Depth of Field
12.31.19
‘Nowhere to Dock’
from Yuanjin Photo
In 2019, Depth of Field showcased stories covering a range of topics: Shi Yangkun’s nostaglic exploration of China’s last collective villages, Zhu Lingyu’s careful and artisitic portrayal of survivors of sexual violence, and cities seen through the...
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11.17.17China's Soccer Push Puts a Storied Team under Murky Ownership
New York Times
When the Chinese businessman Li Yonghong bought A.C. Milan, the world-famous Italian soccer club, virtually nobody in Italy had heard of him.
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03.24.17China, South Korea Meet in World Cup Qualifier Amid Tensions
NBC News
The soccer match whipped up Chinese nationalist sentiment at a time of high political tension over the rollout of a U.S.-made missile defense system in Asia.
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02.15.17China’s Top Football Team Vows to Phase out Foreign Players
Financial Times
Fans worry beautiful game could lose luster if Guangzhou Evergrande makes good on pledge
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02.02.17The Life of a Football Coach in China
Guardian
After impressing in Taiwan and the Philippines, Matt Ward moved to Shanghai Shenxin, where he gained ‘all the experience you need to deal with anything’
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01.05.17China Vows to Curb Record Spending on Football Transfers
Financial Times
China’s top sports administrator has vowed to cap spending by football clubs, accusing them of burning money and paying excessive wages to foreign players.
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01.04.17President Xi’s Great Chinese Soccer Dream
New York Times
The 48 soccer fields of the vast Evergrande Football School in south China seem barely enough for its 2,800 students. Against a backdrop of school spires that seem modeled on Hogwarts, the young athletes swarm onto the fields nearly every day,...
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12.20.16Mooted $75 Million Oscar Trade Sets Up Record China Soccer Spend
Bloomberg
Chinese teams set to continue soccer spending spree in window; Spending comes amid warning from Communist Party newspaper
Depth of Field
12.06.16
From West Africa, the Czech Republic, and Home
from Yuanjin Photo
In this month’s Depth of Field, Chinese photojournalists explore foreign terrain, both beyond China’s borders and within them. Independent photographer Yuyang Liu traveled the open seas to document the lives of Chinese and African workers who fish...
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10.07.16Anger on Streets in China as Football Team Suffer Shock Defeat by War-Torn Syria
Guardian
Disgruntled fans demand that president of football association is sacked as hopes for a football revolution suffer a blow
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07.12.16China Should Let Soccer Fans Gamble
Bloomberg
To save football from corruption, the betting should no longer be illicit...
Caixin Media
06.30.16
Chinese Investment in Euro Soccer Soars to Meet President’s Goals
Chinese companies are buying soccer teams across Europe, echoing the Beijing government’s ambitious plan to turn the nation into a soccer powerhouse.The powerhouse plan, which has backing from President Xi Jinping, has led to nine deals inked by...
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06.16.16Liverpool Takeover: State-Backed Chinese Group Want to Buy Club From Fenway For £700m
Independent
The group, SinoFortone, has already explored the potential of building a new stadium in the dockland area of Liverpool.
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04.12.16China Wants to Become a ‘Soccer Superpower’ by 2050
Time
It isn't just about sport. The strategy also has broad economic and political implications.
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03.15.16China’s Soccer Field of Dreams Lacks Paying Fans
Reuters
The Chinese Super League’s clubs made a combined loss of 1.5 billion yuan in 2015.
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02.24.16China Could Win World Cup Within 10 Years, Says Sven-Göran Eriksson
Guardian
Ex-England manager says huge investment starting to pay off as Xi Jinping vows to turn China into footballing superpower.
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12.02.15China’s Plan: First Manchester City, Then Hosting And Winning The World Cup
Guardian
Chinese consortium thinks involvement will benefit nation’s football.
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11.16.15One country, two cisterns as Hong Kong, China fans get separate toilets
Agence France-Presse
Hong Kong and China fans will be kept completely separate at their crunch World Cup qualifier Tuesday, using different entrances and even different toilets.
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02.27.15Chinese Babies Should be Trained to Play Football—President Xi
BBC
Beijing has approved the country's "football reform plan," and says being good at soccer is the "ardent wish of the whole nation."
Photo Gallery
12.30.14
Seeing China in 2014
In 2014, ChinaFile published great original work in photography. As always, we worked to look beyond stereotypical images of the country to find nuanced representations of the new and ChinaFile contributors’ commentary on it. Still, many of our...
Photo Gallery
07.12.14
Soccer on the Silk Road
from Tencent QQ
As the World Cup draws to a close, we present a photo essay by Chinese photographer Zhang Xinmin exploring the game of soccer along the Silk Road in Xinjiang, where it has a special place in Uighur education and culture. China’s forays into...
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07.08.14Millions Love ‘Beautiful Game,’ So Why Does China Struggle With Football?
CNN
With a population of 1.3 billion, you'd think that there would be 11 people in China who are good enough to put up a fight on the football pitch. But apparently not. Since 2002, the last—and only—time it made it to the World Cup finals, Team...
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06.12.14China and the World Cup
Diplomat
Not known for its soccer prowess, China is now beginning to get serious about the sport.
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01.08.14What Could Happen in China in 2014?
McKinsey & Company
Gordon Orr predicts corporate focus on driving productivity, increased interest in CIOs, bankrupt shopping malls, and European investment in Chinese soccer clubs.
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01.31.13Didier Drogba Leaves China: Inside a Failed Soccer Experiment
Time
The relationship between the star Ivorian striker and the mediocre Chinese team was actually a six-month fling. Now after half a season in a Chinese league better known for poor play and corruption—the “Allegedly Super League,” as the ...
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06.20.12Why Chinese Soccer Matters
New Yorker
Imagine if David Stern, after his retirement as commissioner of the N.B.A., was led off in leg irons for taking bribes. His predecessor goes with him on a ten-year hitch behind bars. And, for good measure, throw in a couple of members of the...
Caixin Media
05.04.12
Chinese Firms Try Scoring with Spanish Soccer
When NBA journeyman Damon Jones signed a shoe deal with sporting goods maker Li Ning in 2006, he became the first in a long line of American basketball players to win a sponsorship from a Chinese company.Today, China’s Peak Sport Products leads...