by Jonathan Sharp | 3 Oct 2019 | China
The call by Hong Kong protesters for full democracy is the one least likely to be met. One-party state China most emphatically does not do democracy. A portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping lies covered with debris after a protest in Hong Kong, China, 1 October...
by David Schlesinger | 30 Sep 2019 | China, Human Rights, United States
What does it mean when protestors appropriate your symbols to further their national ends? How does it make you feel? A protestor displays a U.S. flag during a demonstration in Hong Kong, China, 20 September 2019 (EPA-EFE/JEROME FAVRE) What does it mean when...
by Jonathan Sharp | 5 Sep 2019 | Asia, China, Discovery, Eyewitness
Away from the hustle, an ancient rite unfolds in a Shanghai park. Parents looking to hitch offspring post want ads in a marriage mart. (Photo by Betty Fu) It’s a poignant ritual, played out every weekend in a shady corner of a Shanghai park. In People’s Park, scores...
by News Decoder | 5 Aug 2019 | Asia, China, Discovery, Identity, Personal Reflections, Youth Voices
By Kaitlyn-Lee Mun It was a Sunday afternoon in early June at Hong Kong’s Kowloon Park. Cicadas buzzed incessantly, delivering a deafening chorus. On this humid day, the air like soup, people gathered to watch a weekly Kung Fu performance. I was in the crowd,...
by Jonathan Sharp | 30 Jul 2019 | Asia, China, Future of Democracy
As protests against Hong Kong authorities become more violent, worries that China’s army might intervene are mounting. A protester confronts Hong Kong police near land just transferred to the People’s Liberation Army, Hong Kong, China, 29 June 2019...
by News Decoder | 25 Jul 2019 | China, Culture, Future of Democracy, Ryerson University, Youth Voices
By Ashley Fraser I recently returned from a class trip to Hong Kong, where I reported on disappearing fishing villages in the semi-autonomous territory. I met with Wong Wei King, a curator of the Tai O Culture Workshop and community member of Tai O, a...
by Madison Wong | 23 Jul 2019 | Asia, China, Discovery, Ryerson University, Youth Voices
Wet markets are an integral part of Hong Kong’s culture and communities. But will they survive as China’s economy modernizes? (Photo courtesy of Madison Wong) I’ve grown up in Canada and, despite being Asian-Canadian, had never stepped foot in Asia...
by News Decoder | 24 Jun 2019 | China, Discovery, Future of Democracy, Ryerson University, Youth Voices
(All photos by Karen Longwell) By Karen Longwell Evening had come, but the heat of the day still lingered. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I made my way through the crowds. It was June 4, the day of a vigil in Hong Kong commemorating the 30th anniversary of...
by News Decoder | 19 Jun 2019 | Americas, Asia, China, Donald Trump, United States
By Richard Hubbard The U.S.-China trade dispute is currently one of the greatest threats to the global economy. But amid all the talk of on-again, off-again tariffs, there is a danger of missing a more fundamental change in international relations. While to U.S....
by Jonathan Sharp | 18 Jun 2019 | Asia, China, Future of Democracy
Youth in Hong Kong have poured into the streets to protest against a proposed law they say threatens the city’s autonomy. Are they pushing their luck? Protesters against an extradition bill in Hong Kong, China, 16 June 2019 (EPA-EFE/Roman Pilipey) Twice in the...