For over five decades, Pyongyang has attempted—and failed—to develop domestic sources of petroleum. Its inability to do so has forced Pyongyang to rely almost entirely upon crude oil imported from other countries. In 1991, the DPRK imported 2.44 metric tons (worth US$307 million) of crude... MORE

Understanding the inner workings of China’s Politburo has always been a difficult challenge for observers. Pervasive secrecy has forced scholars to rely on dubious articles in Hong Kong newspapers—usually based on anonymous, questionable sources—to speculate upon the concerns of the Chinese leadership. In a notable... MORE

Beijing, in particular President Hu Jintao, has emerged as a loser in the latest episode of missile and nuclear brinkmanship orchestrated by Dear Leader Kim Jong Il. In spite of the billions of dollars in aid that Beijing has poured into the Democratic People’s Republic... MORE

China's quest for energy security has driven it to the greater Caspian basin, a region whose resources were once the proprietary domain of the Soviet Union but are now available to the highest bidder. The geographical proximity of the countries in the region, many of... MORE

The inauguration of the Qinghai-Tibet railway on July 1 marks a watershed in the Chinese leadership’s decades-long effort to tame the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The US$3 billion-odd, 2,000-kilometer railroad could become an effective weapon for Beijing’s alleged plan to “Sinicize” the restive region through... MORE

Since the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (more commonly referred to as East Timor) achieved formal independence on May 20, 2002, the PRC has worked hard to cultivate a close relationship with the world’s youngest nation. China’s interests in East Timor are threefold: to expand its... MORE

After more than 10 years of drafting and review, on June 24, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (NPC) began its first “reading” of a draft Anti-Monopoly Law (AML). Earlier in the month, on June 7, the... MORE

It is an established fact among U.S. officials: the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is China's primary multilateral instrument to implement its openly anti-U.S. policy in Central Asia. The recently concluded fifth anniversary summit of the SCO in Shanghai confirmed its anti-U.S. proclivities. The SCO's communiqué... MORE

With continuous economic growth averaging an astonishing annual rate of 10 percent over the past quarter century, China has transformed its landscape, become one of the largest economic powerhouses on earth, created development opportunities for its trading partners around the world and, in the process,... MORE

The National Security Strategy of the United States (NSS) released in March states, "The United States will welcome the emergence of a China that is peaceful and prosperous and that cooperates with us to address common challenges and mutual interests." President George W. Bush used... MORE