The Diplomat | Author
Brian Wong
Brian Wong is a Rhodes Scholar from Hong Kong (2020) and DPhil in Politics Candidate at Balliol College, Oxford.
They are the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Political Review; Founding Secretary of Citizen Action Design Lab, Founding Fellow of Governance Partners Yangon, and write regularly for The Diplomat Magazine, TIME, the South China Morning Post, and other academic and media publications. They can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
January 17, 2023
Interpreting China’s Diplomatic Shifts
By Brian Wong
While Beijing is jettisoning some of the most pugnacious elements in its prior diplomacy, it has not undertaken a fundamental pivot.
December 16, 2022
Decoding China’s COVID-19 Policy U-Turn
By Brian Wong
Current discussions often highlight the role of the vocal protests in late November in shifting China's COVID zero policy. But the shift had already begun in early November.
November 15, 2022
Biden-Xi Summit Shows an Uneasy Peace Emerging Between China and the US
By Brian Wong
What factors are behind the reframing of the relationship, and will it last?
September 15, 2022
What Does Xi Jinping’s Visit Tell Us About China’s Relationship with Central Asia?
By Brian Wong and Iskander Akylbayev
While the meeting with Putin stole headlines, Xi’s trips to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are about far more than Russia.
July 15, 2022
The Deep Roots of Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis
By Talal Rafi and Brian Wong
The economic crisis was made at home, a result of structural political and economic weaknesses. Any solutions have to start there.
June 19, 2022
The Complex Nationalism of China’s Gen-Z
By Brian Wong
China’s youngest generation is often associated with hyper-nationalism. That oversimplifies their complex, individualized relationships with their country.
May 17, 2022
Understanding the Extent (and Limits) of Chinese Public Support for Russia
By Brian Wong
The Chinese public is overwhelmingly on Russia's side amid the invasion of Ukraine, but there is little appetite for China to play an active role.
April 12, 2022
China’s Vision for Relations With Europe Is Slipping Out of Reach
By Brian Wong and Wang Yingliang
Beijing's ideal vision for China-EU relations urgently needs an update to grapple with recent developments – starting with the Ukraine war.
March 14, 2022
With Yoon’s Election, It’s Time for China to Rethink Its Korea Policy
By Brian Wong and Wang Yingliang
The victory of the more hawkish, China-skeptical candidate means China must rethink its approach to the Korean Peninsula.
February 21, 2022
‘Only Nixon Could Go to China’; Only Xi Can Go to America?
By Brian Wong and Scott Singer
50 years after the famous Nixon-Mao meeting, today’s leaders can learn from their nuanced political leadership.
January 03, 2022
The Art of Survival for Central Asian States
By Brian Wong, Iskander Akylbayev, and Valikhan Bakhretdinov
30 years on from the dissolution of the USSR, Central Asian states are a case study in hedging and balancing between global superpowers.
December 11, 2021
Why Is China Insisting It Is a Democracy?
By Brian Wong
The attempt to frame an alternative model of democracy highlights a shift in the CCP’s quest for legitimacy.
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