The Wire China

The Wire is an online news magazine focused on uncovering and explaining one of the most significant narratives of our era: China's economic growth and its impact on worldwide business, finance, trade, labor, and the environment. Launched by David Barboza, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who reported from Shanghai for The New York Times, this weekly publication features a diverse team of independent journalists from around the globe. Many of these reporters have extensive backgrounds in covering China and its changing role in the global landscape. Our goal is to deliver precise and fair reporting as we seek the truth, “without fear or favor.” Through our efforts, we aim to earn your trust and capture your interest.

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Paul G. Clifford on How China Made it Easier to Move Things Around

3 days ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Rachel Cheung

Face-Off: U.S. vs. ChinaA podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all. In a special bonus episode recorded live at the Asia Society, host Jane Perlez speaks with journalist and scholar Orville Schell about his 50 years covering Chinese leaders and their American counterparts. They attempt to answer the question: how did we get here?
Xi Jinping’s Disappearing Generals

3 days ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie

Good evening. For Xi Jinping, to lose one of his six most senior military officers on suspicion of “serious violations of discipline” is unfortunate. But to lose two such generals — and possibly a third — on such grounds suggests something is seriously awry in the People’s Liberation Army.
The Tariff Enforcement Test

3 days ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Noah Berman

The era of ultracheap goods flowing from Chinese factories to U.S. ports may be over, but the headaches for those who have to implement America’s new tariff regime have only just begun. An excerpt from a CBP notice released April 28, 2025. Credit: Federal RegisterLast Friday, President Donald Trump scratched the so-called de minimis exemption for China and Hong Kong, which allowed most goods costing less than $800 to enter the United States duty-free.
The Trade War’s Pharma Carve-Out

3 days ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Noah Berman

Face-Off: U.S. vs. ChinaA podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all. In a special bonus episode recorded live at the Asia Society, host Jane Perlez speaks with journalist and scholar Orville Schell about his 50 years covering Chinese leaders and their American counterparts. They attempt to answer the question: how did we get here?
“A Vicious Cycle”

1 week ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Rachel Cheung

Face-Off: U.S. vs. ChinaA podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all. In a special bonus episode recorded live at the Asia Society, host Jane Perlez speaks with journalist and scholar Orville Schell about his 50 years covering Chinese leaders and their American counterparts. They attempt to answer the question: how did we get here?
Despite Trump, Europe Should Not Flee into China’s Arms

1 week ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Alicia Garcia-Herrero

One would think Europe had already learned its lesson about the huge costs of strategic dependencies. The continent’s first reality shock came with China during the pandemic, when Europe had to beg for ventilators and masks. Its second major dependency, which turned out to be extremely costly, was on Russian gas, as exposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
How China’s Book Publishers "Dance in Their Chains"

1 week ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie

Good evening. Chinese book publishers have long complained that they “dance in chains”, but at least they could dance. Over recent years, however, intense commercial pressures stemming from the Covid pandemic suggest the music is about to stop for an industry that is also hemmed in by President Xi Jinping’s uncompromising censorship regime.
Meredith Oyen on Chinese Immigration Into the United States

1 week ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Evan Peng

Face-Off: U.S. vs. ChinaA podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all. In a special bonus episode recorded live at the Asia Society, host Jane Perlez speaks with journalist and scholar Orville Schell about his 50 years covering Chinese leaders and their American counterparts. They attempt to answer the question: how did we get here?
Chagee’s Last-Gasp Listing

1 week ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Noah Berman

If Chinese company listings on U.S. stock exchanges are soon to be a thing of the past, at least they are leaving with a good taste in the mouth. Chagee, a fast growing tea store chain, floated on the Nasdaq on April 17, raising some $411 million. Since then its shares have defied the gloom looming over American markets, rising by 10 percent and valuing the company at more than $6 billion. This week, the chain’s first U.S. store opened at a mall in Los Angeles.
How Trump’s China Policy Looks at the 100-Day Mark

2 weeks ago | thewirechina.com | Ella Apostoaie |Ali Wyne

President Donald Trump holds a newly signed Executive Order, March 26, 2025. Credit: The White House via Flickr Few observers expected U.S.-China relations to improve significantly during the second Trump administration. The speed with which they have deteriorated, however, is surprising and concerning.