No discussion of China’s tour de force economic performance is complete without taking a look at its maritime strengths and port development, as a majority of its international trade is carried by way of sea. China has been ranked as the world’s third largest trading... MORE

Beijing has waged a high-decibel, multi-pronged offensive in response to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian scrapping the island’s National Unification Council (NUC) and its National Unification Guidelines (NUG) last month. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership has also put additional pressure on Washington to help rein... MORE

The incessant barrage of threats and counter-threats hurtling between Washington and Caracas is the background, sometimes the foreground, of Sino-Venezuelan relations. Simply put, if U.S. ties to Venezuela were friendly, Beijing would have little to do in this oil-rich state that exports 60 percent of... MORE

The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense recently announced that China has accelerated its build-up of theater ballistic missiles facing the island and that by 2010 nearly 1,800 missiles will be poised for launch across the Strait (China Post, February 8). Due to the build-up of theater... MORE

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1951, Sino-Pakistani relations have steadily deepened, and the two countries have never had a public disagreement over any bilateral, regional, or global issue. If there was any wrinkle in their mutual relations, it was amicably resolved in private,... MORE

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will celebrate its 57th birthday in April 2006. In the last five decades it has gradually achieved a relatively respectful place in the world naval arena. Under the country’s first ocean-going naval strategy promoted by Admiral Liu Huaqing, the... MORE

While China's remarkable economic achievements attract international attention, a less advertised revolution is quietly taking place in China's higher education system. The long-term implications of this may be much more important for China's future— and the world's. A small part of it I witnessed myself.... MORE

The Beijing foreign-policy team is conducting intensive brainstorming sessions on China-Japan relations in the “post-Koizumi era,” and President Hu Jintao’s advisers have recommended that more pressure be put on the United States to help “rein in” Tokyo. While this past weekend’s dialogue on bilateral ties... MORE

China has long recognized its vulnerability toward oil supply disruption and implemented numerous policies to stunt the rapid growth of its oil consumption. Yet efforts so far have met with little success. China currently accounts for more than 8% of global oil consumption, ranking second... MORE

India and China are locked in a bitter struggle for Pan-Asian leadership in South, Southeast and Central Asia. Three regional economic and security organizations—South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)—symbolize their jostling... MORE