Leo Timm
Leo Timm covers China-related news, culture, and history. Follow him on Twitter at @kunlunpeaks
China Says H3N8 Bird Flu Has Jumped to Humans
A four-year-old in central China's Henan Province has contracted the H3N8 variant of the influenza virus, which was previously only known to be present in dogs, horses, and seals. The case, which was announced on...
China Deploys Censorship, Police Threats to Maintain Control Over ‘Zero-COVID’ Narrative
Authorities across China have resorted to increasingly harsher measures in the face of public backlash to the Communist Party’s draconian “Zero-COVID” restrictions, which currently are impacting life and work for hundreds of millions of Chinese. ...
Sudden Closure of Beijing-based Duowei News Highlights Political Struggle in China
News analysis Duowei News, a Chinese-language online media outlet that had its headquarters in Beijing yet was allowed to publish articles critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and current leader Xi Jinping for years,...
Russia’s March Through Izyum Could Determine Fate of Ukrainian Eastern Front
Russian buildup around key city imperils tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops in eastern Donbass region Russian forces have held the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum for weeks, fending off several Ukrainian counterattacks on an...
US Senators Visit Taiwan, Prompting Major PLA Military Drills Near Island
The arrival of six U.S. senators in Taiwan on April 15 has elicited angry response from Communist China, which announced major military drills the following day. Led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the delegation met...
‘Control Your Soul’s Desire for Freedom’: Authorities Use Drones to Keep Desperate Shanghai Residents Confined to Their Homes
The lockdown of China’ largest city and most important financial center has gone on for two weeks, leaving many without reliable access to food and other necessities. Despite this, Communist Party authorities have not let...
New Report Shows Chinese Doctors Used Organ Harvesting as a Method of Execution
Chinese transplants violated the ‘dead donor rule,’ according to 71 papers published from 1980 to 2015 For years, the Chinese authorities have boasted of the country’s growing organ transplant industry, which Beijing says will overtake...
Currently Under Investigation, China’s Former Justice Minister Fu Zhenghua Is Officially Expelled From Posts
Chinese state media Xinhua on March 31 announced the expulsion of Fu Zhenghua, the country’s retired Minister of Justice and a former high-ranking police official, from his posts in the government and Communist Party. The...
Beijing Censors Reports on China Eastern Crash That Claimed 132 Lives
Draconian ‘Zero-COVID’ policy may have contributed to tragic end for Boeing aircraft The March 21 crash of China Eastern flight MU5735 carrying 132 people has drawn international attention, with many expressing condolences for the tragedy....
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Step Down Amid Xi’s Struggle for a Third Term This Fall
Li Keqiang, premier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), will be leaving office after completing his legal maximum of two terms early next year, as reported by various outlets. The premier, who also serves...
Xi Warns About Food Security at ‘Two Sessions’ Meetings: ‘China can’t be complacent’
War in Ukraine, bad harvests threaten crisis for the world's largest country by population At the “Two Sessions” meetings of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government held starting March 4, Chinese leader Xi Jinping...
Blinken: NATO Countries Have ‘Green Light’ to Send Fighter Jets to Ukraine
Though the idea of NATO members donating combat aircraft to replenish Ukraine's embattled air force in the war against Russia was floated just days after the invasion began, officials quickly shelved the proposal as it...