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[News] [Papers]

US Diplomat Makes Hurried China Trip
(AP, Apr. 30, 2012) US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell arrived in China on a hurried mission as new problems — from possible US arms sales to Taiwan to the custody of a blind dissident — threaten to complicate relations with Beijing ahead of high-level talks.

Tiananmen Activist Hopes for China Rehabilitation
(Taipei Times, Apr. 15, 2012) A pro-democracy Chinese dissident expressed hope that Beijing will allow individuals forced into exile after participating in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations to return to China.

Hong Kong Elects Pro-Beijing Chief Executive
(New York Times, Mar. 25, 2012) Leung Chun-ying, a pro-Beijing real estate surveyor, won election on Sunday morning to become the next chief executive of Hong Kong.

Growth China’s Top Priority, Inflation Key Risk: NDRC
(Reuters, Mar. 18, 2012) China’s economic policy priority is to maintain relatively fast growth, but Beijing cannot lower its guard against inflation risks, the head of the country’s top planning agency said.

China Passes New Safeguards for Criminal Suspects
(New York Times, Mar. 15, 2012) China’s national legislature, however, upheld the right of the police to hold certain suspects in secret residential locations for up to six months, ignoring a last-minute online campaign by critics to curb police authority.

China Posts Massive Trade Deficit
(Wall Street Journal, Mar. 10, 2012) China swung to a massive trade deficit in February, due partly to seasonal distortions but also to faltering demand for the country's exports.

Li Promises Sable Growth
(China Daily, Mar. 2, 2012) China will promote "innovation and opening-up" to maintain long-term, stable and fast economic growth, Vice-Premier Li Keqiang said during a meeting with Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, in Beijing.

China Says Tibet Facing “Urgent” Task to Maintain Stability
(Reuters, Feb. 6, 2012) China's mountainous region of Tibet is facing an urgent task to maintain stability, and all government workers must be on their highest guard ahead of the Tibetan new year and the fifth anniversary of riots there, a top newspaper said.

Deadly Confrontation Spreads in Tibetan Region of China
(New York Times, Jan. 25, 2012) Deadly showdowns between Chinese security forces and Tibetans in a restive region of western China spread to a second town on Tuesday, outside advocacy groups reported.

China to Put GDP Target Below 8 Pct in 2012-Govt Economist
(Reuters, Jan. 6, 2012) China’s leadership is targeting growth of less than 8 percent in 2012 a senior government researcher wrote in the People’s Daily.

Hu Warns Chinese Culture Being ‘Westernized’: Report
(AFP, Jan. 3, 2012) Chinese President Hu Jintao warned that “hostile” powers are seeking to “Westernize” the country and called for greater efforts to enhance China’s cultural influence overseas.

China to Balance ‘Quick’ Growth with Inflation in 2012, Hu Says
(Bloomberg, Dec. 31, 2011)  China will balance “relatively quick” economic growth with inflation in 2012, amid rising uncertainty about the world economic recovery, President Hu Jintao said in a speech.

Party Paper Praises Wukan Deal
(China Real Time Report, Dec. 22, 2011) China’s local communities and online denizens are watching closely to see whether authorities keep their unusual promises to protest leaders in the formerly restive southern village of Wukan. So far, the official response has been unusually supportive.

Chinese Villagers Win Rare Compromise
(Wall Street Journal, Dec. 21, 2011) Southern Chinese authorities have given in to key demands of protesting villagers after a nearly two-week standoff with police, agreeing in a rare compromise to release detainees and return some confiscated land to farmers.

China Opens Annual Economy Planning Conference
(AP, Dec. 12, 2011) An economic planning conference of China's top leaders is expected to endorse fine-tuning of policies to support growth while seeking to keep inflation in check.

Hu Says China to Focus on Expanding Imports
(AP, Dec. 11, 2011) Chinese President Hu Jintao said that China doesn't intentionally pursue a large trade surplus and it will focus on expanding imports in the coming years.

China Leader Warns about Unrest Due to Economy
(AP, Dec. 3, 2011) The Chinese leadership's law-and-order czar is warning that China is ill-prepared for social unrest generated by changes in the economy, in the latest sign that the government is worried about the consequences of flagging growth.

At the G20, Hu Said What When?
(China Real Times Report, Nov. 7, 2011) At the G20 summit in Cannes last week, the Chinese delegation circulated two versions of a speech by Chinese President Hu Jintao: one in English, the other in Chinese.

Dissident Fights PRC in Web School
(China Post, Oct. 2, 2011) Pro-democracy movement activist Wang Dan established in Taiwan, the online branch of the “New School for Democracy,” an education center aimed at spreading the concept of democracy via online lectures.

China Moves Swiftly to Close Chemical Plant After Protests
(New York Times, Aug. 15, 2011) Municipal leaders in a northeastern Chinese port city quickly announced plans to shut down a chemical plant after thousands of protesters confronted riot police officers and demanded that it be closed because of safety concerns.

Vendor’s Death Sparks Riot in Southern Chinese City
(Reuters, Jul. 28, 2011) Angry residents in a southern Chinese city went on the rampage after officials reportedly beat to death a disabled fruit vendor, state media said.

Chinese Street Vendor Dispute Expands into Violent
(New York Times, Jun. 13, 2011) The clash, in Xintang, in south coastal China, was the latest in a series of violent protests that have struck Chinese cities in recent days. 

China Surpasses U.S. As World’s Biggest Energy Consumer
(Fox, Jun. 8, 2011) China surpassed the U.S. last year as the world’s largest energy consumer, according to an annual report by British oil giant BP.

Inner Mongolia Beset by Ethnic Conflict
(CNN, Jun. 3, 2011) There is high tension in Inner Mongolia, China's strategic frontier region, where the deaths of two Mongolians have triggered rare street protests.

Beijing Police Mull Compensation for Tiananmen Dead
(AFP, Jun. 1, 2011) Chinese police have for the first time raised the possibility of compensation for those killed in the crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy protests, families of victims said.

Report: Some Areas in China under Martial Law After Protests
(CNN, May 28, 2011) In an apparent response to days of protests, Chinese authorities have declared martial law in parts of the northeast's inner Mongolia autonomous region, according to Amnesty International.

Series of Blasts Leaves at Least 2 Dead in Southern Chinese City
(New York Times, May 27, 2011) At least two people were killed and six injured by three explosions within an hour on Thursday at different government office buildings in a city in southern China.

China Creates New Agency for Patrolling the Internet
(New York Times, May 5, 2011) A powerful arm of China’s government said that it had created a new central agency to regulate every corner of the nation’s vast Internet community.

Third Day of Shanghai Strike Threatens China Exports
(Reuters, Apr. 22, 2011) Striking truck drivers gathered for a third day in Shanghai’s main harbor district amid heavy policy presence.

Dalai Lama Urges Standoff Restraint
(Reuters, Apr. 17, 2011) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has urged restraint in a stand-off between Chinese security forces and Tibetans at a Buddhist monastery in southwest China, said to have been sparked by the self--immolation of a monk last month.

China Reports Nation’s First Quarterly Trade Deficit in 7 Years
(Bloomberg, Apr. 10, 2011) China’s first quarterly trade deficit in seven years may ease pressure on the world’s biggest exporter to allow faster appreciation of the yuan.

China Steps Up Denunciations of Allied Campaign in Libya
(New York Times, Mar. 23, 2011) China escalated its opposition to American-led airstrikes on Libya, joining Russia and India in calls for an immediate cease-fire.

China’s Wen: Must Balance Jobs and Inflation
(Reuters, Mar. 14, 2011) China faces a tough task in finding a balance between creating jobs and cooling inflation, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said, denying his government risks the kind of political upheaval that has beset parts of the Middle East.

China’s Surprise Trade Deficit May Help Nation Parry U.S. Yuan Criticism (Bloomberg, Mar. 10, 2011) China’s efforts to parry U.S. criticism that its currency is undervalued got a boost from a report showing the world’s second-largest economy unexpectedly posted a $7.3 billion trade deficit.

China Vows No Western-Style Political Reforms
(AP, Mar. 10, 2011)  never adopt multiparty democracy or other Western-style political reforms that could challenge the Communist Party's grip on power, the head of the country's national legislature said.

China Internal Security Spending Jumps Past Army Budget
(Reuters, Mar. 5, 2011) China’s spending on police and domestic surveillance will hit new heights this year, with “public security” outlays outstripping the defense budget for the first time.

Organizers Call for 2nd Round of Demonstrations Across China
(CNN, Feb. 27, 2011) Nearly a week after calls for widespread pro-democracy protests fell flat in China, organizers are making another attempt at rallying support for the so-called "jasmine" demonstrations Sunday.

China’s Wen Vows to Contain Food, Home Prices Amid ‘Jasmine’ Protest Calls (Bloomberg, Feb. 26, 2011) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to curb inflation and punish abuse of power in an online forum with citizens as the government tries to head off dissent amid a renewed call for nationwide “jasmine revolution” protests.

Call for a ‘Jasmine Revolution’ in China Persist
(New York Times, Feb. 24, 2011) A small but stubborn protest movement is continuing calls for demonstrations despite a campaign of arrests and censorship that underscores China’s concern over unrest and revolts in authoritarian countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Ma Hopes China Speeds Up Reforms
(China Post, Feb. 22, 2011) President Ma Ying-jeou expressed the hope that the Chinese mainland will maintain prosperity and development but at the same time accelerate the pace to firmly push forward political reforms for democracy, the rule of law, and safeguard human rights.

China Cracks Down on Call for ‘Jasmine Revolution’
(AP, Feb. 20, 2011) Chinese authorities cracked down on activists as a call circulated online for people to gather in 13 cities Sunday for a "Jasmine Revolution."

China Censors News from Egypt
(Time, Feb. 2, 2011) Everybody’s talking about a revolution. Except, that is, in China.

China Leader Encourages Criticism of Government
(New York Times, Jan. 27, 2011) Prime Minister Wen Jiabao appeared at the nation’s top petition bureau in Beijing, where people go to file grievances, and encouraged citizens to criticize the government and press their cases for justice.

People’s Daily Editorial Defends China’s Political Reform Pace
(Bloomberg, Oct. 27, 2010) China’s Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, disputed criticism that political reform is “lagging” behind economic growth, in what analysts said may be an attack on calls for greater openness by Premier Wen Jiabao.

China to Strengthen Local Demand in Five-Year Plan, Goldman Says (Bloomberg, Oct. 8, 2010) China’s policies over the next five years will focus on boosting domestic consumption and investment to offset an expected slower pace of growth in the global economy that will hurt demand for its goods, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

IMF Seen Hiking Quotas for China, India—Paper
(Reuters, Sep. 18, 2010) The International Monetary Fund will likely raise China's membership quota to as much as 6 percent from 3.9 percent now, putting it in line with Japan.

China Rethinks Its Controversial One-Child Policy
(Independent, Sep. 12, 2010) China's one-child policy could be up for review, as Beijing policymakers worry about the effects of a population ageing fast, with insufficient numbers of youngsters to support them.

PRC Must Pursue Political Reform, Wen Jiabao Says
(Reuters, Aug. 23, 2010) China has to pursue political reform to safeguard its economic health, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said during a visit to the booming town of Shenzhen, Xinhua news agency reported.

Protesters Rally in China, Hong Kong Over Local Dialect
(AFP, Aug. 2, 2010) More than 1,000 protesters rallied in Guangzhou and Hong Kong yesterday against what they say is China’s bid to champion the national language, Mandarin, over their local dialect, Cantonese.

Wen Says China Faces Economic ‘Dilemmas’
(Wall Street Journal, Jul. 5, 2010) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday the country's economic policies "face increasing dilemmas" because the impact of the global financial crisis is more serious than expected.

China’s Inflation Picks Up
(Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2010) Chinese economic data out Tuesday showed that inflation picked up in April and that property prices continue to rise at record speed, while new lending also increased.

China Puts Power on Show at World Expo
(Reuters, Apr. 30, 2010) The Shanghai World Expo opening on Friday is the ruling Chinese Communist Party's latest extravagant use of money, underscoring the extent to which it seeks to brandish its power through flashy spectacle.

China Set to Tighten State-Secrets Law Forcing Internet Firms to Inform on Users (AP, Apr. 28, 2010) China is poised to strengthen a law requiring telecommunications and Internet companies to inform on customers who discuss state secrets.

China Gains Clout in World Bank Vote Shift
(Reuters, Apr. 25, 2010) The agreement increases the voting shares of some emerging and developing countries by 3.13 percent to a total 47 percent stake. It puts China's share behind that of the United States and Japan, but above Germany, Britain and France.

Long-Hated One-Child Rule May Be Eased in China
(AP, Apr. 25, 2010) The long-sacrosanct one-child policy may be on its way out, as some demographers warn that China is facing the opposite problem: not enough babies.

China Economy Grows 11.9%, Pressuring Wen on Yuan Peg
(Bloomberg, Apr. 15, 2010) China’s economic growth accelerated to the fastest pace in almost three years in the first quarter, adding pressure on Premier Wen Jiabao to sever the yuan’s peg to the dollar and raise interest rates.

China Sees First Trade Deficit in Years
(New York Times, Apr. 10, 2010) China announced on Saturday that it had a trade deficit of $7.24 billion last month, its first monthly trade deficit in nearly six years.

Rio Tinto Bribery Case Highlights Tensions with Foreign Business in China (Washington Post, Mar. 23, 2010) The case against Hu comes at a time of heightened tensions between Beijing and the Western business community.

Official in China Says Western-Style Democracy Won’t Take Root There (New York Times, Mar. 21, 2010) A Chinese legislative official has said that China will not adopt Western-style democracy.

World Bank Urges China to Cool Its Economy
(Wall Street Journal, Mar. 16, 2010) The World Bank urged China's government to take more measures to cool its economy and head off inflation, as the bank expects the country's economic growth to accelerate to 9.5% this year.

China Trade Surplus Falls As Import Surge Aids World
(Bloomberg, Mar. 10, 2010) China’s trade surplus shrank to the lowest level in a year in February as a surge in imports signaled the nation may start to outshine the U.S. as a destination for the world’s goods.

Climate Goal Is Supported by China and India
(New York Times, Mar. 10, 2010) China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreement reached in December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up.

China Indicts Rio Tinto Staff on Bribery Charges
(New York Times, Feb. 11, 2010) Chinese prosecutor handed down indictments against an Australian citizen and three Chinese employees of the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, charging them with accepting bribes and stealing trade secrets.

China Allegedly Blacklists Canadian University
(Global Times, Feb. 9, 2010) China's Ministry of Education refused to immediately comment on media reports of its decision to remove Canada's University of Calgary from a list of accredited schools because the latter bestowed an honorary degree on the Dalai Lama last year.

China Sets Up Energy Agency Headed by PM
(AP, Jan. 28, 2010) China has set up a government agency headed by Premier Wen Jiabao to better coordinate energy policy.

China, Conflict in Views Are Major Trends
(China Post, Jan. 19, 2010) China's dominance in the world stage and a tug-of-war between economic optimists and pessimists will be two major economic trends this year, said Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor of The Economist.

China Becomes World’s No. 1 Exporter, Passing Germany
(AP, Jan. 11, 2010) China overtook Germany as the world’s top exporter after China’s December exports jumped 17.7 percent for their first increase in 14 months, data showed.

China Think Tank: Timing Good for Yuan Revaluation
(Dow Jones, Jan. 5, 2010) A prominent Chinese think tank said now is a good time for a 10% revaluation of the yuan as it warned the world's third-largest economy is at risk of asset bubbles and overheating this year.

Dissident from China Arrives in U.S., Ending an Ordeal By Thomas Kaplan, Andrew Jacobs and Steven Lee Myers (New York Times, May 20, 2012)  The State Department praised the Chinese government in a statement that reflected the United States’ handling of the case from the start: understated and nonconfrontational, despite the emotions and high stakes involved for both countries.

Diplomats and Dissidents By Bill Keller
(New York Times, May 14, 2012) The case of the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is a good occasion to contemplate the perennial tension between our respect for human rights and our need to deal with undemocratic regimes.

Does the Law Matter in China? By Nicholas Bequelin
(New York Times, May 14, 2012) The rule of law has become a central demand of the Chinese citizenry, and grievances are increasingly framed in the language of rights. The law matters.

China’s Growth Slows, and Its Political Model Shows Limits By Edward Wong (New York Times, May 11, 2012) With the recent political upheavals, and a growing number of influential voices demanding a resurrection of freer economic policies, it appears that China’s sense of triumphalism was, at best, premature, and perhaps seriously misguided. 

Awaiting the ‘Fifth Modernization’ By Joschka Fisher
(Project Syndicate, Apr. 29, 2012) The contribution of Asia — China in particular — to the development of universal values is not yet foreseeable, but it will surely come if the “fifth modernization” leads to China’s political transformation. Beijing’s course as a world power will be determined to a significant extent by the way it confronts this question.

For Beijing, No Easy Path for Change
(Reuters, Apr. 23, 2012) Even with structural change, the Chinese economy is likely to grow at a rate nearer 5 percent than 10 percent by the end of the decade. Its mainly poor population will be aging rapidly and its companies will face stronger foreign competition in developed markets.

The Not-So-Great Firewall of China By Rebecca Mackinnon
(Foreign Policy, Apr. 17, 2012) Thanks to the Internet in general and social media in particular, the Chinese people now have a mechanism to hold authorities accountable for wrongdoing -- at least sometimes -- without any actual political or legal reforms having taken place.

Change in China Steadily Wrought by Internet By Andrew S. Ross
(San Francisco Chronicle, Mar. 31, 2012) Democratization is necessary, for reforms need to go forward, but there’s also a need for stability. Anything that veers from stability is not welcome.

Wen Signals Something New By Francesco Sisci
(PacNet #20, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Mar. 26, 2012) After years of delay, crackdowns, and failures, the time seems to have arrived for political reform in China.

Economist: World Bank Suggestions for China Reform “Garbage” By Liyan Qi and Tom Orlik (China Real Time Report, Mar. 27, 2012) The World Bank’s 2030 report on the reform priorities for the Chinese economy is “mainly garbage” according to an economist at Beijing’s Renmin University.

Why Do We Continue to Ignore China’s Rise? Arrogance By Martin Jacques (Guardian, Mar. 25, 2012) China is, indeed, in so many ways, not like the west. It is not even primarily a nation state but a civilization state. Whereas the west has primarily been shaped by its experience of nation, China has been moulded by its sense of civilization. 

Beijing Switches Sides in the Race for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Mar. 22, 2012) China’s leaders have begun actively supporting a populist to become the next chief executive of Hong Kong in elections this Sunday, abandoning their previous private support for a wealthy civil servant whose candidacy has been plagued by scandals.

In Hong Kong Elections, Some Chinese See Enviable Openness By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Mar. 17, 2012) One of the most striking features of the election campaign here, and the development that may cause the greatest discomfiture in Beijing, is that all three candidates are vying to outdo each other in allowing greater democracy in Hong Kong, as a way to increase their standings in polls of the general public.

China Targets Detention Practices That Have Left Families in the Dark By Jeremy Page (Wall Street Journal, Mar. 8, 2012) China's parliament unveiled legislation that restricts police powers to detain people at undisclosed locations without informing their families—a move hailed as a small victory for legal reformers who led a public outcry last year against legalizing the practice.

Rebel Village Vote: No Big Deal? By Zachary Wei
(China Real Time Report, Mar. 5, 2012) While the run-up to the weekend electionsin the rebel fishing village of Wukan in southern China’s Guangdong province caused a media stir, the provincial party chief, Wang Yang, has gone out of his way to play things down.

Protest’s Success May Not Change China By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Mar. 4, 2012) Some observers of China’s politics say they believe that Wukan is not a template for change, but a feel-good moment in a sophisticated system that handles citizen unrest on a case-by-case basis — iron fist here, velvet glove there.

Chinese Who Ousted Village Leaders Head to Polls in Test of Grass-roots Democracy (AP, Mar. 3, 2012) Villagers who rebelled against officials they accused of stealing their farmland voted for new leaders on Saturday in a much-watched election reformers hope will promote democracy as a way to settle many of the myriad disputes besetting China.

Legalizing the Tools of Repression By Nicholas Bequelin
(New York Times, Mar. 1, 2012) Whether Xi Jinping and the new leadership will be more inclined than Hu to address public concerns and engage in reforms remains anyone’s guess. But if the security services solidify their power further, they may pose a greater challenge to reform down the line.

Deadly Clashes Erupt in Western China By Edward Wong
(New York Times, Mar. 1, 2012) An outburst of violence in a remote desert region of western China has underscored the tensions over Chinese rule in ethnic-minority areas just days before an important national policy meeting in Beijing.

Hong Kong Election Stirs Up Democratic Fever By Jeffrey Ng and Chester Yung (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 20, 2012) Elections to pick Hong Kong's next leader are just a month away, and pressure is mounting on Beijing to better account for Hong Kong public opinion as the prospects for its preferred candidate grow increasingly slim.

China: How to Translate Hard Power at Home into Soft Power Abroad By Frank Ching (YaleGlobal, Feb. 8, 2012) In taking the offensive on soft power, China has been defensive and insecure, Ching reports, even in Hong Kong where a majority seems to identify with the former British colony rather than China.

As Canadian Talk Business, China’s Longtime Stance of Noninterference Is Tested By Ian Johnson and Michael Wines (New York Times, Feb. 11, 2012) As China’s global commercial and diplomatic interests mushroom, it is being confronted with decisions that are drawing it ever more steadily into internal disputes in other nations.

Why Beijing Votes with Moscow By Minxin Pei
(New York Times, Feb. 8, 2012) The most important factor in China’s decision had little to do with Beijing-Damascus ties, and everything to do with its diplomatic cooperation with Moscow.

Chinese Leader Backs Land Rights By Brian Spegele
(Wall Street Journal, Feb. 6, 2012) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for better protection for the land rights of farmers during a visit to southern Guangdong province. The comments appeared to be a signal of support for Guangdong's provincial party secretary, Wang Yang.

Residents Vote in Chinese Village at Center of Protest By Andrew Jacobs (New York Times, Feb. 2, 2012) Thousands of people in the southern Chinese village of Wukan did something that many once thought unimaginable: They cast ostensibly independent ballots in the first step to determine the leadership of their seaside village in Guangdong Province.

China’s Real Rise—in Wukan’s Village Election
(Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 31, 2012) Wukan’s newfound freedom has inspired other villages to wonder if they can be next. With the help of the Internet, a rice-roots movement could easily spread as more Chinese throw off the self-limiting notion that they are not ready for the rough-and-tumble of open politics, as in Taiwan.

Chinese Crackdown Seals off Ethnic Unrest By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Jan. 29, 2012) Faced with the largest outbreak of Tibetan unrest since riots in Lhasa and elsewhere in 2008, the government is taking no chances that the turmoil — which has included Chinese forces firing on and killing some demonstrators — will spread.

China’s Hidden Wealth Feeds an Income Gap By Didi Kirsten Tatlow
(New York Times, Jan. 26, 2012) The rich were hiding their wealth, and society was far more unequal than the government was admitting — a politically sensitive subject.

China Says Tibetan Monks Rioted, Provoking Deadly Confrontation By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Jan. 24, 2012) The official version and the version put forward by overseas Tibetan groups both seemed to suggest that the confrontation may have been the most violent since a series of large-scale protests rocked Tibetan-populated regions in early 2008.

Global Implications of China’s Challenges—Part II By Borje Ljunggren (YaleGlobal, Jan. 18, 2012) The Wukan incident and the ad hoc manner in which ‘mass incidents’ are handled raise fundamental questions about accountability and governance.

Why China Is Weak on Soft Power By Joseph S. Nye Jr.
(New York Times, Jan. 18, 2012) What China seems not to appreciate is that using culture and narrative to create soft power is not easy when they are inconsistent with domestic realities.

China Turns Predominantly Urban By Jeremy Page and Bob Davis
(Wall Street Journal, Jan. 18, 2012) China has announced that people living in its towns and cities now outnumber those in the countryside, making it a predominantly urban nation for the first time in Chinese civilization. However, transfer of millions to cities is double-edged sword.

Protester Is Made a Boss by the Party He Defied By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Jan. 17, 2012) In an unlikely coda to the citizen takeover last month of Wukan, the local Communist Party has selected the protest leader to be the village’s new party secretary.

Introducing: China Real Time’s China Econtracker By Tom Orlik
(China Real Time Report, Jan. 17, 2012) To save readers the trouble of getting lost for hours in the maze of Beijing’s Internet, China Real Time is today launching the China Econtracker, an interactive tool for tracking China’s economy.

Global Implications of China’s Challenges—Part I By Thomas Fingar
(YaleGlobal, Jan. 16, 2012) Integration with the global economy, an accomplishment for China since 1978, has the potential for triggering domestic disruptions, and China may be uniquely vulnerable to developments beyond its borders and beyond its control.

China’s 2012 Challenges By Andrew S. Erickson and Gabe Collins
(The Diplomat, Jan. 8, 2012) Here outlined are twelve key items and issues that will help define 2012 for China, both at home and abroad.

China’s New Leaders Get in Line By Jeremy Page
(Wall Street Journal, Jan. 3, 2012) China begins a once-a-decade leadership change in 2012 that could paralyze decision-making, stir infighting and expose flaws in an ossified political system—just when urgent action is needed to steer the world's second-largest economy.

In China, the Grievances Keep Coming By Yu Hua
(New York Times, Jan. 2, 2012) A peculiar feature of Chinese society is that a complaint process runs parallel to, but outside, the legal system.

A Chinese Official Tests a New Political Approach By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Dec. 31, 2011) Given a choice of storming the village with armed police officers or conceding that the villagers’ complaints had merit, Mr. Wang Yang chose the latter.

China’s Shaky Economic Foundation By Joshua Muldavin
(New York Times, Dec. 31, 2011) Beijing’s success in quelling daily unrest around the country, mainly through the use of local officials as scapegoats, fails to address the fundamental problem: a development path built on an eroding foundation of unjust land grabs, environmental destruction, social polarization and the resulting vulnerability of the country’s poorest and most marginal people.

Will Wukan Be the New Normal? By Russell Leigh Moses
(China Real Time Report, Dec. 28, 2011) It is tempting but wrong to think that the peaceful end to the standoff in Wukan between local officials and villagers heralds an important shift in the way the Communist Party handles unrest.

Dealing with China’s Troubles
(Editorial, New York Times, Dec. 27, 2011) China’s economy seems to be in trouble, which could be a very big problem for the world unless China’s leaders and trading partners ensure that economic strains in the world’s largest exporting nation do not lead to trade confrontations around the globe.

A Village in Revolt Could Be a Harbinger for China By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Dec. 26, 2011) Wukan’s uprising highlighted systemic defects in China’s local governments, and only a housecleaning — not an isolated slap on the wrist — will address them. The trouble is that almost nobody benefits from a housecleaning.

Wukan Uprising Highlights Dilemmas of Preserving Stability By Peter Mattis (China Brief 11(23), Jamestown Foundation, Dec. 20, 2011) The continuing standoff and decisions on how to resolve the situation facing authorities highlight some of the major concerns and contradictions in how Beijing preserves stability.

Canny Villagers Grasp Keys to Loosen China’s Muzzle By Edward Wong (New York Times, Dec. 23, 2011) Revolt or not, the protest over land sales in Wukan was sustained in its final and most perilous phase by the villagers’ canny interactions with journalists from foreign and Hong Kong news organizations.

Wukan Protest: Will Rights Awareness Spread? By Stanley Lubman
(China Real Time Report, Dec. 23, 2011)  The events of Wukan raise the question of what Beijing can do to address a nationwide problem in a comprehensive fashion that could strengthen rights consciousness and the rule of law, rather than treat each protest as an isolated incident.

Will China Break? By Paul Krugman
(New York Times, Dec. 19, 2011) China is emerging as another danger spot in a world economy that really, really doesn’t need this right now.

Land Dispute in China Town Sparks Revolt By Jeremy Page and Brian Spegele (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 15, 2011) A fishing village of about 20,000 people in southern China is in open revolt against the local government a day after it announced the death in police custody of a villager who had led protests over an alleged land grab, according to residents.

Leaders in Beijing Pledge to Ramp Up Spending By Aaron Back
(Wall Street Journal, Dec. 15, 2011) The statement comes as Chinese authorities have shifted their focus away from controlling inflation and toward insulating China from Europe's economic troubles, which have already hurt Chinese export growth.

A Novel Approach to Public Anxiety in China: Nip It in the Bud By Russell Leigh Moses (China Real Time Report, Dec. 13, 2011) Officials at different levels of government are tasked to follow claims of distress from the outset, and to visit the people or local communities that file complaints. Dispute mediation centers, as well as administrative service offices, are staffed to prevent small problems from escalating into social confrontations with Party and government officials.

Power in Numbers: China Aims for High-Tech Primacy By David Barboza and John Markoff (New York Times, Dec. 6, 2011) If the future of the Internet is already in China, is the future of computing there as well? Many experts in the United States say it could very well be. 

Alarmed by Independent Candidates, Chinese Authorities Crack Down By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Dec. 5, 2011) A final assessment is still months away. But Li Fan, an election expert who has been monitoring the elections around the country, said the votes were more rigged than ever.

Will China Stumble? Don’t Bet on It By Steven Rattner
(New York Times, Dec. 3, 2011) China’s economic success is colored by its opaque political system, repressive and riddled with corruption. But the unusual mix of authoritarianism and free enterprise should continue to work because of its ability to deliver rising incomes, satisfying a populace that appears more interested in economic advancement than in democracy.

Poor Rural Villages Show China’s Economic Dilemma By Michael Bristow (BBC, Nov. 29, 2011) The debt problems in Europe have led many to hope that China will use its financial muscle to save the world. But China has its own pressing economic problems.

China Labor Unrest Linked to Global Economic Slowdown, Europe Debt Crisis By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Nov. 27, 2011) In another sign of the impact on China’s economy of Europe’s debt crisis and the U.S. economic slowdown, factories in southern Guangdong province, the country’s manufacturing heartland, have been the target of a recent wave of labor strikes.

China, the ‘Leading Dragon’ of the World Economy By Justin Yifu Lin (BBC, Nov. 24, 2011) Whether we are on the verge of an “Asian Century” or not, one thing is clear: there has already been a dramatic shift in the geographic center of the world economy.

Europe’s Debt Crisis Takes Toll in China As Exports Slow By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Nov. 23, 2011) And in a further sign of just how badly the continuing debt crisis in the euro-zone economies is affecting China, a few economists here are even speculating that China could soon see its first trade deficit in two decades.

In Search of Leverage with China By Judy Dempsey
(New York Times, Nov. 22, 2011) China’s bilateral approach to each member state and the pull of short-term national interests is leading to a fragmentation of E.U.-China policy.

Chinese Chafe at Limits to Power By Zhu Feng
(Project Syndicate, Nov. 8, 2011) China’s neighbors will not be reliably good to Chinese interests unless and until China begins to provide essential public goods — not just commerce, but also full-fledged regional governance based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and regional economic growth.

Wen Jiabao Reveals His Family Was Persecuted under Mao By Malcolm Moore (Telegraph, Nov. 2, 2011) Wen Jiabao, has revealed how his family were “constantly persecuted” during the darkest years of Chairman Mao’s rule, in a speech that may be a warning to the hardline faction within the Communist party not to repeat the mistakes of history.

China in the G20: a Balancer and a Responsible Contributor By Wang Yong (PacNet #61, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Nov. 1, 2011) It seems that based on its own interests, China is choosing to become a responsible contributor to global governance and wants to become part of the solution to the current global crisis.

A New Theory for China’s Next Generation of Leaders: The Three Blurs? By James T. Areddy (China Real Time Report, Nov. 4, 2011) China’s leaders will no longer be able to draw clear lines between domestic and international policymaking. Also, governing portfolios will overlap, as areas like security crowd into economics. The Internet represents the third leg of the theory, with the virtual world blurring into the real one.

In China, Political Outsiders Turn to Microblog Campaigns By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Nov. 1, 2011) This year’s push by outsiders to infiltrate China’s local political process is creating ripples, partly because of the momentum and visibility they are building via Twitter-like services on the Chinese Internet.

China Is Asked for Investment in Euro Rescue By Liz Alderman and David Barboza (New York Times, Oct. 29, 2011) A day after European leaders unveiled their latest plan to save the euro, top officials opened talks with China in an effort to lure tens of billions of dollars in additional cash, giving China perhaps its biggest opportunity yet to exercise financial clout in the Western world.

Dragon Tail Risk: The Cost of a China Crash By Emily Kaiser
(Reuters, Oct. 24, 2011) Because of their close trade links, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong would be among the first to feel the pain should China's growth weaken dramatically.

China’s Export Growth Eases Amid Global Turmoil By Bettina Wassener (New York Times, Oct. 14, 2011) The global reach of the economic turmoil in Europe and the United States was underlined by weaker-than-expected export data from China.

Public Security Officially Joins the Blogosphere By Peter Mattis
(China Brief 11(18), Jamestown Foundation, Sep. 30, 2011) The Ministry of Public Security announced the national launch of "police microblogging construction" (gong’an weibo jianshe) as the newest element in its social management toolkit and public security informationization.

China Begins to Watch Out By Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore
(Inter Press Service, Sep. 29, 2011) The government is leading a high-profile campaign against corruption amid growing public frustration. But despite the crackdown, bribery and graft are still widespread in massive state-run corporations, with a lack of free media or independent courts paving the way for abuse.

Slowdown, Debt Worries in China Add to Global Anxiety By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Sep. 23, 2011) To the long list of global economic anxieties — slow growth and high unemployment in the United States, the debt crisis in the euro zone, instability in the oil-producing Middle East — add a new concern: China.

More Stimulus May Not Be on Option for China By Didi Kirsten Tatlow (IHT, Sep. 22, 2011) Beijing’s main message to the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank is likely to be a pragmatic one: we may be growing, but we have our own worries, so don’t expect much help from us.

China Plays Hard Ball By Francois Godement
(YaleGlobal, Sep. 19, 2011) European nations deep in debt are playing a dangerous game with China by teasing global markets. Neither borrowers nor would-be rescuers offer transparency about how much European debt China holds.

When Wen Speaks, Who Is Listening? By Russell Leigh Moses
(China Realtime Report, Sep. 19, 2011) Premier Wen Jiabao threw himself and his allies back into the stalled conversation about political reform late last week, reviving the question how authentic his commitment to that reform actually is.

China Ties Aiding Europe to Its Own Trade Goals By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Sep. 15, 2011) Premier Wen Jiabao offered to help Europe. But, in an unprecedented move for China, he linked the offer to a potentially onerous demand: that Europe renounce its main legal defense against low-priced Chinese exports

China See Surge of Independent Candidates By Keith B. Richburg
(Washington Post, Sep. 9, 2011) All across China, scores of ordinary citizens are challenging the Communist Party’s ironclad grip on political life, launching full-blown campaigns outside its grasp for local “people’s congresses.”

Militant Band Claims Role in Western China Attacks By Michael Wines (New York Times, Sep. 9, 2011) An Islamic group said to be tied to Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility in an online video for recent violent attacks that killed dozens in China’s western Xinjiang region.

More Chinese Dissidents Appear to Disappear By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Sep. 3, 2011) China now is answering complaints by rights activists that the disappearances of those and other Chinese are unlawful and potentially inhumane: It is rewriting the national criminal procedure code to make them legal.

Rising Voice By Li Min
(China Watch, Aug. 30, 2011) Micro-bloggers demonstrated unfamiliar power: They broke the news (of train crash), joined the rescue team, helped survivors and families of victims, and monitored the authorities who were investigating the accident.

Libya Policy a Balancing Act for China By Andrew Higgins
(Washington Post, Aug. 27, 2011) Responding to the collapse of Gaddafi’s rule this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said curtly that Beijing respected “the choice of the Libyan people.”

China Environmental Protests a Victory for People Over Party? Not So Past By Russell Leigh Moses (China Realtime Report, Aug. 17, 2011) Public resistance and activism can prompt leaders to pause, and even reverse decisions that provoke outrage. And sometimes, as in Dalian, they might move to accelerate a plan that’s already been approved. But that’s about all.

China Starts Two-Month Security Crackdown in Western Region By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Aug. 17, 2011) China announced a two-month “strike hard” security campaign in the troubled western region of Xinjiang.

Protest Over Chemical Plant Shows Growing Pressure on China From Citizens By Sharon LaFraniere and Michael Wines (New York Times, Aug. 16, 2011) More than international prestige or even economic might, the top priority of China’s leadership is to maintain stability among this nation’s vast and varied population.

Chinese Fault Beijing Over Foreign Reserves By Keith Gradsher
(New York Times, Aug. 9, 2011) It is not just many Americans who are upset about the Standard & Poor’s downgrade of United States debt. A lot of people in China are angry, too. But they are aiming their venom at the Chinese government.

China Blames Foreign-Trained Separatists for Attacks in Xinjiang By Michael Wines (New York Times, Aug. 1, 2011) Chinese authorities accused Pakistan-trained Uighur separatists of planning and executing the first of two deadly attacks over the weekend that struck the ancient Silk Road town of Kashgar in China’s far-western Xinjiang region.

Water Challenges Asia’s Rising Powers—Part I By Keith Schneider
(YaleGlobal, Jul. 12, 2011)  Food and energy production depend on water while China is getting drier: Water reserves are down 13 percent from 2000. China’s ongoing rapid development could lead to water shortages sure to rattle food, energy and water prices worldwide.

China’s Boom Is Beginning to Show Cracks, Analysts Say By David Barboza (New York Times, Jun. 21, 2011) New economic analyses of China provide further indication that the nation’s supercharged economy is beginning to slow, and warn that soaring inflation, rising labor costs and mounting local government debt threaten to weaken growth even more.

Insecure at the Top in China By Didi Kirsten Tatlow
(New York Times, Jun. 16, 2011) Key reasons for CCP’s unpopularity are corruption, and its regular resort to violence when people ask for more oversight of government.

US Seeks to Fund ‘Shadow’ Internet to Defeat Censors
(New York Times, Jun. 13, 2011) The Obama administration is leading a global effort to deploy “shadow” Internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use to undermine repressive governments that seek to silence them.

Ethnic Protests in China Have Lengthy Roots By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Jun. 11, 2011) The ethnic Mongolian protests that have swept a number of cities in recent weeks are a sobering reminder that government largess, assimilation or an iron fist cannot entirely extinguish the yearnings of some of China’s 55 ethnic minorities.

China Appears to Be Moving to Halt Grass-Roots Candidates By Michael Wines (New York Times, Jun. 10, 2011) The Chinese authorities appear to be restricting attempts by a handful of citizens to run in local legislative elections as self-proclaimed independent candidates.

China’s New Independents Tap Social Media to Challenge Communist Party By Peter Ford (Christian Science Monitor, Jun. 8, 2011) As local government elections get underway nationwide in China, a new breed of independent would-be politician is emerging to challenge the ruling Communist party’s near total stranglehold on political power.

China Model Unfinished without Social Solutions
(Global Times, Jun. 6, 2011) With China now the world's second largest economy, is conflict with the US inevitable? Will social issues hold China back from claiming the top spot? Global Times talked to Cheng Li , research director of the John L.Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, on these issues.

Advice for China By Thomas L. Friedman
(New York Times, Jun. 5, 2011) If you want to know what brings about revolutions, it is not G.D.P. rising or falling, says Aron, “it is the quest for dignity.”

Chinese Citizens Challenge the Party’s Authoritarian Tilt By Willy Lam (China Brief 11(10), Jamestown Foundation, Jun. 3, 2011) In what pundits have billed as a battle between David and Goliath, Chinese citizens appear to be pushing back on the all-powerful party-and-state apparatus that increasingly seems out of touch with popular aspirations.

China’s Adaptive Approach to the Information Counter-Revolution By Peter Mattis (China Brief 11(10), Jamestown Foundation, Jun. 3, 2011) The Chinese Ministry of Public Security announced a series of new measures that closely follow the central government's draconian response to stamp out jasmine-related events in 13 different cities after the Arab spring.

If Protests and Crackdowns Continue, China Risks Dark Future By Max Fisher (The Atlantic, Jun. 2, 2011) China's dilemma is the same one experienced by autocratic regimes across the globe: a too-successful crackdown risks creating only more dissent, which will require even stronger crackdowns.

Ambitious Plan for China’s Water Crisis Spurs Concern By Edward Wong (New York Times, Jun. 2, 2011) The engineering feat, called the South-North Water Diversion Project, is China’s most ambitious attempt to subjugate nature.

China Crisis Over Yangtze River Drought Forces Drastic Dam Measures By Jonathan Watts (Guardian, May 25, 2011) The drastic measure comes amid warnings of power shortages and highlights the severity of the dry spell in the Yangtze delta, which supports 400 million people and 40% of China's economic activity.

China Tries to Cure a Happiness Deficit By Keith B. Richburg
(Washington Post, May 15, 2011) After three decades of pushing ever-higher growth rates and exhorting their countrymen that “to get rich is glorious,” China’s Communist Party rulers have recently rolled out a new economic mantra: be happy.

ODI Set to Overtake FDI ‘Within Three Years’ By Ding Qingfen
(Chinawatch, May 13, 2011) With an annual growth rate of "20 to 30 percent", outbound direct investment (ODI) will overtake foreign direct investment (FDI) "within three years", a senior Ministry of Commerce official said.

Despite Restrictions, Microblogs Catch on in China By David Barboza (New York Times, May 16, 2011) What is striking is that microblog services are booming here despite a recent Chinese government crackdown on social networking sites in the wake of democracy demonstrations in North Africa and the Middle East.

Beijing Blames Foreigners for Its Fears of Unrest By Edward Wong and Jonathan Ansfield (New York Times, May 9, 2011) Good will between the United States and China is scarce. At the meetings this week, the Americans are expected to talk bluntly about human rights, while the Chinese government has already increased its criticism of the Wes.

China’s Future: Growing Old Before Growing Rich By Mark Mackinnon and Carolynne Wheeler (Globe and Mail, Apr. 29, 2011) Figures released Thursday from China’s once-a-decade census show a population of nearly 1.34 billion people, but one that is aging quickly. 

China’s Plan to Cut Taxes Puts Burden on Wealthy By Ian Johnson
(New York Times, Apr. 21, 2011) News reports have said the increase is a way to reduce the tax burden on low- to middle-income earners — a highly delicate issue in China, which has one of the largest gaps between rich and poor in the world. 

Inflation in China Poses Big Threat to Global Trade By David Barboza (New York Times, Apr. 18, 2011) Inside China, inflation also poses a threat to social stability, a particular worry for Beijing, especially since authoritarian governments in North Africa and the Middle East have become the focus of popular uprisings.

Fast Growth and Inflation Threaten to Overheat Chinese Economy By David Barboza (New York Times, Apr. 16, 2011) Fast growth has fired up the country’s economic engines, but it has also led to stubbornly high inflation, which threatens to overheat the economy and undermine the long-running boom that the country has experienced.

U.S. and China Agree to a Process to Analyze Risks in Economies Worldwide By Binyamin Appelbaum (New York Times, Apr. 16, 2011) The United States and China agreed to participate in a new international process that will review the risks that major economic powers pose to each other and to global growth and development.

China Policy Main Topic for the G-20 By Binyamin Appelbaum
(New York Times, Apr. 14, 2011) The United States and its allies, frustrated in their efforts to pressure China directly to change its economic policies, are seeking to enlist other developing nations in an international campaign that China may find more palatable.

China’s Looming Labor Supply Challenge? By Jianmin Li
(China Brief 11(6), Jamestown Foundation, Apr. 8, 2011) Fundamental shifts in the long-term supply of labor resources have had a profound impact on China's economic development.

China Bubble: Empty Mega Mall and Million Dollar Pooch By Vikram Mansharamani (YaleGlobal, Apr. 6, 2011) China remains one of the world’s fastest growing economies, yet numerous signs point to a speculative mania underway.

As China Ages, Birthrate Policy May Prove Difficult to Reverse By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Apr. 7, 2011) Economists contend that China’s low birthrate, once an economic advantage, is now destined to clip the nation’s economic growth.

Where ‘Jasmine’ Means Tea, Not a Revolution By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Apr. 3, 2011) Educated, white-collar workers are emblematic of an increasingly self-confident Chinese middle class willing to cut the government slack over its strictures and imperfections.

Responsible China Gets What It Wants By Benjamin A Shobert
(Asia Times, Apr. 1, 2011) A report commissioned by the Congressional US-China Economic and Security Review Commission shows that China is developing an increasingly mature understanding of how, when and where to leverage its power within the context and confines of the international rule sets.

Wary of Unrest, China Cracks Down on Dissent By Barbara Demick
(LA Times, Apr. 2, 2011) This time, the crackdown by the Chinese government appears to have staying power — and some observers say it may have more to do with a power struggle within the Communist Party than any threat from without.

China’s Repression Undoes Its Charm Offensive By Joseph S. Nye
(Washington Post, Mar. 25, 2011) Over the past decade, China’s economic and military might have grown impressively. But that has frightened its neighbors into looking for allies to balance rising Chinese hard power. The key is that if a country can also increase its power of attraction, its neighbors feel less need to balance its power.

Beijing’s Blueprint for Tackling Mass Incidents and Social Management By Willy Lam (China Brief 11(5), Jamestown Foundation, Mar. 25, 2011) The outline of China’s 12th Five-Year Blueprint on Economic and Social Development for 2011 to 2015 had a lot to say about the Chinese Communist Party’s new imperative of imposing tighter control over the populace.

Syrian Sauce for the Chinese Gander By Peter Lee
(Asia Times, Mar. 26, 2011) For the Chinese leadership, the ominous tottering of Middle East dominoes - and the foundations of authoritarian doctrine - continues. The Chinese media have become fixated on Libya as an object lesson of the dangers of revolutionary and humanitarian enthusiasm run amok.

China Denies Obstructing Google’s Gmail Service By Tania Branigan (Guardian, Mar. 22, 2011) China has dismissed Google's allegation that Beijing is hampering access to its email service as "unacceptable". The internet provider said it believed government blocks were responsible for technical problems using Gmail from China.

China and the Libyan Muddle By Peter Lee
(Asia Times, Mar. 19, 2011) The most interesting and dangerous element in the no-fly-zone debate is the dawning awareness that ''Responsibility to Protect'' - R2P aka humanitarian intervention in do-gooder jargon - is not just a Western monopoly.

Slowdown in China Is Imminent By Barry Eichengreen
(Project Syndicate, Mar. 12, 2011) Are China’s leaders again underestimating their economy’s growth capacity? Or might their forecasts of slower growth just be another Machiavellian ploy to deflect foreign pressure to revalue the yuan? There is reason to think not.

Don’t Look for Jasmine Revolution or Tea in China By Frank Ching
(YaleGlobal, Mar. 7, 2011) The tough reaction – combined with recently unveiled Chinese budgets that devote more funds to internal security than external threats – signals a government that doesn’t trust its people or its ability to handle internal disagreements without force.

Dalai Lama Gives Up Political Role By Jim Yardley and Edward Wong
(New York Times, Mar. 11, 2011) The Dalai Lama announced that he would formally relinquish his political leadership role in the Tibetan exile government.

China Tracks Foreign Journalists By Sharon LeFraniere and Edward Wong (New York Times, Mar. 7, 2011) The spread of revolution in the Middle East has prompted the authorities to track and detain foreign reporters in the same manner as political dissidents.

China: When the Party Is Over By Benjamin A Shobert
(Asia Times, Mar. 5, 2011) There are dire predictions of the impact on China's internal politics when its leaders can no longer provide rapid growth.

China to Unveil Its Strategy to Rebalance Robust Economy By Michael Wines (New York Times, Mar. 3, 2011) The two annual meetings will unveil China’s latest five-year plan, which calls for a shift away from an economy based on exports and public works projects to one powered by consumer spending.

Chinese Move to Stop Reporting on Protests By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Mar. 2, 2011) The Chinese police have moved to prevent reporters and photographers from covering any potential public protests by establishing “no reporting” zones in Shanghai and Beijing.

China Issues Warning on Climate and Growth By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Mar. 1, 2011) China’s environment minister issued an unusually stark warning that the nation’s current path could stifle long-term economic growth and feed social instability.

China Tamps Down Middle East-Inspired Protests Before They Can Gain Momentum By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Feb. 27, 2011) Police and security officials displayed a massive show of force in many Chinese cities Sunday, trying to snuff out any hint of protests modeled on the uprisings in the Middle East.

Smelling Salts for China’s Jasmine Dream By Peter Lee
(Asia Times, Feb. 26, 2011) As the elites and pro-democracy camp pursue divergent fantasies, the people-powered dream could end up being much like post-communist Russia; a messy militocracy

Nervous about Unrest, Chinese Authority Block Web Site, Search Terms By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Feb. 25, 2011) Chinese authorities continued to tighten controls on Internet use Friday in the face of murky calls for "jasmine rallies" to emulate the anti-government protests convulsing the Middle East and North Africa.

When Millennia-Old Mummies Threaten National Identity By James Cuno (YaleGlobal, Feb. 23, 2011) Chinese authorities have faced an intermittent separatist movement of nationalist Uighurs, and Uighur nationalists have used evidence from the mummies – whose corpses span thousands of years – to support historical claims to the region.

Chinese Government Responds to Call for Protests By Andrew Jacobs (New York Times, Feb. 21, 2011) Skittish domestic security officials responded with a mass show of force across China on Sunday after anonymous calls for protesters to stage a Chinese “Jasmine Revolution” went out over social media and microblogging outlets.

China’s Wen, in the Twilight of His Premiership, Takes on Reformer’s Role By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Feb. 15, 2011) Nearing the end of his premiership, Wen is quietly building an image as a crusader for more openness and accountability within the country's tightly closed, authoritarian political system.

Beijing Looks Warily at Egypt Uprising By Barbara Demick
(LA Times, Feb. 13, 2011) Wary of the parallels between Tahrir and Tiananmen, Beijingis hardly celebrating the popular uprising in Egypt that brought down an authoritarian regime.

Can the Internet Tame Governments?—Part II By Borje Ljunggren
(YaleGlobal, Feb. 11, 2011)  China has more internet users than any other nation. As penetration expands beyond 30 percent, the challenges grow. The party leadership knows it must control with care.

Beijing Wary of “Color Revolutions” Sweeping Middle East/North Africa By Willy Lam (China Brief 11(2), Jamestown Foundation, Feb. 10, 2011) Top cadres including Premier Wen Jiabao are pulling out all the stops to convince China’s underclasses that Beijing will be spending more on social-welfare benefits, in part ostensibly to stem popular unrest.

U.N. Food Agency Issues Warning on China Drought By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Feb. 9, 2011) The United Nations’ food agency issued an alert warning that a severe drought was threatening the wheat crop in China, the world’s largest wheat producer, and resulting in shortages of drinking water for people and livestock.

China, Twitter and 20-Year-Olds vs. the Pyramids By Thomas L. Friedman (New York Times, Feb. 6, 2011) I’m convinced that the forces that were upholding the status quo here for so long have finally met an engine of change that is even more powerful: China, Twitter and 20-year-olds.

Crops Wither and Prices Rise in Chinese Drought By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Feb. 4, 2011) A severe drought in northern China has badly damaged the winter wheat crop and left the ground very dry for the spring planting, fueling inflation and alarming China’s leaders.

Wary of Egypt Unrest, China Censors Web By Edward Wong and David Barboza (New York Times, Feb. 1, 2011) Censoring the Internet is not the only approach. The Chinese government has also tried to get out ahead of the discussion, framing the Egyptian protests in a few editorials and articles in state-controlled news publications as a chaotic affair.

Ending of Beijing’s Surplus Is on Horizon By Martin Feldstein
(Project Syndicate, Jan. 31, 2011) The policies China will adopt as part of its new five-year plan will shrink its trade and current-account surpluses. It is possible that, before the end of the decade, China’s current-account surplus will move into deficit. 

China Is Walking a Democratic Path By Steven Hill
(Project Syndicate, Jan. 30, 2011) Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping was quoted in 1987 as saying that there would be national elections in 50 years. China’s democratic trajectory generates little fanfare, but it may actually deliver on Deng’s promise ahead of schedule.

When Innovation, Too, Is Made in China By Steve Lohr
(New York Times, Jan. 2, 2011) As a national strategy, China is trying to build an economy that relies on innovation rather than imitation.

China’s Ability to Feed Its People Questioned by UN Expert By Jonathan Watts (Guardian, Dec. 23, 2010) China's ability to feed a fifth of the world's population will become tougher because of land degradation, urbanization and over-reliance on fossil-fuels and fertilizer, a United Nations envoy warned.

China’s Clouded Lens By David Ignatius
(Washington Post, Dec. 8, 2010) For all the country's prosperity and seeming confidence, its leaders are preoccupied with problems of internal growth and political stability. They see policy debates with the West through this clouded lens.

19 Countries to Skip Nobel Ceremony, While China Offers Its Own Prize By Alan Cowell (New York Times, Dec. 8, 2010) Nineteen governments have said their ambassadors will not attend a ceremony this week awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Chinese Export Regions Face Labor Shortages By Edward Wong
(New York Times, Nov. 30, 2010) Two of China’s main export manufacturing areas are suffering from an acute shortage of migrant workers, giving laborers more leverage over wages and curtailing the expansion plans of some companies.

Beijing Wages Economic Diplomacy to Counter “China Threat” Theory By Willy Lam (China Brief 10(23), Nov. 19, 2010) Beijing is waging an economics-focused diplomacy of reassurance to counter the “China Threat” theory and to augment its political clout particularly in the Asia-Pacific and European regions.

Parallel Universes By Stephen Mihm and Jeffrey Wasserstrom
(Time, Nov. 15, 2010) China could stumble but keep climbing upward, much like the U.S. did about a century and a half ago. We find today's China less reminiscent of Japan in the 1980s than it is of the U.S. in the 1850s.

Looking for Investment, China Turns to Europe By Liz Alderman
(New York Times, Nov.2, 2010) Analysts say Beijing hopes to achieve not just more business for its own companies, but also greater influence over the economic policies set in the power corridors of Brussels and Germany.

Chinese Article Seems to Chide Leader By Michael Wines and Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Oct. 28, 2010) China’s main Communist Party newspaper bluntly rejected calls for speedier political reform on Wednesday, publishing a front-page commentary that said any changes in China’s political system should not emulate Western democracies.

Online Technology Challenges Censors—Part I By Johan Lagerkvist (YaleGlobal, Oct. 22, 2010) To be effective, censors in the world’s second largest economy would have to eliminate the essential modern tool. Inquisitive youth test boundaries, and pragmatic leaders may eventually realize that, for promoting stability, allowing the battle of ideas is a better bet than repression.

If China Frees Nobel Winner, It Will Show Its Strength By Vaclav Havel and Desmond M. Tutu (Washington Post, Oct. 22, 2010) The Chinese government can continue to fight a losing battle, against the forces of democracy and freedom that its own premier recently called "irresistible." Or it can stand on the side of justice, free Liu Xiaobo and immediately end the house arrest imposed on his wife.

Ex-Chinese Officials Join in Call for Press Freedom By Michael Wines (New York Times, Oct. 14, 2010) A group of retired Communist Party officials and intellectuals issued an unusually blunt demand for total press freedom in China.

China’s Chokehold on Rare-Earth Minerals Raises Concerns By Michael Richardson (YaleGlobal, Oct. 8, 2010) In the light of China’s increasing assertiveness in the global scene, its dominance in rare-earth reserves and processing has raised concerns about the future availability of materials needed for a range of critical industries.

Talk of Reform to Enliven Leaders’ Meeting in China By Ian Johnson (New York Times, Sep. 30, 2010) Against a backdrop of a rare discussion about political reform, China’s top leaders are preparing to set the country’s economic policies and political leadership for the next decade.

China Increasing Economic Leverage by Limiting ‘Rare Earths’ Exports By John Pomfret (Washington Post, Sep. 23, 2010) China's recent move to limit exports of minerals critical in the manufacture of a vast array of products such as missiles, car batteries, cellphones, lasers and computers is stoking alarm that its domination of the industry could give it enhanced leverage over the United States.

China Shifts Away from Low-Cost Factories By David Barboza
(New York Times, Sep. 16, 2010) Companies in China’s industrial heartland are toiling to reinvent their businesses, fearing that the low-cost manufacturing that helped propel the nation’s economic ascent is fast becoming obsolete.

China Explores a Frontier 2 Miles Deep By William J. Broad
(New York Times, Sep. 12, 2010) China has unveiled a submersible designed to go deeper than any other in the world, giving it access to 99.8 percent of the ocean floor and its minerals.

China Spells Out Its Fears By Alexander Casella
(Asia Times, Sep. 8, 2010) According to ambassador He Yafei, China has one, overriding priority; to put its house in order. Not only is this no easy task, but also it is one that, both for internal and external reasons, is becoming more difficult and more complex every day.

Premier Wen’s “Southern Tour”: Ideological Rifts in the CCP? By Willy Lam (China Brief 10(18), Jamestown Foundation, Sep. 10, 2010) Even assuming that Wen is totally committed to resuscitating reform, the odds that the 68-year-old premier—who appears to be a minority of one within the CCP’s top echelon—can do much in this regard are slim.

Resentment Simmers in Western Chinese Region By Andrew Jacobs (New York Times, Sep. 5, 2010) Beneath the gloss and mercantile buzz of Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, there is a palpable unease that neither tens of thousands of surveillance cameras nor the patrolling squads of black-shirted police officers can completely assuage.

All the Propaganda That’s Fit to Print By Lewis Scott
(Newsweek, Sep. 3, 2010) For decades Xinhua has been an unavoidable presence in China. But as China has grown in wealth and international stature, Beijing has tired of feeling overlooked or maligned by the Western press. So Xinhua’s role has been redefined, as a means for China to wield soft power abroad.

China Fortifies State Businesses to Fuel Growth By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Aug. 29, 2010) As the Chinese government has grown richer — and more worried about sustaining its high-octane growth — it has pumped public money into companies that it expects to upgrade the industrial base and employ more people.

China Builds Political System Reform on Courage and Soap Boxes By Cheng Yunjie (Xinhua, Aug. 29, 2010) Rather than copying the prevalent multi-party system in the West, China aims to blaze a different trail by expanding democracy and autonomy for its 1.3 billion people based on existing political framework.

Wen Jiabao Puts Political Reform on China’s Agenda By Peter Beaumont (Guardian, Aug. 29, 2010) What is true is that his comments already have created some room for calls for a "new generation of reformers" in some state-controlled media, while others have carefully avoided parsing his remarks. Watch this space.

Change You Can Believe in?
(The Economist, Aug. 26, 2010) During a visit to a southern boomtown Premier Wen Jiabao declared that economic gains could yet be lost without reforms to the political system. One official newspaper called his speech one of “extraordinary importance”, but skeptics abound.

The China Syndrome By Joel Kotkin
(Forbes, Aug. 24, 2010) The U.S. has a decent chance of remaining the world's pre-eminent economy not only over the next decade or two and even by mid-century. There are five key reasons for this contrarian conclusion.

For China, Will Money Bring Power? By Piers Brendon
(New York Times, Aug. 22, 2010) China may well keep its promise, for the moment at least, to follow the path of peaceful development. We can’t know, of course. But doom-merchants predicting that China will topple America from its pre-eminence should recognize that history is not necessarily on their side.

China’s Spectacular Ascendance Begins to Reshape the World Economy By David Barboza (New York Times, Aug. 22, 2010) Assessing what China's new clout means is complicated. While the country is still poor per capita, it has an authoritarian government capable of taking decisive action – to stimulate the economy, build new projects and invest in specific industries.

China ‘Hukou’ System Deemed Outdated As Way of Controlling Access to Services By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Aug. 15, 2010) Some economists here say the hukou system is outdated and unsuited to a modern economy that requires the free movement of labor. Others call it "China's apartheid," saying it has created a two-tiered system of haves and have-nots in all the major cities.

China Setting Milestones As Economy Passes Japan’s By Joe McDonald (AP, Jul. 31, 2010) China is set to overtake Japan as the world's second-largest economy in a resurgence that is changing everything from the global balance of military and financial power to how cars are designed.

China Invest Heavily in Brazil, Elsewhere in Pursuit of Political Heft By John Pomfret (Washington Post, Jul. 26, 2010) The investments in Brazil reflect China's "going out" strategy, which seeks to guarantee natural resources for development purposes and to shield the country's state-owned enterprises from slower growth at home.

Foreign Companies in China Sound off on Business Policies By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Jul. 22, 2010) The heads of some leading U.S. and European multinationals have publicly questioned recently whether new Chinese policies and regulations are making China a more difficult place for foreign firms to do business.

How Will China’s Tech-Savvy, Post-90s Generation Shape the Nation? (CNN, Jul. 19, 2010) One thing for certain is the post-90s are different from those born before them: they have no memory of China's tumultuous past, instead only experiencing it as a country with rapid economic growth underscored by rampant consumerism and globalization.

How Serious Is the Chinese Challenge? Part II By Markus Jaeger
(YaleGlobal, Jul. 15, 2010) Greater economic power will shift China’s way once it adopts a flexible currency and reduces dependence on US markets relative to US dependence on Chinese markets.

China Hopes Social Safety Net Will Push Its Citizens to Consume More, Save Less By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Jul. 14, 2010) The country's leaders want to persuade Chinese citizens to spend more and save less, a goal that analysts say could be achieved if the government provided a safety net.

Why China Is Putting the Brakes on Export-Driven Growth By Darius Dale (Fortune, Jul. 9, 2010) Over the past several weeks, China has taken a number of steps to increase its citizenry's purchasing power -- none arriving with more fanfare than the de-pegging of the yuan.

China Seeks to Spend Its Way to Stability in Its Far West By Michael Wines (New York Times, Jul. 8, 2010) China’s central government has announced a plan to spend more than $100 billion in the region to “promote the fast and healthy development of the western areas,” according to a government newspaper.

China Sentence American Geologist to 8 Year for Stealing State Secrets By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Jul. 5, 2010) An American geologist was sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing state secrets, in a case that underscored how the Chinese government will use the legal system to protect the business interests and competitive edge of its state-run firms.

China Puts Best Face Forward with News Channel By David Barboza (New York Times, Jul. 2, 2010) The Xinhua News Agency introduced a 24-hour English-language news channel and is preparing to open a prominent newsroom in Times Square, part of an expensive push to increase the reach and influence of the Chinese news media overseas.

Beijing: A Global Leader with ‘China First’ Policy By David Shambaugh (YaleGlobal, Jun. 29, 2010) Shambaugh anticipates that China will continue with its cautious ways in the global arena, emphasizing domestic and regional priorities, selecting partnerships on a case-by-case basis while being wary of too many global obligations or entanglements.

China’s Push to Develop Its West Hasn’t Closed Income Gap with East, Critics Say By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Jun. 29, 2010) China's west -- defined as the dozen provinces and "autonomous regions" stretching from Inner Mongolia to Xinjiang and Tibet -- remains the poorest, least-developed and least-educated part of the country.

China Takes Hands-off Approach to Labor Strikes By Tini Tran
(AP, Jun. 25, 2010) Boosting wages fits in with Beijing's strategy of closing the income gap and promoting more equal growth in coming years, said an analyst at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Political Science in Beijing.

China’s Export Economy Begins Turning Inward By Edward Wong
(New York Times, Jun. 25, 2010) Chinese officials now see the millions of poor workers as the linchpin of China’s move away from a lopsided economic model that relies too heavily on foreign consumption.

PRC Unlikely to See Wage-Price Spiral: World Bank
(Reuters, Jun. 19, 2010) China's economic prospects remain good despite the frailty of the global recovery, while a spate of big pay increases is unlikely to touch off a wage-price spiral, the World Bank said.

In China, Labor Movement Enabled by Technology By David Barboza and Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Jun. 17, 2010) It is labor revolt by text message and video upload, underwritten by the Chinese government.

In China, Unrest Spreads As More Workers Rally By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Jun. 11, 2010) A series of labor strikes continued to spread across parts of China, as newly emboldened workers pressed for higher wages and better conditions.

Power Grows for Striking Chinese Workers By David Barboza and Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times, Jun. 9, 2010) After years of focusing on luring foreign investment, Chinese government officials are now endorsing efforts to improve conditions for workers and raise salaries. But analysts say wage pressure is also coming from labor shortages in coastal cities.

Labor Unrest in China Reflects Changing Demographics, More Awareness of Rights By Keith B. Richburg (Washington Post, Jun. 7, 2010) Shifting demographics, including years of effective population control through the government's "one child" policy, have left China short of younger workers.

Chinese Economy Treads Risky Path. (Ask Japan.) By Michael Wines (New York Times, May 26, 2010) As outsiders behold China’s transformation from peasant nation to economic colossus, the risks of extrapolating from China’s robust present into an indeterminate future are not to be ignored.

Foreign Companies Chafe at China’s Restrictions By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, May 17, 2010) China has filed more than a dozen trade cases to limit imports, imposed a series of “buy Chinese” measures and limited exports of some minerals to force multinationals to move factories to China.

China’s Premier Discusses School Attacks By Edward Wong
(New York Times, May 15, 2010) Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China said that the Chinese government would examine the deeper social problems that might have led to the recent string of deadly attacks on schoolchildren.

China to Force Internet Users to Register Real Names By Peter Foster (Telegraph, May 5, 2010) China is considering measures to force all its 400m internet users to register their real names before making comments on the country’s myriad chat-rooms and discussion forums.

Limits of China’s Charm Offensive By Jonathan Holslag
(Project Syndicate, Apr. 27, 2010) If Beijing is serious about building strategic partnerships with the West, it should back up its charm offensive with deeds and take the initiative in fostering more effective cooperation.

China Replaces Leader of the Restive Xinjiang Region By Edward Wong (New York Times, Apr. 25, 2010) Chinese leaders announced that they had replaced Wang Lequan, the ruling official in the vast western region of Xinjiang.

Do the Awakening Giants Have Feet of Clay?—Part II By Borje Ljunggren (YaleGlobal, Apr. 21, 2010) Börje Ljunggren, Sweden’s former ambassador to China, argues that the rise of Asian powers has momentum. In particular, China’s rapid economic development is likely ”the biggest change” of our lifetime.

Do the Awakening Giants Have Feet of Clay?—Part I By Pranab Bardhan (YaleGlobal, Apr. 19, 2010) While China and India have lifted millions out of poverty, both continue to work under structural constraints with much political uncertainty.

For Chinese, Web Is the Way to Entertainment By David Barboza
(New York Times, Apr. 19, 2010) The Internet, already a potent social force, has become China’s prime entertainment service.

Chinese Premier Offers a Tribute to a Reformer By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Apr. 16, 2010) A long and emotional tribute to Mr. Hu Yaobang — written by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao — was published Thursday in People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s official newspaper.

Google and China’s Changing Economic Paradigm By Gordon G. Chang (China Brief 10(7), Jamestown Foundation, Apr. 1, 2010) So far, we are seeing a spiteful response from an angry government. And a government that will go to great lengths to make sure the Chinese market is reserved for Chinese competitors. Google’s recent troubles show us that Beijing has a new economic paradigm, and it is not a good one.

Chinese Court Hands Down Stiff Sentences to Four Mining Company Employees By David Barboza (New York Times, Mar. 30, 2010) Four employees of the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, including an Australian citizen, were found guilty by a Chinese court of accepting millions of dollars in bribes and stealing commercial secrets.

China’s Growth Shifts the Geopolitics of Oil By Jad Mouawad
(New York Times, Mar. 20, 2010) While exports to the United States might rebound this year, in the long run the decline in American demand and the growing importance of China represent a fundamental shift in the geopolitics of oil.

China Drawing High-Tech Research from U.S. By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Mar. 18, 2010) Companies — and their engineers — are being drawn here more and more as China develops a high-tech economy that increasingly competes directly with the United States.

Newly Powerful China Defies Western Nations with Remarks, Policies By John Pomfret (Washington Post, Mar. 15, 2010) China's government has embraced an increasingly anti-Western tone in recent months and is adopting policies across a wide spectrum that reflect a heightened fear of foreign influence.

China Uses Rules on Global Trade to Its Advantage By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Mar. 15, 2010) With China’s exports soaring, even as other major economies struggle to recover from the recession, evidence is mounting that Beijing is skillfully using inconsistencies in international trade rules to spur its own economy at the expense of others.

The Trouble with China’s Economic Bubble By David Ignatius
(Washington Post, Mar. 11, 2010) For a country addicted to export-led growth, transitioning to a sustainable economy won't be easy. People who assume that an ever-expanding China will inexorably replace America as the world economic superpower should take a close look at the numbers.

China Faces New Pressure to Let Currency Rise By Joe McDonald
(AP, Mar. 6, 2010) China faces mounting pressure from trading partners to loosen currency controls and is giving signs it might raise the value of the yuan to ease strains on its fast-growing economy.

China Premier Details Economic Plan By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Mar. 6, 2010) Prime Minister Wen Jiabao told his nation’s unelected legislature that the government could expand social spending, increase lending, pour money into strategic industries and still meet its traditional 8 percent economic growth target in 2010.

Trial of American Puts Spotlight on the Business of ‘State Secret’ in China By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Mar. 4, 2010) Company executives, trade groups and diplomats said Xue's case and two similar ones appear to be part of a broader effort by China over the past few years to use everything at its disposal to promote its own "national champions."

Chinese Editorials Assail a Government System By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Mar. 2, 2010) In a country where the press is tightly managed by the state, the identical editorials that appeared Monday in more than a dozen publications calling for reform of China’s onerous household registration system were noteworthy.

Communist Party Needs to Loosen Its Grip in China By Alan Wheatley (New York Times, Mar. 2, 2010) The phrase “guojin mintui” — the state advances as the private sector retreats — has become common currency in debate about the Chinese economy.

I.M.F. Chief Suggests Look at New Reserve By Sewell Chan
(New York Times, Feb. 27, 2010) The I.M.F. leader, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, floated the idea of creating a global reserve currency that could serve as an alternative to the dollar.

China, Defying Global Slump, Faces a Labor Shortage By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Feb. 27, 2010) Just a year after laying off millions of factory workers, China is facing an increasingly acute labor shortage.

Rogoff Says China Crisis May Trigger Regional Slump By Aki Ito and Patrick Rial (Bloomberg, Feb. 24, 2010) China’s economic growth will plunge to as low as 2 percent following the collapse of a “debt- fueled bubble” within 10 years, sparking a regional recession, according to Harvard University Professor Kenneth Rogoff.

The Danger Behind China’s ‘Me First’ Worldview By Robert J. Samuelson (Washington Post, Feb. 15, 2010) Unlike the isolationist America First movement of the 1930s, China First does not mean global disengagement. It does mean engagement on China's terms.

China’s Defiance on Rights Stirs Fears for Dissident By Andrew Jacobs (New York Times, Feb. 3, 2010) Legal experts say the disappearance of Mr. Gao, whose case has been championed by American lawmakers, several European leaders and the United Nations, represents a disturbing milestone.

As Hong Kong’s Political System Stalls, So Does Its Democracy Movement By Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Jan. 28, 2010) The political system in Hong Kong is increasingly paralyzed; at the same time, the pro-democracy movement here has splintered, weakening its ability to press for changes.

Confucius vs. Avatar: And the Winner Is… By Mary Kay Magistad
(YaleGlobal, Jan. 25, 2010) Beijing did not admit censorship was at play. In the end, if the government were trying to squelch Avatar and the themes likely to lead to unrest, it proved unsuccessful – the film was brought back by popular demand.

China’s Global Role Still Questionable By Dani Rodrik
(Project Syndicate, Jan. 18, 2010) China’s growth currently relies on an undervalued currency and a huge trade surplus. This is unsustainable, and sooner or later it will precipitate a major confrontation with the US (and Europe).

No Chance Against China By Martin Jacques
(Newsweek, Jan. 16, 2010) Google's fate is a sign of the world to come, and the sooner we come to appreciate the nature of a world run by China, the better we will be able to deal with it.

Censorship Provokes Cracks in China’s Great Firewall By david Pierson (LA Times, Jan. 16, 2010) Despite—and sometimes because of—increasingly aggressive government measures, China’s Internet users are finding ways to evade the country’s online restrictions.

Follow the Law, China Tells Internet Companies By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Jan. 15, 2010) Two days after Google announced that it would quit China unless the nation’s censors eased their grip, the Chinese government offered an indirect but unambiguous response: Companies that do business in China must follow the laws of the land.

China’s Soft Power Hardens in Cambodia By Sebastian Strangio
(Asia Times, Jan. 12, 2010) Despite the Cambodian denials, the nature and timing of the seemingly hurried deportations are a vivid illustration of the new bonds of patronage and political accommodation now linking Beijing and Phnom Penh.

As China Rises, Fears Grow on Whether Boom Can Endure By Michael Wines (New York Times, Jan. 11, 2010) China confronts a number of challenges about its recent surge, including whether its formula for growth is sustainable, and how it will manage its increasingly strained economic relations with the outside world.

In China, Fear of a Real Estate Bubble By Steven Mufson
(Washington Post, Jan. 11, 2010) With property prices soaring in key cities, many investors and bankers worry that China has the next great real estate bubble waiting to be popped.

China’s Lonely Dissidents By Jaroslaw Adamowski
(Guardian, Jan. 8, 2009) Despite the internet, Twitter, Facebook, mobile phones and all that technology has to offer, the likes of Xiaobo seem to be more on their own than the 1989 revolutionaries were.

Fighting Trend, China Is Luring Scientists Home By Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Jan. 7, 2010) Determined to reverse the drain of top talent that accompanied its opening to the outside world over the past three decades, China’s leaders are using their now ample financial resources to entice scientists and scholars home.