In his book The Chinese Invasion Threat, Ian Easton, research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute, argued that China has developed secret plans to invade Taiwan by 2020. Since Xi Jinping took office in 2012, Beijing has become increasingly bellicose, attempting to isolate Taiwan internationally and threatening it with war. Some believe that Xi, who in … Continue reading PLA Admiral Argues That China Can Occupy Taiwan In Three Days
On January 16th, 2010, Chinese President Hu Jintao made a visit to the Shanghai headquarters of UnionPay. A plaque commemorating the event urges the company to “step up the effort to internationalize and strive to build UnionPay into a major global brand for bankcards”. UnionPay has only 0.5% market share globally, but it dominates … Continue reading China’s Economy, Unfair Trade, And The Role Of Government
On February 25 Chinese state media announced a list of proposed amendments to China’s Constitution that will in all likelihood be adopted at the National People’s Congress (NPC) starting on March 5. One of the the 21 proposed amendments is the abolition of the current limit of two five-year terms for the office of the President and … Continue reading Deng Xiaoping On Personality Cult And One-Man Rule – 1980 Interview
"Reports of lost battles swirl in like falling snow," wrote Chiang Kai-shek at the end of 1948. "North China and the below-the-wall region are on the brink of collapse. I do not feel guilty. I tried my best" (quoted in: Jay Taylor, The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China, 2009, p. 397). … Continue reading Why Did Chiang Kai-shek Lose China? The Guomindang Regime And The Victory Of The Chinese Communist Party
The Origins of the Green Gang The origins of the Green Gang can be traced back to the 15th century, when a spiritual leader named Luo Qing (羅清, pinyin: Luó Qīng) founded a Buddhist sect, the Patriarch Luo Sect. The sect evolved from the famous White Lotus, which had played a major role in the overthrow … Continue reading The Green Gang, Chiang Kai-shek, and the Republic of China
Hong Kong's housing shortage and tiny flats are notorious problems in a city that is known for the stark contrast between its extraordinary wealth and the poor living conditions of a large section of its population. Hong Kong has Asia's largest wealth gap, with the 10 richest individuals owning half of the entire economy. According … Continue reading Hong Kong Housing Problem – From The 1950s To The Present
"Lotte Group's development in the Chinese market should come to an end", wrote the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mouthpiece Global Times on February 28, one day after the South Korean conglomerate approved a land swap deal that allowed the government in Seoul to deploy a controversial US missile defence system. The Terminal High Altitude Area … Continue reading The China-South Korea Spat and the Tradition of China’s Anti-Foreign Boycotts
"When the May Fourth Movement took place in 1919, I was only sixteen years old, a student at the Tianjin Women’s Normal College", wrote Deng Yingchao (邓颖超/ 鄧穎超; pinyin: Dèng Yǐngchāo) years after the events. "On May 4, 1919 students in Beijing held a demonstration asking the government to refuse to sign the Versailles Peace … Continue reading China and the May 4th Movement
The following story from a book published in 1945 offers a fascinating insight into the life and mentality of ordinary people in wartime China. [Teng Chan] saw the beginning of the war as a bachelor in Shang-hai and Nanking, met and fell in love with a girl, and was married, lived through the worst of … Continue reading China at War – The Story of Teng Chan
In November 2014 the Guomindang (Chinese Nationalist Party) suffered a defeat in Taiwan's local elections, winning 40.7% of the votes and only 6 out of 22 local seats. The main opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), gained 47.5% of the votes. This setback led to the resignation en masse of the Guomindang executive cabinet. It … Continue reading China-Taiwan Tensions and the Guomindang’s Existential Crisis
