China Monitor Articles
Chinese Experts’ Opinions on the Biden Administration: A Mix of Hope and Realism
It has been a few weeks since the new US President Joe Biden was sworn in. Several top-level appointments have already been made, including those related to security and international relations. How are they perceived in Beijing?
Beijing is Reaching Out to the US
Recently, authorities in Beijing have been signaling that they are ready for cooperation and a fresh start in relations with Washington and the Joe Biden administration. The Chinese officials are very conciliatory and portray the PRC as a non-confrontational party that is reaching out to the new US administration and encouraging it to abandon the former policy of the White House which Beijing perceives as “confrontational.”
Tensions Across the Taiwan Strait
Chinese warplanes, including the H-6K bombers and four J-16 fighter jets, entered Taiwan’s airspace on Saturday, January 23. The administration of Joe Biden immediately backed the island nation. Consequently, tensions between Washington and Beijing will escalate once again.
Poland-China Relations in 2021: Current State and Prospects
Despite growing trade and good relations between the presidents of the two countries, communication between Warsaw and Beijing has stalled for some time. Following a period of dynamic development of relationships between 2008 and 2016, the cooperation has weakened under the rule of the United Right (Polish: Zjednoczona Prawica).
China – An Unexpected Winner of the Pandemic
Thanks to its relative success in the fight against pandemic, China was the only major economy to report a GDP growth of 2.3% in 2020. The pre-pandemic forecasts suggested that China would become the world’s largest economy in 2035, but, due to its GDP growth and a parallel recession in the US, this might happen even seven years sooner.
Xi Jinping’s Speech in Davos
Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), participated in the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on January 25. This year it was held virtually. It was his first appearance in Davos in four years, following the one in 2017. The address was Beijing’s manifesto on playing a bigger global role, upholding multilateralism and supporting developing countries.
Chinese Perspective on the Candidate for Pentagon Chief
US President-elect Joe Biden officially named the retired four-star General Lloyd Austin as his pick for the Secretary of Defense in December. According to the Chinese experts, he is a pragmatic candidate who is not focused on Asia and thanks to whom US-China relations can be improved.
The PLAAF Recruitment Video and the H-20 Bomber
In early January, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force released a recruitment video on Chinese social media to encourage young people to join the army. It is worth to note that the video clip features an outline of an aircraft, which, according to analysts, is the announced bomber of the future – H-20.
Beijing Announces Increased Engagement in Africa
Between January 4 and 9, 2021, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi embarked on his first diplomatic tour of the new year with stops in five African countries. The purpose of these visits was to maintain China’s role as the key partner of African countries with regard to the construction of new infrastructure as well as trade and financial cooperation.
China’s Foreign Policy in 2021
In an interview given to the Xinhua News Agency and the China Media Group in Beijing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Wang Yi talked about China’s foreign policy in 2021 and the fulfillment of its mission in 2020.
Xi Jinping’s New Year’s Address
New Year’s wishes are customary among the heads of states and it is no different in the People’s Republic of China. Xi Jinping used this opportunity to sum up the past year and talk about future plans. However, the topics he raised did not differ significantly from the ones in the last year’s speech, which highlights the current foundations of Chinese politics.
Are Military Drones the Future of the Chinese Army?
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/UCAVs) are a vital part of China’s strategy for winning “intelligent conflicts,” which are increasingly based on information flow and enhanced situational awareness. Between 2010 and 2020, China introduced a large number of advanced systems of this kind, becoming one of the world leaders in this sector
China’s Big Tech Crackdown
Since the beginning of 2020, the CCP has taken a number of steps aimed at restricting the freedom of action of the largest companies referred to as “big tech,” including in particular the Alibaba Group, managed by Jack Ma. Warnings of “disorderly expansion of capital” (资本无序扩张) and monopolistic practices have appeared in the official narrative of the authorities and state-owned media, although the stakes are much higher.
China-Russia Joint Aerial Patrol
The Russian and Chinese bombers held a joint patrol over the Western Pacific on Tuesday, December 22. It was another opportunity to demonstrate strategic cooperation in opposition to the West. The Chinese media enthusiastically covered the event.
Warsaw Institute
