May 15, 2013 XI JINPING MEETS WITH LEADERS FROM ISRAEL, PALESTINE
Recent overlapping visits by both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to China have sparked media debates regarding China’s potential role in negotiating Middle East peace agreements. While both leaders reportedly sought to emphasize their desire for stronger trade relations with China, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized negotiations as a key focus of the meetings. Read more…
May 9, 2013 FOOD SECURITY IN CHINA
The list of food related issues in China includes everything from gutter oil used as cooking oil to melamine found in baby formula. The latest case, creating fake mutton and beef by adding chemicals to fox, mink, and rat meat, is thus not particularly shocking news. The Chinese government, however, is taking serious action to prevent such crimes from reoccurring. Over 900 suspects involved in the fake meat case have been arrested in the last three months and the government has seized more than 20,000 tonnes of fake meat. Read More…
May 2, 2013 SCHWARZMAN SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDY IN CHINA
Stephen A. Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm, recently announced the creation of the Schwarzman Scholarship to study in China. This $300 million scholarship fund is the largest foreign gift made to China. The Schwarzman scholarship program was inspired by Oxford’s Rhodes Scholarship and is meant to be equally prestigious. Schwarzman Scholars will attend Tsinghua University, a leading University in China with President Xi Jinping and former President Hu Jintao among its notable alumni. Read more…
April 29, 2013 GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY VISITS CHINA
From April 21 through April 25, Gen. Martin Dempsey was in China meeting with Chinese leaders. Much of the media attention surrounding the visit focused on current “hot button” topics like the ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsula and cybersecurity issues. However, the visit was also important as a sign that both leaderships are trying to improve the often rocky military relationship between China and the U.S. Read more…
April 18, 2013 KERRY, GOVERNORS IN BEIJING TO STRENGTHEN U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS
John Kerry recently made his first visit to the Asia Pacific since becoming Secretary of State, spending three days total in Seoul, Beijing, and Tokyo. Initial goals for the trip were said to include persuading China to use its economic and diplomatic leverage to try to temper North Korea’s behavior and to reassure Japan and South Korea as U.S. allies. Kerry met with both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang during his time in Beijing. Read more…
April 11, 2013 THE SPREAD OF H7N9 AVIAN INFLUENZA IN CHINA
For the past two weeks, the cover story of every Chinese newspaper has been about the H7N9 avian influenza, also known as the bird flu. Of the 38 reported cases of human infections, ten have died. Chinese citizens are increasingly concerned about whether the disease can be contracted through human-to-human contact. Although cases so far have been from human exposure to infected poultry, Chinese officials are currently examining the possibility of transmission between people. Read more…
April 4, 2013 THE NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR ARRIVES IN DC
The new Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, arrived in Washington on April 2. The former ambassador to the US, Zhang Yusui, returned to China on February 24. Cui Tiankai graduated from John Hopkins University and is former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and is a career diplomat. He will serve as the 10th Chinese ambassador to the United States. Read more…
March 29, 2013 XI JINPING VISITS RUSSIA, AFRICA IN FIRST INTERNATIONAL TRIP AS PRESIDENT
Less than one week after officially being named President of China, Xi Jinping embarked on his first international trip, making stops in Russia, Tanzania, South Africa, and the Republic of Congo. Many have speculated on the potential meaning behind the selection of these initial visits, with some suggesting they highlight new thinking and priorities in Chinese foreign policy. While there may indeed be significance in the coordinating of these visits, they also reflect a continuation of tradition. Read more…
March 22, 2013 TREASURY SECRETARY JACK LEW MEETS NEW CHINESE LEADERS
New U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew spent March 19 and 20 in Beijing, visiting newly appointed top Chinese leaders. The trip marked the first time high-level American and Chinese officials have met since America and China began their political transitions in the fall of 2012. Secretary Lew’s meeting with Xi Jinping was also the first visit Xi had had with a high-ranking foreign official since being officially named China’s president. Read more…
March 14, 2013 XI JINPING NAMED PRESIDENT
Xi Jinping was officially named president of China by China’s leadership. This was the final step in Xi Jinping’s rise in the once-a-decade power transition. Xi Jinping is taking over the presidency from Hu Jintao. During the Party Congress in November, he replaced Hu Jintao as chairman of the CCP and its central military commission. President Xi Jinping now holds top positions as the head of state, head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and head of the military, the three key pillars of power in China. Read more…
March 8, 2013 UNANIMOUS VOTE USHERS IN NEW UN SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA
The United Nations announced new sanctions against North Korea this week after a draft agreement was reached between the U.S. and China following three weeks of negotiations and passed by a unanimous UN Security Council vote. US media reports state that the text was negotiated between Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN, and Li Baodong, China’s UN ambassador. These new sanctions are in response to North Korea’s test of nuclear weapons last month and represent the fourth round of UN sanctions against Pyongyang. Read more…
March 1, 2013 AMERICANS AND CHINESE RESPOND: Cyber Security, Island Disputes, John Kerry, and U.S.-China Relations
Lately, there have been frequent news headlines involving China. The South and East China Sea island disputes, China’s new leadership, economic changes, and even the Lunar New Year’s celebrations—China has definitely caught the attention of Americans. But this is not just a one-way interest. The Chinese are also paying close attention to what happens in the U.S, especially considering the new U.S. focus on Asia. With new leadership in both countries and recently heightened tensions increasing the media attention, Americans and Chinese both have a lot to say. Read more…
February 21, 2013 NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR TEST POSES CHALLENGE FOR CHINA
On February 12, 2013, North Korea carried out a nuclear test, successfully setting off an underground explosion that was reportedly twice as powerful as the country’s last test in 2009. The test, which sparked extensive international criticism, created an unexpected and unwelcome challenge for China’s new leadership. China is often seen by other countries as the crucial element in altering North Korea’s behavior, meaning that China is also facing international pressure in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test. Read more…
February 14, 2013 ECONOMICS OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR
Sunday, February 11 marked the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year. The Chinese New Year is the largest Chinese holiday. It is celebrated with fireworks, parades, decorations, and eating traditional sweets. It also involves a two-week holiday to enjoy with family and friends. With the huge Chinese population, including Chinese diaspora spread out around the globe, the Lunar New Year is a holiday that deserves our attention. In a time of globalization and continued concern about our economy, the economic aspects of such a momentous holiday should not be overlooked. Read more…
February 5, 2013 LAUNCH OF 100,000 STRONG FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF U.S.-CHINA EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE
In one of her final duties as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton recently announced the launch of the 100,000 Strong Foundation, a non-profit organization based in American University’s School of International Service. The Foundation represents a public-private partnership which will carry out the mission of the 100,000 Strong Initiative, which was announced by President Obama in Beijing in November 2009 and formally launched by Secretary Clinton in May 2010. The goal of the 100,000 Strong Initiative is to send 100,000 U.S. students to study in China by 2014. Once this initial goal is met, the Foundation will continue to engage in efforts to strengthen U.S.-China educational exchanges. Read more…
January 29, 2013 TENSIONS REMAIN BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN
In late August of 2012, tensions between Japan and China began rapidly escalating over a long-held territorial dispute involving a small island chain called the Diaoyu Islands by the Chinese and the Senkaku Islands by Japan. Japan’s then-Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda sent a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao in the hopes of helping calm the situation. Since then, Japan has elected a new Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and China has appointed a new Communist Party Secretary (and soon-to-be President), Xi Jinping. Unfortunately, the smoldering tensions between China and Japan remain the same. Read more…
January 22, 2013 CENSORSHIP IN CHINA: RECENT PROGRESS OR STAYING THE COURSE?
Chinese media censorship has received a lot of international attention lately, largely due to recent anti-censorship protests. These protests erupted after Southern Weekend criticized Tuo Zhen, a top Propaganda Department official, for taking his censorship and re-writing of the paper’s New Year’s editorial too far. Where does this incident leave Chinese censorship and freedom of expression? The signs are mixed. Read More…
January 15, 2013 CHINESE INVESTORS FAVORED NORTH AMERICA IN 2012
Recent reports detail a growing interest among Chinese investors toward American industries. According to the Rhodium Group, the worth of Chinese investments in the U.S. in 2012 increased 12% from 2011 to $6.5 billion. While North America became the top destination for Chinese investors in 2012, this development is predicted to be temporary as Chinese enterprises have established a pattern of moving collectively from region to region. Though tempered by various challenges, Chinese investment in the U.S. is expected to grow through 2013. Read More…
OLDER NEWS BRIEFS