
Latest China Brief Articles
NEW CHALLENGES IN SINO-PAKISTANI RELATIONS
Sino-Pakistan relations have long thrived on military and strategic cooperation. Over time, this cooperation yielded economic dividends for Pakistan and public goodwill for China. Although military and strategic interests still dominate their relations, needs for stronger economic ties and active public diplomacy are growing in... MORE
HU’S RECENT CRACKDOWN ON POLITICAL DISSENT
President Hu Jintao has redoubled efforts to crack down on dissent and other destabilizing forces despite the decreased frequency of large-scale anti-government riots after a spate of serious outbreaks last winter. In internal deliberations, both Hu and his predecessor, ex-president Jiang Zemin, have cited Chairman... MORE
CHINA AND VIETNAM’S TUG OF WAR OVER LAOS
Much has been written on the competition for influence in Southeast Asia among the Great Powers, particularly the United States and China, and how Beijing has made significant inroads in this respect over the past few years. However, in at least one Southeast Asian country... MORE
AFTER THE LIEN AND SOONG VISITS: CHEN’S NEW PREDICAMENT
On the surface, cross-Strait relations at the beginning of 2005 appeared to be at their most hopeful in recent years. The two sides agreed to make charter flights for the Chinese New Year a reality. Beijing also dispatched two senior officials to Taipei to attend... MORE
BEIJING’S GROWING SECURITY DILEMMA IN XINJIANG
China’s need for energy to fuel its burgeoning economy means that Xinjiang is now critical to its future. The Tarin Basin alone has proven reserves of over one billion tons of crude and 59 billion cubic meters of natural gas. These oilfields are expected to... MORE
EDITOR’S NOTE FOR SPECIAL ISSUE ON CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Dear Readers, Jamestown is proud to present this special issue of China Brief analyzing China's deepening ties to the Middle East. In recent years, Beijing has looked to the Gulf region to meet its soaring energy demand. This special issue examines China's expanding role in... MORE
THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF CHINA’S DEEPENING TIES WITH THE MIDDLE EAST
China has raised its diplomatic profile in the Middle East and North Africa, successfully negotiating a number of big sticker long-term energy contracts in the region. What do these activities reveal about China's evolving role in world affairs and in Middle Eastern affairs in particular?... MORE
BEIJING’S TWO-PRONGED IRAQ POLICY
Since 2003, China has pursued a two-pronged Iraq policy of promoting Chinese interests while avoiding antagonizing the Untied States. On the one hand, this policy addresses concerns about oil and construction contracts and the desire to use the Iraq crisis to increase Chinese political influence... MORE
THE U.S. FACTOR IN ISRAEL’S MILITARY RELATIONS WITH CHINA
The Jerusalem-Beijing-Washington imbroglio over Israel's sale of Harpy UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to China that surfaced in December 2004 is by no means over. Yet, while it is too soon to mourn the untimely death of Israeli arms sales to China, it is nonetheless becoming... MORE
WARMING SINO-IRANIAN RELATIONS: WILL CHINA TRADE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY FOR OIL?
Today, China accounts for 12 percent of the world's energy consumption. That is second only to the U.S., at 24 percent, and up from 9 percent a decade ago. China's entire modernization strategy is based on access to abundant supplies of energy, and this also... MORE