beijing

In most respects, China is a world away from the oil-dominated autocracies in the Mideast now seething with anti-government unrest. But it faces similar issues: high inflation and a troubling wealth gap that could fuel social upheavals, if Beijing doesn't make some big changes soon.

China's economy is booming, and Western nations are increasing their demands that its currency be allowed to rise to its natural value. Who knows if that will happen, but if you want to bet that it will, the Bank of China just made it easier: Now, Americans can open renminbi-denominated accounts.

While the U.S. struggled with near-10% unemployment, China grew at that same pace over the past year. But the country faces massive internal problems that leave it in a far more difficult situation than the praise constantly heaped on it implies.

There's no end in sight to the tension between North and South Korea that recently rattled world markets. But Kim Jong-Il may have finally pushed his patrons in Beijing and his neighbors to the south too far. Could real change be coming to the Korean Peninsula?

With the latest round of global climate change talks set to begin this week in Cancun, Mexico, the assembled delegates should be thankful they're not meeting in, say, Beijing or New Delhi. Those two cities are tied at the top of a list no city should want to be on: those with the world's most dangerous air.

Last month, China said it would loosen the tight link between its currency, the yuan, and the U.S. dollar. It was a move welcomed by economists and world leaders who felt China was engaging in unfair currency manipulation. But on Wednesday, the government in Beijing backpedaled a bit.

Hate your commute? Well, workers from Mexico City to Beijing have no pity for you. According to an IBM commuter pain study of 8,192 motorists in 20 cities, 67% complained that traffic has gotten worse in the past three years. The respondents also stated that their long and tiring commute has a...

If you think China's decision to unpeg its currency from the U.S. dollar was a good move, Gary Shilling says don't believe it. The economist who saw the subprime crisis coming warns that the move will have a number of unintended consequences.

China has ordered the 112 official Olympic restaurants not to serve dog meat during the Beijing Olympics in August so as not to gross out Westerners. They also strongly suggest that all the other eateries in town stop selling dog meat for the month, too. The move is like their orders to shut...