Politics

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, US, 4 February 2023. (Randall Hill/Reuters)

A Chinese balloon derails US-China rapprochement

Commentator William He analyses reactions to a Chinese balloon being detected in US airspace, and US-China relations being hit by another cold snap. Are we going back to Cold War times?
Members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) walk past an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping at an exhibition at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing, China, 8 October 2022. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

China’s military leadership after the 20th Party Congress

With a new military leadership in place after the 20th Party Congress, China’s military establishment looks set to focus on advancing technological development for China’s military modernisation in the near future.
A woman takes a picture next a tree decorated with paper lanterns at the entrance of a park in Beijing, China, on 26 January 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)

What is China’s 'new era'? [Part 1]

EAI senior research fellow Lance Gore explains why the sudden reversal of globalisation, constant turbulence due to global developments and the fragmentation of international relations are some very real coordinates of China’s "new era". In response, apt and concrete policies along the socialism axis can be devised to meet the challenges.
China's Vice-Premier Liu He addresses the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, 17 January 2023. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

China can still shine if it acts on Vice-Premier Liu He's Davos advice

At this year’s Davos forum, Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He laid out five points that have led to China’s success so far. However, his session did not see a packed crowd, while China’s claims of sticking to reform and opening up seem less than convincing when taken against its actions. Commentator Jin Jian Guo delves into the importance of staying the course.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, 17 November 2022, in this photo released by Kyodo. (Kyodo via Reuters)

Can Japan and China find common interests and live in peace?

Japanese academic Tomoki Kamo points out that one can no longer rely on economic relations to keep Japan-China relations on an even keel. Trapped in a security dilemma exacerbated by diverging views of the international order, what common interests can Japan and China still find to go the distance?
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a joint press conference at the State Department in Washington, US, 11 January 2023. (Joshua Roberts/File Photo/Reuters)

US Secretary of State Blinken’s visit to China is paved with thorns

Amid ongoing tensions, a high-level visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China in the coming week shows hope for improved relations between the two economic powerhouses. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that while the meeting may not produce practical results, it is a much needed exchange to manage and control China-US relations from worsening.
US President Joe Biden (right) and China's President Xi Jinping (left) shake hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on 14 November 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP)

US pivot to Asia: Managing relationship with China crucial

While the Americans have made noticeable progress in their “pivot” to Asia, the crux of successful regional engagement rests on Washington’s ability to work with and around China’s indisputable links and influence in this part of the world, while managing its own relationship with Beijing.
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, holds a press conference in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, 12 January 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP)

What if US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy visits Taiwan?

With rumblings of US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy possibly visiting Taiwan in spring, Yang Danxu observes that this will not be the last we see of the “Taiwan card” being played by US politicians as they move into the second half of the current US presidency.
People hold white sheets of paper in protest over coronavirus disease (Covid-19) restrictions, after a vigil for the victims of a fire in Urumqi, as outbreaks of COVID-19 continue, in Beijing, China, 28 November 2022. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

All in the plans: Social protests have little chance of weakening Xi Jinping’s leadership

While some analysts have spoken of the “white paper protests” against Covid restrictions in China as a turning point in citizen movements aggregating change, Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai says that the CCP had made its own calculations regarding easing China's Covid policy. Moreover, with its high-tech methods of monitoring protesters, the events of last November were well within its sights to deal with.