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Frank Langfitt Frank Langfitt is NPR's London correspondent. He covers the UK and Ireland, as well as stories elsewhere in Europe.
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Frank Langfitt

As The Car Market Moves East, An Extravaganza In Shanghai

Models abound at this week's Shanghai auto show. This one, in a latex cat suit, was drawing attention to an SUV by Landwind, a Chinese company that sells about 10,000 vehicles a year. Frank Langfitt/NPR hide caption

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Frank Langfitt/NPR

The Two-Way

As The Car Market Moves East, An Extravaganza In Shanghai

China is the world's largest auto market. NPR's Frank Langfitt went to Shanghai's sprawling auto show this week, and compares it with the ones he used to cover in Detroit a few years back, when General Motors and Chrysler were on the ropes.

These Days, More And More Chinese Have Driven A Ford Lately

Ford, the No. 12 passenger-car seller in China, is showing off 23 vehicles at its exhibit at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition this week. Frank Langfitt /NPR hide caption

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Frank Langfitt /NPR

Asia

These Days, More And More Chinese Have Driven A Ford Lately

For years Ford was an also-ran in China, but it has ambitious plans to change that. Last year, sales in China were up more than 30 percent, and the Ford Focus was the country's best-selling car.

These Days, More And More Chinese Have Driven A Ford Lately

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Will Lightning Strike Twice For K-Pop's PSY?

South Korean rapper PSY performs at his concert in Seoul, South Korea on Saturday. Kin Cheung/AP hide caption

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Kin Cheung/AP

Asia

Will Lightning Strike Twice For K-Pop's PSY?

After weeks of threats from North Korea, some South Koreans turned their attention this weekend away from weapons and toward a new song by the country's global rap star, PSY. On Saturday night the singer unveiled his follow-up single and video to the viral phenomenon, "Gangnam Style," at a sold-out concert.

Will Lightning Strike Twice For K-Pop's PSY?

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Asia

Kerry: North Korea Not Likely To Use Nuclear Missile

Secretary of State John Kerry held talks in Seoul Friday, as relations between South and North Korea reach a new level of tension. There are some indications that North Korea might stage a missile launch in the next few days — but Kerry played down fears that the North was now able to mount nuclear weapons on its rockets.

Kerry: North Korea Not Likely To Use Nuclear Missile

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Asia

Kerry: U.S. Will Not Accept A Nuclear-Armed North Korea

Secretary of State John Kerry is in Seoul, South Korea, at a time of escalating tension on the Korean peninsula. There are expectations that North Korea might soon launch a medium-range missile.

Kerry: U.S. Will Not Accept A Nuclear-Armed North Korea

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A Symbol Of Korean Cooperation Becomes A Political Casualty

A South Korean soldier patrols as vehicles returning from the jointly run Kaesong industrial complex in North Korea arrive at a checkpoint in Paju, north of Seoul, on April 6. Lee Jae-Won/Reuters/Landov hide caption

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Lee Jae-Won/Reuters/Landov

Asia

A Symbol Of Korean Cooperation Becomes A Political Casualty

North Korea's decision to close off a joint North-South industrial complex is a potential financial disaster for some of the more than 100 South Korean businesses that have invested there.

A Symbol Of Korean Cooperation Becomes A Political Casualty

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Asia

Amid Korean Tensions, Kerry To visit Seoul

There are expectations that North Korea might test fire a missile or missiles in the next few days in a gesture of defiance. U.S. and South Korean forces are on heightened alert, and relations with the North will be the prime topic of talks when Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Seoul on Friday.

Amid Korean Tensions, Kerry To visit Seoul

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A View From South Korea: The North Is 'A Playground Bully'

Carrying on as usual: Shoppers in central Seoul on Monday. Lee Jae-Won/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Lee Jae-Won/Reuters /Landov

The Two-Way

A View From South Korea: The North Is 'A Playground Bully'

"It's like a joke," one retiree in Seoul says of the North's daily provocations. His view is shared by many South Koreans, who believe leaders in the North are trying to extort more aid from other nations and are trying to bolster their own positions.

A View From South Korea: The North Is 'A Playground Bully'

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Asia

South Koreans Ignore Threats From The North

Despite weeks of escalating tension between North and South Korea, and increasingly bellicose threats from Pyongyang, life in South Korea continues as normal. Most people in the capital Seoul appear to think the issue has more to do with the political situation in North Korea then a military threat to them.

South Koreans Ignore Threats From The North

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Asia

Solar Panel Maker Suntech Forced Into Bankruptcy

Lack of demand from a weak global economy is partly to blame for Suntech's troubles. But China's state-driven model of capitalism is sparking overproduction, analysts say, and several Chinese solar companies are fighting for survival.

Solar Panel Maker Suntech Forced Into Bankruptcy

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Shanghai's Dead Pigs: Search For Answers Turns Up Denials

Villagers gather dead pigs in Jiaxing, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, on Wednesday. The number of dead pigs found in Shanghai's main river had doubled in two days to more than 6,000, the government said. AFP/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The Salt

Shanghai's Dead Pigs: Search For Answers Turns Up Denials

The discovery of thousands of dead pigs floating in the waters around Shanghai has turned up disturbing reports: of pig dumping and the sale of meat from diseased animals among pig farmers. In the village where some of the pigs came from, we found serial denials.

Shanghai's Dead Pigs: Search For Answers Turns Up Denials

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Young Chinese Translate America, One Show At A Time

The Newsroom, starring Jeff Daniels, is one of the most popular American TV series in China. It's a favorite among a cadre of young, informal translators who see it as a way to challenge conventional Chinese thinking. hide caption

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Asia

Young Chinese Translate America, One Show At A Time

China's so-called fan subtitle groups are trying to change the country's thinking. Every week, thousands of young Chinese gather online to translate popular TV shows like The Newsroom into Mandarin. Some do it for fun, but others see it as a subtle way to introduce new ideas about free thought and questioning authority into Chinese society.

Young Chinese Translate America, One Show At A Time

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How To Sneak Into A Chinese Village When Police Don't Want You There

When residents of the southern Chinese village of Shangpu staged an uprising, police set up a roadblock on the main road to keep outsiders away, including reporters. Here, a policeman mans the roadblock on Saturday. Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

How To Sneak Into A Chinese Village When Police Don't Want You There

Reporting in China is sometimes a cat-and-mouse game with authorities, who want to keep journalists far from the scene when unrest breaks out.

Chinese Farmers Revolt Against Government Land Grab

Smashed and overturned cars are shown Saturday after civil unrest in the village of Shangpu in China's southern Guangdong province. Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

Asia

Chinese Farmers Revolt Against Government Land Grab

Residents of a village in southern China are demanding democratic elections in a new standoff with authorities. The farmers of Shangpu say armed thugs sent by their own village chief attacked the community to pave the way for a new factory on their land.

Chinese Farmers Revolt Against Government Land Grab

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In China, Not Everything Has Changed

Shen Lixiu, 58, says she had her front teeth kicked out in a re-education through labor camp. Chinese authorities say they are considering "reforms" to a system that is coming under increasing public criticism. Frank Langfitt/NPR hide caption

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The Two-Way

In China, Not Everything Has Changed

China has transformed itself in recent years. But for an NPR reporter now on his second tour of the country, some things, like re-education through labor camps, remain the same.