Latest China Brief Articles
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Road to Riches?
On April 20, Sino-Pakistan relations took a great leap forward as Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled plans for investment of $46 billion in the Pakistani leg of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) (Xinhua, April 22). CPEC is an important component of China’s ambitious ‘One Belt,... MORE
In a Fortnight: Myanmar’s Leaders Court China Despite Violence Along Border
As global attention focuses on China’s rising tensions with neighboring states in the South China Sea, violence has erupted elsewhere in the region, this time along China's border with Myanmar. Widely ignored in the western media, the cross-border tension is part of a long-smoldering Burmese... MORE
From “Game Player” to “Game Maker”: News Features of China’s Foreign Policy
The surprising popularity of President Xi Jinping’s signature Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signals a breakthrough in China’s foreign policy. When China first entered the World Trade Organization in 2001, China struggled to learn how to enhance its image and build influence within the existing... MORE
China’s Draft Counter-Terrorism Law
On November 3, 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC) published the much-anticipated draft “Counter-Terrorism Law”–consisting of 106 articles in 10 chapters–for public review, drawing sharp international criticism (NPC website). In February, presumably in response to international criticism as well as domestic... MORE
A Nuclear Deal with Chinese Characteristics: China’s Role in the P5+1 Talks with Iran
Like many in the international community, Beijing welcomed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed on July 14 between the members of the P5+1 group (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia plus Germany) and Iran (Xinhua, July 14). As a new... MORE
Stock Market Crash Reveals Serious Flaws in the Xi Administration’s Economic Policies
The recent Chinese stock market crisis has exposed the fallacy of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) contention that it is possible to seek economic development and reform without commensurate political changes. That the authorities have to use a barrage of executive fiats–including deploying the police... MORE
The Chinese Public Debates North Korea Policy
In April, the killing of three Chinese citizens in April along the North Korean border–possibly at the hands of North Korean soldiers–was confirmed by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). This has once again added fuel to the fire of Chinese debates over Beijing’s policy... MORE
China’s New Military Strategy: “Winning Informationized Local Wars”
In November 2013, the report of the Third Plenum of the 18th Party Congress hinted that China might adjust its national military strategy. The Plenum’s Decision outlined the need to “strengthen military strategic guidance, and enrich and improve the military strategic guideline for the new... MORE
China’s Counter-Terrorism Vanguard: Public Security Border Control Troops’ Organization, Strategy, Training and Intelligence Capability
The past two years have been a period of frustration and setbacks for China’s counter-terrorism agencies. In spite of the state’s efforts to clamp down on terrorism, the number of terrorist attacks actually experienced an upsurge in 2013 and 2014, with one even striking near... MORE
Nuclear Policy Issues in the 2013 Edition of The Science of Military Strategy: Part 2 on PLA Second Artillery Force (PLASAF) Strategy and Capabilities
As highlighted in Beijing’s May 2015 defense white paper, China is modernizing its strategic missile force as part of its focus on strengthening the PLA’s preparation for “winning informationized local wars, highlighting maritime military struggle and maritime PMS [preparation for military struggle]” (State Council Information... MORE