In China, chasing debt after the COVID-19 lockdown

Jun 23, 2020
Delayed payments are a normal part of doing business in China. That works OK when the economy is bustling — but not anymore.
A recent survey showed 66% of Chinese firms had clients delay payments last year. Then the pandemic hit.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

In China, a battle over national security law and a commitment to the U.S. trade deal

May 22, 2020
Also making news: China’s premier Li Keqiang broke from tradition and did not announce an economic growth target.
A security guard wears a protective mask as he stands after the opening of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People on May 22, 2020 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

China's first holiday break since COVID-19 sees 60% drop in tourism revenue

There are still many virus prevention measures that deter people from traveling.
Businesses are being held responsible for screening virus carriers. If an outbreak happens, they could get shut down.
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

A Shanghai postcard: life after the COVID-19 economic shutdown

Apr 27, 2020
With masks, fever checks and health QR codes, there are signs that the coronavirus still poses a threat to daily life.
Marketplace's Jennifer Pak on a hike three hours outside of Shanghai. Before departing, she had to make sure she could return to the city without being quarantined.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace

Wuhan returns to life after COVID-19 lockdown

Apr 9, 2020
In the city of 11 million, it is far from business as usual.
People sit outside Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in the hope of taking one of the first trains leaving the city in China's central Hubei province on April 8.
Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

How do Chinese employees get paid for February when they didn't work?

Apr 1, 2020
Most people in China are just getting paid wages for February and by law, employees are supposed to receive their regular salaries even when their companies were shut because of the coronavirus. Did they?
Workers in Shanghai are back on the roads as the Chinese economy tries to gear up again.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

China COVID-19 shut-in tunes in to the world via radio

Mar 9, 2020
Our Shanghai correspondent, forced to stay home like so many others, shares what she's hearing about the virus on the airwaves.
Although it's hard to breathe while wearing a face mask for an extended period of time, they're now required in all public spaces in Shanghai.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace

For public good, not for profit.

COVID-19: Office disruptions in Shanghai

Feb 25, 2020
Chinese officials say they will help businesses resume operations, but trying to adhere to all the rules may make one's head spin.
The few remaining restaurants open in Shanghai are forced to only offer take-out service in recent days.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

What people are (and aren't) spending money on during the coronavirus outbreak

Feb 19, 2020
Forgoing the Chinese Lunar New Year festivities means spending less money on partying and spending a lot of time indoors.
A vegetable stand in Wuhan City, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Resident Tian Changxing said vegetables are in short supply in the city.
Tian Changxing

Shanghai and coronavirus: living in a ghost town

Feb 4, 2020
Our China correspondent takes us on a tour of the usually bustling financial center, where fears and precautions have made it eerily quiet. You can even hear the birds sing.
Marketplace's China correspondent Jennifer Pak used to wear face masks outdoors to protect against air pollution, but now the Chinese government advises residents to wear them whenever they are out of their homes.
Jennifer Pak/Marketpace