Putin to Visit China as Leaders Consolidate Power at Home
By James Griffiths via CNN
March 26, 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China later this year, for his first meetings with senior Chinese officials since being elected for a fourth term.
China-Russia Relations, Russia, Vladimir Putin
Alibaba Opens Car Vending Machine in China That Gives Free Test Drives for People with Good Social Credit
By Thuy Ong via Verge
March 26, 2018
Alibaba and Ford signed a deal to form a partnership last year that would see both companies working together on new technological opportunities.
Alibaba, Credit, Social Media
The US and China Are in Talks to Try to Avoid a Trade War
By Jethro Mullen via CNN
March 26, 2018
The United States and China are acting tough over trade, but they’re also busy talking to try to stop the situation spiraling out of control.
Trade, Tariffs
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Is Said to Be Visiting China
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
March 26, 2018
Kim Jong Un has made a surprise visit to Beijing on his first known trip outside North Korea since taking power in 2011, three people with knowledge of the visit said.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Kim Jong-un
China’s Radical Plan to Limit the Populations of Beijing and Shanghai
By Helen Roxburgh via Guardian
March 20, 2018
In the weaving alleys of Shanghai’s Laoximen district, swathes of residential buildings sit empty. The historic area in the heart of the city is being slowly demolished, and many residents have already abandoned it, leaving behind rows of traditional terraced houses with boarded-up windows and demolition signs on the doors.
Beijing, Shanghai, Population
China, Not North Korea, to Dominate Japan Military Planning
By Tim Kelly, Nobuhiro Kubo via Reuters
March 20, 2018
North Korea’s growing missile arsenal might be the most obvious and immediate military threat facing Japan, but defense planners in Tokyo are focused on a much larger and more challenging foe as they prepare for the years ahead.
China-Japan Relations, Japan, North Korea, Military, Defense
How China’s Government Has Changed after the NPC
By BBC via BBC
March 20, 2018
A stronger military and more power to fight corruption are among the major changes revealed at China’s National People's Congress (NPC) this year.
National People’s Congress, Xi Jinping, Government Policy
China Approves Giant Propaganda Machine to Improve Global Image
By Keith Zhai via Bloomberg
March 20, 2018
China has approved the creation of one of the world’s largest propaganda machines as it looks to improve its global image, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Xi Jinping, Propaganda, CCTV
China Vows to Open Its Markets Further in Response to Trump’s Tariff Threats
By Simon Denyer via Washington Post
March 20, 2018
China responded to the threat of a massive package of tariffs from the United States by vowing Tuesday to further open its own markets to foreign trade and investment, while warning that a trade war between the two nations would hurt both sides.
Li Keqiang, Trade, Tariffs
Xi Jinping Warns against Dividing China after U.S. Passes Taiwan Law
By Eva Dou via Wall Street Journal
March 20, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that any “tricks” to divide China will be thwarted, a warning that followed U.S. legislation opening the door to high-level visits with Taiwan.
China-Taiwan Relations, Taiwan, U.S.-Taiwan Relations
The Battle for Digital Supremacy
By The Economist via Economist
March 15, 2018
“DESIGNED by Apple in California. Assembled in China”. For the past decade the words embossed on the back of iPhones have served as shorthand for the technological bargain between the world’s two biggest economies: America supplies the brains and China the brawn.
High-Tech Industry, Technology, Alibaba, Tencent, Facebook
Chinese Crackdown Separates Pakistani Husbands from Uighur Wives
By Memphis Barker via Guardian
March 15, 2018
“Where is Mama?” screams Ahmed’s 10-year-old daughter in a WeChat message he can hardly bear to replay.
Uighur, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Human Rights
Hong Kong’s Judges Voice Fears over China Influence in Judiciary
By Greg Torode, James Pomfret via Reuters
March 15, 2018
As Hong Kong’s judges and senior lawyers paraded in ceremonial wigs and gowns on Jan 8 to mark the start of the legal year, anxieties over China’s growing reach into the city’s vaunted legal system swirled with the wintry winds.
Hong Kong, Xi Jinping, Rule of Law
Hard-Charging Chinese Energy Tycoon Falls from Xi Government’s Graces
By Alexandra Stevenson via New York Times
March 15, 2018
A mysterious Chinese buyer surprised the financial world last year when it swooped in to buy a $9 billion chunk of Russia’s state oil company.
Corporate Debt, Xi Jinping, Energy
China Tech Titan Alibaba Plans Stock-Market Homecoming
By Julie Steinberg and Liza Lin via Wall Street Journal
March 15, 2018
Technology giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is working on a plan to list on a stock exchange in its home market, China, according to people familiar with the matter, more than three years after its blockbuster initial public offering in New York.
Alibaba, Jack Ma, New York Stock Exchange
China, Russia Welcome Korean Peace Efforts with Diplomacy in Overdrive
By Christine Kim via Reuters
March 15, 2018
China’s President Xi Jinping offered encouragement for South Korea’s initiative to nurture peaceful engagement with North Korea, and Russia also expressed support, the South Korean official leading diplomatic efforts said on Thursday.
North Korea, Russia, Korean Peninsula, South Korea
Facebook, Amazon Handicapped as They Follow China Playbook
By Louise Lucas via Financial Times
March 14, 2018
Amazon and Facebook grabbed headlines with groundbreaking moves last week: segueing into bank accounts and music, respectively. Groundbreaking, that is, for the west—such moves are business as normal in China.
Facebook, Amazon, Tencent, Alibaba
China Levies Record $870 Million Fine for Stock Manipulation
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
March 14, 2018
China slapped a logistics company with fines totaling 5.5 billion yuan ($870 million) for manipulating the stock market, the biggest ever punishment for such an infringement.
Stock Market, Financial Regulation, Finance, Financial Market
China Just Got One Step Closer to Ending Its Family-Planning Policies
By Echo Huang via Quartz
March 14, 2018
Over the years few things have symbolized China’s heavy-handedness quite like the one-child policy it implemented in 1979. But in a sign of change, this week Beijing announced the end of the commission charged with implementing such policies.
Family Planning, Reproductive Health, Women, One-Child Policy, Women’s Rights
Trump Demands Aides Pump up Anti-China Tariffs
By Adam Behsudi and Andrew Restuccia via Politico
March 14, 2018
President Donald Trump is getting ready to crack down on China. Trump told Cabinet secretaries and top advisers during a meeting at the White House last week that he wanted to soon hit China with steep tariffs and investment restrictions in response to allegations of intellectual property theft, according to three people familiar with the internal discussions.
Donald Trump, Trade, Tariffs
Stephen Hawking: China’s Love for the Late Physicist
By Tessa Wong via BBC
March 14, 2018
As the world mourns Prof Stephen Hawking, who has died aged 76, there has been a particular outpouring of emotion in China, where the visionary physicist was revered by scientists, students, the state and even boy band stars.
Science, Physics, Space Exploration
A Malaysian Insta-City Becomes a Flash Point for Chinese Colonialism — and Capital Flight
By Brook Larmer via New York Times
March 13, 2018
A futuristic city funded by China is rising from the sea off Malaysian coast.
Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Influence, Urban Development, Malaysia
A Reporter Rolled Her Eyes, and China’s Internet Broke
By Paul Mozur via New York Times
March 13, 2018
A reporter's eye-roll at China's legislature meeting went viral.
National People’s Congress, Press Freedom, Media Control, Social Media
Honeywell, Other U.S. Companies Look to Benefit from China's Gigantic 'Belt and Road' Initiative
By Evelyn Cheng via CNBC
March 13, 2018
Over 15 U.S. companies called the program an opportunity for business growth.
Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Influence
China Sets up New Foreign Aid Agency to Better Project Influence Abroad
By Simon Denyer via Washington Post
March 13, 2018
The communist government establishes a new agency to coordinate its foreign aid program.
National People’s Congress, Governmental Structure, Foreign Aid, Chinese Influence
Beijing Watches and Waits While Trump Talks up His Meeting with Kim Jong Un
By Nyshka Chandran via CNBC
March 13, 2018
The milestone summit suits Beijing's interests so the communist state isn't expected to interfere.
China-North Korea Relations, Donald Trump, Kim Jong-un, Diplomacy
China Unveils Overhaul of Government Bureaucracy
By Chun Han Wong via Wall Street Journal
March 13, 2018
Plan follows constitutional amendments that boost President Xi Jinping’s power.
National People’s Congress, Constitution, Governmental Structure, Bureaucracy
Xi Jinping Clear to Rule Indefinitely as China Scraps Presidential Term Limits
By Chun Han Wong via Wall Street Journal
March 12, 2018
Legislature votes to repeal 10-year presidential term limit imposed after Mao’s death.
Xi Jinping, National People’s Congress, Constitution
Ending Term Limits for China’s Xi Is a Big Deal. Here’s Why.
By Chris Buck and Adam Wu via New York Times
March 12, 2018
What is at stake when China ends term limit on Xi’s presidency?
Xi Jinping, Constitution, National People’s Congress, Legislation
Trump’s China Whisperer: How Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman Has Sought to Keep the President Close to Beijing
By Michael Kranish via Washington Post
March 12, 2018
This American investor has one of the closest relationships to Beijing.
Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman, Tariffs
South Korea Moves to Ease Chinese Jitters over U.S.-North Korea Talks
By Euan McKirdy via CNN
March 12, 2018
South Korean officials met with Xi about Trump-Kim Meeting.
North Korea, China-North Korea Relations, South Korea, Kim Jong-un, Korean Peninsula
China Says Trade War with U.S. Will Only Bring Disaster to Global Economy
By Elias Glenn via Reuters
March 12, 2018
Beijing criticizes proposed tariffs by Washington amid fears it could shatter global growth.
Trade, Tariffs, Steel Industry, Imports and Exports
China’s Arms Sales Rise as It Vies with U.S. for Influence on the World Stage
By Kristin Huang via South China Morning Post
March 12, 2018
Research group highlights Beijing’s growing share of global arms trade as it tries to strengthen ties with key allies.
Arms, arms sales, Military Policy, Weapons
US’s Tillerson Warns African Nations Not to ‘Forfeit Their Sovereignty’ by Taking Chinese Loans
By Justina Crabtree via CNBC
March 9, 2018
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned against African nations accepting Chinese cash in agreements which could “forfeit their sovereignty.”
Africa, China-Africa Relations, Sovereignty, Foreign Investment, Foreign Direct Investment
Xi Jinping Says China’s Authoritarian System Can Be a Model for the World
By Zheping Huang via Quartz
March 9, 2018
Chinese president Xi Jinping has repeatedly told the world that China is ready to lead on issues like free trade and climate change.
Political System, Xi Jinping, Chinese Communist Party
Chinese Students in America Say ‘Not My President’
By Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian via Foreign Policy
March 9, 2018
The first posters appeared on a bulletin board at University of California, San Diego on March 1.
Xi Jinping, Students, College/University, U.S. Colleges
How China Is Challenging American Dominance in Asia
By Max Fisher and Audrey Carlsen via New York Times
March 9, 2018
As China grows more powerful, it is displacing decades-old American preeminence in parts of Asia. The outlines of the rivalry are defining the future of the continent.
Geopolitical Order, International Order, Trade, Arms, Japan, Sri Lanka, Philippines
China, Europe Slam Trump’s Tariffs as U.S. Metalworkers Cheer
By Wayne Ma, Emre Peker, and Doug Cameron via Wall Street Journal
March 9, 2018
China and Europe lashed out against new U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, while officials and executives from several American allies caught in the crossfire reacted more cautiously, embracing what the White House promised would be some flexibility in implementation.
Trade, Steel, Steel Industry, Tariffs
Trump Takes the Bait from Musk, Attacks China Auto Import Duties
By Dana Hull and Justin Sink via Bloomberg
March 9, 2018
President Donald Trump may not follow Elon Musk on Twitter, but the Tesla Inc. chief’s posts decrying China’s automotive trade practices managed to catch his attention.
Elon Musk, Imports and Exports, Trade, Automobiles, Automobile Industry
Francis Fukuyama: China’s ‘Bad Emperor’ Returns
By Francis Fukuyama via Washington Post
March 7, 2018
Since 1978, China’s authoritarian political system has been different from virtually all other dictatorships in part because the ruling Communist Party has been subject to rules regarding succession.
Xi Jinping, Democracy, Constitution, Mao Zedong
New Chinese Agency Could Undercut Other Anti-Corruption Efforts
By Dimitar Gueorguiev and Jonathan Stromseth via Brookings Institution
March 7, 2018
China’s National People’s Congress is expected to ratify legislation during the next two weeks to create a new supra-agency, the National Supervision Commission, to institutionalize President Xi Jinping’s signature anti-corruption campaign as a permanent feature of the state.
Anti-Corruption, National People’s Congress, Chinese Communist Party
China Protectionism Creates Tech Billionaires Who Protect Xi
By Shelly Banjo via Bloomberg
March 7, 2018
China’s tech giants will add star power to the country’s political festivities this week, paying homage to President Xi Jinping and endorsing constitutional changes for him to remain president indefinitely.
Xi Jinping, Protectionism, Technology, Xiaomi, Baidu, Tencent
China Unhappy with US Aircraft Carrier’s Visit to Vietnam, State Media Says
By South China Morning Post via South China Morning Post
March 7, 2018
Beijing is unhappy with the visit of a US aircraft carrier to a Vietnamese port, the first by such a vessel since the Vietnam war, and is monitoring developments, according to a state newspaper report on Wednesday.
China-Vietnam Relations, Vietnam, Vietnam-U.S. relations, Global Times
China and the Philippines Will Work Together to Tap the South China Sea’s Vast Oil Deposits
By Ralph Jennings via Forbes
March 7, 2018
China needs fuel to grow the world’s second-largest economy by 6.5% this year as established this week at annual legislative sessions.
China-Philippines Relations, Philippines, South China Sea, Fuel, Fossil Fuels, Oil
Talks with North Korea? China Approves (No Matter the Outcome)
By Jane Perlez via New York Times
March 7, 2018
When China hosted the last serious talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, in the mid-2000s, the setting was a huge, hexagonal table covered in green felt, in a government guesthouse in Beijing.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, U.S.-North Korea Relations, South Korea
The West Is Doing Its Best to Help China
By Edward Luce via Financial Times
March 7, 2018
Most of it is unintentional. Yet the west could not be helping China more if it tried.
Tariffs, Trade, Democracy, Donald Trump
India Is Willing to Snub the Dalai Lama to Please China
By Devjyot Ghoshal via Quartz
March 6, 2018
On March 17, 1959, a 23-year-old Buddhist monk disguised as a soldier fled Tibet, travelling for three weeks across the Himalayas before reaching the border with India.
India, China-India Relations, Dalai Lama, Tibet
China Could Be the World’s First All Electric Vehicle Ecosystem
By Salvatore Babones via Forbes
March 6, 2018
China’s big cities are famously polluted. Air pollution is responsible for as many as one million excess deaths per year in China, according to estimates from the World Health Organization.
Electric Cars, Electric Vehicles, Air Pollution
China Tests Giant Air Cleaner to Combat Smog
By David Cyranoski via Nature
March 6, 2018
A 60-metre-high chimney stands among a sea of high-rise buildings in one of China’s most polluted cities.
Air Pollution, Solar Energy, Air Quality
Blockchain Is a Surprisingly Hot Topic at China’s Annual Political Gathering
By Josh Horwitz via Quartz
March 6, 2018
Thousands of China’s elites are currently gathered in Beijing for the “two sessions,” the annual meetings for members the National People’s Congress (or NPC, China’s rubber-stamp legislative branch) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (or CPPCC, a non-legislative advisory body).
National People’s Congress, CPPCC, Virtual Currency, Technology
Box Office: Will ‘Black Panther’ Conquer China?
By Patrick Brzeski via Hollywood Reporter
March 6, 2018
At nearly $900 million worldwide and counting, Marvel’s latest is a certified historic hit, but Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster faces a final challenge to “conventional wisdom” in the world's second-largest film market.
Hollywood, Film Industry, Film
China Boosts Defense Budget in Quest for ‘World Class’ Military but Tells Neighbors Not to Worry
By Simon Denyer via Washington Post
March 6, 2018
China’s government said Monday that it will boost its defense spending by 8.1 percent this year, the biggest increase in three years, even as it insists that it poses no threat to other countries.
Military, Military Technology, National People’s Congress
As Xi Tightens His Grip on China, U.S. Sees Conflict Ahead
By Mark Landler via New York Times
March 1, 2018
A few weeks after Stephen K. Bannon left the White House in August, he was invited to a dinner at the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss American policy toward China.
Xi Jinping, Military, Civil Society, Politics, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Why Chinese State Media Love Elon Musk’s Latest Tweets
By Jethro Mullen via CNN
March 1, 2018
The Tesla CEO tweeted out a link to a video about a Chinese rail station that was built in less than 9 hours.
Elon Musk, Infrastructure, Railways, Xinhua
A Summer Vacation in China’s Muslim Gulag
By Foreign Policy via Foreign Policy
March 1, 2018
Since announcing a “people’s war on terror” in 2014, the Chinese Communist Party has created an unprecedented network of re-education camps in the autonomous Xinjiang region that are essentially ethnic gulags.
Human Rights, Xinjiang, Uighur
China Box Office Surges 39 Percent in First Two Months of 2018
By Patrick Brzeski via Hollywood Reporter
March 1, 2018
China is once again rapidly closing the gap with North America, still narrowly the world’s largest film market.
Film, Film Industry, Hollywood
A Social Media Tycoon Is Now China’s Richest Man
By Daniel Shane via CNN
March 1, 2018
Tencent CEO Ma Huateng is the country’s highest-ranked person on the Global Rich List published Wednesday by Shanghai-based wealth research firm Hurun Report.
Tencent, Pony Ma, Billionaires
An Anbang-Linked Revolutionary Heir Dies in China. Speculation Begins.
By Josh Chin and Eva Dou via Wall Street Journal
March 1, 2018
The sudden death of a revolutionary scion linked to troubled Chinese insurer Anbang Insurance Group Co. is reverberating through China’s battered private business community.
Chinese Communist Party, Cultural Revolution, Anbang
China Energy Group Bonds Crash after Detention Report
By Lucy Hornby and Archie Zhang via Financial Times
March 1, 2018
Bonds of mysterious Chinese energy firm CEFC crashed on Thursday amid reports that its chairman Ye Jianming had been detained, complicating its deal to buy a $9bn stake in Russian oil company Rosneft.
Bonds, Energy, Russia, China-Russia Relations
How the West Got China Wrong
By The Economist via Economist
March 1, 2018
Last weekend China stepped from autocracy into dictatorship. That was when Xi Jinping, already the world’s most powerful man, let it be known that he will change China’s constitution so that he can rule as president for as long as he chooses—and conceivably for life.
Democracy, Market Economy, Xi Jinping, Dictatorships
Why China Is Censoring Winnie the Pooh—and the Letter ‘N’
By Natasha Bach via Fortune
March 1, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping has had a fruitful five plus years in his current position.
Xi Jinping, Censorship, Internet Censorship
China Spends $279 bln on R&D in 2017: Science Minister
By Reuters Staff via Reuters
February 27, 2018
China’s total spending on research and development is estimated to have hit 1.76 trillion yuan ($279 billion) last year, China’s science minister said on Monday, a year-on-year increase of 14 percent.
Development, Science, Technology, Electric Vehicles, Electric Cars, Robotics
China’s Media Is Struggling to Overcome Its Racial Stereotypes of Africa
By Dani Madrid-Morales via Quartz
February 27, 2018
For most Chinese people, the Spring Festival is a time to honor family ties, friendships and acquaintances.
CCTV, Africa, China-Africa Relations, Spring Festival, Chinese New Year
China’s New Economic Guru Is Trying to Stop a Trade War
By Daniel Shane via CNN
February 27, 2018
As trade tensions escalate between the US and China, one of President Xi Jinping’s most trusted advisers is paying a visit to Washington.
Trade, Tariffs
Chinese Capital Dangles Carrots to Lure Foreign Talent to Its Silicon Valley
By Reuters Staff via Reuters
February 27, 2018
Beijing, a major hub for artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors in China, is touting a new list of incentives to try and bait foreign talent for its equivalent of Silicon Valley in the Chinese capital.
Beijing, Technology, Zhongguancun
China: Big Data Fuels Crackdown in Minority Region
By Human Rights Watch via Human Rights Watch
February 27, 2018
Chinese authorities are building and deploying a predictive policing program based on big data analysis in Xinjiang, Human Rights Watch said today. The program aggregates data about people – often without their knowledge – and flags those it deems potentially threatening to officials.
Big Data, Human Rights, Human Rights Abuses, Xinjiang, Uighur