The diplomatic battle for Taiwan
Taiwan’s remaining allies are being whittled away as Beijing positions itself as a peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine.
ByXi Jinping
Xi Jinping is general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (since 2012) and president of China (since 2013). He was born in 1953 and joined the Communist Party in 1974. He studied chemical engineering at Tsinghua University. From 1999 to 2002 he was governor of Fujian province, and was governor of Zhejiang for the next five years; he was first secretary of the Central Secretariat from 2007 and became the presumed successor to the presidency in 2008.
The US is readying itself for another moral crusade, this time against China
The drumbeat of war is growing louder in Washington, where the political class is transfixed by Beijing.
By
China is laying out a path to conflict with the US
Qin Gang, the foreign minister, has warned that the two powers are heading toward a confrontation that would risk “the…
By
Xi Jinping lashes out at the US
China’s leadership took aim at America in an uncharacteristically direct attack during Beijing’s annual parliamentary session.
By
Qin Gang: China’s new foreign minister and the taming of “wolf warrior” diplomacy
A former ambassador to the US, Qin Gang has a ferocious reputation. Who is he, and what does his rise…
By
Axis of Autocrats: Putin, Xi and Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko’s Beijing visit undermines China’s claim to neutrality as drone strikes hit Russia.
Why Alexander Lukashenko’s trip to China matters
The Belarusian autocrat is a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and a useful friend in Beijing’s contest with the West.
By
China’s hollow peace plan for Ukraine
Any hopes that Wang Yi’s visit to the Kremlin might have been to broker an end to the conflict have…
By
This is how China wants the war in Ukraine to end
Chinese officials have called for peace talks on the first anniversary of the war, but Beijing has already chosen sides.
By
Will China stop Russia going nuclear?
When Chinese diplomats say they want the war to end, they undoubtedly mean it – but not at any cost.
By
The balloon debacle is a needless crisis – but a crisis nonetheless
Whether it was a spy balloon or not, US politicians’ ability to take a nuanced approach to Beijing has been…
By
How a rogue balloon could scupper US-China relations
A Chinese surveillance balloon has been spotted over the US. Donald Trump wants the military to shoot it down.
By
Where is Xi Jinping?
Covid failures are keeping the Chinese leader away from Lunar New Year celebrations.
By
China’s economy will rebound. But for how long?
A falling population and the political scars from its zero Covid policy present warning signs for China.
By
What China’s devastating Covid outbreak means for the rest of the world
The true scale of the country’s current wave and the failures of its “zero Covid” policy pose a threat to…
By
China is lifting “zero Covid” controls. What happens next could be devastating
The Chinese government has had almost three years to prepare for the end of its strict rules. It has failed…
By
Is this the beginning of the end for China’s zero-Covid policy?
The government has announced it will “optimise” its Covid response.
By
China’s Jiang Zemin has died. That could be a problem for Xi Jinping
The deaths of former senior leaders have led to mass protests in the country before.
By
What do China’s lockdown protests mean for Xi Jinping?
The demonstrations haven’t yet threatened the president’s power – but that they happened is still remarkable.
By
Life under Covid lockdown in Shanghai
Demands for the country’s “zero Covid” policy to be eased have been building for months.
By