Special to WorldTribune.com Parris H. Chang In the wake of Xi Jinping’s leadership ascendancy since the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012, Beijing’s aggressive posture in the Asia-Pacific region has become clearly discernible. China’s steady thrust into the South China Sea and sudden establishment of an air defense identification zone near […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com The latest “terrorist” attack in China — the stabbing incident at the Guangzhou Railway Station on Tuesday, May 6 — resulted only in six people injured. Yet coming hot upon the heels of bombing and stabbing mishaps in cities including Kunming and Urumqi, the Guangzhou case has made […]
Sol W. Sanders Despite the ballyhoo, there is little prospect significant reforms will emerge from the current upper echelon Chinese Communist Party meeting. That’s despite virtually all foreign observers and most Chinese experts agreeing major changes are absolutely necessary to continue the past three decades’ fantastic economic progress. China has now reached blocking obstacles, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com While General Secretary and President Xi Jinping has not yet been in office for one year, different factions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are already jockeying for position regarding the identity of Xi’s successor. It was late patriarch Deng Xiaoping who started the tradition called the “cross-generation […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Parris Chang On July 20, Taiwan’s ruling party (Kuomintang or KMT) elected its chairman, and tens of thousands of its members were mobilized to vote for the incumbent — President Ma Ying-jeou. Pundits likened the election to a mid-summer festival political farce, as Ma was the only candidate on the ballot, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com After becoming simultaneously General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission at the 18th Chinese Communist Party Congress last November, Xi Jinping put it as its top priority to consolidate his power base in the People’s Liberation Army. He also wanted to build up his credentials as […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Newly confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping has demonstrated the flair if not also the substance of a strongman during his maiden overseas trip as head of state. Unlike his predecessor, ex-president Hu Jintao – who often appeared stiff and wooden while on foreign trips – Xi seemed to […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com The likelihood of an at least small-scale military conflict between China and Japan over the Diaoyu-Senkaku islands has increased dramatically. Latest reports from Beijing say that General Secretary Xi Jinping, who is also commander-in-chief of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), has given orders to deploy more short- to […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com General Secretary and Commander-in-chief Xi Jinping is set to continue the “pro-Russian” policy of his predecessor, Hu Jintao, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership becomes more nervous than ever over Washington’s perceived “anti-China containment policy.” While meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev in Beijing on […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Even as the world awaits new foreign-policy initiatives expected after leadership changes at the 18th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress this fall, Beijing has significantly fine-tuned its policy toward the Asia-Pacific arena. A leitmotif of the far more aggressive foreign and military policies crafted by President and military […]