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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
Commuters walk by office towers under construction during rush hour in Beijing on Oct. 18.
Commuters walk by office towers under construction during rush hour in Beijing on Oct. 18.

China’s Year in Review
China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017.

What Trump’s Personalized Presidency Means for China
China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 22, 2023.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 22, 2023.

China Needs a New Approach in Syria
China Brief
James Palmer
Military delegates walk together as they arrive at the closing session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 11.
Military delegates walk together as they arrive at the closing session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 11.

Another Chinese Military Official Under Fire
China Brief
James Palmer
Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on Dec. 4, after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law.
Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on Dec. 4, after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law.

How South Koreans Rejected Martial Law
Explainer
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
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