By Willy Lam Ex-president Jiang Zemin and his still powerful Shanghai Faction are returning fire after a political season that has witnessed the relentless expansion of the clout of President Hu Jintao and such key associates as Premier Wen Jiabao. However, Hu has stitched together... MORE

By Arnold Zeitlin The SARS panic in China has subsided and the disease itself appears to be in remission. So too is the earnest hope that the widespread coverage of the epidemic in the Chinese news media heralded a new era of openness. Among some... MORE

By Holmes Liao   A country relishing democracy, liberty, and prosperity is not necessarily a country enjoying international popularity. In spite of its remarkable advancement in democracy and the extraordinary achievements of its economy, Taiwan is nevertheless the world's most diplomatically encroached country.   If... MORE

By Gordon G. Chang Chinese leaders are not as lucky as their North Korean cousins. Beijing's cadres govern a population that is increasingly mobile, aware, and demanding--and that thinks for itself. The Communist Party's shameful coverup of the SARS epidemic ended when Chinese doctors told... MORE

By Willy Lam President Hu Jintao will intensify both united front tactics and "military readiness" after having taken over the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Leading Group on Taiwan Affairs. The LGTA is the country's policy setting organ for reunification matters. Chinese sources in Beijing have... MORE

By Harvey B. Stockwin   It is a remarkable fact that numerous observers of the Chinese scene, anxious to see progress even where there is little at hand, have hailed as a sign of Chinese "glasnost"--or political openness--a decision by Beijing to disclose information about... MORE

By Gordon G. Chang China's problem is that it is stuck in the middle of the reform process, while North Korea's is that it is just starting it. To arrest the continued deterioration of North Korea's economy, Kim Jong-il, the communist world's first and only... MORE

By Al Santoli Superficially, the May 30 mob violence and the detention in Burma of Aung San Suu Kyi, Asia's revered champion of democracy, appears to be a case of business-as-usual by one of the world's most reviled military juntas--a group that, for over a... MORE

By Gordon G. Chang They're communist cousins, existing side-by-side, but they couldn't appear more different. One of them looks vibrant and dynamic--the other dark and desperate. Are we living in "China's Century," as some commentators tell us? And is North Korea, by contrast, on the... MORE

By Baopu Liu The deadly SARS virus in China is far more than just an epidemic and a threat to public health. Because of the outbreak, there has been much discussion about China's notorious control of national media and the flow of information. Of greatest... MORE