The Economist.
Two years ago, at the height of the zero-covid lockdowns, the Chinese word run began trending online.
It's been used as a kind of code because run sounds similar to the English word run.
Netizens use this Chinese character to avoid censorship as they discussed running away from China.
And since the lifting of zero-covid rules, some Chinese citizens have been running.
They've been quietly moving to the rest of the world.
China doesn't release emigration statistics, but according to the UN,
the number of people leaving China in recent years has shot up.
And one of the most popular destinations is Japan.
This week we're starting the first of a three-part look at some of the Chinese who have moved to Japan
and what their decision to go says about the country they've left behind.
I'm Alice, the Economist's senior China correspondent, and I'm here with my co-host, David Rennie, our Beijing Bureau Chief.
This week we're asking, "What is pushing Chinese people to run?" This is Drum Tower, from the Economist.
Alice, how have you been?
Hey David. I'm well. I'm a little bit sleep-deprived.
I think I told you recently that we've been having a lot of earthquakes here,
and one unexpected side effect is that my dog Gary, I think, has developed a little bit of anxiety.
So, every night when it's time to go to bed, he gets really nervous and he starts pacing around, like walking around for hours.
My husband and I are sleeping with earplugs, and then other than that,
we've been playing a lot of calming music for dogs all day at home.