The People's Republic of China (PRC) is home to 22 percent of the world’s population, but has only 7 percent of its total arable land. Following the Chinese people's recovery from the humanitarian disaster of the "Great Famine," which according to one authoritative account contributed... MORE

Against the backdrop of the reeling global economy, Taiwan-China rapprochement has shown steady and, at times, dramatic progress.  The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) put forward by Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) administration under President Ma Ying-jeou is being used by Taipei and Beijing as the main... MORE

When Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Costa Rica last November and announced that the two countries were initiating free trade talks, it marked the beginning of a new phase in China’s courtship of Central America.  Indeed, China’s striking economic growth over the last decade has... MORE

Since People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan’s proposal for reforming the international monetary system was published on March 23, there have been new developments with regard to the international use of the Chinese currency Renminbi (RMB). The historical context of Governor Zhou’s proposal and... MORE

Recent reports within the Chinese press revealed that sales of a Chinese state-owned military conglomerate that produces equipments and arms for both civilian and military applications have rose substantially in the first quarter of 2009. A case in point is the Beijing-based China South Industries... MORE

While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) administration seems preoccupied with the twofold task of baoba and baowen—maintaining an 8 percent growth rate and upholding social stability—it is also giving priority to the rejuvenation of the party’s leadership. Attention is being focused on young turks of... MORE

A methane blast at the Tunlan coal mine in Shanxi on February 22 killed 78 miners and the last body was not recovered until five days later (Nanfang Daily, February 27). China’s numerous collieries, most of them being township and village enterprises (TVEs), have long... MORE

Brazil is the largest developing country in the Western Hemisphere, and China is the largest developing country in the world. According to some Western estimates, the combined economies of the BRIC (i.e. Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries would surpass the combined economies of the... MORE

Engagement between Beijing and Washington operates on many levels but none is more critical than a regularized mechanism for strategic discussion by the top officials in economics and foreign policy.  While Presidential summitry is extremely valuable, it is too infrequent and too brief to cover... MORE

According to official Chinese media reports, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will hold a massive two-month long military drill that will involve 50,000 troops from four divisions across four of China’s seven military commands in the second half of 2009. Citing a source from the... MORE