ChinaFile Recommends
03.01.18How the West Got China Wrong
Economist
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...
Conversation
11.27.17
What Does Mugabe’s Resignation Mean for China?
On November 15, soldiers placed the 93-year-old Robert Mugabe under house arrest. Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe since the country gained independence in 1980. On November 21, he resigned after 37 years in power. China, Zimbabwe’s largest foreign...
Viewpoint
10.17.17
Stein Ringen: ‘The Truth About China’
Democracies have found it difficult to deal with the great dictatorships. So now with China. The first difficulty is to recognize just what we are up against, and to avoid wishful thinking.In his first five years, Xi Jinping has reshaped the Chinese...
ChinaFile Recommends
04.12.17Why Does China Pretend to Be a Democracy?
Washington Post
Why does China still call itself a democracy? Making this claim allows Beijing to legitimize its own actions—and, in the case of its views on the U.S. missile attacks, the Syrian government’s— as representing the will of the people.
ChinaFile Recommends
01.03.17A Human Rights Activist, A Secret Prison and A Tale from Xi Jinping’s New China
Guardian
Peter Dahlin spent 23 days in a ‘black prison’ in Beijing, where he says he was deprived of sleep and questioned with a ‘communication enhancement’ machine.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.03.16'Big Daddy Xi' No More? Chinese President's Nickname Nixed
Guardian
Propaganda officials warn state media off using moniker after push to portray leader as man of the people appears to backfire.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.02.15Did a Chinese Mogul Beat a Treasury Dept. Ban on Doing Business in the U.S.?
Al Jazeera
Records reveal NYC building is owned by company linked to man blacklisted for allegedly funding African dictators.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.22.15Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe Awarded 'China's Nobel Peace Prize'
Guardian
Confucius peace prize chairman defends decision to give award to leader accused of using systematic violence to maintain power.
Media
03.25.15
Was Lee Kuan Yew an Inspiration or a Race Traitor? Chinese Can’t Agree
When Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, passed away at the ripe age of 91 on March 23, the elderly statesman was as controversial in death as in life—and nowhere was the debate more vigorous than in China. While state media was full of...