
Latest China Brief Articles
China’s Kashmir Policy
Since November 2003, India and Pakistan have effectively maintained a ceasefire along the Line of Control separating their respectively controlled segments of Kashmir. Meanwhile, New Delhi and Islamabad have renewed their efforts to arrive at long-term solutions to this intractable conflict that has dragged the... MORE
Hu Seeks Breakthrough in Forthcoming Summit with Bush
The summit between Presidents Hu Jintao and George W. Bush next month will have a major bearing on not only Sino-US ties, but also the global balance of power in the 21st century. On one level, Hu’s first visit to the U.S. as head of... MORE
Progress and Remaining Obstacles in Sino-Indonesian Relations
The year 2005 is shaping up to be significant for Sino-Indonesian relations. In April, during a state visit to Indonesia by Chinese President Hu Jintao, the two sides agreed to establish a “strategic partnership,” a status China has accorded to only three countries: the United... MORE
The Chinese Perspective on the Recent Astana Summit
A series of radical changes have taken place in Central Asia since the beginning of this year. Termed by some as the “color revolutions,” these political shifts have been discussed alternately as “regime changes” on the one hand, and extremist-fueled turmoil on the other. Whatever... MORE
Beijing’s Bailout of Joint-Stock and State-Owned Banks
In the spring and summer of 2005, the Chinese government successively announced that Central Huijin Company (China State Administration of Foreign Exchange Investments) will recapitalize Galaxy Securities (Yinhe Zhengquan), Southern Securities (Nanfang Zhengquan), Huaxia Securities, Shenyin Wanguo Securities, and Guotai Jun’an Securities. [1] Besides brokerages,... MORE
Hu Jintao’s Driving Influence on Chinese Military Modernization
The People’s Liberation Army is on course to become a much more potent and aggressive force, enabling Beijing to better achieve the ambitious diplomatic and security goals set forth by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s Fourth-Generation leadership. And while the Pentagon’s just-published annual assessment of... MORE
A Strategic Crossroads for Chinese Military Power
The 2005 Department of Defense Annual Report to Congress on “The Military Power of the People’s Republic of China” is to be commended for providing context, up-to-date information, and some new details about the complex subject of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) modernization program. [1]... MORE
The National Security Implications of China’s Emerging Water Crisis
While many traditional security analysts remain fixated on the destabilizing effects of the China-Taiwan relationship and growing animosity between Beijing and Tokyo, other less visible challenges are rapidly emerging which could portend political instability for the Communist Party and the country as a whole. At... MORE
The Limits of Chinese Economic Reform
The conventional view on China is that the PRC has entered the realm of global politics and is currently vying with the United States for superpower status. China has enjoyed dramatic economic growth in recent decades, ever since Deng Xiaoping initiated his reform program more... MORE
The Unocal Bid: China’s Treasure Hunt of the Century
The operation is code-named “Treasure Hunting Ship;” the target is a major piece of U.S. energy real estate. The $18.5 billion cash offer is the largest corporate expansion ever in Chinese history. The strategy is to play the free market game with a lobbying effort... MORE