China Brief
A weekly digest of the stories you should be following in China this week, plus exclusive analysis, written by Foreign Policy’s senior editor and former Beijing correspondent James Palmer. Delivered Wednesday.
China Intensifies Provocations Over Taiwan
The risk of invasion remains small, but Beijing’s rhetoric and posturing raises some red flags.
China’s Vaccine Diplomacy Has Mixed Results
Concerns about the efficacy of Sinovac and Sinopharm has dented their reputation, even among allies of Beijing.
Another Blow to Hong Kong’s Dying Democracy
A new law all but guarantees that the city’s legislature will be stacked with supporters of Beijing.
China Hits Back at Western Sanctions
With officials held to account for atrocities in Xinjiang, Beijing has enacted scattershot retaliatory measures against U.S. allies.
U.S. and Chinese Diplomats Set to Meet on Thin Ice
Bilateral talks in Alaska are likely to be an airing of grievances, not an exchange of views.
China’s Military Is Outmatched
As the Quad alliance prepares to meet, leaders should take an honest look at the challenges China’s military presents.
What to Expect From China’s Annual Legislative Sessions
Further controls over Hong Kong are expected to be formalized at this week’s meetings, which showcase Chinese Communist Party power.
China Admits Casualties in Border Skirmish With India
Months after the clash in the Galwan River Valley, Chinese officials have confirmed that four troops died. State media has already made them martyrs.
Why Are Myanmar’s Protesters Targeting China?
Misinformation about Beijing’s involvement in the Feb. 1 coup taps into long-standing anti-Chinese sentiment.
The WHO Investigation Shows Beijing Still Pulls the Strings
The World Health Organization team that spent weeks in Wuhan ended up giving Chinese authorities a propaganda victory.
Xinjiang’s Camps Enable Systemic Sexual Violence
A new report draws attention to rape and other abuses of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in China’s large-scale internment camps.
Xi Jinping Shows His Nerves Over Decoupling
The Chinese leader’s speech at the World Economic Forum reveals his worries about Beijing’s place in the post-Trump era.
China Issues Sanctions on Long List of Trump Officials
The announcement on the heels of Biden’s inauguration could be an attempt to gauge the new administration’s positions.
China Puts Millions of People Back Under Lockdown
As authorities push to keep the country largely coronavirus-free, restrictions take effect in the province around Beijing.
Arrests Sound the Death Knell of Dissent in Hong Kong
Authorities have detained 53 politicians, protest leaders, and unionists under Beijing’s national security law.
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