ChinaFile Recommends
11.06.12Neil Heywood 'Was MI6 Informant'
Telegraph
Neil Heywood, the British businessman murdered in China, gave MI6 info on Bo Xilai.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.06.12If China Voted, It Would Be Obama in a Landside, Surveys Show
Los Angeles Times
An AFP-Ipsos poll in late September showed 63% of about 800 Chinese respondents wanted Obama.
Caixin Media
11.05.12
Scenes from a Leadership Transition
Jiang Zemin’s Lyrical MemoryCompiled by Caixin(Beijing)—A glance at off-hours correspondence between two veteran leaders has added a lighter dimension to the recent public appearances of former Politburo members in the run-up to the party’s 18th...
Viewpoint
11.05.12
The Big Enterprise
In days of yore, when a new dynasty was established in China and a new emperor was enthroned, it was known as dashi, “The Big Enterprise,” and it usually involved mass social upheaval and civil war. The latter-day version of changing...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.04.12CCTV Comes to America
Foreign Policy
CCTV America's coverage of China is largely scrubbed of controversy and upbeat in tone, with a heavy emphasis on business and cultural stories in places where Beijing hopes to gain influence. Reporting on topics sensitive to Beijing,...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.04.12The Five “Vermin” Threatening China
China Story
In Yuan Peng’s 2012 repertoire of what are now popularly known as the ‘New Black Five Categories of People’ were identified as: rights lawyers, underground religious activities, dissidents, Internet leaders and vulnerable groups
ChinaFile Recommends
11.04.12Generational Change on Hold in China’s Leadership Transition
South China Morning Post
If this list turns out to be true, it signals that a more meaningful generational transition is most likely to take place at the 19th congress in 2017, when more youthful officials would be elected into the Standing Committee.It also sends a clear...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.04.12The Problem with the Pivot
Foreign Affairs
Ever since the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping opened up his country’s economy in the late 1970s, China has managed to grow in power, wealth, and military might while still maintaining cooperative and friendly relations with most of the world...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.02.12From Toys to TV News, Jittery Beijing Clamps Down
New York Times
As China's capital steels itself for the 18th Party Congress, the government is cracking down on balloons, homing pigeons, Ping-Pong balls and remote-control toy airplanes, anything that could potentially carry protest messages and mar the...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.02.12U.S. Rights Official Faults China on Tibetan Suppression
New York Times
Navi Pillay says she's disturbed by reports of detentions, disappearances and the excessive use of force.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.02.12One-Child Policy Up for Reform in China?
Associated Press
The unpopular policy should be phased out, says a Chinese government think tank.
Media
11.02.12
Chinese Movie Mogul Promises New Party Leaders Will Open Market to Hollywood
A wise old cartoon turtle in Kung Fu Panda advises Po, the portly black and white star of the 2004 DreamWorks Animation blockbuster film, not to fret about honing his fighting skills, but rather to focus on the moment and do his...
Caixin Media
11.02.12
18 Reforms for the Party’s 18th Congress
China’s leadership handover comes at a critical moment for society and the economy, and changes are in order.The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party this month comes at a critical time described by economist Wu Jinglian as “a tipping...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.01.12Staying Out of Trouble Before the 18th Party Congress
As Beijing enters extreme lock-down prior to the 18th National Party Congress (十八大 or “shi ba da” in Chinese), social media users have invented a new coded reference–“Sparta”–to talk about this otherwise censored topic on Sina...
ChinaFile Recommends
11.01.12Silencing a Voice for Justice
New York Times
I have been recently seeking to use the rule of law to achieve social justice. This isn’t easy in a country where legal vagueness and arbitrary enforcement make advocacy a constant uphill battle. But in my career, I’ve encountered few cases as...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.28.12Seven Tibetan Self-Immolations Hit China in One Week
Agence France-Presse
Two Tibetans set themselves on fire protesting Beijing's hardline rule, a rights group said.
Media
10.26.12
Myanmar Envy
Chinese netizens’ reactions to tentative democratic reforms in neighboring Myanmar, including to the recent repeal of censorship rules for private publishers by the Southeast Asian nation’s reformist government, reflect just how closely it’s...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.26.12China Condemns NYTimes Wen Jiabao Wealth Story as 'Smear'
BBC
Beijing said the report that Wen's family has "controlled ... at least $2.7bn" had "ulterior motives."
Sinica Podcast
10.26.12
Party Congress Preview
from Sinica Podcast
With less than two weeks to go before the Eighteenth Party Congress, speculation on China’s upcoming leadership transition could not be more intense here in Beijing, where insiders are trading lists of potential Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC)...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.25.12China Paves Way for Prosecuting Disgraced Politician Bo Xilai
Reuters
China's parliament has expelled disgraced former senior politician Bo Xilai, Xinhua said, paving the way for formal criminal charges.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.25.12Billions in Hidden Riches for Family of Chinese Leader
New York Times
Wen Jiabao's son, daughter, younger brother and brother-in-law have become extraordinarily wealthy during his leadership.
The NYRB China Archive
10.25.12
Who Was Mao Zedong?
from New York Review of Books
In Kashgar’s largest bazaar a few years ago, I spotted a pencil holder sporting an iconic Cultural Revolution image: Mao Zedong and Marshal Lin Biao smiling together. But Mao’s personally chosen heir apparent had been a nonperson since 1971, when he...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.24.12A Test Case for the Communist Party’s Commitment to Reform
Wall Street Journal
Critics say the Party can't hold power much longer if fundamental reforms are not introduced – a notion echoed by an essay in the latest issue of the CCP’s own theoretical journal, Seeking Truth.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.23.12China Reshuffles Top Military
Reuters
Outgoing air force commander General Xu Qiliang, 62, promoted to vice-chairman of the military's top decision-making body.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.23.12Better Ways to Deal with China
New York Times
Pushing China around like a bulked-up version of 1980s Japan doesn't fit a long-term U.S. objective: drawing China into the club of prosperous, rule-bound and democratic nations.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.23.12China Hints at Reform by Dropping Mao Wording
Reuters
Dropping Mao's name from policy statements hints that the Communist Party may move toward reform.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.23.12Candidates Debate Rise of China; China Debates Reform
Deal Book
China's presumptive next president, Xi Jinping, may wish his economy were the juggernaut many Americans think it is. He will inherit an economy in desperate need of reform and rebalancing. As discussed in an earlier China...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.22.12China media: Quiet on Communist Party Congress, gaga for U.S. election
Los Angeles Times
The two U.S. presidential candidates turned China into a political football. The "China-bashing" hasn't gone unnoticed in China media.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.22.12Five Debate-Worthy Facts about China
NPR
The last U.S. Presidential debate will focus on foreign policy and is sure to discuss Chinese relations.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.22.12China hints at move to strengthen Communist rule
Reuters
Xinhua says China's ruling Communist Party will discuss a proposal aimed at strengthening one-party rule over the next five years.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.21.12Many Urge China’s Next Leader to Liberalize
New York Times
After it was leaked that Xi Jinping, the man anointed to be the next Communist Party chief of China, had met in private with a well-known supporter of political liberalization, the capital’s elite began to buzz about the import of...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.21.12Europe and China Don't Need a Trade War: EU Trade Chief
Reuters
De Gucht says EU won't back down from fight againt unfair Chinese competition, but mutual self-interest will prevent trade war.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.20.12"The Revolutionary": An Unrequited Love for China
NPR
In a new documentary on his life, Sidney Rittenberg, who once translated for Mao, refers to his jailer as both a hero and criminal.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.20.12China Is Wary of U.S. Candidates’ Tough Talk
New York Times
Concern among Chinese officials, executives and academics is growing that U.S. attidudes toward China won't cool post-Election Day.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.20.12Video: A Visit with Ai Weiwei
New Yorker
Earlier this year, we invited the artist Ai Weiwei to visit the United States to take part in the New Yorker Festival, held in early October. At the time, the Chinese government had barred Ai from traveling abroad—an unofficial form of punishment...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.19.12The Creation Myth of Xi Jinping
Foreign Policy
If every modern president needs a creation myth, then Xi Jinping's begins on the dusty loess plateau of northwest China. It was here that Xi spent seven formative years, working among the peasants and living in a lice-infested cave dug...
Caixin Media
10.19.12
Flying Splinters
Liu Futang expressed a sense of foreboding just before his recent arrest by posting a microblog entry that began, “If one day I’m invited out for tea, please don’t worry about me.”“Drink tea” is a euphemism in China for an unwanted interrogation by...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.18.12Huntsman Speaks Out
Foreign Policy
Since withdrawing from the Republican primaries in January, former Utah governor Jon Huntsman has tried to stay engaged with China, where he served as Barack Obama's ambassador from 2009-2011. But China hasn't always...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.18.12Radio: Shanghai Residents Discuss U.S. Presidential Debate
NPR
Eight Chinese watched and discussed Tuesday's U.S. presidential debate at the NPR Shanghai bureau.
Reports
10.18.12
Cyber Detente Between the United States and China
EastWest Institute
In May 2012, the United States and China agreed publicly for the first time to begin talks on military aspects of cybersecurity. The agenda and expectations for this process at the official level remain to be set. Through Track 2 processes some very...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.17.12State TV Host Apologizes for Cursing American Reporter. Or Does He?
Wall Street Journal
China Central TV host Yang Rui apologized for calling a female U.S. journalist a “bitch” in a xenophobic rant.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.17.12A Time-honored Tradition: Election Year and China-bashing
Washington Post
China's two decade explosive growth overshadows a struggling corruption-plagued communist state.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.17.12U.S. Presidential Debate Sees Candidates Flex China Muscle
Xinhua
Although the yuan rose nearly 30 percent since 2005, U.S. politicians are still taking jabs at China's currency regime.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.17.12Chinese elite politics: It's still a man's world
Associated Press
It's easier for a Chinese woman to orbit Earth than land a spot atop Chinese politics.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.17.12Analysis: Lost in Debate - Reality of U.S.-China Ties
Associated Press
U.S. presidential politics vilifying China obscures how deeply entwined the two countries have become.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.16.12China and Its Trade Tactics are Coming to the Debates
New York Times
China's economic relations with U.S. could feature hotly in next Presidential debate.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.15.12Romney Can Invoke Japan Overtaking China as U.S. Lender
Bloomberg
China is poised to lose its place as the U.S.’s biggest creditor for the first time since the height of the financial crisis, blunting one of Mitt Romney’s favored attacks in the presidential campaign.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.15.12American Politics and Chinese Data
Deal Book
In the midst of increasingly heated election rhetoric about China, Beijing has released some important economic data as its currency hits record highs. Both Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul D. Ryancriticized...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.15.12Is Mo Yan a Stooge for the Chinese Government?
Rectified.name
Even before the Swedish Academy announced Mo Yan as the 2012 Nobel Literature Prize winner, the Chinese internet was abuzz with discussion of his work and his relationship with the Chinese government.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.14.12Against Backdrop of Dispute with China, Japan Shows Off Navy
Associated Press
Japan’s navy marked 60th year with major exercise, showing off maritime strength amid territorial dispute with China.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.13.12Blind Chinese Activist Says Nephew Could Face Unfair Trial
Reuters
Chen Guangcheng said Chinese police sent his nephew, charged with knife attack, to state prosecutor, paving way for unfair trial.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.13.12Ryan Criticizes Obama Administration China Policy
New York Times
Romney Republican running mate slams President for delaying report on currency manipulation.
ChinaFile Recommends
10.12.12Mo Yan Calls for Liu Xiaobo’s Release
New York Times
Mo Yan, the new Nobel laureate who strenuously avoided antagonizing the Communist Party during much of his literary career, stepped into a political minefield on Friday by calling for the release of Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned writer and...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.12.12New Details of How Wife of Chinese Politician Thought She Was Poisoned
New York Times
The wife of Bo Xilai, the disgraced Chinese politician, was told several years ago by a doctor that her nervous system had suffered irreversible damage because she had been steadily ingesting poison that someone had slipped into...
Caixin Media
10.12.12Bo Xilai as a Catalyst for Political Reform
No matter how you look at it, the disciplinary process surrounding the case of Bo Xilai will have historic implications.Details of the crimes committed by Bo, his wife, Bogu Kailai, and his former right-hand man, Wang Lijun, reflect a level of...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.12.12Review: Ai Weiwei at the Hirshhorn
New York Times
Mr. Ai, who seems to lose his sense of humor only rarely, has characterized his increasingly dangerous jousting with the Chinese government as a kind of performance art.
Reports
10.12.12
Chinese Direct Investment in California
Daniel H. Rosen
Asia Society
To build the case for a robust response to these opportunities and looming risks, this report analyzes Chinese investment in California in depth, mining a unique database for insights about California’s comparative advantages, the Chinese firms most...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.12.12Japan and China Agree to Talks on Rift after Noda Call
Bloomberg
Talks aim to reduce tensions over territorial dispute, avoid suffering in Asia’s biggest economies.
Environment
10.11.12
China’s New Leaders Must Respect Environmental Rights
from chinadialogue
China has achieved remarkable economic successes over the last three decades. For years, it has led the world in GDP growth. But widespread industrialization and urbanization, along with growth based on increased use of resources, mean the nation...
The NYRB China Archive
10.11.12
An Honest Writer Survives in China
from New York Review of Books
A little over a year ago, I went with the Chinese writer Yu Hua to his hometown of Hangzhou, some one hundred miles southwest of Shanghai, and realized that his bawdy books might not be purely fictional; their characters and situations seemed to...