Featured Article
5 Folk Celebrations That Ring in the New Year (February 16, 2026, The World of Chinese)
The Spring Festival doesn’t wait for New Year’s Day to begin. Weeks before the official start of the year, celebrations are already in full swing across China. Here are five folk traditions that bring the Chinese New Year to life with color, energy, and rich cultural heritage. Wishing you a very happy Chinese New Year!
Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs
The State of China’s Military (February 11, 2026, Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues)
Shanshan Mei and Dennis Wilder join the U.S.-China Nexus to discuss the context of the latest purges, the state of China’s military, and the relationship between the military and China’s Communist Party. While the public nature of the change in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership came as a surprise, it sent a strong signal that something is not right within the military’s overall image. And yet, China’s military continues to modernize while keeping the same general mandate: homeland defense and the unification agenda. Mei and Wilder see this turnover as a potential opportunity to elevate a new generation of leaders.
What China Is Really up to in the Arctic (subscription required) (February 12, 2026, The Economist)
As winter began in the Arctic, China was celebrating a banner year there. In September one of its ice-breaking ships, the Xuelong 2, completed the country’s biggest ever Arctic expedition (see map). It involved a hundred scientists and China’s first crewed deep-sea dive beneath the ice. In October, a Chinese-operated container ship finished the first scheduled transit from China to Europe via the Arctic without using icebreakers.
China is Piling Pressure on Japan’s Sanae Takaichi. Will it work? (February 16, 2026, BBC)
Since Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments that have plunged ties with China to their lowest level in years, Beijing has been piling on the pressure in a wide range of ways—sending warships, throttling rare earth exports, curbing Chinese tourism, cancelling concerts and even reclaiming its pandas. As Takaichi begins a new term as PM after winning a historically strong public mandate from a recent snap election, analysts warn that both sides will find it difficult to de-escalate – and the China-Japan relationship will not recover anytime soon.
China Is Building Submarines Faster than Ever, Think Tank Says. Why That’s a Problem for Washington (February 17, 2026, CNN)
China has ramped up its production of nuclear-powered submarines over the past five years to the point where it is launching subs faster than the United States, threatening to negate a sea-power advantage that has long belonged to Washington, a new think tank report says. The buildup in the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s nuclear-powered sub force includes both ballistic-missile and attack subs, the report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) says.
Religion
The Faith of My Father, Jimmy Lai (February 11, 2026, Unherd)
When my father came to Hong Kong, then a British colony, as a boy, he discovered his life’s great loves: God, family, and freedom. The freedoms he found were curtailed after the handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997. At first, it was gradual; he saw decreasing ad sales for his media properties, and subtle changes in the expressions on people’s faces. He was arrested one month after Beijing enacted the National Security Law on July 1, 2020, and in December 2020 was charged with violations of that law.
From Chengdu to Orlando: A Full-Circle Visit (February 11, 2026, Tampa Bay Observer)
Thirty-seven years ago, a Mandarin-dubbed VHS tape quietly made its way into a hidden house church in Chengdu, China. On May 15, 1989, Sarah Lin Lu watched the JESUS film for the first time—and she describes that day as the beginning of her Christian life.
Grace in Jail (February 12, 2026, China Partnership)
It’s about the next generation. We’re all “competing for souls.” They want to train successors for communism; we want to train successors for Christ and for the church.
Society / Life
In the Water With Shandong’s Winter Swimmers (February 12, 2026, The World of Chinese)
Nearly 800 years ago, on a visit to what is now Jinan, capital of Shandong province, the poet Yuan Haowen (元好问) recorded his impressions of boating on the city’s central Daming Lake on a tranquil fall day. “The autumn lotus blossoms are in full bloom, their red and green like embroidery,” he wrote. But this January, the tranquility gives way to icy excitement as hundreds of swimmers plunged into the frigid water during the 2026 International Winter Swimming Association (IWSA) World Challenge.
How Chinese Millennials Are Reimagining Weddings (February 13, 2026, Sixth Tone)
Whether eloping to Sichuan’s mountains, shooting photos at a rock festival, or hosting a sustainable garden fair, these couples are using their weddings to answer a fundamental question: Whose life are we building? Their choices expose how a single day’s celebration can become affirmations of relationships, identity, and what it means to be an adult in modern China.
Beijing Pastry Shop Overrun by Shoppers after Xi Jinping’s Visit (February 13, 2026, The Guardian)
A Beijing pastry shop visited by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, on a lunar new year tour this week has been swarmed by customers hoping to get their hands on Xi-approved sweet treats. Traffic was brought to a standstill in Beijing’s capital as the president took a tour around the city on Monday and Tuesday.
China’s ‘Rat People’: When Education Can’t Deliver on Its Promises (February 14, 2026, The Diplomat)
They call themselves “rat people”, Chinese slang for young graduates who have given up on conventional success. They join the “lying flat generation” who reject the “996” grind (9am to 9pm, six days a week), refuse to date or marry and scrape by on minimal consumption. It’s a dark, sobering, self-portrait of a generation that was supposed to be China’s future.
Economics / Trade / Business
As China Ages, a Pension Crisis Looms (February 11, 2026, The Diplomat)
On October 23, 2025, the Fourth Plenary Sesson of the 20th Chinese Communist Party Central Committee concluded with approval of the f15th Five-Year Plan, covering the period from 2026 to 2030. Chinese leaders have described this plan as a “crucial link” in the country’s long-term goal of achieving fundamental modernization by 2035. Yet beneath these ambitions lies a structural challenge that threatens to erode many of its gains.
Arts / Entertainment / Media
Fighting for Information in the World’s ‘Largest Prison for Journalists’ (February 13, 2026, Domino Theory)
About a month after her release from the Shanghai Women’s Prison in May 2024, citizen journalist and former lawyer Zhang Zhan (張展) made her first post on X in four years. She had been detained since 2020 for documenting the unfolding Covid-19 crisis in Wuhan.
Gendered Genres: Women’s Poetry in Post-Mao China (February 16, 2026, Made In China Journal)
The death of Mao Zedong in 1976, followed by the beginning of Reform and Opening Up, sparked a period of intense intellectual energy and literary revival known as ‘cultural fever’ (文化热), when fascination with Western culture mixed with a search for lost roots and collective consciousness gave way to self-expression. During this period, poetry again assumed a pivotal role in shaping new aesthetic forms and modes of expression.
China’s Humanoid Robots Take Center Stage for Lunar New Year Showtime (February 17, 2026, NBC News)
China’s most-watched TV show, the annual CCTV Spring Festival gala, on Monday showcased the country’s cutting-edge industrial policy and Beijing’s push to dominate humanoid robots and the future of manufacturing. Four rising humanoid robot startups—Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Noetix, and MagicLab—demonstrated their products at the gala, a televised event and touchstone for China comparable to the Super Bowl for the United States.
Education
(Hello Africa) Chinese-Backed Program Inspires Kenyan Slum Kids to Code for Future (February 7, 2026, Xinhua Net)
Defying the sweltering afternoon heat, Jenny Fair and her young peers huddled around a large table, marveling at remotely controlled robots making circular motions. Currently in Grade Seven, the 13-year-old learner is enrolled at Code with Kids, a community-focused organization dedicated to providing affordable and accessible science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to underprivileged Kenyan youngsters aged between three and 18.
Health / Environment
China’s Yangtze River Shows Signs of Remarkable Recovery After Fishing Ban (February 12, 2026, The Guardian)
The Yangtze River in China, which has been in ecological decline for 70 years, is showing signs of recovery thanks to a sweeping fishing ban. The ban was made more effective by the implementation of “evolutionary game theory,” which included finding alternative employment for fishers. One veteran biologist said it was the most positive freshwater conservation story he had seen anywhere in the world in 20 years.
History / Culture
Spending the Day in China’s Wartime Capital (February 5, 2026, What’s On Weibo)
This is my first full day in Chongqing—China’s wartime capital during World War II. (The reason I’m sharing is I’m often asked why/how I travel solo in China. This is what my days actually look like!)
On Patience, Peace, and an Ordinary Afternoon (February 16, 2026, ChinaSource)
A small confusion arose, about an order, about payment, about something entirely ordinary. Before I could resolve it myself, he stepped in quietly and helped. It was instinctive and unannounced, the kind of act that does not seek recognition. There was no explanation afterward and no attempt to communicate intent. We acknowledged each other with a brief smile and returned to our separate corners of the café.
Year of the Horse: The Meaning of the Lunar New Year Symbol for 2026 (February 16, 2026, The Independent)
On Tuesday, February 17, Asian communities around the world will ring in the Year of the Horse with community carnivals, family gatherings, parades, traditional food, fireworks and other festivities. In many Asian countries, it is a festival that is celebrated for several days. In diaspora communities, particularly in cultural enclaves, Lunar New Year is visibly and joyfully celebrated.
Events
Public Lecture: Christianity in China Beyond the Headlines (ChinaSource)
In this lecture, Joann Pittman will provide an introduction to the complexity of the church in China, moving beyond common headlines and narratives to look at key issues and challenges that Christians face today. This will include a historical overview of Christianity in China, as well as gospel-centered stories of what God is doing among his people despite the challenging social and political environment. Finally, we will consider lessons that Christians in the West can learn from Christians in China. (Joann Pittman is Vice President for Partnerships and China Engagement at ChinaSource)
Date: March 26, 2026
Time: 6:15 — light refreshments
7:00 — Lecture & Q&A
Location: Nazareth Hall, University of Northwestern – St. Paul
3003 Snelling Avenue North, Roseville, MN 55113
East Asian Christianity Conference: Christian Witness and Presence Among East Asian Religions (Gordon-Conwell Seminary)
As an annual gathering, this event brings scholars and practitioners together to engage comparative research on Christianity’s development and significance in East Asia, with implications for church ministry and mission today. The theme of this year’s conference is Christian witness and presence among East Asian religions. Church leaders from Asia and the West will come together to foster creative Christian discourse on outreach and leadership, drawing on current academic research and the lived experience of those in frontline ministry.
April 9-11, 2026
Hamilton, MA
Pray for China
February 23 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
On Feb. 23, 1951, Christian educator Zhang Boling (张伯苓先生) died in Tianjin after serving for many years as the founding president of Nankai University—then and now one of China’s top schools. Zhang’s faith was on display in his weekly talks to students and in his support of Bible translation and distribution ministries. Pray for Christian administrators, faculty, and students in Tianjin to deepen their walk with the Savior. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:15-16
Lunar New Year Prayer Calendar (February 13, 2026, ChinaSource)
The Year of the Horse is often associated with speed, strength, and forward momentum. As this new lunar year begins, our reflections on “the horse” go beyond folk symbolism or festive imagery. They invite us into a deeper conversation about the direction and lordship of our lives.
Prayer 2026: Off the Beaten Path (January 1, 2026, China Partnership)
Praying Through the ChinaSource Journal (October 13, 2025, ChinaSource)
Praying Through ZGBriefs (August 29, 2025, ChinaSource)
Operation World (April 21, 2025, ChinaSource)
Pray for China (prayforchina.us)
Prayer Walking as a Rhythm of Life (May 30, 2025, ChinaSource)