My Analog LifeHow We SurviveI've Always Wondered ...A Warmer World

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Jennifer Pak

China Correspondent

SHORT BIO

Jennifer is Marketplace’s China correspondent, based in Shanghai. She tells stories about the world’s second-biggest economy and why Americans should care about it.

She arrived in Beijing in 2006 with few journalism contacts but quickly set up her own news bureau. Her work has appeared in many news outlets, including the BBC, NPR and The Financial Times. After covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jennifer moved to Kuala Lumpur to be the BBC’s Malaysia correspondent. She reported on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and Edward Snowden’s brief escape to Hong Kong. Jennifer returned to China in 2015, based in the high-tech hub of Shenzhen, before joining Marketplace two years later.

In 2022, Jennifer, along with 25 million Shanghai residents, was locked down for over 60 days and had to scramble for food. The coverage of the pandemic she and her team produced helped earn them a Gracie and a National Headliner Award in 2023. You can see the food Jennifer was able to get during the Shanghai lockdown here and keep up with her tasty finds across China on Instagram at @jpakradio.

Episodes by Jennifer (3)

Marketplace Tech

Why deepfakes of foreigners are selling goods on Chinese social media

May 14, 2024
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Marketplace Tech

Why there's no TikTok in China

Apr 3, 2024
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Make Me Smart | Episode 239

U.S.-China relations are bad, but are they 'new Cold War' bad?

Jul 21, 2020
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Latest Stories (228)

In Shanghai, vacant storefronts abound, but it's still a struggle to find space

by Jennifer Pak
Jan 9, 2024
China's housing bubble has popped, and the commercial property market is going through a rough patch.
For lease signs are posted on an empty Shanghai coffee shop. The commercial property market is going through a transition after the city's severe pandemic lockdown.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace
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Who's better at my job, Chinese AI or me?

by Jennifer Pak
Dec 4, 2023
Makers of AI chatbots have promised it would change how we work. Our reporter put that theory to the test with China's Ernie Bot.
Baidu's AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, gives an error message on Aug. 31 in response to a question about a potential war over Taiwan. It reads, "Try another question."
Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
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How easy is it for foreign visitors to use Chinese apps?

by Jennifer Pak
Nov 21, 2023
Chinese apps are becoming more embedded in daily life in China, but many obstacles remain for foreign visitors to use them.
Thailand's Napatr Morin learned some Chinese before visiting China for the first time to sell her rice cracker snacks. She says knowing the language, or bringing someone who speaks Chinese is crucial for business and to use Chinese apps to get around.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace
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In China, marriage numbers have fallen, but those who choose to marry have their reasons

by Jennifer Pak
Oct 17, 2023
People get married for love, traditional cultural beliefs and to have a social safety net.
A couple takes wedding photos in a Shanghai park.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace
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One man's crisis of confidence in China

by Jennifer Pak
Oct 2, 2023
China’s economy has not been recovering as fast as hoped for after the zero-COVID policy ended, partly due to a lack of confidence.
A bustling market in China's Liaoning province. China's economy has not rebounded as quickly as anticipated, partly because of a lack of confidence among its people.
STR/AFP via Getty Images
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Members-only retailers are a status symbol in China

by Jennifer Pak
Sep 18, 2023
While regular supermarkets are struggling in China, aspirational consumers keep Sam’s Club, Costco and its Chinese competitor Freshippo X expanding.
A shopper walks out with a full shopping cart from a Sam's Club in Shanghai. Membership retailers are expanding in China despite traditional supermarkets struggling.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace
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Chinese video game designers experiment with AI

by Jennifer Pak
Sep 13, 2023
China's video gaming sector is the first to feel the impact of generative artificial intelligence.
An AI-generated animation character by a Chinese video gaming firm in Chengdu city.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace
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China's President Xi is set to miss the G20 summit

by David Brancaccio , Jennifer Pak , Alex Schroeder and Ariana Rosas
Sep 8, 2023
It would be the first time since 2008 that a Chinese president sits out the meeting of the world's major economies.
Noel Celis-Pool/Getty Images
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What China's domestic tourism recovery looks like at a seafood market

by Jennifer Pak
Aug 30, 2023
There's more foot traffic than in December, but that doesn't always translate into more spending at Xiamen's Bashi.
Seafood snack and fruit stall vendors in Xiamen say the crowds are back to pre-pandemic levels at Bashi, the Eight Seafood Market, but business is just OK.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace
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Chinese animation house puts AI capabilities to the test

by Jennifer Pak
Aug 21, 2023
Base Media and iQiyi see potential for a creative edge in a competitive market. But U.S. clients worry about copyright infringement.
A screenshot of an animation after AI tools were applied. The brick wall and background are generated by AI.
Courtesy Base Media/iQiyi Wonderworks
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