China

The Center for China Analysis (CCA) is pleased to publish short perspectives on key outcomes of the Two Sessions by Asia Society experts Neil Thomas (Xi Jinping's Activities), Christopher K. Johnson (Elite Politics), Guonan Ma (Economic and Financial Policy), Lizzi C. Lee (Technology Policy), Li Shuo (Climate and Environmental Policy), Lyle Morris (Foreign Policy and National Security), and Rorry Daniels (Taiwan Policy). Policy outcomes broadly aligned with the forecasts made by Neil Thomas and Jing Qian in a CCA preview article published on February 29, although any personnel movements were delayed and the cancellation of the premier’s press conference was unexpected. Readers can view the recording of a CCA event held on March 6, “What Does the Two Sessions Mean for the Economy, Polit

SHANGHAI – As China grapples with enormous challenges — including an imploding property sector, unfavorable demographics and slowing growth — doubts about the future of the world’s largest growth engine are intensifying.Add to that China’s geopolitical rise, together with deepening tensions with the United States, and the need to understand China’s political economy is becoming more urgent than ever. A recent book by MIT’s Yasheng Huang — "The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline" — can help. Huang unpacks the “EAST” heuristic from the historical record of the last two and a half millennia, especially the last 40 years, to arrive at a clear conclusion: China must make radical changes if

Thousands of delegates from across China are gathering in Beijing this week for the start of the country’s most prominent annual political event, where leaders will signal how they plan to steer the world’s second largest economy in the year ahead — and try to dispel deepening concern about the challenges it faces. Projecting confidence is likely to be high on the agenda for Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his top Communist Party officials during the days-long, highly choreographed event, known as the “two sessions,” when China’s rubber stamp legislature and top advisory body convene. The largely ceremonial gathering is taking on heightened importance this year as China’s economy has been roiled by a property sector crisis, hefty local government debt, deflation, a stock market rout a

Taipei, Taiwan – China’s “Two Sessions” kick off in Beijing on Monday with the meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The event brings together China’s political elite, as well as leaders in business, tech, media, and the arts. Known as lianghui in Chinese, the concurrent meetings are an annual fixture of China’s legislative agenda and run for approximately two weeks. During the period, legislators will approve new laws, political appointments, and government work reports detailing the progress of various departments such as the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission. What are the major developments to watch?During last year’s Two Sessions, delegates officially approved

Today marks two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This week, we detailed the growing crisis in Eastern Ukraine, which is now littered with deadly mines. As it fights back the invading Russian forces, Ukraine’s government is working to develop new mine-clearing technology that could help save lives around the globe. A leaked document obtained by WIRED has revealed the secret placement of gunshot-detection sensors in locations around the United States and its territories. According to the document, which ShotSpotter's parent company authenticated, the sensors, which are used by police departments in dozens of metropolitan areas in the United States, are largely located in low-income and minority communities, according to WIRED’s analysis, adding crucial cont

China has long been propagating its “Two Mountains” concept and has expanded it into the Green Silk Road concept as a sustainable climate governance framework. But many Southeast Asian countries have tailored the concept according to their own needs. As the world confronts global climate change, China has advanced the “Two Mountains” concept and expanded it into the Green Silk Road concept as a sustainable climate governance framework. President Xi Jinping has proposed this as a bridge to the global south, including Southeast Asia. Instead of adopting China’s climate frameworks wholesale, however, countries in the region have adapted it piecemeal, in line with their own needs. Green Silk Road conceptThe Two Mountains concept argues that “aqua-clear water and green mountains” are a c