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Latest China Brief Articles
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PLA Deploys S-300 PMU3/Dongfeng-15A Surface to Air Missiles
In spite of thawing cross-Strait ties, both militaries on each side of the Taiwan Strait remain on high alert. According to multiple Chinese news sources that cite an article first published in Taiwan-based newspaper China Times, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has reportedly upgraded its... MORE
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The New Rules of Cross-Strait Economic Engagement
Three months ago, on April 11th, Taiwan's Vice-President-elect Vincent Siew sat down together with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Boao Forum, held annually on Hainan Island off China's southern coast. The Boao Forum had never fulfilled its original promise as a Chinese-hosted global conference... MORE
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Taiwan’s Defense Budget Dilemma: How Much is Enough in an Era of Improving Cross-Strait Relations?
Recent improvements in cross-Strait relations, highlighted by the agreement to begin regular weekend cross-Strait charter flights and permit for 3,000 Chinese tourists per day to visit Taiwan, may suggest to some that there is no pressing need for Taiwan to approve further increases in defense... MORE
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Ma Ying-jeou and the Future of Cross-Strait Relations
While Ma Ying-jeou’s landslide victory at the presidential polls has lowered tension in the Taiwan Strait, and injected a shot of morphine into Taiwan's stock market, it is premature and unrealistic to expect a leap forward in Taipei-Beijing ties any time soon. The future of... MORE
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Taiwan’s Defense Ministry Mulls Plan to Downsize Military
Taiwanese Defense Minister Chen Chao-min is reportedly considering plans to cut the Republic of China (Taiwan) military force to about 200,000 to 250,000 in a six year time span, which will require reducing around 6,000 troops each consecutive year (NOWnews [Taiwan], July 1). The plan... MORE
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The CCP Strengthens Control over the Judiciary
Chinese President Hu Jintao’s administration has boosted the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) control over the judiciary, a move designed to enhance Beijing’s ability to maintain stability and to crack down on dissent. More powers have been given to the party’s Central Political and Legal Affairs... MORE
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The Pentagon-PLA Disconnect: China’s Self Assessments of Its Military Capabilities
Sun Tzu’s admonition “Know the enemy and know yourself” is a fundamental tenet of Chinese military strategy [1]. The books On Military Campaigns and The Science of Military Strategy include it as the first of 10 principles of war [2]. Moreover, Military Strategy reverses the... MORE
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Energy Implications of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake
The May 12, 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck southwest China with its epicenter at Wenchuan County in Sichuan province imposed a heavy death toll that so far has reached almost 70,000 with more than 17,000 still missing (People’s Daily, June 17). More than a month after... MORE
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China and Thailand: Enhancing Military-Security Ties in the 21st Century
This week Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was in China for a 4-day visit, his first since taking office in January. Samak, who is concurrently defense minister, met with Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie and the two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral military ties. Although... MORE
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Nepal Following China’s Economic Path
Two years following the peace agreement that brought an end to 11 years of Maoist insurgency against government forces in Nepal, Girija Prasad Koirala, Nepal’s interim prime minister, has resigned on June 26, paving the way for a Maoist-led government under Communist Party of Nepal... MORE