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.
China’s Hard and Soft Lines on Xinjiang
By Eleanor Albert
Beijing's softer messaging efforts on Xinjiang collide with its harsher tactics at home and abroad.
2022 Watch: Chen Yixin Likely to Become China’s Internal Security Commissar
By Tristan Kenderdine
Chen, the head of Xi’s rectification campaign, is likely to ascend through a restrengthened Politics and Legal Affairs Commission.
Is the China-Japan Thaw Over?
By Shannon Tiezzi
A year after what was supposed to be a landmark in the renewed relationship, rhetoric from both Beijing and Tokyo is increasingly frosty.
Chinese Alien-Hunting Telescope Now Open to Foreign Scientists
By Abhijnan Rej
However, to what extent American astronomers would be willing or able to use FAST remains unknown.
51 Dead in Taiwan’s Deadliest Train Accident
By Ralph Jennings and Johnson Lai
A train hit a truck that slid onto the track in Hualien county, leaving over 50 dead and more than 100 injured.
China Is Changing Serbia From the Inside
By Wawa Wang and Nils Resare
The gradual weakening of legal requirements for Chinese investments in Serbia is of real concern.
Taiwan Begins Slow Early Rollout of AstraZeneca Vaccines
By Nick Aspinwall
The country, which has been a model in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, has turned its focus to getting its population vaccinated.
Growing Duality: Polish Opinions on China and Why They Matter
By Alicja Bachulska and Krzysztof Iwanek
A recent survey suggests that that Poles are becoming increasingly skeptical about China.
US Ambassador Makes First Visit to Taiwan in More Than 40 Years
By Eleanor Albert
A visit from Palau’s president also highlighted a milestone for Taiwan-U.S. relations.
WHO’s COVID-19 Origin Report Leaves Everyone Unsatisfied
By Shannon Tiezzi
The U.S. led its allies in issuing a statement of concern, while China attempted to push back on pointed comments from the WHO’s director general.
Despite Sanctions Tiff, It’s Business as Usual for European Firms in China
By Bonnie Girard
China’s dramatic response at the political level has not impacted its courtship of European businesses.
Less Democracy, More ‘Patriots’: Hong Kong’s New Electoral System
By Jessie Lau
The most significant government reforms since the city’s handover in 1997 consolidate Beijing's control over Hong Kong's government.