A brief video explainer on the US 'One China' policy

China's 'One China' principle vs. the US 'One China' policy

The "One China" policy means different things to different people, but in the larger sense there are two primary interpretations: the Chinese and the American versions. Both refer to relations and contact between the mainland People's Republic of China and Taiwan/The Republic of China. This article covers the subtleties and differences between each country's approach to the "One China" principle.

How China's 'one country, two systems' works

"One country, two systems" is a principle put forth by the People's Republic of China as its approach toward formerly independent regions like Hong Kong and Macau. Supposedly promising administrative independence, China has not always been consistent in its application. Currently, it plans to offer the same arrangement with Taiwan. Learn more in this brief video.

China vs. Taiwan, explained

Taiwan and China are separated by just 100 miles of water, but the distance between the two countries is farther than that. This 14-minute video details the history of their sovereignty dispute, and China's likelihood to use military tactics if they can't unify peacefully. The main problem there is that the United States has vowed to defend Taiwan, which could lead to an American-Chinese war.

How Taiwan residents view China and the US

There is widespread support in Taiwan for increased economic and political ties with the US, compared to China. This deep dive of data from the Pew Research Center breaks down how various segments of Taiwan's population perceive the US and China individually and among other Asia-Pacific countries.

China's latest statement on why it wants to 'reunify' with Taiwan

"The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era" is a white paper released by the People's Republic of China in 2022. It outlines the Chinese government's reasons for reclaiming/reunifying with the island nation of Taiwan in a series of detailed points. The full text of the document can be found here.

Tracking the latest developments in the Taiwan Strait

China continues to express its desire to unify with Taiwan and prevent the island republic from any interaction with the United States of America. See the latest skirmishes and saber-rattlings on the part of the Chinese government in this detailed article that provides clear data visualizations of how China has encroached on Taiwan's air space and tested the waters, so to speak.

Hong Kong: British colony turned Chinese police state

This 15-minute video explores how Hong Kong has changed since China reclaimed the territory from Britain in 1997. Hong Kong became a British colony after the First Opium War, a conflict arising from Britain's attempt to equalize trade with China through smuggled opium. Democratic rights assumed by Hong Kong residents, such as the right to protest, have been in peril since the 1997 shift, according to this video.

See who sat where at the US-China state dinner and why

This graphic maps the seating arrangements at the May 2026 dinner, showing how Chinese banquet etiquette shaped the placement of officials and executives from both delegations, along with details on the food served.

7 experts debate China's role in the future of the rules-based international order

This interactive feature showcases opposing arguments—from scholars who view China as a major threat to the order, to Chinese analyst Wu Xinbo's argument that China will shape the order's evolution rather than destroy it.

How do tariffs work?

This brief animated video from Time walks through a simple example of a tariff on a single good, illustrating how this would affect the market for the good—both domestically and abroad—and who would eventually bear the cost of the tariff.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

The first time the US federally barred immigration based on nationality

Watch this six-minute video to learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was the first federal law to bar immigration explicitly because of nationality.

Learn how stablecoins function in just 4 minutes

This video explains the basics of stablecoins in a beginner-friendly manner. It also dives a bit deeper into the larger stablecoin landscape, detailing, for instance, the many stablecoins backed by fiat currency other than the US dollar, like the euro, the Turkish lira, and the Singapore dollar.

America's demographic change in one chart

From 1901 to 2020, the US population has changed significantly. This video reveals the change in America’s demographics over more than 100 years.

Visual Capitalist shows the top 50 countries by central bank reserves

As of 2024, China, Japan, and the United States held the top three spots in terms of the value of their respective central bank reserves.

The world's different calendars, explained

The calendar we use to mark the days, months, and year can feel set in stone, but the history of calendars shows these organization systems can and do change. Parse the fascinating, complex details of the Gregorian, Julian, Chinese, Hebrew, and many more calendars in this comprehensive, well-executed explainer video.

What are the universal human rights?

This video outlines what basic human rights are, who gets to pick them, who enforces them, and how. The basic idea of human rights states that each of us is entitled to the same basic rights and freedoms, no matter who we are or where we are born....

Every type of US national park, explained

Ever wonder what kinds of sites comprise the US National Park System? Using the recent re-designation of New River Gorge as a national park as a jumping-off point, this engaging video breaks down the 19 different designations within the National Park System. This includes parks, reserves, monuments, and scenic trails.

Where the US’s plastic recycling is discarded

The US ships over a million tons of plastic waste overseas each year. A short video explainer from USA Today shows a breakdown of what really happens to America's recyclables.

The portrait of George Washington was first placed on the one-dollar bill in 1869

Trace the history of the US dollar from its colonial roots to its adoption as the national currency. The video explores the word's Germanic origins, how the dollar sign evolved from the Spanish peso, and how Washington's portrait came to define US paper currency.

See how the executive branch of the US government works

The executive branch enforces federal laws and is led by the president, who serves as head of state, commander in chief, and chief diplomat. Supported by the vice president, Cabinet, and around 4 million federal employees, it carries out laws through 15 departments and dozens of agencies.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on its future

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew dives into how the trendsetting video app and cultural phenomenon works, from what distinguishes its algorithm and drives viral videos, to the challenges of content moderation and digital addiction in this wide-ranging conversation with the head of TED, Chris Anderson.

The story of pizza in the United States

Pizza is a big deal in the US, and it has many proud regional iterations. From Chicago deep dish to New York thin crust, this video takes a slice out of US history to focus on this beloved entree. Begin with the documented first incidence of pizza in the US—believed to be by Gennaro Lombardi—and end with how old Pizza Huts are being converted around the country.

Before Pearl Harbor, the US was a nonbelligerent ally to the Allied powers

Between September 1940 and December 7, 1941, the United States remained officially neutral—yet President Roosevelt incrementally shifted policy from “cash‑and‑carry” to Lend‑Lease, funneling critical military aid to Britain and other allies without entering the war.

How do vaccines work? Watch this brief 101

Watch this under-3-minute video explaining how vaccines use the body's immune system to prepare our bodies against viral and bacterial threats to our health.

The US national debt has become more important in recent months

In a moment of deep economic uncertainty, the national debt now matters more than ever. Listen to this podcast to find out why and also explore answers to questions like, "Who does the US owe money to and why?"

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

The identity of the Tank Man in the iconic photo from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests remains unknown and was possibly killed.

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Watch contemporary footage covering the US-backed Shah of Iran fleeing the country in the face of the 1979 Iranian Revolution

The name 'Silicon Valley' arose from the founding of Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in Fairchild Semiconductor in 1956-57, founded near Stanford University in Palo Alto

Brandi Chastain, the star of the 1999 US victory over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup, was a last-second choice to take the penalty kick that sealed the victory.

Watch this video that uses Lego bricks to explain how venture capital works.

Watch the cumbersome, but necessary, precautions healthcare workers must take to care for and protect themselves while caring for Ebola patients.

Explore an interactive map of battles from the American Revolution, along with detailed summaries of each engagement

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.

Before humans, the Soviet Union and the United States sent animals—including apes, dogs, and cats—to space during the Space Race.

'Shogun,' a 1980s TV series, helped popularize sushi in the US by stimulating an American interest in Japanese culture.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

While El Niño moves warm Pacific Ocean waters east along the equator, La Niña moves them west, shifting where rainfall will become more common for months.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

According to the physics of black holes, our 4D reality may be a hologram—a projection of information coded on a 2D surface on the edge of the universe.

See a 3D reconstruction of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital that was home to an estimated population of 200,000 to 400,000.

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

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