Managing Instability on China’s Periphery

By Paul B. Stares, Scott A. Snyder, Joshua Kurlantzick, Daniel Markey, Evan A. Feigenbaum on September 1, 2011

China’s growing global engagement and presence has increased the number of conceivable places and issues over which it could find itself at odds with the United States, but potential developments in the territories immediately adjacent to China remain the most likely—and the most worrisome—sources of friction. In this study, the authors provide policy options for preventing a major crisis and mitigating the consequences in North Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Central Asia.

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He Jianan
Topics: 
Politics
Keywords: 
Security
Foreign Policy
Border Conflict
Regional Stability
Organization: 
Council on Foreign Relations

Asian Alliances in the 21st Century

By Dan Blumenthal, Michael Mazza, Randall Schriver, Mark Stokes, L.C. Russell Hsiao on August 30, 2011

Asia will become the epicenter of geopolitical activity in the 21st century and the budding U.S.-China security rivalry, conditioned by deep economic interdependence, will shape the region’s future. Perhaps the greatest benefactor of American policy over the years—certainly since the normalization of Sino-American ties—has been the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Beijing benefitted from America’s successful containment of the Soviet Union as well as Washington’s decision to maintain its military predominance after the Soviet Union crumbled. Yet China, unlike its Asian peers, does not appear content with the American-made and -dominated international order. Beijing’s illiberal modernization and dissatisfaction with key aspects of the world order could imperil Asia’s relatively long peace. Simply put, PRC leaders may use the country’s newfound clout to undermine the geopolitical order. Indeed, China’s dissatisfaction and new ambition are beginning to define a security competition with the United States that in turn will reshape Asia’s future.

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Topics: 
Economy
Politics
Keywords: 
U.S.-China Relations
Regional Stability
Geopolitical Order
National Security
Organization: 
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

Zhao Liang and the South-North Water Diversion Project

By Kaiser Kuo, Edward Wong & more on August 27, 2011

This week on Sinica: China makes an about-face on Libya, we discuss a recent controversy in Beijing’s arts community over independent filmmaker Zhao Liang, and get an on-the-ground update on the state of China’s South-North Water Diversion Project, a little-publicized infrastructure effort that already dwarfs the Three Gorges Dam in both its human and environmental impact.

Not in My Backyard

By Kaiser Kuo, Josh Chin & more on August 19, 2011

While some Chinese media have flown into high dudgeon over allegations of sun-exposed hamburger buns at McDonalds, powder-based soy milk at KFC, and pork broth made from concentrate at Ajisen, a more grassroots protest gained notice across China when public anxiety in Dalian over safety issues at a local petrochemical plant resulted in what seems to have been spontaneous demonstrations and an apparent capitulation by the new mayor of the coastal city to public demands that authorities move the plant.

‘I’m Not Interested in Them; I Wish They Weren’t Interested in Me’

An Interview with Liao Yiwu

By Ian Johnson on August 15, 2011

Amid the recent crackdown on dissidents by the Chinese government, the case of Liao Yiwu, the well-known poet and chronicler of contemporary China, is particularly interesting. For years, Liao’s work, which draws on extensive interviews with ordinary Chinese, has been banned by the authorities for its provocative revelations about everyday life. In early July, amid a worsening atmosphere for artists and intellectuals critical of the Chinese government, Liao fled to Germany via a small border crossing to Vietnam in Yunnan province.

The Schadenfreude Podcast

By Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy Goldkorn & more on August 12, 2011

Last week must have felt good for embattled Chinese patriots. Not only did the United States lose its coveted triple-A rating from Standard and Poor’s, but months after unrest in the Middle East sparked renewed speculation about political disenfranchisement throughout Asia, riots in London suggest the West may have bigger problems closer to home. And China looks to be sitting quite pretty. Or is it?

The China Rock Podcast

By Jeremy Goldkorn & Kaiser Kuo on August 6, 2011

“Beijing has one of the best music scenes in the world,” one of our guests intoned, triggering a brawl that quickly split along Beijing-Shanghai lines. And while we’ll admit a case can be made for Shanghai too, there is no question that China has come a long way since the days of attending a mainstream rock show meant seeing either Xu Wei or Cui Jian. These days, China has an established concert circuit and you can’t hit a local club without running into up-and-coming bands like Bigger Sky, Snapline, or Omnipotent Youth Hotel.

U.S.-Taiwan Relationship: Overview of Policy Issues

By Shirley A. Kan, Wayne M. Morrison on August 4, 2011

Taiwan today calls itself the sovereign Republic of China (ROC), tracing its political lineage to the ROC set up in 1911 on mainland China and commemorating in 2011 the 100th anniversary of its founding. The ROC government retreated to Taipei in 1949. The United States recognized the ROC until the end of 1978 and has maintained an official, non-diplomatic relationship with Taiwan after recognition of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing in 1979. The State Department claims an “unofficial” U.S. relationship with Taiwan, despite official contacts that include arms sales. For decades, Taiwan has been of significant security, economic, and political interest to the United States. While the United States does not diplomatically recognize Taiwan, it is a significant autonomous actor in the world. The purpose and scope of this CRS Report is to provide a succinct overview with analysis of the issues in the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.

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Peony Lui
Topics: 
Politics
Keywords: 
Taiwan
U.S.-Taiwan Relations
Organization: 
Congressional Research Service

Measuring the Economic Gain of Investing in Girls

The Girl Effect Dividend

By Jad Chaaban and Wendy Cunningham on August 1, 2011

This report discusses the economic impact of the exclusion of girls from productive employment in developing countries. The paper explores the linkages between investing in girls and potential increases in national income by examining three widely prevalent aspects of adolescent girls' lives: early school dropout, teenage pregnancy and joblessness. The countries included in the analysis are: Bangladesh, Brazil, Burundi, China, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Paraguay, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. The authors use secondary data to allow for some comparability across countries. The authors find that investing in today’s cohort of girls leads to substantial economic gains for the girls and local economies.

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Topics: 
Economy
Education
Society
Keywords: 
Economic Growth
Women
Organization: 
World Bank