In a Fortnight

Taiwan’s Reform Bills Indicate Volatility

Executive Summary: Taiwan’s Executive Yuan has returned inflammatory legislation to the Legislative Yuan over concerns that it violates democratic principles, procedural justice, and the country’s constitution. The legislation is also likely to face judicial challenges. Contentious provisions could force testimony by military officials and others... MORE

Shifting Discourse Between Xi and Putin On Ukraine

Executive Summary: Across 12 communiques, meeting readouts, and official phone calls between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin since February 2022, the salience of language on Ukraine has reduced, but the substance has hardened. The latest communique includes a statement that “the root causes must be... MORE

Foreign Fixations at the Heart of Chinese-style Modernization

Executive Summary: A new report from two high-end PRC think-tanks details the country’s path to modernization in anticipation of July’s Third Plenum but suggests that any shifts in policy direction will be muted. The report emphasizes the triumph of Chinese-style modernization over the Western model... MORE

Learning From National Security Education Day

Executive Summary: The Comprehensive National Security Concept has expanded over the last decade to cover areas the People’s Republic of China (PRC) perceives to be its territory, which now includes the deep sea, space, and digital networks. Xi Jinping has pushed the totalizing conception of... MORE

PRC Support Underpins Russia’s War Against Ukraine

Executive Summary: PRC aid to Russia is multidomain and underpins much of Moscow’s ability to continue to wage war in Ukraine. Attempts have been made to institutionalize the Sino-Russian relationship, deepening the military aspect in particular. The relationship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin nevertheless... MORE

When The Chips Are Down: Taiwan’s Water and Energy Conundrum

Executive Summary: Taiwan’s heavy reliance on energy imports, coupled with high energy demands, poses significant challenges, with semiconductor manufacturing being a major consumer. Environmental concerns such as droughts, exacerbated by climate change, and Taiwan’s fossil fuel-heavy energy mix raise serious alarm bells for the island’s... MORE

New Quality Combat Forces: More Than Meets The Eye

Executive Summary: Conceptual framings from the military may be influencing how the CCP approaches its management of the economy. The phrase “New Quality Combat Forces” predates the phrase “New Quality Productive Forces” by several years. Now they are being linked as mutually self-reinforcing constructs. Both... MORE

Jing-Jin-Ji At Ten: Urban Planning Under Xi

Executive Summary: The Jing-Jin-Ji region's integrated development embodies Xi Jinping's vision for the PRC and is one of his strategic priorities. Planning documents from the past decade detail ambitions to leverage the potential of this region’s 110 million people by designing a global center for... MORE

Special Issue: Taiwanese Voices On The 2024 Elections

This year sees the Jamestown Foundation celebrate its 40th anniversary. The intention of Jamestown’s analysis since its inception has always been to foreground indigenous voices and local sources from the regions of focus. The organization’s founder, William Geimer, published memoirs of Arkady Shevchenko, the highest-ranking... MORE