Soft Recruits Hinder China’s Military Modernization

Jane Perlez
New York Times
Many of China's army conscripts have been raised as spoiled children of the one-child policy and need toughening up, a RAND report says. 

China, Russia to Mark 70th Anniversary of End of WWII in Show of Unity |

Laura Zhou
South China Morning Post
Military parades marking anniversary give two nations platform to offset U.S. influence while diplomats reassure Japan.

China’s Xi to Make First State Visit to U.S. as Both Flag Problems

Peter Cooney, Ben Blanchard and Michael...
Reuters
The two biggest economies are trying to ease tension over trade, human rights, and accusations of hacking and Internet theft.

As U.S. Exits, China Takes On Afghanistan Role

Jeremy Page, Margherita Stancati, and...
Wall Street Journal
After a decade of rebuffing U.S. requests for help in Afghanistan, China may be ready to do more.

Caixin Media

02.09.15

In China, Quantum Communications Comes of Age

This may be a quantum leap year for an initiative that accelerates data transfers close to the speed of light with no hacking threats through so-called quantum communications technology.Within months, China plans to open the world's longest...

Is China Making Its Own Terrorism Problem Worse?

Justine Drennan
Foreign Policy
Beijing's repressive policies toward members of its Uighur minority may be helping to strengthen ties to the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Q. and A.: Andrew Small on the China-Pakistan Relationship

Jane Perlez
New York Times
The book “The China-Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics” argues that there have always been irritants below the surface.

Canadian Woman Detained in China on Spying Suspicions Released on Bail

Nathan Vanderklippe
Globe and Mail
Julia Garratt was released to her family “pending trial by Liaoning Provincial State Security Bureau.” 

China Expels Top Police Official from Communist Party

Reuters
Cai Guangliao, a major general in the paramilitary armed police, accepted bribes, illegally engaging in business activities and accepting gifts.

China Tries to Stay Aloof From a Warming U.S.-India Relationship

Jane Perlez
New York Times
Beijing is aware India’s problems with the United States are based largely on Washington’s relationship with Pakistan.

The South China Sea: Oil on Troubled Waters

The Economist
Economist
Two Chinese oil companies show contrasting approaches in their attempts to operate in the South China Sea where, to the discomfort of its smaller neighbours, China’s claims in disputed waters have grown increasingly assertive.

China’s Scramble for Africa

Richard Javad Heydarian
Al Jazeera
In a remarkable departure from its long history of low-profile foreign policy, especially since Deng Xiaoping took over China's leadership in the late 1970s, Beijing has recently committed up to 700 combat troops to South Sudan in the hopes of...

China Arrests 60,000 in ‘Unprecedented’ 100-Day Drug Crackdown

Eric Baculinao
NBC News
China's top anti-drug official said the mass arrests had "sown terror" among drug criminals, according to a report Thursday in China's state-run newspaper Legal Daily. Liu Yuejin told the newspaper that he had called on China...

China Enlists Citizens to Patrol Border with North Korea

Sui-Lee Wee and Megha Rajagopalan
Reuters
China is sending civilian militias to help secure the border it shares with North Korea in the wake of two reported killings of Chinese citizens by North Koreans that could strain ties between Pyongyang and its sole major ally.

In Remote Thai Villages, Legacy of China’s Lost Army Endures

Amy Qin
New York Times
At night, traditional Chinese red lanterns illuminate the hotels, shop fronts and Yunnanese-style restaurants lining the main road in this highland village of just over 1,000 people. On one recent evening, as the mist rose off a nearby reservoir,...

Why China Will Become a Global Military Power

Oriana Skylar Mastro
Lawfare Blog
To some, China is likely an expansionist country akin to Germany before WWI. Others argue that China’s assertive behavior in its regional offshore island disputes is simply a manifestation of the Chinese Communist Party’s focus on domestic stability...

PLA Launches New Campaign to Raise Loyalty Among Servicemen

Xinhua
Xinhua
Through the education campaign, soldiers and officers are expected to reinforce "their confidence on the path, theory and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics" and raise their trust in and support for the Central Committee of...

China Creates New Avenue for Afghan Peace Talks

Nathan Hodge, Habib Khan Totakhil, and...
Wall Street Journal
China has taken the unusual step of a hosting a delegation of Afghan Taliban officials, creating a potential new avenue for peace negotiations between the insurgents and the government in Kabul.

North Korean Defector: ‘Bureau 121’ Hackers Operating in China

Will Ripley
CNN
On the streets of the neon-lit Chinese city of Shenyang, you'll find a restaurant, hotel, and other businesses owned and operated by the North Korean government. You'll also find a secret network of North Korean hackers, known as Bureau...

China Lodges Protest after North Korea Man ‘Kills Four’

BBC
BBC
"China's public security bureau will handle the case according to law," a ministry spokeswoman said, suggesting the suspect will be prosecuted in China rather than handed back to Pyongyang.

Other

12.30.14

A Look Back at 2014

It’s hard to believe, but ChinaFile is almost two years old. It’s been an exciting year for us, and, as ever, an eventful year for China. It was a year of muscular leadership from Xi Jinping, who has now been in office just over two years and who...

China Building Base Near Isles Disputed With Japan, Kyodo Says

Ting Shi
Bloomberg
The dispute over the East China Sea islets—known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese—clouds ties that remain fractious even after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Beijing last month. Encounters between...

China Said to Probe U.S. Claims of North Korea Role in Sony Hack

Keith Zhai and Ting Shi
Bloomberg
The dispute between the U.S. and North Korea is escalating after hackers forced Sony to pull a comedy movie about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, exposed Hollywood secrets, and destroyed company data.

U.S. Blames North Korea for Sony Cyber Attack, Vows ‘Consequences’

Aruna Viswanatha and Steve Holland
Reuters
It was the first time the United States had directly accused another country of a cyber attack of such magnitude on American soil and sets up a possible new confrontation between longtime foes Washington and Pyongyang.

Conversation

12.16.14

What Must China and Japan Do to Get Along in 2015?

Allen Carlson & Zha Daojiong
Last week, Akio Takahara, a professor at the University of Tokyo currently visiting Peking University, wrote a New York Times Op-Ed praising recent diplomatic efforts by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and Chinese President Xi Jinping to deflect...

Beijing Rejects Hanoi’s Legal Challenge on Spratly, Paracel Islands Disputes

Zuraidah Ibrahim and Kristine Kwok
South China Morning Post
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei dismissed the Vietnamese action on Thursday, describing its claims over the Spratly and Paracel islands—known in China as the Nansha and Xisha—as invalid.

Reports

12.03.14

Warring State: China’s Cybersecurity Strategy

Amy Chang
Center for a New American Security
Research Associate Amy Chang explores the political, economic, and military objectives of China’s cybersecurity apparatus; reveals drivers and intentions of Chinese activity in cyberspace; and analyzes the development of Beijing’s cybersecurity...

China Detains an American Who Assists North Koreans

Jane Perlez
New York Times
The aid worker, Peter Hahn, who is 73 and escaped from the North many years ago, is suspected of embezzlement and possession of fraudulent receipts, said the lawyer, Zhang Peihong.

China vs. America: Brinkmanship and Statemanship

John Garnaut
Age
After Barack Obama's Air Force One touches down in Brisbane, and the American president fulfills the day's G20 obligations including the prime ministerial barbecue, Obama will make his way to Queensland University and deliver the sequel to...

First China-Made Plane Coming To U.S. Skies

Gordon G. Chang
Forbes
“This purchase marks the first time for any Chinese-made planes to enter an advanced market, and the U.S. has the highest standards, so this testifies to the achievement of Chinese aircraft manufacturing,” said Li Xianzhe of Avicopter to the South...

China’s Booming Africa Trade in Torture Devices

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation recently published a new report that alleges China is selling hundreds of millions of dollars in so-called "torture tools" to African governments. Despite mounting evidence these...

Out of the Deep Freeze

The Economist
Economist
The thorn in the side of relations is Japan’s Senkaku islands, which China claims and calls the Diaoyus. Chinese aircraft and coastguard vessels have greatly raised tensions from 2012 onwards, by making incursions around the Senkakus.

China to Debut Fighter Jet as U.S. Brass Attends Airshow

Clement Tan
Bloomberg
Manufactured by the Shenyang subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corp of China, also known as AVIC, the J-31 is a test of the country’s ability to deliver cutting-edge defense technology.

India-China Border Standoff: High in the Mountains, Thousands of Troops Go Toe-to-Toe

Gordon Fairclough
Wall Street Journal
The mountain standoff lasted weeks and at times involved tense shoving-and-shouting matches, according to Indian border-patrol troopers who participated. Both armies called in helicopters. The scale and duration of the clash are signs of mounting...

Conversation

10.31.14

What Should Obama and Xi Say to Each Other at APEC?

Chen Weihua, Hugh White & more
Next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Beijing (November 5-11) between Presidents Xi Jinping, Barack Obama, and other leaders from around the world, is billed as the Chinese capital's highest-profile international event...

Ex-General in China Admits He Took Bribes, Report Says

Chris Buckley
New York Times
“Xu Caihou fully confessed to the facts of his bribetaking crimes,” said the brief Xinhua report. It did not give any details of who gave the bribes or how much Mr. Xu took.

China Says It Will Be Good Host to Japan During APEC

Reuters
Voice of America
A one-on-one meeting would be a symbolic breakthrough in ties between the world's second- and third-biggest economies, which have turned frigid in the past two years over a territorial row.

Japan Builds Response to Chinese Area-Denial Strategy

Paul Kallender-Umezu
Defense News
Japan’s response to Chinese anti-access/area-denial threats rest on three planks: increasingly large helicopter carriers, next-generation 3,300-ton Soryu-class submarines and new Aegis destroyers.

China, Vietnam Say Want Lasting Solution to Sea Dispute

Mai Nguyen and Ben Blanchard
Reuters
The two countries have sought to patch up ties since their long-running row erupted in May, triggered by China's deployment a drilling rig in waters claimed by the communist neighbors.

China’s Aircraft Carrier Trouble—Spewing Steam and Losing Power

Robert Beckhusen
Medium
There’s no more of a conspicuous and potent symbol of China’s growing naval power than the aircraft carrier Liaoning.

U.S. Taiwan Policy Threatens a Face-Off With China

Paul Wolfowitz
Wall Street Journal
Taiwan celebrates its National Day on Friday commemorating the 103rd anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising, which eventually brought down the Qing Dynasty and led in 1912 to the creation of the Republic of China—today more commonly known as Taiwan.

Getting Real About China

Wesley K. Clark
New York Times
China’s harsh suppression of political dissent, from Hong Kong to Xinjiang, and its close ties to Russia, Iran and North Korea, have finally laid to rest the dream many Western leaders have had since the 1990s.

Japan, US Revising Defense Plans With Eye on China

Mari Yamaguchi
ABC
The revision, the first since 1997, comes at a time of heightened Japan-China tensions over islands claimed by both countries in the East China Sea, as well as continuing concern about North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons development.

China Issues Warning Over Hong Kong ‘Illegal’ Protests

Carrie Gracie
BBC
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, visiting Washington, also warned that the matter was an "internal affair" for China.

Reports

10.01.14

‘Not an Idea We Have to Shun’

Christopher D. Yung and Ross Rustici with Scott Devary and Jenny Lin
Institute for National Strategic Studies
China’s expanding international economic interests are likely to generate increasing demands for its navy, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), to operate out of area to protect Chinese citizens, investments, and sea lines of communication. The...

U.S. Should Send Signal to China in Support of Hong Kong Democracy Movement

Editorial Board
Washington Post
Washington can't protect Hong Kong’s democracy movement if Xi Jinping decides to crush it. But it should support its demand for genuine democracy and tell Beijing that using force would have consequences. 

Conversation

09.26.14

Should the U.S. Cooperate with China on Terrorism?

Richard Bernstein, Ely Ratner & more
Richard Bernstein: Of course, they should.  But can they?  Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 in the United States, China has defined almost any dissent from its policies there as examples of international terrorism.  It...

Hong Kong Democracy Protesters Enter Government Complex

BBC
Students and activists have been protesting against a decision by Beijing to rule out fully democratic elections in Hong Kong in 2017.

China’s Neighbors Are Going On a Military Shopping Spree—In Japan

Kyle Mizokami
Vice News
It started with the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea — known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. China suddenly asserted its claim with visits by Coast Guard and fishing vessels.

Reports: 50 Were Killed in China Clash

Callum MacLeod
USA Today
The latest violent clash in China's troubled Xinjiang region, described by authorities as a terrorist attack, was far more deadly than first reported, according to state media accounts.

Once-Banned Modi Embraced by U.S. as China Interests Mesh

Bibhudatta Pradhan and Shobhana Chandra
Bloomberg
A decade ago, the U.S. saw Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an international pariah. Next week he’ll address a sell-out crowd at Madison Square Garden and stroll down the red carpet at the White House.

China Increasingly Producing ‘Tools of Torture’ for Export: Amnesty

Megha Rajagopalan
Reuters
The Chinese equipment, such as spiked batons, fuels human rights abuses by law enforcement authorities in African and Southeast Asian nations, the international human rights group said in a report.

Hong Kong Students Lead Democracy Fight With Class Boycott

Chris Buckley and Alan Wong
New York Times
Thousands of Hong Kong university students abandoned classes on Monday to rally against Chinese government limits on voting rights, a bellwether demonstration of the city’s appetite for turning smoldering discontent.

China’s Measured Embrace of India

Minghao Zhao
Project Syndicate
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to India, the main leg of a recent tour of Central and South Asia, sheds new light on China’s emerging approach to its neighbors, particularly Asia’s other giant.

China Clamps Down on Web, Pinching Companies Like Google

Keith Bradsher and Paul Mozur
New York Times
China's government has draped a darker shroud over Internet communications in recent weeks, a situation that has made it more difficult for Google and its customers to do business.

Dalai Lama: Chinese President Xi Jinping is ‘More Open Minded’

Vibhuti Agarwal
Wall Street Journal
India's support of the Dalai Lama, who fled to India after a Chinese crackdown in the Himalayan region in 1959, has been a source of friction between the two countries.

Misunderstanding China

Michael Pillsbury
Wall Street Journal
How did Western policy makers and academics repeatedly get China so wrong?

Majority in China Expect War with Japan

Demitri Sevastopulo
Financial Times
China and Japan are heading towards military conflict, according to a majority of Chinese surveyed on ties between the Asian powers in a Sino-Japanese poll.

China Asks U.S. to End Close-Up Military Surveillance

Jane Perlez
New York Times
The United States should halt its “close-in” aerial and naval surveillance of China, a senior Chinese military officer told Susan E. Rice, President Obama’s national security adviser.