Will US-China tensions bring China and Japan closer together? This Thursday, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe traveled to Beijing to discuss cooperation on issues such as joint infrastructure investments and panda loans, signaling a potential thaw in bilateral relations. Business representatives participated in the visit, with Japanese and Chinese companies signing deals worth $18 billion. However, Abe also announced the end of Japan’s developmental aid … Continue reading The Weekly Pigeon (October 28, 2018)

How is China innovating in AI? Chinese tech giant Baidu has been invited to join a partnership of AI companies headed by Silicon Valley heavyweights Facebook, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft, established in 2016 to share best practices about AI development with ethics and academic experts. America and China, as first movers in AI development, will have the most influence over future ethical norms that will … Continue reading The Weekly Pigeon (October 21, 2018)

Does IP reform in China signal an end to IP theft? Bloomberg reported that malicious Chinese microchips were embedded in servers sold to Apple and Amazon, raising grave concerns about supply chain security. Trump’s strategy has been to impose tariffs on Chinese high tech industries, although China has made significant progress in reforming its IP policies in recent years. This may not be enough to assuage … Continue reading The Weekly Pigeon (October 7, 2018)

  Can China be separated from global value chains? Rising wages and the onset of recent tariffs slapped onto Chinese manufacturers by Trump have turned companies away from China towards safe havens in Southeast Asia and India, with foreign direct investment in Southeast Asia increasing by 11% in 2017. However, lack of infrastructure and immature logistics mean that for now, China’s manufacturing capabilities remain unrivaled. … Continue reading The Weekly Pigeon (September 30, 2018)

Why is China pursuing ports abroad? Recent exploits have signaled Chinese intent to control key infrastructure in the Middle East. Chinese operational takeover of the Israeli port of Haifa, previously a US home port, cast a shadow on the US-Israel strategic partnership. Plans of a Chinese partner firm to build a port at Doraleh in debt-ridden Djibouti have sparked accusations of ‘debt-trap’ diplomacy. Conversely, China’s … Continue reading The Weekly Pigeon (September 23, 2018)

Are Russia and China natural friends or uncomfortable allies? This Tuesday, it was reported that China is taking part in Vostok 2018, Russia’s largest military exercise since the Cold War. Some observers, such as Mikhail Barabanov of the Moscow Defense Brief, claim that “The Russian military is interested in seeing and assessing China’s progress in the military field” due to China and Russia’s “mutual interest in … Continue reading The Weekly Pigeon (September 16, 2018)