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.
How to De-Risk From China: Lessons From Italy
By Nicola Casarini
Italy’s de-risking has been a gradual, and often winding, process of reducing critical dependencies on China. But is it permanent?
China-Russia Energy Ties Feature in the Xi-Putin Lunar New Year Call
By Joseph Webster
Sino-Russian oil trade grew in 2023, although Putin might have been piqued by Chinese actions on coal and inaction of the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.
‘To the Masses’: Decoding Xi Jinping’s Lunar New Year Visits
By Zhuowen Li
Understanding Xi’s take on a longstanding CCP tradition: visiting ordinary citizens ahead of the holiday season.
China’s YouTube Propaganda in Latin America
By Sascha Hannig Nuñez
The efforts are obvious, but many of the videos fail to garner significant attention.
Unpacking the Layers of China’s Spring Festival Gala
By Nick Carraway
This year, three trends stood out amid the Gala’s presentations, echoing through other official policies.
Messi’s Absence in Hong Kong Game Sparks Anger, Boycott Calls in China
By Kanis Leung
Disappointment from Hong Kong fans ballooned into a nationalistic controversy after the soccer superstar took the pitch in Japan.
China’s Zombie East China Sea Policy
By Denny Roy
The decade-old approach is failing to gain any substantial benefit, while maximizing the chances of an accidental war that Beijing does not want.
Multilateralism and China’s Hedging Strategy
By Kaize ZHU
Nations – including China – hedge to secure their interests in an increasingly multipolar world.
China Gives Suspended Death Sentence to Chinese Australian Democracy Blogger
By Ken Moritsugu and Keiran Smith
Yang Hengjun has been in detention for over five years, despite frequent complaints from the Australian government. Now he's been found guilty of espionage.
China’s Quiet Move Toward Moderation
By Robert Sutter
Rhetorically, China is standing firm as the U.S. leads a hardening of policy toward Beijing. But its actions reveal a new willingness to compromise.
A New Era for China’s Overseas Anti-Corruption Campaign
By Chi Yin
In an apparent first, China has convicted two people for bribing foreign officials. The high-profile judgment sends a clear signal: the time has come to exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction.
The Non-consensus Consensus of Taiwan’s Election
By Sasha Chhabra
While there is plenty of daylight between the DPP and KMT, the two parties have converged on remarkably similar positions with regards to national sovereignty.