Mark Clifford on Why Jimmy Lai’s Story Matters
The former journalist talks about writing the biography of Apple Daily’s publisher, his ongoing national security trial in Hong Kong, and hopes for a political solution.
Articles
TikTok Refugees Head for Other Chinese Apps as Ban Looms
Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu has seen a surge in American users in recent days, but the trend could prove temporary.
Developing Countries Want More Than Just Cash From China
Emerging markets are still welcoming towards Chinese capital — but increasingly on their own terms.
The Great Brew Battle
After its Nasdaq-shaking accounting scandal of 2020, Luckin Coffee has staged a legendary comeback, surpassing even Starbucks in China in terms of revenue and store count. But the bad blood between Luckin's current and ousted leadership has resulted in a near clone, Cotti Coffee, as...
Chinese Robots Hit the Factory Floor
Chinese industrial robot makers have succeeded in taking a bigger share of the domestic market. Can they compete globally?
Hong Kong’s Democracy Movement Receives Its Sentence
The city’s largest ever national security trial has ended with years-long jail terms handed to dozens of activists. A Wire China timeline shows how Hong Kong reached this point.
The Tipping Point
Foreign companies face a reckoning in China as the risks of staying are generating diminishing returns.
Big Pharma Doubles Down on China
Foreign pharmaceutical firms are eyeing the world’s second largest market for profit opportunities as well as innovative assets.
Broken Promises
In 2021, after four decades of exponential growth in China’s economy, Xi Jinping revived the party slogan “common prosperity” in order to address the country’s glaring inequality. The policy priority was suddenly everywhere: in speeches, in newspapers and in schools. But now, three years later,...
Shein and Temu Face Up to a Frostier Future
The fast-growing Chinese e-commerce companies are changing tack as challenges to their cheap import models multiply.
Oriana Skylar Mastro on How China Gained Power
The political scientist explains how China has risen not just by following in the U.S.’s footsteps, but also by exploiting U.S. vulnerabilities and its own competitive advantages.
Gaining Currency
Can a central bank digital currency work? China was the first major economy to launch one and, despite several setbacks, is starting to see the digital yuan take off.