The millions in China who can't afford to retire

Jun 19, 2019
A new pension system doesn't provide as much security.
An elderly man picking trash along Shanghai's streets for $12 a day.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

What the U.S. means when it says it wants more access to China's markets

Jun 11, 2019
Since the Tiananmen protests in 1989, China has allowed citizens more economic freedoms, which have benefited a lot of American brands, but there are still sectors they are heavily restricted in.
A sign directing customers to queue at the entrance of a Starbucks Roastery in Shanghai in early 2018, a few months after it opened.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace

Vietnam cracks down on fake "Made in Vietnam" labels

Jun 11, 2019
The Vietnamese government has promised a crackdown on fake labels and certificates of origin.
This photograph taken on May 24, 2019 shows a Ted Baker brand men's shirt labeled "Made in Vietnam" in a factory in Hanoi.
MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images

Economics helped spur Tiananmen Square protests

Jun 5, 2019
Inflation hit double digits and protesters felt good jobs were rigged in favor of people with political connections.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Tiananmen 30 years on: What are China's youth worried about?

Jun 4, 2019
China's college students are not just concerned with job prospects but also how to have a more balanced life.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace

Some lawmakers want a Huawei-type crackdown on Chinese rail cars

Jun 3, 2019
Critics say this isn't so much about security as it is about eliminating prospective competition.
Visitors check out a model of an Inter-City "EMU" train made by Chinese rail giant CRRC is on display at Innotrans, the railway industrys largest trade fair, in Berlin on September 19, 2018.
JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images

Trump prompts protests with promise of new Mexican tariffs

May 31, 2019
Donald Trump says he is placing a 5% tariff on Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to curb immigration into the U.S. by undocumented migrants.
Aerial view of cargo trucks heading to the United States lining up near the commercial port of entry in Otay, in Tijuana, Baja California state on May 30, 2019.
GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Why China wants to stock more than 200,000 tons of pork

May 30, 2019
Some countries stockpile grain and petroleum. China has both, plus a national pork reserve.
A local meat market in Shanghai is dominated by pork stands. Pork is a staple in the Chinese diet and accounts for 70% of all meat consumed in China.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Why a mystery social media account on the U.S.-China trade talks is generating buzz

May 28, 2019
China’s state-run media has been tight-lipped about trade talks, but a mystery social media account seems to have the inside track.
A headline on a Taoran Notes article on the U.S.-China trade talks reads: "Without sincerity, there is no point in coming for talks and nothing to talk about.” Credit: Taoran Notes/WeChat
Taoran Notes/WeChat

Could tariffs make U.S. businesses less productive in the long run?

May 24, 2019
Higher tariffs on Chinese imports, especially those that are used to make things in the U.S., can cut efficiency and competitiveness, experts say.
Chinese shipping containers that were unloaded at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County in 2018.
Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images