2024 U.S. election: views from China

Oct 18, 2024
U.S. work visa applicants in Shanghai have mixed feelings on which presidential candidate would be better for China-U.S. relations.
People line up to apply for a visa at the U.S. consulate in Shanghai. The number of Chinese citizens going to America for work, study and travel has been dropping since U.S.-China tensions escalated in 2018.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Why OPEC is downgrading its demand forecast for the 3rd time in 3 months

Oct 14, 2024
Oil demand is still expected to grow in the coming year, but more slowly, and especially in China.
China imports more crude oil than any other country in the world. And right now, it's having economic problems.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

China ramps up exchanges with U.S. youths, including NYU teams

Oct 8, 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to invite 50,000 American youths before 2029 to help stabilize U.S.-China relations.
The NYU women's basketball team high-fives Chinese players from Shanghai Jiao Tong University before a tournament over the summer in China. The game was billed as a friendly competition.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

A "temperature check" on U.S.-China economic relations

We talked with Jay Shambaugh of the Treasury Department, leader of the most recent U.S.-China Economic Working Group meeting.
cbarnesphotography/Getty Images

E-payments are essential in China, but still tricky for foreign visitors

Sep 26, 2024
China has simplified some of its mobile payment app set ups to make it easier for visitors, but how easy are they to use?
WeChat is one of two key mobile payment apps that have dominated daily life in China since the pandemic.
RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images

He bought a property in China. Nine years later, he got the key.

Sep 24, 2024
Chen Peng wanted a home to attract a wife. Condo projects fraught with financial and legal battles made him wait nearly a decade.
Chen Peng recently moved into a new condo in Zhengzhou city that lacked any amenities or finishing touches. Its bare-bones condition allowed him to afford the down payment, which he made almost a decade ago.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

China slows down growth in global oil demand

Sep 16, 2024
A softening real estate market and the growing popularity of electric vehicles have contributed to a drop in oil consumption.
While growth in electric vehicles may shift demand away from gasoline, Ken Medlock of Rice University sees the slowdown in overall oil demand growth as temporary.
AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Why Apple owes Ireland $14 billion in taxes

Sep 13, 2024
In this week's "Make Me Smart" newsletter, we explain why Europe's highest court ruled Apple owed billions in unfair tax breaks. Plus, we explore ghost towns put up for sale and do the numbers on Chinese adoptions worldwide.
Apple's European headquarters in Cork City, Ireland.
Getty Images

How can China make EVs that sell for less than $20,000?

Sep 9, 2024
Chinese carmakers can sell affordable EVs because of subsidies, fierce competition, a comprehensive supply chain and cheap labor.
“The problem with the market at the moment is that there’s a void of vehicles priced below $35,000. And there are plenty of buyers who want them,” says Sam Fiorani with AutoForecast Solutions.
Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

Inside China's "superchip" black market

Aug 29, 2024
Powerful computer chips are sold in Shenzhen markets despite U.S. restrictions on exports, says Ana Swanson of the New York Times.
An electronics store in a Shenzhen tech market, where vendors are selling some restricted NVIDIA superchips.
Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images