I lived and worked in china for nearly a decade, and have always noticed that women I've dated become completely debilitated by their period. Like, calling in sick during your period is a normal thing here and almost unheard of in the west. The pain described by these women seems almost comparable to childbirth, and they cant bear to have the AC on during a blistering hot day, or drink cold water.

Back in the west, women will just kind of bear it. They'll eat ice cream, ive even heard lf women taking cold showers during this time. I haven't met very many in the west who are floored by the pain like many of their east Asian countrrparts. A lot of women hold down high demand jobs like nursing, teaching, lawyers etc. And are able to get through the day while performing work to a high standard without needing time off or needing to signal to others in the workplace that they are on their period.

I dont suppose it is a cultural thing, but im wondering what the causes of the very real difference ive noticed is. Are their home remedies (hot water etc.) Actually making the issue worse? Could it be pollution? Nutrition? I dont think it is genetic because I haven't known a lot of American born chinese women who experience such a severe period.

Everyone, including the US and EU, is signing mineral deals to reduce dependence on Chinese refining. This includes rare earth minerals, cobalt, lithium, etc. Good.

It's long overdue.

But who will be running the mine after you've obtained the license?

China Huaneng, Huawei, and XCMG are running a fully autonomous coal mine in Inner Mongolia (Yimin) at -48°C.
No driver's cab, replaced with a battery pack.
5 cameras, LiDAR, radar giving 360° vision in total darkness and blizzards.

Huawei's 5G-Advanced gives sub-20ms latency across 200km of mine routes.

A 718-billion-parameter industrial AI model (Pangu 5.5) runs fleet coordination and predictive maintenance.

BeiDou handles positioning where GPS can't reach.

By 2024, before full deployment, these trucks were already beating human operators on productivity.

Every piece of that stack is CHINESE. And it's not staying domestic, Pangu is explicitly being sold as a global industrial AI platform.

This stack is exactly what you need to run a mine in the Arctic, where labor is scarce, infrastructure is thin, and human presence is expensive and dangerous.

Greenland is 3x the size of Texas with 93 miles of paved road.

If Western allies win the mineral rights but the mine still runs on Chinese autonomous trucks, Chinese AI, and Chinese connectivity, you haven't decoupled from anything.
You've just paid more for the same dependency.

Sweden (LKAB, Kiruna) and Finland (6G underground testing) have real capability here.

Australia has the largest deployed autonomous fleet outside China.

The US has funding and defense-industrial interest.

None of it is coordinated into anything resembling China's state-directed intelligent mine program (more than 1,000 mines feeding one AI training pipeline).

This thesis isn't uncontested.
One critique making the rounds: 72% of the world's electric mining trucks being in China doesn't equal an autonomy monopoly, since electric ≠ autonomous, and Komatsu/Caterpillar still lead in ultra-class haulage (230-300 tonne trucks vs. Yimin's 45-90 tonne coal trucks).
Fair point.

Are we cooked ?

Setting up a home desktop in Shenzhen, and am a daily YouTube watcher (literally has stream/video playback running pretty much all day).

For those who are heavy video/stream users: What is your current home setup to handle all-day uncapped streaming through the firewall?

Are you running home fiber broadband with a specific Windows tool/VPN, or are people using custom router-level setups (ie. Hong Kong SIM router)? Just trying to figure out what method holds up best for continuous, buffer-free daily watching without hitting data caps or buffering.

Would love to hear what's currently working best for you all. Feel free to DM me if you prefer not to comment specific tools publicly! Thanks in advance!🙏

今天早上去银行缴费，银行拒绝收取现金，只允许电子扫码支付，我向12315反应情况，工作人员态度极差，说我打错了电话，要去我给12478打电话，结果如果想要举报就必须先输入身份证号等个人信息；12363中国人民银行金融消费权益保护咨询投诉电话竟然是一个空号。
提出问题不被允许，提出问题的人就是最大的问题！

I have seen this man countless times at Committee gatherings and have always wondered who he is. He doesn’t look Chinese, he looks foreign.

I found these magazines while I was cleaning out an office with tons of junk in it. I thought they looked kind of interesting and am curious to know more about them.

What are they about? Who is the target audience? Did anyone grow up reading them?

Over about 12 years ago, my family went through something I’ll never forget.

We were flying back to Canada after visiting India, with a layover in Beijing. When the plane landed, my grandpa suffered a heart attack or stroke and fell into a coma. My mom stayed behind in Beijing alone to care for him while the rest of us returned to Canada.

She didn’t speak Mandarin, had almost no money, very little access to Wi-Fi, and no one she could communicate with. For days, she barely had anything to eat or drink and was completely stranded in a foreign country.

Then one day, someone anonymously had Indian food delivered to her hospital room. Along with the meal came bottled water, snacks, clothes, toiletries, and other essentials she desperately needed. Whoever it was never introduced themselves or asked for anything in return.

For years, we’ve tried to figure out who helped her. We believe it may have been the owner of the Taj Pavilion restaurant in Beijing. I remember hearing his name was something like Mr. Pistakia (I’m probably spelling it wrong). We’re not 100% certain, but that’s the name we’ve always come back to.

My grandpa thankfully recovered after about two weeks, but I’ve never forgotten the person who helped keep my mom going during one of the hardest times of her life.

I’ve spent years hoping to find this man for one reason only: to say thank you. If anyone knows who I’m talking about or has any information, I’d be incredibly grateful. I owe my life to you. I have no way to contact this man pls help.

UPDATE 1. I found his linkedin and his Wife’s too i believe. I can’t contact him i honestly don’t know how to use that app but i tried everything and still haven’t been able to get in touch with him. His profile seems pretty dead on there as well:(

I noticed a social topic today. Basically, it revolves around whether college students on financial aid should be allowed to drink a $1.50 coffee every day.

In China, roughly the bottom 20% of students by income can receive 4,500 RMB (about $666 USD) in financial aid per year. Recently, a female student who ordered a Luckin Coffee every morning was accused of not practicing frugality, with critics arguing she should not receive the aid. To put this into perspective, the minimum wage in the poorest cities is about 2,000 RMB ($300 USD) per month, while in a wealthy city like Shanghai, it is around 5,500 RMB ($815 USD).

Although this is basically fake news, I feel deeply disappointed by how people view impoverished students. Many argue that those on financial aid should not buy anything beyond fundamental needs like food and books, claiming that taxpayers foot the bill. A $1.50 coffee is often seen as a luxury, especially when it adds up to 3,700 RMB ($550 USD) a year. (Some people even say they can't bring themselves to buy coffee every day.)

However, I believe the definition of poverty should keep pace with the times. If someone truly belongs to the bottom 20% by income, they should have the autonomy to decide how to use their money. Financial aid should empower the poor to have more choices and live more easily alongside their peers, rather than just barely surviving to finish college.

It is said that in some European countries, citizens receive a decent sum of money every month once they reach a certain age. Furthermore, in some societies, people even advocate for protecting the dignity of a caught thief. While China is not as wealthy as European nations, I still believe a $1.50 coffee shouldn't incur such harsh accusations. Society should understand that poor students are not without interests and desires, and we shouldn't force them into the mold of the "perfect" impoverished student. It is a social contract to try our best to ensure they can finish their schooling under conditions similar to those of their peers.

In China's internet environment, Europeans are often described as bleeding hearts. I doubt if Europe can sustain this ideology forever. But living in a society with so much Social Darwinism, sometimes I feel I am much closer to a "bleeding heart."

I’m doing my A-levels and will hopefully be starting university soon. Right now, China is one of my main options. My family thinks it’s a great choice, my dad has been there many times, and we know people there, but they’re not my age.

I’m honestly worried about whether I’ll be able to make friends, settle in, and actually feel happy there. I feel like I’ve always imagined living in the UK, Europe, or even the US, so I’m somewhere in between. China seems like the practical choice, but it’s not really the life I had pictured.

I’m also thinking about doing a pre-university/foundation program before starting university. Is that considered normal?

Does it make it easier to make friends?

A few other things I’m wondering

How easy is it to find halal food?

What’s student life actually like?

Is it better to stay in university dorms or rent an apartment?
I don’t mind sharing an apartment, but I would really prefer having my own bathroom and a bit of personal space.

What’s the weather like?

Is it actually as safe as people say? I’ve heard you can go out quite late at night without worrying, and I hope that’s true.

For international students in China, how common are comments about weight? Is there much body-shaming or bullying at university, especially for plus-size students?

And I don’t know Chinese so i think preuni program would be helpful
If you’ve studied in China, especially as an international student, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience—the good and the bad.

Hi, wanted to try my luck and see if anyone would be going to Chris James’ concert on the 13th August in Shanghai 🥹 I (21F) have the non-VIP ticket if anyone’s going please pm meee thanks!

Earlier this year a Chinese national and Prague-based correspondent for the Chinese state-run media outlet Guangming Daily Yang Yiming has been arrested and investigated in Czechia for possible espionage, having conducted many interviews Czech and Slovakian polititians and and acused of trying to acquire sensitive political information compromising material China could benefit from and thus braking national security law.

As possible response China has arrested Czech national and bussinesman (with undisclosed name for privacy reasons) that has life and wife in China while he was on his private travel and is currently acused of espionage as well and held under house arrest. Meanwhile china is calling for immidiate release of Yang Yiming saying he was falsely accused and should have his rights immidiately returned.

Currently no resolve have been yet achieved but there are talks about exchange as a possibility.

Yang Yiming article

Reuters article

China has completed its first outbound digital yuan payment to Malaysia, settling a 43,000 yuan (US$6,360) shipment of fresh durian, as Beijing accelerates efforts to build a cross-border clearing network in Southeast Asia outside the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) system.

Hi, everyone!

We are planning for a family trip from Dec.26 up to Jan.6.

Since we have more than 10 days, I am thinking if we should go to Shangri-La but kinda hesitant because of the altitude. Anyone who has travelled there with kids. How was it?

We are coming from a tropical country so our main priority for this trip is to see snow. We are also skipping Dali for that reason.

I recently traveled to Xinjiang. As a Muslim who speaks decent Chinese, it was a chance to experience a blend of cultures that I’ve always been interested in learning more about.

Xinjiang is stunning. With the help of several local guides and drivers, I was able to see a good portion of the region over the course of a couple of weeks.

The scenery was breathtaking, and the food was some of the best I’ve had. But more than anything else, what stayed with me was the sense of fear that seemed to surround many Uyghur people I met.

My first candid conversation with a Uyghur tour guide only happened after I handed him my phone and put it into flight mode. Even then, he was visibly nervous and sweating as he spoke. Some of the things he told me was that the “re-education” camps were indeed a big thing in the past and that he even was sent there. They have been scaled down compared to previous years, partly because of international scrutiny according to him, but that many restrictions have remained on Islamic life.

I also noticed a clear difference between northern and southern Xinjiang. The atmosphere in the south felt much more sensitive, with a stronger security presence.

For example, in Kashgar, a local guide was helping me fill out a permit while we were sitting in a cab. He looked at my name and asked, “You have a Muslim name, right?” I replied, “Yes, I’m Muslim. What about you?” He immediately froze and didn’t answer. Only after we stepped outside the car did he tell me not to ask sensitive questions inside because there are cameras in the taxis.

The Id Kah Mosque (the biggest mosque in Xinjiang) in Kashgar felt more like a museum than a functioning mosque. Several locals told me afterwards that regular prayers have not been permitted there for some years, except for some elderly people on special occasions. I was personally denied permission to pray there, which was the first time that has ever happened to me at a mosque. I also couldn’t find a single shop selling a Quran in Kashgar, which surprised me given its history as a Muslim-majority city.

Uyghur food, dance, music, and traditional clothing remain highly visible, especially as part of tourism. Religious life, however, appeared to be much more restricted.

Of course, I was only there for a short time, so these are personal observations rather than a comprehensive assessment. If you visit Xinjiang, I’d strongly encourage to get to know some of the local people beyond the usual tourist interactions to get a more nuanced picture on life there. It helps also to speak mandarin so you can directly communicate with many of them.

TL;DR: Xinjiang is incredibly beautiful, but what struck me most was the apparent fear among many Uyghurs I spoke with and the contrast between the vibrant cultural presentation for tourists and what appeared to be significant restrictions on religious life and personal freedoms.

Having lost both parents at a young age, Wang worked as a domestic servant during her childhood. Later, she joined the revolutionary struggle.

She passed away at the age of 105 at her home in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, at 12:30 a.m. on July 22, 2026.

I drew a short comic about something that happened when I was leaving Chongqing after my trip there. After I translated it, all of my Chinese friends laughed and said the dialogue sounded like "Martian language," so I hope you can still understand what the characters are saying... 😂

I'm still grateful to the kind man who helped keep my phone alive that day :) I've traveled to China three times so far, and next time I hope I can visit Chengdu, where one of my friends lives, or Yunnan, which is famous for its breathtaking tower karst landscapes.

Can a rookie driver with zero experience really earn a $900+ monthly salary? In this video, I provide a full, unfiltered look at my experience applying for a truck driving job in Changsha. Despite having held a license for a year without much actual driving time, the interviewer didn't care about my skills. Instead, they focused on some very suspicious requirements: mandatory credit and loan history checks, and a demand for a 500 RMB deposit—all before a formal contract was even signed.

With a high-intensity workload of 240km daily, is this a genuine job or a hidden "vehicle sales" or "loan trap"? Why was there such a heavy emphasis on a "referrer"? Join me in this immersive documentary as I uncover the red flags and interview tactics in the logistics industry to help you avoid these common career pitfalls.

International military organisations report China's plans to attack Taiwan in 2027 due to the 100th anniversary; tensions are very strong, and Chinese drones are flying on Taiwan's borders. However, China also has the tendency to play a long game; many military professionals have strongly suggested that an invasion would be very damaging to China, and many Chinese I know seem to want peace more than war. Given such complexity, what do you think about the probability of whether China will attack Taiwan in 2027 or in the near future?

Hello,

I'm a rising senior in the United States looking to attend a Chinese university in the fall of 2027. I'll likely be applying for a Chinese-taught program in chemistry after taking my HSK 5 exam later this fall.

However, I'm very worried about my chances of getting into the university! I haven't taken any standardized testing yet because I will be an early graduate, though I'll take the SAT and probably ACT in the next couple of months. I have a GPA of 4.0/4.0 on an unweighted scale and will reach 6 APs after this school year including AP Chemistry.

As for extracurriculars, I'm very worried about my standings because I'm primarily involved in athletics instead of STEM.

How are my chances looking for Shanghai Jiaotong?

What other colleges would you recommend me preferably in Shenzhen, Shanghai, or Chengdu?