Round Table China

Rise up for World Oceans Day

Are you in your Odyssey years?

The "Odyssey years" represent a transitional phase between the early 20s and 30s where young adults navigate the "adolescence of adulthood" marked by career uncertainty and identity crises. Originating from Homer’s epic, the term describes the wandering journey toward self-discovery and stability, a concept that has ga...

Rethinking our relationship with our planet

Pickleball, Hyrox, and China's new fitness fix

Outdoor sports participation in China has surged, with 800 million people engaging in activities ranging from casual recreation to high-intensity training. Pickleball has emerged as a dominant trend, favored for its social nature, low impact, and accessibility across age groups, leading to the rapid construction of tho...

The big power pricing shake-up

Digital fingerprints: High-tech security for ancient artifacts

Fingerprint of Things (FOT) technology revolutionizes heritage conservation by utilizing microscopic surface features—such as glaze bubbles or paper fibers—to create permanent, unforgeable digital identities for ancient artifacts. Unlike traditional paper trails or physical tags, which are prone to loss or forgery, FOT...

Move over for matcha mania!

Are you suffering from vegetable anxiety?

Vegetable anxiety has emerged as a significant trend among young Chinese diners, reflecting a shift toward prioritizing health and balance in daily diets. This phenomenon, characterized by feelings of guilt when leafy greens are absent from meals, stems from a desire to counteract the high-oil and high-carb nature of c...

A penny for your AI thoughts?

The era of free AI services is transitioning toward commercial sustainability as major platforms like Doubao, Kimi, and Baidu’s Ernie bot introduce tiered subscription models. This shift reflects the immense computational and electricity costs required to maintain large-scale AI models, with some industry leaders spend...

The Soapbox: mom vs everyone else

Parental anxiety often manifests as a "victim mentality," where minor social frictions—such as a classmate refusing to share snacks or mutual pushing—are escalated into formal complaints against teachers and institutions. This trend, exemplified by a recent controversy involving Fudan University professor Shen Yifei, h...

The best AI for kids? Maybe none at all

The integration of AI and digital technology into early childhood education has sparked a debate over the risks of "digital babysitting," where screens replace essential human interaction. China's Ministry of Education is now urging parents and kindergartens to prioritize physical play, sports, and nature to protect ch...

The Full Circle: motorcycles, university campuses, and Qiaopi

Distance serves as the fundamental link between three seemingly disparate topics: the rise of the Chinese motorcycle industry, the debate over public access to university campuses, and the historical practice of Qiaopi letters. The Chinese motorcycle sector has successfully narrowed the technological and psychological ...

Is Gen Z the last generation of smokers?

Generational smoking bans represent a significant shift in global public health policy, with the UK’s recent legislation aiming to prevent anyone born after 2008 from legally purchasing tobacco. China mirrors this trend through high-tech surveillance and strict enforcement in cities like Shenzhen and Hong Kong, where s...

Is quitting underrated?

Knowing when to quit is a critical skill that balances the thin line between necessary resilience and destructive denial. While society often romanticizes perseverance, clinging to failing projects or relationships can drain years of life and resources. Businesses provide clear evidence of this: Meta scaled back its ma...

Can AI go underwater?

Underwater data centers represent a strategic response to the massive energy and water demands of the global AI boom. By leveraging natural seawater for cooling and integrating with offshore wind farms, these facilities drastically reduce electricity consumption and eliminate the need for freshwater cooling, which typi...

Qiaopi: when letters held families together

Qiaopi, a historical system of remittance letters, served as a vital lifeline for Chinese migrants in Southeast Asia from the 19th century to the 1970s, enabling families to maintain emotional and financial connections across vast distances. These letters, often written by intermediaries for illiterate migrants, are no...

Dorm hustle or dorm trouble?

University dorms are increasingly serving as hubs for student-led side hustles, ranging from manicure services and barbering to professional cleaning. While these ventures offer valuable real-world entrepreneurial experience, low barriers to entry, and financial independence, they frequently clash with the intended pur...

Should universities be open to everyone?

The recent decision by universities in China, such as Wuhan University, to open campuses to the public has sparked a heated debate regarding the balance between public access and academic integrity. While some argue that taxpayer-funded institutions possess a natural public attribute and should serve the community, stu...

The multi-layered onion of teaching parents tech

"Digital payback" represents a modern evolution of filial piety, where younger generations assist aging parents in navigating an increasingly complex technological landscape. This process extends beyond simple technical instruction to encompass emotional labor, patience, and the difficult acknowledgment of parents' agi...

The Soapbox: Anxiety bags

Anxiety bags, also known as panic pouches or calm-down kits, have emerged as a viral trend among Gen Z to manage acute anxiety and panic attacks. These portable kits typically contain items that engage the five senses—such as sour candy, essential oils, fidget toys, or breathing exercise cards—to ground individuals dur...