Get a NEW artist-designed Marketplace sweatshirt when you donate $8/month ... for a limited time! Give Now

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

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

Does lipstick still have economic staying power?

Aug 19, 2024
Historically, when the economy gets rough, sales of lipstick go up. But for luxury beauty brands, that may not still be the case.
Luxury skincare and makeup was doing well a couple years ago. But now, with the price of everything up, consumers are reassessing what counts as a "little luxury" purchase.
Larry French/Getty Images for NYX Professional Makeup

For public good, not for profit.

Can food tourism help China's cash-strapped cities?

Aug 14, 2024
Last spring, the industrial town Zibo became a tourist hot spot because of its unique barbecue. Is that a recipe for healthy budgets?
The city of Zibo became a hot spot for tourists seeking out authentic barbecue.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

China pledges tax reform. That is a big deal for this socialist country.

Jul 24, 2024
Why China's leaders have long delayed tax reforms in the socialist country.
A shelf displaying China's national drink - a fiery grain spirit called baijiu. A change in consumption tax may soon push prices up even further.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Will the EU follow the U.S. on economic policy and China?

The European Union relies heavily on China for technologies and products needed for the clean energy transition.
Kevin Frayer/Getty Images