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☆ The US is worried about an invasion, but China could take control of Taiwan without firing a shot, war experts warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Defense experts say that an aggressive Chinese coercion campaign, short of war but still threatening, is more likely than a full-scale invasion and the US needs to prepare for such an event. Economic and diplomatic pressure is notable, and Chinese misinformation operations and the potential to slowly set up a blockade of Taiwan are also concerns. Annabelle Chih/Getty ImagesThe report identifies four things key to resisting Chinese coercion. CM-11 tanks fire artillery during the 2-day live-fire drill, amid intensifying threats military from China, in Pingtung county, Taiwan, 7 September 2022.

Persons: —, Han, Annabelle Chih, MANDY CHENG, Lai Ching, Lai, Ceng Shou Yi, John Aquilano, Xi, Aquilano, Carlos Del Toro, Frank Kendall Organizations: Service, Business, American Enterprise Institute, Institute for, Liberation Army, PLA, AEI, Cobra, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan, Getty Images, US, Pacific Command, US Armed Services, Air Force, Department of Defense Locations: Taiwan, China, Pingtung, US, Pacific, Hualien, AFP, Pingtung county, Guam, Japan

☆ Taiwan rattled by dozens of quakes, but no major damage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Taiwan's quake-hit eastern county of Hualien was rattled by dozens of aftershocks late on Monday and early on Tuesday, but only minor damage was reported and no casualties and major chipmaker TSMC said it saw no impact on operations. Taiwan's quake-hit eastern county of Hualien was rattled by dozens of aftershocks late on Monday and early on Tuesday, but only minor damage was reported and no casualties and major chipmaker TSMC said it saw no impact on operations. Buildings across large parts of northern, eastern and western Taiwan, including in the capital, Taipei, swayed throughout the night, with the largest quake measuring a 6.3 magnitude. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said the spate of earthquakes starting Monday afternoon - which it put at about 180 - were aftershocks from the large April 3 quake. With heavy rain predicted for all of Taiwan this week, people in Hualien need to be prepared for further disruption, he added.

Persons: TSMC, Wu Chien Organizations: Weather Administration Locations: Hualien, Taiwan, Taipei

☆ Taiwan’s Taroko National Park closed indefinitely following earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Taipei CNN —The Taroko National Park in eastern Taiwan, a popular destination for domestic and international tourists alike, will close until further notice, after the island was struck by the strongest earthquake in 25 years last week. “All levels of trails and facilities within the Taroko National Park jurisdiction have been damaged. The 920-square-kilometer (9,990 square foot) area was declared a National Park of Taiwan in 1986. In an interview with Taiwan’s official Central News Agency, deputy director of the Taroko National Park Headquarters Lin Chung-shan said the Hehuan Mountain area, which lies partially within the park, was relatively less impacted and will gradually reopen. The Taroko National Park attracted 3.45 million visitors in 2023, according to statistics provided by the Hualien Tourism Department.

Persons: Lin Chung Organizations: Taipei CNN, Pa National Parks, of, Central News Agency, Hualien Tourism Department Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Yushan, Pa, of Taiwan, Taroko, Hualien

Hualien, Taiwan CNN —Wu was preparing breakfast for guests at the small hotel he runs in Taiwan’s Hualien County when the shelves around him shook violently and the mountain behind his house roared. “It’s not too bad.”Video Ad Feedback Rescue efforts underway in Taiwan after deadly earthquake 02:54 - Source: CNNA checkpoint is set up outside Taroko Gorge just north of Hualien city in Taiwan. Yan Zhao/AFP/Getty ImagesWorkers demolish a damaged building following the earthquake in Hualien County, Taiwan on April 4, 2024. Annabelle Chih/Getty ImagesTaiwan’s recent push for preparedness comes from the hard lessons learned from the devastating quake 25 years ago, experts say. That quake left more than 100,000 buildings across Taiwan completely or partially collapsed, including nearly 300 schools.

Persons: Taiwan CNN — Wu, Wu, “, ”, It’s, Annabelle Chih, Chong, “ I’ve, Hualien . Yan Zhao, Tyrone Siu, Daniel Aldrich, Sam Yeh, Aldrich, ” Aldrich, “ They’ve, –, Wei Chia, Wei Organizations: Taiwan CNN, CNN, ”, Getty, Workers, Reuters, Northeastern University Locations: Hualien, Taiwan, Taiwan’s Hualien County, Taroko, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Shanghai, “, Hualien . Yan, AFP, Hualien County, Haiti, India, China, Taipei

☆ Rescue teams in Taiwan have airlifted 928 pounds of food to a mining area where 64 people remain trapped after an earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Taiwanese authorities said they've airlifted 928 pounds of food to people stuck at a quarry. Sixty-four people were reported trapped at Heping Mine after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Hualien county. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRescue authorities in Taiwan said they'd airlifted about 928 pounds of food to a mining area where dozens are still trapped due to a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The self-governed island's National Airborne Service also deployed drones to survey the Heping Mine region, where 64 people are believed to be stuck, officials from the Emergency Operations Center said on Thursday morning.

Persons: they've, —, they'd, It's Organizations: Service, Airborne Service, Emergency, Wednesday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Nikkei, TSMC Locations: Hualien, Taiwan, a.m, Taipei

When the largest earthquake in Taiwan in half a century struck off its east coast, the buildings in the closest city, Hualien, swayed and rocked. As more than 300 aftershocks rocked the island over the next 24 hours to Thursday morning, the buildings shook again and again. One of them, the rounded, red brick Uranus Building, which leaned precariously after its first floors collapsed, was mostly drawing curious onlookers. The building is a reminder of how much Taiwan has prepared for disasters like the magnitude-7.4 earthquake that jolted the island on Wednesday. Of Taiwan, he added: “And most of these deaths, it seems, have come from rock slides and boulders, rather than building collapses.”

Persons: ”, Daniel Aldrich Organizations: Global Resilience, Northeastern University Locations: Taiwan, Hualien

☆ Taipei 101: How Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper withstands earthquakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But in a triumph of modern engineering, the soaring Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest skyscraper, emerged from the island’s latest seismic event undamaged. A 660-ton spherical device called a tuned mass damper swings like a giant pendulum in the skyscraper's upper floors. “It’s essentially a very large counterweight,” explained Stefan Al, author of “Supertall: How the World’s Tallest Buildings Are Reshaping Our Cities and Our Lives,” in a phone interview. “In the case of Taipei 101, it’s 660 tons. Lee & Partners, Taipei 101 was the world’s tallest building from 2004 until 2007, when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Persons: Richard Chung TW, “ It’s, ”, Stefan Al, “, it’s, ” Al, Al, Lee Organizations: CNN, National Fire Agency, Lee & Partners Locations: Taiwan, Hualien County, Taipei, New York, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, ”, Indonesia, Chile

☆ Helicopter rescues Taiwan miners as earthquake injuries cross 1,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A person walks past an area of a damaged building that is cordoned off following the earthquake on April 04, 2024 in Hualien, Taiwan. A helicopter ferried to safety six miners trapped on a cliff in a dramatic rescue after the quake cut off the roads into Hualien's soaring mountains, in footage shown by the department. People in largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien county were readyingto go to work and school when the earthquake struck offshore on Wednesday. Dozens of residents queued outside one badly damaged 10-storey building, waiting to go in and retrieve belongings. She recalled the moment the quake struck, sending the building lurching and furniture sliding, while she rushed to save the four puppies she keeps as pets.

Persons: Yu, Tian Liang, I'm Organizations: Reuters Locations: Hualien, Taiwan, Taipei

☆ Live updates: 7.4-magnitude quake near Taiwan's coast sparks tsunami warnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Taiwan’s east coast is breathtakingly rugged and a major tourist draw, its geography a testament to the powerful tectonic forces that lie underneath. The island is located where the Philippines Sea Plate meets the vast Eurasian Plate. The result is a tear-drop-shaped island that boasts a towering spine of mountains running down its middle and an eastern coast that often experiences tremors. In contrast, the east coast is much less populated and rural. Winding roads and a much slower train line cling to steep cliffs and have to go through dozens of tunnels.

Locations: Philippines, Hualien

☆ A strong earthquake rocks Taiwan, collapsing buildings and causing a tsunami
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A powerful earthquake struck off Taiwan early Wednesday, rocking the entire island and collapsing buildings. Japan issued a tsunami alert for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast a tsunami of up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa. A wave of 30 centimeters (about 1 feet) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck.

Organizations: Television, U.S . Geological Survey, Japan Meteorological Agency Locations: Taiwan, Japan, Okinawa, Hualien, Taipei, U.S, Yonaguni, Miyako

☆ Hualien County Is a Quiet, Scenic Tourist Destination
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Victoria Kim | More About Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast is a scenic, sleepy tourist area tucked away from the island’s urban centers, with a famous gorge and aquamarine waters. The county has a population of about 300,000, according to the 2020 census, about a third of whom live in the coastal city of Hualien, the county seat. Hualien County is home to Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s most popular scenic areas. Visitors come to explore the Taroko Gorge, a striated marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, which cuts through mountains that rise steeply from the coast. The city of Hualien is a popular destination as a gateway to the national park.

Organizations: Central News Agency, Earthquakes Locations: Hualien County, Taiwan’s, Hualien, Taiwan, Taipei, Hualien .

☆ China's internet is filled with well-wishes for earthquake-stricken Taiwan — and veiled references that the PLA can help
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Taiwan's 7.2-magnitude earthquake has drawn seemingly friendly messages on China's social media. But they're also indicative of China's ambitions for Taiwan, and what Chinese people think of the island. AdvertisementA 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning prompted a wave of concerned messages on mainland China's social media, diverting from the usual hostile rhetoric toward the self-governed island. Like many of China's social media platforms, Weibo is heavily censored and moderated. However, kinetic conflict is still widely viewed on social media as only one of several options for unification.

Persons: they're, —, Fabian Hamacher, Xi Jinping, Zhang Yongjin, Xi Organizations: Service, Wednesday, Reuters, REUTERS, Business, Taiwan, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Getty, Observers Locations: Taiwan, Hualien, New Taipei City, Weibo, Beijing, China, Shiyuan Township, Jishishan County, Gansu Province, Xinhua, Sichuan, Taipei

☆ TSMC evacuates some factory lines after Taiwan's strongest earthquake in 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

An aerial view shows workers taking down a collapsed building in eastern Taiwan's Hualien county following an earthquake/Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co evacuated some production lines after a major earthquake hit Taiwan early Wednesday. The island was rocked by a massive earthquake that collapsed buildings and prompted tsunami advisories from Japan and the Philippines. A TSMC spokesperson said safety systems were operating normally. "To ensure the safety of personnel, some fabs were evacuated according to company procedure," the person said in a statement, adding that the company was confirming the details of the impact. Shares of TSMC fell 1.5% in early trading.

Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Locations: Taiwan's Hualien, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines

☆ Hualien earthquake: Dozens rescued after major Taiwan quake but more than 100 still cut off
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Helen Regan | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“But people are safe, so that’s fortunate.”Workers demolish a damaged building following the earthquake, in Hualien, Taiwan April 4, 2024. A rescue worker stands near the cordoned off site in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Wednesday’s quake is the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, according to the Central Weather Administration. That year, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others. A magnitude 6.2 quake hit near the area in 2018, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 300 others.

Persons: Hong Changyi, ”, Tyrone Siu, rockfall, Johnson Lai, “ They’ve, Taiwan —, Sam Yeh, Yu, Lin Chih, cheng Organizations: CNN — Rescue, Hong, CNN, Workers, National Fire Agency, SET, Central News Agency, Video, CNA, Reuters, Getty, Hualien Fire Bureau, Central Weather Administration, Taiwan’s Professional Civil Engineers Association Locations: Taiwan, Hualien County, Hualien, Taroko, AFP, ”, Zhonghe, Taipei, Hualien City, Lin, China

It was so strong it set off tsunami warnings in Japan, China and the Philippines. But then, even in a fault-riddled place with long and hard experience with earthquakes, the jolt of aftershock after aftershock was startling, continuing every few minutes throughout the day. The magnitude-7.4 quake killed nine and injured at least 1,011 others, stretching an expert quake response system that has served as a model in other places. In Hualien County, close to the epicenter, 71 people were trapped in two mining areas as of Wednesday night and dozens of others were stranded, according to officials. Around 14,000 households were without water, and 1,000 households were without power.

Persons: aftershock Locations: Taiwan, Japan, China, Philippines, Hualien County

☆ Taiwan earthquake: Tsunami warnings issued after 7.4 magnitude quake strikes of east coast
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Wayne Chang | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings for the island and southern Japan. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration issued a tsunami warning following the quake. The Japan Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami warning for Miyakojima and Okinawa islands, warning of waves up to 3 meters expected imminently. Several aftershocks were felt in Taiwan, including one that registered a magnitude of 6.5, according to the USGS. A magnitude 6.2 quake hit near Hualien in 2018, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 300 others.

Organizations: CNN, Geological Survey, Weather Administration, CWA, Japan Meteorological Agency Locations: Japan, Hualien, Taiwan’s, Okinawa, Taiwan, Indonesia, Chile, Hualien County, Taroko

☆ Map: 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Map: 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes TaiwanShake intensityA major, 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern coast of Taiwan on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 7:58 a.m. Taipei time about 11 miles southwest of Hualien City, Taiwan, data from the agency shows. Aftershocks in the regionAn aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

Organizations: United States Geological Survey Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, Hualien City

The temblor set off at least nine landslides, collapsing hillsides onto the Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to local media reports. The quake was centered in the waters off Hualien, according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was about 10 miles under the earth’s surface, according to Taiwan. Here is the latest: In Japan, tsunami waves as high as 30 centimeters hit the shore on Yonaguni Island at 9:14 a.m. local time. People in China took to social media saying they felt the tremors as far as away as Hangzhou, Xiamen, and Shanghai.

Persons: Tobin, Motoko Rich Organizations: Rail, United States Geological Survey, Weather Administration, U.S . Pacific, Warning Locations: Taiwan, Japan, Hualien, Taiwan’s, Taipei, People, China, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Shanghai

☆ Taiwan rattled by offshore earthquake, no reports of damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI, Nov 26 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck off Taiwan's east coast on Sunday, the island's weather bureau said, briefly shaking buildings in the capital Taipei but with no reports of damage. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the sea off Taiwan's Hualien county, at a depth of 22.4 km (14 miles), the weather bureau said. Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999. Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan's, Taipei, Hualien, Taiwan

☆ I moved from New York to Taiwan for work. I had to take a pay cut to my $40,000 salary — but I have no regrets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Alex Teachey is a New Yorker who moved to Taiwan in 2020. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alex Teachey, a 38-year-old astronomer and New Yorker who moved to Taiwan in 2020. I landed my current job as a postdoctoral fellow at the Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, that same year. It's in a neighborhood that I love, in New Taipei City, the enormous donut that sprawls around the center of Taipei. I live a 20-minute bike ride from my office — I never could have have afforded anything remotely similar if I'd stayed in New York City.

Persons: Alex Teachey, —, I'd, New York Alex Teachey, it'd, I've, — it's, we're Organizations: New Yorker, Service, Yorker, New York University, Columbia University, Academia Sinica, Tap, Google, Taiwan's Locations: New, Taiwan, New York, Taipei, Here's, Tap Taipei, York City, New York City, Yonghe, New Taipei City, Qingshui Cliff, Hualien

☆ Small Quake Rattles Taiwan, No Immediate Damage Reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI (Reuters) -A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck off Taiwan's east coast on Saturday, the island's weather bureau said, briefly shaking buildings in the capital Taipei but with no immediate reports of damage. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the sea off Hualien county with a depth of 7.2 km (4.5 miles), the weather bureau said. Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Faith Hung; Editing by William Mallard)

Persons: Ben Blanchard, Faith Hung, William Mallard Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan's, Taipei, Hualien, Taiwan

☆ Millions off work as Typhoon Koinu brushes past Taiwan with lashing rain
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman sits by the shore while looking at waves breaking as Typhoon Koinu approaches, in Taitung, Taiwan October 4, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Acquire Licensing RightsTAITUNG, Taiwan, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Typhoon Koinu began brushing past the rural far southern tip of Taiwan on Thursday, injuring 190 but causing no deaths, as lashing rains and strong winds cancelled work and classes for millions in a swathe of cities across the island. Taiwan's fire department reported 190 injuries but no deaths, as well as some minor damage to buildings. Taiwan's two main domestic airlines, UNI Air and Mandarin Airlines, cancelled most of their flights for Thursday, while ferries to outlying islands were also stopped. A total of 42 international flights were also cancelled, the transport ministry, said, but the high speed rail connecting northern and southern Taiwan was unaffected.

Persons: Koinu, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Fabian Hamacher, Carlos Garcia, Ben Blanchard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, UNI Air, Mandarin Airlines, Thomson Locations: Taitung, Taiwan, Koinu, Guangdong, Pingtung, Hualien, Kaohsiung, Taipei

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Typhoon Koinu swept southern Taiwan on Thursday, injuring 190 people but causing no deaths as it brought pounding rain and record-breaking winds to the island, leading to school and office closures. The typhoon brought the fastest wind ever recorded in Taiwan as it approached on Wednesday night. On Thursday afternoon, Koinu's maximum sustained winds measured 155 kph (96 mph) with gusts of 191 kph (119 mph). Despite weakening, typhoon Koinu is expected to douse coastal areas of southern China over the weekend. Taiwan sits in an active region for tropical cyclones, but Koinu is only the second typhoon to make landfall in four years.

Persons: Koinu, Huang Chia, Huang, Haikui Organizations: Taiwan, Central News Agency Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, Cape Eluanbi, Guangdong, Fujian, China, Taitung, Hualien, Pingtung, Cities, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Guangzhou, Taiwan Strait

☆ Flights cancelled, work suspended as typhoon Koinu grinds towards Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Typhoon Koinu grinded towards southern Taiwan on Wednesday bringing heavy rain and winds and causing the cancellation of 70 domestic flights and suspension of work and schools in urban areas in southern parts of the island from the evening. Kaohsiung and its neighbouring city of Tainan said they would suspend work and classes from 6 pm (1000GMT) on Wednesday as the weather worsens. After passing through Taiwan, the typhoon will head towards southern China's Guangdong and Fujian provinces and then Hong Kong, where it is likely to weaken further to become a tropical storm. Hong Kong's Weather Observatory said Koinu will enter within 800 km (500 miles) of the financial hub on Wednesday afternoon. Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Farah Master in Hong Kong; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Koinu, Ben Blanchard, Farah Master, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Wednesday, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, Taitung, Taiwan Strait, Pingtung, Hualien, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Guangdong, Fujian, Hong Kong

☆ China's lottery ticket sales soar amid weak economy, job prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s lottery ticket sales in August soared to their highest for any month so far this year, amid public concern about the economy following months of mostly gloomy data including youth unemployment. The surging lottery ticket sales coincided with months of mostly soft economic data, with the unemployment rate of job seekers aged between 16 and 24 drawing particular attention from policymakers. China’s youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 21.3% in June, according to official data. Some social media commentators have linked the sharp rise in lottery sales in recent months to young people’s deepening economic worries. Earlier this year, China’s social media was alit with videos of jobless university graduates visiting temples to seek the blessings of the gods.

Persons: Ann Wang, “ Young, ” Organizations: REUTERS, Xinhua Locations: BEIJING, Hualien, Taiwan, Weibo

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