BEIJING BEGINS NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS WITH PROMISES OF ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL POOR In accordance with President Hu Jintao’s commitment toward creating a “harmonious society” (hexie shehui) within China, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao unveiled a new series of measures that would provide medical, agricultural and social... MORE

The linkages between China’s domestic situation and its external affairs have become increasingly apparent and complex for Chinese leaders. “Never before has China been so closely bound up with the rest of the world as it is today,” noted China’s 2006 Defense White Paper [1].... MORE

Even as China has committed an unprecedented level of resources toward the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), President Hu Jintao has placed an emphasis on raising the “fighting spirit” and strategic ingenuity of the PLA. President Hu has also sought the views of... MORE

When President Hu Jintao visited Zambia in early February 2007, he met with the country’s liberation leader and first head of state, Kenneth Kaunda and said, “In China, we say that when you are drinking water, you should not forget the people who dug the... MORE

The official threat assessments that Taiwan has released in recent years reflect the growing concern over China’s military modernization, which is typically portrayed as part of a broader strategic challenge with potentially serious implications for the island’s security. Moreover, Taiwanese officials assess that the modernization... MORE

U.S. AND JAPAN’S ISLAND CHAIN POLICIES CRITICAL TO TAIWAN’S DEFENSE In a recent report assessing the future missions of the four Keelung (Kidd) class destroyers that were recently commissioned into the Taiwanese Navy, Chien-tuan K’o chi (Defense Technology Monthly) senior editor Chang Li-teh argued that... MORE

Over the past 10-15 years, China has placed increasing emphasis on the development and improvement of its special operations forces [1]. According to the 2000 U.S. Department of Defense report on Chinese military power, “Particularly since the 1991 Persian Gulf conflict, the PLA has devoted... MORE

Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his eight-country, twelve-day African tour this month in the midst of controversy regarding China’s role in the continent. Government officials from the countries that received China’s leader expressed gratitude for their guest’s generous offers of aid, cancellations of debt... MORE

Relations between Beijing and Pyongyang have fluctuated dynamically over the past two decades, beginning in the 1980s when frays first appeared in China’s ties with North Korea. The relationship continued to suffer as China pursued a policy of rapprochement toward South Korea. By the mid-1990s,... MORE

Some fifty years ago, Chinese and Turkish troops actually fought one another on the battlefield; Turkey was the sole Muslim nation to send troops to South Korea under the United Nations mandate, in which 14 other nations sent ground forces to support the U.S.-led coalition.... MORE