In late September, China conducted the first launch of two new types of rocket, the Long March 6, and the Long March 11 (China Military Online, September 20; People’s Daily Overseas Edition, September 26). While much of the media attention in September focused on the... MORE

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit the United States next week, the seventh time since he first visited the country as Secretary of Zhengding County in Hebei in 1985 (People’s Daily Online, September 16). According to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson... MORE

On September 3, China held a military parade commemorating the end of World War II (WWII). A departure from previous parades, which only took place on China’s October 1 National Day, this parade had a significant international focus, featuring troops from 17 countries, veterans of... MORE

This past week marked the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. On August 14, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave a speech commemorating the end of the war and expressing regret and repentance for Japan’s role in the war... MORE

Immediately following the May release of its new maritime-focused National Defense White Paper, China is practicing “new type naval combat force” operations in the South China Sea (Xinhua, May 26; China Military Online, July 28). Several joint air-sea exercises involve “tens” of aircraft, hundreds of... MORE

As global attention focuses on China’s rising tensions with neighboring states in the South China Sea, violence has erupted elsewhere in the region, this time along China's border with Myanmar. Widely ignored in the western media, the cross-border tension is part of a long-smoldering Burmese... MORE

In mid-June, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lu Kang announced that Chinese land reclamation efforts would soon end, hopefully marking the end of tensions caused by China’s rapid expansion of a number of land features in the South China Sea (MOFA, June 16). Although... MORE

As Editors, we have the distinct pleasure of introducing a special issue of China Brief, focused on the Chinese government’s 2015 Defense White Paper (DWP) and its theme of military strategy. This year’s report, the latest roughly biannual installment since 1995, contains the broad guidelines... MORE

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Belarus on May 10-12, following his visit to Russia to join President Vladimir Putin in the military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, has led to new questions in Taiwan about Xi’s... MORE

As Chinese President Xi Jinping’s New Silk Road initiative continues to build momentum, provincial governments are looking for ways to integrate their own economic plans with the national strategy and thus provide local companies and workers the benefits touted by Beijing. Xi’s promotion of the... MORE