The Diplomat | Author
Zhuoran Li
Zhuoran Li is a Ph.D. candidate in China studies and a research assistant at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University. His work has been featured in The Diplomat and the National Interest, and he has appeared on Vox News.
Zhuoran Li is a Ph.D. candidate in China studies and a research assistant at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University. He received his BA at the University of Virginia and MA at SAIS. His research interests include Chinese politics, Japanese politics, and East Asian security and diplomacy. His works have been featured in The Diplomat, SAIS China Studies Review, and the National Interest, and he has appeared on Vox News.
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December 19, 2023
The History and Future of China Studies in the US
By Zhuoran Li
Things may look bleak today, but it’s a far cry from the era of zero contact in the 1950s and ‘60s.
November 18, 2023
The Power – and Limits – of Xi Jinping
By Zhuoran Li
Xi may have more power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, but even he can’t fully implement his policy preferences.
November 04, 2023
The 2-Level Game in Japan’s Agriculture Trade Negotiations
By Zhuoran Li
The Japanese agriculture sector has a long history of obstructing international trade talks.
July 13, 2023
The Human Level of China’s Security State
By Zhuoran Li
People still occupy the front and center of Xi’s social control vision, and technology only aims to complement the “mass line.”
June 16, 2023
Abe’s Unfinished Business: Japan’s Agriculture Reform
By Zhuoran Li
Abe Shinzo is often considered Japan’s most powerful prime minister. But he faced steep political opposition in one of his primary goals.
June 10, 2023
What Is the Impact of China’s New Rural Initiative?
By Zhuoran Li
China is more tightly controlling how farmland can be used in an attempt to bolster food security – but it risks undoing the progress made in alleviating rural poverty.
March 29, 2023
China’s Lackluster Vaccination Drive: A Tale of Local Cadre Incentives
By Zhuoran Li
Why was China’s vaccination campaign so little, so late? The key lies in understanding cadres’ daily working routine under Xi Jinping.
March 16, 2023
Beyond ‘Wolf Warriors’: China’s Multidimensional Diplomacy
By Zhuoran Li
The case of the Sino-Japanese thaw in 2018 shows how China pursues foreign policy flexibility through ties with foreign political parties, individual politicians, and business leaders.
March 02, 2023
The Future of the China-US Chip War
By Zhuoran Li
Beijing sees no choice but to have the state take control of its tech industry amid U.S. pressure. But past experience shows that the big semiconductor push will bring complications.
January 07, 2023
How Beijing Accidentally Ended the Zero COVID Policy
By Zhuoran Li
China’s central government aimed to modify the zero COVID policy incrementally following the 20th Party Congress. What went wrong?
November 15, 2022
China’s Performative Zero-COVID Policy
By Zhuoran Li
To bolster their standing during the pandemic, local cadres are putting a new twist on the concept of performative governance.
October 26, 2022
China’s Gradual Reform Dilemma
By Zhuoran Li
Numerous efforts to rebalance the Chinese economy, including Xi Jinping’s, have failed. Why?