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.

Latest Stories (225)

In China, marriage numbers have fallen, but those who choose to marry have their reasons

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

One man's crisis of confidence in China

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

Members-only retailers are a status symbol in China

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

Chinese video game designers experiment with AI

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

China's President Xi is set to miss the G20 summit

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

What China's domestic tourism recovery looks like at a seafood market

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

Chinese animation house puts AI capabilities to the test

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

In China, prices have been falling for too long

Deflation has led to lost revenue for companies, layoffs, and decreased consumer spending.
Falling prices might be what the U.S. is aiming for, but in China, too much of a good thing is leading to layoffs and decreased spending.
Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

Why it's getting more expensive to hire workers in China

Aug 9, 2023
China’s government is making employers pay more into its social welfare system, just as the economy is stalling.
STR/AFP via Getty Images

Reviving China's rural economy, one peach tree at a time

Jul 25, 2023
Chinese officials have pushed for young entrepreneurs to return and revitalize the countryside, but the task is complex.
Liu Pingfu dreamed of working in the big city when he was young, but is keen to return to the countryside.
Christian Petersen-Clausen for Marketplace