By Mei-Ling Chen
Shanghai-based correspondent covering Chinese politics, economy, cross-Strait relations and the Party apparatus.
China's Ethnic Unity Law Extends Legal Reach to Taiwan and Overseas Chinese
China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, effective July 1, includes provisions that target Taiwan and overseas Chinese. Taiwan's government wa
US Watchdog Tracks AI Industry Ties to Trump Administration
A US watchdog has created a database to track what it calls 'AI villains'—executives and officials pushing deregulation. The Revolving Door
China's Nvidia Chip, Soybean Moves Signal Thaw Ahead of Xi-Trump Summit
China has approved imports of up to 200,000 Nvidia H200 AI chips for firms like Alibaba and ByteDance. Beijing also booked large soybean car
China's Multi-Pronged Strategy to Counter US Chip Export Controls
China is advancing its own extreme ultraviolet lithography machines and exploring chip stacking to circumvent US export bans. Washington sus
China's Economic Crash: The Real Estate Bust That Beijing Couldn't Dodge
China's real estate bust has led to a hidden economic crash, with youth unemployment spiking and industrial loans fueling zombie companies.
Compasses Over Maps: China's AI Focuses on Navigating Change
China's AI breakthroughs emphasize coordination and adaptation over imitation. This focus stems from a cultural tradition of navigating chan
Peter Thiel Accuses Pope of Acting as Chinese Agent Over AI Criticism
Peter Thiel accused Pope Leo XIV of inadvertently serving as a Chinese communist agent by criticizing AI. The tech billionaire argued that t
China's Housing Market in Free Fall as Buyers Wait for Lower Prices
China's home prices fell again in June 2026, with 88 of 100 major cities reporting declines. Buyers are deferring purchases, betting on furt
China's 40 Million EVs Are Becoming a Distributed AI Computing Network
China's 40 million electric vehicles, idle most of the day, could be repurposed as a distributed AI computing network. CATL's Robin Zeng out
US Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship, Rejects Trump's Executive Order
The US Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 that children born on American soil are citizens regardless of their parents' immigration status. The dec
Nvidia's Beijing Pitch Fails as China Doubles Down on Tech Self-Sufficiency
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang flew to Beijing with President Trump's delegation to sell H200 chips, but China refused. Beijing is prioritizing tec
A Father's Gamble: Sending a Westernized Son to Tsinghua Pays Off
A Hong Kong family took a gamble sending their Westernized son to Tsinghua University, despite his weak Mandarin. Four years later, he gradu