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China’s Rise:
China’s Economic and Social
Developments 2009
2008 Beijing Olympics
Exchange Rates and
Internationalization of RMB
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2004 ; 2005 ; 2006 ; 2007; 2008; Current
[News] [Papers]
China to Stay the Course on
Currency, Wen Says
(Reuters, Dec. 27, 2009) Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China struck a defiant note about
the country’s exchange rate policy, saying the government would not give in
to foreign demands that it let the renminbi rise in
value.
No Winner If Yuan Rises,
Says China Think-Tank
(Reuters, Dec. 6, 2009) Lifting the value of China's
yuan currency would hurt, not help, global economic
recovery and threaten the country's own financial and trade health, a Chinese
state think-tank said.
A Rare Chinese Look at
Secret Detentions
(New York Times, Nov. 27, 2009) In
a rare dose of candor that contradicts past official statements, a state-run
magazine has published an article that details a secret network of detention
centers used to prevent aggrieved citizens from lodging complaints against
the Chinese government.
Obama Wades into Internet
Censorship in China Address
(New York Times, Nov. 17, 2009) President Barack
Obama held a town hall meeting with university students in Shanghai,
but Mr. Obama’s question-and-answer session was not broadcast live on China’s
official state network.
China Moves Forward with FTA
Strategy
(Xinhua, Oct. 24, 2009) The free trade area
between China and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the first of its kind for China, it is also playing a pilot role as China
is eyeing larger foreign trade and deeper economic cooperation with other
countries and regions.
Al-Qaeda Declares Holy War
on China Over Oppression of Uighurs
(Bloomberg, Oct. 8, 2009) A leading al-Qaeda
theologian and possible successor to Osama bin Laden called for a holy war
against China, which he accused of “Satanic” oppression of Muslims in the
westernmost province of Xinjiang.
China’s Plans for Mines Are
Blocked
(New
York Times, Sep. 25, 2009) The Australian
government rejected Chinese investments in two mining projects in a setback
for Beijing’s push this week to expand its overseas holdings of natural
resources.
Journalists Rally in Hong Kong
(AP, Sep. 14, 2009) Hundreds of Hong Kong
journalists, lawmakers and residents marched to protest the alleged police
beatings of three reporters covering recent unrest in western China,
and demanded a government investigation.
All Eyes on Regional
Official After Latest Unrest in W. China
(Washington Post, Sep. 7, 2009) Wang Lequan's position as the strongman ruling Xinjiang had
been uncontested for 15 years. But last week, tens of thousands of people
took to the streets demanding his resignation.
China to Buy $50 Billion of
First IMF Bonds
(AP, Sep. 3, 2009) China
has agreed to buy $50 billion of the International Monetary Fund's first bond
issue in a move that will help to strengthen the body's lending ability and
diversify Beijing's
foreign holdings.
Economy in China Regains
Robust Pace of Growth
(New York Times, Jul. 17, 2009) Fueled by an
ambitious economic stimulus program and aggressive bank lending, China’s
economy grew by 7.9 percent in the second quarter of this year, the
government said.
US Presses China Over
Internet Filtering
(AP, Jun. 22, 2009) Washington
has expressed concern to Beijing
over its new effort to censor Internet use and its possible impact on trade
and access to information, the U.S. Embassy said.
China Holds Firm on Software
Filter, U.S. Firms Say
(New York Times, Jun. 19, 2009) American computer
makers say the Chinese government has not backed down from a requirement that
Internet censorship software be preinstalled on all computers sold in China
after July 1.
China Says Unpopular
Filtering Software Optional
(AP, Jun. 16, 2009) China appeared to cave in to
public pressure by announcing that computer users are not required to install
Internet-filtering software.
English-Language Chinese
Newspaper Breaks Silence on Tiananmen Crackdown (New York
Times, Jun. 5, 2009) The articles never expressly said what happened in and
around the square 20 years ago. They implicitly endorsed the official verdict
that suppression of the protests was necessary to pave the way for China’s
recent prosperity.
Taiwan President Tells China
to Face Up to June 4
(Reuters, Jun. 4, 2009) The president of Taiwan told Beijing
to face up to the truth about the Tiananmen Square
crackdown 20 years ago, a departure from his usual conciliatory tone.
To Shut Off Tiananmen Talk,
China Blocks Sites
(New York Times, Jun. 3, 2009) As a military crackdown’s
anniversary nears, censors have blocked access to Twitter, Hotmail and
live.com.
Hundreds in Hong Kong
Protest to Mark Tiananmen
(AFP, Jun. 1, 2009) Thousands of protesters
marched through Hong Kong on Sunday to commemorate the crackdown on
pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing 20
years ago, including one of the leaders from Tiananmen
Square.
Yuan May Be Reserve Currency
by 2020—China Official
(Reuters, May 20, 2009) In the latest
advertisement of China's currency ambitions, an official suggested that the yuan could make up more than 3 percent of global foreign
exchange reserves by 2020.
China to Boost IMF Funding
through SDR Bond
(Reuters, May 10, 2009) China will invest in a bond
denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) as
part of efforts to increase the resources of the International Monetary Fund,
a senior central bank official said.
China Launches New
English-Language Newspaper
(AP, Apr. 20, 2009) A new English-language paper
published by China's Communist Party hit newsstands--part of
Beijing's efforts to raise its profile on the global stage and find an
international audience for the party line.
China Releases Human Rights
Plan
(New York Times, Apr. 14, 2009) China’s cabinet released what it called a
human rights action plan, a lengthy document promising to improve the
protection of civil liberties, which are often neglected and sometimes
systematically violated in China.
Exports Down Sharply for 2nd
Month in China
(New York Times, Mar. 12, 2009) China’s exports
plunged by a record 25.7 percent last month, but investment spending surged
as the country’s stimulus program took hold.
In China, No Plans to
Emulate West’s Way
(New York Times, Mar. 10, 2009) China’s
second-ranking Communist Party official said that
China would never adopt a multiparty political system, separation of powers,
a bicameral legislature or an independent judiciary.
Wen Warns Economic Crisis
Spreading in China
(AP, Mar. 1, 2009) Premier Wen
Jiabao warned that the impact of the global
financial crisis was still spreading in China and the country faces the
long and arduous task of combating its effects.
China’s ‘Soft-Power’
Strategy Threatened by Obama, Slow Growth
(Bloomberg, Feb. 17, 2009) Now China’s gains as a
regional partner and potential counter to U.S. influence are threatened by a
slowdown in growth and President Barack Obama’s pledge to
reverse Bush-era policies that diminished America’s authority.
Global Crisis Takes Toll on
China As Exports, Imports Plunge By
Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Feb. 12, 2009) China's exports dropped 17.5
percent and imports plunged 43 percent in January from the same month a year
earlier, underscoring just how quickly its once-white-hot economy is slowing
down and adding to the threat of further unemployment and social unrest.
China Delivers Human Rights
Report to UN; Amnesty Leads Critics
(Bloomberg, Feb. 9, 2009) China presents a report on human
rights in the country to the United Nations as groups such as Amnesty
International said the submission isn’t thorough enough.
China’s Official Data Mask
Severity of Slump
(AP, Feb. 6, 2009) The government says the
economy grew by 6.8 percent in the final quarter of 2008, but that is based
on an outdated system that measures growth against the same period a year
earlier.
Chinese TV Airs Protester
Throwing Shoe at Premier
(Washington Post, Feb. 4, 2009) Chinese state
broadcaster aired the full news footage of a protester throwing a shoe at
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
during a speech in Britain,
an unusual step given the state-controlled media's routine censorship of
incidents embarrassing to China.
China: Cautiously Optimistic
on Economy
(AP, Jan. 28, 2009) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo brought cautious
optimism to the World Economic Forum, predicting that his country will achieve
its target of 8 percent economic growth this year despite the global
financial meltdown.
China’s Economy Slowed
Sharply in 4th Quarter
(AP, Jan. 22, 2009) China's economic slump deepened
in the fourth quarter as the impact of the global crisis spread, adding to
the threat of more heavy job losses and possible unrest.
China’s Income Gap Widens As
Economy Slows
(AP, Jan. 16, 2009) The long-standing, politically
sensitive wealth gap between China's
citydwellers and its farmers is widening as the
economy slows.
China Aims to Silence Reform
Call
(BBC, Jan. 12, 2009) Signatories to the Charter
08 document have been detained, questioned by the police and put under
pressure at work.
China Braces for a Turbulent
2009
(The Age, Jan. 3, 2009) Is it time to dust off
predictions of the downfall of the Chinese Communist Party? No. But it could
easily be the most difficult year since the Tiananmen "incident" of
1989.
China Is Losing a War over
Internet By Loretta Chao and Jason Dean
(Wall Street Journal, Dec. 31, 2009) The censors
"are winning the battles everywhere," says Isaac Mao, a blogging
pioneer based in China
and Chinese-Internet researcher, "but losing the war."
China Willing to Spend Big
on Afghan Commerce By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Dec. 30, 2009) While the United States spends hundreds of billions of
dollars fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda here, China is securing raw material
for its voracious economy.
In Sentence of Activist,
China Gives West a Chill By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Dec. 26, 2009) The harsh
sentence handed down to Liu Xiaobo prompted strong
rebukes in the United States and Europe, but it also raised fresh questions
over whether the West has much leverage over a government that is
increasingly self-assured on the world stage.
Trial in China Signals New
Limits on Dissent By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Dec. 24, 2009) Liu Xiaobo, one of China’s most prominent
advocates of democratic change, was tried on charges of subversion, a sign
that Chinese leaders are reducing their already limited tolerance for
peaceful political dissent.
China’s Export of Labor
Faces Growing Scorn By Edward Wong
(New York Times, Dec. 21, 2009) China is
increasingly known for shipping out cheap labor, and a backlash against it
has grown across Africa and Asia.
China Imposes New Internet
Controls By Sharon LaFraniere
(New York Times, Dec. 18, 2009) China’s
government censors have taken fresh aim at the Internet, rolling out new
measures that limit its citizens’ ability to set up personal Web sites and to
view hundreds of Web sites offering films, video games and other forms of
entertainment.
China Indicts Prominent
Dissident By Sharon LaFraniere
(New York Times, Dec. 12, 2009) Liu Xiaobo, one of China’s best-known dissidents and a
principal author of a pro-democracy manifesto, was indicted Thursday on
charges of trying to subvert the state.
In Aging China, a Change of
Course By Ariana Eunjung Cha
(Washington
Post, Dec. 12, 2009) More than 30 years after China's one-child policy was
introduced, creating two generations of notoriously chubby, spoiled only
children affectionately nicknamed "little emperors," a population
crisis is looming in the country.
China’s Economic Power
Unsettles the Neighbors By Michael Wines (New York Times, Dec. 10, 2009) Now, China is finding it harder to cast itself as a friendly alternative to
an imperious American superpower. For many in Asia,
it is the new colossus.
Scoring in China—without
Prostituting Ourselves By John Ibbitson
(Globe and Mail, Dec. 4, 2009) The equilibrium of
this century depends on helping China manage its growth, as the Middle
Kingdom takes its place at the forefront of nations without, as yet, the
mechanisms to ensure peace and justice within its borders and without.
Brazil: Dances with Dragon By
Alexandre de Freitas Barbosa
(YaleGlobal, Dec. 1,
2009) Intensifying trade and cultural contacts between the two may be laying
the groundwork for political cooperation on a global scale and helping Brazil to consolidate its leadership in South America. However, growing, but lop-sided, trade
ties also risk hastening the deindustrialization of Brazil.
China Tries to Fix Crumbling
Health Care System By Gillian Wong
(AP, Nov. 30, 2009) Affordable medical services
also could help reduce China's
dependence on exports by encouraging people to stop saving so much for
potential medical costs - and spend their earnings on consumer goods instead.
Dangers of an Overheated
China By Tyler Cowen
(New York Times, Nov. 29, 2009) History has shown
that no major economy has grown into maturity without bubbles, crises and
possibly even civil strife or civil wars along the way. Is China exempt from this broader
pattern?
China sets Target for
Emission Cuts By Juliet Eilperin
(Washington Post, Nov. 27, 2009) China
announced that it will lower its carbon emissions relative to the size of its
economy by as much as 45 percent by 2020, the official New China News Agency
reported.
In Obama Interview, Signs of
China’s Heavy Hand By Sharon LaFraniere and Jonathan Ansfield (New York Times,
Nov. 20, 2009) Chinese authorities appeared to carefully monitor how
President Obama’s words were transmitted to China’s public, even in a
newspaper known for its press-the-envelope approach.
China in Africa: Soft Power,
Hard Results By Loro Horta
(YaleGlobal, Nov. 13,
2009) Much of the local disapproval results from Chinese companies using limited
amounts of domestic labor as well as the flood of sometimes illegal Chinese
immigrants to Africa selling cheap goods.
China’s ‘Netizens’ Hold
Authorities to New Standard By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Nov. 9, 2009) Across the
country, online petition drives and surveys have prompted police to reopen
closed cases, authorities to cancel unpopular development projects and the
party's national leadership to fire corrupt local officials.
China Pledges $10 Billion to
Africa By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Nov. 9, 2009) China offered
African governments a multibillion-dollar package of financial and technical
assistance, stepping up a courtship that already has gained Beijing wide
access to oil and minerals across the continent.
Chinese Trial Reveals Vast
Web of Corruption By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Nov. 4, 2009)
Like all big corruption cases in China, this one is as much about
politics as graft. The political machine in Chongqing has been broken up by a new
Communist Party boss, Bo Xilai, who has his eye on
higher office.
In China, Too, a Health-Care
System in Disarray By Steven Mufson
(Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2009) China's
health-care system is in disarray, a side effect of the market reforms that
have spurred private enterprise and rapid growth since 1980.
Seeking Soft-Power, But Not
by the Book By Jonathan Fenby
(YaleGlobal, Oct. 26,
2009) Beyond the sensational, the Frankfurt Book Fair shows China’s uneasy practice of soft
power.
China Steps Up, Slowly But
Surely By Steven Mufson
(Washington
Post, Oct. 24, 2009) Driven by climate concerns and a desire to modernize its
economy, Beijing
has begun addressing the emissions issue.
Everything You Know about China Is Wrong By
Rana Foroohar
(Newsweek, Oct. 26, 2009) This global financial
crisis is different—bigger and more damaging than any seen in generations—and
it is exposing limits and forcing change in just about every key piece of the
China model.
Russia’s Leaders See China
as Template for Ruling By Clifford J. Levy (New York Times, Oct. 18, 2009) Like an envious underachiever, Vladimir
V. Putin’s party, United Russia, is increasingly examining how it can emulate
the Chinese Communist Party.
In Recession, China
Solidifies Its Lead in Global Trade By
David Barboza (New
York Times, Oct. 14, 2009) With the global recession making consumers and
businesses more price-conscious, China is grabbing market share from its
export competitors, solidifying a dominance in world trade.
China Rising: Have Cash, Buy
Oil By Dilip Hiro
(YaleGlobal, Oct. 9,
2009) Beijing’s acquisition strategy seeks to insulate itself from the
vagaries of raw material price fluctuation while ensuring a steady growth of
the economy and raising its citizens’ living standards.
China Yearns to Form Its Own
Media Empires By David Barboza
(New York Times, Oct. 5, 2009)
China plans to spend billions of dollars in the next few years to develop
media and entertainment companies that it hopes can compete with global
giants like the News Corporation and Time Warner.
China Tries for Growth and
Power By Alan Wheatley
(New York Times, Sep. 29, 2009)
Sustaining the rapid growth that has underpinned the legitimacy of the
Chinese Communist Party during the second half of its 60 years in power is
about to get a lot harder, now that China can no longer rely on turbo-charged
exports as the global economy is retooled.
Challenges for China at
Sixty—Part II By Frank Ching
(YaleGlobal, Sep. 28,
2009) China, which asserts that it does not interfere with the internal
affairs of other countries, appears to do the exact opposite, especially with
regard to issues surrounding alleged separatism in China.
Challenges for China at
Sixty—Part I By Pranab Bardhan
(YaleGlobal, Sep. 25,
2009) Fuzzy lines between political connections and business have led to
particularly egregious abuses of power that are precisely the predatory
tendencies of capitalism that the Chinese Communist Party originally sought
to defeat.
Is China Turning into the
Climate Change Good Guy? By Bryan Walsh (Time, Sep. 24, 2009) Coming out of the UN's
high-level meeting on climate change on Sept. 22, it is China that has managed to seize
the moral high ground.
Same Old China
(Editorial, Washington
Post, Sep. 6, 2009) Mr. Huntsman said, thankfully, that human rights also
will be on his agenda. But human rights can't be treated simply as one item
in a basket of issues.
China Oil Deal Is New Source
of Strife among Iraqis By Timothy Williams (New York Times, Sep. 6, 2009) The presence of a foreign company
with vast resources drilling for oil in this poor, rural corner of Iraq
has awakened a wave of local discontent.
Backpedaling, China Eases
Proposal to Ban Exports of Some Vital Minerals By
Keith Bradsher (New
York Times, Sep. 4, 2009) Chinese officials said that they would not entirely
ban exports of two rare-earth minerals, although they would tightly regulate
production.
China Strengthens Internal
Security Force By Christopher Bodeen
(AP, Aug. 25, 2009) Buffeted by rising domestic
unrest and missteps in handling ethnic violence, China's leaders are
asserting greater control over the country's main internal security force
with a new law on how and when the troops are mobilized.
Asia’s Recovery Highlights
China’s Ascendance By Nelson D. Schwartz (New York Times, Aug. 24, 2009) For the first time, the catalyst
is coming from China and
the rest of Asia, where resurgent economies
are helping the still-shaky West recover from the deepest recession since
World War II.
China’s Great Firewall
(Editorial, Washington Post, Aug. 17, 2009) China's
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced its withdrawal of
requirements that Green Dam Internet censorship software come pre-installed
on all computers. The outcome -- although not perfect -- is a success for the
Chinese people and the cause of Internet freedom.
China’s NGOs Fear for the
Worst By Verna Yu
(Asia Times, Aug. 15, 2009) China has in recent weeks
resorted to unusually heavy-handed tactics to crack down on non-governmental
organizations, sparking concern that a new round of persecution has begun on
the nation's nascent civil society.
China Warms to New Credo:
Business First By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Aug. 14, 2009) The Chinese
government said it had backed off another contentious plan to install censorship
software on all new computers sold here.
W.T.O. Rules Against China’s
Limits on Imports By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Aug. 13, 2009) The World Trade
Organization ruled that Beijing
had violated international rules by limiting imports of books, songs and
movies.
China Faces Delicate Task of
Reining in Bank Lending By David Barboza (New York Times, Aug.
7, 2009) Many economists now worry that too much of China’s growth was fueled
by aggressive, state-directed lending that could eventually result in a
soaring number of bad loans and mounting government debt.
Town in China Closed off
After 3 Die of Pneumonic Plague
By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Aug. 4, 2009) Chinese authorities have sealed
off a remote town in northwestern China after three people died of pneumonic
plague and eight others were infected with the highly contagious lung
disease.
China Accepts 1st Environment
Lawsuit against Govt
(AP, Jul. 31, 2009) A court in southwest China
has accepted the country's first lawsuit filed by an environmental group
against a local government, a member of the group said.
China Needs New Policies
After Xingjiang: Official By James Pomfret (Reuters, Jul. 30,
2009) A senior Chinese official made a rare admission that the country had to
change its policies toward ethnic minorities in light of deadly riots in far
western Xinjiang this month.
1 Plus 1: Shanghai Tweaks
Child Rules By David Barboza
(New York Times, Jul. 25, 2009) Thirty years
after China began enforcing a one-child policy, this city is actively
encouraging young couples to have a second child.
China Makes Strides in
Energy “Go-out” Strategy By Wenran Jiang
(China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Jul. 23,
2009) Even under economic pressure, oil-producing countries have kept Chinese
oil companies at arms’ length during the negotiation. The terms of the
agreements only give China
the "right to purchase" the oil, but not the "right to
own" the oil through equity purchase.
Why China Will Keep
Investing Abroad By Alan Wheatley
(New York Times, Jul. 20, 2009) On top of China
needing to invest — they need to secure energy supplies, they need to acquire
technology — there’s also the element of recycling dollar revenues.
Flare-Ups of Ethnic Unrest
Shake China’s Self-Image By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Jul. 19, 2009) Each conflict has had specific
causes. But for the Chinese government, they add up to a major concern: Friction
among the nation's 56 officially recognized ethnic groups is considered one
of the most explosive potential triggers for social instability.
Bad Business in China
(Editorial, New York Times, Jul. 17, 2009) More
than 10 days after detaining Mr. Hu and his
colleagues, the Chinese government has not provided further details of the
charges against them. Beijing
should not assume that it will pay no price for its thuggish behavior.
The Party’s Over By
Wu Zhong
(Asia Times, Jul. 15, 2009) The days of the
party's iron-fisted rule are over as it now has to take into consideration
the views of the majority - be they party members or not.
An Ethnic Struggle in China
Goes Global By Dru Gladney
(YaleGlobal, Jul. 9,
2009) Recent clashes between indigenous Uighurs and
Han Chinese in Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang province highlight how even a small
group with global connections can bring the world spotlight on their cause
and embarrass a big power.
Chinese Leader’s Withdrawal
Knocks G-8 Meeting Down a Notch
By
Henry Chu and Christi Parsons
(LA Times, Jul. 9, 2009) The sudden sense of diminished expectation in L'Aquila underscored once again just how crucial Beijing has become as an
actor on the world stage.
Scores Killed in Ethnic
Riots in China By Ariana Eunjung Cha
(Washington Post, Jul. 7, 2009) Clashes between
Muslim Uighur protesters and security forces have killed at least 156 people
in China's far west, state media said.
In Latest Upheaval, China
Applies New Strategies to Control Flow of Information By
Michael Wines (New York Times, Jul. 7, 2009)
In the wake of Sunday’s deadly riots in its western region of Xinjiang, China’s central
government took one most unusual step: the state invited foreign journalists
on an official trip to Urumqi.
In Step to Enhance Currency,
China Allows Its Use in Some Foreign Payments By
Keith Bradsher (New
York Times, Jul. 7, 2009) Banks in China
and Hong Kong began wiring Chinese renminbi
directly to one another to settle payments for imports and exports, as China
took another step toward establishing the renminbi
as a global currency.
China’s Elderly Will
Overwhelm the Nation By David Pierson
(LA Times, Jul. 6, 2009) The one-child rule imposed
30 years ago has created too few young people to support the quickly
expanding aging population.
Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy
March Draws Thousands By Keith Bradsher (New York Times,
Jul. 2, 2009) Thousands of people joined a pro-democracy march, although the
turnout fell short of a candlelight vigil held nearly four weeks ago to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.
China Web Controversy
Highlights Public Role By Joe McDonald
(AP, Jul 1, 2009) Beijing's retreat on its latest
Internet-censorship effort highlights the rise of China's increasingly
tech-savvy, vocal public as a factor in the authoritarian government's
decisions.
After Outcry, China Delays
Requirement for Web-Filtering Software By
Michael Wines (New York Times, Jul. 1, 2009)
Facing strong resistance at home and abroad, China on Tuesday delayed
enforcement of a new rule requiring manufacturers to install Internet
filtering software on all new computers.
China’s Information Dam
(Editorial, Washington Post, Jun. 29, 2009) It
may not be companies' job to fix the Chinese government. But if they choose
to do business in China,
it is their job to serve the Chinese people.
Will Digital Dissent Win in
Iran and China?
(Editorial, Christian Science Monitor, Jun. 24,
2009) Not every digital battle for freedom will be won. China may yet get its software filter while Iran
has largely suppressed both the protesters and most of their digital links to
one another and to the world. At least, though, the world now knows of this
suppression of ideas and actions.
Beijing Adds Curbs on Access
to Internet By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Jun. 26, 2009) It is the latest
move in what the ministry calls an antipornography
campaign that many China experts see as a
harbinger of a broader crackdown on freedom of expression and dissent.
Chinese Dissident Charged
with Subversion By Keith Bradsher (New York Times,
Jun. 25, 2009) One of China’s best-known dissidents, Liu Xiaobo,
has been arrested for “activities aimed at subversion,” state media and human
rights groups said, in the latest sign of a hardening of government policy
toward dissent.
As China Stirs Economy, Some
See Protectionism By Keith Bradsher (New York Times,
Jun. 24, 2009) Risking the ire of the United States and other trading
partners, the Chinese government has quietly started adopting policies aimed
at encouraging exports while curbing imports.
Coping with Digital
Revolution: China Offers Green Dam, Iran Faces Neda By
Guobin Yang (YaleGlobal, Jun. 23, 2009) The global response to China’s
filtering software Green Dam Youth Escort and the Iranian election are not
only proof of the power of the internet as a democratic form of
communication, but also as a lever for democracy itself.
China’s Economy Takes a
Sharp Domestic Turn By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Jun. 12, 2009)
Now, the Chinese economy relies increasingly on growth at home, as data
released Thursday made clear. A decline in exports has become a serious drag
on growth, while government spending has led domestic investments higher at a
remarkable pace.
China’s Commodity Buying
Spree By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Jun. 11, 2009) Strong buying by China has helped lift commodity prices around
the world this spring, but growing evidence suggests that a sizable portion
of this buying has been to build stockpiles in China, and may not be
sustainable.
China Requires Censoring on
New PCs By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Jun. 9, 2009) China has issued a sweeping
directive requiring all personal computers sold in the country to include
sophisticated software that can filter out pornography and other “unhealthy
information” from the Internet.
After Tiananmen, China
Wedded Force with Freedom By John Pomfret (Washington
Post, Jun. 7, 2009) Twenty years after the crackdown, the most intriguing
question to me isn't how many people died. It's this: How has the Communist
Party managed to emerge from that experience stronger than ever?
Tiananmen Anniversary Muted
in Mainland China By Ariana Eunjung Cha and K. C. Ng (Washington Post,
Jun. 5, 2009) Mainland China
remained quiet on the 20th anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square
crackdown, while tens of thousands of people staged a protest in Hong Kong.
Washington Commemoration of
Tiananmen Overshadowed By Foster Klug (AP, Jun. 4, 2009) None of the commemorations of Tiananmen has
demanded as much attention as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's
trip to China this week to
secure economic cooperation from the single-biggest holder of U.S.
debt.
Bullets Over Beijing By
Nicholas D. Kristof
(New York Times, Jun. 4, 2009) When you educate
citizens and create a middle class, you nurture aspirations for political
participation. In that sense, China
is following the same path as Taiwan
and South Korea
in the 1980s.
In China, Liberty Has Many
Faces By Jill Drew
(Washington
Post, Jun. 4, 2009) Freedom" is a tricky word, malleable for some,
immutable for others. Many in China
today are exploring new freedoms, bolstered by the nation's two decades of
strong economic growth.
‘Tiananmen Is Still Here’ By
Leslie Hook
(Wall Street Journal, May 30, 2009) One of
China's most famous dissidents says force is still how the Communist Party
gets its way.
International Monetary
Reform and the Future of the Renminbi By
Pieter Bottelier
(China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, May 27, 2009) It seems likely that the
financial crisis will lead to more hedging by Beijing of the U.S. dollar
through increased international use of the RMB and accelerated movement
toward full RMB convertibility.
Beijing’s Would-Be Houdinis By
Sebastian Mallaby
(Washington
Post, May 26, 2009) It is easy to appreciate China's sudden appetite for bold
new ideas about international finance. But Beijing's leaders look less like the
architects of a new Bretton Woods than like
aspiring Houdinis.
Peaceful Evolution Angst By
Roger Cohen
(New York Times, May 25, 2009) The Vietnamese Communist
Party, like its fraternal party in China, has identified the No. 1
threat it faces. The looming danger is called “peaceful evolution.”
Openness in China about
Memoir Proves Short-Lived By Jonathan Ansfield (New York Times, May
23, 2009) The mix of approaches is characteristic of government efforts to
prevent major commemorations of the June 4, 1989, crackdown without calling
too much attention to Beijing’s
methods.
Tiananmen Now Seems Distant
to China’s Students By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times,
May 22, 2009) Today’s students: disinclined to protest, but also lacking the
economic grievances that helped ignite protests in 1989; proud of China’s
achievements and flocking to the Communist Party, but seldom driven by
ideology.
David or Goliath? China’s
Battle to Win the War of Perception By
Tania Branigan and Dan Chung (Guardian, May 22, 2009) To the outside world China is a rich, monolithic
superpower – but inside troubles mount and confidence remains fragile.
Brazil, China Plan to Trade
without Dollars Is ‘Pure Idle Talk’ By
Febiola Moura (Bloomberg, May 21, 2009) China and Brazil’s proposal to abandon
the dollar for bilateral trade and use yuan and reais instead is “pure idle talk,” former Brazilian
central bank President Gustavo Franco said.
China Wields Credit Clout
Again to Lock in Brazilian Oil By Shai Oster (Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2009) State-owned Brazilian oil
giant Petroleo Brasileiro
SA said it finalized an agreement to secure a $10 billion loan from China in
return for a long-term supply of oil, another victory for China's new
strategy of using its cash-rich banks to help secure natural resources.
China’s Stockpiles Are New
Sovereign Wealth Strategy, RBC Says By
Kevin Hamlin (Bloomberg, May 18, 2009) China is stockpiling commodities as part of a
reallocation of its sovereign wealth amid concern that the value of its
dollar assets may decline, according to the Royal Bank of Canada.
Why Bow to China? By
Christian Caryl
(Newsweek, May 16, 2009) Climate change is just
the kind of transnational issue that demands cooperation, not great-power
jockeying—the kind of increasingly common problem that pays no attention to
who's on top.
China Tries to Wriggle Out
of the US Dollar Trap By Wenran Jiang
(YaleGlobal, Apr. 29,
2009) China is employing a multi-pronged approach to reduce its US dollar
exposure by seeking to foster greater use of its domestic currency, the RMB,
in trade agreements and by making purchases or direct investments in natural
resources and hard assets.
China Can’t Have It Both
Ways
(Editorial, New York Times, Apr. 26, 2009) As it
carves out an ever greater role in the world, Beijing will have to learn that
it cannot have it both ways. China
cannot be the aggrieved victim in the morning and the bully in the afternoon.
China Steps Up to World
Stage, Cautiously By Francois Godement
(YaleGlobal, Apr. 24,
2009) China
acted in a manner which has become hallmark of its behavior: guarded,
pragmatic, and ambiguous. Expecting anything different was a miscalculation.
And expecting a major change in China’s stance in the near term
is likely to be wrong too.
China Continues Energy
Shopping Spree with Joint Purchase of Kazakh Oil Producer By
Peter Leonard (AP, Apr. 24, 2009) The rivalry
between Russia and the
West for Central Asia's energy resources has
generated headlines. But it's Chinese companies that have been snapping up
assets in the region.
China Uses Global Crisis to
Assert Its Influence By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Apr. 23, 2009) Overseas aid and loans are just
one way China is asserting itself in its new role as a world financial
leader. While polishing China's
own image, Premier Wen Jiabao
and other top leaders have blamed the West for the global economic crisis.
China’s Rise is America’s
Decline By Martin Jacques
(Guardian, Apr. 23, 2009) Beijing
is becoming increasingly assertive on global finance and economics — and the US
will be the loser.
Report Says China Facing
Looming Aging Crisis By Christopher Bodeen (AP, Apr. 22, 2009) China's rapidly aging population threatens the
country's social and economic stability and could affect the prospects of
other countries around the world, a U.S. study says.
‘Beijing Consensus’ in Ascendance By
Jonathan Holslag
(Taipei Times, Apr. 19, 2009) What Obama’s trip
singularly failed to do was paper over a startling fact: The “Washington
Consensus” about how the global economy should be run is now a thing of the
past. The question now is what is likely to replace it.
New Branches of Nationalism
in China By Stephanie Wang
(Asia Times, Apr. 15, 2009) Both discussions of
the kimono incident and the book China Is Unhappy are
parts of the current nationwide debate over nationalism. It is good to see
that rational thinking against narrow-minded nationalism or xenophobia is not
lacking in the debate.
Beijing Talks the Talk By
Tina Wang
(Forbes, Apr. 14, 2009) Beijing's first-ever human rights action
plan is not a step forward in the country's promotion of human rights so much
as more sophisticated PR, some scholars say.
Chinese Bias for Baby Boys
Creates a Gap of 32 Million By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times,
Apr. 11, 2009) A bias in favor of male offspring has left China with 32
million more boys under the age of 20 than girls, creating “an imminent
generation of excess men,” a study released said.
China Takes a Small Step
Away from the Dollar By Neel Chowdhury
(Time, Apr. 6, 2009) "A lot of this is
symbolic." "China
wants to be a player." And one sure way to be a player, as everyone
knows, is to threaten to quit the game.
China in Bold Move on
Volatile Health Care Issue By Christopher Bodeen (AP, Apr. 6, 2009) China
announced the outlines of a thorough reform of the health care system that
pledges to provide improved services to all citizens by 2020.
China’s Yuan Ambitions By
Ben Simpfendorfer
(Wall Street Journal Asia, Apr. 5, 2009) Beijing has signed
currency swap agreements with six central banks. China has long wanted its
currency to play a more important role in the global financial system, and
these swap arrangements come in the context of that broader policy aim.
Rich China, Poor China
Conundrum As Clout Grows By Paul Eckert
(Reuters, Apr. 5, 2009) The emergence of China
as a heavyweight economic player with a relatively poor population has
economists scrambling for new definitions, perplexes policymakers in other
countries and has some competitors crying foul.
China’s Dollar Trap By
Paul Krugman
(New York Times, Apr. 3, 2009) Mr. Zhou’s speech
was actually an admission of weakness. In effect, he was saying that China
had driven itself into a dollar trap, and that it can neither get itself out
nor change the policies that put it in that trap in the first place.
China Takes Stage as Global
Economic Power By Michael Wines and Edward Wong (New York
Times, Apr. 2, 2009) As Presidents Hu Jintao and Obama had their first meeting on the sidelines
of the summit proceedings, the Chinese appeared torn between seizing their
moment in the geopolitical spotlight and shying from it.
Asia Split Over China’s “War
of Nerves” with U.S. By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Yoo Choonsik (Reuters, Mar. 31, 2009) Asian policymakers are preoccupied with
China's "war of nerves" over the U.S. dollar's global status rather
than the impact of the Fed's debt buying on their vast dollar-linked savings,
officials told Reuters.
China Cracks Down in Muslim
West By Alexa Olesen
(AP, Mar. 30, 2009) An overseas rights activist
said that authorities in China's predominantly Muslim far west are closing
unregistered Islamic schools and conducting house-to-house searches in a new
security crackdown in the restive region.
China Challenges US Global
Financial Leadership By Elaine Kurtenbach (AP, Mar. 28,
2009) The only major economy still growing at a fast clip, China is being unusually
forthright in challenging the U.S.-led global order ahead of an April 2
summit on the financial crisis.
China Rise Again—Part II By
Glenn D. Tiffert
(YaleGlobal, Mar. 27,
2009) Tiffert concludes that it's expected for
China to flex its new power and even propose new rules, but those rules
should be transparent, subject to international debate and applicable to all.
China Rises Again—Part I By
Wang Gungwu
(YaleGlobal, Mar. 25,
2009) Wang predicts that modern Chinese leaders will rely on ancient
principles to achieve timeless goals: the economic global can serve as a
means in establishing a prosperous and powerful state that wields global
influence.
Meltdown 101: Will China
Global Currency Idea Fly? By Christopher S. Rugaber (AP, Mar. 24, 2009) China's
central bank has called for the creation of a new global currency as an
alternative to the dollar, in the latest sign of that country's growing
assertiveness on the international stage. But would the idea even work?
China Urges New Money
Reserve to Replace Dollar By David Barboza (New York Times, Mar.
24, 2009) In another indication that China is growing increasingly
concerned about holding huge dollar reserves, the head of its central bank
has called for the eventual creation of a new international currency reserve
to replace the dollar.
China Arrests Monks in
Attack By Gillian Wong
(AP, Mar. 23, 2009) Hundreds of Tibetans attacked
a police station and government officials in northwestern China despite heightened
security, prompting the arrests of nearly 100 monks.
A New Book Reveals Why China
is Unhappy By Austin Ramzy
(Time, Mar. 20, 2009) That independent streak and
willingness to break with the Party is what makes nationalism such an
unwieldy force for China's
rulers. Nationalist sentiment can turn against leaders who are seen as not
pushing China's
interests with sufficient force.
China Gains Key Assets in
Spate of Purchases By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Mar. 17, 2009) Chinese companies have been on a
shopping spree in the past month, snapping up tens of billions of dollars'
worth of key assets in Iran, Brazil, Russia, Venezuela, Australia and France
in a global fire sale set off by the financial crisis.
In Crisis, China Vows
Openness By Ariana Eunjung
Cha
(Washington Post,
Mar. 5, 2009) Wen's online comments reflect the
two-pronged approach Beijing
is taking toward growing public unease as more companies collapse and
unemployment grows.
Party Elderly Press for
Checks on China’s Stimulus Plan By Jonathan Ansfield (New York Times,
Mar. 4, 2009) As China’s government doles out $584 billion to stimulate its
ailing economy, critics inside and outside the Communist Party have pressed
for details about the murky spending plan and demanded the right to follow
the money.
In China, Despair Mounting
Among Migrant Workers By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Mar. 4, 2009)
Six months into what economists and labor experts say is China's worst
job crisis since it began market reforms 30 years ago, many among the most
vulnerable are becoming desperate.
China’s Quiet Activists By
Shawn Shieh
(YaleGlobal, Feb. 25,
2009) China’s
acceptance of the 512 Center stands in marked contrast to the suppression of
the human-rights group “Charter 08”
and serves as a reminder of the government’s evolving approach toward civil
society.
Worst Drought in Half
Century Shrivels the Wheat Belt of China By
Michael Wines (New York Times, Feb. 25, 2009)
A normally dry rural region has been parched in recent months, aggravating
economic problems facing the Beijing
government.
Beijing Launches Diplomatic
Blitz to Steal Obama’s Thunder By Willy Lam (China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Feb. 20 ,2009) Beijing has unleashed an unprecedented
diplomatic blitz while the new Obama administration battles doubts about its
stimulus packages to salvage the struggling American economy.
China Tells U.N. Panel That
It Respects Rights By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington
Post, Feb. 10, 2009) United Nations delegates took China to task on its human
rights record, pressing officials about Tibet, labor camps, the death
penalty, torture in custody and the treatment of dissidents.
Violent Unrest Rocks China
As Crisis Hits By Michael Sheridan
(Times, Feb. 1, 2009) Bankruptcies, unemployment
and social unrest are spreading more widely in China than officially reported,
according to independent research that paints an ominous picture for the
world economy.
Virtual Groundswell
(Editorial, Washington Post, Jan. 30, 2009) A
commitment to gradually implement political liberalization in partnership
with a free citizens movement would make it far easier for the Chinese
leadership to manage what is likely to be a year of crisis.
In China, a Grass-Roots
Rebellion By Ariana Eunjung
Cha
(Washington Post, Jan. 29, 2009) The evolution of
Charter 08 is being closely monitored outside China to see how far the
government will go to squelch it.
For China, New Year Brings
Somber Mood By Ted Plafker
(New York Times, Jan. 27, 2009) This year’s Davos talks will focus not on heady predictions about a
rising China and its growing economic might. Instead, the question will be
how the world — China
included — will steer its way through the deepening global downturn.
China Marches on in Africa
Despite Downturn By Alistair Thomson
(Reuters, Jan. 27, 2009) Chinese businessmen are
taking a long-term view and pursuing strategic expansion in Africa even
though China's
multiplying investments on the continent have lost some luster in the global
downturn.
China Cuts off Foes to Spite
Its Face By Francesco Sisci
(Asia Times, Jan. 27, 2009) It could be a risky
year for China's
leadership, as the global financial crisis, a series of politically sensitive
anniversaries and growing dissent raise fears of destabilization.
“Erroneous” Western
Democracy Not for China Says Official
(Reuters, Jan. 18, 2009) China must build
defenses against "erroneous" ideas involving Western-style
democracy, a top government official said in comments published on Sunday,
shooting down recent calls by dissidents for political reform.
As China’s Jobless Numbers
Mount, Protests Grow Bolder By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Jan. 13, 2009) As a global recession takes hold
and China's
economy continues to slow, growing legions of unemployed workers are becoming
increasingly bold in expressing their unhappiness.
China’s 2009 Remake By
Rana Foroohar, Melinda
Liu and Mary Hennock (Newsweek, Jan. 10, 2009) Ambassador Wu Jianmin
is one of China's
most experienced envoys. Last month, he chatted about China's next challenges with NEWSWEEK's Rana Foroohar, Melinda Liu and Mary Hennock.
China’s Reluctance to Reform By
Willy Lam
(Asia Times,
Jan. 10, 2009) Given the bunker mentality that seems to be prevalent among
the CCP leadership, it seems improbable that the Hu-Wen
team will in the near future duplicate the bold, visionary - and risky -
reforms unveiled by late patriarch Deng 30 years ago.
China Losing Taste for Debt
from the U.S. By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Jan. 8, 2009) The declining
Chinese appetite for United
States debt, apparent in a series of hints
from Chinese policy makers over the last two weeks, comes at an inconvenient
time.
China Face Economic Pain,
Sensitive Anniversaries By Christopher Bodeen (AP, Jan. 6, 2009) The
year ahead will challenge Chinese security officials increasingly nervous
about social stability, the nation's top police officer said.
Papua New Guinea and China’s
New Empire By Geoffrey York
(Globe and Mail, Jan. 2, 2009) As he completes nearly
seven years as The Globe and Mail's Beijing bureau chief, Geoffrey York says
the most striking change is the boom in Chinese trade, aid and influence
around the world, especially in places the West has neglected or rejected.
As Trade Slows, China
Rethinks Its Growth Strategy By Keith Bradsher (New York Times,
Jan. 1, 2009) Particularly noteworthy have been the Chinese government’s steps
to help labor-intensive sectors like garment production, one of the
industries China has been trying to move away from in an effort to climb the
ladder of economic development.
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