Books

02.07.17

Shanghai Faithful

Jennifer Lin
Within the next decade, China could be home to more Christians than any other country in the world. Through the 150-year saga of a single family, this book vividly dramatizes the remarkable religious evolution of the world’s most populous nation. Shanghai Faithful is both a touching family memoir and a chronicle of the astonishing spread of Christianity in China. Five generations of the Lin family—buffeted by history’s crosscurrents and personal strife—bring to life an epoch that is still unfolding.A compelling cast—a poor fisherman, a doctor who treated opium addicts, an Ivy League-educated priest, and the charismatic preacher Watchman Nee—sets the book in motion. Veteran journalist Jennifer Lin takes readers from remote nineteenth-century mission outposts to the thriving house churches and cathedrals of today’s China. The Lin family—and the book’s central figure, the Reverend Lin Pu-chi—offer witness to China’s tumultuous past, up to and beyond the betrayals and madness of the Cultural Revolution, when the family’s resolute faith led to years of suffering. Forgiveness and redemption bring the story full circle. With its sweep of history and the intimacy of long-hidden family stories, Shanghai Faithful offers a fresh look at Christianity in China—past, present, and future. —Rowman & Littlefield{chop}

Donald Trump and China on Dangerous Collision Course, Say Experts

Tom Phillips
Guardian
Report says ties between the two nuclear-armed countries could deteriorate into an economic or military confrontation. 

China, United States cannot afford conflict: Chinese foreign minister

Colin Packham
Reuters
There would be no winner from conflict between China and the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned on Tuesday, seeking to dampen tension between the two nations that flared after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Why China Doesn’t Need the U.S. for Trade

Winter Nie
Forbes
Unfortunately for Trump, it’s not the 1980s anymore.

How China Lost $1 Trillion

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
It’s a lot of money—but it’s shrinking.

China Courts Ivanka, Jared Kushner to Smooth Ties With Trump

Jennifer Jacobs, Peter Martin
Bloomberg
For China, Trump’s family may be the best hope for stable U.S. relations.

Viewpoint

02.07.17

Can the New U.S. Ambassador to China See Xi Jinping for Who He Really Is?

Jeffrey Wasserstrom
When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds confirmation hearings on Terry Branstad’s nomination to be Ambassador to China, the Iowa Governor is sure to be asked about the positions of the president who nominated him. I hope, though, that...

How Trump Could Put U.S.-China Relations on the Right Track

Washington Post
Called “U.S. Policy Toward China: Recommendations for a New Administration,” the bipartisan report, produced by an 18-member panel.

Reports

02.07.17

U.S. Policy Toward China

Orville Schell and Susan L. Shirk
Asia Society
The Task Force on U.S.-China Policy generated the following report and set of recommendations to assist the 45th U.S. presidential administration in formulating a China strategy that will protect and further U.S. national interests. This report...

China Protests U.S. Sanctions on Iran, but Sees ‘Clouds of War’ Dispersing over South China Sea

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
China said Monday it had lodged a formal protest with the United States over a decision to impose new sanctions targeting Iran, which affected a handful of Chinese companies and individuals.

U.S.-China War Would Be a Disaster for the World, Says Communist Party

Tom Phillips
Guardian
Editorial says two countries should strive to avoid conflict in first statement since Donald Trump’s election win

China’s Forex Reserves May Beat Expectations: Analyst

Leslie Shaffer
CNBC
China’s foreign-exchange reserves data for January, due on Tuesday, may surprise on the upside after a long downtrend, an analyst said.

Vatican Defends Inviting Chinese Ex-Minister to Organ Trafficking Talks

Stephanie Kirchgaessner
Guardian
Huang Jiefu’s inclusion at summit risks conferring legitimacy on Beijing’s transplantation program, say critics

Donald Trump Hasn’t Spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping since Taking Office

Zheping Huang
Quartz
Two weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump has spoken with 18 foreign heads-of-state, either by phone or in person. Xi Jinping’s name is conspicuously missing.

It Won’t Be Easy for Donald Trump to Bully China

Clay Chandler
Fortune
Trump’s screeds against China—for cheapening its currency, stoking its export machine and “stealing” American jobs—were a centerpiece of his campaign. And yet, as Trump himself probably knows, China won’t be easy to bully.

China’s Intelligent Weaponry Gets Smarter

John Markoff and Matthew Rosenberg
New York Times
The Pentagon’s plan to bring A.I. to the military is taking shape as Chinese researchers assert themselves in the nascent technology field.

Conversation

02.05.17

Is The White House Beginning to Resemble Zhongnanhai?

Melissa Chan & Yifu Dong
Since Donald Trump was sworn into office on January 20, he has lied repeatedly about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, embraced xenophobic policies, and declareda “running war with the media.” The White House has frozen out the...

Xi Jinping’s Back Channel to Donald Trump

Katsuji Nakazawa
Nikkei Asian Review
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s regime is under pressure to rethink its U.S. strategy now that Donald Trump has been inaugurated as president of the U.S. and appears intent on changing the power dynamic between the two giants.

Disappearance of Chinese Billionaire Alarms Financial Sector

Yifan Xie and Josh Chin
Wall Street Journal
Xiao Jianhua is one of several high-profile Chinese businessmen to go missing since China’s 2015 stock-market crash

Ivanka Trump Effect: New Year Wishes from President’s Daughter Welcomed in China

Benjamin Haas
Guardian
Beijing media says visit to embassy in U.S. could help ‘balance president’s harsh posture’ but relationship with Washington remains strained

Mexico Blowback Should Dissuade Trump from Taking on China

Komal Sri-Kumar
Bloomberg
Even though Trump chose the U.S.’s southern neighbor as his first target in the tariff war, China casts a much longer shadow over the U.S. economy.

Features

02.04.17

Why’s Beijing So Worried About Western Values Infecting China’s Youth?

Eric Fish
In early December, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the country’s universities to “adhere to the correct political orientation.” Speaking at a conference on ideology and politics in China’s colleges, he stressed that schools must uphold the...

Viewpoint

02.02.17

The Art of a China Deal

James McGregor
By his own admission, President Donald J. Trump is a brilliant businessman, a master negotiator, an exceptional deal maker, somebody who always wins. When it comes to China, he is prepared to do just that—win. “I’ve read hundreds of books about...

Trump, Tillerson and the South China Sea: What’s at Stake

Katie Hunt
CNN
Rex Tillerson, who was sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State Wednesday, takes responsibility for U.S. policy in one of the world’s biggest flashpoints: the South China Sea.

As Trump Sows Tensions with Mexico, Beijing May Reap Rewards

Nyshka Chandran
CNBC
As President Donald Trump wages a public and bellicose battle with the Mexican government, China may emerge as the victor.

China’s ‘Silk Road’ Push Stirs Resentment, Protest in Sri Lanka

Voice of America
China signed a deal with Sri Lanka late last year to further develop the strategic port of Hambantota and build a huge industrial zone nearby, a key part of Beijing’s ambitions to create a modern-day “Silk Road” across Asia.

Why Foreign Companies Are Shutting Shop in China

Jane Li
South China Morning Post
Sony Electronics, Marks & Spencer, Metro, Home Depot, Best Buy, Revlon, L’Oreal, Microsoft, and Sharp—some of the big names to have closed Chinese operations

Trump’s Defense Chief Heads to Asia, Eying China, North Korea Threat

Phil Stewart and Nobuhiro Kubo
Reuters
President Donald Trump’s defense secretary is expected to underscore U.S. security commitments to key allies South Korea and Japan on his debut trip to Asia this week as concerns mount over North Korea’s missile program and tensions with China.

Yuan’s Gain Has Surprised Trump, Incoming Ambassador Branstad Says

Mario Parker
Bloomberg
Donald Trump probably hasn’t followed through on campaign pledges to label China a currency manipulator because the yuan’s been stronger than he anticipated, the U.S. President’s pick as ambassador to China said Tuesday.

China Billionaire’s Disappearance from Hong Kong Revives Autonomy Concerns

Venus Wu and James Pomfret
Reuters
The uncertain fate of Xiao Jianhua, a China-born billionaire who was last seen at a luxury Hong Kong hotel a week ago, has raised fresh fears about the city’s autonomy amid media reports he may have been abducted by Chinese agents.

There Are Echoes of China in Today’s America

Maura Cunningham
Time
We are troubled by how often lately we experience a strange sort of China-related déjà vu when following events in the U.S.

Viewpoint

01.31.17

The Origins of China’s New Law on Foreign NGOs

Shawn Shieh
For many years, the vast majority of foreign NGOs operated quietly in China in a legal grey area. Many are unregistered and work in China through local partners, while others are registered as commercial enterprises. That all changed with the...

Make China Great Again

David Leonhardt
New York Times
America’s rivals and enemies have enjoyed a very good 10 days.

Asia Pacific Nations Are Tilting Closer toward China as Trump Declares ‘America First’

Evelyn Cheng
CNBC
There are strong signs that countries in Asia and the Pacific region are turning away from the United States and tilting toward China as the Trump administration emphasizes “America First.”

For China, a Rethink on Donald Trump

Andrew Browne
Wall Street Journal
Beijing initially welcomed a tough negotiator—then came the Mexico episode

How China Can Win as America Turns Inward

Newsweek
As the U.S. was backing away from a major international agreement, China continued its push to strike pacts with other nations.

Philippines’ Duterte Asks China to Patrol Piracy-Plagued Waters

Reuters
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he had asked China to help in the fight against Islamic State-linked militants by sending ships to patrol southern waters plagued by raids on commercial vessels.

Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

Michael Forsythe
New York Times
A Chinese-born billionaire who has forged financial ties with some of the country’s most powerful families was taken by the Chinese police from his apartment at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong late last week and spirited across the border

U.S.-China War Increasingly a ‘Reality,’ Chinese Army Official Says

Evelyn Cheng
CNBC
China is preparing for a potential military clash with the United States, according to an article on the Chinese army’s website.

Donald Trump Is Handing China the World

David Axe
Daily Beast
While Trump focuses on building up the U.S. Navy to counter China, Beijing is gobbling up the other segments of global relations that used to be dominated by the U.S.

China Says ‘Reasonable Concerns’ Must Be Factored into Trump Travel Bans

South China Morning Post
China is building diplomatic role in Middle East, and has close ties with Iran and Sudan, two of Trump’s seven proscribed countries

China’s Happy to Sit Out the Nuclear Arms Race

Melissa Hanham
Foreign Policy
While Putin and Trump push for bigger arsenals, Beijing has all the nukes it'll ever need.

With Pen Plan, China Etches Nationalist Economic Policy

Chuin-Wei Yap
Wall Street Journal
New ability to manufacture pen nibs gives China ability to produce whole pen—and a point of pride

U.N. Social Media Posts Removed in China After Backlash

William Ide
Voice of America
A massive backlash on social media in China has apparently led the United Nations to take down two Lunar New Year posts on refugees and poverty from their Chinese Weibo social media site.

Conversation

01.27.17

TPP is Dead, Now What?

David Dollar, Charlene Barshefsky & more
On Monday, on his first full working day as president, Donald Trump officially withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation trade pact that did not include China and did not have the votes to...

Chinese Send Fake Trump Tweets as Jokes, New Year Wishes

Associated Press
In China, Twitter is blocked but fake tweets by @realdonaldtrump look set to become the latest internet sensation.

If the U.S. Ever Went to War with China, It Would Be a Trump Distraction Technique

Guardian
There is no indication that the U.S. president wants a war. But, if he did get into one, it would be to direct attention away from his incompetence.

As Trump Stresses ‘America First,’ China Plays the World Leader

Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China is calmly mapping out global leadership aspirations from trade to climate change, drawing distinctions between President Xi Jinping’s steady hand and new U.S. President Donald Trump

Look out China, Mexico, Japan and Germany: How Trade Shapes Trump’s Worldview

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
In a nutshell, John Robb argues that trade—rather than national security—dominates Trump’s foreign policy thinking, inverting decades of U.S. practice.

China Can Thrive in the Trump Era

Yan Xuetong
New York Times
China has a chance to become a full-fledged superpower if it responds to the Trump presidency by opening up more to the world economically and politically.

China Gives Details of Items Banned from Export to North Korea

Reuters
China released on Wednesday a new, comprehensive list of goods that can not be exported to North Korea, including many “dual use” items that can be used to build weapons of mass destruction.

Hong Kong Denies Beijing Role in Seizure of Singaporean Troop Carriers

Christy Leung
South China Morning Post
Customs chief says the enforcement action was based on Hong Kong law and also claims Singapore’s government was never a target for investigation

China Corruption Prosecutions Drop for First Time in Five Years

Hudson Lockett
Financial Times
Fall of 20% in party officials handed to courts marks change of tack in campaign

China Commissions 31st Stealth Warship

Hindu
Chinese media have said the U.S. has to wage a war with China if America blocks it from accessing the artificial islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

How Taiwan Became a Divisive Political Issue in South Africa

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
South Africa’s opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), now sees the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party’s close ties to China as a vulnerability that the DA aims to exploit. Evidence of this new strategy came in December when the DA...

Is Trump Ready for War in the South China Sea, or Is His Team Just Not Being Clear?

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
Was this a prelude to a major escalation in the South China Sea, or is the Trump administration having trouble articulating its foreign policy?

Donald Trump Could Be Starting a New Cold War With China. But He Has Little Chance of Winning

Charlie Campbell
Time
The new U.S. administration has been testing Beijing with provocative stances on trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea. But starting up a Cold War with China is a highly risky strategy

A U.S.-China Role Switch: Who’s the Globalist Now?

Andrew Browne
Wall Street Journal
Xi Jinping sees a window as Donald Trump stirs masses with slogans

China Says Hopes Mongolia Learned Lesson after Dalai Lama Visit

Reuters
China said on Tuesday it hopes Mongolia has learned a lesson and will keep a promise not to invite the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama again after his visit in November led to a chill in relations.

U.S.-China Relations Following Trump’s Inauguration, Part II

Paul Haenle & Chen Dingding from Carnegie China
As Donald Trump’s inauguration approaches, uncertainty looms over the future of U.S.-China policy. In Part II of this podcast, Paul Haenle spoke with Chen Dingding, an International Relations professor at Jinan University and founding Director of...