President Xi Jinping has used military reforms to strengthen his command over the People’s Liberation Army. He uses personal connections to fill central positions within the military, says professor You Ji of Macau University in this new podcast interview from YCW Partner MERICS.
YCW’s Insa Ewert and Jan Philipp Pöter take a political approach to the vigorous debate on whether or not China will be granted Market Economy Status (MES) in December 2016. A significant question for China’s international relations and economic ties, particularly at a moment of change for the European Union.
YCW’s Insa Ewert and Jan Philipp Pöter dissect the impact of Brexit on China’s relations with the UK and EU, and find that an independent Britain would mean disadvantages for London and Brussels, but possible benefits for Beijing.
In this sweeping review of China’s relationships with its neighbors and citizens, Dr. Thomas Fingar of Stanford University weaves together history and opinion to prepare for the future: “China’s strategy of doing the ‘easy’ things first has created a situation in which the only things left to do are ‘hard.'”
It’s time to reconsider “China in Africa.” “It’s a common mistake to put too much emphasis on a singular, mammoth ‘China’ making all the decisions” says Janet Eom of the China-Africa Research Initiative (CARI) at Johns Hopkins SAIS. “All 54 African countries have unique stories. Therefore, when China goes to Africa, local circumstances matter.” Read on to find out how this dynamic has affected trade and relationships between both sides.