App Life in China

Notes on a Long-Delayed Return to China

By Jeremy Goldkorn on August 26, 2026

“It’s really tough doing anything in China right now,” my friend told me. He’s a serial entrepreneur in Shanghai with a locked-in grin. We were waiting for our food in a Taiwanese restaurant in a lovingly-renovated toy factory in Shanghai. China was my home for 20 years, before moving to the U.S. in 2015. This was my first visit since the pandemic. Almost a decade away from the place where I got married, had kids, started a few companies, and sold one. It may be hard to make money in China in 2026, but it is very pleasant to spend it.

A World out of Words

The Making and Remakings of Jifeng Books

By Yangyang Cheng on August 14, 2026

The opening of a bookstore rarely makes international headlines. But when JF Books, known in Chinese as “Jifeng” (seasonal winds), opened its doors in Washington, D.C. on September 1, 2024, the news was covered around the world, from The Washington Post and The Economist, to Der Spiegel in Germany and The Straits Times in Singapore. The stories spoke of repression and rebirth: Founded in Shanghai in 1997, Jifeng was a cultural landmark in the Chinese metropolis for two decades, but was forced to shut down in 2018 when its landlord refused to renew its lease, most certainly due to pressure from the authorities. Six and a half years after Jifeng’s last day in China, the store’s signature green logo lit up again, this time on the other side of the Pacific. Nestled in the historic Dupont Circle neighborhood, it’s a welcome addition to the literary scene in the U.S. capital, and stands out for its selection of Chinese-language books and events on Chinese politics.