In November, the Chinese Communist party installed a new leadership – but did the 18th party congress also endorse a new reform agenda for China? The new Standing Committee of seven members is older than its predecessor five years ago…
Relations between China and North Korea are changing. China no longer perceives North Korea as a buffer state and North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un has been pursuing a more assertive approach towards China. But China is not giving up…
Maintaining social stability is at the core of China’s authoritarianism. An elaborated system of “social management” aims at anticipating and preventing social disorder. The Chinese Communist Party has been able to extend its reach by embracing new technologies and embarking…
In January Ma Ying-jeou was re-elected as Taiwan’s President following an election campaign that was dominated by debates on Taiwan’s relationship with mainland China. But his re-election was by no means assured as Taiwan also faces multiple domestic challenges in…
China is transforming itself from a major exporter of goods to a major exporter of capital. By 2009 Chinese investors had established more than 13,000 companies abroad, and China was one of the world’s leading global investors. But China’s external…
The pact that China has made with globalization, trading huge external dependence for miraculous export growth, may be unravelling. The crisis in the West is hurting exports, and inflation and bubbles at home are creating unrest in the vital coastal…
China has set its sights on Central Asia, triggering a new Great Game for power in a region where Europe, Russia and the US have all long sought influence. As the five Central Asian states become increasingly important as a…
How will China power its huge and growing economy in the years ahead? The world’s largest nuclear programme and ambitious plans for renewable energy are both part of the plan, as Beijing seeks to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and…
Has China become too bold in its dealings with the rest of the world? Some of the country’s own foreign policy experts fear that as Beijing’s power on the global stage rises, its leaders are forgetting Deng Xiaoping’s famous mantra:…
The latest edition of China Analysis by the ECFR and Asia Centre deals with China’s maritime ambitions. It examines the rise of China’s naval power – by looking at the increasingly open debates between Chinese experts and commentators themselves. China…