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☆ China sees foreign threats ‘everywhere’ as powerful spy agency takes center stage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

But among the crowds you and I together are protecting national security,” the narrator concludes. Chinese soldiers look at a poster promoting national security in the southwestern city of Beihai on National Security Education Day on April 15, 2024. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesAccording to the MSS, foreign spies are omnipresent and infiltrating everything – from mapping apps to weather stations. But China’s spy agency has gradually stepped out of the shadows as Xi makes national security a key priority. “Shenyin Special Investigation Squad” is a comic series based on real-life counterespionage operations, according to China's spy agency.

Persons: –, “, ”, Xi, Xuezhi Guo, Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Mao Zedong, Greitens, Chen Yixin, Chen, “ Chen, ” Greitens, Xi –, denigrate, Bain, Alex Plavevski, Guo, influencers, China’s, can’t, James Zimmerman, Perkins Coie, Zimmerman, ” Zimmerman Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Security Education, “, Ministry of State Security, National Security, Publishing, CIA, National, Education, Capitol, Guilford College, Asia, University of Texas, Getty, Communist Party, FBI, National Security Propaganda, CCTV, Ministry of State, China’s National Security Commission, Group, China Development Forum, Perkins Coie LLP, ”, MSS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beihai, British, American, Beijing, Austin, AFP, Zhejiang province, Shanghai, New York, overreaching

☆ Gen Z workers in China are picking 'gross outfits' over corporate glam because they don't get paid enough to look fly
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But a new trend flooding Chinese social media takes casual to the next level, with young workers sharing videos of themselves wearing their "grossest" clothes to the office. The hashtag "gross outfits at work" has been taking over Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like app. AdvertisementOne woman posted a video of her colleagues being criticized by their boss for their gross outfits on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Douyin"They are getting criticized by the boss for their gross outfits," one Douyin user said amid fits of laughter in a video she'd posted on March 7. In a separate Douyin video, which was posted in February, a woman could be seen touting her "gross outfit."

Persons: —, Wei, Ant, Candise Lin, netizens, Lin, Jack Porteous, TONG, Porteous, hadn't Organizations: Service, Business, TONG Global Locations: China

☆ A UPenn student started a YouTube channel. In weeks, her face was stolen on China's social media.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

That message included a link to a video on Xiaohongshu, a social media platform rapidly gaining steam in China. The student started her self-empowerment channel in November and has so far published eight videos and seven YouTube Shorts. The Xiaohongshu deepfakes of other YouTubers do the same. In a matter of about 10 minutes, BI found deepfake videos of at least five caucasian women on Xiaohongshu. But at least one Chinese deepfake version of Blakely has a different agenda to share on Xiaohongshu.

Persons: —, Olga Loiek, Loiek, Vladimir Putin, Loeik, Weibo, someone's, Lyu Siwei, it's, Haibing Lu, they've, Xiaohongshu, Natasha, she's, Annie, Sophia Elena, Katyusha, China, Lana Blakely, Blakely, Elizabeth Filips, Serbia, Filips, Lyu, Vincent Conitzer, Conitzer, Lu, Lyu who's, he's, Roy, Ari Lightman, she'll Organizations: Service, Business, Kremlin, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Media, University at Buffalo, Santa Clara University, University of Pennsylvania, BI, Russia, Institute for, Oxford University, Social, Carnegie Mellon University Locations: Munich, China, Moscow, Ukraine, Santa, China's Heilongjiang, Germany, Xiaohongshu, Russian, Russia, Stockholm, Xiaohongshu London, Pakistan

☆ Furry Slippers and Sweatpants: Young Chinese Embrace ‘Gross Outfits’ at Work
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Claire Fu | Daisuke Wakabayashi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the weather turned cold in December, Cindy Luo started to wear her fluffy pajamas over a hooded sweatshirt at the office. Wearing cozy sleepwear to work became a habit and soon she didn’t even bother to wear matching tops and bottoms, selecting whatever was most comfortable. A few months later, she posted photos of herself to a “gross outfits at work” thread that had spread on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese app similar to Instagram. “I just want to wear whatever I want,” said Ms. Luo, 30, an interior designer in Wuhan, a city in Hubei Province. “I just don’t think it’s worth spending money to dress up for work, since I’m just sitting there.”

Persons: Cindy Luo, didn’t, ”, Luo, I’m Locations: China, onesies, “, Wuhan, Hubei Province

☆ Looking for leads, not love: Job seekers in China turn Tinder into a networking tool
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Larissa Gao | Helen Chen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Similar posts suggesting dating apps as a way to find jobs are not uncommon on Chinese social media. "By using dating apps, we can reach more people," Liang said. But with dating apps, you hang out with strangers for a couple of hours and they can already provide you with tons of their personal information." "I cannot believe people would even go on dating apps to find jobs," read one comment on Weibo, China's equivalent of X. Tinder users in China "are already very selective because the vast majority of users were pursuing degrees overseas," Zeng said.

Persons: Liang, Geng, Tinder, Romy Liu, Liu, Zoey Zeng, Zeng Organizations: NBC News Locations: Huaibei, East China's Anhui, China, Weibo, Hangzhou, Paris, France

☆ More Chinese Women Choosing Singledom as Economy Stutters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese Premier Li Qiang also vowed to "work towards a birth-friendly society" and boost childcare services in this year's government work report. In Shanghai, this figure reached 30.6 for men and 29.2 for women last year, according to city statistics. Long-term single lifestyles are gradually becoming more widespread in China, giving rise to online communities of mostly single women who seek solidarity from like-minded people. Decades of the one-child policy have led to 32.3 million more men than women in 2022, according to official data. "Well-educated women in search of supportive life partners find fewer suitable men who also endorse women's rights."

Persons: Laurie Chen XIAN, Chai Wanrou, didn't, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, stigmatised, influencers, China's Instagram, Liao Yueyi, I've, Xiaoling Shu, Davis, Shu, Laurie Chen, Farah Master, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Communist Party, Communist Youth League, University of California Locations: China, Xian, Shanghai, United States, Xiaohongshu, Nanning, Hong Kong

☆ Starbucks launched a pork-flavored coffee in China. It costs $10 and is dividing people.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Starbucks has launched a pork-flavored coffee in China. The Seattle-based coffee giant recently rolled out a pork-flavored latte in China for the Chinese New Year season that started on February 10. The pork-flavored coffee has gone viral on Chinese social media — mostly because people were wondering if it's for real. The Starbucks beverage is far more expensive than rival Luckin Coffee, which can cost as little as $1.40 thanks to aggressive discounts. Sales of Luckin Coffee overtook Starbucks in China in the second quarter of last year.

Persons: —, Savory Latte, Lucky Savory Latte, Instagram, Luckin Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Business Locations: China, Seattle, Shanghai, Starbucks China, Hong Kong

☆ For some Spring Festival revelers in China, traditional attire adds an element of time travel to celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For instance, Yu Garden in Shanghai, which hosts a 40-day Spring Festival lantern fair, has become a popular destination for Hanfu fans. The nearby commercial shopping district of Wujiaochang even hosted a Lunar New Year Hanfu parade to attract revelers to the area this year. It too has seen an increase in young tourists wearing traditional attire during visits, according to one local. Embracing traditionA woman wearing Hanfu strolls around the Spring Festival Flower Market in Guangzhou, China, on February 9, 2024. Others say the term “Hanfu” is too narrow, given the fluid sharing of influences among diverse ethnic groups in China.

Persons: they’ve, Taobao, Shanghai's Yu, Yu, influencers, ”, Cai Pa, ” Cai, it’s, Li, John Ricky, Hanfu, she’s Organizations: CNN, CNN — Tourists, Visual China, Getty, CNN Travel Locations: Suzhou, China, Shanghai, Hanfu, Seoul, Yu Garden, Wujiaochang, China’s, Hainan, Haikou, Qilou, Guangzhou, Anhui, gan

☆ A fascination with the so-called 'white girl aesthetic' of Stanley cups and Lululemon fits is taking over Chinese social media
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese social media users are into the "white girl aesthetic" and crafting guides on the look. AdvertisementChinese social media has found a new, fascinating trend to follow — the "white girl aesthetic." One Xiaohongshu user posted what she called a "starter pack" for the "white girl aesthetic." Her checklist — apart from Lululemon gear and the Stanley cup — included items such as Apple Airpods Max headphones and Tiffany jewelry. XiaohongshuThe reason athleisure like Lululemon is important for the "white girl" aesthetic, the social media said, is because clothing that's too fancy throws the aesthetic off and doesn't fit the vibe.

Persons: —, Max, Tiffany, gaga, Stanley, Stanleys, isn't, it's, commenter, influencers Organizations: Service, Apple Locations: West

☆ Five-foot Toy Story 3 bear draws the crowds at Costco’s first store in ‘China’s Silicon Valley’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Costco unveiled its new 44,500-square-meter store in the city often dubbed China’s “Silicon Valley” on Friday, drawing large crowds in search of bargains and imported products. People line up outside the Costco store in Shenzhen, China, during its launch on January 12, 2024. Social media was awash with images of people taking home the giant version of the bear, measuring five feet tall. Lots-o-Huggin' Bear was among the more popular products on offer at the Costco store in Shenzhen during its launch on January 12, 2024. In China, Costco faces intense competition from online shopping platforms, such as Taobao and Pinduoduo, in a market where consumers are accustomed to online retail.

Persons: Costco’s, ” Kim Lin, Lin, ”, Olin Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Costco, CNN, Social, Sam’s, Walmart Locations: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China, Shanghai

☆ 'An era in the United States has ended': The Chinese internet is alight with tributes to Henry Kissinger
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Chinese internet lamented the death of Henry Kissinger death on Wednesday. Just four hours after his death was announced, topics on Kissinger hit a whopping 660 million combined view count on Weibo, China's version of Twitter. "Old friends are dying, like leaves in the wind," wrote one Weibo user in a top comment, referencing a line attributed to the ancient Chinese warlord Cao Cao. Chinese leader Xi Jinping even called him an "old friend of the Chinese people" when Kissinger visited China in July. AdvertisementWith his death, and that of Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, "an era in the United States has ended," wrote one Weibo user in a heavily upvoted comment.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, —, Cao Cao, Guan Yu, Cao Cao's, Xi Jinping, Charlie Munger, Kissinger —, Munger, that's, Richard Nixon Organizations: Service, Weibo, Twitter, Sino, Business Locations: Weibo, China, American, Washington, Beijing, Berkshire, United States

☆ China's JD.com posts higher Q3 profit as supply snarls ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign of China's e-commerce company JD.com is seen at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2016 in Shanghai, China, May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm JD.com reported quarterly revenue below estimates on Wednesday, but posted a surge in profit as supply chain problems eased. JD.com has fewer popular livestreamers than its competitors, such as Austin Li, who exclusively streams on Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) platform. The company reported net revenue of 247.7 billion yuan ($34.19 billion) for the third quarter, missing analysts' average estimate of 249.26 billion yuan according to LSEG data. But it posted net income attributable to shareholders of 7.94 billion yuan, up 33% from 5.96 billion yuan a year earlier.

Persons: Aly, JD.com, Xu Ran, Austin Li, Alibaba's Tmall, Arsheeya Bajwa, Akash Sriram, Sophie Yu, Varun, Kim Coghill Organizations: CES, REUTERS, JD Retail, HK, Citi, Daiwa, Jefferies, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: Asia, Shanghai, China, Bengaluru, Beijing

A woman dressed up as a starving medical student. One woman dressed up as a medical student, holding a begging bowl in her hands. A woman dressed up as a liberal arts student hungry for egg fried rice. Greg Baker/Pool/ReutersTo address these challenges, President Xi Jinping hosted a key financial policy meeting this week to reiterate the need to resolve financial risks in the economy. “Hidden economic and financial risks are still widespread,” the readout said.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Zhou, Xiao Pan, Yan Ziqi, “, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Global, Stock, Huaan Securities, Service, National People's, of, People, Reuters, Communist Party, Ministry of State Security Locations: China, Hong Kong, China’s, Shanghai, Weibo, Douyin, “, Beijing

☆ China removes anonymity of bloggers' accounts with more than 500,000 followers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Doxxing is the public release of sensitive information identifying an individual or organisation, like a home address or phone number. Some, like former state media editor Hu Xijin, have defended the measure as necessary in order to force influential accounts to use more responsible speech. Others, however, have expressed concerns that the measure would make doxxing easier and platforms would further remove online users' anonymity in the future. Weibo CEO Wang Gaofei said two weeks ago that the policy would not be expanded to include accounts with follower counts below 500,000. The new measures will remove the anonymity of thousands of influencers on social media platforms that are used daily by hundreds of millions of Chinese.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tik Tok, Hu Xijin, Wang Gaofei, Bytedance's Douyin, Eduardo Baptista, Ed Osmond, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Baidu, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING, Weibo, Douyin

☆ Mid-Autumn Festival holidays: Millions of Chinese tourists are going on holiday again -- many headed for Thailand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Kocha Olarn Berry Wang Carina Cheng | Kathleen Magramo | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Only 2.2 million Chinese travelers arrived between January and September 10 this year, according to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin greeted travelers on the first day of the government's visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists. “Competition is really intensifying in the region to attract Chinese tourists amongst all countries, and you have to make it as easy as possible,” said Bowerman. Chinese tourists pray in front of Thai dancers at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand on September 22, 2023. Rumors, film complicate efforts to lure back touristsPrior to the announcement of the visa-free policy this month, Chinese tourists had been slow to return to Thailand.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, It’s, ” Sretta, “, Chiang, Wang Wenbin, Peerapon Boonyakiat, pare, Gary Bowerman, ”, Bowerman, Huang, “ I’ve, coronavirus, Trip.com, Jin Junhao, Joanna Lu, Anusak, Wolfgang Georg Arlt, “ There’s, Thailand ”, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn Organizations: CNN, China’s, Tourism Authority of, Thai, Civil Aviation Administration, China Railway, Asia, Tourism Research Institute, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Thai Travel Agents Association Locations: China, Shanghai, Bangkok’s, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, ”, Beijing, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Asia, Sichuan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom, Erawan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Weibo

A digital artwork by Chinese artist Snow Fish. The controversy has fueled online protests on the Chinese internet against the creation and use of AI-generated images, with several other artists claiming their works had been similarly used without their knowledge. Hundreds of artists have posted banners on Xiaohongshu saying “No to AI-generated images,” while a related hashtag has been viewed more than 35 million times on the Chinese Twitter-like platform Weibo. Besides Trik AI, Xiaohongshu has also developed a new function called “Ci Ke” which allows users to post content using AI-generated images. Snow Fish added that these complaints had been slowly growing within the artist community but had mostly been privately shared rather than openly protested.

Persons: Snow Fish, Fish, Bard, ERNIE Bot, SenseTime’s, Xiaohongshu, Snow, “, ”, Zhang, ’ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Artists, CNN, Xiaohongshu, City University of Hong, European, Capitol Hill Locations: China, Hong Kong, Weibo, United States, City University of Hong Kong, London, California

☆ 'Relentless pursuit of eyeballs': Analysts name China internet stocks to buy, give 2 over 50% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Several stocks are set to benefit from the "relentless pursuit of eyeballs" in the Chinese internet sector, according to analysts at asset management firm AllianceBernstein. Mini programs are apps within WeChat and have functions in areas such as e-commerce, task management, coupons, and so on. Tech giant Alibaba was given a price target of $100, representing a 14.9% upside from its Sept. 18 close. Kuaishou and Bilibili were given target prices of HK$70 and $16, representing 10.9% and 17.0% upside, respectively. Outlook The analysts said the expansion of channels for spending could lead to accelerating growth in e-commerce penetration, though the extent of upside is "debatable."

Persons: Robin Zhu, Ronald Ma, Xuan Ji, Xiaohongshu, AllianceBernstein, PDD, JD, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Douyin, JD, Hong Kong, HK, Tech Locations: China, Pinduoduo

☆ China's richest people are leaning hard into quiet luxury, wielding stealth wealth like a weapon and scorning their flashy, label-chasing peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Mary Hanbury | Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

And rich Chinese people are leaning in, ditching "logo hunting" in favor of elegance, experts say. In a similar vein to the US and Europe – the "quiet luxury" aesthetic has emerged as a reaction to the economic climate. Chinese social media's got quiet luxury down to a sciencePeople have posted tutorials and photos on the “laoqian” style on China’s Pinterest-like site, Xiaohongshu. XiaohongshuTo be sure, there's being rich and looking rich, and the latter is where it's at on Chinese social media. WeiboSome influencers have also uploaded video tutorials on the "laoqian" style, to guide people on how best to dress for success.

Persons: that's, Dior, Gucci, Louis, Rich, Tom Wambsgan, Chukrut, you've, Javier Gonzalez Lastra, it's, Xi Jinping's, Milton Pedraza, Pedraza, media's, you'll, Richemont, Louis Vuittons, Thomaï Serdari, Joe, they're Organizations: Service, Bain, Co's, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Getty, West, Ivy League, China Morning Post, Crazy, Luxury Institute, Twitter, NYU's Stern School of Business Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, America, bucketloads, Shanghai, Europe, Tema, Nanjing, Nikada, Beijing, Weibo

☆ As China Falls Into Deflation, the Mood Turns Dark
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Li Yuan | More About Li Yuan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Consumer prices in China fell last month for the first time in more than two years. Chinese banks extended $47.5 billion of new renminbi loans, tumbling 89 percent from June — and half the amount of a year earlier. China slipped into deflation after the government’s draconian “zero Covid” policy drastically suppressed consumption and business activity last year. With anxiety running high, people are already saving more and spending less. He bought apartments in two complexes in 2019 and the developers of both stopped building after running out of money.

Persons: —, Chenggang Xu, ”, “, Liu Organizations: Stanford University, Toyota Corolla Locations: China

Feeling the pinch of rising housing costs and a slowing economy, the jobless graduates are forfeiting cities that have traditionally provided a stepping stone to middle-class wealth. The numbers varied by region, with 59% of graduates in the well-developed east heading home. To keep costs down as they stay longer in hope of finding a job, some young mega-city drifters even share their beds with strangers. One such post was looking for a roommate to share one bed in a room "with a huge balcony" in Beijing. ($1 = 7.2004 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ella Cao and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer CHINA, Joyce Zhang, I've, Zhang, China's, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Conor Humphries Organizations: Central China Normal University, REUTERS, China News Service, China's, Xinhua, Reuters, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, BEIJING, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Inner Mongolia, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

☆ What are 'full-time children'? Young people in China are rejecting the rat race and getting paid by their parents to do chores while living at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some young adults in China are opting to work as "full-time children" in place of traditional careers. Full-time children are often paid by their parents to run errands, clean, and prepare food. In China, however, young people are turning this idea on its head and staying at home, working as "full-time children." China's notoriously grueling 996 culture, which entails 72-hour workweeks, and difficulty finding employment are some of the main contributors to the "full-time children" movement. In China, there are even social media groups devoted to the "full-time children" trend.

Persons: China's, it's, Julie, Jia Zhang, Zhang, Litsky Li, Li Organizations: BBC, NBC News, CNN, Census Bureau, Karma Locations: China

☆ What are 'full-time children'? Young adults in China are rejecting the rat race and getting paid by their parents to do chores while living at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: China's, it's, Julie, Jia Zhang, Zhang, Litsky Li, Li Organizations: BBC, NBC News, CNN, Census Bureau, Karma Locations: China

“I don’t necessarily need a higher paid job or a better life,” she added. College graduates looking for jobs at a fair in central China's Hubei province on July 20. A growing trendOn Douban, about 4,000 members of a group called “full-time children’s work communication center” discuss topics related to their daily “working” lives. By contrast, today’s “professional” children spend time with parents and do housework in exchange for financial support. In addition to her family duties, she’s busy applying for government jobs and taking exams for graduate school.

Persons: Litsky Li, Li, ”, “, headwinds, Zhang Dandan, ” hashtag, somethings, today’s, ’, Fang Xu, Nancy Chen, she’s, Chen, hasn’t, It’s, George Magnus, Magnus Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, College, CNN, Peking University, University of California, China News Service, Harvard University, China Centre, Oxford University, SOAS University of London Locations: Hong Kong, Luoyang, China's Hubei, Beijing, ”, China, University of California Berkeley, Jiangxi, Wanshou, China's Jiangxi

☆ China's youth unemployment is so dire that it's inspired recent college grads to post pictures of themselves sprawled on the ground in 'zombie-style' poses
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 20.8% in May. On June 13, the Radii media outlet tweeted a photo collage of some of these graduating students donning black or purple graduation gowns in various poses. While this particular pose is trending this year, this graduation season's posts were often accompanied by other happier pictures of the graduating students. It also isn't the first time graduates in China have taken unusual graduation photos, according to posts seen by Insider on Xiaohongshu. These trending poses of despondence come as China's youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 20.8% in May, according to official statistics.

Persons: —, despondence, Nomura, Brenda Lu, Lu Organizations: Service, CNBC, Washington Post Locations: China

☆ White people meals? The story behind China’s ‘coldest’ food trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —In China – the land of hot noodles, steaming rice and warm soups – a new and unlikely food trend has swept across the country’s social media platforms in recent weeks. “I feel it’s important to recognize that perception is an evolving concept,” says British Chinese chef Andrew Wong, the third-generation owner of London’s two-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant, A. Wong. The only ceremonial effort was putting them in a lunchbox,” wrote one user on Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese social media site. I found out today that on Chinese social media, there’s a trending hashtag that translates to white people meals lol“I was so tired I ate a white people meal today”One of hashtags is also “white people meals are still meals” pic.twitter.com/VGdedgrV2F — Yan Fan 📍Tokyo - we’re hiring! “I don’t like the term ‘white people meals,’ even when it’s used in a joking manner,” says Voon.

Persons: ”, Andrew Wong, Wong, “, 📍T, witter, –, ake, ong, sian, haring, eason, egan, orth, rbanized, ould, sia, ike Organizations: CNN, ust Locations: China, Europe, bologna, British, ried, ife

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