2018 gave us many opportunities to look back at China’s past—the tenth anniversary of Sichuan earthquake and of the Beijing Olympics, the 40th year since the country began its policy of Reform and Opening. This year also brought changes that thrust the familiar, very suddenly, into history––the only greyhound racing stadium in Asia was shut down, ending its five-decades long operation; the peer-to-peer lending industrycollapsedunder regulation after years of explosive popularity, leaving tens of thousands users bankrupt; and the country entered a trade war with the U.S. 17 years after earning a seat in the WTO.

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