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Eliot Chen

Staff Writer

eliot@thewire.media

Articles

The Last of the Reformers?

Wang Qishan, China's vice president, was once one of Xi Jinping's closest deputies. But with multiple people in Wang's orbit recently imprisoned or investigated, many think the revered champion of economic reforms has been sidelined. With no obvious successor, the U.S. business community — long...

Fishy Business

A look at the fight against illicit seafood: China’s role in it, the companies involved, and why the U.S. is cracking down on the practice now.

Money Makers

A look at wealth in China: its magnitude, how it’s being spent and invested, and the yawning inequality gap that has only grown in the Xi era. 

China’s Under-Used Grid

A look at China’s electricity grid: how it works, who foots the bill, and how its structure leads to power crunches and expensive prices despite the relative abundance of energy in China. 

Reining in Pony.ai?

A look at the self-driving car startup’s emergence and warm welcome in China, and the challenges it faces amid U.S.-China technological decoupling.