Apr 05, 2017

Chinese President Xi Jinping has responded to Donald Trump’s anti-trade rhetoric by backing “openness” and “economic liberalization.” He said protectionism was like “locking yourself in a dark room.” Although his message was welcome, many in the West observed that his government followed a very different course at home, cracking down on contact with foreign people and thoughts.

Mar 08, 2017

Ironically, in launching its economic campaign to protest South Korean deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system, Beijing is effectively doing Washington’s bidding. U.S. policymakers long have worried about the PRC’s economic draw on the South. As China voluntarily curbs those ties, American officials couldn’t be happier.

Feb 24, 2017

North Korea continues to embarrass its nominal friend and ally, the People’s Republic of China. The North’s Kim Jong-un apparently ordered a hit on his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, who was murdered at the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia airport.

Feb 09, 2017

Conflict often results during power transitions. The U.S. should learn from Great Britain’s policy toward the rabidly nationalistic rising giant on the North American continent. After fighting two wars with its one-time colonists, Britain wisely chose peace.

Dec 14, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump’s attack on international trade, and especially his intention to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), will allow the People’s Republic of China to seize the economic lead in Asia and prevent any goal of making America great again.

Nov 07, 2016

China has experienced significant cultural and economic developments since the late 1990’s. Because of China’s growing dominance on the international stage and changing internal politics, the significance of Chinese public opinion is becoming more significant in policy decisions. American policymakers, too, should pay attention to Chinese public opinion. The dynamic worldview of Chinese opinion is illustrated through these statistics, which Washington can use in developing its policy toward Beijing. The U.S.-China relationship obviously matters for the two nations, and also affects the rest of the world.

Oct 20, 2016

Hillary Clinton is expected to be more belligerent than Obama in dealing with Beijing. But the U.S. cannot expect confrontational or coercive tactics to succeed. Doing so could damage further cooperation between the two countries and drive Beijing closer to North Korea. Instead, the U.S. should aim to take a more diplomatic approach to their relationship with Beijing.

Sep 14, 2016

The People’s growing financial and political impact around the globe means that what happens in China matters everywhere. Thus, stability and predictability are important virtues. Yes, as Doug Bandow argues, political opacity is necessary as the interests of the Chinese coincide with those of outsiders.

Jul 28, 2016

Taiwan long has been one of the globe’s most dangerous tripwires. Would the U.S. really risk Los Angeles for Taipei, as one Chinese general famously asked? Washington officials hope never to have to answer that question, but the recent Taiwanese missile misfire offers a dramatic reminder of the danger of guaranteeing other nations’ security.

Jun 23, 2016

By ignoring the Chinese, Kim Jong-un has been gambling with his regime’s future. The PRC appears more ready than ever before to abandon its troublesome friend. However, inertia—and a cold-hearted assessment of interests—is likely to hold Beijing back from cooperating with the U.S. if forced to choose America over Pyongyang.