Senior Chinese Diplomat Liu Jianchao Taken in for Questioning: WSJ

A senior Chinese diplomat considered a contender for future foreign minister has been detained by authorities for questioning, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Liu Jianchao, head of a department under the ruling Communist Party that oversees relations with foreign ...

China’s Africa Security Strategy: Training, Arms, and Political Influence

Over the past 25 years, China’s military engagement with Africa has grown dramatically. In 2000, fewer than 5% of African weapons came from China. Today, Chinese-made armored vehicles are used by 70% of African militaries, and China has become the continent’s ...

China Deploys Army of Fake NGOs at UN to Intimidate Critics: Media Probe

By Nina Larson China is deploying a growing army of organisations masquerading as NGOs to monitor and intimidate rights activists at the UN, a new investigation by the ICIJ media consortium said on Monday. Dubbed ...

China Deploys Army of Fake NGOs at UN to Intimidate Critics: Media Probe

By Nina Larson China is deploying a growing army of organisations masquerading as NGOs to monitor and intimidate rights activists at the UN, a new investigation by the ICIJ media consortium said on Monday. Dubbed ...

China’s Two Sessions: Takeaways for the Global South

China’s annual Two Sessions political gathering outlined new measures to signal that the CPC is targeting economic hurdles at home and new challenges from the Trump administration. China stuck to a relatively optimistic 5% GDP growth target and announced a 7.2% increase in its defense budget. This comes as ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

What to Watch for in Foreign Policy and Defense at China’s Two Sessions Gathering in Beijing

One of China's largest and most important political events started in Beijing on Monday, where thousands of delegates from across the country meet for the annual parliamentary gathering. The event, known as the Two Sessions, brings together lawmakers from China's top ...

The Man Who Would Be China’s Next Foreign Minister

Speculation is circling that Liu Jianchao might be China’s next foreign minister. Some expect he could be officially named in the position as early as this week during the National People’s Congress legislative session. Liu’s appointment would likely not herald radical changes ...

Meet the Chinese VP Who is Fast Becoming a Major Player in Beijing’s Diplomacy

The role of a Chinese vice president, like their U.S. counterpart, has largely been ceremonial, particularly in the diplomatic sphere where the Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission and the Foreign Minister (now a combined role) have traditionally been the most prominent envoys. ...

Analyst Handicaps Who’s in Contention to Become China’s Next Foreign Minister

The "House of Cards"-style drama that's unfolded in the Chinese Foreign Ministry over the past month is prompting intense speculation from China watchers in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere over who will ultimately become foreign minister following Qin Gang's unexpected exit last week.

Decoding Qin Gang’s Demotion: “He’s Either Dying or Under Discipline”

One month after Qin Gang made his last public appearance as foreign minister, China's top legislative body removed him from the post on Tuesday and re-appointed the country's most senior foreign policy official Wang Yi to the position. Despite rampant speculation over ...

Who’s in Charge of China’s Foreign Policy, the Party or the State?

It's been 29 days since anyone saw Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in public. Why he's gone missing is anyone's guess. No one outside of a small number of elite Chinese leaders really knows what's going on, so beware of any speculation you read on Twitter or ...

What Happened to Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang?

It's been three weeks since Qin Gang was last seen in public, sparking a wave of rumors (many emanating from Taiwan) that the Chinese Foreign Minister has been benched for allegedly having an affair with Phoenix News TV journalist Fu Xiaotian. Initially, ...
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