By Mei-Ling Chen
Shanghai-based correspondent covering Chinese politics, economy, cross-Strait relations and the Party apparatus.
US Clinical Trial Reform: Trust, Not Speed, Key to Competing with China
The US is losing ground to China in clinical drug trials, with China accounting for 39% of global trials in 2024. The FDA's new pilot progra
Why AI Will Never Master Diplomacy: The Limits of Algorithmic Prediction
AI can process thousands of documents in minutes, but diplomacy hinges on leaders who deliberately defy patterns. From Trump's tariff revers
Asia's Space Race: China, Japan, India Challenge US Dominance
NASA's Artemis III mission marks a step toward returning humans to the Moon, but Asian powers are closing the gap. China plans a crewed luna
China retaliates against US with dual sanctions on defense and rare earth firms
China's Ministry of Finance banned procurement from 46 US defense firms, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The Commerce Ministry added
Chinese Investors Secretly Acquired SpaceX Stakes Before IPO, Records Show
A businessman with ties to Chinese military contractors was among overseas investors who acquired SpaceX stakes before its IPO. An entity li
Why Gaza's True Death Toll Is Deliberately Underreported
The official Gaza death toll of around 73,000 is widely considered a severe undercount. Independent estimates range from hundreds of thousan
Xiaomi's AI Model Rises from Obscurity to Challenge China's Frontier Labs
Xiaomi's MiMo AI model, launched in April 2025, has rapidly climbed to rival top Chinese models like DeepSeek. The company's trillion-parame
Beijing's Quiet Victory: How the US-Iran Deal Secures China's Energy Lifeline
The US-Iran memorandum of understanding restores stability to the Strait of Hormuz, Asia's critical energy corridor. China, India, Japan, an
How Beijing's Red Lines Quietly Reshape Global Newsrooms
Beijing's red lines are reshaping global journalism, as newsrooms soften language or lose access to avoid retaliation. A new report finds 86
Xi's Capital Controls Tighten as China's Economic Fixes Fall Short
China's latest capital controls restrict citizens from moving money abroad, echoing the 'birdcage' metaphor. Analysts say the crackdown may
China's Universities Surge to Top of Global Research Rankings, Reshaping Science
Zhejiang University has overtaken Harvard as the world's top research university in the 2026 Nature Index. China's share of papers in top jo
US-Iran Peace Deal Shakes China's Energy Calculus and Geopolitical Position
The US-Iran peace deal reopens the Strait of Hormuz, easing China's oil supply crisis but ending its privileged access to discounted Iranian