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Lauren Johnston

@drlaj.bsky.social
73 followers 71 following 300 posts

#Econ #Development, #Demography & #Donkeys; 北大博士; ODI in Sierra Leone & Guyana; 8yrs 在Beijing; @USydney, lauren.johnston@sydney.edu.au (usual disclaimers).

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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
"2.1 billion trips, one holiday: a closer look at China's Golden Week economy" - nice to be part of this set of discussion topics, in my case on the significance of the recent launch of the Pinglu Canal in South-West China: radio.cgtn.com/podcast/news...
radio.cgtn.com
Live Radio, Shows & Podcasts | CGTN Radio
Catch the latest radio news with CGTN Radio and listen to our trending podcasts wherever you are!
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
阿胶对男人性功能好吗 Is donkey-hide gelatin good for male sexual function? (here we go again) www.huazisheng.com/blog/ejiaodu...
huazisheng.com
阿胶对男人性功能好吗 - 花姿盛
阿胶对男人性功能好吗 很多人一提起阿胶,下意识就认为这是女性专属滋补品,觉得只有女性适合吃阿胶。于是不少男性朋 […]
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Inside Tangier's Old Medina's Donkey Museum: telquel.ma/2026/07/13/t...
telquel.ma
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Following his visit to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, and before this week's India visit for the 2026 BRICS Summit, China's Xi Jinping visited Egypt. Nice to contribute to this SCMP on this visit and ChinaEgypt ties: www.scmp.com/news/china/d...
scmp.com
China expands currency swap with Egypt as trade ties reach new heights
New factory and energy projects in Suez zone back gradual shift away from US dollar in bilateral investment.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Thousands of donkey hides were discovered at an illegal donkey slaughterhouse in Kithyoko, Masinga, Machakos County on Wednesday. www.facebook.com/watch/?v=281...
facebook.com
Thousands of donkey hides were discovered at an illegal donkey slaughterhouse in Kithyoko, Masinga, Machakos County on Wednesday. During a security crackdown led by Eastern Regional Commissioner Jacob Ouma Muganda, fresh donkey meat and fresh hides were found. This was an indication that slaughter of donkey was a daily business. Speaking during the operation, RC Muganda said the slaughterhouse had been operating contrary to the law and a manhunt for the people behind the illegal activity had kicked off in earnest. He said the facility would henceforth be placed under tight security as investigations continue to identify those behind the illegal activities and bring the donkey trade to an end. Video Courtesy of Ngumbau TV/ Kavinga Taitas | Joshua Muimi
Thousands of donkey hides were discovered at an illegal donkey slaughterhouse in Kithyoko, Masinga, Machakos County on Wednesday. During a security crackdown led by Eastern Regional Commissioner...
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
"Yank" could be a better option here, no @mclem.org?
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
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Eli Friedman @elifriedman.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Terrible news for academics in China who are already under immense work pressure. Let's hope this doesn't expand
share.google
‘An earthquake in Chinese academia’: Tongji abolishes tenure
Shanghai’s leading research university has overhauled its faculty appointment system. Will other institutions in China follow suit?
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Spirals doesn't fit in your boxes @tealed-copper.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
"No way you wrote a 5 page essay without Al."

Buddy, we wrote them by hand, in cursive, the day before it was due, without even reading the book.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
"Yank" could be a better option here, no @mclem.org?
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Le Bien-être animal et la lutte contre le trafic d’ânes. agropasteur.com/le-bien-etre...
agropasteur.com
Le Bien-être animal et la lutte contre le trafic d’ânes. - Agropasteur
Spread the loveLe combat pour la protection des ânes est loin d’être terminé. La protection des ànes reste un impératif imminent face à un trafic qui perdure ,des Vols répétés , des abattages clandest...
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Luca @lucagalletti.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
This is sooooo sweet. Donkey is just a big dog ❤️❤️ TT: thewalkingdonkey Jordan and Donkey
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Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 30/07/2026
I wrote last year about the US Administration's plans to eviscerate Optional Practical Training, America's largest single source of global STEM talent: www.piie.com/blogs/realti... That came to pass. The White House is sharpening its tools to shatter OPT, and thus kneecap many US universities.
wsj.com
Exclusive | U.S. Weighs $100,000 Fee for Foreign Students Wanting to Work After Graduation
The proposed policy would particularly affect Silicon Valley, Wall Street and universities.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Reality of donkey theft in Kenya: Key findings The crime is driven by international demand for donkey skin gelatin (ejiao). www.the-star.co.ke/news/infogra...
the-star.co.ke
Reality of donkey theft in Kenya: Key findings
The crime is driven by international demand for donkey skin gelatin (ejiao).
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Rae Radford @raeradford.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
They should have made him a 'saint'. #BookSky
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Fergus Ryan @fergus.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
My comments for WSJ about Trump's claims: “Beijing’s appetite for bulk data on foreign populations is well documented. Much American voter data is legally purchasable in the first place,” said Fergus Ryan, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a Canberra-based think tank.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Nice to be cited here: Those Who Control the Money Control the World Johan van der Merwe | Africa Fellow www.youngausint.org.au/post/those-w...
youngausint.org.au
Those Who Control the Money Control the World
Johan van der Merwe | Africa Fellow Image sourced from Audy of Course via PexelsInternational monetary policy has turned militaristic. In 2012, the West discovered that the Society for Worldwide Inter...
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Nice to join CGTN to discuss China's new rights for elder workers: radio.cgtn.com/podcast/news...
radio.cgtn.com
Live Radio, Shows & Podcasts | CGTN Radio
Catch the latest radio news with CGTN Radio and listen to our trending podcasts wherever you are!
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
reassuring to see word of "Hunan's" role in China-Africa trade and development policies and plans spreading: "Wilayah Hunan tingkatkan perdagangan China-Afrika melalui inovasi dasar" www.utusanborneo.com.my/2026/07/05/w...
utusanborneo.com.my
Wilayah Hunan tingkatkan perdagangan China-Afrika melalui inovasi dasar
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
国外学者看中非经贸合作的新阶段 澳大利亚悉尼大学中国研究中心副教授劳伦·约翰斯顿(Lauren Johnston)长期从事非洲经济研究,她提到,中国对非洲出口的低碳技术类产品在2024年达98亿美元,涵盖发电、储能和污染治理等领域,占中国对非洲出口总额的5.4%。这些产品广泛分布在南非、尼日利亚、埃及、摩洛哥和阿尔及利亚等国家。 - nice to be cited by China Social Sciences network www.cssn.cn/skgz/bwyc/20...
cssn.cn
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
a fav Chinese shirt:
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Ariaa® @ariaa.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Summer Solstice captured from Stonehenge yesterday. At first light, the sun climbed up behind the Heel Stone and threaded itself straight through the center of Stonehenge exactly where the builders aimed it nearly 5,000 years ago. Ethereal Earth on FB
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Central Chinese province boosts China-Africa trade with policy innovation - seems the "Hunan Model" concept has been approved: english.news.cn/20260622/dee...
english.news.cn
Central Chinese province boosts China-Africa trade with policy innovation
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Guinea pushes Simandou on iron ore exports to feed China’s ‘green steel’ mills - nice to add to this timely piece on the advance of Simandou and its implications for existing iron ore majors and for China's green steel & iron ore diversification ambitions www.scmp.com/news/china/d...
scmp.com
Guinea pushes Simandou on iron ore exports to feed China’s ‘green steel’ mills
Ships are switching from bauxite to carrying the higher-priced, high-grade raw material as a seasonal deadline looms.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
China has announced the 26 financial institutions that will lead not just RMB internationalisation but specifically internationalisation of an e-CNY: 数币达首批参与者出炉,26家金融机构入局跨境数币结算 m.163.com/dy/article/K...
m.163.com
数币达首批参与者出炉,26家金融机构入局跨境数币结算_手机网易网
6月16日,数字人民币国际运营中心与首批26家金融机构在沪签署直接参与者服务协议,上线后业务可覆盖中国香港、中国澳门、新加坡、老挝、泰国、阿联酋、卡塔尔、巴西等国家和地区。
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Why have 55 African countries joined together to stop selling donkeys to China? There's a complex and difficult-to-calculate reason behind it. www.163.com/dy/article/K...
163.com
为什么非洲55国联手不向中国卖驴了?背后藏着一笔很难算清的账
为什么非洲55国联手不向中国卖驴了?背后藏着一笔很难算清的账,非洲,中国,巴西,大陆,阿胶,驴皮,灵芝孢子粉行业
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
The Tragedy of the Asses: Stock Liquidation and Inverted Lemon Markets mould Medicinal "Bottom Up" Deglobalisation papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com
The Tragedy of the Asses: Stock Liquidation and Inverted Lemon Markets mould Medicinal "Bottom Up" Deglobalisation
The paper traces China's extraordinary U-shaped demand for donkeys and the related emergence of a donkey skin global supply chain that prices a donkey hide at r
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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Economist Elinor Ostrom was the first woman to be awarded the #Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2009) "for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons." She died #OTD in 2012. www.nobelprize.org/prizes/econo... #WomeninSTEM #economics
A delightful portrait of political economist Elinor Ostrom (1933–2012), the first woman to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, posing with a joyful expression. Leaning slightly against a muted grey wall on the right, Ostrom is positioned in the right foreground of the composition. She wears an open, vibrant purple patterned jacket with geometric and textured bands over a black turtleneck sweater, accented by a long gold pendant necklace and rings on her crossed hands. She looks directly at the camera with an open, bright smile and crinkled eyes behind her thin-framed glasses, her white hair neatly styled. The background features the soft-focused, bright white architecture of an elegant courtyard with classic arches, columns, and an upper balustrade under a blue ceiling structure, casting a bright, luminous atmosphere. The image captures a warm, triumphant, and dignified mood, celebrating her monumental historical impact on economic governance.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Super to join this #CGTN panel: China expands access to public services for non-Hukou residents radio.cgtn.com/podcast/news...
radio.cgtn.com
Live Radio, Shows & Podcasts | CGTN Radio
Catch the latest radio news with CGTN Radio and listen to our trending podcasts wherever you are!
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Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
This should be brilliant on Thursday in Brussels. Sandbu vs Pettis on a panel about global imbalances... with the excellent Maria Demertzis involved too. Sandbu today in the FT: Europe is running from a phantom China threat Pettis, I am sure, will have plenty to say on that
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Sophie Richardson @sophiedrich.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
“A worker at the Liushenyu coal mine told Chinese outlet Lengshan Record that the company did not allow workers to enter the mine with tracking devices because they were illegally mining coal seams that had not been approved. ‘Wearing trackers would expose it,’ he said.” www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
China's coal mine disaster is a reminder of its darkest days
China's worst coal mining disaster in 15 years comes amid an ambitious pivot towards green energy.
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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Belarusian investigative journalist & essayist Svetlana Alexievich won the 2015 #Nobel Prize in Literature "for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time." She is the first writer from #Belarus to receive the award. She was born #OTD in 1948. #litsky #booksky (1/4)👇
A lovely portrait of Belarusian investigative journalist and oral historian Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature. Born in 1948, she sits angled to the right while turning her upper body and head to look directly forward. She has a warm, gentle smile with kind eyes crinkling at the edges, framed by shoulder-length, soft reddish-brown hair with straight bangs. She wears a cozy, oversized, long-sleeved velour or fleece pullover sweater in a muted terracotta hue, complemented by a chunky, multi-tonal knitted infinity scarf in shades of orange, brown, and black wrapped around her neck. Her hands are loosely clasped in her lap, holding a dark, leather-bound book. She sits in a grey fabric chair against a softly lit, minimalist background with dark walls. Two indistinct, framed pictures hang out of focus on the wall behind her left shoulder. The shallow depth of field creates a gentle, intimate mood, highlighting her serene expression and historic presence.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
worth watching: How Ghost Shops Triggered China’s Biggest Food Scandal | www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGAQ...
youtube.com
How Ghost Shops Triggered China’s Biggest Food Scandal | AB Explained
YouTube video by Asian Boss
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MERICS @merics.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
As the EU-China trade deficit continued to grow in Q1 2026, a traditionally strong sector is now also affected by the general trend: EU agri-food exports. In the latest SOAPBOX newsletter, MERCIS Senior Associate Fellow Rafael Jimenez Buendia zooms in on the topic: open.substack.com/pub/soapboxt...
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Petra Michaela @petramichaela.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
🐝 Bees may be tiny, but they play one of the biggest roles in keeping our planet alive. From pollinating flowers to growing our food—these incredible creatures are the silent heroes. Protect bees, protect nature, protect our future. 🌍
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Stephen McDonell @stephenmcdonell.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Some of our reporting from the #China mine disaster, Chinese version. CLICK ON LINK m.youtube.com/watch?v=w55a...
m.youtube.com
中國山西礦難至少82死:十七年來最致命事故為何搜救困難 - BBC News 中文
YouTube video by BBC News 中文
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ContempraInn 🌹 @contemprainn.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Switzerland 🇨🇭
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Always nice to make NewZimbabwe.com, especially with the last word as here: www.newzimbabwe.com/will-zimbabw...
newzimbabwe.com
Will Zimbabwe’s lithium strategy help it break into the value-adding game? - NewZimbabwe.com
South China Morning Post Zimbabwe is betting that its move into lithium processing will finally break the cycle of digging and shipping ore that has defined its mining sector for decades. This follows...
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Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 22/05/2026
"I was terminated from my position several times in my career. Each time…I focused all of my energy to figure out what is next. This was the only thing I could control." Katalin Karikó, the powerhouse Nobel laureate who created the mRNA revolution, at @jhu.edu commencement yesterday.
youtube.com
How to Spot a Breakthrough When Everyone Else Sees Failure | Dr. Katalin Karikó
YouTube video by Johns Hopkins University
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Petra Michaela @petramichaela.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
They pollinate the flowers and keep nature alive—yet their world is slowly vanishing. This image serves as a reminder that climate change, pesticides, and habitat loss are driving pollinators toward extinction. If bees disappear, our future changes too. Protect nature before it is too late. 🌍
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
flapped cat.
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Belinda Archibong @belindaarch.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Given the justice dept attack on Black doctors, here's a seminal paper from Alsan et al in the AER @aeajournals.bsky.social:"Does Diversity Matter for Health? Experimental Evidence from Oakland". Finds: "black doctors could reduce the black-white male gap in cardiovascular mortality by 19 percent."
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All the Galaxies! @allthegalaxies.galaxyzoo.org · 19/05/2026
A spiral galaxy, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope in the COSMOS survey. It is at redshift 0.74 (lookback time 6.73 billion years) with coordinates (150.07258, 2.69141). 42 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo: Hubble.
A spiral galaxy from the Galaxy Zoo: Hubble project, classified by 42 volunteers.
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David Stroup @davidstroup.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
My colleagues in East Asian Studies at Sheffield produce world class research and so many of the UK’s leading experts in Asian Studies have gotten MAs or PhDs there. This is an incredibly shortsighted choice that will diminish this country’s knowledge exchange with a vital region of the globe.
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Mark Pendleton @markpendleton.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
East Asian Studies is being gutted at Sheffield - all staff at risk with 8.6 FTE proposed to go (a third of us). Biggest cuts in Chinese and Japanese Studies. We’ll be taking a few days to process. Solidarity to Materials and Chemistry colleagues who are also dealing with similarly bad news.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Nice to make South Africa's Business Day: GREG NOTT | Soft power is not dead, but its faces may be changing Human rights and global alliances strained amid a resurgence of authoritarian ‘hard power’ www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026...
businessday.co.za
GREG NOTT | Soft power is not dead, but its faces may be changing
Rise of 'hard power' strains global alliances and human rights protections
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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann discovered the Earth's inner core, 1936. This fundamentally changed our understanding of the Earth's interior. Her discovery is attributed in large part to her incredible ability to interpret complex seismic records by hand. She was born #OTD in 1888. #WomenInSTEM
A vintage sepia-toned portrait photograph of Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann taken in 1932, at around age 44. She is posed formally against a softly draped curtain backdrop, gazing directly at the camera with a calm, intelligent, and composed expression. She has short, neatly waved dark hair and wears a simple, elegant dark blouse or dress with a light-colored V-neck insert or scarf tied loosely. The photographer's signature, "Nachtwey 1932," appears in the lower right corner in a flowing script. The image captures her poised and thoughtful demeanor during the early years of her groundbreaking career in seismology, before her landmark discovery of Earth's solid inner core in 1936.
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Lauren Johnston @drlaj.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
China's demographic decline is not the disaster many fear asia.nikkei.com/opinion/chin...
asia.nikkei.com
China's demographic decline is not the disaster many fear
Population shrinkage is real, but migration, productivity and policy could make aging more manageable
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
“.. Good morning from Beijing, where the US-China meeting is a sidebar on the front page of the China Daily.” - Annmarie Hordern, @bloomberg.com
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