Fintech expert Sara Hsu explains at her YouTube channel why China is eager to speed up the development of its 5G network, and what it means for the rest of the world. How do US and European concerns on cybersecurity relate to China’s development, ZTE, and Huawei, and how does it relates to you.

Going against the dominant line of the communist party seldom ends well. One of the exceptions was Li Rui, a confidant of Mao Zedong, tells journalist Ian Johnson in Li’s obituary for the New York Times. He fought against the Three-Gorges Dam, and most recently against the position of Xi Jinping, while he remained a member of the party he often criticized.

While renowned investor Jim Rogers is a firm believer in the blockchain technology and is sure that China leads the way in digitizing money, he believes that governments will stick to their own currencies, rather than crypto ones, he says on his weblog.

China’s bad loans are increasing, but the country’s financial authorities have been trying to crack down on this source of financial stability. How are those efforts faring now China is suffering from a relative drop in economic growth. Financial analyst Sara Hsu discusses the dilemma’s the authorities are facing especially now the trade war is ongoing.

Trump’s trade war against China is backfiring, says financial analyst Sara Hsu at the China Focus. While ideologically the trade war makes sense, US consumers and companies pay a high price, she says.

Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea has invited the renowned investor Jim Rogers next month to visit his country, reports the Korea Herald.

China’s internet giant Tencent has become a winner, first by copying US competitors, but now it has become their inspirator, says Tencent-watcher Matthew Brennan to Leadersleague. “WeChat does not monetize data, but it is a growth lever for other businesses in the Tencent group. It’s a bit like iOS or Android in that regard,” says Brennan.

Marketing veteran Ashleys Dudarenok talks to successful vlogger Susie Hu about the competitive vlogging ecosystem on mainland China, where large numbers of would-be online celebrities try to join. What is your core value? How can you stand out among the competition and what are the most successful platforms?

Marketing veteran Ashley Dudarenok explains how the rebellious Peppa Pig, once denounced by the government as a “gangster” became one of the more popular symbols in the just started Year of the Pig.

Journalist Ian Johnson, author of The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao, is working on his next book documenting how writers, thinkers, and artists are dealing with the new, more repressive policies in China. He visited citizen journalist Zhang Shihe near Xi’an for an extensive interview. First, he describes Zhang’s position for the New York Review of Books.