Longtime Beijing residents recount the transformation of China over the past 3 decades

Melinda Liu, Newsweek’s long-standing Beijing bureau chief, reflects on China’s dramatic transformation from a society with few private cars or telephones to a tech-saturated landscape where mobile apps dominate daily life. Despite rapid modernization and ambitious space programs aimed at solving resource scarcities, a significant portion of the population remains in rural poverty, highlighting a persistent developmental gap. Socially, a deep-seated "herd mentality" and pressure for conformity manifest in unique cultural phenomena like renting boyfriends to appease family expectations during holidays. While Beijing offers safety and convenience for foreign correspondents, the increasing opacity of Chinese society contrasts with a perceived decline in the transparency and openness of the United States. This shift in both nations complicates the sense of "home" for long-term expatriates navigating the ideological and technological echo chambers of the modern era.