John S. Van Oudenaren
John S. Van Oudenaren is a Research Analyst with BluePath Labs, and a former Editor of China Brief at The Jamestown Foundation. Prior to joining Jamestown, Mr. Van Oudenaren was Assistant Director for Political and Security Affairs at the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR). He has previously worked at the Center for the National Interest, the Asia Society Policy Institute, and the U.S. National Defense University. He has published articles on the international politics and security dynamics of East Asia in Asian Affairs: An American Review, China Brief, ChinaFile, The Diplomat, The National Interest, Parameters, War on the Rocks, and other publications.
Mr. Van Oudenaren holds a Master’s degree in Asian Studies from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in History (minor in Chinese) from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He has lived and worked in Mainland China for several years
Contact John S. Van Oudenaren
Articles by John S. Van Oudenaren
Multipolar Mirage: The PRC’s Pivot to Europe
Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) is looking to promote an “equal and orderly multipolar world.” Part of this entails encouraging strategic autonomy for European nations and the
The People’s War on Drugs Rolls On
The role of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a major source of precursor chemicals for illicit drug manufacturing, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine, is increasingly well documented (China Brief,
Party Ties: Vietnam, Cuba and China’s Relations with Other Marxist-Leninist States
Last month, on the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership (中越全面战略合作伙伴关系), Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping met with Vietnamese Communist Party
Editor’s Note: Special Issue on Taiwan Under Siege
The last year has been a difficult one for Taiwan. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) intensification of diplomatic, economic, military and political pressure
Taiwan’s Dwindling Diplomatic Allies
Amidst the drama surrounding Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s early April stopover in Southern California, where she met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the subsequent People’s Liberation Army (PLA) maneuvers
PLA Freezes out Pentagon, Sustains Military-to-Military Relations with U.S. Allies
At the conclusion of French President Emmanuel Macron’s April 5-7 state visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the two sides released a joint statement laying out 51 priorities
Central African Republic Mine Attack: Can China Protect its Overseas Nationals?
On March 19, gunmen stormed a gold mine near Bambari, in the heart of the Central African Republic (CAR), killing nine Chinese workers. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) Embassy
After Two Sessions, Xi Turns Focus to U.S. Challenge
On March 10, at the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), Xi Jinping was unanimously "reelected" president (主席) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), with 2,952
The Global Security Initiative: China Outlines a New Security Architecture
On February 20, Xinhua released a statement on “U.S. Hegemony and its Perils,” which claims to expose “U.S. abuse of hegemony in the political, military, economic, financial, technological and cultural
Party Pushes National Defense Education for All
Last September, a primary school in Lipu City, in Southwestern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, held a commemoration ceremony for the school’s designation as a “National Defense Education Model School”
Bleak New World: American Society In China’s Official Narrative
Earlier this month, People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP), ran an article by its Washington correspondent entitled “America’s Intractable Illicit and Pharmaceutical Drug Abuse Issue”
Editor’s Note: Discontinuing the Use of Pinyin for Chinese Terms
Previous volumes of China Brief have used pinyin for Chinese terms. However, beginning with this volume, China Brief will include only the Chinese characters for terms and no longer include
Warnings and Welcomes: China’s Reopening and the Politics of International Travel
Over the past two months, as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has rapidly rolled back its strict zero-COVID epidemic prevention policy, COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout the country. The
Editor’s Note: Special Issue-Chinese Foreign Policy at a Crossroads
A central effort of Chinese foreign policy under Xi Jinping, and a core goal of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, has been to establish China as a leading global power
History and Heritage: As COVID Misery Mounts, Xi Looks to the Past for Lessons and Legitimacy
Long lines of cars have recently been reported at Beijing’s funeral homes and crematoriums (VOA Chinese, December 17). This body backlog belies official assurances that COVID-19 deaths in China’s capital
Keep Calm and Carry On: Xi Jinping Takes a Page From the Book of Jiang Zemin
On November 30, with mass protests only recently suppressed in Beijing and Shanghai and still simmering in Guangzhou and Chongqing, state media notified the “whole party, army and country” that
“Unity and Struggle”: The Campaign to Study the 20th Party Congress
On November 16, members of the local Young Pioneers group attended a lecture by Sanjianxi village party chief Gao Shuzen on the “Spirit of the 20th Party Congress” (二十大精神, ershida
“Yan’an Spirit”: The Rise of Xi’s Lieutenants
Days after his dominant showing at the 20th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping led the newly appointed Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) on a visit to the Chinese Communist Party’s
Can Beijing be Flexible on U.S. Policy?
General Secretary Xi Jinping did not mention “America” in his opening report to the 20th Party Congress (Xinhua, October 16). Nevertheless, Xi made clear that China faces a difficult international
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy: Roadmap to Global Leadership?
Only a short time ago, the question of whether the People's Republic of China (PRC) aspires to global leadership was generally considered farfetched. However, President Xi Jinping’s recent announcements of
China Brief Editor-in-Chief Quoted by Asia News International and Times Now
On September 26, in an article concerning China's 20th Party Congress and President Xi Jinping's brief disappearance from the public eye, Indian media outlets Times Now and Asia News International
Editor’s Introduction—Special Issue on the 20th Party Congress: The Xi Era Enters its Second Decade
On August 31, state media announced a determination reached at a Politburo meeting the previous day that the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), henceforth the 20th
Are Cross-Strait Relations Dead?
Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia led a delegation to China in August, which occurred in the immediate aftermath of the extensive live-fire exercises that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
Beijing Makes a Big Long-term Bet on Nuclear Power
Last fall, China suffered extensive power outages due to a combination of surging electricity demand and tight supply. A confluence of factors contributed to the energy supply shortage, but nearly
Security Dialogues with Chinese Characteristics
This summer, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) organized two multilateral security dialogues with African nations, which highlight Beijing’s efforts to promote an alternative model of international security. In June,
China’s Shifting Approach to Alliance Politics
For decades, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has abstained from seeking formal alliances. Chinese leaders often invoke the principle of advancing state-to-state relations through “dialogue rather than confrontation [and]
No Choice but to Lie Flat: Youth Unemployment Surges in China
Pity the class of 2022. The job market in China has long been a gauntlet for college graduates as the country’s largely industrial economy does not generate sufficient opportunities in
Xi Seeks to Accelerate China’s Drive for Self-sufficiency
One of the defining themes of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s first decade in power has been to promote self-sufficiency to insulate the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) economy and political
China Closes its Windows to the World: When Will They Reopen?
Throughout the pandemic, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has focused on sharply limiting international travel as a risk vector for the spread of COVID-19, and as a result has
China’s New Global Security Initiative: Power Play?
At the opening ceremony of the annual Boao Forum, President Xi Jinping announced that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will establish a new “Global Security Initiative” (全球安全倡议, quanqiu anquan
The Storms to Come: China and Natural Disasters
Introduction The Chinese government is currently focused on sustaining its “dynamic clearance” zero-COVID strategy, while also mitigating the negative externalities of this approach, including shortfalls in food supply and access
Strange Days in Shanghai
Over the past two years, deserted cityscapes have become a distressingly common sight, but the images of totally empty thoroughfares in the usually pulsating city of Shanghai are striking (The
China and the International Arms Trade
Introduction As the Russian military struggles to make headway in its invasion of Ukraine, U.S. and European Union officials have cited intelligence reports that Moscow has solicited military assistance from
China and Russia: Shackled to a Corpse?
Almost as soon as Russian tanks began their bloody crawl toward Kyiv, debate ensued over whether Chinese leaders had advance knowledge of the Kremlin’s war plans. The broader Chinese foreign
Military Operations Other Than War: Antidote to the PLA’s “Peace Disease”?
On January 31, the eve of the Chinese New Year national holiday, two People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels departed Guangzhou province to provide Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) to
All Necessary Measures: China’s Shifting Approach to U.S.-Taiwan Relations
Last month, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke briefly with Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te at the inauguration of President Xiaomara Castro in Honduras (Taiwan News, January 28). When asked
Vladimir Putin’s Mission to Beijing
When the 2022 Winter Olympics open in Beijing on February 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be a guest of honor. Russia remains technically banned from Olympic participation due to
A Bitter Winter: Omicron Tests the Limits of China’s Zero-COVID Approach
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has sought to achieve a “zero-infection” (零感染,ling ganran) rate among its population. The Chinese government has pursued this objective through
China in 2022: Xi’s Time is Only Beginning, But Where Will it Lead?
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) official narrative holds that China is at a decisive moment. In the CCP’s telling, China’s long-sought goal of “national rejuvenation” is within reach, and can
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation: Beijing’s Blueprint for Foreign Relations or Sui Generis?
The triannual Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC, 中非合作论坛, Zhongfei hezuo luntan) convened in Dakar, Senegal this week (Xinhua, November 29). This year’s meeting was held at the ministerial level, a
Geopolitical Challenges Cloud Next Chapter in Xi’s Triumphalist History
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Resolution on its first 100-years of history cements “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义 思想, Xi Jinping xin
Chinese Government’s Push for Masculinity Targets Boy Bands, Online Influencers
In early September, China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) issued a new regulatory notice on “Further Strengthening Management of Cultural Programs and their Staff.” The regulation directs media outlets
As “New Cold War” Fears Rise, China Touts Ties to Southeast Asia
China is sharply critical of the US-India-Japan-Australia quadrilateral security dialogue (the Quad), and the recently launched Australia-US-UK agreement (AUKUS), charging that these evolving security groupings are destabilizing Asia and the
New Editor’s Introductory Note
The changes currently underway in China are immense and their outcome uncertain. 2021 has been a momentous year in Chinese politics, with more big changes set to come out of
In China’s Shifting Historical Narrative, “War of Resistance” with Japan Retains Key Role
Last month, China commemorated the 90th anniversary of the September 18 incident— the false flag railway explosion that sparked Imperial Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931. In China’s official historical