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.
Beijing Can Do More to Support China’s Youth
By David Tingxuan Zhang
China’s young people face pressures unlike those of any generation before them. The government needs to reimagine how they fit into the economy.
China Is an Indispensable US Trade Partner. Will Trump’s Tariffs Hurt Beijing?
By Bala Ramasamy and Matthew Yeung
The tariffs imposed on China’s exporters will likely be paid by American consumers.
Is China’s Peace Plan Still Relevant for Gaza?
By Xiaoyu Lu and Dounia Al Jijakli
As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has spiraled into a renewed and devastating phase, Beijing’s early assertive role appears to have diminished.
Without Radio Free Asia, Who Will Expose China’s Atrocities?
By Tsering Dolka Gurung
Shutting down the U.S.-funded broadcaster will silence voices that are already suppressed by Asia's authoritarian regimes.
Chinese Influencer Ordered to Leave Taiwan Over Pro-Unification Content
By Brian Hioe
Liu Zhen-ya’s residency permit was revoked on the grounds that her content endangered Taiwan’s national security, prompting a debate over free speech and security.
The Huawei Scandal and Europe’s China Reckoning
By Paola Morselli
The Chinese tech giant is at the center of a sprawling investigation into accusations of bribery and illicit lobbying to promote Huawei’s interests within European institutions.
In China, Putting a Roof on a Half-finished Building Is Cause for Celebration
By Hannah Pedone
For struggling property giants seeking any indications of a turnaround in China’s prolonged real estate crisis, "topping off" a building is cause for celebration.
How Local Corruption Evolved in China Under Xi Jinping
By Zhuoran Li
Xi’s beefed-up system of anti-corruption inspections paradoxically helps legitimize corrupt practices.
During Ramadan, China’s ‘Muslim Diplomacy’ Unfolds in Indonesia
By Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Yeta Purnama
Beijing's outreach builds relationships with prominent Muslim organizations, while influencing the narratives about China's treatment of its own Muslim minorities.
China-Japan-South Korea Foreign Minister Meeting Spotlights a Complex Partnership
By Simran Walia
The meeting in Tokyo pledged increased economic cooperation, but security issues continued to loom large.
How Taiwan Can Keep Its Diplomatic Partners
By William Piekos
Beijing’s success in peeling off Taiwan’s diplomatic partners requires a reevaluation of Taipei’s strategy toward its remaining partners.
Challenges to China’s Growing Interests in Afghanistan
By Muhammad Murad
While Chinese investment is rising, particularly in the mining sector, the operations face both local pushback and logistical headaches.
China’s Impatient State Capital Impedes the Innovations It Aims to Promote
By Jackson Martin
China envisions a system of patient capital where investors are committed to supporting hard tech companies through high-risk, high-reward R&D. So far, it has had limited success.
China’s New Economic Coercion Toolkit
By Jim Mullinax
Sanctions, export controls and other administrative measures are increasingly crucial in Beijing’s efforts to push back against foreign government actions with asymmetric retaliation.
Amid Panama Port Sale, China Demands Patriotism From Its Private Sector
By Chauncey Jung
The Chinese government frequently demands that businesses prove their political loyalty – even at the cost of their own financial interests.
China’s 2 Sessions: Slow Growth Collides With Tech Supremacy
By Stefanie Kam
China faces a paradox: structural challenges and slowing growth associated with the old economy, and a high-tech, globally competitive industrial sector in the new economy.
China’s Dwindling Marriage Rate Is Fueling Demand for Brides Trafficked From Abroad
By Ming Gao
The question of who China’s leftover men will marry is becoming a pressing issue for Beijing. The government’s response will shape the country’s future for decades to come.
Taiwan Looks to Crack Down on China’s Influence and Espionage Activities
By Brian Hioe
From military espionage to pro-China Taiwanese influencers to local government officials, the Lai Ching-te government is seeking to curb infiltration by Beijing.
The Lasting Legacy of Taiwan’s 1990 Wild Lily Movement
By John J. Chin and Kevin Zheng
This month marks the 35th anniversary of Taiwan’s Wild Lily Movement. Student activism has been a continuing force for democracy in Taiwan in the years since.
Tibetan Language, Epic, and the Bards Safeguarding Heritage
By Tim Thurston
There is a veritable cottage industry of cultural production related to the Gesar epic.
China’s Growing Concerns Over India-US Relations
By Rahul Mishra
Beijing wants to believe that friction with Trump will push India toward China. That’s a flawed assumption – but one that speaks to Chinese anxieties.
China’s Pivot to ‘Small and Beautiful’ Foreign Aid
By Gu Bin and Zou Renge
Beijing is responding to past international criticism and a domestic economic slowdown while offering a cost-effective tool to deepen influence in the Global South.
China’s System of Mass Arbitrary Detention
By Angeli Datt
New research analyzing 1,545 prison sentences echoes U.N. concerns that arbitrary detentions “may constitute crimes against humanity.”
At ‘Two Sessions,’ Beijing Signals Greater Protections for Delivery Riders
By Vincent Chow
As China’s gig economy booms, the government is pushing to expand social security coverage for these informal workers.
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