| CANTONESE | With a stick, running in, set on the Chinese |
| LAYTHETABLE | Athlete ably running in set places |
| CANINE | Dog with stick running around home (6) |
| LOPING | Record from holding stick, running (6) |
| YEAROFTHEOX | What 2021 will be on the Chinese calendar, beginning Feb. 12; see the ends of the theme answers for a hint |
| RAT | Rodent that is the first animal on the Chinese zodiac |
| SNAKE | Year of the ___ (2025 on the Chinese calendar, which began yesterday; see this puzzle's two long across answers) |
| STAR | One of five on the Chinese flag |
| MACAU | Former Portuguese territory on the Chinese coast (5) |
| FIVE | Number of stars on the Chinese flag |
| YALU | River on the Chinese-Korean border |
| SINOLOGIST | I am an expert on the Chinese lingo - it's so complicated |
| STARS | There are five of them on the Chinese flag |
| RIVERRAT | 1984 Tommy Lee Jones film set on the banks of the Mississippi, with "The" |
| LATIMER | Surname of the character portrayed by Jodie Whittaker in the drama series set on the Dorset coast Broadchurch (7) |
| BEACHCOMBERS | Relic was a character on this Canadian television classic set on the British Columbia coast, "The ___" |
| THEGOONIES | 1985 adventure comedy, set on the Oregon coast, in which 1-A played the character Data |
| DAHLIA | Father has his head set on the greatest comeback in 'The Garden' (6) |
| LOVEBOAT | Old TV show set on the Pacific Princess, with "The" |
| BINNACLE | Compass box set on the deck of a vessel - on an iron ship it may include magnets |
