
Latest Articles about China and the Asia-Pacific

Russia and China: A Mutually Exaggerated Strategic Partnership?
Introduction Below the surface, not everything is smooth in China-Russia relations, but it can be difficult to see past the exaggerated plaudits generated by powerful propaganda machines on the unique closeness of the two strategic partners. Only a few keen observers picked up on a... MORE

The US-China Hong Kong Sanctions Face Off
Introduction Since the passage of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) on July 1, 2020, the US has sanctioned 42 individuals for their role in the imposition of the law. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has responded with countersanctions targeting the US, and... MORE

A Chinese Starlink? PRC Views on Building a Satellite Internet Megaconstellation
Introduction Billions of people around the world depend on the internet each day to make government, commercial, or personal transactions, and millions more users are being added each year. However, high-speed, reliable, and affordable internet services are not yet accessible to everyone. As Zhang Monan,... MORE

Hijrah to Arakan? The Stunted Start of Rohingya Jihadism in Myanmar
The precarious and complex situation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is optimal for jihadist organizations to exploit for propaganda and to recruit disillusioned Rohingya, as well as to incite Muslims to fight in Myanmar and open a new jihadist front (Terrorism Monitor, November 10, 2017;... MORE

Factional Strife Intensifies as Xi Strives to Consolidate Power
More evidence has emerged of a ferocious power struggle between China’s supreme leader, President Xi Jinping and powerful factions and personages including former Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and current Vice President Wang Qishan. Not-so-subtle instances of in-fighting among these influential figures and their cliques have emerged... MORE
New Editor’s Introductory Note
The changes currently underway in China are immense and their outcome uncertain. 2021 has been a momentous year in Chinese politics, with more big changes set to come out of the Communist Party Central Committee's sixth plenum in November. Next year will lead up to... MORE

China’s Development of Hypersonic Missiles and Thought on Hypersonic Defense
Introduction Hypersonic weapons are defined as able to travel at speeds above Mach 5 and can be broadly classified into two types: hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) and hypersonic cruise missiles (HCM). The former is launched into the upper atmosphere via ballistic missiles. The HGV is... MORE

Opportunities and Challenges for China’s Plans in Afghanistan
Introduction In a September meeting between China’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu and Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, China declared that its first batch of humanitarian aid will reach Afghanistan before the arrival of winter. (The News, September 28). The emergency humanitarian aid is... MORE

Far From a Panopticon, Social Credit Focuses on Legal Violations
Introduction Two new pieces of draft authority on China’s social credit system, directories of data inputs and punitive outputs from the General Office of the State Council, provide further clarity into the system’s ultimate form and purposes.[1] These official guidance documents present a picture of... MORE

In China’s Shifting Historical Narrative, “War of Resistance” with Japan Retains Key Role
Last month, China commemorated the 90th anniversary of the September 18 incident— the false flag railway explosion that sparked Imperial Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931. In China’s official historical narrative, the incident, which is colloquially known simply as "9-18” (九一八, jiu yiba), marks the... MORE