
Latest Articles about China and the Asia-Pacific

Blinding the Enemy: How the PRC Prepares for Radar Countermeasures
Information warfare and information operations constitute the foundation of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) doctrine of winning what it calls “informationized wars (信息化战争).” [1] Electronic warfare (EW), one of five pillars of information warfare, has found its way to the forefront of the PLA’s war... MORE

Pre-suasion: How the PRC Controls the Message on a Sino-US Trade War
During the past fortnight, a long-simmering trade dispute between the United States and China has burst into open recrimination, with the two sides threatening each other with $250 billion worth of reciprocal tariffs (China Daily, April 7). As of this writing, the situation remains fluid... MORE

Civil-Military Fusion and the PLA’s Pursuit of Dominance in Emerging Technologies
China is intensifying its nearly two-decade push to meld together the civil and defense economies through what officials term “civil-military fusion” (军民融合). On March 2, 2018, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired the third meeting of the recently formed Central Commission for Integrated Military and Civilian... MORE

Can China Realize Africa’s Dream of an East-West Transport Link?
African development hinges on a maddening paradox: its greatest asset—the sheer size and diversity of its landscape—is also the greatest barrier to its development. Landlocked countries are cut off from ports, and the difficulty of moving goods from country to country weighs down intra-continental trade... MORE

Sino-Nepali Relations: Scaling New Heights
In his very first interview after taking office in February 2018, new Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said his government would seek to revive a US$2.5 billion Sino-Nepali hydropower project on the Budhi Gandaki River (South China Morning Post, February 19). The project’s fate... MORE

China Expanding in Russia’s Transbaikal—and Russian Taxpayers Are Paying for It
A new scandal is adding fuel to the fire of Russian fears about Chinese penetration of Siberia and the Russian Far East. The Russian media in those regions is reporting that in order to sell Russian agricultural products to China—something that benefits both local oligarchs... MORE

At China’s ‘Two Sessions’, Xi Jinping Restructures Party-state to Further Consolidate Power
One common theme has run through the “two sessions”—a reference to the just-ended plenary sessions of the National Peoples’ Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)—which handled momentous issues ranging from revising the PRC constitution to streamlining the structure of the State... MORE

Lost in the Shuffle: China’s New, Overlooked Financial Regulatory Commission
Momentous developments have taken place over the past several weeks in China. The entire government has been reorganized, key personnel appointments have been made, the Party’s imprint on the State has been institutionalized, and Xi Jinping has opened the door to an indefinite term as... MORE

China’s Counterintelligence “Trinity” and Foreign Business
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pursues a domestic anti-spy campaign and new espionage laws, PRC national security concerns and greater suspicion of foreigners may trump foreign business complaints about unfavorable treatment, rising trade barriers, and feeling unwelcomed. Foreign firms in China should not ignore... MORE

The Belt and Road Initiative: Is China Putting Its Money Where its Mouth Is?
Five years after it entered discussions surrounding China’s foreign policy, the Belt and Road Initiative remains a subject of political priority and public attention. Beijing has recently made a habit of attempting to persuade visiting heads of state to offer formal endorsement of the initiative,... MORE