[2] It was aimed at Protestant missionaries working in Sichuan (or referred to as "West China"),[3][note 1] and was the first and longest-running English-language newspaper in that province.

[8] In 1900, with the help of some members of the FFMA, a small printing press was bought in London and brought to Sichuan by Mary Jane's brother-in-law, A. Warburton Davidson.

Contributors included David Crockett Graham, George John Bond, Vyvyan Donnithorne, Thomas Torrance, Theo Sørensen, and Song Chʻeng-tsi, just to name a few.

It not only connects missionaries of diverse denominations in West China, but also covers a wide range of topics including studies of local languages, customs, religion, economics, medicine, natural environment, and ethnic minorities, as well as translation of historical works concerning the Szechwan region.

The News serves as a first-hand account of the 1911 Revolution and the various factions arose in Yunnan, Kweichow, and Szechwan during this period, which certainly provides valuable information for regional studies.