In a Fortnight
The PRC and ROC National Day Ceremonies Offer Starkly Contrasting Views of “One Country, Two Systems”
Introduction Both the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan, observe their national holidays in October. For the PRC, October 1 marks the date in 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party, victorious in the country’s civil war, declared China... MORE
Military-Civil Fusion and Electromagnetic Spectrum Management in the PLA
Introduction: EMSM as a Key Element of “Military-Civil Fusion” Modern battlefield environments will contain a greater proliferation of electromagnetic emitters than ever before—including but not limited to radars, communications networks, and jamming systems—employed by many different platforms across multiple warfare domains. As a result, electromagnetic... MORE
The United Front Work Department Assumes a Diplomatic Role
In the first week of September, a “United Front Organizations Special Symposium” (统一战线组织专题研讨会, Tongyi Zhanxian Zuzhi Zhuanti Yantaohui) was held in Beijing. Under the official slogan of “Forging Synergy and Promoting Consensus” (凝心聚力, 增进共识 / Ning Xin Juli, Zengjin Gongshi), this meeting brought together representatives... MORE
Chinese Covert Social Media Propaganda and Disinformation Related to Hong Kong
Introduction: “Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior” Related to the Protest Movement in Hong Kong On August 19, the microblogging platform Twitter announced the suspension of 936 accounts originating in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which the company identified as part of an “information operation focused on... MORE
The Legacy of Li Peng in Chinese Politics
Introduction Amid a flurry of late July news stories related to China—to include continuing unrest in Hong Kong, U.S.-China trade talks, and joint Sino-Russian military flights over the Sea of Japan that touched off a confrontation with Republic of Korea aircraft (China Brief, July 30)—the... MORE
Arms Sales and High-Level Visits Signal Closer U.S. Relations with Taiwan
Introduction The first half of 2019 has seen a steady procession of developments marking a closer alignment between the United States and Taiwan (also known as the Republic of China, or ROC). In May, a meeting was held between U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton... MORE
Xi Jinping’s Summer Foreign Policy Tour Displays “Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics”
Introduction In the month of June, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping kept up an ambitious international travel schedule, spending nearly half the month abroad on four major trips: to Russia, Central Asia, North Korea, and the G20 Summit in Japan. Although diplomatic... MORE
China Explores Economic Outreach to U.S. States Via United Front Entities
Introduction Ever since the seeming collapse of U.S.-China trade talks in early May (China Brief, May 29), state media outlets of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have unleashed a vitriolic campaign to blame the breakdown of the talks on the alleged bad faith of... MORE
“Study May Fourth,” But Not June Fourth: The CCP Seeks Control of China’s Historical Legacies
Introduction—The Chinese Government’s Official Narrative on the Tiananmen “Turmoil” Ever since the tragic events of the 1989 Beijing Massacre, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has maintained a rigid official narrative regarding the “turmoil” (dongluan, 动乱) of spring 1989. [1] This narrative states that the... MORE
What Derailed the U.S.-China Trade Talks?
Introduction: The U.S.-China “Trade War” Since Early 2018 For over a year, the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have been engaged in a contentious trade dispute initiated by the Trump Administration over a host of alleged unfair Chinese trading practices: ranging... MORE