The Supplicant and the Sovereign

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, May 20, 2026. *Credit: Russian Presidential Executive Office 2026*

When Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met this week in Beijing, the choreography was, as ever, immaculate. Two leaders, two flags, the ritual affirmation

Subscribe or login to read the rest.

Subscribers get full access to:

Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.

We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.

Includes images from Depositphotos.com

Cover Story

Catch Us If You Can

Trial proceedings in United States v Huawei Technologies, now underway in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, are shedding light on the hidden workings of the Chinese tech champion. The Wire China reports from Judge Ann Donnelly’s courtroom.

Q & A

Robert D. Kaplan on the China Whisperers Who Shaped How the U.S. Views Its Main Rival
By Brent Crane

The writer and historian talks about his new book on the key men and women that have influenced America’s approach to China over the last century, and the dangers of ‘groupthink’ among China hands.

The Big Picture

Short Dramas are Big Business in China
By Savannah Billman

China’s short drama industry is taking up a big chunk of the country’s AI capacity, with ByteDance now dominating the market.

Corporate Risk Intelligence for National Security, Compliance & Due Diligence

Explore WireScreen

The Wire China

The Supplicant and the Sovereign

How Xi is rewriting the terms of the Russia-China partnership.

Catch Us If You Can

Robert D. Kaplan on the China Whisperers Who Shaped How the U.S. Views Its Main Rival
By Brent Crane

Short Dramas are Big Business in China
By Savannah Billman

Corporate Risk Intelligence for National Security, Compliance & Due Diligence

The Wire China Archives

Robert D. Kaplan on the China Whisperers Who Shaped How the U.S. Views Its Main Rival By Brent Crane

Short Dramas are Big Business in China By Savannah Billman

Corporate Risk Intelligence for National Security, Compliance & Due Diligence

The Wire China Archives

Robert D. Kaplan on the China Whisperers Who Shaped How the U.S. Views Its Main Rival
By Brent Crane

Short Dramas are Big Business in China
By Savannah Billman