Sorry, you have not enabled Javascript for your internet browser, so some of our website's pages may not render as fully as intended.
Please Click here for easy instructions on how to enable Javascript on your browser or consult your IT support staff for help.

Ask Mei

Questions about Chinese culture

1 2 34 5 6

The duality of Chinese patriotism
May 26, 2017 (WiC 367)

One of the most hotly discussed topics among Chinese netizens in the past week was a graduation speech given by a Chinese student at the University of Maryland. In her address, Yang Shuping, a native of the southwestern city of Kunming, praised ...

Stamp of approval

Are there tasteful and intelligent TV shows in China?
May 5, 2017 (WiC 364)

In the past decade or so China’s TV channels have struggled with the balancing act of showing the politically correct material ordered by the Communist Party’s propaganda department and delivering the entertainment that boosts viewer ratings. ...

Religious right

Is there religious freedom for Christians in China?
Apr 7, 2017 (WiC 361)

Most of the international press coverage on religious freedom in China focuses on government crackdowns on the “underground churches” but it overlooks how most of the “above the ground” churches operate. Recently I visited a ...

Courting controversy

Another court ruling triggers an outcry
Mar 31, 2017 (WiC 360)

In recent years China has seen periodic outcries over unjust verdicts, prompting the central government to step in to investigate and sometimes correct faulty local rulings (for the cases of Deng Yujiao, Qoysiletu, Nie Shubin and Lei Yang cases ...

Why are Chinese talking about New York’s subway?

The line that took too long
Jan 13, 2017 (WiC 351)

The newly opened Second Avenue Subway in New York has attracted a lot of attention across China’s social media-sphere since its debut on the first day of the year. Numerous media outlets reported that the new subway is merely 3.2km long with ...

Which Chinese poems has Trump’s granddaughter been reciting?

Little ambassador
Nov 25, 2016 (WiC 347)

Since Donald Trump’s surprise win in the US presidential election, China’s social media has been even busier discussing America’s leader-in-waiting.

What’s fuelling China’s tech advances?

China's moved from imitation to innovation
Nov 18, 2016 (WiC 346)

Do you still think China’s economic edge lies in cheap and low-quality manufacturing and by copycatting Western technology? If the answer is yes, that means your impression is way out of date. The fact is that China has been making steady and ...

Where is China’s Downton Abbey?

The finest congregation of dynastic homes
Nov 11, 2016 (WiC 345)

A British friend once asked me: “The UK has many beautiful stately homes, where are the Chinese stately homes? Where is China’s Downton Abbey?”

Voting for Donald

Why my Chinese friends prefer Donald Trump
Oct 21, 2016 (WiC 343)

With the US presidential election campaign entering its final stretch, I conducted an informal survey this week among my Chinese friends who reside in America. My poll comprised a dozen or so professionals and housewives aged 40 to 55, all born ...

The golden years

Which gold medal in Rio carries the most weight for China?
Aug 26, 2016 (WiC 337)

As we reported in last week’s issue, China’s medal tally at the Rio Olympics has been relatively lacklustre compared to prior games, even trailing the UK in the table, and coming third. Thankfully some national pride was salvaged by the ...

1 2 34 5 6