Executive Summary: Key officials visited the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in late August to explain the city’s political, economic, cultural, and security responsibilities. They signaled deeper integration with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) mainland while leveraging its unique international position. Hong Kong... MORE

Executive Summary: In April 2024, the authors surveyed 510 students from Tsinghua University and 518 students from Peking University—the PRC’s two preeminent institutions—about their views on the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). The key findings are as follows: Students are more optimistic about the benefits... MORE

Executive Summary: The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) poses a high risk of technology transfer due to its deep connections to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its collaborations with leading US technology companies and universities. MBZUAI—and thus PRC researchers—have access... MORE

Executive Summary: Beijing continues to exploit US policies to circumvent technology controls and to lower the scrutiny applied to its technology transfer activities. Hong Kong as part of the Greater Bay Area—is tasked to focus on third-generation chip production to leapfrog US and allied chokepoints... MORE

Executive Summary: Rostec, Russia’s state-owned military-industrial corporation, revised its financial data for 2023, initially presented in May, and handed over this new data to Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 30. The update shows a decrease in total revenue, arms manufacturing revenue, civil products revenue,... MORE

Executive Summary: New Economic and Technology Development Zones (ETDZs) in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) are focused on pockets of the Han population, which will exacerbate tensions within the region. The Tibetan economy is already largely under Han control (except for in the agriculture and... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s State Statistics Agency, Rosstat, reported increased growth in arms manufacturing industries during the first half of 2024. However, this growth is less impressive when considering physical manufacturing data as it is dependent on ruble prices. Russia was only able to increase the... MORE

Executive Summary: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has solidified his position as the driving force behind achieving a “high-quality socialist market economy” by 2029. The recent CCP Central Committee Plenum indicated that he would rule until at least 2032. The Third Plenary... MORE

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been relying on middlemen to obtain US technology for military programs, including hypersonic weapons. These intermediaries provide a flimsy cover for direct sales to military end-users, with some even openly listing military clients on their websites.... MORE

Executive Summary: In June, the first pilot production line for photonics microchips in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was launched at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Chip Hub for Integrated Photonics Xplore (CHIPX), as the country explores new approaches to chip design. The PRC sees... MORE