Opinion

China's population, reported to be 1.41 billion, will drop to 330 million by the end of the century, predicts Yi Fuxian of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This startling conclusion is included in a paper to be published in the Winter 2024 issue of the Contemporary China Review. He's not the only one concerned. "China has embarked on a road of demographic no-return," writes Wang Feng of the University of California, Irvine. Yi puts it this way: "Left unaddressed, China's demographic trap could precipitate a civilizational collapse." Why do we care? Rapid demographic change can push an ambitious China to become even more militant and accelerate dangerous plans. The crisis is plain to see. Yi's stunning 330 million figure assumes that China will be able to stabilize its total fert...

By combining economic inducements, institutional advocacy and climate leadership into a cohesive strategy, China has positioned itself as both a partner and a leader within the global south, says US academic John Calabrese. As Donald Trump and his “America First” approach return to the world stage, will China’s alternative leadership be more appealing?China’s strategic focus on the global south has become a cornerstone of its foreign policy under Xi Jinping, reflecting Beijing’s ambition to challenge US dominance and reshape the international order. By positioning itself as both a partner and leader among developing nations, China seeks to amplify its influence in regions traditionally sidelined in global power dynamics. At the G20 summit in November, Xi introduced new measures aimed a

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app.Macau is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its return to Chinese administration on Friday, with President Xi Jinping inaugurating the sixth-term government in the former Portuguese-run city.Xi has officiated at the swearing-in of former top judge Sam Hou-fai as the city’s new leader and 10 top officials at the Macau East Asian Games Dome. The new administration has vowed to diversify the local economy and solve deep-seated problems through reforms.The Post has created a series of reports, detailing Macau’s dramatic transformation through infographics, examining how far the casino c

Analysis - In the early years of Xi Jinping's war on corruption, the Chinese leader consolidated control over the world's largest military by taking down powerful generals from rival factions and replacing them with allies and proteges loyal to himself. A decade on, having given the People's Liberation Army (PLA) a structural overhaul and stacked its top ranks with his own men, the supreme leader is still knee-deep in his seemingly endless struggle against graft and disloyalty. And, like many strongman leaders in history, he is increasingly turning against his own handpicked loyalists. Late last month, Xi purged one of his closest proteges in the military - a decades-old associate entrusted with instilling political loyalty in the PLA and vetting senior promotions. Adm. Miao H...