Good evening. Money from the CHIPS Act, the Biden administration’s signature legislation to build up U.S. chip production, is starting to hit the economy. But the chip fabs the legislation promised are still something of a mirage. Our cover story this week examines if America is ready to compete in a new era of high-tech industrial strategy. Elsewhere, we have infographics on Xiaomi’s EV gamble; an interview with Dali Yang on the mistakes made in Covid’s early days; a reported piece on the state of U.S.-China cooperation on fentanyl; and an op-ed on how Amazon paved the way for Shein and Temu. If you’re not already a paid subscriber to The Wire, please sign up here.
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The Chip Comeback
What is so hard about making chips in America? And can the U.S. do anything about it? As part of his series, ‘Remaking the Chain,’ Luke Patey went searching for answers from America’s past and from the last country to threaten its mantle as the world’s leading economy.
The Big Picture: Xiaomi’s Electrifying Gamble
The company became a household name selling budget smartphones, but is now staking its reputation on electric vehicles. This week’s infographics by Aaron Mc Nicholas trace Xiaomi’s path in entering the EV market, and assesses its chances for success as a latecomer to an already saturated market.
A Q&A with Dali Yang
Dali Yang is the William Claude Reavis professor of political science at the University of Chicago. His latest book, Wuhan: How the COVID-19 Outbreak in China Spiraled out of Control, is a deeply researched account of the early days of the pandemic. In it, Yang shows how a combination of failed reporting processes, groupthink among many experts, and inherent weaknesses in China’s political system contributed to the virus’s rapid spread through the city and beyond. In this interview with Andrew Peaple, he talks about the book and how it ties into his earlier research into China’s governance system, which has included books on the post-Mao reform era and the balance between central and local government power.
Dali Yang
Illustration by Kate Copeland
The Fentanyl Fix
The U.S. and China agreed to cooperate on fentanyl, but progress is proving hard to come by. Katrina Northrop reports.
How Amazon Paved the Way for Shein and Temu
Who’s to blame for the stunning rise of Shein and Temu? How about Amazon, argues Shai Oster in this week’s op-ed.
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