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 a Pandemic Drew China and Serbia Closer
By Eleanor Albert
China's medical assistance to Serbia inspired profuse gratitude from President Vucic.
Can China’s COVID-19 Statistics Be Trusted?
By Scott N. Romaniuk and Tobias Burgers
From GDP figures to coronavirus counts, China’s government has a long history of manipulating data for political gain.
Quarantined: China’s Online Education in the Pandemic
By Kate Kologrivaya and Emma Shleifer
With schools closed across the country to combat COVID-19, China has turned to online learning. The results have been mixed.
China’s Mask Diplomacy
By Brian Wong
By shipping medical supplies to European countries, China is seeking to boost its image as a responsible global leader.
Fang Fang: The ‘Conscience of Wuhan’ Amid Coronavirus Quarantine
By Hemant Adlakha
The party’s ill-governance of the deadly virus has given birth to a new critical voice: Fang Fang’s Wuhan Diary.
China Exonerates Doctor Reprimanded for Warning About Virus
By Associated Press
Li Wenliang was posthumously exonerated, and the police who reprimanded him have been punished.
Taiwan Closes Borders in Preparation for Possible ‘Second Wave’ of the Coronavirus
By Nick Aspinwall
The country has managed to contain the outbreak, but it’s on edge after an influx of imported cases from foreign tourists and returning Taiwanese travelers.
China’s ‘Development Approach’ to the Mekong Water Disputes
By Zhang Hongzhou
China’s solution to the Mekong’s problems is the same as its approach to most nontraditional security issues: increase development.
COVID-19 and Xi Jinping: How the Strongman Got Stronger
By Thomas Reilly
Surprisingly, China's Xi is poised to politically profit from the deadly outbreak, both at home and abroad.
China Moves to Expel Over a Dozen US Journalists
By Associated Press
The largest expulsion of foreign journalists from China in recent memory highlights a steep decline in U.S.-China relations.
On China, COVID-19, and Conspiracy Theories
By Mu Chunshan
As US-China relations continue to worsen, many Chinese are seizing on the narrative that the new coronavirus started in America.
Friend or Foe? Beijing Sizes up the KMT’s New Chair
By Jo Kim
The CCP is taking a wait-and-see stance, but it has some cause to worry about Johnny Chiang.