Category: China

China’s Threat to Block Rare Earths Has Put Japan on High Alert

Tokyo is concerned at signs that Beijing may be laying the groundwork to restrict access to the metals vital to manufacturing.
China Touts Hainan, Its Duty-Free Island, Amid $1 Trillion Trade Surplus

Policies meant to lure importers to Hainan, a resort island off China’s coast, signal an opening up, Beijing says. One expert calls it a “bait and switch.”
In China, a Debate About Political Power Ignites After Maduro’s Capture

The reactions online revealed a Chinese society divided: Some saw what happened in Venezuela as a playbook for seizing Taiwan, while others warned about ideological rigidity.
How Nicolás Maduro’s Capture Could Reshape the Global Order

The U.S. seizure of Venezuela’s president has governments, executives and investors bracing for wide-reaching business and geopolitical fallout.
China’s Oil Deal With Venezuela Faces Turning Point

Beijing has lent billions to Caracas in recent decades, and the fate of money it is owed is in question after the ouster of Venezuela’s leader.
‘Chinese Peptides’ Are the Latest Biohacking Trend in the Tech World

The gray-market drugs flooding Silicon Valley reveal a community that believes it can move faster than the F.D.A.
Tesla Car Sales Dropped 9% in 2025, Falling Behind China’s BYD

As the largest maker of electric vehicles in the United States, Tesla suffered more than other carmakers from the elimination of federal incentives.
How Japanese Scallops Became a Pawn in Diplomatic Tensions With China

Beijing is using a ban on the humble mollusk to punish Japan over its apparent willingness to defend Taiwan.
Inside China’s Six-Decade Campaign to Dominate Rare Earths

From Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping, generations of Communist Party bosses and military leaders invested in a strategic but heavily polluting industry.
Cheap Solar Is Transforming Lives and Economies Across Africa

Chinese panels are now so affordable that businesses and families are snapping them up, slashing their bills and challenging utilities.
Meet a U.S. Start-Up Trying to Break China’s Rare-Earth Monopoly

Companies like Phoenix Tailings, which recently began producing metal in New Hampshire, are using new processing methods to compete with Chinese suppliers.
Trump’s Seizures of Oil Tankers Challenge Maritime Rules and Customs

Recent U.S. actions against ships near Venezuela may embolden other countries to seize or detain ships, legal experts said.