Is China Better at Picking Leaders than the U.S.?

Max Fisher
Washington Post
The case for China is that its leaders can emphasize long-term planning and difficult decisions over short-term politics and voter-appeasement.

Books

11.09.12

Strong Society, Smart State

James Reilly
The rise and influence of public opinion on Chinese foreign policy reveals a remarkable evolution in authoritarian responses to social turmoil. James Reilly shows how Chinese leaders have responded to popular demands for political participation with a sophisticated strategy of tolerance, responsiveness, persuasion, and repression—a successful approach that helps explain how and why the Communist Party continues to rule China.Through a detailed examination of China's relations with Japan from 1980 to 2010, Reilly reveals the populist origins of a wave of anti-Japanese public mobilization that swept across China in the early 2000s. Popular protests, sensationalist media content, and emotional public opinion combined to impede diplomatic negotiations, interrupt economic cooperation, spur belligerent rhetoric, and reshape public debates. Facing a mounting domestic and diplomatic crisis, Chinese leaders responded with a remarkable reversal, curtailing protests and cooling public anger toward Japan. Far from being a fragile state overwhelmed by popular nationalism, market forces, or information technology, China has emerged as a robust and flexible regime that has adapted to its new environment with remarkable speed and effectiveness. Reilly's study of public opinion's influence on foreign policy extends beyond democratic states. It reveals how persuasion and responsiveness sustain Communist Party rule in China and develops a method for examining similar dynamics in different authoritarian regimes. He draws upon public opinion surveys, interviews with Chinese activists, quantitative media analysis, and internal government documents to support his findings, joining theories in international relations, social movements, and public opinion.  — Columbia University Press

Viewpoint

11.09.12

Pragmatism and Patience

Hamid Biglari
Hamid Bilgari, Vice Chairman of Citicorp, the strategic arm of Citigroup, is a leader in international investment banking. Bilgari says that pragmatism and patience are the dominant qualities exhibited by cultures facing major change, such as...

Ex-President of China, Said to Be Ill, Appears in Beijing

Edward Wong and Jonathan Ansfield
New York Times
Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese president who was said to have fallen gravely ill in July, appeared at a ceremony in Beijing on Sunday, fanning speculation about his health and the role he might play in power struggles accompanying the long-planned...

In China, Self-Immolations Continue as Party Congress Opens

Barbara Demick
Los Angeles Times
As China launched its 18th Communist Party congress on Thursday, a record number of Tibetans immolated themselves in a stark illustration of the internal tensions facing the country's new leadership.Over a 48...

Party Report Suggests Old Guard is Strong

Qian Gang
China Media Project
My preliminary conclusion: conservative forces within the Party are still very powerful. According to the line marked out by the political report to the 18th National Congress, there is very little prospect that substantive moves will be made on...

China Decides (Series)

Various
Foreign Policy
The world's other superpower is having its own “election” this week. And if all goes according to plan, on Nov. 14 nine (or seven) men (and possibly one woman) will stride across the stage in Beijing’s massive Great Hall of the People as the...

On Way Out, China’s Leader Offers Praise for the Status Quo

Ian Johnson and Keith Bradsher
New York Times
Capping 10 careful years at the helm of the Communist Party, China’s top leader is stepping into history with a series of rear-guard actions. The leader, Hu Jintao, 69, is scheduled to step down as the party’s general...

Reports

11.08.12

China 3.0

Edited by Mark Leonard
European Council on Foreign Relations
China’s once-a-decade leadership change is currently underway in Beijing. The new leaders will take power at a crucial time for China, as it enters the third stage of its development since the revolution. How they deal with the challenges ahead will...

Viewpoint

11.08.12

Who is Xi Jinping?

Orville Schell
In an era of great change and economic uncertainty around the world, one might expect a leadership transition at the top of one of the world’s rising powers to shine a light on that country’s prospective next leaders so the public might form an...

China's Communist Party Congress Opens with a Warning

Peter Ford
Christian Science Monitor
Outgoing President Hu Jintao warned that the Communist Party faces 'collapse' if it fails to clean up corruption.

China Prepares for Party Congress

Ian Johnson
New York Times
Hu Jintao told party-picked that China faces a period of major change and “complicated domestic and international circumstances."

China’s Leadership Transition: What to Look For

Damien Ma
Atlantic
Now that the U.S. election is behind us, time to turn to the next most important political transition in years: the Chinese Communist Party's 18th Congress. Seventeen congresses have gone by and hardly anyone has paid much attention, including...

Unwelcome at the Party

Wang Lixiong
New York Times
I don’t belong to a political party and have never felt that Communist Party meetings are any of my business. But my home is in Beijing. I am a writer, and Han Chinese. My wife, Woeser, is also a writer, and Tibetan. The other...

Viewpoint

11.07.12

Peering Inside the ‘Black Box’

Orville Schell
Just hours after the United States voted for its next president, China, too, is preparing for a leadership change—although much less is known about that process, which begins Thursday with the start of the 18th National Congress of the Communist...

China’s Security Ministry Suspected Slain Businessman Was a Spy

Jonathan Ansfield and Ian Johnson
New York Times
China’s external intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, suspected a British businessman of being a spy before his murder last year at the hands of a senior politician’s wife, according to people with close ties to Chinese state...

Neil Heywood 'Was MI6 Informant'

Malcom Moore
Telegraph
Neil Heywood, the British businessman murdered in China, gave MI6 info on Bo Xilai.

If China Voted, It Would Be Obama in a Landside, Surveys Show

Julie Makinen
Los Angeles Times
An AFP-Ipsos poll in late September showed 63% of about 800 Chinese respondents wanted Obama. 

Caixin Media

11.05.12

Scenes from a Leadership Transition

Jiang Zemin’s Lyrical MemoryCompiled by Caixin(Beijing)—A glance at off-hours correspondence between two veteran leaders has added a lighter dimension to the recent public appearances of former Politburo members in the run-up to the party’s 18th...

Viewpoint

11.05.12

The Big Enterprise

Orville Schell
In days of yore, when a new dynasty was established in China and a new emperor was enthroned, it was known as dashi, “The Big Enterprise,” and it usually involved mass social upheaval and civil war. The latter-day version of changing...

CCTV Comes to America

Alex Pasternack
Foreign Policy
 CCTV America's coverage of China is largely scrubbed of controversy and upbeat in tone, with a heavy emphasis on business and cultural stories in places where Beijing hopes to gain influence. Reporting on topics sensitive to Beijing,...

The Five “Vermin” Threatening China

Geremie Barmé
China Story
In Yuan Peng’s 2012 repertoire of what are now popularly known as the ‘New Black Five Categories of People’ were identified as: rights lawyers, underground religious activities, dissidents, Internet leaders and vulnerable groups

Generational Change on Hold in China’s Leadership Transition

Wang Xiangwei
South China Morning Post
If this list turns out to be true, it signals that a more meaningful generational transition is most likely to take place at the 19th congress in 2017, when more youthful officials would be elected into the Standing Committee.It also sends a clear...

The Problem with the Pivot

Robert Ross
Foreign Affairs
Ever since the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping opened up his country’s economy in the late 1970s, China has managed to grow in power, wealth, and military might while still maintaining cooperative and friendly relations with most of the world...

From Toys to TV News, Jittery Beijing Clamps Down

Andrew Jacobs
New York Times
As China's capital steels itself for the 18th Party Congress, the government is cracking down on balloons, homing pigeons, Ping-Pong balls and remote-control toy airplanes, anything that could potentially carry protest messages and mar the...

U.S. Rights Official Faults China on Tibetan Suppression

Nick Cumming-Bruce
New York Times
Navi Pillay says she's disturbed by reports of detentions, disappearances and the excessive use of force.

One-Child Policy Up for Reform in China?

Alexa Olesen
Associated Press
The unpopular policy should be phased out, says a Chinese government think tank.

Media

11.02.12

Chinese Movie Mogul Promises New Party Leaders Will Open Market to Hollywood

Jonathan Landreth
A wise old cartoon turtle in Kung Fu Panda advises Po, the portly black and white star of the 2004 DreamWorks Animation blockbuster film, not to fret about honing his fighting skills, but rather to focus on the moment and do his...

Caixin Media

11.02.12

18 Reforms for the Party’s 18th Congress

China’s leadership handover comes at a critical moment for society and the economy, and changes are in order.The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party this month comes at a critical time described by economist Wu Jinglian as “a tipping...

Staying Out of Trouble Before the 18th Party Congress

Jan Cao
As Beijing enters extreme lock-down prior to the 18th National Party Congress (十八大 or “shi ba da” in Chinese), social media users have invented a new coded reference–“Sparta”–to talk about this otherwise censored topic on Sina...

Silencing a Voice for Justice

XIAO GUOZHEN
New York Times
I have been recently seeking to use the rule of law to achieve social justice. This isn’t easy in a country where legal vagueness and arbitrary enforcement make advocacy a constant uphill battle. But in my career, I’ve encountered few cases as...

Seven Tibetan Self-Immolations Hit China in One Week

AFP
Agence France-Presse
Two Tibetans set themselves on fire protesting Beijing's hardline rule, a rights group said.

Media

10.26.12

Myanmar Envy

Bi Cheng
Chinese netizens’ reactions to tentative democratic reforms in neighboring Myanmar, including to the recent repeal of censorship rules for private publishers by the Southeast Asian nation’s reformist government, reflect just how closely it’s...

China Condemns NYTimes Wen Jiabao Wealth Story as 'Smear'

John Sudworth
BBC
Beijing said the report that Wen's family has "controlled ... at least $2.7bn" had "ulterior motives."

Sinica Podcast

10.26.12

Party Congress Preview

Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy Goldkorn & more from Sinica Podcast
With less than two weeks to go before the Eighteenth Party Congress, speculation on China’s upcoming leadership transition could not be more intense here in Beijing, where insiders are trading lists of potential Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC)...

China Paves Way for Prosecuting Disgraced Politician Bo Xilai

Sui-Lee Wee and Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China's parliament has expelled disgraced former senior politician Bo Xilai, Xinhua said, paving the way for formal criminal charges.

Billions in Hidden Riches for Family of Chinese Leader

David Barboza
New York Times
Wen Jiabao's son, daughter, younger brother and brother-in-law have become extraordinarily wealthy during his leadership. 

Who Was Mao Zedong?

Roderick MacFarquhar from New York Review of Books
In Kashgar’s largest bazaar a few years ago, I spotted a pencil holder sporting an iconic Cultural Revolution image: Mao Zedong and Marshal Lin Biao smiling together. But Mao’s personally chosen heir apparent had been a nonperson since 1971, when he...

A Test Case for the Communist Party’s Commitment to Reform

Yiyi Lu
Wall Street Journal
Critics say the Party can't hold power much longer if fundamental reforms are not introduced – a notion echoed by an essay in the latest issue of the CCP’s own theoretical journal, Seeking Truth.

China Reshuffles Top Military

Benjamin Kang Lim
Reuters
Outgoing air force commander General Xu Qiliang, 62, promoted to vice-chairman of the military's top decision-making body. 

Better Ways to Deal with China

Eduardo Porter
New York Times
Pushing China around like a bulked-up version of 1980s Japan doesn't fit a long-term U.S. objective: drawing China into the club of prosperous, rule-bound and democratic nations.

China Hints at Reform by Dropping Mao Wording

Sui-Lee Wee
Reuters
Dropping Mao's name from policy statements hints that the Communist Party may move toward reform.

Candidates Debate Rise of China; China Debates Reform

Bill Bishop
Deal Book
China's presumptive next president, Xi Jinping, may wish his economy were the juggernaut many Americans think it is. He will inherit an economy in desperate need of reform and rebalancing. As discussed in an earlier China...

China media: Quiet on Communist Party Congress, gaga for U.S. election

Julie Makinen
Los Angeles Times
The two U.S. presidential candidates turned China into a political football. The "China-bashing" hasn't gone unnoticed in China media.

Five Debate-Worthy Facts about China

Scott Neuman
NPR
The last U.S. Presidential debate will focus on foreign policy and is sure to discuss Chinese relations. 

China hints at move to strengthen Communist rule

Sui-Lee Wee
Reuters
Xinhua says China's ruling Communist Party will discuss a proposal aimed at strengthening one-party rule over the next five years. 

Many Urge China’s Next Leader to Liberalize

Edward Wong and Jonathan Ansfield
New York Times
After it was leaked that Xi Jinping, the man anointed to be the next Communist Party chief of China, had met in private with a well-known supporter of political liberalization, the capital’s elite began to buzz about the import of...

Europe and China Don't Need a Trade War: EU Trade Chief

Robin Emmott and Sebastian Moffett
Reuters
De Gucht says EU won't back down from fight againt unfair Chinese competition, but mutual self-interest will prevent trade war.  

"The Revolutionary": An Unrequited Love for China

Scott Simon
NPR
In a new documentary on his life, Sidney Rittenberg, who once translated for Mao, refers to his jailer as both a hero and criminal.

China Is Wary of U.S. Candidates’ Tough Talk

Jane Perlez
New York Times
Concern among Chinese officials, executives and academics is growing that U.S. attidudes toward China won't cool post-Election Day.

Video: A Visit with Ai Weiwei

Evan Osnos
New Yorker
Earlier this year, we invited the artist Ai Weiwei to visit the United States to take part in the New Yorker Festival, held in early October. At the time, the Chinese government had barred Ai from traveling abroad—an unofficial form of punishment...

The Creation Myth of Xi Jinping

John Garnaut
Foreign Policy
If every modern president needs a creation myth, then Xi Jinping's begins on the dusty loess plateau of northwest China. It was here that Xi spent seven formative years, working among the peasants and living in a lice-infested cave dug...

Caixin Media

10.19.12

Flying Splinters

Liu Futang expressed a sense of foreboding just before his recent arrest by posting a microblog entry that began, “If one day I’m invited out for tea, please don’t worry about me.”“Drink tea” is a euphemism in China for an unwanted interrogation by...

Huntsman Speaks Out

Isaac Stone Fish
Foreign Policy
Since withdrawing from the Republican primaries in January, former Utah governor Jon Huntsman has tried to stay engaged with China, where he served as Barack Obama's ambassador from 2009-2011. But China hasn't always...

Radio: Shanghai Residents Discuss U.S. Presidential Debate

Frank Langfitt
NPR
Eight Chinese watched and discussed Tuesday's U.S. presidential debate at the NPR Shanghai bureau.

Reports

10.18.12

Cyber Detente Between the United States and China

Greg Austin and Franz-Stefan Gady
EastWest Institute
In May 2012, the United States and China agreed publicly for the first time to begin talks on military aspects of cybersecurity. The agenda and expectations for this process at the official level remain to be set. Through Track 2 processes some very...

State TV Host Apologizes for Cursing American Reporter. Or Does He?

Josh Chin
Wall Street Journal
China Central TV host Yang Rui apologized for calling a female U.S. journalist a “bitch” in a xenophobic rant.

A Time-honored Tradition: Election Year and China-bashing

The Washington Post Editorial Board
Washington Post
China's two decade explosive growth overshadows a struggling corruption-plagued communist state.

U.S. Presidential Debate Sees Candidates Flex China Muscle

Liu Jie
Xinhua
Although the yuan rose nearly 30 percent since 2005, U.S. politicians are still taking jabs at China's currency regime.

Chinese elite politics: It's still a man's world

Alexa Olesen
Associated Press
It's easier for a Chinese woman to orbit Earth than land a spot atop Chinese politics.