Another day, another flight. My last flight of the year is taking me back home to Shanghai from Paris. The China Eastern 777 is completely packed. Upgrades were being offered at €1,000 - a bad deal given that when flying from Shanghai they go for €340.

Starbucks charges €7.15 for a grande hot chocolate at Paris Charles DeGaulle airport. I'm sorry, guys. I just can't. It's €4 at PVG.

I'm hearing [on a podcast] that there are Chinese companies in California illegally importing peptides (GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic) because they are cheaper in China. Someone needs to write an in-depth thinkpiece about the pros and cons.

Another day, another flight. Agner Viking is about to take me to Paris. Bye København!

Another day, another flight. But what a ride! I'm about to board a rare matte-black painted ATR 72. It's a short hop on Alsie Express from Sønderborg to København. I'm not sure if there will be other passengers today, the airport is entirely empty right now.

Today I found the end of the rainbow. No pot of gold, sadly. (Near Flensburg, Germany.)

Hello København! Been a while since my last pølsevogn.

Another day, another flight. It's my Xmas trip home to Flensburg and MU 707 is taking me to Copenhagen, one of the closest airports there. The A330 is fairly full but I managed to snag an entire middle row for myself. I'm going to sleep well.

Identity issues. Migrant stories. Company profiles. Lost daughters. Daddy issues. The 2025 edition of our annual year-end round-up of notable China books in both nonfiction and literature, nominated by experts and the editors, is here. Read the full list: chinabooksreview.com/2025/12/18/b...

Vicious, delicious, malicious. Love it. "Reading it is like spending time with a delusional fortune cookie: platitudes that feel like they were run through a translation service three times." (Scaachi Koul on Olivia Nuzzi’s "American Canto.") slate.com/culture/2025...

This looks promising...

Here's a lovely documentary showing Shanghai in the 1960's. By Crusader Shipping Company, New Zealand www.youtube.com/watch?v=1smE...

Here is the latest episode of "Living History" with the remarkable story of how Janet Yang helped bring "Empire of the Sun" to life in China in 1986. It all began when Steven Spielberg fell in love with a book set in Shanghai and decided he wanted to film there.

Today I'm finishing up the edit on the next episode of Living History. Janet Yang had incredible stories about the production of "Last Empire of the Sun" and many more topics. The episode should be live Friday.

I have been through German Xmas markets. I have seen them HoHoHo it up on Hollywood Blvd. But rarely have I experienced aggressively-loud xmas music like on my annual trip to IFC in Pudong last night. The economy truly must be in shambles.

From Taipology: "Taiwanese authorities blocked Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, citing fraud concerns." and: "previous news articles suggest(ed) the ruling DPP has been considering cutting Taiwanese off from Chinese e-Commerce sites such as Taobao." taipology.substack.com

Welp, I've gone viral on Twitter again. I am not enjoying this. Unlike in prior years, the algorithm no longer produces quality interactions or even just followers. It's all drive-by-liking what is randomly served up.

***MORE NEWS*** Here's what I'm up to next ... heading to Beijing (visa pending). Excited to join the talented NPR lot! I'll still continue to post my tasty finds on IG at jpakradio. And thanks to @memostothefuture.bsky.social I finally got the Shanghai skyline in the backdrop of my profile pic.

The Muji shop at Pudong's T2 is currently closed, it's business apparently suspended by Avinex, the airport operator. Probably related to Muji being a Japanese brand.

Shanghai friends: very special Concert Alert! Perhaps you already know that all our concerts with Japanese musicians in China were cancelled. But nobody has cancelled this Shanghai performance with the legendary Japanese Jazz drummer Toshio Osumi. So we are taking a chance.

Another day, another flight. I have five of these scheduled in the coming seven days. This one is taking me back to Shanghai. Unusually, the pilots are dropping flaps only as they enter the runway today. I wonder if they forgot?

Huge congratulations to the awesome @jpak25.bsky.social on joining NPR as China Correspondent. Happy I could help a little bit with that photo. www.npr.org/sections/npr...

Hello again Beijing. I am in town with Jazz bassist Yoshio Suzuki, who will be performing for the first time in China at DDC Beijing tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday.

Hello again Beijing. I am in town with Jazz bassist Yoshio Suzuki, who will be performing for the first time in China at DDC Beijing tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday.

Another day, another flight. Booked just two hours ago, I'm on a China Eastern 777 to Beijing, where I will be meeting a group of wonderful Japanese Jazz musicians. I'm curious how many people will come to the concert given the diplomatic spat right now. We'll see.

New on Living History: Andy Andreasen and the inside story of the making of Beijing’s first Western five-star hotel — and the Americans and Chinese who dared to build it in the 1980s. youtu.be/33Nho0H2VSQ

Another day, another flight. I'm last to board this packed China Eastern from Beijing to Shanghai. It seems to be one of the oldest airframes they have, with thickly-padded seats but without personal TVs. Not that I mind, I don't use those screens anyway.

Coming soon to the Living History Channel: Jörg Wuttke. This was an incredible conversation that took us down many roads and alleys I had not foreseen but enjoyed greatly.

Another day, another flight. The China Eastern 330 taking me to Beijing is once again packed but thankfully on time. I was offered an upgrade for RMB500 but decided to stick it out in coach. I'll be filming Living History in Beijing until Sunday.

Beijing friends: on Nov 20 and 22 we will be bringing Japanese Jazz bassist Yoshio Suzuki to DDC. Most bassists work in the background but this 79-year-old legend is a monumental exception. This is a rare chance to see something very special.

The amazing @towatei.bsky.social is coming to Shanghai and I couldn't be more excited. Coincidentally, he made one of the few AI music videos I genuinely consider having artistic merit. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K_4...

So there it is: Boyu Capital is a 60% of Starbucks China for $4 billion and will operate its cafes. I keep reading takes on how this is a win for Starbucks (and getting that much cash certainly isn't bad) but they're in bad shape in China today. I'm curious to see what Boyu will do.

Wonderful writing. The picture of an iPhone with a keyboard on that desk adds so much patina, too. www.theparisreview.org/blog/2025/10...

Riveting reporting on how hard China's Tech Companies are pushing staff by Bloomberg's @simongyy.bsky.social . What I find intriguing is that when I chat with employees about the pace of work they rarely complain. Most are resigned to it like one is to weather. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Intriguing.

For luxury hotel managers in 1990s China, gargantuan weddings were simply part of the job. The elaborate affairs events could earn hotels up to one million euros and in Ep27 of Living History Ilja Poepper shares his stories from this incredible time: www.youtube.com/watch?v=an1R...

This 4 day-old NIO ES6 has 9709km on the odometer. Whoever made that delivery drive has my respect.

It's not every day that I get such a meaningful shoutout from a genuine hero of mine. Thank you, Toshiki Soejima. 2026 will be amazing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqbP...

Someone in Shanghai does not like their Volkswagen...

If you are writing about the same political event happening North of Beijing this week as everyone else but aren't there, have no special knowledge about what is going on inside or any other special value to add... then what are you really adding?

Shanghai friends: Toshiki Soejima will be performing tomorrow at the Enya Global Masters Music Night. It's at 7:30pm at MODERN SKY LAB Shanghai.

Shanghai friends: Toshiki Soejima will be performing tomorrow at the Enya Global Masters Music Night. It's at 7:30pm at MODERN SKY LAB Shanghai

Good morning from Chongqing West Railway Station, where I am about to board a train to Chengdu with more luggage than I should have to carry. Let's hope there is space onboard.

What an incredible night in Chongqing with Toshiki Soejima- tomorrow (10.17) we will be in Chengdu NuSpace.

I'm in Chongqing 重庆, my favorite city in China with Toshiki Soejima, who is about to perform his first concert in this city tonight at VOX Livehouse.

Another day, another flight. Today I'm taking the band from Shenzhen to Chongqing. Our 737 is packed to the last seat but the flight attendants say this is nothing special; it's a popular route. Hard work.

Another day, another flight. The Shenzhen Shuttle is delayed, as it seems to be every day. It looks like I am breaking my own record for flights taken in one year. A good sign for my company, perhaps. But a taxing way to live.

Toshio Osumi, the legendary Jazz drummer from Japan, is returning to China with his Quartet. There are only two opportunities to see his renowned precision and charm in person and we expect these shows to sell out quickly, so don't wait to get your tickets. Shanghai 11-28 Beijing 11-30

Another day, another flight. Taipei Songshan airport has free massage chairs with views of the tarmac and a good lounge. Thankfully I have enough time to enjoy both. There will be quite a few flights for me in the coming days. I already know not all airports will be this nice.

U.S. DOT is out with a tentative notice that would bar Chinese airlines from utilizing routings via Russian airspace on passenger services to the U.S. The restrictions are not applicable on all-cargo services) DOT-OST-2025-1822