China
List of China articles
What’s Ailing Tesla?
More people are buying electric cars, just not from Elon Musk.
Taiwan Wants Suicide Drones to Deter China
Taipei is seeking U.S.-made loitering munitions to help deter or ward off a potential Chinese invasion.
Why Are More Chinese Migrants Arriving at the U.S. Southern Border?
Asylum-seekers and others are making the journey through the risky Darién Gap in the wake of the pandemic.
China Wants to ‘Divide and Conquer’ Europe
Why Xi Jinping is visiting France, Serbia, and Hungary this week.
No, This Is Not a Cold War—Yet
Why are China hawks exaggerating the threat from Beijing?
Mexico and the United States Need to Talk About China Now
Near-simultaneous presidential elections risk putting bilateral relations on a collision course.
Washington Keeps Choosing the Wrong Moment to Challenge China
The TikTok ban shows how decisions end up rushed—after being ignored.
A New Age of Empires
What makes a modern empire, from Russia to cyberspace.
The Opioid High of Empire
Two new books turn a spotlight on how the colonial past lives on in unacknowledged ways.
The Tech Hawks Took Down TikTok. Now What?
Silicon Valley and Washington are finding common ground on China. But some worry about groupthink.
Can Xi Win Back Europe?
The Chinese leader’s visit follows weeks of escalating tensions between China and the continent.
Xi Believes China Can Win a Scientific Revolution
Beijing’s techno-nationalist policies are more geopolitical than economic.
The Very Real Limits of the Russia-China ‘No Limits’ Partnership
Intense military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is a problem for the West. Their bilateral trade is not.
Xi’s Imperial Ambitions Are Rooted in China’s History
Myths of peacefulness belie a record as expansionist as any other power.
Xi Jinping Has Tough Economic Choices Ahead
China is likely to pick security over prosperity.
Congress Helps Steer Taiwan Toward the ‘Porcupine Strategy’
The national security bill gives Biden more leverage to tell Taiwan what weapons to buy.
Does China Have to Play by the Rules?
New reporting implicates Beijing and anti-doping officials in covering up Chinese Olympic swimmers’ positive tests in 2021.
Is the U.S. Preparing to Ban Future LNG Sales to China?
The Department of Energy’s “temporary pause” opens the door.
New Zealand Becomes the Latest Country to Pivot to the U.S.
Beijing’s bullying tactics have pushed Wellington into Washington’s welcoming arms.
The Strategic Unseriousness of Olaf Scholz
His latest trip confirms that Germany’s China policy is made in corporate boardrooms.
The New Empires of the Internet Age
Cyberspace has upended the old world order.
How Much Leverage Does China Really Have Over Iran?
Washington wants Beijing to rein in Tehran, but experts say it’s not that simple.
Forget About Chips—China Is Coming for Ships
Beijing’s grab for hegemony in a critical sector follows a familiar playbook.
Beijing Walks a Fine Line in the Middle East
Iran’s attack on Israel has undermined some of China’s diplomatic credibility in the region.
The Chipmaking World Hedges Its Taiwan Bets
Earthquake or not, building semiconductor factories off the island has become a global imperative.
The Question Looming Over Biden’s White House Summit: Where Are the Exit Ramps?
As the leaders of Japan and the Philippines present a united front with America, China is getting stronger, too.
America’s Flailing Industrial Policy Can Take Lessons From China
Beijing’s experiences are a road map for both opportunities and traps.
China Won’t Change Tack on Economic Policy
Beijing’s political leadership isn’t likely to listen to friendly advice from foreign investors or criticism from foreign officials.
Janet Yellen Has a Three-Body Problem With China
The U.S. treasury secretary blasted Beijing’s industrial overcapacity, but it’s a tough message to carry off convincingly.
Is India Really the Next China?
The case for its economic ascent is strong, but government policies still stand in the way.
China Is Gaslighting the Developing World
Beijing’s promises of equality are a guise for hegemony.
It’s Debatable’s Greatest Hits
In their 100th column, Matt and Emma revisit clashes over Taiwan, Ukraine, Iran—and how to deter an alien invasion.
Sri Lanka Hones Its Balancing Act
Colombo has demonstrated its own brand of strategic autonomy on issues from Russia’s war in Ukraine to China’s global footprint.
Did Russia Come Close to Using a Nuclear Device in 2022?
CNN reporter Jim Sciutto on the return of great-power conflict.
China-Philippines Tensions Heat Up
Saber-rattling in the South China Sea comes as Manila builds alliances in Washington and beyond.
‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’: U.S. Officials Warn of Increased Cyberthreats
Washington prepares for a worst-case scenario of attacks on critical infrastructure.
Power Is the Answer in U.S. Competition With China
A fight for global values demands a stronger coalition.
Are We Living in a Revolutionary Age?
On the nature of revolutions, past and present.
Washington Wants In on the Deep-Sea Mining Game
The scramble for critical minerals is heating up under the sea, but lawmakers fear the United States could be left behind.
Asia Should Take the Lead on Global Health
The region’s health care systems and innovations show how solidarity can shape well-being.
U.S. and U.K. Sanction Chinese Hacking Group
The censure isn’t likely to rein in Beijing’s cyberespionage campaigns.
The Art of Propaganda
Are brilliant films and TV shows made in Xi’s China?
How ‘Made in China’ Became American Gospel
The canny marketing of imports from vodka to basketballs transformed the U.S.-China trade relationship.
The Rise of the All-Inclusive Resort
The economics work, but the politics can be troubling.
The Case Against TikTok Is Thin at Best
There are real issues—but they go far beyond one app.
China’s Public Wants to Make a Living, Not War
Discontent about the country’s poor economic reality is starting to drown out nationalist calls to attack Taiwan.
Beijing Pushes for AI Regulation
A campaign to control generative AI raises questions about the future of the industry in China.
Is TikTok’s Time Finally Up?
The United States may ban one of the world’s most popular apps.
Malaysia’s Forest City Went From Boomtown to Ghost Town
China’s real estate collapse is sinking projects beyond its borders.
China Is Selectively Bending History to Suit Its Territorial Ambitions
Beijing’s unwillingness to let go of certain claims suggests there’s more at stake than reversing past losses.
Can China Shift the Foundations of Its Economy?
Beijing recently announced a 5 percent growth target amid economic headwinds.
Washington Goes All-In on a TikTok Ban
China hawks’ next target is Gen Z’s favorite app.
U.S. House Moves Toward TikTok Crackdown
The bill coming to a vote this week would force the app’s Chinese parent company to divest—or risk a U.S. ban.
The Hidden Dangers in China’s GDP Numbers
Deflation and lack of consumption are big problems for Beijing.
How China Made Xinjiang’s Ceremonies Illegal
Retroactively applied laws are used to prosecute Muslim community leaders.
China’s Global EV Domination Is Just Beginning
And the West isn’t ready for it.
Beijing Holds Annual Two Sessions Amid Economic Crisis
Chinese Premier Li Qiang will not take questions from the press, underscoring the fraught moment.
Chinese Exceptionalism Just Won’t Die
The idea of a special Chinese model rings increasingly hollow.
Biden Cracks Down on Chinese Electric Vehicles
A new investigation into foreign “connected vehicles” could enable future action against Beijing’s tech sector.
China Wants to Weaken, Not Replace, the U.S. in the Middle East
Beijing doesn’t want the costs of being a regional hegemon.
Washington Wants to Revive a Critical Minerals Mega-Railway Through Africa
The move comes straight out of China’s Belt-and-Road playbook.
Can Beijing Contain the Property Crisis?
As firms default on debt, China hopes to boost household spending—but it lacks consumer confidence.
Beijing’s Post-Election Plan for Taiwan
Expect China to double down on political warfare.
China Starts the Lunar New Year With an Economic Hangover
Can Xi Jinping pull the country out of a downturn?
What the Western Media Gets Wrong About Taiwan
Journalists flocking to cover life inside a geopolitical flash point often distort the reality on the ground.
The Dragon Won’t Bring China a Baby Boom
In the Chinese zodiac cycle, children born in the year of the dragon are considered lucky—but it’s unlikely to cause a bump in 2024.
China’s Secret to Controlling the Internet
The CCP uses manpower, not just technology, to limit speech.
What the Red Sea Crisis Reveals About China’s Middle East Strategy
While China has indeed become a regional player, it is still playing a remarkably self-interested game.
IMF’s Gopinath: U.S. Economy ‘Doing Very Well’
The fund’s No. 2 official on the United States, China, and Russia’s “squarely positive growth.”
The Bridge Builder
After more than a decade at Apple, Doug Beck is in charge of making sure the Pentagon doesn’t lose a tech race with China.
How an Afghan Drug Kingpin Became Beijing’s Man in Kabul
Bashir Noorzai was once serving a life sentence in the United States. Now he’s the key conduit for growing ties between China and the Taliban.
Mexico Is America’s Answer to China’s Belt and Road
Growing economic integration with Latin America could help the United States avoid the fate of an aging China.
Everyone Wants a Chip Factory
How the world is future-proofing (and China-proofing) its semiconductor supply chains.
Why China Is Rooting for Trump
Beijing’s long game would be much better served by the candidate’s policies and the divisions he would unleash.
China’s Stock Market Falters as Holiday Season Begins
Government action may not be able to stop slipping public confidence in the economy.
Does Ukraine Offer Lessons for Taiwan?
Two years in, IR experts are divided on whether the U.S. response to Russia’s war will deter a Chinese invasion.
How Primed for War Is China?
Risk signals for a conflict are flashing red.
How Did This Brilliant Chinese Rust Belt Noir Get Made Under Xi?
“The Long Season” is the funniest, saddest show to come out of China.
China Is Quietly Expanding Its Land Grabs in the Himalayas
As the world worries about an invasion of Taiwan, Beijing is methodically continuing its seizure of territory in Bhutan.
The West Did Not Invent Decoupling—China Did
Beijing has long sought to gain a free hand by untangling its economy from the West.
How China Is Leveraging the Israel-Hamas War
The growing divide between Washington and the global south is playing out in Beijing’s favor.
Japan Wants Both Taiwanese Security and Chinese Trade
Politicians celebrate Lai Ching-te’s victory but fear an upset Beijing.
It’s Almost the End for China’s Evergrande
A Hong Kong judge ordered the property giant to liquidate, but courts in mainland China will set the timeline.
Is China Sincere About Peace in Ukraine?
Beijing has done very little to help—but it could.
What Taiwan’s Election Means for Geopolitics
Will it reshape cross-strait relations?
China’s Problem With the Genocide Case Against Israel
Beijing backs the Palestinians in Gaza but faces its own genocide accusations at home.
How Can Taiwan Manage an Angry China?
A new president means another round of reaction from Beijing.
China’s Economy Is Off to a Bad Start in 2024
Chinese stock markets are in sharp decline, reflecting the gap between official optimism and investor pessimism.
The Reason China Can’t Stop Its Decline
The conventional wisdom on China has shifted but still misses the bigger picture.
How China Exploited Taiwan’s Election—and What It Could Do Next
Beijing has long used its backyard as a testing ground for foreign influence operations.
Why Washington Wants Americans to Care About Taiwan
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi on U.S. involvement in conflicts abroad: “We have to be equipped.”
The Red Sea Crisis Proves China Was Ahead of the Curve
The Belt and Road Initiative wasn’t a sinister plot. It was a blueprint for what every nation needs in an age of uncertainty and disruption.
Why Egypt Has the Most to Lose From Houthi Strikes on Merchant Ships
The attacks harm global trade, but the regional impact might be worse.
The Futile Legacy of Mao Zedong
Xi Jinping wants to be a new Great Helmsman. It won’t work.
Will Taiwan’s Next President Be the China Hawk Washington Wants?
The Biden administration hopes Lai Ching-te will take the threat of a cross-strait invasion as seriously as the U.S. does.
What Is Taiwan’s New President Going to Do About China?
Polling data indicates the public is split over the future of the island and the threat of annexation.
Washington Is Exaggerating China’s Military Budgets
Pentagon and congressional hawks are overestimating their rival.
Taiwan’s New President Won’t Placate China
Still, Beijing’s reaction to Lai Ching-te’s victory has been surprisingly muted—for now.
This Is a ‘5-Alarm Fire Right Now’
FP learns why a war that isn’t on yet might matter more than one that’s been raging for years, in a chat with Elbridge Colby.
U.S.-China Meetings Aim to Defuse Tensions Ahead of Taiwan Election
Blinken met with a top Chinese official slated to be the next foreign minister.