China
Marching Out of Step
Last month’s military parade in Beijing brought the leaders of Russia, China and North Korea together in a show of unity. But the history of such meetings reminds us of the hidden dynamics beneath the diplomatic veneer.
A Taste of Home
Jewher Ilham is a 31-year-old Uyghur residing in the U.S., and the dishes she grew up eating continue to remind her of home. But her relationship with these flavors changed after her father was arrested back in China and later sentenced to life in prison on charges of “separatism.”
The Chinese Men Seeking Pakistani Christian Wives
Chinese men, who outnumber women of their generation, have been looking for brides abroad, including among Pakistan’s Christians. Treading the line between arranged marriage and human trafficking, these weddings have been facing increased scrutiny, but have persisted as ties between the countries deepen.
Video Games Are China’s Next Soft Power Grab
A highly anticipated action-adventure game based on “Journey to the West” perfectly encapsulates the evolution of the Chinese video game industry as both an art and conduit of the Communist Party’s soft power.
How a Childhood Memory Opened a Window on Islam in China
References to Islam were just about unheard of during my upbringing in China — except for the stop-motion cartoon of Ah Fan Ti. Decades later, lightning would strike to trigger a reinterpretation of those days — reverberating beyond my childhood and into today’s world of migration, faith and ethnic rivalry.
China’s Picture Book Market Has Exploded, but Is It Fun for Children?
As thousands of children’s books are translated into Mandarin, China’s domestic market for young readers is also blossoming. Yet emphasis on traditional Chinese values such as education — both as an aim and as a vehicle to mold model citizens — is perhaps holding the industry back.
How Hui Muslims Waged Holy War for China in World War II
The anti-Japanese resistance is perhaps the most formative episode in Chinese national memory. Hui Muslim participation in it was grounded in philosophies of coexistence, survival and social harmony that went back centuries and helped solidify the enduring Hui presence in China.