
Latest China Brief Articles

The Art of War: PRC Weaponizes Culture to Galvanize the People
Executive Summary: The Party sees culture as a tool to achieve its strategic ambitions both inside and outside the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Speeches, articles, and conferences portray it as central to achieving national rejuvenation. Party discourse on culture is shot through with militaristic... MORE

PRC Adapts Meta’s Llama for Military and Security AI Applications
Executive Summary: Researchers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have optimized Meta’s Llama model for specialized military and security purposes. ChatBIT, an adapted Llama model, appears to be successful in demonstrations in which it was used in military contexts such as intelligence, situational analysis,... MORE

Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics: PRC Consulate Gray Zone ‘Pop-up’ Events in New York and Beyond
Executive Summary The Consulates General of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago have been conducting gray zone “pop-up” consular service events across the United States under the initiative “Bringing Consular Services into the Community,” often at non-diplomatic facilities.... MORE

Part II: Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics: PRC Consulate Gray Zone ‘Pop-up’ Events in New York
Executive Summary: “Pop-up” events by People’s Republic of China (PRC) consular officials across the United States are accompanied by online propaganda campaigns on social media, as part of a gray zone approach to cognitive warfare. The events, which may contravene international and US law, are... MORE

Xi Jinping Has Further Boosted the Military-Industrial Group of China
Executive Summary: Since at least the 19th Party Congress, Xi Jinping has promoted military-industrial officials, whose presence at the vice-ministerial level has grown since the 20th Party Congress in 2022. They represent a potential emerging faction within the Chinese Communist Party. Military-industrial officials are an... MORE

Stimulus Measures Expose Weakness Since Third Plenum
Executive Summary: Two major developments have followed the Third Plenum in July. First, a series of economic data releases indicated that the plenum had done nothing to improve the country’s short-term outlook. Second, a series of stimulus measures were announced over a two-week period, that... MORE

Discourse Dimensions of the PLA’s Joint Sword 2024–B Exercises
Executive Summary: The Joint Sword 2024–B exercises by the People’s Liberation Army were in part a tool of political intimidation to “serve as a stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces,” namely the Lai Ching-te administration. Beijing’s rhetoric is doubling down on... MORE

Xi Jinping’s Quantitative Easing Unlikely to Save Economy
Executive Summary: In an apparent U-turn, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has initiated stimulus policies that have boosted the stock market and are attempting to jump-start key sectors and meet the annual GDP growth target of 5 percent. In the last week of September,... MORE

PRC Fertilizer Export Controls Provoke Derisking Abroad
Executive Summary: In June 2024, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) introduced additional restrictions on fertilizer exports, sharply reducing urea exports by 83 percent compared to the previous year. This move aims to stabilize domestic prices and safeguard food security, but has disrupted global fertilizer... MORE

The Qin Gang Saga Reveals Security Gaps
Executive Summary: In June 2023, Qin Gang, the former foreign minister of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), mysteriously disappeared, with rumors speculating torture and execution. Recent reports suggest that he remains alive and has been demoted to a deputy director position at World Affairs... MORE