Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

How easy is it for foreign visitors to use Chinese apps?

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

US may expand restrictions on Chinese access to American tech exports

Oct 21, 2022
The concern is the potential use of advanced technologies for military purposes.
Russell Funk, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota and a co-author of the paper, explains why science may be slowing.
Annabelle Chih/Getty Images

China’s crackdown on Didi may signal tougher curbs on tech

Jul 14, 2021
The Peterson Institute’s Martin Chorzempa believes the state wants greater control of information, but he doesn’t expect delisting from foreign exchanges.
A logo of Didi Chuxing in Hangzhou, China. The ride-hailing firm was forced to stop downloads of its app from stores shortly after going public on the New York Stock Exchange.
STR/AFP via Getty Images

App wars between China and U.S. caught in tit-for-tat dynamic

Oct 1, 2020
Chinese officials seem to ignore the fact that they put up many obstacles for U.S. tech firms to operate in China.
Chinese smartphone users in Shanghai are largely blocked from accessing U.S. social media apps because of longstanding trade barriers.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Will U.S. action against SMIC hurt China's tech sector?

Sep 28, 2020
The Trump administration has long harbored suspicions that the semiconductor company supplies Chinese military interests.
Workers build semiconductors at a factory in Beijing. The U.S. ban on doing business with SMIC is the latest in a long string of U.S.-China conflicts.
Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images

COVID-19 tests the limits of online schooling tech in China

Apr 21, 2020
Among the challenges: How do you teach gym class to students stuck in tiny apartments?
Ada Lu chats with her classmates in online group discussions every day but she hasn't seen them in person for more than two months and misses playing with her friends.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Shenzhen: birthplace to Huawei — plus several other Chinese tech behemoths

Jun 27, 2019
The city has made a name for itself as China's Silicon Valley with three factors: government support, speed and location.
The Shenzhen skyline, including the Shenzhen World Financial Center illuminated by green lights, in 2010.
Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

In AI race, it's sometimes hard to say who’s winning

Feb 11, 2019
President Donald Trump signed an executive order this afternoon to create a program to boost U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. No new funding per se, that’s up to Congress. But the White House is directing federal agencies to prioritize AI investments, develop training programs, and collaborate with international allies. The American AI Initiative — that’s what […]