Since January, comments from the new Trump administration about the South China Sea have stirred controversy in Beijing. Starting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comparison of China’s actions in the South China Sea to Russia’s seizure of Crimea, the Trump administration has had a rocky start in diplomatic relations with China, especially concerning the tense territorial dispute over the South China Sea. … Continue reading Rough Waters Ahead: Chinese-American Relations in the South China Sea

    China positioned the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as the nation’s grand re-introduction to the international community—and to cover the event appropriately, foreign correspondents in China enjoyed eased restrictions and unencumbered coverage that suggested a liberalization for foreign media in  China. After the curtains of the Olympics closing ceremony lowered, however, Chinese officials have reversed their open stance towards foreign correspondents, enforcing regulations more … Continue reading The Correspondents’ Dilemma?

    First proposed by Xi Jinping in late 2013, the “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) initiative covers a wide range of objectives, aiming to “instill vigor and vitality into the ancient Silk Road, connect Asian, European and African countries more closely and promote mutually beneficial cooperation to a new high and in new forms,” according to the text of the policy itself. As a … Continue reading The Road Well-Traveled