South China Sea Controversy Heats up as Man-Made Islands Are Almost Complete
The controversy in the South China Sea is heating up, with a new report from the U.S. warning China has almost completed construction of three mysterious man-made islands.
China Should Learn the Golden Rule
The truth is that Chinese companies looking to invest abroad are treated now—as they’ve been for years—far better than China treats foreign investors.
Taiwan Democracy Activist Said To Be Detained in China
People close to a Taiwanese pro-democracy activist say he went missing nine days ago during a visit to the Chinese territory of Macau and appears to be in Chinese custody.
China’s HNA in Talks to Buy Controlling Stake in Forbes: Sources
Acquisitive Chinese conglomerate HNA Group is in talks to buy a controlling stake in the owner of the publisher of Forbes magazine, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters
China Bars Professor at Australian University From Leaving, Lawyer Says
A Chinese-born professor at an Australian university who has often criticized Beijing’s crackdown on political dissent has been barred from leaving China and is being questioned by state security officers as a suspected threat to national...
China Plans Fresh Crackdown on Tangshan Steel Production
China is planning a new crackdown on steel production in the north-eastern city of Tangshan in a bid to prevent false reporting of mill closures by local governments reluctant to obey shutdown orders.
China State Firms Eye Land around Panama Canal: Waterway Authority
Chinese state firms have expressed an interest to develop land around the Panama Canal, the chief executive of the vital trade thoroughfare said, underlining China’s outward push into infrastructure via railways and ports around the world.
In Rare Move, Chinese Think Tank Criticizes Tepid Pace of Reform
These withering findings on China’s reforms come from a startling place: from within the government itself.
Caixin Media
03.27.17
Expert Doubts Incentives Would Boost China’s Birth Rate
Proposed incentives for couples to have a second baby—including tax breaks and extra maternity leave—won’t lead to a significant spike in China’s birth rate, a renowned demographer said.
Liang Zhongtang’s comments come amid...
New Zealand and China Plan to Expand Free-Trade Deal
New Zealand and China announced Monday they would open talks soon to expand a successful free-trade deal in place for nearly a decade.
The New (Red) iPhone Shows How a Simple Act of Charity Isn’t So Simple in China
In China tomorrow (March 24) Apple will launch the crimson-hued iPhone 7 and 7plus devices in partnership with (RED), an AIDS-relief charity it has promoted and supported for over a decade.
Books
03.27.17
Wish Lanterns
If China will rule the world one day, who will rule China? There are more than 320 million Chinese between the ages of 16 and 30. Children of the one-child policy, born after Mao, with no memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre, they are the first net native generation to come of age in a market-driven, more international China. Their experiences and aspirations were formed in a radically different country from the one that shaped their elders, and their lives will decide the future of their nation and its place in the world.
China in the World Podcast
03.26.17
Trump’s First Test in Asia
from Carnegie ChinaWhile President Trump appoints new officials to his administration and reviews policy frameworks, Asia-Pacific leaders are moving ahead. Since taking office, Trump has grappled with consequential developments in the region,...
Conversation
03.24.17
Does Tillerson’s Asia Visit Signal a New Era in U.S.-China Relations?
On March 19, during his first trip to Asia as U.S. Secretary of State, and amidst rising tensions with North Korea, Rex Tillerson met with China’s Communist Party Secretary Xi Jinping. The day before, Tillerson released a...
Malaysia Buying Chinese Ships to Protect its Waters From China, Other
Officials from the Southeast Asian country, with a coastline stretching from the Sulu Sea westward to the Indian Ocean, said in November they would get four littoral mission ships made in China.
Australia Shouldn't Pick Between U.S. and China, Premier Li Says
Australia, which has fought alongside the U.S. in every major conflict since World War I, has been careful not to offend China, which was responsible for 31 percent of its merchandise exports in the 12 months to July last year.
As Hong Kong Chooses Its Next Leader, China Still Pulls the Strings
For the fifth time, Hong Kong’s next chief executive will be selected on Sunday by a committee stacked with supporters of the Chinese government rather than by a free election.
As China’s Li Visits Down Under, Trump on Australian PM Turnbull’s Mind
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to keep his relationship with the U.S. in close focus as China’s Li Keqiang becomes the first Premier in eleven years to visit Down Under.
Why Is Spain in the Middle of a Spat between China and Taiwan?
Spain could soon become the first European Union country to extradite Taiwanese criminal suspects to China, instead of their home island.
Demolishing Dalian: China’s ‘Russian’ City Is Erasing Its Heritage—in Pictures
Founded by the Russians, Dalian boasts a wealth of architectural history. But now its treasured buildings are marked for demolition—and the government is being sued. One student went to capture the area before it disappears
Eleven Countries Signed a Letter Slamming China for Torturing Lawyers. The U.S. Did Not.
When 11 embassies signed on to a joint letter criticizing China over “credible claims” that lawyers and human rights activists have been tortured while in detention, there were two notable abstentions.
Why China Stoking up Anger over South Korea Missile System Is Doomed to Fail
Encouraging boycotts of South Korean goods won’t stop Seoul deploying the defence shield, but will sour an economically valuable relationship, observers say
Philippine Ministers Cry Foul over China’s Island Plans
Fears of a Chinese plan to build a radar station on a disputed ocean outcrop have laid bare tensions in the Philippine government over President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign to woo Beijing.
Conversation
03.22.17
China Writers Remember Robert Silvers
Robert Silvers died on Monday, March 20, after serving as The New York Review of Books Editor since 1963. Over almost six decades, Silvers cultivated one of the most interesting, reflective, and lustrous stables of China writers in the world,...
Xi Jinping Is Only Halfway through His Rule yet China’s Already Trumpeting His Legacy
Xi is set to start his second five-year term with the party congress meeting this fall. In the past few months, China’s propaganda machines have been busy churning out videos crafting his personal image.
Rex Tillerson’s Deferential Visit to China
America’s top diplomat agreed that “the U.S. side is ready to develop relations with China based on the principle of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win coöperation.”
China Just Held Its National People’s Congress. Here Are Three Key Points.
For decades, China’s “Two Sessions” (lianghui) each spring have offered a glimpse into the policies and priorities of China’s Communist Party (CCP).
China May Set New Rules to Curb ‘Irrational’ Outbound Investment This Year
China this year may publish rules on outbound investment by Chinese firms that would spell out the sectors in which investing is encouraged and those where it is restricted, state media reported on Tuesday.
China and America Need a One-Korea Policy
The only way to stop North Korea is by guaranteeing the peninsula will eventually be united—and non-aligned.
China’s Xi Tells Israel That Peaceful Middle East Good for All
Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians would be good for both sides.
Tillerson’s Beijing Visit Was a Home Run for China: State Media
China’s state-run media cheered Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s weekend visit to Beijing as a diplomatic win for the home team.
South Korea Complains to WTO about China over THAAD
South Korea has appealed to the World Trade Organization to determine if the Chinese government is treating South Korean companies unfairly.
Taiwan ‘Targeted by Mainland China’s Top Medium-Range Missiles’
Deployment of DF-16 missiles part of the increased military intimidation of Taiwan by Beijing, according to island’s defense minister
China’s Taxes on Imported Cars Feed Trade Tensions with U.S.
A Jeep Wrangler can cost $30,000 more in China than in the United States—and the reasons illustrate a growing point of tension between the two countries.
China Is Reportedly Getting Ready to Hit back against Any of Trump’s Trade Penalties
China’s government has been seeking advice from its think-tanks and policy advisers on how to counter potential trade penalties from U.S. President Donald Trump, getting ready for the worst, even as they hope for business-like negotiations.
Tillerson Ends China Trip with Warm Words from President Xi
With warm words from Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ended his first trip to Asia since taking office with an agreement to work together with China on North Korea and putting aside trickier issues....
Rex Tillerson and Xi Jinping Meet in China and Emphasize Cooperation
Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and President Xi Jinping of China cast aside their differences on Sunday with a public display of cooperation, sidestepping areas of disagreement even as North Korea made another defiant statement by showing...
In China Debut, Tillerson Appears to Hand Beijing a Diplomatic Victory
While his boss was goading China over Twitter, new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been trying to build a constructive and “results-oriented” relationship with the leadership in Beijing.
The Real Reason China Won’t Exert Economic Pressure on North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson thinks that if only he can enlist Beijing’s support, sanctions will compel Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear arsenal—here’s why he’s wrong
Viacom’s Paramount Rejected in Potential $1 Billion Film Deal with China
Viacom’s Paramount Pictures movie unit has failed to strike a deal with two Chinese groups to receive $1 billion in financing for a fresh series of films, according to several Hollywood sources who spoke to The Post.
How China Is Preparing for Cyberwar
The U.S. and China have made progress on curbing commercial cyberespionage. Now, the global powers need to set limits when it comes to digital warfare.
Stephen FitzGerald: Managing Australian Foreign Policy in a Chinese World
This is an edited extract of the 2017 Whitlam Oration, delivered by Stephen FitzGerald, Australia’s first ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (1973-76), at the Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University, on March 16, 2017.
Next Stop Beijing: Tillerson Seeks to Press China on North Korea
The U.S. is hoping the urgency of North Korea’s advancing ballistic-missile technology will compel China to crack down on banks and other businesses that provide an economic lifeline to Kim Jong Un’s regime despite United Nations sanctions.
Amb. Haley: China Must Prove to Us It Wants to Stop North Korean Aggression
United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said this morning that the Trump administration is taking a new, tougher approach toward China in an effort to deter North Korean aggression.
Missile Row Drives Korean Culture Underground in China
The mainland chill on Korean content that follows Seoul’s decision to deploy a missile defense system is driving Chinese fans to get their “K-culture” fixes on peer-to-peer platforms instead of mainstream sites.
China Raising Pressure on Taiwan, Gently
China is slowly tightening its grip on self-ruled Taiwan to make it break a nearly year-old political deadlock, but it’s avoiding any tough measures that it can’t reverse if relations improve, analysts say.
Rex Tillerson: Military Action against North Korea Is ‘On the Table’
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Friday that military action against North Korea was “on the table” if the country continued to develop its weapons program.
The NYRB China Archive
03.17.17
Xi Jinping: The Illusion of Greatness
from New York Review of BooksPolitics is always about pomp and pageantry, but as pure, stultifying ritual few occasions can compare to the convening of the Chinese parliament, the National People’s Congress, which ended this week. No matter what is happening...
Taiwan Plans Military Spending Surge to Counter Rising China
Taiwan plans to raise military spending by about 50 percent next year as President Tsai Ing-wen attempts to offset China’s growing might and support the local defense industry.
Books
03.16.17
Hollywood Made in China
China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 ignited a race to capture new global media audiences. Hollywood moguls began courting Chinese investors to create entertainment on an international scale—from behemoth theme parks to blockbuster films. Hollywood Made in China examines these new collaborations, where the distinctions between Hollywood’s “dream factory” and Xi Jinping’s “Chinese Dream” of global influence become increasingly blurred.
China Consumer Day Show Skewers Nike Shoes, Muji Foods
China’s annual consumer rights day television show turned its spotlight on U.S. sports brand Nike Inc for misleading advertising and Japanese brand Muji for selling food products allegedly sourced from part of Japan affected by radiation.
Here’s Who Will Benefit from the Beijing-Seoul Fallout
Currently, South Korea’s decision to allow the U.S. to deploy an advanced missile defense system on the peninsula has culminated in a series of retaliatory measures from Beijing. South Korean firms have already started investing in the fast-...
Rather Than Talk to Taiwan, China Sends in the Spies
While spy scandals are not uncommon in Taiwan, the news has heightened concerns that the island is inadequately prepared to deal with Chinese espionage at a time when relations across the Taiwan Strait are at their lowest point in years.
Clean Energy Could Spark a Trade War between the U.S. and China
In the past few years, China has surpassed the U.S. in electric vehicle sales, renewable energy capacity, and recently announced it was investing $365 billion to keep the momentum going. That investment puts China in a prime position to lead the...
From ‘Fake News’ to No News: Tillerson Leaving Press behind on Asia Trip Could Send Message to China
Tillerson’s aversion to dealing with U.S. journalists have added to growing questions about the Trump administration’s commitment to a free press and transparent government.
Conversation
03.15.17
How Does China’s Imperial Past Shape Its Foreign Policy Today?
Throughout most of history China dominated Asia, up until what many Chinese refer to as the “century of humiliation”—when Japan and Western powers invaded or otherwise interfered between 1839 and 1949. Now, with China on the rise again, are...
China to Trump: We Don’t Want a Trade War—but If There Is One, You’d Lose
China’s premier told the United States on Wednesday: We don’t want a trade war with you, but if one breaks out, your companies would bear the brunt.
Tillerson to Press China on North Korea in Tough First Asia Trip
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces a tough first trip to Asia this week when he will seek to reassure nervous allies facing North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threat and press China to do more
Chinese Premier Calls for Return to Talks on North Korean Nukes
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called Wednesday for all parties to return to talks amid rising tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.