The selection of the new Beijing leadership, which will be endorsed by the ongoing 17th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, has revealed disturbing schisms among the major factions and, in particular, President Hu Jintao’s failure to establish overriding authority five years after acceding to the... MORE

The violent crackdown against anti-government protesters in Rangoon at the end of September shone a spotlight on China’s interests, influence, and objectives in Burma, Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. The abortive “Saffron Revolution” was an unwelcome development for the Chinese leadership, not only because... MORE

The violent crackdown against anti-government protesters in Rangoon at the end of September shone a spotlight on China’s interests, influence, and objectives in Burma, Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. The abortive “Saffron Revolution” was an unwelcome development for the Chinese leadership, not only because... MORE

The unexpected resignation of Shinzo Abe and election of Yasuo Fukuda as Japan’s prime minister has turned a page in Sino-Japanese relations. Unlike his predecessors Abe and Junichiro Koizumi, Fukuda does not have a hawkish reputation, and is indeed considered to be relatively friendly to... MORE

The unexpected resignation of Shinzo Abe and election of Yasuo Fukuda as Japan’s prime minister has turned a page in Sino-Japanese relations. Unlike his predecessors Abe and Junichiro Koizumi, Fukuda does not have a hawkish reputation, and is indeed considered to be relatively friendly to... MORE

High on the list of conceivable outcomes of the 17th Party Congress that will cause strong social resentment in China is the possibility that the newly established Politburo will be filled with many “princelings,” leaders who come from families of former high-ranking officials. In the... MORE

In an open letter to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Politburo Standing Committee, 170 retired senior cadre denounced the current government's economic policies as unfair toward the working class and harmful to the environment, adding that they had departed drastically from the original socialist values... MORE

BEIJING BEGINS NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS WITH PROMISES OF ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL POOR In accordance with President Hu Jintao’s commitment toward creating a “harmonious society” (hexie shehui) within China, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao unveiled a new series of measures that would provide medical, agricultural and social... MORE