Political Reform
Economy
Can Abenomics save Japan — or doom its next leader?
Japan’s economy faces mounting challenges as inflation rises and competitiveness declines. Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi is pushing to revive Abenomics policies, but with doubts over her leadership and the plan’s past shortcomings, economic recovery remains uncertain. Academic Zhang Yun examines the issue.
Zhang Yun
15 Oct 2025
Politics
Has Xi Jinping lost power?
Recent CCP “reforms” or regulatory adjustments do not signal a weakening of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s authority, but rather a strategic move to institutionalise power and ensure smoother governance beyond his tenure. In fact, these moves underscore the high level of prestige that President Xi still commands within the party, says academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai.
Wen-Hsuan Tsai
06 Aug 2025
Economy
The real winner of the tariff war
As the US seeks a “total reset” of China-US trade relations, China is at the critical juncture of industrial upgrading and economic transformation, with the success of its modernisation hanging in the balance, says academic Jianyong Yue.
Jianyong Yue
27 May 2025
Politics
[Video] Professor Yasheng Huang: Trump’s America is in chaos, but is China’s world in order?
Professor Yasheng Huang, Professor of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School, speaks with ThinkChina editor Chow Yian Ping in a wide-ranging interview, covering topics including global instability, the results of the US elections and China’s political system. The following is an edited transcript of part one of the interview. Part two of this interview will be published after the inaugural ThinkChina Forum.
Chow Yian Ping
14 Mar 2025
Politics
North Korea’s only hope: reform and opening up
North Korea desperately needs to modernise and open up, argues South Korean academic Kang Jun-young. According to Kang, Kim Jong Un should take a leaf out of China’s book and introduce political and economic reforms, or learn from Vietnam’s open-door approach. Only then will North Korea be able to achieve economic development and maintain power.
Kang Jun-young
02 Jan 2025
Politics
China’s Communist Party faces tall order at third plenum
While rebuilding the Leninist model enjoys strong party support and legitimacy, the Chinese Communist Party must confront various issues and challenges amid national and global contexts and current trends. Failing to address these issues could hinder China’s emergence and national rejuvenation, says EAI senior research fellow Lance Gore.
Lance Gore
10 Jul 2024
Politics
China's reform and opening up in dire straits after passing of Li Keqiang?
Later generations of Chinese may take reform and opening up for granted, but this key national policy and strategy was in fact hard fought by an earlier generation of leaders such as the late former Premier Li Keqiang. With great outpourings of grief seen after Li's demise, are the Chinese people learning something about cherishing something only after it's gone?
Wei Da
03 Nov 2023
Politics
Possible reforms to security agencies expose CCP's anxiety over external and internal risks
The 20th Party Congress set the direction for the Chinese Communist Party, but it is the upcoming Two Sessions that measures will be discussed and put into action. The highlight is the likely reforms to national security agencies, as well as finance and other sectors.
Han Yong Hong
03 Mar 2023
Politics
Did Jiang Zemin pave the way for greater centralised rule in China?
Taiwanese academic Wen-Hsuan Tsai notes that while the late former Chinese President Jiang Zemin had pushed forward economic development during his tenure, he had neglected political reform, and in so doing, possibly paved the way for ever greater centralised rule in China.
Wen-Hsuan Tsai
07 Dec 2022