Start here: China Factor’s explainers on the biggest stories shaping China
Each guide pulls together our best reporting and analysis on one subject, with the background you need and links to the stories that matter most. They are updated as we publish new coverage.
1 China’s AI race: models, robots and the rivalry with the US
DeepSeek and the new model makers, humanoid robots, surveillance and the high-stakes rivalry with the United States. Read the guide →
2 China’s chip war: Huawei, export controls and the push for self-reliance
Export controls, Huawei and SMIC, the race for AI chips, and why Taiwan sits at the centre of it all. Read the guide →
3 China’s EV and clean-tech surge: cars, batteries and the price war
BYD and the EV juggernaut, price wars and overcapacity, batteries, solar and the trade fights in Europe and Canada. Read the guide →
4 China’s space race: the Moon, rockets and the rivalry with the US
The race to the Moon, reusable rockets and commercial launchers, and space as a new arena of US-China rivalry. Read the guide →
5 Understanding China’s economy: growth, debt and the property crisis
The forces shaping the world’s second-largest economy, from four decades of growth to debt and the property meltdown. Read the guide →