John Ruwitch
John Ruwitch is a correspondent with NPR's international desk. He covers Chinese affairs.
Ruwitch joined NPR in early 2020, and has since chronicled the tectonic shift in America's relations with China, from hopeful engagement to suspicion-fueled competition. He's also reported on a range of other issues, including Beijing's pressure campaign on Taiwan, Hong Kong's National Security Law, Asian-Americans considering guns for self-defense in the face of rising violence and a herd of elephants roaming in the Chinese countryside in search of a home.
Ruwitch joined NPR after more than 19 years with Reuters in Asia, the last eight of which were in Shanghai. There, he first covered a broad beat that took him as far afield as the China-North Korea border and the edge of the South China Sea. Later, he led a team that covered business and financial markets in the world's second biggest economy. Ruwitch has also had postings in Hanoi, Hong Kong and Beijing, reporting on anti-corruption campaigns, elite Communist politics, labor disputes, human rights, currency devaluations, earthquakes, snowstorms, Olympic badminton and everything in between.
Ruwitch studied history at U.C. Santa Cruz and got a master's in Regional Studies East Asia from Harvard. He speaks Mandarin and Vietnamese.
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There's a police check to exit the subway, another to get in line, a third while standing in line, and metal detectors and X-ray machines before you finally reach the Beijing landmark. -
Chinese business people may be able to find creative ways to avoid U.S. tariffs, but for Beijing, its concerns for the incoming Trump presidency go beyond trade. -
Vice President Harris’ running mate has lived in China and traveled there many times. His relationship with the country has been under scrutiny, especially from Republicans. -
Former President Donald Trump thumps Vice President Harris in name recognition, but analysts say Beijing sees both as bad news. -
Five years after mass protests disrupted Hong Kong, and were crushed by the government, people who took part are downsizing their dreams and ambitions — but keeping a small flame of hope alive. -
Three astronauts will spend six months on China's space station. Some experts worry China's ambitious space program could pose a threat to U.S. space superiority and military effectiveness. -
The U.S. Geological Survey gave the magnitude as 7.4. The quake collapsed buildings and created a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. At least 9 people died, officials said. -
U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia is closing its Hong Kong operation after the city enacted a tough new national security law known locally as Article 23. -
A leaked document offers a window into the motivations and concerns of party leaders as they seek to deepen ties with the U.S. -
Taiwan's vice president and candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Lai Ching-te, will be the island's next leader. Tensions with Beijing seem poised to rise.
