Diplomatic Correspondent @nytimes. Author of "At the Edge of Empire: A Family's Reckoning with China." Harvard Nieman Fellow. Taught at Princeton & UC Berkeley.
Washington, DC
Joined May 2009
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I can’t believe I’m holding this! It’s the completion of a six-year project that really spans my adult life — and 80 years of Chinese history, from Mao to Xi. I tell the story of modern China through a dramatic family saga and contemporary reporting. Learn more and order here: penguinrandomhouse.com/books…
The first formal sign from the US that Trump, Xi and Putin might meet in Shenzhen next week —> Rubio spoke about it today with Wang Yi, China's top diplomat.
Pompeo used a State Dept. plane, vehicles and staff to quietly visit Republican donors multiple times. He avoided telling traveling reporters about some of those trips. He was considered a potential presidential candidate at the time. @nytimes story: nytimes.com/2020/05/21/us/po…
“Rubio’s personal travel, through nearly two years on the job, appears to significantly outpace that of his predecessors, former State Dept. officials said. And it’s adding up: The flights have cost the government more than $1.2 million, The Post found.” washingtonpost.com/politics/…
“Rubio’s personal travel, through nearly two years on the job, appears to significantly outpace that of his predecessors, former State Dept. officials said. And it’s adding up: The flights have cost the government more than $1.2 million, The Post found.” washingtonpost.com/politics/…
In case anyone feels nostalgia for the Iraq War — a Washington Post opinion piece by Douglas Feith and Lewis "Scooter" Libby
Let’s talk about Adorno and Horkheimer over a few drinks.
.@SECWAR “The philosophical doctrines of the Frankfurt School – critical theory and the corrosive apparatus of ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ – are fundamentally INCOMPATIBLE with military service and antithetical to the Constitution of the United States.”
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From a former US intelligence analyst on China
I think @DesmondShum is absolutely right about Alice Huang's business career.
Nothing seems to suggest she was actually an MSS officer.
But the MSS definitely sees value in those individuals and does make use of them, especially when aiming internationally.
This is why I hate people just saying "spy" because it can mean anyone from an intelligence officer to someone who was exploited, even loosely.
We also need to distinguish what might an intelligence matter from what is someone who is effective at hustling business.
Good input by Desmond and @steveyates
Trump in his C-SPAN call boasted of his 48-minute “war” against Venezuela, which killed scores of people. It’s widely deemed to be a violation of international law. Meanwhile, the administration likes to emphasize the importance of “sovereignty” — mainly for the US, it seems.
This is true. Here is the @nytimes story from Oct. 2025: nytimes.com/2025/10/09/techn…
It doesn’t sound like Trump plans to reverse the loosening of export controls on advanced chips to China that he enacted earlier at the urging of Huang and Lutnick. And there might not be any consequences for the actions of the Commerce Dept. under Lutnick.
NEW: A @nytimes investigation found the Trump administration has deported more than 110 immigrants who've ended up at risk of torture or abuse in their home countries — despite US courts barring the removals. Rubio and his State Dept. oversee the program resulting in this.
Gift link to the @nytimes team investigation by @meghara @ruthmaclean @Haleaziz and me: nytimes.com/2026/11/09/world…
NEW from @nytimes: Vance's criticism of Israel and the Iran war has shaken up Washington. After the midterms, Republicans and Democrats are making a new push to limit aid to Israel. They say there's a generational shift because of Israel's wars and its acts against Palestinians.
One of the greats is leaving NPR. I'm excited to hear about what she decides to tackle next. We'll remember her interviews, and also a moment straight out of VEEP: when Sec. of State Mike Pompeo tried to humiliate her — and failed — by asking her to identify Ukraine on a map.
Haven't stopped crying since I heard this. The beautiful farewell my team put together to mark my last night hosting @npratc. Thank you @Matt_Ozug @connordonevan ❤️❤️npr.org/2026/11/06/nx-s1-601…
Trump's own analysis of why the Republicans got wiped out in the midterms is the same as that of Vance: the consequences of the US-Israeli war against Iran — including soaring gas prices — and a widening distrust of Israel among voters.
I can see Trump saying soon that US intelligence agencies also run honey traps all the time, so what's the big deal.
Seems hard to believe but apparently Jensen Huang may go with Trump to APEC where, notably, he’ll meet with Xi.
Reporter: Should Jensen Huang stay on as CEO of Nvidia.
Trump: Oh yeah sure.
Reporter: Is he going to go with you on your trip to Asia next week?
Trump: I don't know but I'd certainly take him. I haven't heard he's done anything wrong. He dealt with somebody but you know so does everybody else.
“What Iran wants to do is not just destroy our country, it’s destroy our way of life and threaten our children.” — Marco Rubio, as he stands next to Trump. There are now stark public differences between Vance and Rubio on the Iran war. With whom do Americans agree?
This @nytimes story by @peterbakernyt is both an obituary for the wild last decade of American politics that we lived through and a first attempt to ask: What’s next? The answer, so far, is no one knows. But Trump plans to keep fighting. Brace yourselves. nytimes.com/2026/11/08/us/po…
Trump and Rubio say the US will wage war on Iran until its nuclear program is destroyed and it commits to not pursuing a nuclear weapon, something it has never developed. This post shows the US is still searching for nuclear sites. So Americans are looking at an open-ended war.
Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran’s nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community, or the movement of any of the above.
Submit a tip: rewardsforjustice.net/reward…
Stephen Miller pushed for Trump's lethal strikes on civilian boats, which many legal experts say are extrajudicial killings. Here's a gift link to our @nytimes investigation on how Miller and Rubio's actions led to the strikes and the attack on Venezuela: nytimes.com/2025/12/27/us/po…
