China's consumers cautious about economy as top officials meet

Jul 15, 2024
Growth is being held back by weak domestic demand and a real estate crisis.
Customers are sparse at a newly opened coffee shop in central Shanghai.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Why steel prices have been sagging all year

Jul 9, 2024
Slowing demand in construction and manufacturing in the U.S. and around the globe have pulled steel prices lower for months.
Two reasons steel prices have dropped? Slowed construction spending and flat-ish manufacturing activity.
David Becker/Getty Images

Some families drop out of China's education rat race

Jul 8, 2024
Seeking balance and well-being, urbanites pull their kids out of the country's ultracompetitive system and head to village schools.
Eight-year-old A Wu plays during lunchtime in Sizhai village. He had struggled at a big-city school, so his family relocated.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace

Business reactions to Biden Administration tariffs vary widely

Jun 26, 2024
Some businesses say the new tariffs will put them on a level playing field with Chinese exporters. Others see little advantage.
Biden is keeping many  Trump-era tariffs and introducing new ones, including lithium ion batteries, electric vehicles and feeding tube parts. 
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

What if your deepfake was circulating halfway across the world in China?

Jun 21, 2024
Deepfakes of foreigners have been cropping up more frequently on Chinese social media.
A Chinese social media account showing deepfakes of a foreigner who turns out to be a real person in the U.S.: journalism professor Andrea Gabor.
Kuaishou

How tariffs compare in the Biden and Trump eras

May 14, 2024
Both used tariffs to support American jobs and industries. But the Biden administration's have been higher and more targeted.
President Biden announced increased tariffs on Chinese products Tuesday. The current administration's levies are higher and more targeted than those under Donald Trump.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Commerce chief lays out blueprint for chip manufacturing in America

May 10, 2024
The supply chain is being built to reduce U.S. vulnerability and seize opportunities like artificial intelligence, Raimondo says.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo discussed chips, China and jobs with Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal in Washington.
Nancy Farghalli/Marketplace

For public good, not for profit.

One of China's hottest toys sold millions. The inventor made $830.

May 9, 2024
A person who comes up with a good idea might not always reap the rewards in China's manufacturing ecosystem.
It's hard to spot which carrot knives are originals and which ones are copies.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Inflation is "not yet where it needs to be," Treasury Secretary Yellen says

May 9, 2024
Janet Yellen addresses the state of the U.S. economy and underscores the country's rivalry and collaboration with China in an interview.
"I think it's important for Americans to understand how critical democracy is to economic performance," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says. Above, Yellen testifies at a House Ways and Means committee hearing on April 30.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Can Macao — the "Las Vegas of the East" — move beyond gambling?

May 8, 2024
China wants to transform Macao, known as the "Las Vegas of the East," into a real Vegas that relies more on entertainment and tourism, and less on gambling for its revenues. 
Chinese tourists take photos outside Macao's Londoner Casino in October 2023.
Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images