China’s Rise:

China’s Economic and Social Developments

2006

~ 2004 ; 2005

[News] [Papers]

China to Boost Energy Profile with US-Asia Meet
(Reuters, Dec. 8, 2006) China next week hosts a wide-ranging summit of US and Asian ministers that will boost the energy profile of the world's No. 2 oil consumer.

China Overtakes Japan as No. 2 in R&D Spending
(Bloomberg, Dec. 5, 2006) China has overtaken Japan to become the second-biggest spender on research and development after the United States, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has reported.

China to Allow More Freedom For Journalists From Abroad
(Washington Post, Dec. 2, 2006) China has decided to substantially liberalize restrictions on coverage by foreign journalists ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the government announced.

China's Economy May Expand as Fast as 10.7% in 2006
(Bloomberg, Nov. 26, 2006) China's economy, the world's fourth- largest, may expand as much as 10.7 percent in 2006, said Yao Jingyuan, chief economist at the National Bureau of Statistics.

Aids Cases in China Up by 30 per cent This Year
(Straits Times, Nov. 23, 2006) The number of reported HIV/Aids cases in China has jumped 30 per cent this year over the last, health officials said yesterday, fanning concerns over China's growing epidemic.

China Outlines Economic Controls
(BBC, Oct. 31, 2006) China's central bank has said it will press ahead with change to its foreign exchange rate regime, and "let the market play its role" in setting rates.

China Probe: Senior Officials Held
(AP, Oct. 24, 2006) Two senior officials in charge of managing Shanghai's government-owned assets are under investigation, the government said, in a corruption scandal that has already brought down the city's top leader and appears to be spreading.

China's Growth Rate Slows to 10.4% in Quarter
(Reuters, Oct. 20, 2006) China's annual growth rate slowed a little in the third quarter to 10.4%, but the world's fourth-largest economy is still firmly on course to log a fourth consecutive year of double-digit expansion.

China to Pay Farmers More for Having Fewer Children
(AFP, Oct. 16, 2006) China will next year introduce new financial incentives to encourage its 750 million rural residents to have fewer children. Parents in the countryside aged over 60 will each year receive 600 yuan if they have only one child, or two girls.

China Arrests Dissident Lawyer
(Reuters, Oct. 13, 2006) China has arrested outspoken human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng on charges of inciting subversion, his lawyer said on Thursday, extending a government campaign to curb activists challenging its authority.

China's Party Leadership Declares New Priority: 'Harmonious Society' (Washington Post, Oct. 12, 2006) China's Communist Party formally endorsed a political doctrine laid out by President Hu Jintao that calls for the creation of a "harmonious society," a move that further signaled a shift in the party's focus from promoting all-out economic growth to solving worsening social tensions.

China Tightens Controls on Foreign News
(AP, Sep. 11, 2006) China tightened its control over the distribution of news by foreign agencies, further restricting international access to the already tightly regulated Chinese media market.

You Can't Rush Democracy, Says Chinese PM
(Times, Sep. 5, 2006) In self-assured mood before setting off for a visit to Europe, Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Prime Minister, voiced his confidence today in the strength of his booming economy but ruled out any swift advance towards greater democracy.

China Raises 2005 Economic Growth Figure to 10.2%
(AP, Aug. 30, 2006) China's booming economy grew even faster last year than originally thought, the government said, as authorities announced another new measure meant to rein in the growth they fear could create problems.

China Says Trade Surplus Hit Record
(New York Times, Aug. 10, 2006) China announced another record trade surplus, even as tensions between China and many of its trading partners have cooled somewhat. Chinese exports exceeded imports by $14.61 billion in July.

China's Local Governments Not Listening to Economy Warnings
(AFP, Aug. 1, 2004) After a week of high-level warnings that the Chinese economy needs to be reined in, the nation's leaders still face the daunting task of getting local officials to listen.

Missing: 30b in Public Money in First Half of Year
(AFP, July 31, 2004) China's auditors say more than 30 billion yuan in public funds had been misappropriated or embezzled in the first half of this year, state media reported.

China Postpones Trial of Family Rights Activist
(WP, July 21, 2006) The trial of a blind rural lawyer, charged in what rights activists say is a politically motivated case, was postponed, and a group of his supporters was assaulted by unknown assailants outside the courthouse.

China Prepares for Establishment of Petroleum Reserve Center (People’s Daily, July 21, 2006) When the national petroleum reserve center is up and running, it will take over the established national strategic oil reserve bases and manage oil assets worth tens of billions of U.S. dollars.

China’s Economy Speeds up in Second Quarter
(AFP, July 14, 2006) China's economy picked up even more speed in the second quarter, reaching a dizzying 10.9% growth rate likely to trigger tighter controls to slow things down, state media said yesterday.

China Jails Reporter over Essays on Graft
(Associated Press, July 13, 2006) A Chinese reporter who posted essays on foreign Web sites criticizing the ruling Communist Party was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison on subversion charges, his lawyer said.

China Posts a Surplus Sure to Stir U.S. Alarm By David Barboza
(New York Times, July 11, 2006) China reported a record trade surplus with the rest of the world on Monday, the largest monthly trade imbalance any country has ever recorded and one that is likely to heighten trade tensions, particularly with the United States and Europe.

Draft Law on Reporting Applies to All Media
(Reuters, July 5, 2006) A Chinese draft law that threatens to fine news media for reporting on 'sudden incidents' without permission applies to both foreign and domestic news organizations.

Hu Urges 'Deeper Democratic Reforms'
(Reuters, July 4, 2006) 'Democratic governance means adhering to rule for the people and relying on the people to govern,' he said, adding that China must 'ensure the people are their own masters through democratic institutions, democratic forms and democratic methods'.  Mr Hu told a study session for top officials.

China to Step up Control of Internet and Cellphone Use
(Straits Times, July 3, 2006) The Chinese authorities have announced their intention to step up efforts to police and control the Internet, along with other communications technologies such as instant messaging and cellphones.

UN: China Trade Overpowers Asian Neighbors
(AP, June 29, 2006) "China's stunning economic growth, in so many ways an inspiration to its Asia-Pacific neighbors, is not delivering reciprocal benefits to its regional trading partners -- and is in some cases creating difficulties for them," said Kemal Dervis, a U.N. report released Thursday said.

China's Population to Peak at 1.5 Billion in 20 Years
(AFP, June 23, 2006) China's population will peak at 1.5 billion in about 20 years while the sex ratio will continue to be heavily skewed towards males.

China's First Strategic Oil Reserve Due for Completion by August
(China Daily, June 17, 2006) China will complete construction of its first strategic oil reserve facility in Zhenhai, East China's Zhejiang Province, in August. Three other sites in Dalian (Liaoning), Huangdao (Shandong) and Daishan (Zhejiang) are also under development.

China Posted Trade Surplus of $13 Billion Last Month
(New York Times, June 13, 2006) China said that its trade surplus reached a record $13 billion in May, raising the prospect of renewed trade frictions with the United States and Europe.

China Promotes Its Culture Overseas to Dissolve "China Threat"
(People's Daily, May 28, 20060 China is striving to dissolve the misconception of its development as the "China threat" in the wake of its rapid economic growth, by making its traditional value systems known to the world.

China Defies Rome Over Bishop's Post
(Associated Press, May 15, 2006) China's state-approved Catholic Church welcomed the installation of another bishop who was not approved by the pope, exacerbating the strain in Beijing's relations with the Vatican.

Chinese GDP Forecast Raised Again
(Straits Times, May 11, 2006) The World Bank has raised its forecast again for China's gross domestic product (GDP) for this year to 9.5 per cent after the world's fourth-largest economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter.

China to Set Up Strategic Mineral Reserves
(AP, May 10, 2006) China plans to set up strategic reserves for key minerals such as copper, uranium and aluminum, the government says, acting to ensure supplies amid record high prices due to soaring demand.

China's Leader Signs Oil Deals With Africans
(New York Times, May 1, 2006)  President Hu Jintao returned to Beijing on Sunday after a diplomatic tour that began awkwardly in the United States but ended with a swing through Africa that brought China several trade and energy deals.

China to Ship Oil Through Mekong Next Month
(Straits Times, Apr. 8, 2006) China will begin shipping processed oil along the Mekong River next month as part of an experiment to find alternatives to the congested Strait of Malacca.

China Hopes Buddhist Forum Will Counter Threat Theory
(Reuters, Mar. 27, 2006) China will use a Buddhist forum, its first international religious meeting since the atheist Communists swept to power in 1949, to counter fears it is a threat to the world, the top official on religion said.

China Promises More Rural Spending
(AP, Mar. 5, 2006) Premier Wen Jiabao opened the annual session of China's figurehead parliament with promises of new social spending to placate the country's rural poor, and said the economy is expected to slow but should still grow by 8 percent.

Chinese To Develop Sciences, Technology
(Washington Post, February 10, 2006) China announced an ambitious plan to speed development of science and technology in its industry and military, vowing to double research investment over the next 15 years to increase "overall national strength."

China’s Economy Grows 9.9% in 2005
(Reuters, Jan. 25, 2006) China’s gross domestic product grew 9.9 percent in 2005 and at the same annual rate in the last quarter, riding high on strength in exports and investment, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

Leading Publication Shut Down In China
(WP, Jan. 25, 2006) China's ruling Communist Party on Tuesday suspended one of the premier publications in Chinese journalism, escalating a campaign to rein in the state media.

Chinese PM Warns on Rural Unrest
(BBC, Jan. 21, 2006) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said that land seizures by local authorities are a key threat to rural stability. He said land grabs and a lack of proper compensation for those affected was sparking "mass incidents".

Trade Surplus Tripled in '05, China Says
(New York Times, Jan. 12, 2006) China said that its trade surplus with the rest of the world had tripled in 2005, to a record $102 billion, a figure that could reignite global trade frictions and step up pressure on the government to allow its currency to appreciate further.

China's Great Innovation Push
(Straits Times, Jan. 10, 2006) China will ramp up spending on research and development (R&D) significantly over the next 15 years in a bid to become more competitive as well as less reliant on foreign technology.

Chinese Paper Strikes After Editors Ousted
(Agence France Presse, Dec. 30, 2005) One-third of the editorial staff at a popular, outspoken Beijing newspaper have staged an unprecedented strike to protest the ousting of its chief editor and two deputies, reporters said.

China Tries to Fix Growth Problems
(Reuters, Dec. 28, 2005) China will spend 218 billion yuan (S$45 billion) on rural education over the next five years in a drive to improve schooling in the countryside and narrow the gap with the booming coast.

China Plays Down Impact of GDP Revision
(Straits Times, Dec. 21, 2005) Statistics chief took pains to put the upward revision of the Chinese economy in perspective, wary that loud headlines around the world would torpedo Beijing's attempt at cultivating a benign international image.

Report: China Uses Reserves on Resources
(Associated Press, Dec. 27, 2006) China will take advantage of its massive foreign exchange reserves to expand its stock of strategic resources such as oil and minerals, Vice Prime Minister Zeng Peiyan said.

Chinese Success Story Chokes on Its Own Growth By Howard W. French
(New York Times, Dec. 19, 2006) Few cities anywhere have created wealth faster than Shenzhen, but the costs of its phenomenal success stare out from every corner: environmental destruction, soaring crime rates and the disillusionment and degradation of its vast force of migrant workers.

China, Shy Giant, Shows Signs of Shedding Its False Modesty By Joseph Kahn (New York Times, Dec. 9, 2006) China's Communist Party has a new agenda: It is encouraging people to discuss what it means to be a major world power, and has largely stopped denying that China intends to become one soon.

China and the 'China Threat Theory'
(Interfax, Dec. 4, 2006) For those who believe that there is an air of menace about China's rapid move up the ranks of the world's most prosperous countries, the government in Beijing has provided a solid and consistent response over the last few years. 

Five Years After China Joined WTO, World Still Reeling from Impact (Agence France Presse, Dec. 3, 2006) As the world's most populous nation marks the fifth anniversary of its entry into the global trade body, it is time for both the 1.3 billion Chinese themselves and the rest of the world to take stock of the changes.

China's Poorest Getting Poorer
(Straits Times, Dec. 2, 2006) China has succeeded in slashing its poverty rate but its poorest are getting poorer because there are no safety nets to catch them. The country lifted 70 million people out of poverty from 2001 to 2004, reducing its poverty rate to 10 per cent, from 16 per cent.

Rules for a Harmonious Society By Lu Yiyi
(Straits Times, Nov. 30, 2006) Politics in China is evolving. To appreciate the nature of the changes taking place, it may be necessary to look beyond the traditional areas of politics. Take, for example, the debates that occurred recently at a workshop in Beijing on environmental protection.

West Must Prepare for Chinese, Indian Dominance: Wolfensohn
(Agence France Presse, Nov. 26, 2006) Western nations must prepare for a future dominated by China and India, whose rapid economic rise will soon fundamentally alter the balance of power, former World Bank chief James Wolfensohn has warned.

Poor in China Getting Poorer, World Bank Study Shows
(Straits Times, Nov. 23, 2006) China's poor have grown poorer at a time when the country is growing substantially wealthier, an analysis by World Bank economists has found. The findings challenge the basis of government policies aimed at narrowing the country's wealth gap.

China Reins In Rural Protests, but Not Resentment By Edward Cody
(Washington Post, Nov. 19, 2006) Through a mix of increased surveillance, police restraint and swift arrests of any troublemakers, security forces have kept unrest off the busy lanes of this fishing and farming village. The formula for stability in Dongzhou has been applied across China, authorities said, and with apparently similar results.

A Troubled River Mirrors China’s Path to Modernity By Jim Yardley
(New York Times, Nov. 19, 2006) For centuries, the Yellow River symbolized the greatness and sorrows of China’s ancient civilization, as emperors equated controlling the river and taming its catastrophic floods with controlling China. Now, the river is a very different symbol — of the dire state of China’s limited resources at a time when the country’s soaring economic growth needs more of everything.

China Shows How it Defines Human Rights
(Straits Times, Nov. 18, 2006) China opened its first exhibition on human rights.'No sovereignty, no human rights', said a signboard for a section of the exhibit highlighting how the country regained its footing after fighting off 'Western imperialism, foreign invaders and domestic counter-revolutionaries'.

Dilemma of China's Reserves By Chi Lo
(Straits Times, Nov. 14, 2006) China's foreign exchange reserves have now exceeded US$1 trillion. This is equivalent to 40 per cent of the country's estimated gross domestic product (GDP) for this year, and half of all of Asia's foreign exchange reserves.

Confident China to Show Off New Diplomatic Clout at APEC
(Agence France Presse, Nov. 13, 2006) China is set to exude all the confidence of a rising great power at this week's Asia-Pacific summit in Vietnam, wielding its clout on issues such as North Korea's nuclear program and the price of oil.

ASEAN States Chase the Chinese Investment Dollar By Goh Sui Noi
(Straits Times, Nov. 2, 2006) ASEAN leaders had trade and investment on their minds when they met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the Asean-China summit early this week.

The Allure of the Chinese Model By Wei-Wei Zhang
(International Herald Tribune, Nov. 1, 2006) Many of the African leaders coming here for the Chinese-African summit meeting are attracted not only by opportunities for aid and trade, but also by the Chinese model of development.

Chinese Corruption Inquiry Expands to Beijing Party Leaders By Joseph Kahn (International Herald Tribune, Oct. 26, 2006) A widening Chinese anti-corruption inquiry has targeted Beijing's party leaders, in a sign that President Hu Jintao intends to continue removing officials he considers insufficiently loyal, people told about the leadership's planning said.

China's Boom in Corruption By Jim Yardley
(New York Times, Oct. 22, 2006) The current corruption sweep authorized by Hu in Shanghai and other cities is widely viewed as more of a purge of allies linked to his predecessor, President Jiang Zemin, than an unfettered crackdown.

Dreaming of Harmony
(Economist, Oct. 18, 2006) A recent decision by the Communist Party to build a “socialist harmonious society”, in which peasants prosper and corruption fizzles, was met in the village with scepticism.

China Drafts Law to Boost Unions and End Abuse By David Barboza (NYT, Oct. 13, 2006) China is planning to adopt a new law that seeks to crack down on sweatshops and protect workers’ rights by giving labor unions real power for the first time since it introduced market forces in the 1980’s.

China Makes Commitment to Social Harmony By Joseph Kahn
(New York Times, Oct. 12, 2006) China’s Communist Party, devoted in recent years to expanding the economy at any cost, endorsed a new doctrine that puts more emphasis on tackling the severe side effects of unrestrained growth.

China's Increasingly Powerful Hu Driving Home Reform Agenda
(Agence France Presse, Oct. 9, 2006) Four years after being named China's Communist Party boss, President Hu Jintao is pushing hard to implement sweeping political reforms aimed at changing the nation's economic growth model, analysts said.

In Graft Inquiry, Chinese See a Shake-Up Coming By Joseph Kahn
(New York Times, Oct. 4, 2006) A sweeping anti-corruption investigation in China is aimed at revamping the country's political leadership and bolstering the power of the ruling Communist Party's two main leaders, party officials and Chinese political analysts said.

In China, Churches Challenge the Rules By Maureen Fan
(Washington Post, Oct. 1, 2006) A new breed of churches in this region of China has demonstrated a boldness and independence unmatched elsewhere in the country, despite strict government guidelines for places of worship.

In China, the Pendulum Swings the Party's Way By Philip Bowring (International Herald Tribune, Sep. 25, 2006) It is hard for liberals and democrats to accept, but there seems to an inevitability about the reassertion in China of the political supremacy of the Communist Party and the administrative dominance of the central authorities.

China Competes With West in Aid to Its Neighbors
(New York Times, Sep. 18, 2006) Flush with nearly a trillion dollars in hard currency reserves and eager for stable friends in Southeast Asia, China is making big loans for big projects to countries that used to be the sole preserve of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United States and Japan.

African States Borrowing More from China
(Associated Press, Sep. 18, 2006) African countries are increasingly looking to borrow money from China because the flow of funds from the World Bank and other donors has been slow and contain too many conditions, several African finance ministers said.

China's Leaders Rediscover Confucianism By Daniel A. Bell
(International Herald Tribune, Sep. 14, 2006) In China, the moral vacuum is being filled by Christian sects, Falun Gong and extreme forms of nationalism. But the government considers that such alternatives threaten the hard-won peace and stability that underpins China's development, so it has encouraged the revival of Confucianism.

China’s True Growth: No Myth or Miracle By Jonathan Anderson
(Far Eastern Economic Review, September 2006) Whether success or failure, boom or bust, China is the story. Completely sui generis in scale and scope, different from everything that came before, the most dramatic event of the century, China “matters” in a way that no other emerging market has.

China Leads Vibrant Asia Economies
(Reuters, Sep. 14, 2006) Led by China, emerging Asian economies will grow 8.3 percent in 2006, about half a percentage point more than previously thought, the International Monetary Fund said in a report.

Critics Dispute Impact of China's Revised Media Rules By Maureen Fan (Washington Post, Sep. 13, 2006) Experts said the impact of the new rules was limited in a country that already bans direct delivery of general news to Chinese media. They said the new rules signaled an attempt by China's state media to grab a piece of the lucrative financial information market.

China Is Not Just Rising, but Also Changing By Ross Terrill
(New York Times, Sep. 9, 2006) China’s advance toward global economic pre-eminence appears irresistible. Yet the facade of China’s urban coastal economy hides problems that, sooner or later, are sure to put a damper on the celebration.

In China, Living With the Unspeakable By John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Sept. 7, 2006) Forty years ago this past August, the first killings were carried out to launch the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China. No other country seems to have been so adept at avoiding the pitfalls -- and erasing the memory -- of its past.

China Keeps Tight Rein on Mao Legacy
(Reuters, Sep. 7, 2006) Despite his ruthless political campaigns in which tens of millions died, Mao, whose huge portrait continues to stare down on Tiananmen Square, is still largely revered in China as a charismatic ruler who stood up to foreigners and unified the country.

China Is Big Trouble for the U.S. Balance of Trade, Right? Well, Not So Fast By Tyler Cowen (New York Times, Sep. 7, 2006) Contrary to popular opinion, China may be good for our trade balance. American consumers seem determined to spend money, and Chinese businessmen have made the bill cheaper.

China-Asean FTA 'on Track for 2010 Deadline'
(Straits Times, Sep. 7, 2006) Free trade negotiations between China and Asean are 'right on schedule' for completion by 2010, a senior Chinese official said. But both China and Asean have already introduced two rounds of tariff reductions in January 2004 and July last year as part of an 'early harvest' programme to reap the benefits of the FTA ahead of its completion.

China's Top 500 Companies Report Revenues Worth 78% of GDP
(AP, Sep. 4, 2006) China's Top 500 Enterprises in 2006 last year posted total operating revenue of RMB 14.14 trillion, a total equivalent to about 77.6% of the country's total GDP in the year 2005.

Why India Will Overtake China By Cait Murphy
(Fortune, Aug. 31, 2006) At some point, a market economy requires a reasonably open and flexible political order. In China, that implies the end of the Communist Party's monopoly of power, or at least the chance to challenge it without being imprisoned.

Where’s Mao? Chinese Revise History Books By Joseph Kahn
(New York Times, Sep. 1, 2006) When high school students in Shanghai crack their history textbooks this fall they may be in for a surprise. The new standard world history text drops wars, dynasties and Communist revolutions in favor of colorful tutorials on economics, technology, social customs and globalization. Socialism has been reduced to a single, short chapter in the senior high school history course.

Is the Chinese Economy Headed for a Meltdown?
(The Guardian, Aug 26, 2006) Many analysts believe that growth in China is out of control and that the authorities in Beijing must act soon before it takes a mighty fall.

The Long Search for Justice in China By Hannah Beech
(TIME, Aug. 24, 2006) Despite international outrage, legal activist Chen Guangcheng will languish in prison for years and China's human-rights record gets another black mark. When a top Beijing lawyer tried to represent Chen in a Linyi court on Aug. 18, he was promptly tossed into jail himself.

China's Aging Population to Slow Economy: Report
(Reuters, Aug. 21, 2006) China's one-child policy has led to an aging population and labor shortages that could undermine a key basis for the country's economic growth -- its seemingly endless supply of cheap workers.

Struggling for Transparency in China By Frank Ching
(Japan Times, Aug. 20, 2006) Following the Chinese press, one sometimes gets totally depressed and feels that there is no hope for the country, with its myriad problems. At other times, the opposite is true. This week, it is a mix.

Chinese Crackdown on Rights Lawyers Signals Effort to Deter Increasing Legal Challenges By Joseph Kahn (New York Times, Aug. 19, 2006) Chinese officials are stepping up a crackdown on defense lawyers in the latest sign that Communist Party leaders are determined to stamp out legal challenges to their authority.

Chinese Take a Turn at Turning a Sub-Saharan Profit
(New York Times, Aug. 18, 2006) China, it seems, is suddenly everywhere in Africa, not just in oil-rich states. Trade between Africa and China has almost quadrupled since 2001, and last year reached almost $40 billion.

The Birth and Rebirth of Shenzhen By Michael Schuman
(TIME Asia, Aug. 14, 2006) The city that has driven China's manufacturing boom must now bank on innovation, not sweatshops, for continued economic growth.

China on the Verge By William Pesek Jr.
(Bloomberg, Aug. 14, 2006) It's hard to get excited about China's efforts to slow its white-hot economy. Sure, the world is watching - it has to. An overheated China that spirals into crisis could make the region's 1997 meltdown look negligible.

China's Growth: How Fast Is Too Fast?
(International Herald Tribune, Aug. 9, 2006) Since Beijing announced the 11.3 percent growth rate last month, China has not exactly withdrawn the punch bowl, but it is cutting back on the punch. The Chinese government recently laid out a series of steps to slow the economy, including increased reserve requirements for commercial banks aimed at reducing the funds available for lending.

Hopes for Change Hung on '08 Olympics
(Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 7, 2006) Now, as the clock ticks louder, expectations that the Olympics will cure all, reform all, and modernize all in China - are piling up thick and fast. Everyone inside and out of China has a hope that the Games will improve their cause.

Book Review: Twisting Along China’s Sharp Curves By William Grimes
(New York Times, Aug. 4, 2006) This improbable journey, from Maoist orthodoxy to the entrepreneurial quasicapitalism officially described as “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” is the main theme of “Chinese Lessons,” but Mr. Pomfret, a reporter for The Washington Post, gives his tale a twist.

Rise of China, India A Big Plus for World
(Straits Times, Aug. 5, 2006) FORBES magazine editor-in-chief Steve Forbes, who is also president and chief executive of Forbes Inc, talks about the effect that global tensions and the rise of China and India will have on the world economy.

Book Review: Present at the Stagnation By Andrew J. Nathan
(Foreign Affairs, July/August 2006) Minxin Pei, Transition: The Limits of Developmental Autocracy.  Harvard University Press, 2006. Is China's Development Stalled? Minxin Pei thinks that China's transition from communism to democracy is stalled. His description of these problems is accurate, but his interpretation of their import is questionable.

Two Chinese Villages, Two Views of Rural Poverty By Maureen Fan (Washington Post, Aug. 1, 2006) Nestled mid-slope in the foothills of China's second-poorest province, Dacitan is a village run almost entirely by women, mothers who work the potato and wheat fields while their husbands are away.

A Capitalist Returns to Bet on China By Peter S. Goodman
(Washington Post, August 1, 2006) The story of Yao coming home to manage mutual funds speaks to the maturation of China's economic reforms, suggesting that the country's leaders may be growing serious about running a real stock market.

Better Use of China's Profits By Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, July 31, 2006) As the yuan inches up again and China's government talks tougher about restraining credit, the question looms of how to rein in China's galloping economy and reduce international imbalances. The solutions that some have suggested focus on credit growth and the exchange rate, but that focus is too narrow.

Praise and Punishment: It's a Fine Line in China By Joseph Kahn
(NYT, July 19, 2006) A blind man hailed as a champion of peasant rights a few years ago is now a symbol of the tendency of ruling Communist Party officials to use legal pretexts to crush dissent.

No G-8 Seat for China By Tom Raum
(Associated Press, July 9, 20060 The G-8 summit that President Bush and seven other world leaders are attending in Russia is often billed as a gathering of the world's leading economic powers. It is not. Consider: China..

Chinese to Prosecute Peasant Who Resisted One-Child Policy By Philip P. Pan (Washington Post, July 8, 2006) The decision follows a prolonged bureaucratic stalemate in the ruling Communist Party, and it highlights the growing clout of hard-liners in the party since President Hu Jintao took office three years ago.

Murder Made in China
(Editorial, Boston Globe, July 4, 2006) There was a time when Americans worried about China because it was Communist. But times change, and today the reason to worry about China is that it is capitalist - in an especially unrestrained, unprincipled way.

What 'Energy Security' Really Means By Sebastian Mallaby
(Washington Post, July 3, 2006) China's energy security is not in competition with U.S. energy security, as the resource-scramble model would suggest. China's energy security is part of U.S. energy security.

China Resource Demand Changes Economic Map
(Associated Press, June 27, 2006) China's huge hunger for energy and other resources needed to feed its juggernaut economy is creating a profitable bond with commodity exporters, helping to refashion global markets and trading alliances.

China Just Delaying the Inevitable By Pei Minxin
(Taipei Times, June 23, 2006) Most Westerners believe in a theory of liberal evolution. While the long-run record of this theory is irrefutable, China's authoritarian ruling elite is determined to hold on to power and has been smart enough to take steps to countering the liberalizing effects of economic development.

China's Economy Continues Rapid Growth
(Straits Times, June 16, 2006) China's economy is showing no sign of slowing down from its torrid pace of 10.3 per cent growth in the first quarter, going by the critical economic indicators released this week for the month of May.

Halfway to China’s Collapse By Gordon G. Chang
(Far Eastern Economic Review, June 2006) China remains a fragile nation. As China’s new leaders successively open their great country, all the forces that apply around the world—political, economic, and social—are beginning to apply in China as well. As this process continues, as China becomes less Chinese, the country’s centrally directed political system becomes vulnerable.

For Beijing, A Little Religion Goes A Long Way By Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, May 28, 2006) For China's Communist Party, religion may still be, in Marx's words, "the opiate of the people." But far from being the adversary of atheistic materialism, the Beijing leadership is recognizing that the opiate can come in handy in helping sustain the party's hold on power.

China's Symbol, and Source, of Power By Edward Cody
(Washington Post, May 18, 2006) In its scope and ambition -- as well as its human costs -- the Three Gorges Project has become a symbol of China's relentless energy and determination to take its place among the world's great economic powers.

Next Wave of Camera-Wielding Tourists Is From China By Howard French (New York Times, May 17, 2006) In 1995, only 4.5 million Chinese traveled overseas. By 2005 that figure had increased to 31 million. Chinese and international travel industry experts forecast that at least 50 million Chinese tourists will travel overseas annually by 2010, and 100 million by 2020.

China's Economy Still Overheated By Tung Chen-yuan and Wong Guo-chen
(Taipei Times, May 08, 2006) There are indications that the Chinese economy, despite two years of macroeconomic control measures, is still at risk of overheating. During the first quarter of this year, China's GDP and broad money supply grew by 10.2 percent and 18.8 percent.

A Safety Net for China's Rulers By Steven Mufson
(Washington Post, April 16, 2006) "China is a clear example of how an authoritarian state can use modern information technologies to sustain itself in power," says Mulvenon, an expert on China and on information technology.

Heading Off Fears of a Resurgent China By Fei-Ling Wang
(International Herald Tribune, Apr. 11, 2006) While the world may be used to identifying China with the cute panda bears or mystic dragons, best-sellers in the People's Republic now strongly advocate a new national totem of the wolf and the wolf pack's blood-thirsty, aggression-oriented, force-worshipped spirit of predators as the essence of a renaissance of Chinese civilization.

At a Secret Meeting, Chinese Analysts Clashed Over Reforms By Joseph Kahn (New York Times, Apr. 7, 2006) Officials and scholars who had been convened last month to advise senior Chinese leaders disagreed sharply on how to advance economic and legal reforms, according to minutes of the private meeting that have been leaked on the Internet.

Labor Shortage in China May Lead to Trade Shift By David Barboza (New York Times, Apr. 3, 2006) Persistent labor shortages at hundreds of Chinese factories have led experts to conclude that the economy is undergoing a profound change that will ripple through the global market for manufactured goods.

Blinding Science: China's Race to Innovate By Bruce Einhorn
(BusinessWeek, Mar. 31, 2006) Looking for the cutting edge of stem cell science? Instead of Stanford or Cambridge or Singapore, consider Shenzhen. That's where Chinese entrepreneur Sean Hu has set up one of the most radical businesses in the field.

New Breed of Activist Is Changing China By Yiyi Lu
(International Herald Tribune, Mar. 31, 2006) On March 15, the China Consumer Journal named Hao Jinsong one of 10 "consumer rights-defending heroes" of 2005. Last year Hao successfully sued China's state railroad authorities for failing to provide him with proper receipts on trains.

Chinese Legal Reform at the Crossroads By Jerome Alan Cohen
(Far Eastern Economic Review, March 2006) China’s legal system is careening towards a crossroads. The country’s phenomenal economic development and correspondingly rapid social changes have dramatically increased pressures on courts to cope with problems that other government agencies have failed to resolve.

China Keeps Them Down on the Farm By Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, Mar. 10, 2006) Necessity as well as good sense lies behind China's decision in its latest five year plan to target the wealth gap and social and environmental issues. But the new goals look likely to be out of reach without more fundamental policy changes to address rural poverty.

Beijing Stresses Non-Economic Targets in Five-Year Blueprint
(Straits Times, Mar. 7, 2006) For its new five-year economic blueprint, the document will for the first time mandate the government to reduce energy usage and pollution while maintaining economic growth, reflecting Beijing's resolve to achieve more sustainable development in the long run.

Democratic China 'May Pose More, Not Less, Danger'
(Straits Times, Mar. 4, 2006) Australian Strategic Policy Institute claims that China's communist leadership remains committed to peaceful economic development. But the institute believes that demands for greater political openness, coupled with a generational change in the Chinese leadership.

Not All Roads Lead to China By Wayne Arnold
(New York Times, Feb. 28, 2006) From automobiles to semiconductors, China is fast catching up with the rest of the world in manufacturing prowess, making it a formidable competitor for exporters everywhere. But does its rise necessarily spell doom for Southeast Asia's big manufacturing centers?

From Power Shortage to Excess Supply
(Agence France Presse, Feb. 21, 2006) China expects its seemingly perennial energy shortages to end this year, but it risks facing the opposite problem of having too much power generating capacity.

China Paranoia Derails Free Trade By Johan Norberg
(Far Eastern Economic Review, January/February 2006) As free traders have always pointed out, the best way to avoid soldiers crossing borders is to allow goods to cross the borders. Stronger economic integration, deeper trade links and crossborder ownership do not pose national security risks. The absence of them does.

Why China’s New GDP Data Matters By Carsten A. Holz
(Far Eastern Economic Review, January/February 2006) One may quibble about the exact size of the purchasing power adjustment, but the inevitable conclusion from some purchasing power adjustment—or a revaluation of the yuan—is that China’s economy is rapidly moving to the center stage of the world economy.

China's Rosy Forecasts Bring No Cheer
(Straits Times, Feb. 11, 2006) If Chinese social scientists are right, China would become a moderately developed country by 2050. The rosy projections, however, have drawn widespread derision in online forums and Chinese newspapers, which decried the poor quality of state-sponsored research.

China to Eradicate Poverty by 2050: Study
(AFP, Feb. 10, 2006) Minimum incomes in China will average 15,000 dollars a year by 2050, lifting wages about 30-fold in rural areas and virtually eradicating poverty, a government-linked academic group has forecast.

Rush to China: More HK Professionals Head North to Work
(Straits Times, Jan. 28, 2006) More than 200,000 Hong Kong professionals have taken up jobs in mainland China in recent years and more can be expected to head north as the mainland economy continues to boom.

Too Fast in China? By Peter S. Goodman
(Washington Post, January 26, 2006) The rapid expansion appears to move China's economy ahead of those of Great Britain, France and Italy to become the world's fourth-largest. Yet the news also increased concern that China could be growing too fast.

China 2.0: Beijing Shifts to New Economic Model By Melinda Liu
(Newsweek International, Jan. 30, 2006) After 25 years of sizzling growth, Beijing's shifting to a new economic model. Can Big Red go green? This month President Hu Jintao has embraced a new mantra, stressing "sustainable development," "innovation" and "a resource-saving, environment-friendly society."

Pace and Scope of Protest in China Accelerated in '05 By Joseph Kahn (New York Times, Jan. 20, 2006) Chinese took to the streets to protest land seizures, corruption, pollution and unpaid wages in record numbers in 2005. The number of "public order disturbances" rose 6.6 percent last year, to 87,000. Mass protests that involved "disturbing social order" jumped 13 percent.

China Confronts Public Disorder
(Reuters, Jan. 19, 2006) Public order disturbances in China are on the rise, a police spokesman said on Thursday, further evidence of growing instability that the ruling Communist Party is struggling to curb.

The Soft Power of 'Happy Chinese' By Michael Vatikiotis
(International Herald Tribune, Jan. 18, 2006) Twenty years ago if you wanted to learn Chinese in Thailand, there were very few legal options available. The end of the Cold War and China's rise has changed all this.

China, a Trade Superstar, Accumulates Foreign Currency (and Anxiety) By David Lague (New York Times, Jan. 17, 2006) While some analysts view China's surge in foreign currency reserves as further evidence of the country's growing economic power, there are also fears that the growing hoard exposes the country to risks that could undermine future growth.

China, Still Winning Against the Web By Tom Zeller Jr.
(New York Times, Jan. 15, 2006) It wasn't so long ago that the Internet was seen as a trap for China. Sooner or later, the thinking went, China would have to plug into the Web. Things didn't exactly turn out that way.

Parsing China's Trade Surplus
(BusinessWeek, Jan. 13, 2006) Nicholas Lardy of the Institute for International Economics explains how it has become so huge and how it will affect the yuan's value.

Beijing's Lack of Success Rooted in Political System
(Straits Times, Jan. 10, 2006) China's lack of success in cultivating innovation and home-grown technologies is rooted in the country's authoritarian political system, which encourages companies to invest in relationships with bureaucrats instead of technology.

Chinese Getting More Unhappy about Public Order
(Straits Times, Jan 5, 2006) For three years running, ordinary Chinese have been feeling less secure about public order. They fret about rising crime and threats to their property, a new survey has found.

In Rural China, a Time Bomb Is Ticking By Joshua Muldavin
(International Herald Tribune, Jan. 1, 2006) China's fabulous growth since the 1980s was achieved through environmental destruction and social and economic polarization which now threaten its continuation.

China Courts Turn Deaf Ear to Peasants' Cases By Joseph Kahn (New York Times, Dec. 27, 2005) Private citizens and businesses now often resolve civil disputes in court. But the third and most sensitive use of the judicial system, a 1989 statute that entitles people to sue the state, remains a beguiling fiction, scholars say.

China's Rise, Revised By Philip Bowring
(IHT, Dec. 26, 2005) The bigger GDP numbers have both good and bad implications for China. On the positive side, investment and foreign trade are both relatively smaller, but the new numbers suggest that income distribution is even worse than already assumed.

China Economic Growth Comes at a Price
(AFP, Dec. 23, 2005) China's breakneck economic growth once more dominated global headlines this year but so did its tragic industrial accidents, fatal riots, protests and disastrous environmental pollution.