***MORE NEWS*** Here's what I'm up to next ... heading to Beijing (visa pending). Excited to join the talented NPR lot! I'll still continue to post my tasty finds on IG at jpakradio. And thanks to @memostothefuture.bsky.social I finally got the Shanghai skyline in the backdrop of my profile pic.

*SOME NEWS 1/4* I’ve been covering China on-and-off since 2006. A foreign correspondent/mentor once told me that every country he’s been posted in, he would try to go to every province/state at least once. I’ve hit only 3/4 of China’s provinces/autonomous regions/megacities for travel and work.

China has high youth unemployment. Same time, there are tens of millions of skilled jobs going unfilled. We visited one robotics training center trying to bridge that gap. 🎧👉 www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1... With thanks to Charles, Stephanie, Gary, voiceover artists and the digital team

It's been almost a month since China launched its K visa for science and tech talent, but no detailed requirements have been forthcoming. The announcement was made back in August to little public reaction. So, why the backlash now? Listen to the audio story👇 www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...

A plea to podcast makers: monitor your audio levels. It’s jarring to pump the episode volume to max, then blow my eardrums over a notification ping. Typically I keep background noise peaking -18db to -12db and voice -9db to -6db, but get decent headsets to ensure everything is balanced. DM for help

Nearly 250,000 Chinese students are studying in the U.S. this fall, most of them are in post-secondary institutions. That is a 36% drop from the peak in 2017. Find out why and where students are going. Hit the 'Listen Now' button for the audio story 👉 www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1...

Happy mid-autumn festival! 中秋节快乐. My camera won’t do justice to the beautiful full moon. So please enjoy the little light show along the Bund instead.

You've heard of people falling in love with AI, but I'm going to tell you a story about an AI heartbreak. A few months ago, a friend forwarded me a rather haunting video about a so-called 'cyber widow.' You can listen to her story: www.marketplace.org/episode/2025... [hit the 'Listen now' button]

About 4 years ago, global investors worried about a 'Lehman moment' when China's Evergrande defaulted on its debt, with liabilities worth over $300 billion. No such collapse happened. Here's a slightly deeper dive on why. Listen to the audio story here: www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

Unlike in the U.S., there has not been as much public discourse in China about what happens to the humans replaced by AI. So I asked some Chinese firms about it at the recent World AI Conference in Shanghai. Listen (hit the 'listen now' button) 👉 www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...

Nice to have a longer chat about why people think China's data isn't trustworthy on the Make Me Smart podcast. I wish I had added that it is common for people to disagree on how stats are calculated. The issue in China is people think the stats are politicized. www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...

His made-in-America products rely on raw materials from China, like titanium. Here's how U.S. manufacturer is doing now: Listen 👉 www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

We check in with Chinese consumers, this time more affluent ones, on what is weighing on their minds this summer. Listen to the audio story and read the extended web version👉 www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0... With thanks to Charles, Caitlin, Gary, voiceover artists and digital team.

Looked up from the bus and saw big crowds near Shanghai’s Nanjing West street…

Some 12 million students in China will graduate this year and their job prospects are shaky. ICYMI check out our report speaking to Shanghai grads on their job hunt. With thanks to Charles, Amanda, Bekah, voiceover artists & the digital team. Listen and/or read our audio and web stories 👇

For the past 3 months we've been checking in with 2 Chinese e-commerce sellers at every twist and turn of Trump's tariffs. 🎧to out audio story of their 'roller coaster' ride 👉https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/06/06/ecommerce-sellers-in-china-ride-rollercoaster-of-tariffs

Throughout this trade war, Chinese exporters are being encouraged to sell to other countries if they can't sell to the U.S. But how easy is that? We spoke to Chinese exporters. Listen & read👉 www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0... W/tks to Amanda, Charles, Bekah, voiceover artists & the digital team.

I’m pretty sure this wonton noodle used to be bigger. #shrinkflation

One thing the U.S. and China have in common? Slowing birth rates. We spoke to three moms, an ex-factory worker, an ex-civil servant and an HR executive on why they're not willing to have more children. www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

How I Accidentally Became Part of China’s PR Campaign indyweek.com/news/durham/... Had the students explored Jiangsu on their own they would have come away with an even better impression. But Chinese officials are always about control

Of the nearly 100 EV brands, 5 firms dominate the market in China. This is why Chinese EV brands are expanding overseas. We checked out some of the EV features offered at the recent Shanghai auto show. 🎧👉https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/05/05/the-ev-features-you-wont-see-in-the-us

Whoa. H/T @lisamovius.bsky.social

Shanghai 🌅 after a tough week. current.org/2025/04/mark...

Why some U.S. brands find it tough to shift manufacturing out of China. And yes they did try … listen to the audio (green button) and read the extended web piece here: www.marketplace.org/2025/04/07/s... w/tks to Charles, John, Bekah and the digital team

Past efforts to move shoe manufacturing to Vietnam or Cambodia didn't go so great. Plus, cheaper solar panels and falling copper prices. Today on Marketplace 👇

President Trump has added more tariffs on all trading countries. For China, that brings total tariffs on exports to 54% so far this year. But who really pays the tariffs? And do foreign countries absorb it all? Marketplace’s @jpak25.bsky.social explains from Shanghai.

Recently, a popular restaurant group in Shanghai closed its doors overnight. This was a shock to its loyal customers and unpaid workers, but not to industry insiders. Listen to the audio (click the green button) here: www.marketplace.org/2025/03/26/c...

Hey Marketplace listeners! To kick off our March fundraiser, the Marketplace Investors Challenge Fund will match the first $30,000 in donations! Today your gift will make twice the impact to support the stories you listen to every day. Funds are limited, so don’t wait—make your gift today!

The U.S. gov wants Chinese consumers to buy more including American goods. But getting Chinese consumers to spend more is no easy task. Listen to our radio story (hit the green button) and read the extended web version: www.marketplace.org/2025/03/14/c...

With all the tit-for-tat tariffs and export controls between the U.S. and China, where does that leave Chinese manufacturers? We spoke to some at a Shanghai trade show yesterday. Listen to the audio and read here: www.marketplace.org/2025/03/04/h...

Next time you take a taxi from Shanghai Pudong airport, ask the driver how long it took before they picked up a passenger. One driver told me he waited 12 hours before he picked me up. ICYMI🎧👉https://www.marketplace.org/2025/01/14/chinas-rideshare-taxi-drivers-longer-hours-less-pay/

Back in 2019, we asked how long China holds economic grudges ... marketplace.org/2019/11/27/h... In the case of South Korea, it's been eight years and counting ...

We had a chance to see how Chinese EV investments were received in Thailand recently. In case you missed it, listen to our radio report and read the extended web version here: www.marketplace.org/2025/01/09/t... With thanks to Charles, John, Brian, voiceover artists and the digital team.

Wanna know why this remake of a 1970s workers’ shirt in Macau is so short? The owner of this vintage shop in Macau said it’s because manufacturers wanted to save fabric. So it cuts at the waist!

China’s unemployment last year was 5.1%, which officials say indicates the job market is “stable”. That’s not how job seekers feel. 🎧 to our story 👉 www.marketplace.org/2025/02/13/c... w/tks to Charles, Noia, Bekah, VO artists and the digital team.

Last time President-elect Trump imposed tariffs, China also countered with tariffs of its own. So, Chinese importers of U.S. goods are bracing themselves. Listen [click on the green button] and read here: www.marketplace.org/2024/12/19/c... W/ thanks to Charles, John, Charlton and the digital team.

China's consumption ticked up last month, but can it be sustained and why is that important? Here's our latest: www.marketplace.org/2024/11/29/c... You can listen to the radio piece by clicking on the big green button. With thanks to Charles, John, Bekah, voiceover artists and the digital team.

This taxi driver says he started driving cabs in the early 2000s in China’s southeast in Quanzhou city. He used to earn ¥20,000 monthly, which works out to $2,400. These days he says he can earn $360, but only on a good month.

Tesla has floated the idea to deploy its full self-driving technology in China first in taxis. But what kind of competition might it find? We went to China's most advanced pilot zones in Beijing and Wuhan and took robot taxis. 🎧(click on the green button) and👀 👉 www.marketplace.org/2024/11/19/c...