By Mei-Ling Chen
Shanghai-based correspondent covering Chinese politics, economy, cross-Strait relations and the Party apparatus.
Why Economic Openings Often Deepen Repression in Autocracies
Economic liberalization was supposed to weaken autocracies, but many become more repressive instead. Jose Kaire's research shows that dictat
China Launches Global AI Body as Xi Urges Cooperation Over Competition
Xi Jinping framed AI as a symphony of international cooperation at the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai. Twenty-nine countries signed th
How End-Times Prophecy Moved from Fringe to US Elite Circles
Peter Thiel's secret society 'Dialog' and US military references to Armageddon signal a shift in elite thinking. This apocalyptic worldview
Power of Siberia 2 Deadlock Exposes Limits of Russia-China 'No Limits' Partnership
Beijing has told Moscow to stop negotiating the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline due to a massive price gap. China demands a domestic Russian rat
Ukraine's Defense Minister Dismissal Sparks Protests and Political Crisis
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy dismissed reformist Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, sparking protests in Kyiv and other cities. The move fo
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