Security Making sense of China’s 11% increase in defence budget March 6, 2012 0 By Steve Tsang. Should we be alarmed at China’s 11% increase in its defence budget this year? It is a significant increase, particularly since the…
Politics Putting Government Restructuring on the Agenda March 2, 2012 3 By Zhengxu Wang. In 1998, the then Premier Zhu Rongji ably pushed through a reorganization of the State Council that almost halved the number of…
Culture and Society Cross-Strait Linsanity March 1, 2012 2 By Martin Boyle. Few readers of this blog can have failed to notice how ‘Linsanity’ has broken out in the US and on both sides…
Politics Chongqing’s Bo Feels the Pressure as Aide is Put Under Investigation February 13, 2012 2 By Zhengxu Wang. On Tuesday, explosive news hit the internet in China concerning the vice mayor of Chongqing in China’s southwest and how he had…
International Relations Vice President Xi Jinping’s Visit to the U.S. – Managing Images, Not Policy Issues February 13, 2012 3 By Don Keyser. The U.S.-China bilateral agenda is brimming with frictions, diverging perspectives, and outright conflicts of interest -- what senior Chinese officials now routinely…
International Relations China takes a lead over Syria February 7, 2012 5 By Steve Tsang. The Chinese government has not only vetoed a draft UN resolution over Syria but also articulated the view that it has done…
Culture and Society Banned As A Hate Speech: When Rules Are Not Made To Be Broken February 6, 2012 7 By Sam Beatson. The recent overreaction of a Hong Kong resident towards a mother and daughter breaching “no eating” rules on the Hong Kong Mass…
Culture and Society The Party Muddles Through January 24, 2012 8 By Zhengxu Wang. Governing the very dynamic and complex Chinese society and economy has become increasingly difficult for the Chinese Communist Party. Challenges to governance…
Politics Taiwan elections: good for democracy and stability January 15, 2012 4 By Steve Tsang. Taiwan has just had a set of good elections. President Ma Ying-jeou and his Kuomintang (KMT) have won a second term with…
International Relations So where does North Korea go from here? December 28, 2011 0 By Steve Tsang, published in Nottingham Post Wednesday December 28, 2011. THE leader of the last totalitarian state, Kim Jong-il, is dead. But this is…
