China Is Studying Yuan Devaluation as a Tool in Trade Spat
China evaluates impact of currency depreciation among trade tensions.
Viewpoint
04.06.18
I Thought Studying Journalism outside of China Would Open Doors. Now I’m Not So Sure.
Six years ago as I was about to begin my undergraduate career at The University of Iowa majoring in journalism, a fellow Chinese student who’d switched her major from communications studies to business ruthlessly doubted my choice. “How on earth...
White House Sends Mixed Message on China Trade Thaw
Markets rally but questions remain over US willingness to talk to Beijing.
If There’s a U.S.-China Trade War, China May Have Some ‘Unconventional Weapons’
There are ways to make life harder for American companies in China that need not be formal, or widely publicized.
Why China Could Get Hurt More from a Trade War in the Tech Sector
China could lose more than the U.S. from trade tensions now spilling into the technology sector, according to Gavin Parry from Parry Global Group.
Facial Recognition in China Is Big Business as Local Governments Boost Surveillance
Dozens of cameras meet visitors to the Beijing headquarters of SenseTime, China’s largest artificial intelligence company. One of them determines whether the door will open for you; another tracks your movements.
US Take Note: Chinese, Russian Militaries Are Closer Than You Think, China’s Defence Minister Says
The United States should be aware of the close military ties between Beijing and Moscow, China’s defence minister said during a visit to Russia, which has been facing international isolation over the killing of a former spy in Britain.
China Strikes Back at the U.S. With Plans for Its Own Tariffs
China hit back at the United States on Wednesday with proposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of American soybeans, cars, chemicals and other goods, in a move likely to stoke fears that the countries’ escalating confrontation could become an all-...
China Strikes Back at the U.S. With Plans for Its Own Tariffs
China hit back at the United States on Wednesday with proposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of American soybeans, cars, chemicals and other goods, in a move likely to stoke fears that the countries’ escalating confrontation could become an all-...
China Announces It’s Imposing New Tariffs on 128 Us Products
China implements additional tariffs as retaliation against increased U.S. import taxes.
Three Takeaways from Kim Jong Un’s Trip to China
What to learn from the secret meeting between Xi and Kim?
What’s Made Indonesian Students Forget the China Taboo?
Not that long ago, having a Chinese book was strictly prohibited in Indonesia. But now the country’s young people are attending Chinese universities by the thousands.
‘America First’ Shouldn’t Stop the Us from Welcoming Chinese Students and Other Global Talent
Almost half a century after the “Nixon shock”, when US President Nixon unilaterally declared that the United States would abandon the dollar’s convertibility to gold and impose a 10 per cent import surcharge, the world is now being shaken by the...
China Academics Divided over Australia Influence Crackdown
Canberra’s proposed crackdown on Chinese government influence in Australia has prompted a bitter split among academics, following claims the policy is driven by racism and is stigmatising Chinese Australians.
When Xi Met Kim: How China and North Korea Depicted It
Kim Jong-un’s surprise visit to Beijing this week to meet President Xi Jinping added an element of intrigue to talks over North Korea’s nuclear program.
China Says North Korea’s Kim Pledged Commitment to Denuclearization
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his commitment to denuclearization and to meet U.S. officials, China said on Wednesday after his meeting with President Xi Jinping, who promised China would uphold friendship with its isolated neighbor.
Viewpoint
03.27.18
Secretary Pompeo’s First China Briefing
Donald Trump’s national security documents frame China as the United States’ greatest long-term threat. This declaration caps a historic shift in America’s strategic disposition toward China. From the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979...
What Kim Jong-Un May Get in Reaching out to China
A flurry of activity and speculation surrounding Beijing’s diplomatic quarter on Tuesday accompanied what officials described as an unusual, and highly secretive, visit by North Korean dignitaries, possibly even the country’s youthful leader, Kim...
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un Leaves Beijing after Surprise Visit
Security returns to normal in Chinese capital as armored train pulls out.
Why Would Kim Jong Un Make a Secret Trip to China?
A surprise visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to China may indicate Pyongyang’s need for support from its closest ally ahead of upcoming summits with South Korea and the US.
China Needs More Water. So It's Building a Rain-Making Network Three Times the Size of Spain
China tests weather modification system to bring more rain to Tibet.
Putin to Visit China as Leaders Consolidate Power at Home
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China later this year, for his first meetings with senior Chinese officials since being elected for a fourth term.
The US and China Are in Talks to Try to Avoid a Trade War
The United States and China are acting tough over trade, but they’re also busy talking to try to stop the situation spiraling out of control.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Is Said to Be Visiting China
Kim Jong Un has made a surprise visit to Beijing on his first known trip outside North Korea since taking power in 2011, three people with knowledge of the visit said.
Culture
03.23.18
What Chinese High School Students Learn in America
In 2011, when a rural prep school in Maine invited New York-based director Miao Wang to screen her first film, Beijing Taxi, she was surprised to find so many Chinese students enrolled at the archetypal New England establishment. Not Chinese-...
China, Not North Korea, to Dominate Japan Military Planning
North Korea’s growing missile arsenal might be the most obvious and immediate military threat facing Japan, but defense planners in Tokyo are focused on a much larger and more challenging foe as they prepare for the years ahead.
How China’s Government Has Changed after the NPC
A stronger military and more power to fight corruption are among the major changes revealed at China’s National People's Congress (NPC) this year.
China Approves Giant Propaganda Machine to Improve Global Image
China has approved the creation of one of the world’s largest propaganda machines as it looks to improve its global image, according to a person familiar with the matter.
China Vows to Open Its Markets Further in Response to Trump’s Tariff Threats
China responded to the threat of a massive package of tariffs from the United States by vowing Tuesday to further open its own markets to foreign trade and investment, while warning that a trade war between the two nations would hurt both sides...
Xi Jinping Warns against Dividing China after U.S. Passes Taiwan Law
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that any “tricks” to divide China will be thwarted, a warning that followed U.S. legislation opening the door to high-level visits with Taiwan.
Books
03.16.18
Young China
A close-up look at the Chinese generation born after 1990 exploring through personal encounters how young Chinese feel about everything from money and sex to their government, the West, and China’s shifting role in the world―not to mention their love affair with food, karaoke, and travel.
Chinese Crackdown Separates Pakistani Husbands from Uighur Wives
“Where is Mama?” screams Ahmed’s 10-year-old daughter in a WeChat message he can hardly bear to replay.
Hong Kong’s Judges Voice Fears over China Influence in Judiciary
As Hong Kong’s judges and senior lawyers paraded in ceremonial wigs and gowns on Jan 8 to mark the start of the legal year, anxieties over China’s growing reach into the city’s vaunted legal system swirled with the wintry winds.
Hard-Charging Chinese Energy Tycoon Falls from Xi Government’s Graces
A mysterious Chinese buyer surprised the financial world last year when it swooped in to buy a $9 billion chunk of Russia’s state oil company.
China, Russia Welcome Korean Peace Efforts with Diplomacy in Overdrive
China’s President Xi Jinping offered encouragement for South Korea’s initiative to nurture peaceful engagement with North Korea, and Russia also expressed support, the South Korean official leading diplomatic efforts said on Thursday.
Viewpoint
03.15.18
Who Really Haunts Xi Jinping, Mao or Gorbachev?
Last week, the Chinese National People’s Congress removed Presidential and Vice-Presidential term limits, effectively allowing current President (and Chinese Communist Party General Secretary) Xi Jinping to stay in power beyond the two terms that...
Trump Demands Aides Pump up Anti-China Tariffs
President Donald Trump is getting ready to crack down on China. Trump told Cabinet secretaries and top advisers during a meeting at the White House last week that he wanted to soon hit China with steep tariffs and investment restrictions in...
The NYRB China Archive
03.14.18
Chairman Xi, Chinese Idol
from New York Review of BooksFor nearly sixty years since it opened in 1959, the Great Hall of the People has been the public focus of Chinese politics, a monumental granite block that extends 1,200 feet along the west side of Tiananmen Square. It is where the country’s...
A Malaysian Insta-City Becomes a Flash Point for Chinese Colonialism — and Capital Flight
A futuristic city funded by China is rising from the sea off Malaysian coast.
A Reporter Rolled Her Eyes, and China’s Internet Broke
A reporter's eye-roll at China's legislature meeting went viral.
China Sets up New Foreign Aid Agency to Better Project Influence Abroad
The communist government establishes a new agency to coordinate its foreign aid program.
Beijing Watches and Waits While Trump Talks up His Meeting with Kim Jong Un
The milestone summit suits Beijing's interests so the communist state isn't expected to interfere.
China Unveils Overhaul of Government Bureaucracy
Plan follows constitutional amendments that boost President Xi Jinping’s power.
Forbidden Feeds: Government Controls on Social Media in China
PEN International
Based on extensive interviews with writers, poets, artists, activists, and others personally affected by the government’s grip on online expression, as well as interviews with anonymous employees at Chinese social media companies, this report...
Excerpts
03.12.18
A Chinese Mayor-to-Be Tells His Story
When I lived with Tom in the city of Chengdu in 2015 and into 2016, he was a 23-year-old probationary member of the Chinese Communist Party, on his way to joining the organization’s nearly 90 million full members. He wanted to embark on a career...
Xi Jinping Clear to Rule Indefinitely as China Scraps Presidential Term Limits
Legislature votes to repeal 10-year presidential term limit imposed after Mao’s death.
Ending Term Limits for China’s Xi Is a Big Deal. Here’s Why.
What is at stake when China ends term limit on Xi’s presidency?
Trump’s China Whisperer: How Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman Has Sought to Keep the President Close to Beijing
This American investor has one of the closest relationships to Beijing.
South Korea Moves to Ease Chinese Jitters over U.S.-North Korea Talks
South Korean officials met with Xi about Trump-Kim Meeting.
China Says Trade War with U.S. Will Only Bring Disaster to Global Economy
Beijing criticizes proposed tariffs by Washington amid fears it could shatter global growth.
China’s Arms Sales Rise as It Vies with U.S. for Influence on the World Stage
Research group highlights Beijing’s growing share of global arms trade as it tries to strengthen ties with key allies.
Books
03.09.18
End of an Era
Since the 1990s, Beijing’s leaders have firmly rejected any fundamental reform of their authoritarian one-party political system, even as a decades-long boom has reshaped China’s economy and society. On the surface, their efforts have been a success. Political turmoil has toppled former communist Eastern Bloc regimes, internal unrest overtaken Middle East nations, and populist movements risen to challenge established Western democracies. China, in contrast, has appeared a relative haven of stability and growth.
US’s Tillerson Warns African Nations Not to ‘Forfeit Their Sovereignty’ by Taking Chinese Loans
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned against African nations accepting Chinese cash in agreements which could “forfeit their sovereignty.”
Xi Jinping Says China’s Authoritarian System Can Be a Model for the World
Chinese president Xi Jinping has repeatedly told the world that China is ready to lead on issues like free trade and climate change.