So far as its main purpose--ensuring a smooth, orderly political succession--is concerned, the 16th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress has spawned as many problems as it has solved. President Jiang Zemin, who was supposed to have handed over the baton at the just-ended conclave, seems... MORE

By Jonathan Mirsky China's new rulers, the nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee, confront critical problems bequeathed to them by their predecessors. These problems, which would be called a crisis anywhere else, are partly the result of over fifty years of Communist rule. The... MORE

By Gordon G. Chang These days China proudly calls itself "the workshop of the world." This is no idle boast: The People's Republic is attracting more and more of the world's manufacturing capacity. Yet success creates its own problems. The world now wants to know... MORE

In the 1990s, China had no choice in its quest to modernize its military but to import entire weapons systems. And the imports have continued. But total reliance on imports is not a solution, especially for a military that prides itself on self-reliance. As an... MORE

The likely exit of the CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin at this 16th Party Congress will mark the first paramount Chinese leader in PRC history to leave his post without top-level internal political turmoil. His "Three Represents"--self-proclaimed to be the grand theoretical paradigm that would... MORE

Whether private businessmen will get due recognition at the 16th Communist Party Congress has become a litmus test of the leadership's commitment to both economic and political reform. Latest indications are that while President Jiang Zemin will formalize the rights of "red capitalists" to be... MORE

Summits are a good time to plumb the depths of hypocrisy and pierce the verbal smoke and mirrors in international discourse. The recent exchange at the Crawford ranch between Presidents George W. Bush and Jiang Zemin vibrated with mutual compliments and assurances of good will.... MORE

It is too soon to assert that Hong Kong's freedoms, ostensibly guaranteed in the handover from British to Chinese sovereignty, are under sustained attack. But it is not too soon to assert that Hong Kong faces nine months of potentially divisive debate and risks a... MORE

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