Maura Elizabeth Cunningham

Thanks for joining me this week.

Recommendations

China Stories

Associated Press, “Overseas Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law denied entry to Singapore”

Chris Buckley and Adam Goldman, “How China’s Secretive Spy Agency Became a Cyber Powerhouse”

Leslie T. Chang, “At the Chinese Table”

Yet, the accolades the film has received are not so much an assessment of its artistic value but a recognition of its creators’ courage. That the movie was made has proven a possibility. The positive reception it has generated reflects the audience’s hunger for more honest portrayals of the pandemic. The more important question, then, is not whether An Unfinished Film is a masterpiece — it is not — but why so many seem to demand it to be.

— Yangyang Cheng, “Lou Ye’s acclaimed ‘An Unfinished Film’ remains unfinished”

Rivi Handler-Spitz, “Visa Chaos: What 6 Chinese Students Say” (graphic narrative)

Jiemian News and Song Zeyi, “The Factory Workers Who Helped Build a Nation”

Tina Kanagaratnam, “Farewell, Tess. The Pioneer of Old Shanghai Studies Dies at 93”

Jessie Lau, “‘She didn’t realise how dangerous it was’: London-bound student held in China over Tibet support”

Jeffrey Prescott and Julian Gewirtz, “China Goes on Offense: Beijing’s Plans to Exploit American Retreat”

Vivian Wang, with visuals by Gilles Sabrié, “What It Takes to Get Lunch Delivered to the 70th Floor”

For Xi, the difference between not supporting Taiwan’s independence and explicitly opposing it is more than semantics. It would signal a shift in U.S. policy from a neutral position to one that actively aligns with Beijing against Taiwanese sovereignty—a change that could further cement Xi’s hold on power at home.

— Lingling Wei, “Xi Is Chasing Huge Concession From Trump: Opposing Taiwan Independence”

Wanderings Around the World

Lois Beckett, “Los Angeles vowed to host the Olympics without breaking the bank and environment. Can it?”

Antonio De Loera-Brust, “Mexico’s New Hit Musical Is the Anti-‘Hamilton’”

Chahrazade Douah, Tadeusz Michrowski, and Adina Florea, “Learning How To Live With Poland’s Bison”

Brett Martin, “The Curious and Twisty Love Story Between New Orleans and Disney”

The national parks, perhaps more than any other American project, represent a hopeful commitment to the future. The 1916 Organic Act, which established the NPS, states that parks must “provide for the enjoyment” of the scenery, wildlife, and natural and historic objects within them and also leave them “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” A fully functioning National Park Service doesn’t just serve a given summer’s visitors. It also ensures that the unique flora, fauna, and geologic wonders under its care survive in the decades to come, despite the stresses of climate change, invasive species, and the parks’ own popularity.

— Kylie Mohr, “Trump Is Setting the National Parks Up to Fail”

Justin Murphy, “New York Faces Painful History as It Marks the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial”

The new rules threaten to stop up a pipeline for a fast-growing class of young dreamers. Indians with middle-class backgrounds, especially in the country’s relatively prosperous south, have invested deeply in technical education as a way to get ahead — a way that often went through the United States.

— Alex Travelli and Suhasini Raj, “Trump’s $100,000 Visa Upends Lives: ‘My Dreams Were Shattered’”

Featured photo: A village in Jiangxi, China, Spring 2008.