Advertisement Since China missed its GDP growth target for the second quarter this year, Western media have started predicting that China has entered an economic “doom loop.” Although Xi Jinping tries to mitigate the failure, he cannot seal the cracks. Xi’s China is entering a period of stagnation. All of these assessments and predictions sound … Read more
Advertisement For China’s leadership, this summer has been challenging on multiple fronts. In politics, opaque circumstances led to the removal of the former foreign minister. In the military, two top generals have been purged amid rumors of corruption and leaking secrets. In foreign affairs, ties with Washington continue to languish. And at home, floods brought … Read more
Advertisement While China’s zero COVID campaign has become part of the unmentioned past for many people both inside and outside China, we shouldn’t downplay its significance. The zero COVID effort marked the first political campaign that involved the participation of practically every Chinese citizen since the end of the Cultural Revolution. Therefore, understanding the implications … Read more
Advertisement There is an urban legend in China known colloquially as the “58-year old phenomenon.” It refers to a 58-year-old man, usually working in the public sector as a civil servant or official, on the cusp of official retirement at age 60, taking his final chance to reward himself financially through the auspices of his … Read more
Advertisement China declared in 2021 that it had stamped out extreme poverty. While critics question the self-proclaimed triumph, the central government’s strategy of adjusting cadre appraisals to focus on anti-poverty achievements did have considerable success. Rural incomes improved as local officials were spurred by potential promotions if they hit their targets. At the same time, … Read more
Advertisement When I talk to European friends in Beijing, I am often asked what Chinese people “really think” of Ukraine war. It’s difficult to answer. I can only say that Chinese people have various ideas and do not fully support Russia or Ukraine. There are some polls that have aimed to get a more definitive … Read more
Advertisement The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Chun Han Wong – China correspondent at the Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize finalist, and author of “Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and … Read more
Advertisement In recent weeks, China’s security and propaganda apparatus has turned its sights on foreign consulting and auditing companies, conducting coordinated raids, detaining employees, broadening an espionage law, and airing slickly produced “special reports” about its crackdown on state television. The campaign has sent waves of alarm across the international business community, but recent prison … Read more