Stephen McDonell
@stephenmcdonell.bsky.social
BBC China Correspondent based in Beijing. Previously ABC Australia China Correspondent.
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
Economist George Magnus cites figures from two big recruitment firms in #Beijing showing a high level of university graduates, even with master's degrees, taking jobs as delivery drivers in #China…
A piece from me on why #China’s youth won’t spend.
CLICK LINK TO READ:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
A piece from me on why #China’s youth won’t spend.
CLICK LINK TO READ:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
China needs its youth to spend but they are embracing frugality
Economic uncertainty is encouraging some young people to cut back on their spending.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Economist George Magnus cites figures from two big recruitment firms in #Beijing showing a high level of university graduates, even with master's degrees, taking jobs as delivery drivers in #China…
A piece from me on why #China’s youth won’t spend.
CLICK LINK TO READ:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
A piece from me on why #China’s youth won’t spend.
CLICK LINK TO READ:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
One woman tells me: “I changed jobs, it doesn't pay as well. I don't know for how long this new job can sustain me. A bad economic environment like this makes people feel down because we're not earning very much." CLICK LINK TO READ
#China
www.bbc.com/news/article...
#China
www.bbc.com/news/article...
China needs its youth to spend but they are embracing frugality
Economic uncertainty is encouraging some young people to cut back on their spending.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:22 AM
One woman tells me: “I changed jobs, it doesn't pay as well. I don't know for how long this new job can sustain me. A bad economic environment like this makes people feel down because we're not earning very much." CLICK LINK TO READ
#China
www.bbc.com/news/article...
#China
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
The conflicting messages hammered upon China's GenZ while jobs are wiped out: save like your parents did! Spend now for joy! "...not being helped by the push to become a champion in robotics and AI because, at least for the time being, this is something of a dampener on job opportunities..."
Why #China’s government can’t get young people to spend more. A piece from me:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
China needs its youth to spend but they are embracing frugality
Economic uncertainty is encouraging some young people to cut back on their spending.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:07 AM
The conflicting messages hammered upon China's GenZ while jobs are wiped out: save like your parents did! Spend now for joy! "...not being helped by the push to become a champion in robotics and AI because, at least for the time being, this is something of a dampener on job opportunities..."
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
Why #China’s government can’t get young people to spend more. A piece from me:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
China needs its youth to spend but they are embracing frugality
Economic uncertainty is encouraging some young people to cut back on their spending.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Why #China’s government can’t get young people to spend more. A piece from me:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Why #China’s government can’t get young people to spend more. A piece from me:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
China needs its youth to spend but they are embracing frugality
Economic uncertainty is encouraging some young people to cut back on their spending.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Why #China’s government can’t get young people to spend more. A piece from me:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
NEW from me: CO2 emissions in China have now been flat or falling for 18 months, the first time that energy demand growth at or above historical averages doesn't drive emissions up, thanks to the clean energy boom. 🧵👇
🇨🇳 📰 NEW | Analysis: #China’s #CO2 #emissions have now been flat or falling for 18 months
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-co2-emissions-have-now-been-flat-or-falling-for-18-months/
@laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social w/ @carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-co2-emissions-have-now-been-flat-or-falling-for-18-months/
@laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social w/ @carbonbrief.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:35 AM
NEW from me: CO2 emissions in China have now been flat or falling for 18 months, the first time that energy demand growth at or above historical averages doesn't drive emissions up, thanks to the clean energy boom. 🧵👇
Things I remember from The Dismissal:
1. A kid coming into our primary school class, saying something to the teacher and the announcement being made that the Prime Minister had been sacked.
[More...]
1. A kid coming into our primary school class, saying something to the teacher and the announcement being made that the Prime Minister had been sacked.
[More...]
November 11, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Things I remember from The Dismissal:
1. A kid coming into our primary school class, saying something to the teacher and the announcement being made that the Prime Minister had been sacked.
[More...]
1. A kid coming into our primary school class, saying something to the teacher and the announcement being made that the Prime Minister had been sacked.
[More...]
Such is life.
November 11, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Such is life.
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
Who says snooker players are coming to Hong Kong for HKIDs just for the lower taxes?
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Who says snooker players are coming to Hong Kong for HKIDs just for the lower taxes?
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
November 9, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
John Laws is dead. One of Australia's most successful broadcasters. As a teenager I rang his show. We argued for 10mins on air. He hung up on me with the words "you're obviously a loser in life & going nowhere. Goodbye."
November 9, 2025 at 9:37 AM
John Laws is dead. One of Australia's most successful broadcasters. As a teenager I rang his show. We argued for 10mins on air. He hung up on me with the words "you're obviously a loser in life & going nowhere. Goodbye."
November 9, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
"Rooftop solar is spreading fast in Jamaica, and people with panels got their power back almost immediately. The ‘entire neighborhood benefits,’ one resident said."
Jamaicans Have Been Turning to Solar Power. It Paid Off After the Storm.
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:06 PM
"Rooftop solar is spreading fast in Jamaica, and people with panels got their power back almost immediately. The ‘entire neighborhood benefits,’ one resident said."
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
So the fabled "Police intelligence" didn't extend to figuring out what a demo notice from an outfit called "White Australia" might involve. Interesting. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Neo-Nazi rally outside NSW parliament allowed to go ahead by police
A neo-Nazi rally outside the NSW parliament on Saturday morning was deemed "authorised" because police had chosen not to oppose the public assembly.
www.abc.net.au
November 8, 2025 at 8:33 PM
So the fabled "Police intelligence" didn't extend to figuring out what a demo notice from an outfit called "White Australia" might involve. Interesting. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
Over the almost 40 days the government has been shut down, Trump:
- spent all or part of nine days overseas
- spent all or part of ten days at Trump Org properties, and
- likely played golf on six days.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
- spent all or part of nine days overseas
- spent all or part of ten days at Trump Org properties, and
- likely played golf on six days.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
An official accounting of Trump’s golf and customer service time
It remains the case that President Trump doesn't particularly seem to like the White House. During his first time in office, there was reporting to this effect; in 2017, he allegedly told members of h...
www.pbump.net
November 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Over the almost 40 days the government has been shut down, Trump:
- spent all or part of nine days overseas
- spent all or part of ten days at Trump Org properties, and
- likely played golf on six days.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
- spent all or part of nine days overseas
- spent all or part of ten days at Trump Org properties, and
- likely played golf on six days.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
The Romanesque Revival St Joseph’s Church (1904), Wangfujing, Beijing. The perspective has benefitted from some landscaping, & it’s now a sci-fi pilgramge spot after featuring in Cixin Liu's The 3 Body Problem, where the 3 vaults mirror the nature of the physics conundrum at the heart of the novel….
November 8, 2025 at 3:07 AM
The Romanesque Revival St Joseph’s Church (1904), Wangfujing, Beijing. The perspective has benefitted from some landscaping, & it’s now a sci-fi pilgramge spot after featuring in Cixin Liu's The 3 Body Problem, where the 3 vaults mirror the nature of the physics conundrum at the heart of the novel….
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
(The meeting in the middle of nowhere is full of local staff who own some tiny tiny tiny amount of stock so are entitled to go - and would probably be sacked if they don't. They are *Meat In The Room* while the votes are by proxy etc.)
November 7, 2025 at 3:29 AM
(The meeting in the middle of nowhere is full of local staff who own some tiny tiny tiny amount of stock so are entitled to go - and would probably be sacked if they don't. They are *Meat In The Room* while the votes are by proxy etc.)
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
Oh c'mon this is just offensively absurd. Material shareholders are not in the room in Texas voting like this. This is not how any of this works and it's egregious the ABC or anyone else would imply it is.
Shareholders at Tesla's Texas factory chanted "Elon, Elon" as they overwhelmingly approved the largest-ever CEO compensation package for the company's controversial boss.
'I super appreciate it': How Elon Musk lined up a trillion-dollar payday
Shareholders at Tesla's Texas factory chanted "Elon, Elon" as they overwhelmingly approved the largest-ever CEO compensation package for the company's controversial boss.
www.abc.net.au
November 7, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Oh c'mon this is just offensively absurd. Material shareholders are not in the room in Texas voting like this. This is not how any of this works and it's egregious the ABC or anyone else would imply it is.
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
Someone just reposted my repost of this story.
You do such great work!
You do such great work!
November 6, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Someone just reposted my repost of this story.
You do such great work!
You do such great work!
Seriously?
November 5, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Seriously?
Reposted by Stephen McDonell
These descriptions in some media outlets of Mamdani’s agenda as “far left” are ridiculous. Isn’t it just an old fashioned tax the rich and spend on welfare programme that Labor-style parties have advocated for years? Where’s the “far” bit?
November 5, 2025 at 4:39 AM
These descriptions in some media outlets of Mamdani’s agenda as “far left” are ridiculous. Isn’t it just an old fashioned tax the rich and spend on welfare programme that Labor-style parties have advocated for years? Where’s the “far” bit?