By Willy Wo-Lap Lam One of China's many ironies is that most of the prospects for political reform may well hinge on one of the least popular cadres of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): alternate Politburo member and Head of the Organization Department, Zeng Qinghong.... MORE

By Shaomin Li The lure of 1.3 billion consumers is irresistible: Foreign investments flock to China in large volumes. But entering China's market can be highly risky, thanks to rampant corruption, fraud and violations of property rights--either by private citizens or by the state. An... MORE

By Thomas Woodrow Although current Chinese relations with Saudi Arabia are largely linked to Beijing's quickly growing appetite for imported energy resources, China's long-term goal may be to replace the United States as the Persian Gulf's security guarantor. Beijing is rapidly becoming a major player... MORE

Despite China's claim of having an independent legal system, its leaders often exploit legal procedures, making them into proxy battles in their struggle for power. One such example is the handling of the Zhu Xiaohua corruption case, in which Zhu was sentenced to fifteen years... MORE

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam Zhu Rongji has a habit of saying intriguing things when he is abroad. And when cadres who do not see eye to eye with him, including President Jiang Zemin, are not around. While visiting Paris late last month, the veteran premier... MORE

By Kenneth Conboy The relationship between the Republic of Indonesia and the People's Republic of China (PRC) has seen some of the best of times and worst of times. During much of the rule of President Sukarno prior to 1965, China was one of Indonesia's... MORE

By Gordon G. Chang President Jiang Zemin has recently urged China's young to "Protect the Mother Rivers." If the truth be told, Jiang's exhortation is a call to resist the nation's environmental policies. The biggest threat to China's waterways is the country's own leaders. Central... MORE

AIR SHOW PROVIDES VENUE FOR EXHIBITION Both China and India have long held ambitions to establish local helicopter manufacturing bases for reasons of industrial strategy, national security and international prestige. Rotorcraft development was addressed in September at an Indian defense conference. From November 4 through... MORE

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam Beijing is exploiting to the utmost Washington's and the UN's recent decisions to classify the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) as a terrorist organization. CCP leadership wants to take advantage of what the official media calls "a favorable global climate against... MORE

The U.S. Department of Defense's Annual Report on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China, released on July 12, pointed out Taiwan's growing vulnerability to China's pre-emptive, multipronged blitzkrieg. In acquiring advanced weapons from Russia and frequent large-scale joint-force military exercises, the People's... MORE