Latest Articles about China and the Asia-Pacific
Editor’s Note: Discontinuing the Use of Pinyin for Chinese Terms
Previous volumes of China Brief have used pinyin for Chinese terms. However, beginning with this volume, China Brief will include only the Chinese characters for terms and no longer include transliterations of such terms using pinyin. For example, an author translating “中国式现代化” as “Chinese-Style Modernization”... MORE
Warnings and Welcomes: China’s Reopening and the Politics of International Travel
Over the past two months, as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has rapidly rolled back its strict zero-COVID epidemic prevention policy, COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout the country. The combination of the PRC reopening its borders to outbound travel on January 8 and the... MORE
The Clash at Tawang: Tensions Rise on the China-India Border
Introduction On December 9, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian army clashed at Yangtse along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh resulting in injuries on both sides. Following the incident, the local Indian commander held a... MORE
At a Dead End? China’s Drive to Reform Defense Science and Technology Institutes Stalls
Introduction Since becoming China’s top leader ten years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping has sought to sustain a three-decade effort to reform the defense industry in order to advance the development of defense technology and improve the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) capabilities. Recent reforms have... MORE
Fentanyl Precursors from China and the American Opioid Epidemic
Introduction The fentanyl epidemic was born in America, rose from the supply of precursor chemicals made in China and is now even more destructive as Mexican drug cartels profit from huge demand. The involvement of suppliers of fentanyl precursors from China is a controversial issue... MORE
After the Kabul Hotel Attack: The Taliban and China Confront Security Challenges in Afghanistan
Introduction On December 12, members of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacked a local hotel in Kabul, where several Chinese nationals were staying. The attack injured five Chinese nationals along with 18 other victims, while the three attackers were killed by security forces (China... MORE
South Korea Grounds Its Position in the Central and East European Defense Market (Part One)
Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine has become a game-changer for the architecture of international security—and not only from a regional perspective. Most recently, it provided a window of opportunity for South Korean security and energy companies to deepen engagement with the countries of Central and... MORE
Beijing Summit Cements China’s Role as Dominant Outside Power in Turkmenistan
Since gaining independence in 1991, Turkmenistan has typically attracted only sporadic international attention both because of its constitutionally mandated policy of strict neutrality and the extreme isolation Ashgabat has pursued with an authoritarianism so severe that it rivals that of North Korea. But the country’s... MORE
Capacities and Dimensions of Russian Investment in Iranian Oil and Gas Fields
On July 19, 2022, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russian gas company Gazprom worth close to $40 billion. The deal was signed by the CEOs of both companies during a virtual ceremony on the same day that... MORE
Russia’s New Foreign Policy Orientation
In the wake of growing isolation due to its aggression against Ukraine, Russia’s foreign policy leadership and brain trust have elaborated a new ideology and self-identification that is meant to guide Moscow’s foreign policy moving forward. This orientation rejects Russia’s post-Petrine identification as a European... MORE