China Archives - Page 27 of 78 - Foreign Policy In Focus

Is China’s String of Pearls Real?

by Vivian Yang | Jul 18, 2011

China’s “string of pearls” consists of port and airfield construction projects, diplomatic ties, and force modernization. These “pearls” range from the coast of mainland China to the recently upgraded military facilities on Hainan Island, China’s southernmost territory. They extend through the South China Sea to the Strait of Malacca, over to the Indian Ocean and along the coast of the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. They include an airstrip on Woody Island in the Paracel archipelago east of Vietnam. A container shipping facility in Chittagong, Bangladesh, a deep-water port in Sittwe, Myanmar, and a potential naval base in Gwadar, Pakistan are also “pearls,” all of them representing Chinese geopolitical influence or military presence.

Apple: Crown Jewel of Technology or Human-Rights Abuser and Tax Cheat?

by Peter Certo | Jun 30, 2011

The path an ore for Apple’s batteries takes to the marketplace is roughly analogous to that of “Blood Diamonds.”

Burma’s Ethnic Insurgencies Erupt in a Chain Reaction

by Russ Wellen | Jun 30, 2011

Burma’s three ethnic insurgencies are on full boil, but at a time when support from former benefactors Thailand and China has grown tepid.

Bush Sr. and Huntsman: A Tale of Two Ambassadors to the Middle Kingdom

by Shiran Shen | Jun 29, 2011

A close look at the personal and career paths of Jon M. Huntsman with George H. W. Bush. suggests several convergences, and the nexus is the Middle Kingdom.

Art v. State

by John Feffer | Jun 28, 2011

In the vast exhibition hall of London’s Tate Modern, the installation looks from a distance like a huge patch of gravel. Perhaps it is the first stage of a construction site or the last stage of a demolition. Only when you come closer and crouch down can you identify the little objects. A discerning eye might determine that they are reproductions. The rest of us rely on an accompanying video about Ai Weiwei’s project, which explains that the Chinese artist had commissioned a village of artists to produce the porcelain objects and paint them to resemble the real thing. What from far away looks like a gravel parking lot is actually one hundred million artfully produced sunflower seeds.

The Last Son of China

by J. P., Melissa Tuckey | Jun 27, 2011

..……………..hello hello hello…Weiwei…where have you been?…I see you in dreams…bleeding…in the darkness of the sun…79 spots in the flame…each a nightmare one cannot wake up from…Weiwei…the last son…you told me as we said goodbye…your last night on the Lower East side…未未…the last child of your Mother and Father…born in the labor camp…exiled from Beijing to the far desert…

Genuine Partnership or a Marriage of Convenience?

by Fantu Cheru, Cyril Obi | Jun 24, 2011

Despite official Indian denial that there is no competition between the two Asian giants (The Economic Times 2010) in Africa, India’s foreign policy swings between attempting to catch up with the Chinese, who have made major inroads in Africa over the past decade, and accommodating the aspirations of China, India and the western world in the context of India’s enduring relations with the continent. This competition centres on three major issues: energy security, access to Africa’s untapped markets and diplomatic influence.

The Silver Lining in China’s Crackdown

by Vivian Yang | Jun 22, 2011

It has been more than two months since Chinese artist Ai Weiwei disappeared. The son of famous poet Ai Qing, Ai Weiwei is well known for his architecture, curating, photography, film, and social criticism. After his collaboration with the architects Herzog and de Meuron on Beijing’s Olympic stadium, his fame spread. Outspoken and liberal, Ai has long been an advocate for democracy. He stated that he had no interest in the 2008 Olympics and would not attend the opening ceremony: “an Olympics held without freedom and against the will of the people will be nonsense because no totalitarian regime can play at being democracy. It is a pretend harmony and happiness.”

If She is Still There

by John Schellhase | Jun 13, 2011

One of the chief reasons for Western audiences to watch Up the Yangtze is its intimate portrayal of the aspirations and anguish of the Chinese citizens depicted in the film. With so much glib reductionism on offer by Western commentators, it is refreshing to hear Chinese voices expressing their own hopes and frustrations.

All Roads Lead Back to China

by Khadija Sharife | Jun 7, 2011

Ghanaian cocoa, Gabonese iron and Congolese oil have been swapped for construction of dams, allowing Chinese corporations such as Sinohydro to capture the bulk of Africa’s hydropower market. The ‘barter system’ thus enables China to export goods and labour, facilitating for China the opportunity to ‘import’ their recycled project capital in addition to African resources. In the process, China has activated arguably the same ‘Western’ capitalist vehicles of engagement