Latest Articles about China
GM Soybeans And China’s Food Security Dilemma
Executive Summary The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) recently approved 37 genetically modified (GM) corn varieties and 14 GM soybean varieties after a three-year trial, marking the first such announcement by the PRC government. The PRC's focus on improving food security is evident... MORE
A Greater Bay Area: China’s Initiative To Build A New Silicon Valley
Executive Summary The GBA, covering 56,000 square kilometers with 70 million people, aims to become a globally renowned economic and technological hub, comparable to bay areas like San Francisco, Tokyo, and New York. Its economic output surpasses 13 trillion RMB ($1.8 trillion) by 2022, exceeding... MORE
Admiral Hu Zhongming: The Chinese Navy’s ‘Multi-Faceted’ New Leader
Executive Summary Admiral Hu's expertise in undersea warfare is considered crucial as the PLAN prepares for potential conflicts in East Asia, particularly against the threat posed by the superior US submarine fleet. Hu is recognized as one of the finest submarine officers of his generation,... MORE
Rising Anti-China Sentiment in Balochistan Threatens Increased Attacks on Chinese Interests in Pakistan
Executive Summary The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group in Pakistan opposes Chinese investment projects in Balochistan province, viewing China as complicit in Pakistani government oppression of their people. The BLA has carried out multiple attacks against Chinese nationals and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) installations... MORE
Beijing Grows Assertive as Chinese Private Military Companies ‘Come Out of the Shadows’
For more than a decade, China has been using its own private military companies (PMCs) to guard Chinese facilities abroad, preferring to use them rather than rely on protection from local firms or PMCs from other countries. On occasion, Beijing will employ PMCs to put... MORE
US Sanctions Hamper Russia’s LNG Strategy in the Arctic
In late December 2023, foreign investors for Russia’s Arctic LNG-2 project voiced their intentions to pull out from the initiative (Kommersant.ru, December 25, 2023). The development project on the Gydan Peninsula was designed to transform Russia into a central global exporter of liquid natural gas... MORE
Despite Moscow’s Bravado, Russia Faces Mounting Problems With Oil and Gas Exports
Moscow continues to claim that it has more than fully compensated for its lost access to oil and natural gas markets in the West due to sanctions by expanding sales to China, India, and other countries in the East (Politicheskiy Kaleidoskop, January 1). A closer... MORE
Brain-Computer Interfaces: Medical Miracles and Innovation Policy
Decades of strategic investment in science at the central and local levels have manifested in significant advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs, 脑机接口) (Xinhua, November 15, 2023). This nascent technology is an increasingly important part of China’s ambitions to become a science and technology superpower. A... MORE
CCP Ideological Indoctrination, Part 2: The New Plan for Training Party Cadres
Author’s note: This is the second article in a two-part series focused on recent initiatives taken by the Chinese Communist Party to implement ideological indoctrination programs intended to reinforce the Party’s ruling position, as well as the current official ideology of “Xi Jinping Thought.” The... MORE
Taiwan’s Offshore Islands: Assessments Of Support For Integration
Kinmen County (金门县) and Lienchiang County (连江县; also referred to as Matsu (马祖)) are a crucial site of activity for cross-Strait relations. Over the last year, Beijing has renewed its calls for using the islands to promote “cross-Strait integrated development (两岸融合发展)” (Taiwan Affairs Office, September... MORE