What a Former CIA China Expert Has Learned from 30 Years in the Field

Paul Haenle & Dennis Wilder from Carnegie China
As tensions between the United States and China rise over security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, some are concerned about the possibility of conflict between the world’s two largest economies. Dennis Wilder, former Senior Director for East Asia...

South China Sea: Beijing Vow to Prosecute ‘Trespassers’

James Griffiths
CNN
China is still territorial under no ‘legal bias’.....

China and Russia to Hold Joint Drills in South China Sea

BBC
The announcement follows a ruling by an international tribunal earlier this month that rejected China’s claims in the region.

Sinica Podcast

07.27.16

Whose Century Is It, Anyway?

Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy Goldkorn & more from Sinica Podcast
Veteran China journalists Mary Kay Magistad and Gady Epstein discuss the increasingly complex “frenemyship” of China and the United States, the South China Sea, the role of “old China hands,” and how the Middle Kingdom is changing the world and...

There Are a Lot More Chinese Soldiers in Africa Today... And Likely More To Come

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
Around 2014, the Chinese began to shift their military engagement strategy in Africa to include the deployment of combat-ready infantry units to countries like Mali and South Sudan where the United Nations is being actively targeted by Islamist...

Dialogue the Right Way Forward in Settling South China Sea Disputes

Fei Liena
Xinhua
“China's ‘dual-track’ approach offers an excellent opportunity” for dialogue, a Xinhua commentary argues.

South China Sea Spat Looms Over Asean Meeting in Laos

Ben Otto
Wall Street Journal
ASEAN has long been divided on the South China Sea.

Interpreting the South China Sea Tribunal Ruling

Paul Haenle & Elizabeth Economy from Carnegie China
International responses to the tribunal’s ruling in the South China Sea have raised questions about the stability of the Asia-Pacific region and what roles the United States and China have in it. In this podcast, Paul Haenle and Elizabeth Economy...

South China Sea and Nice Attack Preoccupy Asian, European Leaders at ASEM

Peter Bittner
Diplomat
“We should attach great importance to the rule of law,” Japanese Prim Minister Shinzo Abe said.

Vietnam TV Station Drops Chinese Drama Over South China Sea Dispute

My Pham
Reuters
The decision comes as several Chinese celebrities speak up against the The Hague’s ruling.

China Announces New Military Drills in South China Sea

Financial Times
The new drills are the first since last week’s decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.

Viewpoint

07.14.16

China’s Failure in the South China Sea

Orville Schell
By reiterating its policy of “no acceptance, no participation, no recognition, and no implementation,” China has painted itself into a difficult corner and diminished the chances of resolving the myriad maritime disputes—involving Vietnam, Brunei,...

Features

07.12.16

You Ask How Deeply I Love You

Anna Beth Keim
“Back when I was a soldier on Kinmen, around 1975, the water demons still sometimes killed people,” Xu Shifu (Master Xu) said. The laugh-lines at the corners of his eyes were not visible now, even in the white fluorescent light shining down from the...

Conversation

07.12.16

China’s Claims in the South China Sea Rejected

Andrew S. Erickson, Peter Dutton & more
On Tuesday in the Hague, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s claims that a scattering of rocks and reefs in the contested South China Sea qualify as Exclusive Economic Zones for China. The court found in favor of the Philippines’...

South China Sea: Tribunal Backs Case Against China Brought By Philippines

BBC
Tribunal in The Hague says China has violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights....

China Peacekeepers Killed in South Sudan as Civil War Looms

Okech Francis and William Davison
Bloomberg
Heavy clashes continued early Monday near the UN’s two bases in the capital Juba.

Viewpoint

07.07.16

The South China Sea Needs ASEAN More Than Ever

Yanmei Xie
A ruling from The Hague next week on maritime disputes in the South China Sea is likely to exacerbate frictions between China and the U.S. Both would be better off respecting the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)...

China Paper Warns U.S. of ‘Price’ to Pay in South China Sea

Washington Post
U.S. is dangerously close to China’s “bottom line”......

China Has Cordoned 100,000 Square Kilometers of the South China Sea For Military Drills

Echo Huang
Quartz
Drills are expected to run a day before the UN-backed tribunal ruling is issued, July 11...

US-China Gap on North Korea Policy Widening as Interests Diverge

Christopher Bodeen
Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump’s hopes for China’s help with restraining North Korea appear to have gone nowhere, with the two sides growing farther apart as their approaches and concerns diverge.

Why the Stakes Are So High for China in South Sudan

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
Nowhere else in Africa do China’s financial, diplomatic, and geopolitical interests confront as much risk as they do in South Sudan. Beijing has invested billions of dollars in the country’s oil sector, deployed over a thousand troops to serve as U...

China’s Aerospace Defense Industry Sacks U.S. Military Technology

Anders Corr
Forbes
The Aviation Industry Corporation of China launches global campaigns and advances....

China’s New Y-20 Is The Largest Military Aircraft In Production

Jay Bennett
Popular Mechanics
With the codename “Kunpeng,” and the nickname “Chubby Girl,” this aircraft is set to fly with supplies, tanks, and troops....

China and Indonesia in Maritime Clash

Ben Bland
Financial Times
Southeast Asian nations deeply divided over how to respond to Beijing’s assertive approach.

China Spy Ship ‘Shadowing’ U.S., Japanese, Indian Naval Drill in Western Pacific

Megha Rajagopalan
Reuters
U.S. tries to protect freedom of navigation, China challenges....

Vietnamese Fighter Jet Goes Missing Along South China Sea Coast

Martin Petty
Reuters
Jet goes missing 30-40 kilometers off the coast of Nghe An province....

Conversation

06.13.16

A War of Words Over the South China Sea

Edward Friedman, Feng Zhang & more
Beginning earlier this year, four-star Admiral Harry Harris, the U.S. Navy’s top commander in the Pacific, has spoken out in speeches, interviews, private meetings, and testimony to Congress urging that the U.S. take more aggressive action against...

Despite Narendra Modi's Stellar Efforts, China Can Still Destroy India's NSG Dreams

Manu Balachandran
Quartz
The 48-member NSG, set up after India conducted nuclear tests in 1974, regulates the trade of nuclear technology.

Filipino Nationalists Say Flag-Planting on Disputed Shoal Halted by China

Megha Rajagopalan
Reuters
The Filipinos' move comes as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague prepares to deliver a ruling.

A First: Chinese Naval Vessel Enters Senkaku Contiguous Zone in East China Sea

Ankit Panda
Diplomat
Previously, China had only sent its coast guard into Japan’s territorial sea and contiguous zone.

China Is Planning A Massive Sea Lab 10,000 Feet Underwater

Bloomberg
Plans for deep-sea platform—used for mineral hunting and likely military purposes—have been accelerated....

U.S.: Chinese Jet Makes ‘Unsafe’ Intercept of Air Force Plane

Barbara Starr
CNN
China demands the U.S. to stop close-in survailance flights to avoid their “unsafe interceptions”....

Conversation

06.03.16

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Yidi Wu, Ding Feng & more
It’s graduation time, and Chinese graduates from American colleges are now pondering what to do next: return to China or stay in the U.S. We reached out to recent graduates to ask about their decision-making process and how they view their prospects...

G-7 Leaders Target China Over South China Sea Aggression; Vietnam Looks To Arms Procurement

Lydia Tomkiw
International Business Times
China argued that the situation in the South China Sea had “nothing to do” with the G-7.

Conversation

05.16.16

Escalation in the South China Sea

Julian G. Ku, M. Taylor Fravel & more
International tensions are rising over the shipping lanes and land formations in the South China Sea. Last week, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force scrambled fighter jets in response to a U.S. Navy ship sailing near the disputed Fiery Cross Reef...

Little Blue Men: The Maritime Militias Pushing China's Claims

Simon Tisdall
Guardian
Ostensibly civilian fishermen are ‘buzzing’ US navy ships and those of neighboring countries with rival territorial claims.

Beijing is Setting the Stage for War in the South China Sea

Steve Mollman
Quartz
Beijing is setting itself up to be repeatedly provoked in the South China Sea. It might even be counting on it.

China Says Has Wide Support for Stance on South China Sea Case

Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China says it is fully within its rights not to participate in a legal case lodged by the Philippines against Chinese claims.

China Scrambles Fighters as U.S. Sails Warship near Chinese-Claimed Reef

Michael Martina, Greg Torode and Ben...
Reuters
China denounced the U.S. patrol as an illegal threat to peace which only went to show its defense installations in the area were necessary.

Philippine Front-Runner Duterte Floats New Tactic in South China Sea Dispute

Jeremy Page and Trefor Moss
Wall Street Journal
Davao City mayor’s proposal is at odds with U.S.’s multilateral response on maritime disputes.

China to Carry out More Military Drills in South China Sea

Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China's military will carry out more military exercises in the South China Sea this month involving advanced warships and submarines.

China Is Building Its First Overseas Military Base in Djibouti—Right next to a Key US One

James Jeffrey
Public Radio International
China signed an initial 10-year lease for their base, and will pay $20 million per year in rent.

China Enlists Rap Video for Military Recruitment

Gabriel Wildau
Financial Times
China’s military has released a rap music video titled “Battle Declaration” as part of a campaign to lure young recruits.

Conversation

05.01.16

Xi Jinping’s New Military Position

Andrew J. Nathan & Tai Ming Cheung
Late last week, China’s news media were filled with images of President and Party General Secretary Xi Jinping touring the joint battle command center of the Central Military Commission, dressed for the occasion in combat fatigues. The occasion for...

China Won't Allow Chaos or War on Korean Peninsula: Xi

Michael Martina
Reuters
China would safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, meanwhile maintaining its sovereignty and rights there.

Storm Clouds Gather over South China Sea Ahead of Key U.N. Ruling

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
Signs that China might build more island ahead of a U.N. ruling have provoked the U.S. to step up its vigilance.

President Xi Jinping’s Most Dangerous Venture Yet: Remaking China’s Military

Jeremy Page
Wall Street Journal
The Chinese leader’s plan to revamp the armed forces, a milestone in the nation’s emergence from isolationism, faces hurdles at home.

SOUTH CHINA SEA WATCH: Tussle over Plane; Russia Backs China

Hrvoje Hranjski, Christopher Bodeen,...
Associated Press
Tensions in the South China Sea are rising, pitting China against smaller and weaker neighbors that all lay claim to islands.

China Appears to Confirm New Missile Test

Military Times
China maintains that “technological research experiments ... within China’s boundaries are normal and are not aimed at any specific nations or targets.”

China's Xi Jinping Takes Commander in Chief Military Title

BBC
Correspondents say that the move will be interpreted by some as a propaganda message that he is now in absolute control.

Backed Into A Corner: Friendless Beijing Seeks Moscow's Support In South China Sea

Tim Daiss
Forbes
China and Russia called for settlement of the dispute based on negotiation and consultation.

U.S. Protests after Chinese Military Jet Lands on South China Sea Island

Jamie Crawford, Jim Sciutto and Tim...
CNN
China's landing of a military jet on a man-made island in the disputed waters drew a protest from the U.S. military Monday.

China Dispatches Military Plane to Disputed Man-Made Island

Associated Press
The move drew complaints from Vietnam, which along with four other governments is enmeshed a heated dispute with Beijing.

Books

04.18.16

China’s Future

David Shambaugh
China’s future arguably is the most consequential question in global affairs. Having enjoyed unprecedented levels of growth, China is at a critical juncture in the development of its economy, society, polity, national security, and international relations. The direction the nation takes at this turning point will determine whether it stalls or continues to develop and prosper.Will China be successful in implementing a new wave of transformational reforms that could last decades and make it the world’s leading superpower? Or will its leaders shy away from the drastic changes required because the regime’s power is at risk? If so, will that lead to prolonged stagnation or even regime collapse? Might China move down a more liberal or even democratic path? Or will China instead emerge as a hard, authoritarian, and aggressive superstate?In this new book, David Shambaugh argues that these potential pathways are all possibilities—but they depend on key decisions yet to be made by China’s leaders, different pressures from within Chinese society, as well as actions taken by other nations. Assessing these scenarios and their implications, he offers a thoughtful and clear study of China’s future for all those seeking to understand the country’s likely trajectory over the coming decade and beyond. —Polity Press{chop}

U.S., Philippines Conduct Joint Patrols In South China Sea

Camila Domonoske
NPR
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the patrols and increased military support are intended to "tamp down tensions."

China Summons G7 Diplomats to Protest S. China Sea Statement

Associated Press
China said the G-7 countries should have focused on global economy instead of "hyping up maritime issues and fueling tensions in the region."

4-Star Admiral Wants to Confront China. White House Says Not So Fast

David Larter
Navy Times
Adm. Harry Harris is proposing a response to China's island-building that may include launching aircraft and conducting military operations.

China Switches on Lighthouse on Artificial Island in South China Sea

Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China held a "completion ceremony", marking the start of operations of the 180-ft high lighthouse on Subi Reef.

Vietnam Seizes Chinese Vessel in South China Sea

Oliver Holmes
Guardian
Captain and two sailors detained amid escalation in territorial dispute between Hanoi and Beijing.