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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
Alternative for Germany member Maximilian Krah gestures during an interview in Magdeburg, Germany.
Alternative for Germany member Maximilian Krah gestures during an interview in Magdeburg, Germany.

China Finds Friends in Europe’s Far Right

China Brief
James Palmer
The Evergrande logo appears on residential buildings in Nanjing, China.
The Evergrande logo appears on residential buildings in Nanjing, China.

As China’s Property Sector Crumbles, Who Takes the Fall?

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in New Delhi on April 28.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in New Delhi on April 28.

China’s Defense Minister Meets His Downfall

China Brief
James Palmer
A general view of the Houses of Parliament in London on Sept. 4.
A general view of the Houses of Parliament in London on Sept. 4.

U.K. Spy Scandal Could Shift China Policy

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks on the last day of the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks on the last day of the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Xi Jinping Will Be a G-20 No-Show

China Brief
James Palmer
A sign reading "Suspend the sale of all fish products imported from Japan" is displayed outside a Japanese restaurant in Beijing.
A sign reading "Suspend the sale of all fish products imported from Japan" is displayed outside a Japanese restaurant in Beijing.

Why China Is Stirring Up Anti-Japanese Sentiment

China Brief
James Palmer
A man rides by a building under construction by major property developer Country Garden in Beijing.
A man rides by a building under construction by major property developer Country Garden in Beijing.

Global Mood Sours on China’s Economy

China Brief
James Palmer
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Biden Isn’t Driving Investors Out of China

China Brief
James Palmer
A group of rescue workers wearing life vests and helmets carry a bright orange, inflatable raft through a street filled with knee-high water. Behind them, several civilians in wet clothes walk through the water, including one who is leaning down to pull out a submerged object.
A group of rescue workers wearing life vests and helmets carry a bright orange, inflatable raft through a street filled with knee-high water. Behind them, several civilians in wet clothes walk through the water, including one who is leaning down to pull out a submerged object.

Record Flooding Highlights Rural-Urban Divide in China

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders pose with military officers who were promoted to the rank of general in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders pose with military officers who were promoted to the rank of general in Beijing.

China Replaces Top Rocket Force Commanders

China Brief
James Palmer
Antony Blinken and Qin Gang, both middle-aged men wearing dark suits and ties, walk along a red carpet in a hallway. Standing around them are members of the press, holding cameras and cell phones as they take photos of the officials.
Antony Blinken and Qin Gang, both middle-aged men wearing dark suits and ties, walk along a red carpet in a hallway. Standing around them are members of the press, holding cameras and cell phones as they take photos of the officials.

China Ousts Missing Foreign Minister

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang addresses the media during a press conference in Berlin. The Chinese flag can be seen behind a lens flare.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang addresses the media during a press conference in Berlin. The Chinese flag can be seen behind a lens flare.

Where Is China’s Foreign Minister?

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng gestures to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a meeting in Beijing.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng gestures to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a meeting in Beijing.

Washington Can’t Sell Beijing on Climate Diplomacy

China Brief
James Palmer
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow.

What Does the Wagner Revolt Mean for China?

China Brief
James Palmer
People wait to cross a street in Beijing on June 20.
People wait to cross a street in Beijing on June 20.

Why China’s Economy Hasn’t Bounced Back

China Brief
James Palmer
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