The China Project

The visit of Nepal's prime minister to Beijing saw a flurry of bilateral cooperation agreements signed. But no one mentioned China's controversial new map, and questions remain over the details of China’s infrastructure …

Hou Yu-ih, the Kuomintang candidate for president of the Republic of China, visited the U.S., where he signaled a tougher line on China than his party has previously taken with his 3D Strategy: The first "D" stands for …

Deploying sovereign wealth on behalf of state power has been one of the keys to China’s global rise. Zongyuan Zoe Liu’s comprehensive analysis of the …

Is China serious about reining in cyberbullying? A court case may tell.

Asia’s version of the Olympics kicked off with dazzling light shows, an esports debut, and a slew of top dignitaries in attendance. Xi courted top Syrian and South Korean officials amid the fanfare, but his government …

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of September 25–October 1.

Today, many young Chinese are caught between a belief in the importance of cultural confidence and the need to exist in a globalized world in which …

The Mate 60 Pro launched to great fanfare in August. Its seven-nanometer processor and other homegrown parts show that some Chinese investments in …

Want more like this? Subscribe to The China Project's official TikTok channel, The China Project, where Susan St.Denis explains complex topics about …

China's Lipstick King is out of touch. And there's a new meme about it.

Chinese history — very distant and very near — is filled with people who did not, and do not, abide by the government's "official" version of events. Ian Johnson gives them a voice in his latest book, Sparks.

China’s top diplomat is in Russia to prepare the way for Putin’s visit to China in October while Syrian President Assad touched down in Hangzhou for a rare foreign visit.

China’s Mission to the UN circulated a letter to diplomats in New York discouraging attendance at an event marking the first anniversary of a UN …

Hydro, wind, and solar power are stabilizing, and burning the dirtiest of fossil fuels is near the plateau it must reach before coal is dethroned.

This week on Sinica, Pulitzer Prize–winning veteran journalist Ian Johnson, now a senior China fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins …

Annalee Jacoby and Teddy White were in their early twenties — yet already accomplished war correspondents — when they arrived in Chongqing. Their …

Chinese tech companies are racing to create and monetize the type of artificial intelligence known as “generative AI,” which ChatGPT recently made famous.

The Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival has returned after three years of pandemic-enforced restrictions and virtual programs. On this occasion, we recently spoke to Helen Hok-Sze Leung, an expert on queer cinema …

The Mukden Incident — when explosives detonated along the route of the South Manchurian Railway near Shenyang — was a pretext for Japanese aggression in Asia. The events of that Friday night are underwhelming, almost …

China’s youth unemployment rate is soaring, and competition for good jobs is fiercer than ever. At the same time, young people are choosing to exit the rat race, jump between jobs, or quit working altogether. What gives?

Ian Johnson’s journalism gives voice to ordinary Chinese people from all walks of life — the outcasts, the faithful, and, in the case of his latest …

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported a “recent new high” of over 100 Chinese aircraft around the island. It’s the second record-breaking military drill that China has conducted near Taiwan in the past week.

Seeing its oil draining away, Trinidad is seeking to become a logistics hub for international trade, capitalizing on its position between Latin America and the Panama Canal. So, naturally, China was one of its go-tos.

After years of unchecked growth, the Chinese industry of pre-cooked, ready-to-eat food is now trying to create a new market in schools. The move, …

“I don’t think it calls into question Xi Jinping’s control of the military, but it should be a reminder about how much corruption exists in the …

China wants to "tell its story well," but is that possible in a region where Sinophobia runs deep?

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of September 18–24.

In this recent book targeted to a non-scholarly audience, political scientist Bruce Dickson draws on recent China studies research to shed light on …

It’s becoming difficult to make microchips smaller, so the encasing around them is where advanced tech is going. TSMC's advanced packaging technology …

Indonesia has a tricky balancing act to pull off right now. Like many countries, it’s stuck between a Chinese rock and an American hard place. This …

How can scholars, journalists, and others engage with China ethically? The eminent Sinologist Geremie Barmé offers 10 watchwords.

A new draft law in China may dole out punishments for “harming the feelings of the Chinese people.” It has sparked criticism in China.

In a new cookbook, journalist Clarissa Wei seeks to retell the story of Taiwan’s distinct cuisine for a world that often misinterprets it.

Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry has denied rumors that government employees would be banned from owning Apple smartphones.

China is the world’s largest renewables generator and has cleaned the air in many cities, but it remains the world’s largest polluter, is addicted to …

Sam Bankman-Fried is behind bars, and the zeitgeist has moved on from cryptocurrencies and web3. But the Hong Kong government is charging ahead with …

“Clean” and “dirty” supply chains perpetuate modern slavery among Turkic minorities, a report from researchers at Sheffield Hallam University shows.

This week on the Sinica Podcast, host Kaiser Kuo speaks with Representative Rick Larsen of the Washington 2nd District, the co-founder and continuously serving Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.-China Working …

"River Town," since its publication in 2001, has been much imitated but rarely bettered. It is a classic in the memoir genre, about life in a rural town that was changing, inalterably, for better or for worse.

Beijing is brandishing the stick of naval and air power in the South China Sea, and has now unveiled a new carrot: a plan for closely integrating Taiwan’s economy with that of Fujian Province. So far, the Taiwanese are …

Made without any carbon emissions, green hydrogen can play an important role in cleaning up dirty industries like coal and steel. Beijing’s hands-off …

The hobby of birdwatching is growing in China. But with the increased interest has come increased risks to the feathered wildlife.

Lin Biao was a principal architect of the cult of Mao Zedong. It would lead to his undoing.

Beijing has dispatched an unusually large naval formation, following a flurry of U.S.-led military exercises in the region, including a transit of …

Since establishing ties in 1974, China has dealt with only two Gabonese leaders: Omar Bongo and his son Ali. But a recent coup has suddenly created uncertainty, including over plans for an Atlantic military port that …

Li Jiaqi, the "Lipstick King" who made $250 million last year, is being boycotted by consumers for saying on a weekend livestream, “Sometimes you have to reflect on yourself and ask why you haven’t received a raise …

The Group of 20 summit concluded in New Delhi yesterday. Xi Jinping did not attend and instead visited flood-damaged areas of northeastern China, sending his second-in-command to India in his place.

Liuyu Ivy Chen weaves together Marxism, Sharon Olds, James Baldwin, and Chinese Communist Party lore in this poetic and unflinchingly honest essay about how she, as a child in an anonymous Chinese city, viewed the 9/11 …

The BRI is a complex, catchall brand that covers a diffuse array of strategic goals. But if we were forced to identify one, single driving force …

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of September 10–17.

Envision founder Zhang Lei is building a global green energy network in China, Japan, Europe, and the U.S. Who is he?

A Chinese liquor giant and the country’s largest domestic coffee chain have teamed up to create a boozy new drink.

Taiwanese actor Lee Hong-Chi pulls off a remarkable artistic feat in his directorial debut, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

What’s the difference between propaganda and art? A conversation with Alison Friedman, the executive and artistic director for Carolina Performing …

The Chinese Communist Party is breaking international laws and ignoring treaties as it continues systematically breaking apart Turkic Muslim families.

Some major American firms stand to lose business if Congress, citing human rights abuses, requires regulation of sales to China.

This week on the Sinica Podcast, host Kaiser Kuo is joined by reporter Karen Hao and political science scholar Deborah Seligsohn.

Filmed in France with a cast and crew of exiled Uyghurs, ‘Nikah’ is aglimpse into the shattering of a culture, and shows us the beauty of Uyghur …

Beijing’s ban on Japanese seafood, coupled with rising animosity toward all things Japanese, have sent sushi restaurants in China searching for alternative supplies and, in some cases, new recipes.

"Houses and people and tables and chairs move and change of themselves, following destinies that cannot be altered. When things change into other …

Thailand's election saw winner Move Forward pushed to the opposition. It vowed to reset foreign relations including that with China. The current Pheu Thai-led government won't likely deliver that.

Jolin Tsai's recent concert in Shenzhen was filled with queer visuals, including rainbow flags and banners. But throughout her mainland tour, there …

In the early 20th century, Chessboard Street in Shanghai was the heart of the Chinese publishing industry. This is where our story begins: when Li Difan, a salesman for a small Shanghai bookseller, found himself in an …

No — but it is dictating the UN's Taiwan policy, argues Chris Horton from Taipei. And he has the faxes to prove it.

Huawei's new Mate 60 Pro smartphone includes a high-performance processor that U.S. measures were supposed to preclude. But industry analysts say it …

Guatemala’s newly elected president, Bernardo Arévalo, has said he will “continue working with both” Chinas. He’s had talks with Taiwan about how to advance their diplomatic relationship, but also has said he’d like to …

“I’m realistic that one phone call, one visit, one meeting isn’t going to fundamentally change the direction of travel,” James Cleverly told the BBC. …

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of September 4–10.

James Cleverly met senior officials in Beijing. Some politicians within his own party say he should have snubbed the invitation.

Chinese consumers are stockpiling salt in reaction to news of Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Writer-director Su Qiqi describes her deeply personal, black-and-white debut as a “faux-fiction” film.

The latest edition of China’s official national map lays claim to almost all of the South China Sea and contested areas along its land border with India. Cue fierce backlash from neighboring countries.

Activists urged a Canadian government labor watchdog to investigate 14 big-brand firms alleged to be profiting by turning a blind eye to abusive conditions in China. Fast-fashion giant Shein is also under scrutiny.

This week on Sinica, MIT professor Yasheng Huang joins Kaiser to talk about his brand-new book, "The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, …

In an otherwise restrained era for Chinese youth, the return of brightly colored, highly customizable rubber clogs allows for both escape and …

British scholar John Blofeld arrived in Beijing in 1934, in his early twenties, seeking aesthetic and sensual pleasures. Nearly three decades later, …

Beijing banned seafood from Japan immediately after the Tokyo Electric Power Company began releasing treated wastewater from its Fukushima plant into …

“I was so disgusted by the news. Even though my action doesn’t matter so much, I personally will not buy anything made in Japan going forward."

The Treaty of Nerchinsk established a border between Manchu China and Romanov Russia. It was negotiated in a remote region between two sides that distrusted each other and with deeply different conceptions of both …

The Biden administration’s wave of diplomacy continues in China. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told Chinese officials that the U.S. wants to …

Zimbabwe is one of only 14 countries China considers an "all-weather friend." Former president Robert Mugabe went further, describing China in 2006 as “our second home…a part of us.”

Millennials and younger Gen-Zers are having a feminist awakening in post–#MeToo China, despite a conservative backlash and a government increasingly …

Beijing has banned all seafood imports from Japan over its decision to discharge treated wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. The backlash in China has been swift.

Last month, police in Xinjiang took away Rahile Jalalidin after she protested the 15-year prison sentence given to her son, Zulyar, on a charge of …

On his way home from the BRICS summit in South Africa, China’s leader stopped off in Xinjiang, where he urged senior Party officials to persist with …

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of August 21–27.

Many young Chinese people are unhappy with the outlook of their careers, and life in general. Like their Gen Z counterparts in the U.S., many are “quiet quitting.”

Want more like this? Subscribe to The China Project's official TikTok channel, The China Project, where Susan St.Denis explains complex topics about …

China is constructing artificial islands in international waters, but the U.S. is also building its presence in far-flung American territories in the Western Pacific way beyond the "logo map" of the lower 48 states. …

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is making an effort before next year’s parliamentary dissolution to get Sino-British relations on a more even keel. …

Muslims make up 40% of constituents in Tower Hamlets, a small London borough with a history of standing up for the oppressed.

Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will be admitted to the BRICS club. It remains to be seen if the enlarged bloc’s members can agree on anything substantial, and counterbalance …

A clear-eyed assessment of the run-up to the Hong Kong handover from Britain to the People's Republic of China.

It’s a buyer’s market…if you are buying stinky durian crepe cakes.

Indonesia suspended diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China from 1967 to 1990 and restricted Chinese-language lessons and …

Xi was scheduled to address the closing ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum yesterday, but despite attending the BRICS dinner later in the evening, …

For members of UniCome, joking about their queer experiences on the stage is not just for laughs — it also provides a source of healing power and helps foster a queer-friendly dialogue with the audience.

A French sneak attack in 1884 led to a fundamental misunderstanding of Qing technological prowess. It’s time to reexamine the popular — but …

Beijing city authorities have issued new draft rules to govern online medical consultations and the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare: AI …

The Philippines is one of the most vocal states protesting China’s claims to the South China Sea — a sore point in what would otherwise be a …

Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te made a stopover in the U.S. last week. His trip was intentionally low-profile, but it nonetheless angered Beijing.

Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party, currently polling second behind William Lai in the race to become Taiwan's next leader, has rallied …

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of August 21–27.

Luckin Coffee is back from the dead, overtaking Starbucks as China’s biggest coffee chain.

Want more like this? Subscribe to The China Project's official TikTok channel, The China Project, where Susan St.Denis explains complex topics about …

During stops through the United States this week, Taiwan’s vice president and current front-runner for the island’s upcoming presidential election sought to portray himself as a pragmatic successor to Tsai Ing-wen.

BRICS is an awkward group, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. But its appeal across the Global South shows that resentment about Western global leadership is emerging as an umbrella issue uniting …

After a spy balloon flew over America, U.S. President Joe Biden let slip that he regards Xi Jinping as a ‘dictator.’ Emotions on the issue are still running high. But does it matter?

Neysun Mahboubi has studied Chinese law for three decades, visiting China countless times and forging strong ties with fellow scholars during those …

Hikvision proudly calls itself "the world's largest video surveillance manufacturer," but it doesn’t want the world to know that the Chinese …

Funds run by U.S. tech giants Google, Qualcomm, and Intel could miss out on China plays, and their partners will miss access to American know-how. …

This week on Sinica, Kaiser chats with Lyle Goldstein, the director for China engagement at the think tank Defense Priorities. Goldstein offers his …

Philip Snow's "The Fall of Hong Kong" is the definitive account of the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong starting on Christmas Day 1941, all the way through the Imperial Army's departure and the rebuilding …

Italy was the only G7 country to become a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative when it joined in 2019. But Rome has signaled it will likely exit the deal, in a move that will likely anger Beijing.

Time and again, history has shown that economic statecraft — sanctions — are ineffective. Yet the future of modern warfare will be fought with spreadsheets, tariffs, and trade restrictions. Both the U.S. and China are …

On August 18, 1966, in front of a million supporters at Tiananmen, a symbolic gesture from Mao Zedong made it clear that the Red Guards had his …

Drastically worsening youth unemployment numbers in China have caused the government to temporarily — or perhaps permanently — stop their publication.

Phil Cunningham watches China’s prime-time news program on state broadcaster CCTV every night and writes caustic commentary about the personality …

China is known for its megacities, but 42% of it is wilderness — the barren and primitive, but also pockets of spectacular biodiversity. As the …

Wind turbines that make clean electricity need magnets from China and bearings from the West. But the smooth trade in such goods that will be vital for an energy transition away from fossil fuels is under threat.

A convoy of Chinese engineers working on the Beijing-funded Gwadar Port were ambushed with bombs and gunfire in Pakistan. Militants from local separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have since claimed …

This week on Sinica Kaiser welcomes back Paul Triolo, senior VP for China and technology policy lead at Dentons Global Advisors, to discuss the state …

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of August 14–20.

Manoj Kewalramani is an Indian researcher whose interpretations of the People’s Daily, the flagship propaganda broadsheet of the Chinese Communist Party, provide a daily guide to how China leaders are thinking. He is …

Storm Doksuri has brought devastating rains and floods to a small city southwest of Beijing.

Keep is no regular sports app. It is more of a social media platform akin to Xiaohongshu, only fitness-focused. But while it achieved early success …

The two Southeast Asian nations have ramped up efforts to lure Chinese tourists, but safety concerns remain.

Ablimit Abliz, a dentist in Ürümqi, has not been accused of any crime, but the government won’t let him leave or speak freely to his wife, Adalet Sabit, who lives in Virginia. Their case is far from unique.

American investments should not help China develop AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing, Biden says, but Congressional Republicans say his …

A Chinese wife who was fed up with her lazy husband left garbage at home unattended for days. Her social media posts documenting her story inspired other women to create similar experiments to test their partners.

"And if they fail, and the people of Hong Kong remain to the end powerless to govern their own affairs, vulnerable to anything that may come out of …

China’s economy slipped into deflation in July, with fears that falling prices may limit the scope for new stimulus measures. China may even be on …

In 1517, Portuguese arrived in China on the first formal diplomatic mission to the country in nearly 200 years. The mission failed — but perhaps for unexpected reasons.

“Being bullied in school is something that can happen to anyone,” Lui shares. “The subjects in my photos are meant to simply be symbolic. The bullies …

New trade numbers are gloomy: China exports and imports are down, and foreign investors are staying away, according to statistics released today.

East Asian countries like China, Korea, and Japan have significant green ambitions, and while their strategies may appear different at first glance, a closer study reveals sophisticated similarities in their race to …

China says it hopes Niger can find a "political resolution" to its coup. After all, there is business to be done, with whichever Nigerien government …

In racing past Starbucks, Luckin has not only dethroned a foreign brand that’s been synonymous with coffee for more than two decades in China, it has also declared a new chapter of its business as it tries to move on …

Art students painted Chinese characters over a mural on a wall in an East London neighborhood. And then a war of words — and paint — broke out.

This is what’s on the diplomatic, political, and business agenda for the week of August 7–13.

One of China's biggest musicians of the 2000s is back after a 13-year absence. He's been preparing to take his revenge.

Want more like this? Subscribe to The China Project's official TikTok channel, The China Project, where Susan St.Denis explains complex topics about …

This week on Live with Lizzi Lee, Dr. Joel Wuthnow, a senior research fellow in the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs within the Institute for National Strategic Studies at NDU, shares his thoughts on the …

Taiwan’s national civil defense teams are tasked with supporting the military during wartime, and disaster prevention and relief during peacetime. …

It took a couple more years than in other places, but pickleball has finally made it big in China, fueled by social media.

From 2007 to 2015, she covered breaking news from Beijing for the Guardian newspaper. Then she went home to the U.K., and wrote a book about the …

It’s not the Ides of March we have to fear next year: The date we should be worrying about is January 13, 2024 when everything in Asia could go off …

A homegrown extreme ultraviolet light source (EUV), or a less-complex alternative, could enable China to manufacture microchips to compete with those …

The original Chinese-language edition of Sanmao’s "Stories of the Sahara" was incredibly popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and throughout China, with …