democracy

The Communist Party joins Congress in criticising activist Anna Harare. Will the BJP follow suit?

Egypt is said to have turned to Indonesia to help organise polls. There are some remarkable parallels between them.

Controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is released on bail in Beijing after more than two months in detention.

The protests that erupted after a herder was killed by a trucker highlight the conflicting interests in Inner Mongolia.

Controversial author Li Chengpeng wants to stand as an independent candidate in Chengdu. Can he?

Thailand‘s lèse-majesté laws are notorious. But do Thais care enough to get behind a push ahead of elections to amend the rules?

Disappointed over human rights and the rule of law in China, don’t expect European leaders to lift the arms embargo.

A shoe thrown at the father of China’s ‘Great Firewall’ shows the problems officials face keeping the country closed.

With the Communist Party leadership transition coming next year, China’s leaders are nervous about anything that could stoke instability.

While international attention has been focused on China’s crackdown on activists, Vietnam has also been tightening up on dissent.

Do local election ‘experiments’ in China offer a useful stepping stone toward genuine democracy?

Detained artist Ai Weiwei has been allowed to see his wife. But the authorities are staying quiet.

How China’s elites see labour reflects differences within the Communist Party about the future course of the country, argues Russell Leigh Moses.

The Chinese government may be cracking down hard on dissent. But some protesters are treated more gently than others, argues Minxin Pei.

Bo Xilai has a reputation as a rising political rock star. But do his ‘Red Culture’ policies in Chongqing really offer a viable model for China?

According to a Hong Kong newspaper, detained artist Ai Weiwei was offered a role in a top political advisory body.

Ai Weiwei’s detention is a reminder of the Chinese government’s disregard for human dignity, says Michael Mazza.

Anna Hazare’s recent protest has spurred a worrisome rise in cynicism toward democracy among citizens.

Concerned about the public drawing parallels, China’s govt wants reporting, not analysis, of unrest in the Arab world.

Concerned about the public drawing parallels, China’s govt wants reporting, not analysis, of unrest in the Arab world.

The detention of Ai Weiwei is part of a broader strategy, says Kelley Currie. With international criticism muted, expect more of the same.

Xinhua reports that activist Ai Weiwei is being investigated by police over ‘economic crimes.’

An editorial by the Global Times is a depressing example of the lack of self-reflection by China’s government.

A new Pew Research poll suggests there’s no appetite for revolution in China, crackdown or not.