What's happening in China?

[onawah]

Did China’s Former Premier Speak the Forbidden Truth About Its Population?
Lei's Real Talk
408K subscribers
Jan 15, 2026

"A short clip of my interview with Danny Jones sparked a global debate about China’s population—but new claims raise even bigger questions. Did China’s former premier privately reveal that the country’s real population is far smaller than reported? This program examines the controversy surrounding China’s population data, the legacy of the one-child policy, COVID deaths, and why the truth about China’s demographics may be Beijing’s most sensitive secret."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=TRVaBkLEkh0

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Why Dark Humor Has Become China’s Safest Protest
Lei's Real Talk
408K subscribers
Jan 16, 2026

"In today’s China, protest no longer looks like marches or slogans. It looks like dark jokes, viral apps, boycotts, and bitter laughter. From quit-smoking movements to the sudden popularity of a chilling app called “Dead Yet?”, and even a crying horse plush toy that went viral, young Chinese are expressing despair through mockery. This episode explores why people are laughing while crying—and why that may be more dangerous to the regime than open anger."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=IFn1bDSNRnI

[onawah]

While the CCP has long been inflicting insane blows abroad to the countries where they are building their disastrous B&RI projects, it appears that the victims of the CCP are beginning to strike back, both abroad and in China itself.

CCP Allies Crumble, Global Anti-China Fury Erupts in Mass Protests
China Today
12.2K subscribers
Jan 17, 2026

"
🌏 Main Coverage:
0:00 intro
1:13 Allies of the CCP Crumble in Chain Reaction: Global Wave of Anti-China Fury Erupts, Protests, Riots, Kidnappings, and Street Chases Target Chinese Nationals Worldwide.

9:31 The Republic Restoration Party Rises, Chinese Citizens Launch DIY Weapons Surge in Prep for Uprising!

15:11 Argentina Rips Up China Deals, Axes Major Dam Projects and Deep-Space Observatory — President Javier Milei Emerges as the CCP’s Worst Nightmare in Latin America.

19:34 Xi Jinping’s “East Rises, West Falls” Narrative Unravels as China’s GDP Illusion Collapses, Echoing the Soviet Path. "

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-zsBqlyURaQ

[Johnnycomelately]

Am conflicted on this one. It’s a VERY well done documentary of travel and several work endeavors in southwest China, near the borders of Tibet and whatever Burma is called now. A commenter with Chinese script moniker says it was filmed 18 years ago (responding to several questions in the first ~20 comments.

18 years ago, China was booming, and becoming more free (ref TCS, Winston & Matt). This might make sense of the complete absence of mention of any government., but it could as well signal propaganda.

The channel, Deadliest Roads, this is the only China road they’ve covered since I’ve been on their feed. I’ve only watched one vid through, the Madagascar one that got me to sub. Skipped most of the ensuing ones, probs because they always sound depressing.

Anyways, now I suspect that DR is fake, made by AI. Anybody care to chime in? Lovers of China or sceptics of their gov, analysts of AI or anthropologist hobbiests. This is really a charming view, full of details of workaday and culture. L = 49:45.

Am reminded of Sun Tzu, “Look good when you are lacking, dismal when things are going right”.

BTW, ST (pronounced “soon-tza”) told of the sending to an opposing commander a sealed vessel of customary wine before a battle, but it was urine. The enemy was enraged and charged immediately, and his army was slaughtered. Deadly tricky.

China's Dragon Road - Deadliest Roads

Deadliest Roads
1.28M subscribers

Jan 17, 2926.

In the south of China, in the Guizhou province, mountains cover 90% of the land. Within these mountains two of the regions most vital and abundant resources are found: bamboo and coal. Both are essential for industrial development, revenue, construction material and food. However, the only way to bring these materials to the masses is to transport them down the mountains' crumbling cliff sides.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=D8qfKJYP5C0

[onawah]

China is Practicing for Something Worse - Once You See It, You Can’t Unsee It - Episode #299
The China Show
377K subscribers
1/23/26

"HUGE EPISODE! - Some horrible mysterious happenings in China - but also - 2 rocket failures. China's biggest steel group explodes. Then it explodes again in a completely different area. China uses information warfare at Davos against the USA and SO much more."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0s4LflU_KEw

(Some history about the CCP's attempts to get a foothold (and more) in Greenland in this week's China Show, including the CCP's current attempts in a segment starting at 1 hour 27 minutes into the video.)

[norman]

That southern province of China, Yunnan, has a lot of beautiful countryside and the people who live there seem wonderful. If the state of the world wasn't as stressed as it is and I was 20 years younger I'd love to go there of a very long holiday.

This video by the YouTube channel "Little Chinese Everywhere" was made during some downtime while the host recovered from a broken foot from a scooter accident. She usually made short videos as she travelled around because she couldn't do that for several weeks she dug out all the raw footage and made a set of longer videos from it. The continuity of her original travel vlogs was lost in this version because she made each one of the set become an area by area set.

This one that covers the Yunnan province (down near Burma and eastern Tibet) was my favourite by far. It's hers too. If you watch it I think you are as likely to fall in love the area as much as I did. It's a bit of a shame she starts with the northern and least charming bits first which could be offputting for people with short patience. The parts of it she recorded in the tea producing villages and the rice village are, for me, the absolute sweet spot in the video. The rural people in those places seem a million miles from the Beijing/Shanghai image of China we westerners are more familiar with. I'm a small town kind of guy so I might biased.


China's BEST Province To Visit - Yunnan I S2, EP117

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y8f4TQBUHss

[onawah]

Zhang Youxia's Coup Confirmed! China’s Top Military Command Paralyzed, Army Seizes Ammo and Gear
China Observer
791K subscribers
Jan 25, 2026

"On January 24th, the Chinese military confirmed that Zhang Youxia, the second-highest-ranking official in the Central Military Commission, and Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli are both under investigation. The fall of these two senior leaders at the same time has sent shockwaves through China's political circles and across global geopolitics."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ESz88WfHTX4

[onawah]

CHINA IN TURMOIL: Xi’s military shakeup sparks global ALARM
Fox Business
3.28M subscribers
Jan 26, 2026

"Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to break down China’s escalating military purge, mounting internal turmoil and what it means for global security."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=YA8NRLAlaRo

[Richter]

Zhang Youxia’s Arrest and Xi Jinping’s Most Dangerous Gamble (11:17)
(Jan 29, 2026) China’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, shaking the PLA at its highest level. Unlike past purges, this case moved with extraordinary speed and harsh rhetoric, suggesting more than routine corruption. With command systems disrupted and political control tightened, Xi Jinping faces a dangerous dilemma: removing a powerful princeling may stop an immediate threat, but could fracture the CCP’s entire power structure.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=rp7qeOEQxsQ

From Combat-Capable Generals to Applauding Eunuchs: Xi Personally Destroyed the Army (21:22)
In this video, we explore the stunning fall of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia, once Xi Jinping’s most trusted military figure and the last general with real combat experience. His purge signals that Xi has now eliminated the final buffer layer between himself and the PLA’s vast bureaucracy.

Drawing a chilling parallel to the end of the Ming dynasty, the script compares today’s escalating purges — from the Rocket Force to equipment procurement, political-work officials, and now frontline commanders — to Emperor Chongzhen’s fatal paranoia. Chongzhen executed his last capable general, Lu Xiangsheng, fearing military power more than defeat; five years later, he died alone as rebels stormed Beijing.

Xi’s relentless cleansing creates the same death loop: to feel secure, he removes competent people, making the regime even more vulnerable. The result? An army of politically safe 'eunuchs' who prioritize avoiding mistakes over winning battles. Garbage time has arrived and the system is brittle.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lTZlj_gfzdU

[onawah]

How Xi’s Purge Is Pushing China Toward Warlordism.
Ken Cao
46.3K subscribers
Jan 30, 2026

"What happens when a leader destroys the chain of command he depends on?
Xi Jinping’s arrest of Zhang Youxia wasn’t just a purge — it shattered the PLA’s command structure. In this video, I explain why taking down China’s top active-duty general risks pushing the military toward fragmentation and modern warlordism, not greater control.
I break down the historical parallels with Lin Biao and the Cultural Revolution, why the Central Military Commission is now effectively paralyzed, and why this makes a Taiwan war far less likely — while increasing internal instability."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=kzdm_3iTigI

[onawah]

China is Running Over Influencers on Purpose - Episode #300
The China Show
379K subscribers
1/30/26

"From military purges, to explosions. From influencer bowling, to rockets tumbling out of control towards the UK. This episode has got it all."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=8wDAmgAV1rk

[Richter]

Inside the PLA Panic: Xi JinPing’s Legitimacy Crisis Explodes (45:21)
One week after Beijing announced investigations into top PLA commanders, an even darker pattern has emerged. Multiple generals are confirmed dead, while others are rumored to have died, all within a shockingly short time frame. As questions swirl around Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, the unexplained deaths of senior PLA figures, silence from key theater commands, and strange signals from state media point to panic and internal fracture inside China’s military. This episode breaks down which deaths are confirmed, which remain rumors, and why Xi JinPing may be facing his most serious legitimacy and control crisis inside the PLA.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5sgjh_N3Tdc

[onawah]

Trump Warns UK, Canada on More Chinese Trade
China in Focus - NTD
799K subscribers
Premiered Jan 30, 2026

"A new warning comes from President Donald Trump to the United Kingdom and Canada over their deals with China.

The UK, Canada, and India are flocking to China in search of alternatives to U.S. markets. But experts say the benefits of this strategy are limited.

A big win for the Trump administration: Chinese companies can no longer operate ports in the Panama Canal. The country's Supreme Court ruled in favor of the United States.

Cuba is now in the spotlight, facing pressure after Trump issued an executive order targeting countries that sell oil to Cuba.

Missouri is moving to shut down a trailer park next to Whiteman Air Force Base—home to one of the most advanced U.S. military aircraft. The trailer park is being targeted due to its owners' ties to China.

A Chinese man has been granted asylum in the United States. He fled communist China with footage widely seen as firsthand evidence of the regime's human rights abuses against Uyghurs."

00:00 Intro
01:09 UK Responds to Trump’s Warning on Closer Ties With China
02:10 UK-China Deals Show Limits of Pivoting Away From U.S.
04:26 Panama Ruling Ends China’s Control Over Canal
06:11 Trump Orders New Tariffs on Nations Selling Oil to Cuba
07:54 Chinese-Linked Trailer Park Near U.S. Base Canceled
08:39 Chinese N’Atl Convicted in Google AI Trade Secrets Case
09:32 Google Cracks Down on China-Based Tech Threat: IPIDEA
10:44 Removal of 2 CCP Generals Raises Regional Concerns
17:04 Chinese Man Who Exposed Uyghur Camps Granted U.S. Asylum
18:07 Possible Outcomes of Greenland Negotiations

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qxRGpg-XdRU

[onawah]

What Panama’s Canal Ruling Means for US, China: Analysts Explain
Tiffany Meier
https://www.ntd.com/what-panamas-can...n_1123034.html
1/31/2026

"Panama’s Supreme Court has ended a contract allowing a Hong Kong-based company to operate key ports along the Panama Canal, a move that could reshape regional power dynamics and raise new security considerations.

Santiago Vidal Calvo, policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute, and Casey Fleming, chairman and CEO of BlackOps Partners, joined NTD to discuss the ruling and its implications for China’s influence in the Western Hemisphere and U.S. strategic interests. "

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sTCRFxwJWwc

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by onawah (here)
Panama’s Supreme Court has ended a contract allowing a Hong Kong-based company to operate key ports along the Panama Canal

My favorite AI "search engine", Perplexity.ai, reported (with links to an EU site that my browser did not have permission to view, and to a site in another language that I don't read), that China's Canal contract with Panama was extended in 2021 in a manner violating Panama's Constitution:

... the Court treated the concession (especially its 2021 extension) as granted in violation of constitutional procedures on authorization and oversight of public assets, so it annulled the underlying contract‑law as unconstitutional

[norman]

What’s Really Going on Behind the Military Purge in China | Heng He
American Thought Leaders - The Epoch Times - Jan 31, 2026


“We are witnessing the turning point of the Chinese Communist Party rule. … The chain of command in the military is totally broken,” says veteran China analyst and Epoch Times columnist Heng He.

On January 24, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that two top military generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, were under investigation for "serious disciplinary and legal violations." This comes on the heels of a series of purges of Chinese military leaders.

Of the seven original members of China’s Central Military Commission, five have now effectively been purged or removed. Only two remain. And one of those two is Xi Jinping himself.

In my deep-dive interview with He, he lays out why he’s convinced the latest purges are the signs of something historic happening in China.

“They have open rules and they have hidden rules. But what Xi Jinping did was against every single rule,” He says.

What’s really going on behind the scenes now? And what does this turmoil mean for the Chinese Communist Party’s plans to invade Taiwan? What are the policy implications for the United States?

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=knCkbPc5JJc

As I currently understand things, the idea that the CCP is itching to invade Taiwan is a faked up construct.

Tore Maras has the most convincing analysis of the China/Taiwan/Globalist landscape I've heard to date, and I heard that ten months ago.

Tore Maras - The Evergreen-Taiwan deception.mp3
https://app.box.com/s/sekb0pixpbdahaj3wy9m2w70nnx6iw0o

[onawah]

Solari Report/China’s Real Economic Risks with Carlos Alegría and Ed Dowd
2/5/26
https://solari.com/chinas-real-econo...a-and-ed-dowd/

(5 minute video at the link. Full article for subscribers at $30 per month to start, which isn't bad for the Solari Report considering how credible Fitts is.)

“Physics teaches us that momentum is a powerful force to arrest. Psychology tells us that it is hard to break old habits. And economic experience demonstrates that structural changes tend to be painful and glacial. But time and again, history has been altered by the unexpected….”~ Stephen Roach, Unbalanced: The Codependency of America and China (2014)

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China’s Mysterious Troop Movements: War Prep, Power Struggle, or Intimidation?
Lei's Real Talk
424K subscribers
Streamed live on Feb 3, 2026

"Viral videos show PLA troop movements around Beijing and across multiple regions in China, including armored vehicles, missile units, helicopters, and ground forces. Are these deployments real—and who authorized them? This episode analyzes the footage, explains what these movements likely signal inside China’s elite power struggle, and breaks down whether they point to war preparation, internal pressure tactics, or growing instability within the PLA."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xQTc-yEsJhY

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The PLA’s Deadliest Month
Lei's Real Talk
424K subscribers
Feb 4, 2026

"Death rumors are spreading around senior PLA generals, including Zhang Youxia, as multiple confirmed deaths surface within weeks. This episode breaks down what’s rumor, what’s confirmed, and why this wave of deaths points to the most dangerous month the PLA has seen in years."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4K0oIQxQslE

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Behind the Belt & Road: How a Scammer and a Mayor were Connected...
Jan 29, 2026
"A notorious scam king. A small-town mayor. One hidden network.This investigation traces how She Zhijiang—mastermind of the KK scam compounds—rose from fugitive to celebrated overseas tycoon, and how his path intersected with Alice Guo, the mayor at the center of the Philippines’ biggest scam-park scandal. Drawing on court records, extradition cases, and Al Jazeera’s explosive documentary, this program exposes the darker side of the Belt and Road—and how criminal enterprises, political power, and state influence quietly converged across Southeast Asia."

Time stamp:
1:45 The Mayor of Bamban
5:17 The Man Behind the Scam Parks
9:17 The Lawless Border Kingdom
12:15 The State Security Man
14:27 State Asset at Work
16:58 When An Asset becomes A Liability

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KRN4ZO8cREI

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How China Turned Into a Global Hub for Organ Transplant
Lei's Looking Glass
71.1K subscribers
Jan 22, 2026

"Why did Malaysia’s King suddenly cry during a high-profile meeting in Beijing? This emotional moment points to a specific tragedy involving the Royal family and reveals the dark reality of how China turned into a global hub for organ transplants.

In this investigative documentary, we connect the dots between a royal tragedy and the global controversy surrounding forced organ harvesting. Through medical data and international tribunal reports, we analyze the suspicious speed of organ matching and the ethical concerns raised by human rights organizations."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EoURcurEtwY

[rgray222]

Year of the sad horse: A defective toy goes viral in China — and sums up a nation's mood

BEIJING — A frowning red horse has become the surprise hit toy of the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, capturing the mood here better than any data point.



mbroidered with a Chinese phrase wishing swift wealth, the stuffed toy was supposed to kick off the Year of the Horse with a gallop and a smile. But a worker’s stitching mistake turned that expression upside down — and turned the toy into a national emoji for an economy that has lately been more neigh than yay.

At a time of slowing economic growth and dimming job prospects for many workers, the toy has been embraced as the “cry cry horse” and become an internet sensation.

“The economy hasn’t been great, and life’s been tough for a lot of people these past couple of years,” said Zhang Ziqi, 24, a teacher in Hebei province. “That crying expression really matches how most people feel — stressed, anxious, kind of down.”

“It’s about allowing yourself to not be OK, to admit you’re in a low period,” she said in an interview this week.



The story of the horse began when a worker sewed its mouth on the wrong way, said Zhang Huoqing, owner of the Happy Sister shop in Yiwu, a wholesale hub in central Zhejiang province.

Zhang said she offered a refund when a customer pointed out the mistake, but the horse was never returned. Soon, photos of it turned up online and quickly spread across social media.

“Many customers liked it, and then it started selling very well,” she told Reuters. “So we just kept producing them.”

Since then, Zhang’s shop has been rushing to keep up with orders for the “accidental edition,” including some from overseas, and knockoffs have proliferated online. According to media reports, the worker who first made the mistake has been rewarded with an annual bonus of 8,888 yuan ($1,280) for the next 12 years.

Zhang, who declined an interview request from NBC News, said in a social media post that the media attention was exhausting but that she felt “grateful and humbled” by the response.

The horse, which sells for about 25 yuan ($3.60), “really suits the reality of modern working people,” she told Reuters.

Slowing growth in China, the world’s second-biggest economy, has left stressed-out office workers struggling to get ahead despite toiling long hours and feeling disillusioned overall.

It doesn’t help that 2026 is not just the Year of the Horse but also the Year of the Fire Horse, which, according to the Chinese zodiac, means opportunities for growth, bold action and rapid change but also greater intensity and the risk of burnout.

The horse’s combination of cute and sad “feels relatable,” said Pu Daiwang, 23, a university student in Shanghai.

He said he’d noticed that a lot of sellers on Taobao, a Chinese shopping platform, had paired the “cry cry horse” with the regular smiling one, “which really matches my own ups and downs in study and life — sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m struggling.”

Michelle Du, who works in public relations in Hong Kong, said the horse “fits the vibe people are into right now, that kind of random, absurd humor.”

It’s the latest in a series of sardonic trends in China, where “ugly-cute” Labubu dolls have been flying off the shelves and a check-in app that asked isolated users “Are You Dead?” went viral.

It’s “about people being dissatisfied with their lives right now and not knowing how to change things in the short term,” said Du, 24. “So they cope by poking fun at themselves.”

Du said that while the horse is funny, she wouldn’t buy one for herself.

“I’m a bit superstitious,” she said, “and I want good luck for the new year.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/y...ood-rcna257011

[onawah]

China’s Most Dangerous Dam and the Prophecy It Should Never Have Touched
Lei's Looking Glass
71.6K subscribers
Feb 5, 2026

"China has begun building a mega dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River—three times larger than the Three Gorges Dam. Touted as an engineering triumph, the project sits inside one of the most unstable and sacred regions on Earth. This documentary traces a hidden canyon, a rediscovered waterfall, ancient Tibetan prophecies, and why scientists, downstream nations, and Tibetans fear this dam could trigger irreversible disaster."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KfzgI9rHevg

[onawah]

BREAKING NEW INFO - CHINESE BIOLAB in Las Vegas What They’re NOT Telling You - Episode #301
The China Show
380K subscribers
2/6/26

(New insider info starting at 36 minutes into the show concerning the toxic bio lab in Las Vegas.
Here's a MSM report on that: https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-invest...y?id=129763459 )

"A BIG ONE! - China is losing it, and something very sinister is uncovered right here in the USA!"

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HcTJgH0J9ig

[norman]

This Chart Is One of Those OMG Moments When You Understand That China Isn't Going to Overtake the US
The Solari Report - Feb 9, 2026


5 mins

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QT9o5A0SD4U

"China’s Real Economic Risks with Carlos Alegría and Ed Dowd"

This week, I am joined by Carlos Alegría (CEO) and Edward “Ed” Dowd (founding partner) of Phinance Technologies. As macroeconomic consultants, their core expertise is a high-integrity, data-driven focus on the underlying forces that tend to remain “invisible and neglected by most market participants.”

Phinance has just released a major report on China’s economic outlook for 2026, as well as a major report on the U.S. economic outlook. In this discussion, we take a serious look at the economic risks that China will be forced to confront in the coming year and beyond.

Our discussion focuses on three areas:

Demographics: In the aftermath of the One Child Policy, China’s population is shrinking—and that has significant economic implications.
GDP and Debt: Relative to the U.S., China’s GDP has declined. In 2025, China managed to achieve a 5% growth rate through strong exports, but to keep it going, they will need to continue to “export, export, export”—with ramifications for the economies being flooded with China’s cheap goods. China has also doubled its money supply.
Real Estate: China’s real estate problem is getting worse, not better. When the bubble bursts, Alegría and Dowd have serious concerns about a possible worldwide real estate contagion.

Both of my guests bring a wealth of credentials permitting a nuanced and informed discussion of China’s economic realities. Alegría, originally trained as a physicist before turning to quantitative finance, has dual PhDs in optoelectronics and finance. While working at a large London-based hedge fund at the onset of the 2008 Financial Crisis, he was shocked to realize that almost no one saw it coming. He is author of the 2017 book, Economic Cycles, Debt, and Demographics.

During the height of the Covid injection rollout, Dowd earned our deep appreciation for his powerful “Cause Unknown” book, his integrity, and his clarity in giving voice to the “died suddenly” phenomenon—and its economic implications. Before cofounding Phinance with Alegría, he had a lengthy career on Wall Street, including as a portfolio manager at BlackRock.

This is an interview that helps adjust the picture that most Western financial professionals have about China, by, as Alegría puts it on the Phinance website, “separating information (signal) from noise.”

For those who manage a family office, institutional assets, or family savings, and are likely affected by what happens in China and by the Trump administration’s trade policies, these Phinance reports offer valuable intelligence.

Full Report:https://solari.com/chinas-real-econo...a-and-ed-dowd/