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China Echo is a podcast project from HKU Journalism at the University of Hong Kong. In each episode, we bring you a selection of news items from Chinese language media that have received little or no exposure in English.

Season 6 - Episode 8 (24 March 2024)

In this episode, we bring you news of a deadly explosion in Yanjiao, protests and scandals related to the Nongfu Spring beverage company, new regulations for express delivery services in China, and food safety concerns after the annual 315 China Consumer Rights Gala. We speak with Mrs. Becky Cheung, a food safety consultant and expert in Hong Kong.

Season 6 - Episode 7 (19 March 2024)

In this episode, we bring you news of a guideline to encourage payment services, a women's marathon in Shanghai, a job fair for college graduates, and we'll discuss how AI affects graduates seeking jobs with Dr. Simon Wang, a professor from Hong Kong Baptist University who researches computer-assisted language learning.

Season 6 - Episode 6 (18 March 2024)

In this episode, we first report on the nationwide decrease in the number of schools, which reflects the low birth rate, then the world’s first inter-city eVTOL flight launched from Shenzhen to Zhuhai and China’s latest regulations on package delivery.

Lastly, we talk about the Chinese singer, Bao XiaoBai, who used AI to generate a video of his deceased daughter. To explore the legal and moral boundaries of using AI in such a way we invited Prof. Eliza Mik from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Season 6 - Episode 5 (17 March 2024)

In this episode, we bring you news of a fatal gym collapse in Heilongjiang, sweeping forest fires in Guizhou province, and the death of two Chinese fishermen after a clash with Taiwan authorities. We also discuss the proliferation of Otome games with Nancy Fei, a university student who has invested almost HKD10,000 over seven years of playing these games.

Season 6 - Episode 4 (26 Feb 2024)

In this episode, we bring you news of freezing rain in Hubei, the harm of electronic products to children, lucky money pressure felt by young people, and we'll discuss the new look in the Greater Bay Area with Dr. Zhang Jingzhi, a Council Member and alumnus of the University of International Business and Economics.

Season 6 - Episode 3 (17 Feb 2024)

In this episode, we talk about how a 16-year-old diver won her first world title at this year’s Aquatics Championships in Qatar, why the brain of one leading Chinese philosopher has been preserved in a cryonics facility since his death in 2021, and the latest figures on inbound and outbound tourism in China. We also chatted with Ms. Xuannan Yang, a research assistant from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shenzhen, on why centuries-old attitudes towards the Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner may be changing.

Season 6 - Episode 2 (10 Feb 2024)

In this episode, we bring you news of tourists in northeastern China getting too close to protected animals, a new ruling considers handling work messages after hours as overtime, rewards for matchmakers in rural areas, and we discuss the minimum age for criminal responsibility in China with legal expert lawyer Jason Feng.

Season 6 - Episode 1 (5 Feb 2024)

In this episode, we bring you news of a deadly fire in Jiangxi, a university professor who was accused by his students of academic fraud, the postponement of football star Cristiano Ronaldo’s matches in China, and we'll discuss Harbin's tourism boom with Heilongjiang Provincial government consultant Dr. Zhou Guilin.


 
China-Echo-S5-new1

China Echo is a podcast project from HKU Journalism at the University of Hong Kong. In each episode, we bring you a selection of news items from Chinese language media that have received little or no exposure in English.

Season 5 - Episode 12 (3 May 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about China’s first ecological environment-integrated hyperspectral observation business satellite, the current situation of giant pandas in America, and the domestic Chang Jiang 1000A engine starting its final test flights. We also discuss the Chinese new rule for considering the vision health of students with Dr. Kendrick C. Shih, a Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology in HKU.

Season 5 - Episode 11 (26 April 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about China’s first ecological environment-integrated hyperspectral observation business satellite, the current situation of giant pandas in America, and the domestic Chang Jiang 1000A engine starting its final test flights. We also discuss the Chinese new rule for considering the vision health of students with Dr. Kendrick C. Shih, a Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology in HKU.

Season 5 - Episode 10 (13 April 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about a metro accident in Liaoning province and the inappropriate words that appeared in an award-winning children's book. We also discuss the child offences issue in China with Darcy Davison-Roberts, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong.

Season 5 - Episode 9 (10 April 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about surrogate pregnancy services, students being expelled for allegedly posting his female classmates’ photos on porn forums, as well as the first state-sponsored dating app in China. We'll also discuss China’s low-birth rate with Jennifer Xu, the research fellow of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program in the Lowy Institute.

Season 5 - Episode 8 (27 Mar 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about egg freezing for single women and preferential treatment for families with second or third children. We talk about the chicken egg crisis in Taiwan and we discuss the price war in China’s car market with Professor Yuhang Pan. He is an assistant professor specialized in Environmental Economics at Peking University.

Season 5 - Episode 7 (20 Mar 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about planting orange trees on the campus of East China Normal University to mark the China Tree Planting Day, as well a CPPCC member’s proposal to improve school students' quality of sleep. In Taiwan, Greenpeace is campaigning to protect against overfishing. We'll discuss the overfishing problem with Gary Stokes, the Operations Director of Oceansasia.

Season 5 - Episode 6 (13 Mar 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news of the medicine hoarding panic in China, discussion of whether convicted criminals’ children should be allowed to take civil service exams, and people in mainland China are calling for the end of mask mandates. And we’ll speak to Professor Ryan Mitchell, a professor studying Chinese law and international law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He will tell us more about the implications of picking quarrels and provoking troubles in China’s law.

Season 5 - Episode 5 (6 Mar 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about Hong Kong's plans to hold the Greater-Bay Area Arts and Culture Festival and Shanghai is doing trial runs of new hydrogen-powered buses. We also discuss the e-sports industry in China with Su Yifan, the official anchor of the League of Legends game.

Season 5 - Episode 4 (2 Mar 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about the re-emergence of parallel trading between Hong Kong and mainland China and fake news created by ChatGPT in Hangzhou. We also discuss food safety issues in China with Becky Cheung, Honorary Founding Chairman of the International Food Safety Association.

Season 5 - Episode 3 (18 Feb 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about free fertility treatment in Shanghai and anti-drug squirrel police. We also discuss the prospect of China’s ChatGPT with Yu Lequan, an assistant professor from the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Hong Kong.

Season 5 - Episode 2 (15 Feb 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news about Chinese officials banning an award-winning actress and fining a Jiangsu-based medical supplier. We'll talk about the ranking of the wealthiest cities in China in 2022 and discuss China’s secondary education system with Professor Barbara Schulte. She is a Professor in Comparative & International Education, Department of Education, at the University of Vienna.

Season 5 - Episode 1 (7 Feb 2023)

In this episode, we bring you news of two teenagers who sued their father over New Year “Lucky Money”, you’ll hear about divorce laws in Hunan becoming more equal for women, and we’ll speak to Dr. Hu Bo-hsiang, a paediatric physician in Taiwan about an outbreak of norovirus there during the Lunar New Year.


 
China-Echo-S4-new

China Echo is a podcast project from HKU Journalism at the University of Hong Kong. In each episode, we bring you a selection of news items from Chinese language media that have received little or no exposure in English.

Season 4 - Episode 10 (22 April 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about some unlucky mobile hospital construction workers in China’s Jilin province, as well an ambulance doctor who was suspended during the turbulent Covid outbreak in Shanghai. In Hong Kong, four taxi drivers helped fight the virus in their own way, we'll discuss the current state of indigenous people in Taiwan with Dr. Da-Wei Kuan. He is a Professor in the Department of Ethnology at the National Chen-Chi University in Taiwan.

Season 4 - Episode 9 (19 April 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about Shanghai's controversial policy of separating Covid-positive kids from their parents, and some tech-oriented companies in China referring to layoffs as "graduation". We also discuss China's changing real estate policies with Chongyu Wang, an assistant professor from Real Estate & Construction Department at the University of Hong Kong.

Season 4 - Episode 8 (6 April 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about frontline cleaners of Hong Kong who faced immense anxiety while battling the city's latest Covid-19 wave, a Hong Kong man who is being accused of swindling money out of various romantic partners, a Taiwan case of a man luring young girls for obscene pictures in exchange for Kpop concert tickets and a newly found set of fossils of the Yuxisaurus, a undiscovered species of dinosaur in Yunnan.

Season 4 - Episode 7 (30 March 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about Chinese social media cracking down on unsavory netizen remarks, cross-border drivers violating Covid-19 regulations, and surveillance technology that can detect whether employees are about to quit. We also discuss women's rights in relation to this year's Two Sessions meeting with He Jia, the chairwoman of the Equality Rights Project at the HKU Faculty of Law.

Season 4 - Episode 6 (28 March 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about a U.S. law banning State Department maps that include Taiwan as part of mainland China, a Hong Kong doctor accused of falsifying vaccine exemptions, and Beijing’s shift toward carbon neutrality, We also speak to Karen Grépin, an Associate Professor at the School of Public Health at HKU on how Covid has threatened the livelihoods of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong.

Season 4 - Episode 5 (21 March 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about unsanitary pickles named and shamed on CCTV’s 315 Gala, a crackdown by police from Taiwan and Indonesia on an international fraud racket and a lockdown in Xi’an. We also speak with Wing Mo Leung, a former Assistant Director at the Hong Kong Observatory about new meteorological data-gathering technology being developed by China.

Season 4 - Episode 4 (7 March 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about a Hubei house church priest convicted of fraud linked to religious activities, and Haidilao, China's biggest hotpot chain, has announced last year's huge losses. We also discuss the "Cambodia blood slave" case and cross-border organized crime led by Chinese nationals with Enze Han, a professor from the University of Hong Kong and an expert on borderland areas between China and Southeast Asia.

Season 4 - Episode 3 (1 March 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about newlyweds in Mainland China rushing to register their marriages on "Most Loving Day," a Lunar New Year domestic violence/murder case from Taiwan, the "Chained Woman" saga that has spread across Chinese social media, and a Hong Kong child abuse scandal that has recently been brought to light. We discuss this current scandal with Priscilla Lui, the former director of Against Child Abuse - an organization committed to the protection and development of Hong Kong's youth.

Season 4 - Episode 2 (21 February 2022)

In this episode, we bring you news about Brazilian fishermen making money from selling fish bladders to China, a spike in demand for Lithuanian rum in Taiwan and the early beginnings of whisky production in China. We also discuss the Hong Kong government’s efforts to manage waste disposal with Paul Zimmerman, an environmentalist and an elected Southern District counsellor in Hong Kong.

Season 4 - Episode 1 (14 February 2022)

In this episode, we bring you stories about a controversial comedy bit featured on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala and the incentives put in place to discourage residents from traveling home during the 7 day Lunar New Year holiday. We also discuss China’s newly extended maternity leave and the expected effects of this policy with Honorary Professor Joe Leung from the department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. He specializes in social policy in China, and has published articles in the Asia Global Institute's online journal, including a piece on the three-child policy.


 
China-Echo-S3 new

China Echo is a podcast project from HKU Journalism at the University of Hong Kong. In each episode, we bring you a selection of news items from Chinese language media that have received little or no exposure in English. We also speak to an expert for some deeper views about one of the stories we have covered.

Season 3 - Episode 9 (10 May 2021)

In this episode, we bring you news about a protest against Tesla in Shanghai, the increase in rural residents' book purchasing, and an inappropriate act by a kindergarten teacher. We also discuss a newly-found dinosaur fossil in China with Dr. Michael Pittman, a paleontologist teaching in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong.​

Season 3 - Episode 8 (23 April 2021)

In this episode, we bring you news about a corrupt murderer making the grade as a party official in Inner Mongolia and companies in Shanghai forcing workers to get their covid vaccines. We also discuss perceptions of death and burial in China with Professor Amy Chow Y. M, Director of the Bachelor of Social Work Programme at the University of Hong Kong and an expert in death and grieving practices in China.

Season 3 - Episode 7 (12 April 2021)

In this episode, we bring you stories about China's Education Ministry's stance on mandatory bedtimes and sleep schedules as well as the latest development in Lego's court case against copycat manufacturer Lepin. We also discuss policies regarding the screening of propaganda films to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP with Professor Chris Berry from the Film Studies Department at King's College London and the expected effects of this policy​.

Season 3 - Episode 6 (30 March 2021)

In this episode, we hear about a social media celebrity who was arrested for selling illegal slimming pills, and the closure of the first sex doll hotel in China. We also discuss the rising feminist movement behind historically low birth rates in China with Dr. Ting Guo from the Gender Studies Department at the University of Hong Kong.​

Season 3 - Episode 5 (22 March 2021)

In this episode, we bring you stories about a charity looking to improve water quality in rural schools and a new social media trend of mainland teens wearing children's clothing. We also discuss the slaughter of cats and dogs for food with Paul Littlefair, head of RSPCA International, who has worked on animal rights issues in China for decades.

Season 3 - Episode 4 (15 March 2021)

In this episode, we bring you stories about a kindergarten that came under fire for serving the students vegetarian food and proposals to introduce love and marriage education classes in universities. We also discuss the positive energy campaign, a grassroots online movement co-opted by the state, with Dr. Bondy Valdovinos Kaye from Queensland University of Technology, who has done extensive research on positive energy and how its purpose has changed in recent years.

Season 3 - Episode 3 (2 March 2021)

In this episode, we hear about the challenges of finding a spouse because of gender imbalances in China’s population, bans on smartphones in schools, and we talk with Dr. Li Ji from the China Studies programme at HKU, about a divorce case that is shining a light on the monetary value of housework.​

Season 3 - Episode 2 (23 February 2021)

In this episode, we learn of some experts’ population projections, new so-called “national solidarity” laws in ethnic minority areas and analysis of the ban on the BBC in mainland China​.

Season 3 - Episode 1 (8 February 2021)

In this episode, we bring you news about China’s efforts to keep Lunar New Year safe and stories about dangers to doctors beyond the pandemic. We also discuss perceptions about masculinity in China with Dr Elizabeth LaCouture, Founding Director of the Gender Studies Program at the University of Hong Kong and a China historian specializing in Gender and Women's Studies.​


 
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Season 2 - Episode 11 (24 April 2020)

In this episode, we look at China post-COVID-19. Stories include China's efforts to boost its economy, rising crime rates in the wake of COVID-19, and Japanese health workers returning home after fighting the virus in Wuhan.
We will also look at some of the top trending topics from Sina Weibo, China’s most popular social media platform.

Season 2 - Episode 10 (10 April 2020)

This week, we bring you news of selling a rocket online. We also hear about a crackdown in China on child porn websites, a mass demolition of luxury seafront villas in Qingdao, and new regulations on wild animal protection in Guangdong.

All these, and some of the top trending topics from Sina Weibo, China’s most popular social media platform.​

Season 2 - Episode 9 (4 April 2020)

In this week’s episode, expect to hear about China’s mobile-phone monopolies taking a hit, while the ventilator industry skyrockets. A Shanghai expat, who refuses quarantine, stirs a debate over double standards for Westerners. And an athletic 67-year-old turns her living-room into a marathon track.

Plus, more top-trenders stories on Sina Weibo, China's largest social media platform.

Season 2 - Episode 8 (29 March 2020)

This week, as the COVID-19 epidemic dies down in China, Chinese musicians have written a song celebrating makeshift hospitals, only to have their work taken down after it was criticized online for being too merry a tune for the times. As some try profit off the epidemic with mask scams and malicious trademark applications, Shanghai is trying to build an online platform to resolve shopping disputes.

Plus, more of the top trending stories on Sina Weibo, China's largest social media platform.​

 

Season 2 - Episode 7 (23 March 2020)

In this episode, we focus on China's reaction to Covid-19 going global. We delve into reports about Chinese international students fleeing back to their hometowns, widespread anger at returnees concealing their health status, and a curious video that has drawn laughs from some but raised concerns among others. We end by looking at some trending coronavirus-related hashtags on Sina Weibo, China's largest social media platform.

Season 2 - Episode 6 (14 March 2020)

On this week’s episode, hear about how China’s biggest tech companies are helping to fight the COVID-19 outbreak, how social media platforms in China are doing their part, too, and even the country’s sports authority is trying to help people stay active while they’re staying home for safety. All that and the top trending topics from Sina Weibo, China’s most popular social media platform.

Season 2 - Episode 5 (8 March 2020)

COVID-19-related stories are the main theme again, as the virus spreads around the world. We tell you about the addition of insult to injury as some overworked nurses are humiliated, students are angry after their dormitory rooms were turned into virus isolation wards, and stressed out shoppers are coming to blows as tensions rise in checkout lines. All that plus some of the top trending stories from Sina Weibo, China's most popular social media platform.

Season 2 - Episode 4 (28 Feb 2020)

This week, China Echo brings you news of public push-back against Communist Youth League cartoon characters, a virtual return to classes for students all over Greater China, and China’s latest space launch is undeterred by the COVID-19 outbreak. Plus, the latest topics trending on Sina Weibo.

Season 2 - Episode 3 (22 Feb 2020)

In this episode, the COVID-19 crisis still yields many news stories we chose from. Unattended pets, cancer wards taken over by virus patients and counterfeit medical products are among these items. Plus, more of the top trending stories on Sina Weibo, China's largest social media platform.​

Season 2 - Episode 2 (15 Feb 2020)

In this episode, we highlight more stories from inside mainland China, as the nation tries to deal with the outbreak of a dangerous virus. We hear about outrage over misleading medicine claims and overly generous pensioners, and a heartwarming story about the kindness of police to a stranded trucker. Plus, more of what people are chatting about on Sina Weibo, China's largest social media platform.

Season 2 - Episode 1 (7 Feb 2020)

This episode of China Echo has several stories related to the battle against the Coronavirus outbreak. Many in China were also moved by LeBron's tribute to #24 Plus, some more of the latest news trending on Sina Weibo.


 

Episode 9 (18 June 2019)

In this episode, we hear about a trade war debate between Chinese and American news anchors, China's underground systems developing despite losses, and a celebrity's social media accounts silenced over the Huawei controversy.

Episode 8 (23 May 2019)

Education goes to the head of the class in this episode of China Echo, as your host, Surilege, brings you stories about cheating on university entrance exams and unusually highly qualified middle school teachers. Plus, the latest buzz from Sina Weibo.

Episode 7 (10 April 2019)

This episode includes news of workers in China’s tech sector pushing back against long working hours, wells meant to alleviate poverty in Liaoning province coming up dry in terms of water and money, and the story of a mule on the loose in high-tech Shenzhen’s urban jungle. Those stories and a look at what’s trending lately on Sina Weibo.

Episode 6 (27 March 2019)

This episode of China Echo mentions news of extra Labour Day rest, sleeplessness on the rise in China, and a TV series promoting gender equality. Also, some of the latest news trending on Sina Weibo.

Episode 5 (20 March 2019)

On this week’s China Echo, we learn about an ironic drunk driver, goth make-up is not underground in Guangzhou, and what may be history’s most expensive bowl of noodles. Plus, some of the top trending stories from Sina Weibo.

Episode 4 (13 March 2019)

This week’s China Echo touches on mainland China’s shrinking workforce, public shaming of J-walkers, and food safety being one among many topics addressed by the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing. Plus, some of the top trending stories from Sina Weibo.

Episode 3 (27 February 2019)

This week’s China Echo touches on the Lantern Festival, Artificial Intelligence news anchors, ‘Net Nurses’, huge generosity for leprosy survivors and more. Plus, the latest trending stories on Sina Weibo.

Episode 2 (20 February 2019)

In Episode 2 we bring you stories of lovers... and others... as China Echo notes how Valentine's Day is growing in popularity in China.

Episode 1 (13 February 2019)

This week's episode marks the arrival of the Year of the Pig, with stories linked to the Lunar New Year featured among the news from China you might not have heard.