Explaining the Pessimism in Foreign Analysis on China’s Economy

Stephen Harner discusses Mr. Kiyoyuki Seguchi’s recent article, which criticizes the “mistaken pessimism” of China’s economy by foreigners. Harner stresses that there is little thoughtful analysis on China, much reporting relying on sensationalism, and conscious negative bias to appeal readers in the U.S. and Europe.



Stephen Harner, Former US State Department Official via CHINA US Focus http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChinaUsFocus/~3/coacX4j6m40/

How to Dispose of a Mega Tiger Properly

As the Chinese government prepares to put the disgraced former Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang on trial in 2015, the question on the minds of most observers is whether the courtroom proceedings against Zhou will adhere to both Chinese criminal procedures and the well-established legal principle of fairness.



Minxin Pei, Professor, Claremont McKenna College via CHINA US Focus http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChinaUsFocus/~3/cna2DhfAphs/

A Diplomatic Manifesto to Secure the Chinese Dream

Speaking at the recent Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, Xi Jinping spelled out China’s new foreign-policy vision, calling it necessary because, “China has entered a crucial stage of achieving the great renewal of the Chinese nation.” Xi recognized the “notable progress” China’s diplomacy has achieved since he […]



Chen Xiangyang, Deputy Director, CICIR via CHINA US Focus http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChinaUsFocus/~3/3M2FRQTHr4Q/

China’s Strange Fascination with the Soviet Navy

Russia is back in vogue among Chinese strategists, at least for now. Undoubtedly, this excitement is partly the result of recent geopolitical developments in Eastern Europe, but the trend was also evident before the Ukraine Crisis. Whereas discussions of direct historical links between Chinese and Soviet strategy had been a […]



The National Interest via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1HwZ9cY

China’s Internet Agenda

When China hosted the first World Internet Conference last month, it used the event to introduce the country’s recently named Internet czar Lu Wei to the international community. It also unveiled Lu’s international agenda as he begins to expand his engagement towards foreign Internet regulators and companies after two years […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1HwOlM6

What Must China and Japan Do to Get Along in 2015?

Recent events have given grist to both optimists and pessimists about the Sino-Japanese relationship. On Nov. 10, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe actually shook hands at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing, prompting Japanese scholar Akio Takahara to call it a “turning point” […]



Foreign Policy via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1zuIuYk

China-U.S. shift will end Cold War peace dividend

China’s defense outlays may match those of the United States in 15 years. Meanwhile, America’s relative austerity paired with Russian aggression could force European military spending higher. Western makers of aircraft and other weaponry will face new global competition from Chinese companies, though revenue prospects may improve. Governments, meanwhile, may […]



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China Obliged by It’s “Internet Sovereignty” Policy to Aid US Against North Korea

China’s leaders need to look hard at the “Chinese Dream” they are trying to realize for their country and decide if that dream rests more on cooperation at this critical moment with the world’s other largest economy, the United States, or on an absurd and outdated allegiance to the bizarre and historically obsolete feudal regime of the Kim family in Pyongyang.



Mandy Peng via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1sSUkEa

New Phase of China-US Relationship

Wu Jianmin relays his concluding remarks from the Second China-U.S. Policy Forum in Beijing on December 13th – 15th, reiterating the history of China’s opening up to the West, and more recent phases of China-U.S. cooperation. Wu believes the U.S. and China can identify convergent interests, and make the foundation of the China-U.S. relationship stronger and stronger.



Wu Jianmin, Member of Foreign Policy Advisory Committee, China's Foreign Ministry via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1Ht0D83

The world can’t afford more Limas

The United Nations Conference on Climate Change that ended on Dec. 14 in Lima, Peru, is a classic case of seeing a glass as half full or half empty. In the half-full view, Lima is a stepping stone to the kind of agreement the world needs to halt the devastating […]



Aljazeera via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1zOWrhv

Dragon on the High Seas: China’s 3 Most Lethal Weapons of War on the Water

Modern China has finally achieved a long-held dream: secure land borders. The Mongols, western colonial empires and the Japanese have all carved out significant portions of the country in the past. Although China could never be truly conquered, such disruptions caused considerable loss of life and property and halted Chinese […]



The National Interest via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1zcPNyA

China’s Big Diplomacy Shift

China’s decision to elevate in priority its relationship with its neighbors over that with the United States and other great powers, confirmed at the recently concluded Central Work Conference on Foreign Relations, heralds a major shift in its diplomacy. The decision reflects Beijing’s assessment that relations with countries in Asia […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1wXp8J2

China will make 2015 year of missed opportunities

The penny is starting to drop for foreign investors in China. Two years into the leadership of President Xi Jinping, there’s little sign of the country opening, relaxing and rebalancing as outsiders expected. It’s likely that 2015 will be another year of missed opportunities. Xi certainly hasn’t been idle. He […]



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China Ignores US Call for Cooperation on North Korean Cyber Attacks

After U.S. officials confirmed that they believe the North Korean government was responsible for an unprecedented hacking attack against Sony Pictures, the Obama administration called for China to assist in preventing future cyber attacks from North Korea. “What we are looking for is a blocking action, something that would cripple […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1wXpaR7

The Success of the 5th Xiangshan Forum

The recently concluded Xiangshan Forum addressed the prospect of a New Asian Security Concept, suggesting that strong political leadership will be necessary for building a community of common interests.



Zhang Weiwei Professor, Fudan University via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1sZ4iK0

Carbon Reduction: A Challenge for Both China and US

The commitments made at the Xi-Obama summit to reduce CO2 emissions are significant yet challenging for both nations to carry out over the next decade. The U.S. faces a more conservative Congress, and China faces the daunting task of creating to hydro and wind energy sources at a large enough scale. Both sides need to deliver, lest one side fault the other for not fulfilling their commitment.



Shen Dingli, Associate Dean, Fudan Unversity via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/13qbVg6

China’s Quest to Oust Foreign Tech Firms

China wants to eliminate the use of foreign technology in key sectors by 2020, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the campaign. The goal is to have domestic Chinese technologies in place in banks, state-owned enterprises, key government agencies, and the military. The Bloomberg report merely solidifies other signs […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/16AgPZS

Should the U.S. Get a New Banker?

Hawks in Washington like to warn about China’s military buildup. They should be encouraged by Beijing’s emerging financial drawdown. China trimmed its mammoth dollar holdings by $13.6 billion in October from the previous month, putting its hoard at a 20-month low. This appears to reflect an economic decision to reduce […]



Bloomberg via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1ABp6WG

China needs history’s biggest spring clean

China is in need of history’s biggest spring clean. Two years of reforms have probably stopped the flow of undesirable conduct from increasing. To make behaviour really change, it’s just as important to deal with the stock too: specifically a huge backlog of bad debts, empty houses and dirty secrets. […]



Reuters via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/16AgMNM

The U.S. Needs a Free-Trade Deal With China

China has intensified its efforts recently to deepen diplomatic and trade relationships with international partners and secure its rapidly expanding interests globally. This new dynamic presents both challenges and opportunities for the United States. Regrettably, Beijing sees the U.S. strategy of “pivoting” or “rebalancing” its Asia policy in a negative […]



Wall Street Journal via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/16AgMxl

US-China Military Relations: The Great Debate

I’ve written before that U.S.-China military relations have improved markedly in the past two years, even as the overall relationship has suffered ups and downs. Not everyone is convinced this is a good thing, however. There’s a growing chorus of voices criticizing the U.S.-China military relationship, whether over security or […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1CaaK3l

What Must China and Japan Do to Get Along in 2015?

Recent events have given grist to both optimists and pessimists about the Sino-Japanese relationship. On Nov. 10, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe actually shook hands at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing, prompting Japanese scholar Akio Takahara to call it a “turning point” […]



Foreign Policy via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1wQtOPG

Avon exposes ugly side of doing business in China

Avon Products helps the plain look pretty. Now it is paying $135 million to U.S. authorities for doing something similar in China. The New York based cosmetics maker’s local subsidiary disguised payments and gifts to officials in the People’s Republic in order to win business and evade U.S. graft controls. […]



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Wary China Eyes 4 More Years of Abe in Japan

As Sheila Smith of the Council of Foreign Relations noted this week, the LDP victory in Sunday’s election likely means another four years in office for current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. That’s unwelcome news for Chinese officials, who have often pointed to Abe’s personal political tendencies as the cause of […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1wQtO21

President Ma’s Honeymoon With Beijing Is Over: Implications for Taiwan

The vagaries of democracy being what they are, it was almost inevitable that President Ma Ying-jeou’s honeymoon with Beijing would come to an end at some point. While it may be tempting to pinpoint the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) disastrous showing in the November 29 nine-in-one elections as the day […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1wQtOix

China’s Superlative Growth Looks Hard to Sustain

How fast will China’s economy grow over the next two decades? Most economists predict that the People’s Republic will expand at a rate not much lower than it has achieved in the past. Viewed in global terms, that assumption looks a stretch. A new Breakingviews calculator shows why. China’s GDP […]



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Bridging Cultural Divides to Create Supportive Universities

Chinese students now make up 31% of the foreign students on American campuses, a trend that has financially boosted U.S. higher education. However, many Chinese students face structural and social difficulties on, and school administrations have proven ineffective in responding. The improvement of Chinese student’s well-being requires increased interaction from all parties.



Shen Lu & Kuper Bergmann University of Iowa via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1GT5i2O

Taiwan’s Resurgent Assertiveness: A New Worry for Washington

Ted Carpenter argues that the contentious Taiwan issue has merely been slumbering during the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou, and it now shows signs of awakening as a part of Taiwan’s greater assertiveness toward Beijing – which also implicates the United States in their role as “protector.”



Ted Carpenter, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1zxu1tx

New Terror Threat Landscape Requires Closer Sino-US Cooperation

Although China and U.S. still have different interpretations of terrorism, the global increase of terrorist threats should urge the two nations to cooperate on anti-terrorism measures and intelligence. The U.S. has verbally agreed to support China’s key anti-terrorist campaign: quelling the East Turkestan Islamist Movement (ETIM) in Xinjiang.



Yan Dong and John Whalley via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1C1utCe

David Ignatius: A U.S.-China ‘reset’?

This year began with some Chinese and American foreign-policy analysts looking back a century to World War I and wondering if confrontation was inevitable between a rising power and a dominant one. But now there has been progress on climate, trade and security issues and what seems a modest “reset” […]



Washington Post via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1zwX13e

China at the Lima Climate Change Talks

The Lima Climate Change Conference closed with a deal this week – just barely. The difficulty of those negotiations, which ended up lasting two days longer than originally scheduled, proves that there are stark limits to the progress shown by the joint U.S.-China announcement on climate change. It took a […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1sGvpJB

China Comes Clean on Dirty Air

Perhaps the biggest unanswered question hovering over each round of international climate change talks is whether China can be trusted to abide by any carbon reduction commitments it agrees to. Given Beijing’s history of pushing for vague, non-binding targets — and its reported intervention last weekend to block efforts to […]



Bloomberg via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1sGvjSj

Red Train Rising

The railroad barons of China made their largest overseas deal ever on Nov. 19, signing a $12 billion contract with the government of Nigeria to build a train linking the eastern city of Calabar with the economic hub of Lagos. The train, which will travel at a nice clip of […]



Foreign Policy via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1sGvmxi

Lima: Climate Change Optimism Returns to Earth

The Lima Climate Change Conference (COP20), held under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning, when agreement was finally reached on a five-page text officially known as the “Lima Call for Climate Action.” The nations of the […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1sGvjla

Is China Trying to Drive the U.S. Out of Asia?

Internal causes in China are the basis of changes and developments in Asia, while external causes, such as relations with the other parts of the world, are secondary, and become operative through internal causes in Asia. Through this logic, Wu Zurong argues that the U.S. should consider its own development path before concerning itself with lost influence in Asia.



Wu Zurong, Research Fellow, China Foundation for Int'l Studies via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1AmBc5M

China’s ‘Coal By Wire’ Offers Global Climate Change Solution

China’s decision to ban coal-fired power plants in Beijing by 2020 marks a big advance in battling climate change. Stewart Taggard argues that this is the first step in a long march toward wider application of ‘energy by wire.’



David Firestein, VP, EastWest Institute via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1AmBbyY

The IMF Says the U.S. Economy is Now Number 2: We Must Try Harder

There is no guarantee the U.S. remains in the dominant position on the world stage. In fact according to The International Monetary Fund, as reported by The Daily Mail -- we no longer are, at least economically.



Tom Watkins, Advisor, University of Michigan Confucius Institute via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1BX2iEH

President Xi and China’s Future Leaders

A few years ago I was told by a Chinese government official in Beijing that the usual precedent for handover of power from one generation of leaders to the next in China is that the leader before the last would have the say on who should be chosen. So Deng […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/135xx1j

The Real “Chinese Dream”: Control of the South China Sea?

While bureaucratic competition among numerous maritime actors is likely a factor that is contributing to tension and uncertainty in the South China Sea, as Linda Jakobson argues in her report China’s Unpredictable Maritime Security Actors, it is probably not the biggest source of instability. Rather, China’s determination to advance its […]



The National Interest via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/135xwKT

Goals in Lima, Actions in Paris

For a long time now, multilateral negotiations about climate change have been no match for climate change. The United Nations conference in Lima followed that tradition, though it did signal the promise of progress in several notable directions. Under the Lima agreement, countries get an “invitation” to submit targets of […]



Bloomberg via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1IYMW4j

The Worrying Trend of Diplomatic Balancing in Northeast Asia

Northeast Asian politics is an intriguing but bitter pot of jambalaya for scholars, journalists, and pundits in and across the region. Problems, concerns, disputes, conflicts, and procrastination on various kinds of bilateral and multilateral issues have made the situation in this region a good case study for diplomatic balancing among […]



The Diplomat via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1IYMVNZ

China’s First Great Tiger Hunt

Zhou Yongkang’s Dec. 5 arrest and expulsion from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) surprised no one: His spectacular fall from power has followed the unwritten rules of CCP power struggles. Although often couched in moralistic terms of good versus evil, righteousness versus corruption, and law versus anarchy, these struggles are […]



Foreign Policy via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/135xwdT

Sino-US Cross-Strait Strategic Stability: The Aircraft Carrier Factor

The recent landslide victory of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has obvious implications for China-U.S. relations, and for a cross-strait standoff between the countries two militaries. Washington should preempt any possible cross-strait military build-up and engage in a sincere dialogue about the democratic future of Taiwan in a “one country, two systems” solution.



Vasilis Trigkas Vsiting Research Fellow, Tsinghua University via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1IVSyMU

China-US Should Cooperate in Cyberspace Governance

China-U.S. relations in the field of the Internet is now an important component of the new model of major power relationship. To a great extent, the Internet will decide the future of both countries. As it is now, the relationship is generally positive and making progress in a steady manner […]



Mandy Peng via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1qUmmU8

Cyber Sovereignty Must Rule Global Internet

China-U.S. relations in the field of the Internet is now an important component of the new model of major power relationship. To a great extent, the Internet will decide the future of both countries.



Mandy Peng via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1DDWuBH

China and America: Indispensable Partners

China has two key challenges in the years ahead. The first is to build a new, global rules-based system with the other major world power, the United States, that supplants the post-WWII order. The second is to consolidate the rule of law within China. The challenge in both cases is […]



Nathan Gardels Editor-in-chief, THEWORLDPOST via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1wtt8Rk

China’s Xi Is a More Effective Leader Than Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama recently commented on Chinese president Xi Jinping, saying that he was impressed by Xi’s quick consolidation of power. Obama also referred to Xi as the strongest leader in China since Deng Xiaoping. In making this comment, Obama probably was also thinking about his own position within […]



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CIA Torture Made Latin America Safe for China

If you want to see how the use of torture has undermined U.S. influence and power, look at Latin America. From San Salvador to Santiago, the continent’s citizens are all too familiar with the Central Intelligence Agency’s interrogation techniques. Some still have the mental and physical scars to prove it. […]



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Protests made Hong Kong more hopeful, less certain

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests were a positive failure. The 75-day occupation which ended on Dec. 11 failed to achieve the hoped-for democratic reforms. But the student-led movement succeeded in awakening a generation to the possibilities of direct political action. The net result: Hong Kong’s long-term future has become a lot […]



Reuters via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1BrmKuf

Strangling Free Hong Kong

The occupation of Hong Kong’s Admiralty district ended Thursday as protesters young and old packed up their tents and sat peacefully as police closed in. Some 200 were arrested, including student leader Alex Chow, Democratic Party founder Martin Lee and pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai. The nonviolent denouement is another […]



Wall Street Journal via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/1BrmJXf