The News
Semafor today launched Semafor China, a weekly news briefing debuting as part of Semafor’s 2026 major editorial expansion.
With China dominating global headlines — from trade policy and technological competition to economic headwinds and geopolitical tension — Semafor China will be a must-read weekly executive briefing on the biggest story in the global economy. Pulitzer winner Andy Browne will anchor the newsletter, which will also be the destination for a new Asian CEO interview series by former Fortune Asia Executive Editor, Clay Chandler.
Designed for global CEOs, business decision-makers, and government and policy leaders, Semafor China will feature key voices inside and outside China to explain how China’s public and private-sector successes, failures, and choices are shaping industries, markets, and the new world economy. Semafor China will be a sophisticated weekly guide for leaders who need to understand China’s economy, its role in global markets, and its ambitions in technology, finance, and energy to make informed decisions.
Semafor China will deliver:
- Business-focused intelligence cutting through the noise on China’s economic, political, and technological developments
- Comprehensive curation of key voices and varying perspectives across the multi-lingual, multi-modal China conversation
- A new CEO interview series led by Clay Chandler, spanning a wide range of top leaders across Asia
- Semafor’s signature transparency— the Semaform model that separates fact from analysis, presents counterarguments, and provides global perspectives, so readers always know what is known, what is opinion, and how others see it.
In this article:
Ben’s view
“We’ve found that our audience is tired of simplistic stories about China — whether a reductive Washington national security lens or a triumphalist Beijing tale of economic growth. Leaders, in particular, need to understand the depths of a complex bilateral relationship and a world re-ordering itself around both China and the United States,” said Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Semafor.
Justin’s view
“Semafor China reflects our core mission — delivering intelligence on the new world economy to the leaders running it. China’s economic and geopolitical rise is a 21st century story without rival, yet the most insightful global reporting on China’s ascent is fragmented and hard to access. Semafor’s Andy Browne and Clay Chandler bring unparalleled expertise to one of the most crucial and oft-misunderstood stories in global business. This briefing will be essential reading for any CEO navigating China today,” said Semafor CEO Justin B. Smith.
Know More
Andy Browne brings over three decades of experience in geopolitics, trade, and China. He previously ran the editorial program at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum and served as China Editor at The Wall Street Journal, where he was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team for International Reporting in 2007. He anchors Semafor China from Washington, D.C.
Clay Chandler is a veteran journalist based in Hong Kong. He joined Semafor from Fortune, where he served as Executive Editor for Asia, overseeing editorial operations and conference strategy. He has also held senior roles at The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
Semafor China joins Semafor’s growing portfolio of news briefings delivering intelligence on the new world economy to senior decision-makers across business, government, and media.
About Semafor
Semafor is the world’s fastest growing independent news media company that delivers intelligence through its reporting and live convenings. Founded in 2022 by veteran media executives Justin B. Smith and Ben Smith, Semafor provides intelligent, transparent journalism that cuts through the noise and distills complexity for leaders to navigate the new world economy. With a global sensibility, reach, and reporting hubs now spanning from Washington DC, Silicon Valley, Wall Street to sub-Saharan Africa and the Gulf, Semafor’s journalists around the world power its suite of daily first-read email briefings and signature live journalism convenings. The flagship Semafor World Economy, anchored in Washington DC, is the largest annual gathering of top global CEOs in North America, and Semafor’s convening on emerging economies, The Next Three Billion, is held annually at UNGA and expanded this year to South Africa, East Africa, and UAE. In 2024, Semafor was named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for “rewriting the story” on international reporting.