Best Websites to Stay Updated with China News - from politics to economics to society

China is playing an increasingly important role in world economics and geopolitics. Therefore, it is important to read news about what is happening in China from reliable and diverse new sources.

It is especially important to stay informed on what is happening in China if you are learning Chinese, planning to work or study in China, or do business with China.

While there are a great many online resources to learn about what is happening in China, in this article I chose the ones that I personally use the most, covering Mainland Chinese news from social, economic and political perspectives.

All the resources I mention in the article are either based in China or have China-based correspondents and are primarily dedicated to reporting on news from China.

Southern China Morning Post (SCMP.com)

Based in Hong Kong, SCMP is an online and print newspaper covering Mainland China, Hong Kong and international news in English.

Due to the fact that it is based in HK, SCMP has relative editorial freedom compared to its mainland China counterparts while having access to information that not all overseas publications do.

SCMP has a strong team of professional local and international journalists.

Best for: Political, geopolitical and economic news
Price: Freemium - 5 free articles a month with a free account and unlimited access with a subscription

SupChina (soon to be renamed "The China Project" – supchina.com)

SupChina describes itself as a "China-focused news, information, and business services platform".

Based out of the U.S. and privately held, SupChina writes about political, economic, and society-related news from Mainland China. With an overseas and China-based team, SupChina is a relatively new news website that started as a newsletter and grew massively in recent years.

SupChina has a mostly foreign team of writers, so expect news reported from a Western-oriented perspective.

In addition to the SupChina.com website, the organization hosts podcasts and organizes events.

Best for: In-depth China news from a western perspective
Price: Freemium - 3 free articles a month without a subscription
Check out also: Radii.co, whatsonweibo.com

Sixth Tone (sixthtone.com)

In my opinion, Sixth Tone is one of the best English-language news publications based in Mainland China. Covering mostly news related to Chinese society, Sixth Tone produces long-form, in-depth articles written by local reporters based in the mainland and edited by a native English-speaking team. While the publication definitely goes through a government approval process, it touches on subjects that are usually taboo in English language media in China, from LGBT to the Shanghai Lockdown.

Best for: Original reporting on the Chinese society
Price: Free

Caixin Global (caixinglobal.com)

Caixin Global is an English language sister publication of its larger Chinese language counterpart 财信网 (which means "Financial News Network"). Caixin is one of the most independent mainland Chinese media companies, reporting mostly news on economics, business, and the financial markets. With a big local editorial and research team and direct access to government sources on the central and provincial level, Caixin Global is one of the best news sources on macroeconomic and financial market news from Mainland China.

Best for: Economic and financial news
Price: Subscription based - 25 USD / month, 250 USD / year (+ discounts)
Check out also: technode.com

China Daily (chinadaily.com.cn)

Available in print and online versions, China Daily is the primary English language mouthpiece of the Chinese government together with the broadcaster CGTN. If you are interested in knowing the CCP's stance on geopolitical and other issues directly from the source, this is the website to go to.

Best for: Learning China's official stance on geopolitical issues
Price: Free
Check out also: Global Times, CGTN, Xinhua (English.news.cn)

Pandaily (pandaily.com.)

Pandaily is a Beijing-based online news platform that primarily covers news on China's technology and innovation landscape, as well as insights on Chinese business, sports, and culture. This website is especially recommended for anyone who's looking to stay up to date with news on the latest developments from prominent Chinese tech companies.

On top of the news website, Pandaily also hosts a weekly podcast and community events.

Best for: News on Chinese business, technological advancements and innovations
Price: Freemium - 5 free articles a month without a subscription
Check out also: technode.com, SCMP Tech

Conclusion

While almost every major Western publication covers news from China, I personally believe that it is also important to read news from sources that are either based in China or have a strong China focus.

China-based and China-dedicated news sources tend to have better access to local information, more in-depth coverage, and a better understanding of Chinese social and economic trends.

While it was not possible in this article to cover every possible China-related news source, I hope it gave you a good place to start reading about Chinese current events. I hope you find these resources useful and remember to always do your own research.