Andrew Peaple

Smugglers in Texas, New Jersey, and New York. A mysterious Hong Kong client. And a plot to illegally sell Nvidia AI chips to China.

Episode five maps out a chip smuggling network with @eliotchen.bsky.social and @andypeaps.bsky.social : pod.link/1873741567/

Chinese AI Makes Its Sales Pitch - The Wire China China’s AI models dominated headlines during the new year holiday, but struggle to overcome low user adoption at home.

Even though China is highly online, with over 90 percent of the population internet users, the country’s top AI models have fewer regular users compared to U.S. models.

Get the big picture on China's AI adoption lag:

Arrogant team cheerled by an arrogant media

Six Nations on road to perdition unless chastening Celtic wake-up call is heeded | Robert Kitson Championship risks becoming a two-tier affair as Ireland, Wales and Scotland all lose on the opening weekend for first time in 26 years

What a take this was www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...

She is an under appreciated national treasure

‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company $500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty came months before U.A.E. won access to tightly guarded American AI chips.

A truly extraordinary story - Well done @wsj.com www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Robotaxis On a Roll Podcast Episode · The Wire China Podcast · 31/01/2026 · 14m

Excited to post the first episode of our new @thewirechina.bsky.social podcast, in which I talk rabout obotaxis with my colleague @rachelcheung.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Zhang Feng on China's New Media | China Books Review The prolific social media blogger explains how censorship works in the era of WeChat, and talks us through a changing media landscape, in our new column on the biggest ideas out of China.

Our new column What China's Thinking is underpinned by the work of my former colleagues at @chinadigitaltimes.net

The superlative Chinese team & my friends/role models @samuelwa.de @cindycarter.bsky.social have contextualized so much of recent Chinese history

chinabooksreview.com/2026/01/27/w...

One reason I am gloomy about Britain’s ability to rise to this geopolitical moment is the sheer parochialism and unseriousness of much of its media. The Times, which used to be a serious paper, does not have a single comment piece today on the gravest international crisis in 80 years

China’s Labor Market Braces for an AI Shock - The Wire China Experts warn both that millions of workers could lose their positions in China as AI takes over, and that there aren’t enough people to fill AI-related jobs.

Beijing's hope is that AI will power emerging industries such as autonomous vehicles and robotics, eventually producing more new jobs than the ones it replaces.

@rachelcheung.bsky.social examines the hopes and anxieties behind China's AI transition:

The FT’s Word Circle puzzle is a con

The Ashes: Rob Key ’Sorry’ for England performing at 20% Podcast Episode · Test Match Special · 23/12/2025 · 59m

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... great to hear @georgedobell.bsky.social on this. Rightfully angry, clear sighted

Ah it’s Chuckles Bailey on the radio. So uncharismatic.

China Is Falling Behind at the Sharp End of the Global Robot Race - The Wire China While China is good at producing mid- to low-range robots, competitors in Japan and Europe remain ahead in advanced robotics.

Op-Ed: China is good at producing mid- to low-range robots, but Japan and Europe remain ahead in advanced robotics.

Alberto Moel writes in The Wire China:

Superb. Good luck.

how are the mince pies looking this year?

Jung Chang on What Happened Next For the Wild Swans - The Wire China The author talks about her family’s struggles in Mao’s China, and why she dare not return to the country of her birth under Xi Jinping.

"I think our feelings of love were really born from these extreme and abnormal circumstances. Those emotions may not have been so strong, so fierce, had we been living in a normal society." My interview with Jung Chang on her new book 'Fly, Wild Swans'. www.thewirechina.com/2025/11/23/j...

Can’t take the Lemon and Collins smugness right now

The China Lever - The Wire China The U.S. and its allies need to adapt better to China’s growing influence over the institutions that govern the global economic order.

The U.S. and its allies need to adapt better to China’s growing influence over the institutions that govern the global economic order, argues Kevin P. Gallagher in this week’s op-ed.

Nominations Open for 2025 Baifang Schell Book Prize | China Books Review Our book prize returns in its second year, celebrating exceptional books on or from China and the Sinophone world. Nominate now!

Calling all China people: nominations are open for the Baifang Schell Prize for non fiction. Please rush us your thoughts and suggestions! chinabooksreview.com/2025/11/06/p...

Inside the Trump family’s global crypto cash machine The U.S. president’s family raked in more than $800 million from sales of crypto assets in the first half of 2025 alone, a Reuters examination found, on top of potentially billions more in unrealized “on paper” gains. Much of that cash came from foreign sources as Donald Trump's sons touted their business on an international investor roadshow.

Trump Org’s income in the first half of 2024 was $51 million.

In the first half of 2025 it rose to $864 million.

A massive percentage came from foreigners.

It should be the biggest scandal in the history of American politics.

But few even care. www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Stunning

Congratulations! Fabulous publication

Question: How can broadband providers claim that a £4 increase on an annual bill of £26.99 is 'in line with inlfation'?

US fan ugliness at the Ryder Cup was merely a reflection of Trump’s all-caps America | Bryan Armen Graham European players were subjected to slurs and crude insults about their families. They were no surprise as public discourse in America has broken down

I'm not an avid golf watcher but so pleased Europe won the Ryder Cup, especially given the throughly unpleasant crowd they had to deal with www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/s...

Nothing more moronic or obnoxious in the world of sport than the U-S-A chant

What terrible questions from the UK and US press at that Starmer/Trump presser.

UK drops charges against two men accused of spying for China Prosecutors had filed charges last year against the two for ‘providing prejudicial information’ to China

Interesting www.ft.com/content/9ef2...

Dan Wang on China’s ‘Engineering State’ versus America’s ‘Lawyerly Society’ - The Wire China Dan Wang discusses why the core differences between the world's two largest economies, the brutality of China's former one-child policy and whether it's right call it a Marxist country

In a Q&A with Brent Crane, writer and academic Dan Wang discusses why the core differences between the world's two largest economies, the brutality of China's former one-child policy and whether it's right call it a Marxist country.