Executive Summary: The relative absence of supreme leader Xi Jinping in authoritative media could indicate that his power, though still unassailable, is waning. There were no references to Xi or his eponymous ideology in coverage of crucial trade talks with the United States, the announcement... MORE

Executive Summary: The Party has updated plans to build the Greater Bay Area into a key growth driver, emphasizing attracting foreign investment and overseas talent. The measures from Beijing seek to make it easier for funds and elite global experts to move between the jurisdictions... MORE

Executive Summary: Since 2019, the Party has promoted the construction of a “new national system”—a centrally directed, institutionalized framework for mobilizing state and market resources to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies vital to national power and security. Beijing sees this system as already delivering results... MORE

Executive Summary: Kazakhstan and Afghanistan signed a protocol of intent on April 24 to jointly develop the Turgundi–Herat–Kandahar–Spin Boldak railway, including a logistics hub in Herat and fiber optic infrastructure to support digital connectivity. The railway is one aspect of regional transport development that could... MORE

Executive Summary:  Kazakhstan is expanding rail cargo capacity on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), which uses Kazakhstan to bypass Russian infrastructure between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Europe.  Major investments, including a second Dostyk-Moiynty rail track and over 1,300 miles of new... MORE

Executive Summary: Brazil, a strategic partner to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is taking a co-leading role in shaping a regional economic order decoupled from U.S.-centric trade and financial norms. The most consequential outcome of President Lula’s recent visit to Beijing was the signing... MORE

Executive Summary: Beijing has formally escalated its critical minerals strategy by launching a coordinated, multi-agency campaign to enforce full-chain control over rare earth and strategic mineral exports, mobilizing more than a dozen central and provincial agencies to supervise mining, processing, licensing, and export operations. Authorities... MORE

Executive Summary: April’s Politburo meetings and subsequent policy deployments indicate that Xi Jinping and his fellow Politburo members are scrambling to adapt to a harsher external environment—one marked by persistent U.S. tariffs, accelerating technology decoupling, and slowing global demand. Beijing’s response points toward deeper economic... MORE

Executive Summary: Xi Jinping’s April 30 remarks preview a fundamental shift in the Party’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), signaling that national security—not growth—is now the central organizing principle of economic planning. A new “security pattern” will be directly integrated with the “development pattern,” embedding... MORE

Executive Summary: Hong Kong’s IPO market is on track for its strongest year since 2021, raising $2.3 billion in the first quarter of 2025—driven entirely by PRC-based companies. Consumer brands like Mixue and Guming led the listings, benefiting from Beijing’s stimulus measures and public enthusiasm... MORE