Nicholas Borst on China’s Complicated Relationship with the Private Sector
The analyst on how Beijing’s need for control hamstrings its businesses and entrepreneurs.
Articles
The One Chinese Toy that Even Trump Tariffs Can’t Kill
Pop Mart, the company behind Labubu, is a rare example of a Chinese toy company finding global success with its own product.
The Hunt for an Heir
The entrepreneurs at the forefront of China’s economic emergence in the 1980s and '90s are retiring. Who will succeed them?
China’s Aging Migrant Workforce
Some 300 million Chinese workers are facing a more precarious future amid the country’s economic transition.
Hong Kong’s ‘Conscience’ Leaves the Stage
David Webb, who for years fought for fairer markets and better-run companies in Hong Kong, passed away on January 13, 2026. In tribute, we are resurfacing this article about his career, first published in May 2025.
Paul G. Clifford on How China Made it Easier to Move Things Around
The business strategist and historian of modern China talks about robots in Chinese warehouses and fixing broken links.
“A Vicious Cycle”
Squeezed by commercial and political pressures, China’s book publishers face an existential crisis.
China’s Self-driving Danger
Automakers are striving to offer ever more advanced car models, but are they taking too many risks with driver safety?
U.S.-China Drugs Tie-ups Come Under Threat
A surge in dealmaking that's helped Chinese biotech and healthcare firms sell their products globally faces several headwinds.
Beijing’s Uranium Edge
China has the upper hand in the battle for nuclear fuel but is on the hunt for more.
A Seat at Xi’s Table
A deep dive into the private companies invited to meet the Chinese leader.
The Quantum Panic
The U.S. wants to be prepared for whatever quantum technologies bring, but is it time to rightsize the threat from China?