Palmer-James-foreign-policy-staff-portraits-202226
Palmer-James-foreign-policy-staff-portraits-202226

James Palmer

Deputy Editor james.palmer@foreignpolicy.com

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
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The Year of the Fire Horse Finds Xi on Edge

China Brief
James Palmer
Visitors walk past a statue on the grounds of the Confucius Temple in Beijing on Nov. 22, 2008.
Visitors walk past a statue on the grounds of the Confucius Temple in Beijing on Nov. 22, 2008.

A Brief History of Confucianism

China Brief
James Palmer
Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, attends a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing on Aug. 29, 2024.
Zhang Youxia, a vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, attends a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing on Aug. 29, 2024.

New Military Purge Rocks the CCP

China Brief
James Palmer
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a press conference in Beijing.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a press conference in Beijing.

With Trade Deal, Canada Bets on China

China Brief
James Palmer
A man protests a potential U.S. annexation of Greenland in front of the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland.
A man protests a potential U.S. annexation of Greenland in front of the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland.

No, China Isn’t Going to Take Over Greenland

China Brief
James Palmer
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they arrive to a welcoming ceremony in Beijing.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they arrive to a welcoming ceremony in Beijing.

What the Venezuela Attack Means for China

China Brief
James Palmer
A gray-haired woman, hair tied back, wearing a brown shirt with polka dots, is seen in front of a Chinese flag in the background.
A gray-haired woman, hair tied back, wearing a brown shirt with polka dots, is seen in front of a Chinese flag in the background.

4 Predictions for China in 2026

China Brief
James Palmer
In the foreground, a Chinese flag blows in the wind atop a flagpole. In the background are container ships, cranes, and stacked shipping containers, surrounded by cloudy skies and gray-blue water.
In the foreground, a Chinese flag blows in the wind atop a flagpole. In the background are container ships, cranes, and stacked shipping containers, surrounded by cloudy skies and gray-blue water.

China’s Year of Patience

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops look out from a bus as they arrive at Tiananmen Gate to take part in a military parade in Beijing.
Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops look out from a bus as they arrive at Tiananmen Gate to take part in a military parade in Beijing.

What’s It Like to Be a Chinese Soldier?

China Brief
James Palmer
U.S. President Donald Trump, center, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, right, holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump, center, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, right, holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington.

A Bad Week for Washington’s China Hawks

China Brief
James Palmer
Firefighters are seen following a massive fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong.
Firefighters are seen following a massive fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong.

Deadly Fire Highlights Hong Kong’s Predicament

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese President Xi Jinping, flanked by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan, South Korea.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, flanked by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan, South Korea.

Decoding the Trump-Xi Phone Call

China Brief
James Palmer
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, dressed in a blue blazer with a pearl necklace, stands at a podium in the House of Representatives in Tokyo. She is speaking into multiple microphones while holding an open book of notes. The background features blurred green and red lights, and wooden furnishings are visible behind her.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, dressed in a blue blazer with a pearl necklace, stands at a podium in the House of Representatives in Tokyo. She is speaking into multiple microphones while holding an open book of notes. The background features blurred green and red lights, and wooden furnishings are visible behind her.

China-Japan Rift Deepens Over Taiwan

China Brief
James Palmer
About a dozen Mongolians walk on a crosswalk in front of cars waiting for them to pass. The demonstrators hold banners and the Mongolian flag while marching through the streets as pale clouds loom overhead.
About a dozen Mongolians walk on a crosswalk in front of cars waiting for them to pass. The demonstrators hold banners and the Mongolian flag while marching through the streets as pale clouds loom overhead.

China’s Messy History With Mongolia

China Brief
James Palmer
Three book covers.
Three book covers.

The Forgotten Visionary of U.S. War in Latin America

Argument
James Palmer
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