For the last decade, Chinese magazines, sites and government bodies have been labelling unmarried women over 27 assheng nu–‘leftover women’ – in a bid to counter a social trend seen as destabilising society. But who are these leftover women? And why should brands be paying attention to them?

China is loosening up previous laws that limited childbearing, but its citizens aren’t all jumping at the chance to raise larger families. Women’s career ambitions are progressing, but social norms still lag, and they’re scaling back family planning to ensure they don’t hinder their professional lives.

A sexual awakening is occurring in China. As young people experiment with sex, drugs and civil disobedience, this shift has shades of the West’s cultural upheaval in the ‘60s. But are conservative values still shackling the majority? And to what extent can China’s youth really cut loose?

Chinese sci-fi is having a golden moment, with authors attracting audiences from across the globe and picking up prestigious international awards in the process. In addition to entertaining readers, what do stories like Hao Jingfang’s Folding Beijing reveal about that nation’s hopes and fears?