China Official Leaves Hong Kong With Assurances of Autonomy

Francis Moriarty
Voice of America
The timing of his presence is viewed against the backdrop of upcoming elections to the Hong Kong legislature.

US, Not China, Militarising the South China Sea: FM

Ahmed Mansour
Al Jazeera
In an exclusive interview, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi discusses a wide-range of global issues.

North Korea Makes Public Its Paranoia over China

Jamil Anderlini
Financial Times
Pyongyang’s hatred for Beijing is palpable—and the feeling is mutual.

Books

05.18.16

Queer Marxism in Two Chinas

Petrus Liu
In Queer Marxism in Two Chinas, Petrus Liu rethinks the relationship between Marxism and queer cultures in mainland China and Taiwan. Whereas many scholars assume the emergence of queer cultures in China signals the end of Marxism and demonstrates China’s political and economic evolution, Liu finds the opposite to be true. He challenges the persistence of Cold War formulations of Marxism that position it as intellectually incompatible with queer theory, and shows how queer Marxism offers a nonliberal alternative to Western models of queer emancipation. The work of queer Chinese artists and intellectuals not only provides an alternative to liberal ideologies of inclusion and diversity, but demonstrates how different conceptions of and attitudes toward queerness in China and Taiwan stem from geopolitical tensions. With Queer Marxism in Two Chinas Liu offers a revision to current understandings of what queer theory is, does, and can be. —Duke University Press{chop}

China Finds Its Global Ambitions Humbled in Its Own Backyard

Michael Forsythe and Austin Ramzy
New York Times
China has more economic power than ever before, but its political iron hand makes it hard to win the hearts and minds of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

China-Taiwan Relations To Take A Holiday Under New President

Ralph Jennings
Forbes
To seek peace with China, Tsai would need to make her first dialogue proposal that Beijing might accept.

China Quietly Targets U.S. Tech Companies in Security Reviews

Paul Mozur and Jane Perlez
New York Times
China is scrutinizing whether those companies pose potential security threats to the country.

China Breaks Official Silence on Cultural Revolution's 'Decade of Calamity'

Tom Phillips
Guardian
Communist party’s decision not to address the anniversary until 24 hours after it had passed underlined its discomfort.

Massive Security Operation Underway in Hong Kong as China's No. 3 Pays a Visit

Vice News
Zhang Dejiang began his visit by promising to listen to all sectors of society's views.

Conversation

05.16.16

Escalation in the South China Sea

Julian G. Ku, M. Taylor Fravel & more
International tensions are rising over the shipping lanes and land formations in the South China Sea. Last week, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force scrambled fighter jets in response to a U.S. Navy ship sailing near the disputed Fiery Cross Reef...

Hong Kong Man Arrested in China for Drone Disruption Plot: Xinhua

Greg Torode and James Pomfret
Reuters
The unnamed man, arrested in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, was a "sponsor" of Hong Kong's opposition camp.

Little Blue Men: The Maritime Militias Pushing China's Claims

Simon Tisdall
Guardian
Ostensibly civilian fishermen are ‘buzzing’ US navy ships and those of neighboring countries with rival territorial claims.

China's Cultural Revolution: 50th Anniversary Unmarked by State Media

Stephen McDonell
BBC
How to handle the era's contentious legacy has remained a challenge to China's Communist rulers to this day.

How the Cultural Revolution Changed China Forever

James Griffiths
CNN
Frank Dikotter, author of The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, discusses the turning point in modern Chinese history.

Anticorruption Campaign in China Snares Former Top Party Official

Edward Wong
New York Times
Chinese prosecutors have charged Ling Jihua with taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power, according to Xinhua.

Meet Donald Trump's Chinese Fans

Matt Rivers
CNN
Some think "Donald Trump has the guts to say things that normal people in the rest of society fear to say."

2016 Elections in a Changing Asia-Pacific

Paul Haenle & Douglas H. Paal from Carnegie China
With Tsai Ing-wen taking office in Taipei next week and the U.S. presidential election approaching, new players will be taking the reins in the Asia-Pacific. In this podcast with Paul Haenle, Douglas Paal discusses the future of U.S.-China relations...

China Says Has Wide Support for Stance on South China Sea Case

Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China says it is fully within its rights not to participate in a legal case lodged by the Philippines against Chinese claims.

Apple's Uphill Battle with China Is a Reminder That There's No Such Thing As "Borderless" Tech

Mark Y. Rosenberg
Quartz
Tech companies will have to invest more resources in political risk control.

China, Taiwan Add Tourists to Their Squabbles

Ben Blanchard and Faith Hung
Reuters
"China is using its tourists as a bargaining chip against Taiwan's new government," said Lu Shiao-ya, chief of the National Joint Association of Tourist Buses.

Who Is Xi?

Andrew J. Nathan from New York Review of Books
More than halfway through his five-year term as president of China and general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party—expected to be the first of at least two—Xi Jinping’s widening crackdown on civil society and promotion of a cult of personality...

Watch: Queen Elizabeth II Shocked by 'Very Rude' Chinese Officials Ahead of State Visit

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
The queen was filmed talking to Metropolitan Police Commander Lucy D’Orsi at her first garden party of the year.

Beijing Tipped to Ramp up International Pressure on Taipei amid Tsai's Silence on Cross-Strait Consensus

Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung
South China Morning Post
Beijing will continue to press for its interpretation of “one China” principle.

China's Xi Congratulates North Korea's Kim on New Title

Associated Press
Xi Congratulates Kim Jong Un on being chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, underscoring traditional ties between the communist neighbors despite recent strains.

China Scrambles Fighters as U.S. Sails Warship near Chinese-Claimed Reef

Michael Martina, Greg Torode and Ben...
Reuters
China denounced the U.S. patrol as an illegal threat to peace which only went to show its defense installations in the area were necessary.

Controversial Concert Spoils China's Plans to Bury Cultural Revolution Anniversary

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
A “symphonic concert of socialist classic songs” staged earlier this month has provoked widespread outrage.

Why China’s Not Afraid of Donald J. Trump

Aaron Mak
Politico
Trump's foreign policy positions and his political pragmatism make the Chinese believe that he can be a viable one to work with.

Sinica Podcast

05.09.16

The Cultural Revolution at Fifty

Kaiser Kuo, David Moser & more from Sinica Podcast
Fifty years ago, Mao Zedong launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, inaugurating a decade of political turmoil with his calls for young people to “bombard the headquarters.” In this special live edition of our podcast recorded at The...

Conversation

05.05.16

How Should Global Stakeholders Respond to China’s New NGO Management Law?

Sebastian Heilmann , Thomas Kellogg & more
A new law gives broad powers to China’s police in regulating and surveilling the activities of foreign NGOs in China. The law would require foreign groups including foundations, charities, advocacy organizations, and academic exchange programs to...

As Trump Becomes Presumptive Nominee, China Urges Objectivity

Ben Blanchard
Reuters
"We hope people in all fields can rationally and objectively view this relationship." Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.

Philippine Front-Runner Duterte Floats New Tactic in South China Sea Dispute

Jeremy Page and Trefor Moss
Wall Street Journal
Davao City mayor’s proposal is at odds with U.S.’s multilateral response on maritime disputes.

China Turns to Song and Dance in Thanking Workers on Disputed Island

Jane Perlez and Yufan Huang
New York Times
One of the most applauded songs of the evening was “This Is the Kind of Man We Want to Marry.”

Q. and A.: Roderick MacFarquhar on the Cultural Revolution and China Today

Helen Gao
New York Times
Interest of the Cultural Revolution, unleashed by Mao Zedong 50 years ago, has grown recently.

China Set to Free Last Remaining Jailed Tiananmen Square Protester, Reports Say

Charlie Campbell
Time
Miao Deshun, 25 at the time of his arrest, was convicted of throwing a basket at a burning PLA tank during the movement.

China's Xi Jinping Denies House of Cards Power Struggle but Attacks 'Conspirators'

Tom Phillips
Guardian
Chinese president warns of ‘cabals and cliques’ within Communist party and promises ‘resolute response to eliminate the problem.'

'Big Daddy Xi' No More? Chinese President's Nickname Nixed

Tom Phillips
Guardian
Propaganda officials warn state media off using moniker after push to portray leader as man of the people appears to backfire.

Trump: 'We Can't Continue to Allow China to Rape Our Country'

Nick Gass
Politico
Donald Trump ratcheted up his language toward China on Sunday when it comes to the trade imbalance between the two nations.

Taiwan Objects as Malaysia Deports Taiwanese Citizens to China

Hilary Whiteman
CNN
Taiwan has filed a formal objection with the Malaysian government over its deportation of 32 Taiwanese nationals to China.

Conversation

05.01.16

Xi Jinping’s New Military Position

Andrew J. Nathan & Tai Ming Cheung
Late last week, China’s news media were filled with images of President and Party General Secretary Xi Jinping touring the joint battle command center of the Central Military Commission, dressed for the occasion in combat fatigues. The occasion for...

Depth of Field

04.29.16

April’s Best Chinese Photojournalism

Yan Cong, Ye Ming & more from Yuanjin Photo
Over the past few weeks, the publications Sina, Tencent, Caixin, China Youth Daily, and the publishing duo Sixth Tone/The Paper published photo stories on the intimate, the industrial, the private, and the political. Journalists Yan Cong and Ye Ming...

Storm Clouds Gather over South China Sea Ahead of Key U.N. Ruling

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
Signs that China might build more island ahead of a U.N. ruling have provoked the U.S. to step up its vigilance.

Visa Rejection Flap Shows China Wants Tighter Grip On Muslim Far West

Ralph Jennings
Forbes
Beijing has pressured India into canceling the visas for a pair of independence activists from Xinjiang.

SOUTH CHINA SEA WATCH: Tussle over Plane; Russia Backs China

Hrvoje Hranjski, Christopher Bodeen,...
Associated Press
Tensions in the South China Sea are rising, pitting China against smaller and weaker neighbors that all lay claim to islands.

China’s Leader Xi Jinping Reminds Party Members to Be ‘Unyielding Marxist Atheists’

Charlie Campbell
Time
He tells cadres to beware of "overseas infiltrations via religious means."

A Revolutionary Discovery in China

Ian Johnson from New York Review of Books
1.As Beijing prepared to host the 2008 Olympics, a small drama was unfolding in Hong Kong. Two years earlier, middlemen had come into possession of a batch of waterlogged manuscripts that had been unearthed by tomb robbers in south-central China...

China’s Relations with a Strategic Europe

Paul Haenle & Jan Techau from Carnegie China
For many years, China-E.U. relations have been driven singularly by mercantilism, but diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Brussels increasingly features a geopolitical component. In this podcast with Paul Haenle, Carnegie Europe Director Jan...

China Sentences Man to Death for Espionage, Saying He Sold Secrets

Javier Hernandez
New York Times
A former computer technician, was convicted of selling 150,000 classified documents to foreign spies.

Backed Into A Corner: Friendless Beijing Seeks Moscow's Support In South China Sea

Tim Daiss
Forbes
China and Russia called for settlement of the dispute based on negotiation and consultation.

Environment

04.20.16

Book: ‘Black Dragon River’—Russia’s Wild Window into China

from chinadialogue
Russia’s Far East is supposedly a strategically important area for President Vladimir Putin’s administration, with the government repeatedly declaring that development of the remote territory is one of its top priorities. But, as any Russian expert...

China Prepares To Widen Global Campaign Against Taiwanese Fraudsters

Ralph Jennings
Forbes
On Friday 52 more people on deck to return home to Taiwan from Malaysia had come under the same pressure from Beijing.

U.S. Protests after Chinese Military Jet Lands on South China Sea Island

Jamie Crawford, Jim Sciutto and Tim...
CNN
China's landing of a military jet on a man-made island in the disputed waters drew a protest from the U.S. military Monday.

Conversation

04.19.16

Fifty Years Later, How Is the Cultural Revolution Still Present in Life in China?

Guobin Yang, Federico Pachetti & more
Fifty years ago this May 16, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, a chaotic, terrifying, and often deadly decade-long campaign to “purify” C.C.P. ideology and reassert his political dominance...

A Despot's Guide to Foreign Aid

Economist
Want more cash? Vote with China at the United Nations.

Chinese Official Calls Trump 'Irrational' on Trade

David Shepardson
Reuters
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei criticized Trump for his proposal that tariffs on imported Chinese goods be increased to up to 45%.

China Dispatches Military Plane to Disputed Man-Made Island

Associated Press
The move drew complaints from Vietnam, which along with four other governments is enmeshed a heated dispute with Beijing.

Books

04.18.16

China’s Future

David Shambaugh
China’s future arguably is the most consequential question in global affairs. Having enjoyed unprecedented levels of growth, China is at a critical juncture in the development of its economy, society, polity, national security, and international relations. The direction the nation takes at this turning point will determine whether it stalls or continues to develop and prosper.Will China be successful in implementing a new wave of transformational reforms that could last decades and make it the world’s leading superpower? Or will its leaders shy away from the drastic changes required because the regime’s power is at risk? If so, will that lead to prolonged stagnation or even regime collapse? Might China move down a more liberal or even democratic path? Or will China instead emerge as a hard, authoritarian, and aggressive superstate?In this new book, David Shambaugh argues that these potential pathways are all possibilities—but they depend on key decisions yet to be made by China’s leaders, different pressures from within Chinese society, as well as actions taken by other nations. Assessing these scenarios and their implications, he offers a thoughtful and clear study of China’s future for all those seeking to understand the country’s likely trajectory over the coming decade and beyond. —Polity Press{chop}

Media

04.14.16

‘Taiwan Independence’ Doesn’t Mean What You Think

On February 23, all eyes were on Taiwan’s new Member of Parliament Freddy Lim as he took the podium at the Legislative Yuan for the first time. Lim is now best known as the heavy metal rock star who, following January 2016 elections on the self-...

China on U.S. Criticism on Human Rights: 'Hold Up a Mirror'

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/china/china...
CNBC
China alleged the "wanton infringement" of civil rights and "rampant gun-related crimes" in the United States, citing a toll of 13,136 killed and 26,493 injured by gun violence last year.