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Political Minutes: Spotlight on the South China Sea
As the diverse background of the panelists suggests, the issue of sovereignty, borders, and rights to resources in the South China Sea is contentious and has many different sides.
Same Old “New” CCP
This trial, however, has nothing to do with corruption, bribery, or murder committed by a party member. It has everything to do with a party searching for a scapegoat before a new generation of leaders takes center stage.
A Mukden in the Making
Let’s remember, though, what September 18th is the anniversary of. The Mukden Incident was a contrived pretext for expanding Japan’s empire into what had until then been Chinese territory. What we are seeing now are the first rumblings of a rising China looking to throw its newfound wealth and power around.
China’s Search for Glam Power
China has an image problem and an influence deficit. Unsurprisingly, the Chinese government has already taken coordinated steps to raise China’s profile on the world stage.
PRC’s Grip over China’s Wild West
In the beginning of October 1949, the bloody Chinese Civil War was nearing its end, and Mao Zedong had proudly declared the foundation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). With the Nationalists defeated, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could now focus on its aims on fully reuniting the country and instituting socialism. The disastrous effects of the latter aim are well-known.
Political Minutes: Euna Lee on Human Rights
On Friday night, the Columbia University chapter of Liberty in North Korea (LINK) presented a night with journalist, activist, and former North Korea detainee Euna Lee.
Taking the World By Storm
In a report from The Economist on Saturday discussing the massive buildup and modernization of China’s army, known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), one particular passage caught my eye.
Japan Prepares for the Real Triple Disaster
It has now been over one year since northeastern Japan was devastated by what has been dubbed by many as the “triple disaster” – consisting of an earthquake, a deadly tsunami, and the nuclear meltdown of the now-infamous Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The Sputtering Dragon
China’s awe-inspiring economic growth over the past three decades has inspired envy, emulation, and animosity all over the world. As I have argued before, I think that China will be a major global player in this century and that its influence will increase over time. But as we learned the hard way in 2008, no matter how smooth an economic course may seem, there are, inevitably, unforeseen problems.
I Love India (And You Should Too!)
As President Barack Obama put it in a November 2010 speech, the Constitution of India and the United States Constitution “begin with the same revolutionary words.” Those words, of course, are “We the People.”
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