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

Beijing has established itself as a top medal contender, but its athletics no longer signal openness to the rest of the world.

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

Biden’s withdrawal from the U.S. presidential race may have hit a nerve in China.

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

The econ-focused event is rife with buzzwords and Xi propaganda. Less so with substantive reform.

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

Critics say the move will drive away talent just as Beijing seeks to build a globally competitive financial sector.

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

The country mourns the death of a bus attendant who tried to stop a knife attack against a Japanese woman and her child.

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

A vocational student’s against-the-odds placement in a math competition draws attention to disparities in education.

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?

A previous plan to build 36 million homes led to widespread corruption.

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

Military leaders’ aggressive rhetoric may say more about China’s domestic politics than its position in the Indo-Pacific.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and first lady Wu Mei-ju gesture after his inaugural speech at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and first lady Wu Mei-ju gesture after his inaugural speech at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.

Taiwan’s New President Pledges Not to Yield to China

Lai Ching-te, inaugurated on Monday, received a relatively mild response from Beijing.

An aerial shot shows lines of dozens of new electric cars, seen from overhead in a packed-dirt lot as they wait to be loaded onto a ship at a port in Yantai, China. Most of the cars are black or white but a few are yellow.
An aerial shot shows lines of dozens of new electric cars, seen from overhead in a packed-dirt lot as they wait to be loaded onto a ship at a port in Yantai, China. Most of the cars are black or white but a few are yellow.

Can the U.S. Catch Up to China on EVs?

It’s not clear if Biden’s expanded tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles will ultimately serve U.S. interests.

Migrants walk by the jungle near Bajo Chiquito, Darién province, Panama, on Sept. 22, 2023.
Migrants walk by the jungle near Bajo Chiquito, Darién province, Panama, on Sept. 22, 2023.

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’s silver medalists, Xu Jiayu, Yan Zibei, Zhang Yufei, and Yang Junxuan, stand on the podium next to the British gold medalists after the final of the mixed 4x100m medley relay swimming event during the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
China’s silver medalists, Xu Jiayu, Yan Zibei, Zhang Yufei, and Yang Junxuan, stand on the podium next to the British gold medalists after the final of the mixed 4x100m medley relay swimming event during the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi prior to their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping walks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi prior to their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

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.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen shakes hands with Pan Gongsheng, the governor of the People’s Bank of China, during her visit to the central bank’s headquarters in Beijing.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen shakes hands with Pan Gongsheng, the governor of the People’s Bank of China, during her visit to the central bank’s headquarters in Beijing.

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.

Philippine Coast Guard personnel are seen aboard an inflatable boat speeding past a Chinese Coast Guard ship after conducting a survey at the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.
Philippine Coast Guard personnel are seen aboard an inflatable boat speeding past a Chinese Coast Guard ship after conducting a survey at the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.

China-Philippines Tensions Heat Up

Saber-rattling in the South China Sea comes as Manila builds alliances in Washington and beyond.

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