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 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.
How China Shaped the World in 2020
Five major stories that have rippled far beyond Beijing this year.
How a Chinese Communist Party Members List Became a Scare Story
An over-hyped leak illustrates the importance of context when discussing Chinese influence.
U.S. Partisanship Is Harming Counterintelligence
The case of an alleged Chinese spy who worked her way into U.S. municipal politics raises tricky questions about how cautious politicians should be.
Why China Just Doubled Down on Australia
Facing increasingly hostile diplomacy, Canberra is more likely to strengthen defense ties with Washington than cave to Beijing.
How Will Biden’s Team Handle China?
Deprioritizing Beijing on the foreign-policy agenda would be a dangerous mistake for the incoming U.S. administration.
Will the Trump Administration Sabotage U.S.-China Relations?
In their final weeks, hawks in the outgoing White House are trying to push through measures that would keep Beijing and Washington on a confrontational course.
Why Beijing Hasn’t Called Biden
That the Chinese leadership hasn’t congratulated the U.S. president-elect doesn’t mean it favors Trump.
China Isn’t Nervous About the U.S. Election
The winner simply isn’t that important to Chinese leaders or the general public, who see the United States as a power in decline.
Xi Is Out to Prove That This Is China’s Moment
As the Chinese leadership discusses a five-year plan in Beijing this week, it could underestimate the United States.
Why Does Trump Have a Chinese Bank Account?
The U.S. president has attacked Democratic nominee Joe Biden for his son’s dealings in China. But it appears Trump was himself pursuing business interests there.
Xi Just Grabbed More Bureaucratic Power
A change to the Chinese Communist Party’s top-level meeting procedure follows a chilling pattern under Xi’s leadership.
Are China’s Shelves Running Empty?
A state campaign against food waste has raised questions about food security after a year of natural disasters and contagion.
Why Is China Sabotaging Its Own Athletes?
A new set of qualifications focused on strength rather than skill could actually harm Beijing’s efforts at the next Olympics.
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