The battle for rare earths has reached the abyss. China thinks it can win there too, as it out-maneuvers the U.S. and New Zealand in the South Pacific.
Illustration by Pete Ryan
On February 14, as the ninth Asian Winter Games drew to a spectacular close, few watching Chinese state television would have recognized the stocky, open-shirted man sitting beside Premier Li Qiang in the VIP box of Harbin’s Convention and Exhibition Center.
Mark Brown, prime minister of the Cook Islands, wasn’t in Heilongjiang’s frozen capital for sport — nor its famous ice sculptures.
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Mark Brown, meets with Chinese Premier Li Qiang
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After years of planning and investment, robotaxis are finally hitting the road in China. Accidents and the impact of self-driving vehicles on employment remain concerns, but the government remains committed to developing the industry into a global leader.
China’s five-year long property market woes have transformed the sector, but there are signs the government is determined to arrest the slide this year.
The economist explains why local governments’ debt woes are the key to China’s economic issues, and why the country could do with more Taylor Swift concerts.
Now on podcast platforms everywhere, The Wire China hits the airwaves to take you behind the scenes of the stories we cover each week. We are dedicated to understanding and explaining one of the biggest stories of our time: China’s economic rise and its influence on the world.
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