In a Fortnight
Zhou Yongkang’s Trip Highlights Security Diplomacy
For a man once mistakenly thought to be on the sidelines, Zhou Yongkang had a busy September leading a security delegation to Singapore, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan (“Zhou Yongkang and the Tarnished Reputation of China’s Police,” China Brief, March 30). The delegation included Chinese Communist Party... MORE
Resolving Contradictions in Social Management
Social management issues and reform have been linked clearly to fulfilling the vision of improving people’s livelihood and Hu Jintao’s “harmonious society.” With the future of social management and political reform ostensible on the agenda for the 18th Party Congress, Chinese research departments seem to... MORE
Angola Operation Shows China Testing Overseas Security Role; Cambodian Visit to China Rubs Salt in ASEAN Wounds
ANGOLA Operation Shows China Testing Overseas Security Role On August 25, officials from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) escorted 37 suspects back to China for violent crimes—including human trafficking, kidnapping, robbery and blackmail—against Chinese émigrés in Angola. The MPS made the arrests in... MORE
Hu Jintao’s Doubtful Future on the Central Military Commission
With the Beidaihe retreat coming to a close this week and Chinese leaders reemerging from behind closed doors, China’s leaders are in the home stretch for deciding the outcomes of the 18th Party Congress. Some of the issues at stake are the size of the... MORE
Looking Ahead at Politburo Possibilities
As the 18th Party Congress approaches and Chinese leaders enter their final rounds of horse trading, recent personnel changes suggest the future of Chinese politics is starting to take shape both now and over the next five years. Reportedly ensconced in the beach resort city... MORE
Shoring Up PLA “Military Cultural Security” to Ensure Stability
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) careens toward the 18th Party Congress and a generational leadership transition, Beijing seems concerned with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and where it stands politically. CCP and PLA press have expressed these concerns in a variety of ways, whether... MORE
Re-Popularizing Marxism: Li Changchun’s contribution to reform
On the eve of the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), propaganda czar Li Changchun gave a speech to a political theories seminar emphasizing the need to re-popularize Chinese-style Marxism. Li, a Politburo Standing Committee member, argued the task is... MORE
Central Party School’s Critiques Suggest New Leadership Dynamics
Political reform in China since Deng Xiaoping’s “Southern Tour” in 1992 has seemed a distant if always tempting narrative for analysts and observers. The cycles of foreign hope and disappointment with Chinese leadership attest to this. The most recent stirrings of political reform discussion may... MORE
Taiwan’s Intelligence Chief Offers New Insights on Chinese Security Developments
Every spring, the director-general of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) goes before the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign and National Defense Committee to discuss national security-related developments. Befitting Taiwan’s focus on cross-Strait affairs and the Chinese military, the NSB chief, Tsai Te-sheng, almost always has something interesting... MORE
State Council Highlights China’s Information Security Challenges
On May 9, Premier Wen Jiabao opened an executive meeting of the State Council on promoting China’s development of information technology and information security. The meeting promulgated a new opinion “Vigorously Promote Informatization Development and Earnestly Guarantee Information Security.” Premier Wen called for a clear... MORE