In October 2006, both the United States and the People’s Republic of China released documents that dictated their policies toward the international use of space. Issued just a week apart, the “U.S. National Space Policy” (NSP) and the “China’s Space Activities in 2006” dealt with... MORE

Coal extraction, by no means a safe endeavor, has had a particularly disastrous record in China. According to official statistics, more than 250,000 Chinese coal miners have died in mining accidents since the inception of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 [1]. In comparison,... MORE

By Leah Kimmerly Leadership ascension in China has long been an opaque and unpredictable process. The 17th Party Congress, due to convene this year, will present another opportunity for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to reshuffle its top leadership. Included in this will likely be... MORE

BEIJING ENACTS DISCIPLINARY AND ANTI-CORRUPTION MEASURES AT PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL LEVEL Beijing is increasingly worried that the large number of “mass incidents”—some 86,000 in 2005—may destabilize the country and threaten its ability to govern. In addition to the deployment of 80% of its police force... MORE

Beijing’s recently published “China’s National Defense in 2006” proposes an ambitious blueprint that would allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to catch up with the U.S. military in just a few decades. The defense white paper outlines multiple transformation objectives for each of the services... MORE

In October 2006, both the United States and the People’s Republic of China released documents that dictated their policies toward the international use of space. Issued just a week apart, the “U.S. National Space Policy” (NSP) and the “China’s Space Activities in 2006” dealt with... MORE

Coal extraction, by no means a safe endeavor, has had a particularly disastrous record in China. According to official statistics, more than 250,000 Chinese coal miners have died in mining accidents since the inception of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 [1]. In comparison,... MORE

Leadership ascension in China has long been an opaque and unpredictable process. The 17th Party Congress, due to convene this year, will present another opportunity for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to reshuffle its top leadership. Included in this will likely be new members of... MORE

CHINA AND PAKISTAN CONDUCT JOINT ANTI-TERROR TRAINING EXERCISES On December 18, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Pakistani Army concluded an eight-day exercise of “joint-terror operations in mountainous terrain” that was held in Abbottabad, northern Pakistan. The exercises, codenamed “Friendship 2006,” were held in... MORE

The transformation of the Second Artillery Corps, which is the arm of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) responsible for most of China’s conventional and nuclear ballistic missiles, is one of the centerpieces of China’s military modernization program. The number of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles... MORE