Beijing

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

‘Rain theft’ worries Asian neighbors
China is the undisputed world champion in artificial rainmaking. Capacities are constantly being expanded to mitigate at least the worst consequences of climate change. Neighboring countries fear that they will be deprived of urgently needed rain. continue reading →
‘Solving social problems is the goal of my projects’
The Beijing artist Brother Nut draws attention to China's environmental problems with art activism. He once formed bricks from Beijing's fine dust. He has now transformed unused telephone booths into crisis telephones for people from the countryside. The interview was conducted by Renxiu Zhao. continue reading →
Weina Zhao – director searching for her family history
“In our family, there was always the funny anecdote that my grandpa only takes cold showers,” Weina Zhao says. “It wasn’t until I researched for my film Weiyena that I found out why.” Weina Zhao was born in Beijing and moved to Vienna with her family when she was three years old. Her parents even […] continue reading →
Economy growing slower than expected
China’s economic growth in the second quarter has fallen short of already pessimistic expectations. As reported by the National Bureau of Statistics of China on Friday, the economy grew by only 0.4 percent year-on-year. Analysts predicted an average growth of between 1 and 1.4 percent. Compared to the first quarter, the economy actually shrunk by […] continue reading →
Is Beijing backing down on compulsory vaccination?
Even before things had really started, it seems China's capital withdrew the first attempts at compulsory vaccination. Apparently, public opinion was too strong. Say what now? continue reading →
Pope wants new agreement
Pope Francis hopes to renew the controversial agreement with the People’s Republic of China on the appointment of bishops – though there are still coordination problems, the pope Reuters. “The agreement is good, and I hope it can be renewed in October,” the pope added. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin is on duty as […] continue reading →
François Chimits – ‘Do your job!’
For François Chimits, the People’s Republic of China is not accessible through its language. He never consistently learned Mandarin. Instead, his translation tools are numbers. At the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin, he takes a bird’s eye view of China’s economy and analyzes its importance to Europe. The path began with studies in […] continue reading →
Shanghai orders weekly testing for entire city
After the Covid outbreak in a popular bar in Beijing, the situation in the Chinese capital is coming to a head. Authorities recently warned of a “race against time” to get the most severe outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic in the metropolis under control. A total of 327 COVID-19 cases linked to the […] continue reading →
New round of mass testing in Beijing
Millions of Beijing residents are being ordered to get tested for the Coronavirus following an outbreak at a popular bar. A three-day testing campaign among the city’s roughly 3.5 million residents began in the downtown district of Chaoyang on Monday. Queues more than 100 meters long formed at some testing stations. Authorities also imposed lockdowns […] continue reading →
A tale of two cities
The world turned upside down: While Beijing, which is generally stricter, undergoes a somewhat relaxed half-lockdown and now already eases it again, the restrictions in Shanghai, which is supposed to be more liberal, continue unabated. After a brief relaxation, two million people are once again sent into lockdown. continue reading →
Roman Kierst – a storyteller with an eye for common ground
As a student, Roman Kierst initially wanted to go to the USA. On his way to an interview for a student exchange program in the States, he saw a poster advertising a short exchange program to China. “That kind of appealed to me – and it was really cheap,” he recalls. At home, he told […] continue reading →
Beijing schools to reopen soon
Several Covid restrictions are to be lifted in Beijing in the coming week. Starting Monday, people will be allowed to go back to work and restaurants will be allowed to receive guests provided they have tested negative three days earlier. Schools are also to reopen the following Monday. This was announced by local authorities on […] continue reading →
Shanghai opens, Beijing relaxes
After two months, the harsh lockdown in Shanghai is officially over. There is also hope in Beijing. But many people remain skeptical. And about 650,000 people remain locked up in Shanghai alone. continue reading →
Shanghai prepares to lift lockdown on Wednesday
Two months after the lockdown began in Shanghai, preparations are underway to lift the strict Covid restrictions. As of 00:00 (local time) on Wednesday, certain restrictions on individual freedom of movement will be lifted, the city government said on Monday. Thus, people will again be able to leave their residential areas if they do not […] continue reading →
Airbnb withdraws from China
Airbnb will no longer offer accommodation or “experiences” in China from July 30, according to Reuters. The company, founded in San Francisco in 2008, had been active in China since 2015. Since then, Airbnb has served around 25 million customers there. However, bookings in the People’s Republic recently accounted for only one percent of global […] continue reading →
Further shortening of hotel quarantine considered
The quarantine period upon arrival in China could be shortened a second time this month. According to media reports, only seven days of hotel isolation after arrival is planned. This is to be followed by seven days of quarantine at home, as before. However, a possible reduction has so far neither been signed nor officially […] continue reading →
13,000 quarantined in Beijing despite negative test
Beijing continues to tremble in fear about a potential lockdown. With Haidian, a third district in the capital urged people to work from home with immediate effect. The other two are Chaoyang and Fangshan. On Saturday night, more than 13,000 residents of the Nanxinyuan settlement in southeast Beijing were also shuttled to quarantine centers despite […] continue reading →
New subvariant reaches Mainland China
A new Covid Omicron subvariant has been detected for the first time in China. The variant, named BA.2.12.1, was recently detected and is considered to be more immune-resistant and transmissible than other Omicron variants. According to authorities, the subvariant was first found in a 27-year-old Chinese man who entered the country from Kenya, as reported […] continue reading →