
Latest Articles about China and the Asia-Pacific

PLA Unveils New Unmanned Weapons Aimed at Taiwan at the Zhuhai Airshow
Executive Summary: The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has been developing drone technology specifically for use in a Taiwan contingency, some of which was on display at the Zhuhai Airshow in November. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is framing the country’s rapid expansion of... MORE

‘Trusted Data Spaces’: Beijing’s Latest Step Toward Digital Dominance
Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) plans to create over 100 “trusted data spaces” by 2028 as part of a strategy to dominate data governance internationally. The plan aims to break through current barriers obstructing the streamlining of data sharing and utilization and... MORE

Instead of Joint Sword-2024C, PLA Intensifies Winter Naval Training
Executive Summary: People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval training drills near Taiwan and surrounding the First Island Chain on December 9–11 did not constitute a full-scale joint exercise but sent a signal to the incoming US administration. Beijing’s power projection demonstration, involving 60 vessels, signals to... MORE

State Goals, Private Tools: Digital Sovereignty and Surveillance Along the Belt and Road
Executive Summary: Beijing promotes digital sovereignty in its engagements with other countries but with the caveat that it can maintain access to partner countries’ digital systems. Leaked documents from cyber contracting firm iS00N indicate a focus on One Belt One Road partner countries, targeting critical... MORE

PRC Gray Zone Activities Against Taiwan: Civilian Drone Incursions
Executive Summary: Civilian drones launched from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have repeatedly violated the Republic of China's (ROC) airspace over the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu, which serves as part of a gray zone campaign to discredit the self-governing democracy's ability and... MORE

PLA Steps up Security Cooperation With Russia in 2024
Executive Summary: This year’s second joint aerial patrol between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia marked the debut of the nuclear-capable H-6N bomber, demonstrating Beijing’s intent to project nuclear deterrence and challenge Western strategic dominance. The two countries have expanded security cooperation this... MORE

Innovation Without Borders: The PRC’s Use of Offshore Bases
Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has set up a number of offshore innovation bases to acquire technologies in support of its ambitions for technological dominance and national rejuvenation. “Offshore innovation bases” in the PRC, mostly located in special high-tech development zones, collaborate... MORE

AI Leadership Depends on What is Measured
Executive Summary: Chinese open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) perform better than Western ones, according to a recent report from an artificial intelligence evaluation organization SuperCLUE. Chinese LLMs also excel in cost-efficiency, scalability, and localized applications, with advancements in edge devices and use cases in the... MORE

PRC Pushes Digital Doppelgänger to Support Low-Altitude Economy
Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is constructing “3D Real-Scene China,” a real-time model of the physical world enabled by advanced telecoms and digital sensing technologies. The low-altitude economy, which is projected to exceed $140 billion by 2026, aligns with national strategy that... MORE

From Ambition to Anxiety: The Unraveling of Xi Jinping’s Vocational Education Policy
Executive Summary: Xi Jinping’s vocational education reforms, designed to address a skills gap, have been distorted at the local level, with uneven implementation and coercive measures intensifying stress on students. The centralized power structure of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) incentivizes local officials to... MORE