China’s 2022 Graduates, Especially Women, Struggle to Secure Jobs

Research shows that a record high of 10 million fresh grads in China are having a near-impossible time securing jobs. Female students are finding it especially hard to get hired.

In April, Zhaopin, a Chinese professional development platform that has been compared to LinkedIn, released an employment report based on the most recent pool of graduates. Career trends, employment statistics, and career expectations are just a few topics covered by the report.

According to statistics, 46.7% of 2022’s fresh grads had received offers by mid-April, marking a 15% decrease compared to 2021. The report also sheds light on this year’s dwindling job market and limited choices for fresh graduates.

“It’s the toughest year for student employment-related undertakings,” said Lin Liu, president of Beijing City University, in an interview with China Newsweek.

The numbers also reveal that female graduates have more difficulty landing jobs than their male counterparts. Only 10.4% of female graduates have successfully signed work contracts, whereas 22.2% of male graduates — who are more likely to be invited for job interviews in the first place — walk out of their meetings triumphant. It is not an exaggeration to say that pregnancy discrimination is a pervasive problem in China.

Chinese graduates

Many recent female graduates find it difficult to secure employment upon completing their education. Image via Sean Kong/Unsplash

A hot topic among Chinese netizens, Zhaopin’s employment report has its own Weibo hashtag with more than 220 million views and dozens of comments calling for better workplace equity and inclusion.

“Society needs to ensure that women have equal access to opportunities and are rightfully acknowledged for their labor,” posted one user.

“I don’t want to be someone’s inferior purely on the basis of our genders,” wrote another. “But what can we do if this is the reality of it? How can we improve women’s rights at work and home?”

Some have called for more women to support each other: “I hope female entrepreneurs will see the plight other women face in the workplace and offer them help and support.”

Employment statistics aside, Zhaopin’s report also provides revealing information about fresh graduates’ career expectations.

For instance, 50.4% of 2022 college graduates have said that they prefer traditional forms of employment (i.e., contract-based) — a 6% decrease from last year. A possible reason for this might be the allure of self-employment.

When asked about factors that influence their job hunts, 47.6% of the graduates named ‘amount of pressure’ as an important point to consider, followed by ‘degree match’ and ‘economic trends.’

Last but not least, 2022 graduates are a lot like their predecessors in the sense that salary remains a top priority. That being said, more youth believe in the importance of having a healthy work-life balance — a defiant reaction to China’s demanding ‘996’ work culture.

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Cykko’s Debut Mixtape Makes for Cathartic Listening During Covid

On May 27, emo rapper Cykko dropped his debut mixtape titled Cykkosis. Blending the artist’s signature melodic emo rap and breezy pop, the five-song EP expresses mixed emotions that have gripped the rapper since the start of the Covid pandemic.

Released by Drink Entertainment, Cykkosis features three new singles, ‘No Sunshine,’ ‘Woah,’ and ‘Let’s Be Honest,’ in addition to two previously released singles, ‘Fall Down’ and ‘Morning_Blue.’

Tumultuous events in the artist’s life helped shape Cykkosis. For example, Cykko channeled his grief over his grandmother’s passing into the lead track ‘No Sunshine.’

“It was the first time I faced the death of a relative. I felt a deep sense of powerlessness,” said the rapper. Ravaged by grief, the artist locked himself in his room for days, avoiding the rest of the world.

“I didn’t want to face reality for fear that a ray of sunshine would peep in, revealing my fragility.”

Since starting his rap career in 2019, Cykko has released some 20 songs. Like many young Chinese rappers, the artist uses bilingual lyrics and alternates between Mandarin and English in his wordplay — a testament to U.S. hip hop’s influence on Chinese rappers.

Born in the U.S. in the mid-2010s as a fusion subgenre of hip hop and emo, emo rap is synonymous with melancholy lyrics, dark beats, and heavy bass. It is regularly used to address drug abuse, depression, and suicide.

In recent years, this music genre has also gained popularity among Chinese audiences and shaped artists such as Cykko, Bloodz Boi, and Psyclo.

All images courtesy of Drink Entertainment

Liu Yifei Returns to Historical Drama Genre After 16 Long Years

Fans of Chinese American actress Liu Yifei will be excited to learn that they will soon be able to catch her in a new Chinese historical drama titled A Dream of Splendor.

The show marks the Mulan star’s long-awaited return to the genre, where Liu first found public acclaim: The actress played Xiaolongnü, the protagonist in The Return of the Condor Heroes, 16 years ago.

Produced by and to be streamed on Tencent Video, A Dream of Splendor follows three women’s shared journey of transforming a boutique tea shop into a successful restaurant. Liu plays Zhao Pan-er, who discovers peace and happiness despite having her heart broken by her fiance.

Liu Yifei

Liu Yifei as Zhao Pan-er. Screengrab via Youtube

While an official release date for the show has yet to be announced, fans have been gushing over the trailer since May 26. A post from the show’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform, also confirms that A Dream of Splendor is well on its way.

Other high-profile stars in the series include Chen Xiao, Liu Yan, and Lin Yun of The Mermaid fame.

Liu Yifei

Liu Yifei and Chen Xiao in a promotional poster for A Dream of Splendor

On Weibo, a hashtag for A Dream of Splendor has accumulated more than 160 million views and invited many excited comments.

“I haven’t watched a Chinese historical drama for a long time, but I will because of Liu Yifei,” posted a loyal fan of the actress.

“It has been 16 years!” said another in disbelief. “I am so happy and excited for the show.”

Despite the controversy surrounding Liu’s citizenship (she previously took flak from some Chinese netizens for holding a U.S. passport), such positive comments underscore that the star remains well-liked among Chinese audiences.

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7 Rad Influencers to Follow for a Better Understanding of Chinese Culture

Chinese culture, one of the oldest, richest, and most diverse in history (then again, we’re biased) will likely never be entirely understood by a single person. Even the most studious historians usually specialize in niche areas, such as regional cuisines or traditional attire.

But as this listicle demonstrates, the internet makes for insightful and entertaining content on China and Chinese culture — and for free too!

Time is precious, and to spare you the effort of poking around, take it from us and follow these seven influencers who unpack various aspects of Chinese culture in easily digestible formats:

1. Xiran Jay Zhao

Xiran Jay Zhao (they/them) is not only a bestselling sci-fi author but also boasts more than 437,000 followers on their YouTube channel. Zhao first rose to fame with their viral video critique of Disney’s controversial film Mulan.

The YouTuber often posts video analyses of Asian representation in the mainstream media while sharing well-researched and highly-entertaining explanations of Chinese history, mythology, and culture.

2. Accented Cinema

Chinese Canadian filmmaker and essayist Yang Zhang is the mastermind behind Accented Cinema, arguably the best YouTube channel on East Asian cinema with a particular focus on Sinophone films.

Zhang’s video essays are a masterclass in film critique and filmmaking. Peppered with personal touches and witty jokes about Chinese-Canadian identity and Asian representation, Zhang’s content has what it takes to keep fans glued for hours.

3. Subtle Asian Baking

Founded by Kat Lieu in 2020, the online community Subtle Asian Baking (SAB) was created to explore the intersection of baking and Asian cuisine.

SAB, which boasts a 137,000-strong fan count on Instagram, has become an authority on Asian-inspired delicacies. Come June 2022, Lieu’s first published cookbook, Modern Asian Baking at Home, will be available in stores worldwide.

Lieu is also a mover and shaker in the Stop AAPI Hate movement, and what works better at bringing people together than food?

4. Mochi Hanfu

Think fashion has changed a lot in the past couple of years? Wait until you see how traditional Chinese attire has evolved over thousands of years.

@mochihanfu

Reply to @kachuchart Mulan (but historically accurate) 🐉 #mulan #apifamily #history #hanfu #disney #lishang

♬ Mulan: I’ll Make a Man Out of You – Geek Music

An expert in ancient Chinese beauty and attire, Mochi Hanfu offers detailed tips on reproducing traditional Chinese looks while sharing unique insights into classic Chinese art, mythology, and literature via TikTok and YouTube.

5. GGnoHadid

Making audiences laugh on both sides of the Great Firewall, Griffin Gu boasts large followings on both TikTok and its Chinese counterpart, Douyin.

Better known as GGnoHadid, the Boston-based aviation consultant first went viral for his hilarious sketches highlighting cultural differences between China and the U.S.

@ggnohadid

Chinese mom vs US mom #asiantok#chinese#mandarin#fyp#foryou#comedy#joke#grocery#asian#mom#gourmet#international

♬ original sound – GGnoHadid/GG没有Hadid

Even unnecessarily confusing aspects of the English language don’t escape Gu’s roasts.

@ggnohadid

I spendt time effort and energy just to confuse myself with water and waters #language#english#chinese#mandarin#joke#fun#funny#relatable#student#college#unversity#esl#struggle

♬ original sound – GGnoHadid/GG没有Hadid

6. The Woks of Life

One of our go-tos for authentic Chinese recipes, The Woks of Life is run by a family of four, who test every recipe — sometimes more than once — in addition to cooking, photographing, and writing about their dishes.

When Judy and Bill moved from the U.S. to Beijing, they feared that their daughters, Sarah and Kaitlin (who remained in the U.S.), would eat fewer Chinese dishes and therefore lose touch with their culture.

Thus was born The Woks of Life as a means to pass on culinary knowledge from one generation to the next. Social presence aside, a namesake cookbook is also underway.

7. Shuoshuo Chinese

How well can you understand a country if you don’t speak its language? While learning Mandarin can be daunting, Shuoshuo Chinese is an excellent place to start.

Not your average Mandarin teacher, Shuo is adept at creating practical and funny videos for those who want a different approach to learning a new language.

Textbook knowledge of Mandarin aside, Shuo is well-versed with colloquial expressions that are often nowhere to be found in traditional language courses.

Cover image via Haedi Yue

10 New Music Releases From China: Eddie Beatz, Lamu Yangzi & More

New Music, formerly Yin (音, ‘music’), is a monthly RADII column that looks at fresh Chinese music spanning hip hop to folk to modern experimental, and everything in between. This month, we introduce you to new music from Cacien, Default, NOUS Underground, and more!

We’re just about reaching the mid-point of the summer. If you’re in Shanghai (and many other parts of China), your experience of quite possibly the best season of the year has been limited at best.

With that being said, let us redirect you through the majesty of some excellent new music. We’ve got quite a varied selection this month, with folksy indie rock rubbing shoulders with ambient electronica and grunge music alongside laidback lockdown beats.

As always, don’t forget to check out the latest episode of SoundCheck, where Wes Chen, host of hip hop podcast thePark, and Bryan Grogan talk about their favorite tracks of the month.

1. Default — ‘The Plain’

‘The Plain’ is Default’s first new music in two years, since the release of their EP Can You Hear the Whistle Blow, a release which signified a new direction for the band, away from the noisy shoegaze sound they had previously been known for.

 

‘The Plain’ is full of natural imagery. The track seems to sweep around a natural landscape, with the lyrics referencing strong naturalistic imagery like footprints, a lighthouse, and a compass. There are moments when the movement of guitars and chanting backing vocals resemble the indie folk sound of Fleet Foxes, and other moments when vocalist Edine’s transitions sound like the indie pop of early Jenny Lewis with Rilo Kiley.

2. Cruel Buddhist — Lockdown Loops

Henry Robinson, aka Cruel Buddhist, captures the vibe of Shanghai’s lockdown with this collection of daily improvisations and beats released on the Shanghai label Eating Music.

 

Anyone who has experienced the government-issued rations boxes will recognize the meaning behind song titles like ‘Cabbage,’ ‘Bok Choy,’ and ‘Honeydew,’ while the redolent bass of these three songs gives a sense of being firmly pinned down by the gravity of the city’s situation. Conversely, the song ‘Hwi Noree’ references a character in the Dune universe and is rich in spacey synths that emphasize some brief joyous escapism.

3. Cacien — Garlica Princess

Cacien recently returned to China from New York armed with her debut album, Garlica Princess. The title references the intense energy of Cacien’s style and how people tend to react in one of two ways, either loving or hating it.

The title track sees Cacien dedicate the song to herself and features lyrics like “蒜 (garlic) is everything, I can never get over it.” She also seemingly captures the current zeitgeist on ‘emo,’ where she pours out her feelings of depression. The album, taken in totality, is a strong representation of Cacien as an artist and will surely prove popular.

4. NOUS Underground 2022 Cypher

Xi’an’s NOUS Underground are one of China’s best-known hip hop collectives, alongside the likes of Chengdu’s CDC. Pact is the most famous of the group, and has had a pretty big year, with his EP Story of a Village released last May, followed by collaborations with the likes of Eddie Beatz, Zhang Yanqi, and more.

The music video for the cypher takes place in what looks like a doctor’s office or hospital clinic, which is pretty emblematic of the times that people in China are currently living in. It features strong performances by the likes of Killa4Nia and Cream D.

5. Riot in School — Ceremony for Corruption

At first look, we thought that this band’s name might have something to do with School, the rock music venue in Beijing. The band, however, is based in Chengdu, 1,500 kilometers away, a city well-known for its relaxed, laid-back vibes.

 

The trio formed in 2019, and Ceremony for Corruption, the first of two Maybe Mars releases on our list today, is their debut album, showcasing the band’s noisy grunge aesthetic.

6. Eddie Beatz — 也是蓝 (‘Also Blue’)

Chengdu-based producer Eddie Beatz invited his friends to make tracks inspired by the color blue. The resulting album is called 也是蓝, which translates to ‘Also Blue,’ and sounds like a play on both the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue as well as Eddie Beatz’s Chinese moniker ‘也是福.’

Many of Beatz’s frequent collaborators, like Masiwei, J-Fever, and 周士爵, make an appearance on the release, as Beatz creates delicious jazzy canvases to layer their lyrics over.

7. Bohan Phoenix — ‘Take Off, Touch Down’

Bohan Phoenix channels his inner Anderson Paak with his funky new single, ‘Take Off, Touch Down,’ which has an excellent little reference to ‘Rapper’s Delight’ by Sugarhill Gang.

Like his previous single, ‘New York Made Me,’ it’s something a bit different from the rapper, as he seems to be exploring various sides of musicality, making us increasingly excited to hear his upcoming debut album.

8. Lamu Yangzi — ‘祝你’ (‘Wish You Well’)

Lamu Yangzi is perhaps best known for her presence on Chinese short video platforms and her acting chops in comedy sitcoms, but the actress has also taken to music, dropping a couple of songs over the past few months.

The latest is ‘祝你,’ which loosely translates to ‘Wish You Well,’ and sees the singer attending a wedding. The song has strong Chinese characteristics, including some interesting vocal references to Beijing Opera. The track is currently only available on Chinese platforms, but for those outside of China, here’s a taste of the actress’ singing chops:

9. Today’s Production — Today’s Production

Henan band Today’s Production released their self-titled debut album this month after a trio of single releases over the past six months. Initially formed by guitarist Zhang Yuhao of fellow Henan group Pumpkins, the band is also made up of The Fallacy’s Wang Xubo, also on guitar, vocalist and bassist Bian Xiaoran, and drummer Li Zheng.

 

Released on Maybe Mars, the album is a swirl of colorful fuzzy guitars, interweaving vocal work, and is generally light, fun rock music.

10. Sound Blanc — 情调 (‘Sentiment’)

Modern Sky sublabel Sound Blanc returns with a new compilation album, called 情调, which can be loosely translated as ‘Sentiment.’ The nine-track album focuses on concepts surrounding love and features contributions from Sound Blanc regulars like WWW and L+R, and excellent Chengdu producer Wu Zhuoling.

Again, this album is not yet available on Western platforms, but you can find it here if you’re in China. If not, you can enjoy this previous compilation from Sound Blanc.

Cover image designed by Haedi Yue

Chinese Netizens Respond to Steve Kerr’s Speech on Texas Shooting

In the wake of the elementary school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, Steve Kerr, coach of NBA team Golden State Warrior, delivered an emotionally charged speech on May 25. Kerr’s speech, which has gone viral, has profoundly impacted audiences worldwide, including in China.

In addition to condemning the U.S. government’s inaction on gun control, Kerr asked Republican senators to take immediate action.

“When are we going to do something? I am tired. I am so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families out there. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough,” said Kerr.

An advocate for increased firearm control, Kerr has been personally affected by gun violence; his father was tragically shot to death by terrorists in Beirut, Lebanon, while assuming the role of president of the American University of Beirut.

Many, including Golden State’s star player Stephen Curry, were quick to show their solidarity with Kerr’s words on Twitter.

Steph Curry

Steph Curry. Image via Weibo

On Weibo, Chinese netizens have been supportive of Kerr’s message. Given the NBA team’s solid fan base in China, the hashtag related to Curry’s retweet gained more than 86 million views in just a few days.

Conveying a whole spectrum of emotions, comments under the hashtag range from incensed (“Every chapter of American history is marked by exploitation”) to sarcastic (“Just curious, do citizens or senators hold power in the U.S.?”).

A handful of commenters in China appear more sympathetic than others.

“Every life deserves to be cherished. It’s a shame to see brash and ironic comments under such sad news,” reads one comment, while another goes, “Shouldn’t we all mourn for lost lives? Why can’t we separate individual lives from politics?”

Cover photo via Twitter