Beijing Border Closure · Full chronicle and history

Philippine President Marcos summoned Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian to lodge a solemn protest regarding remarks in China Daily that implied the Philippines is a monkey controlled by the U.S. and Japan. Huang responded by stating that media actions are unrelated to the government.

Villagers in Baoshang Village, Anping Town, Langfang, Hebei, discovered that the authorities replaced the original temporary isolation panels with permanent isolation walls topped with razor wire, equipped with surveillance cameras and concrete barriers, intending to permanently cut off the daily passage between the village and neighboring Beijing. Villagers gathered to protest, stating that entering Beijing is now harder than going abroad.

A blogger spent 200 yuan at a supermarket and discovered through a tax invoice that approximately 10% in hidden VAT had been quietly deducted. Netizens pointed out that Chinese supermarkets generally levy a tax of about 10% on daily food items, whereas in the United States, taxes are transparent and basic food items are tax-exempt.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security launched the 'National Public Employment Service Map' to provide employment services for graduates. However, just one day after its launch, netizens using software like Amap found that they could not open it, encountering errors such as 'QR code expired' or 'no permission to operate'.

At a flight attendant interview site for a Guanghui Jintong promotional event in Langfang, Hebei, tens of thousands of job seekers in formal attire gathered densely outside the office building, with the crowd remaining packed even at three or four in the morning.

Chuanghui Electronics Factory in Ganzhou, Jiangxi is accused of bullying and exploiting summer student workers, ultimately settling wages at only "one yuan per hour." Reports state that under the pressure of economic downturn, capital's exploitation of low-level laborers has intensified.

On the evening of July 22, Baoji, Shaanxi experienced heavy rainfall, leading to severe flooding on many urban roads. On the same day, many parts of Shijiazhuang, Hebei were also hit by rainstorms, causing severe flooding on roads. Netizens commented that these seemingly glamorous cities prioritize political achievements over people's livelihoods.

On July 23, a netizen in Zhenlong Township, Hengzhou, Guangxi posted a video claiming that the area continues to suffer from heavy rainfall, and the newly opened road has been washed away again.

On July 22, disaster victims in Hengzhou, Guangxi, began speaking out, claiming that temporary shelters had suddenly issued an emergency notice requiring them to move out by a deadline and prohibiting them from returning to the shelters.

On July 16, the Qilinguan Tunnel on the Hubei section of China's G59 Expressway collapsed, with the cause suspected to be the absence of steel reinforcement. Netizens mocked the incident, saying, "The world-renowned 'infrastructure maniac' doesn't need steel to build tunnels."

A netizen shared a video of two elderly people fighting over cardboard boxes, sparking sighs in the comments section about social involution. Some netizens pointed out that given the involution and food safety issues in China, many people might not even live long enough to reach the age of fighting over cardboard boxes.

Peking University mathematics graduates Wang Hong and Deng Yu have won the 2026 Fields Medal, becoming the first two mathematicians to receive the award as Chinese nationals. After graduation, Wang Hong pursued advanced studies in France and the United States, and currently teaches in the U.S. The medals have sparked celebrations in China, France, and the U.S.; Chinese media emphasized their identity as Chinese mathematicians, while French President Macron called to congratulate Wang Hong.

A netizen has compiled a list of 'unfinished' (烂尾) policies since Xi Jinping took office, including the Belt and Road Initiative, Xiong'an New Area, the Beijing Stock Exchange, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Thousand Talents Program, chip engineering, real estate, poverty alleviation, energy conservation and carbon reduction, the Toilet Revolution, Hong Kong's status, the Taiwan issue, international relations, military generals, dynamic zero-COVID, common prosperity, the 'double reduction' policy, population and fertility, Made in China 2025, the crackdown on the platform economy, the PCR testing economy and anti-epidemic industry, economic data, and local government debt.