Antoni Slodkowski
@antonislodkowski.bsky.social
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for Reuters based in China
The fentanyl issue will also be mixed into the talks - a letter that Trump's team sent to China with four asks on fentanyl in late April didn't go down well in Beijing - so let's see how that conversation evolves in Geneva and beyond.
May 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
The fentanyl issue will also be mixed into the talks - a letter that Trump's team sent to China with four asks on fentanyl in late April didn't go down well in Beijing - so let's see how that conversation evolves in Geneva and beyond.
It's not been easy for Beijing to figure out, partly because experienced embassy officials here have been mostly frozen out of the talks - and the seasoned deputy chief of mission has been shown the door this week.
May 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
It's not been easy for Beijing to figure out, partly because experienced embassy officials here have been mostly frozen out of the talks - and the seasoned deputy chief of mission has been shown the door this week.
That said, nobody is expecting a major breakthrough overnight. Internally, the Chinese have downgraded the talks to a "meeting", meaning they don't think major decisions are imminent: they're focused on figuring out what the Americans actually want first.
May 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
That said, nobody is expecting a major breakthrough overnight. Internally, the Chinese have downgraded the talks to a "meeting", meaning they don't think major decisions are imminent: they're focused on figuring out what the Americans actually want first.
fear of being left out as China's trading partners press ahead with trade talks with the U.S.; and persistent outreach by the U.S. and cooling of the rhetoric on Trump's part.
May 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
fear of being left out as China's trading partners press ahead with trade talks with the U.S.; and persistent outreach by the U.S. and cooling of the rhetoric on Trump's part.
Among the factors driving the decision: growing worries over the fate of Chinese companies unable to replace the U.S. market;
May 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Among the factors driving the decision: growing worries over the fate of Chinese companies unable to replace the U.S. market;
Our story on the awards: lnkd.in/gdwX24_v Here's the winning series: lnkd.in/gYmA8UkF I contributed to this story: lnkd.in/gmN_7Hca and was one of the bylined reporters on this story in the series: www.reuters.com/investigates...
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May 6, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Our story on the awards: lnkd.in/gdwX24_v Here's the winning series: lnkd.in/gYmA8UkF I contributed to this story: lnkd.in/gmN_7Hca and was one of the bylined reporters on this story in the series: www.reuters.com/investigates...
We won for "a boldly reported exposé of lax regulation in the U.S. and abroad that makes fentanyl, one of the world’s deadliest drugs, inexpensive and widely available to users in the United States." www.pulitzer.org/winners/22665
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www.pulitzer.org
May 6, 2025 at 2:10 AM
We won for "a boldly reported exposé of lax regulation in the U.S. and abroad that makes fentanyl, one of the world’s deadliest drugs, inexpensive and widely available to users in the United States." www.pulitzer.org/winners/22665
Face and pride are very important in China and seeing how leaders of other countries have been embarrassed by Trump this year in direct talks (Canada, Ukraine) it’s no surprise there’s little appetite for direct interaction.
ENDS
ENDS
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Face and pride are very important in China and seeing how leaders of other countries have been embarrassed by Trump this year in direct talks (Canada, Ukraine) it’s no surprise there’s little appetite for direct interaction.
ENDS
ENDS
There’s no easy off-ramp. Trump says he wants to talk to Xi but that’s not how things work in China - the leader comes in at the end after working level officials have hammered out the deal - he’s not haggling himself.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
There’s no easy off-ramp. Trump says he wants to talk to Xi but that’s not how things work in China - the leader comes in at the end after working level officials have hammered out the deal - he’s not haggling himself.
China’s defiant response marked a C hard turn after months of courting Trump and holding it hope for a deal encompassing trade, TikTok and maybe even Taiwan. It’s fair to say those dreams have been squandered.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
China’s defiant response marked a C hard turn after months of courting Trump and holding it hope for a deal encompassing trade, TikTok and maybe even Taiwan. It’s fair to say those dreams have been squandered.
Antoni Slodkowski
@slodek
Many of these details about China’s response have not been reported before.
@slodek
Many of these details about China’s response have not been reported before.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Antoni Slodkowski
@slodek
Many of these details about China’s response have not been reported before.
@slodek
Many of these details about China’s response have not been reported before.
In a sign that Beijing is circling the wagons and bracing for a protracted period of strife, foreign affairs ministry has convened a meeting of ambassadors and senior officials this week.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
In a sign that Beijing is circling the wagons and bracing for a protracted period of strife, foreign affairs ministry has convened a meeting of ambassadors and senior officials this week.
That doesn’t mean there weren’t voices calling for a more measured response. Influential blogger Chairman Rabbit called for a more targeted response.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
That doesn’t mean there weren’t voices calling for a more measured response. Influential blogger Chairman Rabbit called for a more targeted response.
As Xi chose to punch back, China’s response has been framed by propaganda officials, replete with videos of Mao saying “we’ll never yield”.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
As Xi chose to punch back, China’s response has been framed by propaganda officials, replete with videos of Mao saying “we’ll never yield”.
China has sent official letters to countries targeted by Trump’s tariffs seeking to coordinate opposition. It has also reached out to several other countries to form a joint response.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
China has sent official letters to countries targeted by Trump’s tariffs seeking to coordinate opposition. It has also reached out to several other countries to form a joint response.
China has put government workers on “wartime footing” - officials must have their phones always on, can’t leave Beijing, and they have to cancel their holidays.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 AM
China has put government workers on “wartime footing” - officials must have their phones always on, can’t leave Beijing, and they have to cancel their holidays.
We were recognized for our "original and audacious multipart, multimedia series exposing the global supply chain for the chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl."
lnkd.in/gYmA8UkF
lnkd.in/gYmA8UkF
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lnkd.in
March 25, 2025 at 9:25 AM
We were recognized for our "original and audacious multipart, multimedia series exposing the global supply chain for the chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl."
lnkd.in/gYmA8UkF
lnkd.in/gYmA8UkF
...Surprisingly, the reporting showed that the U.S. mail system is so exploitable that the chemicals often flow from China to the U.S. in small packages before being forwarded to Mexico for final production as pills."
Here's the link to all winning entries: lnkd.in/gykhgHnP
Here's the link to all winning entries: lnkd.in/gykhgHnP
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lnkd.in
March 20, 2025 at 6:38 AM
...Surprisingly, the reporting showed that the U.S. mail system is so exploitable that the chemicals often flow from China to the U.S. in small packages before being forwarded to Mexico for final production as pills."
Here's the link to all winning entries: lnkd.in/gykhgHnP
Here's the link to all winning entries: lnkd.in/gykhgHnP
From the judges: "This ambitious exploration of the global supply chain for fentanyl exposed the vulnerabilities of the United States’ efforts to police imports of Chinese chemicals that Mexican cartels obtain to make the drug...
LinkedIn
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lnkd.in
March 20, 2025 at 6:38 AM
From the judges: "This ambitious exploration of the global supply chain for fentanyl exposed the vulnerabilities of the United States’ efforts to police imports of Chinese chemicals that Mexican cartels obtain to make the drug...