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SCMP

We have selected five Trending in China stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Shock as teen surrogate gives birth to twins for Chinese man, receives US$124,000
A 17-year-old girl from China’s Yi minority acted as a surrogate mother and egg provider for a 50-year-old man who allegedly paid her more than 900,000 yuan (US$124,000) to conceive twin boys. The alleged arrangement has sparked widespread public outrage.
2. Young Chinese woman faces high rent, pays US$7 a month to sleep in office toilet

A young woman in China who struggles with high rents is paying 50 yuan (US$7) a month to live in a toilet. The woman, surnamed Yang, 18, comes from a rural family in Hubei province in southern China, according to the Xiaoxiang Morning Post.
3. Heart attack kills China ‘century baby’ born at midnight on January 1, 2000 at 25

China’s so-called century baby has died at 25 from heart attack and is being remembered as a talented artist. From the moment she arrived in the world at midnight on January 1, 2000, Xie Yueqian made national headlines.
4. Chinese doctor fired for placenta theft from new mums, sells them as TCM ingredients

A Chinese doctor who was exposed for secretly taking placentas away after new mothers gave birth has shocked mainland social media. The unidentified obstetrician was filmed taking a placenta from an operating theatre in a biohazard plastic bag, heading to his office and hiding it in a black bin bag.
5. US-China families meet in Shanghai after virtual RedNote ‘TikTok refugee’ exchange

Two families from China and the United States respectively, who became friends on the mainland social media platform RedNote during a potential TikTok ban in January, have met in person in Shanghai. In January, many US social media users migrated from TikTok to RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, in reaction to a then looming US ban of the Chinese short video platform.


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SCMP Highlights

Shock over teen surrogate, China’s ‘century baby’ dies, placenta theft: 5 trending stories

A young woman who struggles with high rent is paying US$7 a month to sleep in a toilet. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

There has been a wave of public outrage in China after it emerged that a man paid a teenage girl US$124,000 to bear surrogate twins for him. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

China’s so-called century baby, who was born at midnight on January 1, 2000, has died from a heart attack at the age of 25. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Sohu

A doctor in China has been fired for stealing the placentas of new mothers, then selling them as Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredients. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

A family from the United States has visited a couple in China after a joyful exchange on RedNote as so-called TikTok refugees. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

Chinese woman’s ‘immense’ pain, ‘muscle grandma’, robots for rent: 5 trending stories

A woman in China who suffered “immense” pain after a botched tooth extraction has died after plunging from a hospital roof. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Three construction workers in China were hung from a gate by their harnesses as part of their safety training, sparking public shock. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A super fit middle-aged mother who has won a bodybuilding title in China after decades of training says she works out to challenge age stereotypes. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

A female student who chased a phone thief in Italy and retrieved her stolen property has been widely praised on mainland social media. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

An influencer in China has rented a robot for US$1,400 a day to do housework, and go on a date with him. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

Woman dies after 80-year wait for husband, China’s automated noodles: 5 trending stories

A 103-year-old Chinese woman has passed away after waiting 80 years for her husband who went abroad to work. Photo: SCMP composite/YouTube

A Chinese woman who survived a cliff fall instigated by her husband revealed that her IVF newborn has congenital heart disease. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Sohu

A fully automated noodle shop in China prepares orders in 48 seconds for just US$1.4, with no tip required. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

A man in China who tortured a cat to death has been detained after his actions sparked a wave of social media anger. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote/Douyin

A Chinese teen warms hearts online by urging his mother to prioritise self-care, highlighting that her happiness matters as much as his. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

Chinese influencer dies, ‘love nest’ scam, DeepSeek founder’s hometown: 5 trending stories

A 24-year-old influencer in China has died after revealing during a live-stream that she had not eaten for two days and was unable to pay her rent. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

A woman in China has given birth to a baby boy just 24 hours after she found out she was 34 weeks pregnant. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A scamming woman in China has tricked dozens of men into spending US$140,000 on a “love nest” only to disappear as soon as the deal is done. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

The China hometown of the founder of DeepSeek has become a tourist haven after he shot to international fame. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Wikipedia/Weibo/Douyin/163.com

A Chinese man who was pricked by a left-behind needle on a flight suffers depression and seeks compensation from the airline as a result. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu

Lost Chinese hiker, Trump US$250 bill, gold hotpot: 5 trending stories

A young Chinese hiker survived for 10 days in the cold mountains by eating toothpaste after becoming lost and trapped. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A US proposal to put the face of President Donald Trump on a US$250 banknote has caused much hilarity on mainland social media. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

A Chinese man has been hospitalised after undergoing a painful three-hour simulation of childbirth at his lover’s request. Photo: The Paper

A pregnant woman in China was forced to lie in bed for weeks to save her fetus after its foot slipped out of her cervix. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A hotpot bowl made of pure gold which costs US$97,000 to buy has shocked social media in China. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Love after accident, marriage deadline plan, Maserati ring toss game: 5 trending stories

A Chinese couple’s lives have intertwined after they “met” as a result of a car accident. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

A company in China has ditched a plan to fire single and divorced staff if they fail to tie the knot by a specific deadline. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

An angry mother in China has sparked an online parenting debate after she beat her son with a stick on the side of the road after the boy had a tantrum. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

A man in China spent just US$280 at a ring toss game and won a US$235,000 Maserati sports car. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/QQ.com

An online influencer in China with five million fans has faced criticism after she claimed to be earning US$41,000 a day by doing nothing. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Sohu

News

People & Culture

Trending in China

From a teenage surrogate mother to a RedNote rendezvous in Shanghai, here are five stories from SCMP’s recent reporting


From a teenage surrogate mother to a RedNote rendezvous in Shanghai, here are five stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.


Shock over teen surrogate, China’s ‘century baby’ dies, placenta theft: 5 trending stories

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a teenage surrogate mother to a RedNote rendezvous in Shanghai, here are five stories from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. Shock as teen surrogate gives birth to twins for Chinese man, receives US$124,000

From a teenage surrogate mother to a RedNote rendezvous in Shanghai, here are five stories from SCMP’s recent reporting