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Palmer-James-foreign-policy-staff-portraits-202226

James Palmer

Deputy Editor [email protected]

James Palmer is a deputy editor at Foreign Policy and writes FP’s weekly China Brief newsletter. Palmer is the author of The Bloody White Baron: The Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia and The Death of Mao: The Tangshan Earthquake and the Birth of the New China. He won the Shiva Naipaul prize for travel writing in 2003.

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Articles by James Palmer
Dark clouds hang over the skyline of Changsha, China, on April 29.
Dark clouds hang over the skyline of Changsha, China, on April 29.

Chinese Official’s Suspicious Death Stirs Speculation

China Brief
James Palmer
Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang, China, on Sept. 13.
Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang, China, on Sept. 13.

China Half-Heartedly Raises Retirement Age

China Brief
James Palmer
Silhouettes of undergraduates dance on a stage with a giant Chinese flag in the background.
Silhouettes of undergraduates dance on a stage with a giant Chinese flag in the background.

Peter Hessler’s ‘Rivers’ Have Been Damned by the Chinese Government

Review
James Palmer
The white marble dome of the U.S. Capitol building looms over a deep blue sky. Several people can be seen in the foreground as they walk across the plaza in front of the building.
The white marble dome of the U.S. Capitol building looms over a deep blue sky. Several people can be seen in the foreground as they walk across the plaza in front of the building.

Back From Recess, U.S. Congress Targets China

China Brief
James Palmer
Cars wait to be loaded onto a vessel for export at a port in Taicang, China.
Cars wait to be loaded onto a vessel for export at a port in Taicang, China.

Oversupply Begins to Bite in China

China Brief
James Palmer
Residents conduct a study session about the communique of the third plenary meeting of the 20th Chinese Communist Party Central Committee in Hangzhou, China, on July 19.
Residents conduct a study session about the communique of the third plenary meeting of the 20th Chinese Communist Party Central Committee in Hangzhou, China, on July 19.

Chinese Card Game Turns Political

China Brief
James Palmer
From left: Chinese swimmers Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun, and Pan Zhanle pose after winning the men's 4x100m medley relay at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre, France, on Aug. 4.
From left: Chinese swimmers Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun, and Pan Zhanle pose after winning the men's 4x100m medley relay at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre, France, on Aug. 4.

China’s Swimming Victories Marred by Criticism

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese athletes wave flags on the team boat along the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Chinese athletes wave flags on the team boat along the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

What the Olympics Mean to China

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese President Xi Jinping walks on a red carpet to seats at the Chinese Communist Party's Third Plenum in Beijing. He and other CCP leaders wear red badges.
Chinese President Xi Jinping walks on a red carpet to seats at the Chinese Communist Party's Third Plenum in Beijing. He and other CCP leaders wear red badges.

Why Xi Won’t Retire

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a bilateral meeting with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 28.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a bilateral meeting with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 28.

China’s Third Plenum, Explained

China Brief
James Palmer
People walk past an office of the Bank of Beijing in Beijing on July 9.
People walk past an office of the Bank of Beijing in Beijing on July 9.

China Cracks Down on Bankers’ Salaries

China Brief
James Palmer
Security personnel stand outside the entrance of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Aug. 29, 2023.
Security personnel stand outside the entrance of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Aug. 29, 2023.

In China, Tragedy Sparks Push Against Online Ultranationalists

China Brief
James Palmer
A student enters a school on the first day of the national college entrance exam, known as "gaokao," in Wuhan, China.
A student enters a school on the first day of the national college entrance exam, known as "gaokao," in Wuhan, China.

China’s Secondary Schools Are Not Equal

China Brief
James Palmer
Residential buildings under construction are seen in Hangzhou, China, on May 9.
Residential buildings under construction are seen in Hangzhou, China, on May 9.

Can China Turn Its Property Glut Into Affordable Housing?

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun sits onstage in front of a bright blue wall as he attends the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He wears a black military dress uniform and glasses, and one hand is raised to his face to adjust his microphone wire.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun sits onstage in front of a bright blue wall as he attends the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He wears a black military dress uniform and glasses, and one hand is raised to his face to adjust his microphone wire.

China Postures at Shangri-La

China Brief
James Palmer
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