuedan Tang and Zhu Rikun, and a quote from @shellyk.bsky.social
As China’s space for independent film continues to shrink, two filmmakers-turned-curators have established festivals in Berlin and New York, creating vital platforms for Chinese cinema that can no longer be shown at home.
A New Global Scene for Independent Chinese Film | ChinaFile
This November, two unrelated festivals of independent Chinese-language films are taking place outside of China. The CiLENS Berlin Indie Chinese Cinema Week, which runs from November 1 to 9, is now in its fourth year. In New York, the inaugural IndieChina Film Festival is on from November 8 to 15.It’s a surprisingly positive development. “Many of us attending a conference on
www.chinafile.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
As China’s space for independent film continues to shrink, two filmmakers-turned-curators have established festivals in Berlin and New York, creating vital platforms for Chinese cinema that can no longer be shown at home.
Reposted by ChinaFile
"Mistress Dispeller" — at @chinafile.bsky.social, @susanjakes.bsky.social talks with filmmaker Elizabeth Lo about her provocative new documentary on infidelity and reconciliation.
‘Mistress Dispeller’
The new documentary feature film Mistress Dispeller probes the unraveling and redemption of a marriage at breathtakingly close range. Director Elizbeth Lo follows Teacher Wang, a professional…
www.chinafile.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:15 PM
"Mistress Dispeller" — at @chinafile.bsky.social, @susanjakes.bsky.social talks with filmmaker Elizabeth Lo about her provocative new documentary on infidelity and reconciliation.
Reposted by ChinaFile
In case you missed it last week:
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
Remembering Jerome A. Cohen
Jerome Alan Cohen (July 1, 1930 – September 22, 2025) was a renowned American lawyer who was one of the foremost foreign scholars of Chinese law. After studying law at Yale, Cohen embarked on a career...
www.chinafile.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:31 PM
In case you missed it last week:
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
Reposted by ChinaFile
🤰Why are flights from Georgia to China full of crying babies? Our analyst @emma-belmonte.bsky.social wrote a very interesting investigative piece on the phenomenon of the "Surrogacy Silk Road" for @chinafile.bsky.social, read it here 👇 www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
A Surrogacy Silk Road: Chinese Parents Head West for Babies
Georgia has become an increasingly popular destination for Chinese visitors. The number of visits nearly tripled between 2023 and 2024, with more than 88,500 visits last year. Yet leisure tourism does...
www.chinafile.com
October 14, 2025 at 10:05 AM
🤰Why are flights from Georgia to China full of crying babies? Our analyst @emma-belmonte.bsky.social wrote a very interesting investigative piece on the phenomenon of the "Surrogacy Silk Road" for @chinafile.bsky.social, read it here 👇 www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
In case you missed it last week:
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
Remembering Jerome A. Cohen
Jerome Alan Cohen (July 1, 1930 – September 22, 2025) was a renowned American lawyer who was one of the foremost foreign scholars of Chinese law. After studying law at Yale, Cohen embarked on a career...
www.chinafile.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:31 PM
In case you missed it last week:
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
We gathered a few friends and colleagues to write about the extraordinary life of Jerome A. Cohen (1930-2025), renowned lawyer and scholar of Chinese law.
Reposted by ChinaFile
What's the latest on U.S.-China trade talks? Scholars and experts evaluate the current state of the trade and tech tussle via @chinafile.bsky.social https://www.chinafile.com/conversation/chips-and-soybeans
Chips and Soybeans
American and Chinese officials announced on September 15 that they had reached a “framework agreement” on the future of TikTok. On September 25, Trump signed an executive order approving the framework agreement for the TikTok deal, although Chinese comm...
www.chinafile.com
October 11, 2025 at 9:12 PM
What's the latest on U.S.-China trade talks? Scholars and experts evaluate the current state of the trade and tech tussle via @chinafile.bsky.social https://www.chinafile.com/conversation/chips-and-soybeans
Reposted by ChinaFile
A @chinafile.bsky.social Conversation that showcases the many contributions Jerry Cohen made to the study of Chinese law, and the innumerable lives he touched during his 95 years with us.
Remembering Jerome A. Cohen
Jerome Alan Cohen (July 1, 1930 – September 22, 2025) was a renowned American lawyer who was one of the foremost foreign scholars of Chinese law. After studying law at Yale, Cohen embarked on a…
www.chinafile.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:15 PM
A @chinafile.bsky.social Conversation that showcases the many contributions Jerry Cohen made to the study of Chinese law, and the innumerable lives he touched during his 95 years with us.