China

The scale of China's construction in the South China Sea's Spratly Islands is clear in new satellite images released by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, whose director speaks with NPR.

In the past, rural Chinese seeking success left their families and found work on the coast. Now, high wages mean factories are shifting inland and migrants are delighted to be following them home.

In his new book, exiled Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng tells the story of growing up blind, being beaten under house arrest and finding refuge in the American Embassy in Beijing in 2012.

The Shanghai exchange is on a tear, but there could be trouble ahead for ill-informed investors. Analysts say the current upswing is driven by perceptions rather than fundamentals.