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Palmer-James-foreign-policy-staff-portraits-202226

James Palmer

Deputy Editor [email protected]

James Palmer is a deputy editor at Foreign Policy and writes FP’s weekly China Brief newsletter. Palmer is the author of The Bloody White Baron: The Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia and The Death of Mao: The Tangshan Earthquake and the Birth of the New China. He won the Shiva Naipaul prize for travel writing in 2003.

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Articles by James Palmer
A screenshot from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 depicts the famous Ferris wheel near Pripyat, Ukraine.
A screenshot from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 depicts the famous Ferris wheel near Pripyat, Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Most Famous Video Game Gets a Wartime Installment

Review
James Palmer
Employees work on a production line of stuffed teddy bears for export at a toy factory in Lianyungang, China, on Nov. 22.
Employees work on a production line of stuffed teddy bears for export at a toy factory in Lianyungang, China, on Nov. 22.

What Trump’s Tariffs Will Mean for China

China Brief
James Palmer
The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, Alan Moore and Steve Moore with various artists, Top Shelf Productions, $49.99, 352 pp, October 2024.
The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, Alan Moore and Steve Moore with various artists, Top Shelf Productions, $49.99, 352 pp, October 2024.

Alan Moore Wants You to Invent Your Own God

Review
James Palmer
A woman prays in front of a low wall with flowers sitting on it. Behind the flowers is a low shrub and a taller wall with red raised Chinese characters on it.
A woman prays in front of a low wall with flowers sitting on it. Behind the flowers is a low shrub and a taller wall with red raised Chinese characters on it.

Mass Attacks in China Spark Concern, Censorship

China Brief
James Palmer
England's King Charles III sits on a throne of carved wood and red velvet, wearing a large crown and gold robes while he holds a scepter in each hand. Priests in lighter gold robes stand in formation around him, including the archbishop standing directly in front of him, speaking while his hands are clasped in prayer.
England's King Charles III sits on a throne of carved wood and red velvet, wearing a large crown and gold robes while he holds a scepter in each hand. Priests in lighter gold robes stand in formation around him, including the archbishop standing directly in front of him, speaking while his hands are clasped in prayer.

Anglicanism Is in Its Worst Crisis Since Henry VIII

Analysis
James Palmer
U.S. President Donald Trump reacts with his mouth wide open as he takes part in a welcoming ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who stands beside him. Piles of yellow, orange, and red flowers are visible behind the men.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacts with his mouth wide open as he takes part in a welcoming ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who stands beside him. Piles of yellow, orange, and red flowers are visible behind the men.

Where Does China Stand With the Next White House?

China Brief
James Palmer
A woman rides a shared bike by a wall adorned with a red star in an upscale commercial area in Beijing.
A woman rides a shared bike by a wall adorned with a red star in an upscale commercial area in Beijing.

As the U.S. Votes, China Is Watching

China Brief
James Palmer
Office workers look at their mobile phones as they take a break in Beijing's Central Business District.
Office workers look at their mobile phones as they take a break in Beijing's Central Business District.

Chinese Tech Regulators Back Off

China Brief
James Palmer
A woman wearing a heavy winter parka with the hood pulled up is seen from behind as she sits on a bench beneath the roof of a gazebo near the Chinese border. The gazebo is surrounded by a low metal fence, past which are snow-covered fields and mountains rising up beyond that against a cloudy sky.
A woman wearing a heavy winter parka with the hood pulled up is seen from behind as she sits on a bench beneath the roof of a gazebo near the Chinese border. The gazebo is surrounded by a low metal fence, past which are snow-covered fields and mountains rising up beyond that against a cloudy sky.

North Korea and Myanmar Cause Headaches in Beijing

China Brief
James Palmer
A pedestrian walks on a street in Beijing at night beneath a dark sky, passing by a short wall covered by advertisements while skyscrapers loom in the background. The ads are covered with photos of various buildings and architectural details.
A pedestrian walks on a street in Beijing at night beneath a dark sky, passing by a short wall covered by advertisements while skyscrapers loom in the background. The ads are covered with photos of various buildings and architectural details.

China Can’t Boost Consumer Confidence

China Brief
James Palmer
A monkey like figure in warrior clothing with a weapon.
A monkey like figure in warrior clothing with a weapon.

‘Black Myth: Wukong’ Is Full of Monkey Magic

Review
James Palmer
The Chinese and U.S. flags are seen during a meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Guangzhou, China, on April 5.
The Chinese and U.S. flags are seen during a meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Guangzhou, China, on April 5.

Chinese Hackers Target U.S. Telecoms

China Brief
James Palmer
Ambassador Fu Cong, the permanent representative of China to the United Nations, speaks during a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at the U.N. Headquarters in New York on July 31.
Ambassador Fu Cong, the permanent representative of China to the United Nations, speaks during a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at the U.N. Headquarters in New York on July 31.

China Says It Backs Iran. Does It?

China Brief
James Palmer
Dark clouds hang over the skyline of Changsha, China, on April 29.
Dark clouds hang over the skyline of Changsha, China, on April 29.

Chinese Official’s Suspicious Death Stirs Speculation

China Brief
James Palmer
Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang, China, on Sept. 13.
Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang, China, on Sept. 13.

China Half-Heartedly Raises Retirement Age

China Brief
James Palmer
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