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China’s most elaborate remembrance of the World War II era took place on September 3, 2015, when a massive military parade—widely referred to in Chinese as the “九三阅兵纪念活动” and translated in English as the September 3rd military parade—rolled across Tiananmen Square. The event marked the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese aggression, a milestone the state now celebrates as “China People’s Anti‑Japanese War Victory Memorial Day.”

News & Politics

Chinese Netizens Decry New “Bundling” Rules for Bubble‑Tea Delivery】

In the bustling digital corridors of China’s social media, a new meme has taken hold: “现在喝奶茶也要配货了,” loosely translated as “now even drinking milk tea requires bundling.” The phrase, which has been surfacing on Weibo over the past few weeks, captures a growing irritation among urban consumers who find that a single cup of bubble tea – the country’s beloved, low‑cost indulgence – can no longer be ordered on its own. Instead, customers are forced to add extra items – from snacks and pastries to the seemingly absurd inclusion of paper towels – in order to satisfy a minimum‑order threshold or to dodge steep delivery fees. The expression borrows the term “配货” (pèi​huò), a practice long associated with luxury retailers where shoppers must purchase ancillary, often unwanted, goods to secure a coveted item. Its migration to the humble world of milk tea offers a telling glimpse into shifting business models, consumer sentiment, and even the under‑currents of China’s digital economy.

News & Politics

Xi and Putin Reaffirm Deepening Sino‑Russian Alliance at May 8 Summit in Moscow

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow on May 8, 2025, reaffirming a partnership that has deepened steadily over the past decade and that Washington, Brussels and other Western capitals watch with increasing alarm. The two leaders, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, used the occasion to celebrate the victory over fascism in World War II and to underscore the “exemplary” nature of their bilateral ties – a relationship they described as a model of win‑win cooperation for major powers.