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China Brief

A weekly digest of the stories you should be following in China, plus exclusive analysis. Delivered Wednesday.

Special agents process material from the high-altitude balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina.
Special agents process material from the high-altitude balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina.

Can the U.S. and China Leave the Spy Balloon Behind?

After a week of shooting down suspicious objects, the White House seems to take a step back.

A jet flies by the Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 4.
A jet flies by the Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 4.

China’s Surveillance Balloon Is Not a Test of Will

The response to the vessel in U.S. airspace shows how the next Cold War could be as overreactive as the first.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press conference during a meeting with NATO ministers of foreign affairs in Bucharest, Romania, on Nov. 30, 2022.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press conference during a meeting with NATO ministers of foreign affairs in Bucharest, Romania, on Nov. 30, 2022.

In Beijing, Blinken Seeks to Stabilize Ties

Avoiding actual war will be on each side’s mind.

People walk down a street during the Lunar New Year holiday in Beijing on Jan. 25.
People walk down a street during the Lunar New Year holiday in Beijing on Jan. 25.

China Celebrates New Year Under the Shadow of COVID-19

Official government data shows cases falling, but the busy travel season could mean another wave.

People walk along a street in Hangzhou, China, on Jan. 17.
People walk along a street in Hangzhou, China, on Jan. 17.

China Can No Longer Deny Its Shrinking Population

An official acknowledgement of population decline may herald new measures to encourage families.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian packs up his notes after speaking at the daily media briefing in Beijing on April 8, 2020.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian packs up his notes after speaking at the daily media briefing in Beijing on April 8, 2020.

Why Did China Banish Its Chief ‘Wolf Warrior’?

Zhao Lijian’s move from foreign ministry spokesperson to a backroom role reflects a diplomatic shift.

A passenger wearing a face shield and mask boards a domestic flight at Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai on Jan. 3.
A passenger wearing a face shield and mask boards a domestic flight at Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai on Jan. 3.

China’s COVID-19 Wave Reaches the Countryside

Opaque data and limited health care infrastructure raise fears of devastating outcomes in rural areas.

COVID-19 patients lie on hospital beds in the lobby of a hospital in Chongqing, China, on Dec. 23.
COVID-19 patients lie on hospital beds in the lobby of a hospital in Chongqing, China, on Dec. 23.

5 Predictions for China in 2023

From a COVID-19 tragedy to a weakened Xi Jinping, here’s what could happen next year.

A worker wearing personal protective equipment sits outside a fever clinic in Beijing on Dec. 19.
A worker wearing personal protective equipment sits outside a fever clinic in Beijing on Dec. 19.

China Sees Dark End to 2022

A major COVID-19 wave has followed Beijing’s abrupt policy change, closing a year of bad news for the Chinese public.

People line up outside a fever clinic at a hospital in Beijing on Dec. 11.
People line up outside a fever clinic at a hospital in Beijing on Dec. 11.

China’s Great COVID-19 Wave Has Begun

With zero-COVID effectively over, official numbers can’t keep up with the speed of the omicron variant.

A man holds his release papers after leaving a government quarantine facility in Beijing on Dec. 7.
A man holds his release papers after leaving a government quarantine facility in Beijing on Dec. 7.

China Lets Up on Zero-COVID Policy

New measures signal a shift away from containing the disease—and into the next phase of the pandemic.

A screen shows a news broadcast featuring former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin in Beijing on Nov. 30.
A screen shows a news broadcast featuring former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin in Beijing on Nov. 30.

What Jiang Zemin’s Death Means for the CCP

The former leader’s mourning period creates an opportunity for public gathering—and political plotting.

An epidemic control worker stands in a nearly empty street in Beijing’s Central Business District on Nov. 23.
An epidemic control worker stands in a nearly empty street in Beijing’s Central Business District on Nov. 23.

New Outbreaks Test China’s Appetite for Reopening

Rising cases have reversed recent changes to the zero-COVID policy, putting cities back under semi-lockdown.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping

Did the Xi-Biden Summit Cool Tensions?

Taiwan remains the biggest challenge to the U.S.-China relationship.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing on Nov. 4.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing on Nov. 4.

Secure at Home, Xi Steps Back Onto the Global Stage

The Chinese leader met Olaf Scholz last week before appearances in Indonesia and Thailand later this month.

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TOPSHOT - Ukrainian soldiers adjust a national flag atop a personnel armoured carrier on a road near Lyman, Donetsk region on October 4, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 2, 2022 that Lyman, a key town located in one of four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia, had been "cleared" of Moscow's troops. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov / AFP) (Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - Ukrainian soldiers adjust a national flag atop a personnel armoured carrier on a road near Lyman, Donetsk region on October 4, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 2, 2022 that Lyman, a key town located in one of four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia, had been "cleared" of Moscow's troops. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov / AFP) (Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia’s War in Ukraine, One Year On

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It’s been almost one year since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. If one steps back from the daily news cycle, it’s clear that both sides have faced devastating impacts, including...Show more

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 29:  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir react after sworn in at the Israeli parliament during a new government sworn in discussion at the Israeli parliament on December 29, 2022 in Jerusalem, Israel. Conservative Benjamin Netanyahu and a bloc of nationalist and religious parties won a clear election victory last month and will be sworn in as government to the Knesset today. This completes Netenyahu's political comeback with a record sixth term in office.  (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 29: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir react after sworn in at the Israeli parliament during a new government sworn in discussion at the Israeli parliament on December 29, 2022 in Jerusalem, Israel. Conservative Benjamin Netanyahu and a bloc of nationalist and religious parties won a clear election victory last month and will be sworn in as government to the Knesset today. This completes Netenyahu's political comeback with a record sixth term in office. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going ahead with legislation designed to weaken the country’s Supreme Court, a move that analysts are warning could lead to a...Show more

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the East Coast as seen from Surfside Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 4.  Randall Hill/Reuters
The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the East Coast as seen from Surfside Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 4. Randall Hill/Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a much-anticipated visit to China after the discovery of a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over U.S. territory. The very public spat over ...Show more