Blog
China Power
China's rise inspires a mix of awe, fear and skepticism. But what will its global role be? Are we on the brink of a bipolar world? How will its neighbors respond? Will it all come crashing down? The Diplomat's daily China blog will try to find some answers.
Watching Taiwan’s Free Elections, Chinese Internet Users Lament One-Party Rule
By Yaqiu Wang
Quickly censored comments reveal a bitter rejection of Beijing’s official line on the Taiwanese balloting.
China’s Population Falls for a 2nd Straight Year as Births Continue to Drop
By Ken Moritsugu
Even after China scrapped the “one-child policy,” births have dropped for seven straight years.
China’s Big Gamble in the South China Sea
By Hung Tran
Heightened China-Philippines tension around Second Thomas Shoal could escalate to military skirmishes – and that’s a chance Beijing appears willing to take.
China’s Response to the Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea
By Mordechai Chaziza
A complex interplay of economic factors, limited military capabilities, and geopolitical dynamics shape China’s cautious response to the Red Sea crisis.
Previewing the Chinese Foreign Minister’s Visit to Africa
By Yixin Yu and Ovigwe Eguegu
Wang Yi’s inaugural trip of 2024 will touch on diplomacy, economics, and security issues on the African continent.
Hedging ‘Light’: Italy’s Intermezzo With China’s Belt and Road Initiative
By Elisabetta Nadalutti and Jürgen Rüland
What explains Rome’s brief engagement with the BRI?
The Strategic Implications of China’s ‘Divine Dragon’ Spaceplane
By Namrata Goswami and Peter Garretson
Having inexpensive and reusable space access – China’s goal in developing the Shenlong spaceplane – carries major national security implications.
How China Defines the ‘Global South’
By KAWASHIMA Shin
Beijing tries to make the term its own.
Beijing Tries to Capitalize on Taiwan’s Controversial Rocket Alert
By Sze-Fung Lee
Taiwan issued a national alert following the launch of a satellite from China. Beijing has seized on the controversy to advance its own interests.
What Lies Ahead for Chinese Lending to Africa?
By Trevor Lwere
Despite much talk of a slowdown, there is reason to believe that Chinese loans to African countries will increase in 2024.
‘Troublemaker’ and ‘Pawn’: US-related Narratives Amid Taiwan’s Presidential Election
By Yang Kuang-shun
Tropes attacking Taiwanese politicians for supposedly being alienated from – or being too close to – the U.S. have been common for decades. This election cycle is no exception.
China’s 2024 Priorities Tucked in Xi Jinping’s New Year Speech
By Nick Carraway
The president’s speech has a clear goal of boosting Chinese people’s declining confidence amid the past difficult years.