Executive Summary: Xi Jinping has elevated Command Innovation to the core logic of the People’s Republic of China’s economy—superseding traditional growth drivers by fusing “self-reliant” strategic-industrial planning with direct financial control. This engineered system gives Beijing new leverage over how capital is deployed and who... MORE

Executive Summary: The annual Central Asia Digital Security Expo in Xinjiang is supported by the U.S.-sanctioned Xinjiang Public Security Bureau and brings technology firms together to network and market their products under the context of the CCP’s ongoing campaign of repression. Federal sanctions, due diligence,... MORE

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has a long history of engaging in agricultural espionage and, potentially, sabotage in the United States. This is partly to decouple from U.S. agriculture, and partly to achieve food security in the event of a major conflict... MORE

Executive Summary: The united front operates abroad as a political machine, helping to get people elected by fielding candidates, mobilizing votes, and building power bases. Asian-Americans are growing in numbers yet remain key swing voters. Beijing’s role in shaping the political leanings of this demographic... 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: Desertification control is central to People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) food security strategy, enabling the expansion of arable land and reducing dependence on U.S. agricultural imports amid rising geopolitical tensions. Xi Jinping has shifted the “Three Rural Issues” framework to prioritize grain self-sufficiency... 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: Beijing is on course to dominate innovation in and production of legacy semiconductor chips, which strategists see as a way to push back against U.S.-led containment in critical technologies. These chips, used everywhere from vehicles to defense, offer a scalable and resilient path... 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

Executive Summary: Beijing cannot and will not replace the United States’s former role in overseas aid, but it will seize opportunities to portray itself as playing a leading role where doing so aligns with its own programmatic interests. The PRC views international aid differently to... MORE