Latest Articles about China and the Asia-Pacific
South Korea Grounds Its Position in the Central and East European Defense Market (Part Two)
*Read Part One here. The recently established military relationship between South Korea and Poland is a multidimensional phenomenon, reaching beyond security in its traditional meaning. In fact, large-scale arms contracts are almost always politicized and followed or accompanied by intensified economic ties. Certainly, in the... MORE
Domestic Effects of Belarus’s ‘Partial Blockade’
Numerous Russian media outlets (e.g., RBC, January 22) echoed the content of a recent US media report, according to which rare earth metals necessary for the production of microchips, electronics and armor-piercing ammunition are still being delivered to the European Union from China by rail.... MORE
Abu Zachariah: Islamic State’s Little-Known Leader in Southeast Asia
In March, Islamic State (IS)’s centralized media apparatus announced the selection of a new caliph, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Quraysh, and IS provinces began disseminating photos and short videos to show pledges of allegiance to him (al-Furqan Media, March 10). The Islamic State in East Asia... MORE
Russia Seeks to Circumvent the Advancing Western Alliance in Africa
The broad coalition built last week for supplying main battle tanks to Ukraine signifies a new surge in strengthening the unity of the US-led Western alliance, and Russia has had no response to this upgrade. It will take a few months to train and equip... MORE
Yurtugh Tactical: Profiling the Anti-Chinese Uyghur Training Group in Syria
The rise of tactical groups dates to 2017 and 2018, when the first videos and photos of Malhama Tactical in Syria began to circulate. In those same years, other tactical groups began operating in Syria, but escaped the scrutiny of analysts because they were not... MORE
Editor’s Note: Discontinuing the Use of Pinyin for Chinese Terms
Previous volumes of China Brief have used pinyin for Chinese terms. However, beginning with this volume, China Brief will include only the Chinese characters for terms and no longer include transliterations of such terms using pinyin. For example, an author translating “中国式现代化” as “Chinese-Style Modernization”... MORE
Warnings and Welcomes: China’s Reopening and the Politics of International Travel
Over the past two months, as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has rapidly rolled back its strict zero-COVID epidemic prevention policy, COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout the country. The combination of the PRC reopening its borders to outbound travel on January 8 and the... MORE
The Clash at Tawang: Tensions Rise on the China-India Border
Introduction On December 9, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian army clashed at Yangtse along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh resulting in injuries on both sides. Following the incident, the local Indian commander held a... MORE
At a Dead End? China’s Drive to Reform Defense Science and Technology Institutes Stalls
Introduction Since becoming China’s top leader ten years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping has sought to sustain a three-decade effort to reform the defense industry in order to advance the development of defense technology and improve the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) capabilities. Recent reforms have... MORE
Fentanyl Precursors from China and the American Opioid Epidemic
Introduction The fentanyl epidemic was born in America, rose from the supply of precursor chemicals made in China and is now even more destructive as Mexican drug cartels profit from huge demand. The involvement of suppliers of fentanyl precursors from China is a controversial issue... MORE