China Focus 中國焦點

16/04/2024

09/11/2022

What's the dynamic of the current U.S.-China relations? How should the two major global powers prevent a total decoupling?

During our interview with Mr. Robert Hormats, former Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, he offered his thoughts on this profound relationship.

Click to know more:

A stable U.S.-China relationship has much greater implications for many areas in the world.

21/10/2022

How has China's overreach shaped its domestic and foreign policy? How should the U.S. position itself if Xi's overreach persists?

Our writer Michelle Lai provides detailed coverage of the recent public talk given by Professor Susan Shirk, chair of the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, on her new book "Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise"

Click to learn more:

How has China's overreach shaped its domestic and foreign policy? How should the U.S. position itself if Xi's overreach persists in the coming decade?

30/07/2022

We're excited to announce the China Focus 2022 Essay Contest winners! This week we are featuring the series' second article on the topic of disinformation in the U.S. and China.
Congratulations to Natasha Lock from Yenching Academy! Check out the winning submission on the formation as well as the use of disinformation in the U.S. and China and the direction of the most important bilateral relationship in the world.

How is disinformation formed and strategically wielded in the U.S. and China? What are their responses to each other's deceptive information? Where will the spread of disinformation lead to the most important bilateral relationship in the world?

17/06/2022

We're excited to announce the China Focus 2022 Essay Contest winners! This week we are featuring the series' first article on the topic of high-tech regulations.

Congratulations to William Yuen Yee, graduating from Columbia University! Check out the winning submission on regulating large high-tech companies in the U.S. and China and how the U.S. should react to promote innovation with tightened regulations:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2022/06/17/innovation-in-regulation-a-path-forward-for-u-s-tech-competition-with-china-2021-china-focus-essay-contest-winner/

26/05/2022

How and why is Leninism reconstructed in contemporary Chinese domestic politics? Dr. Dimitar Gueorguiev, in his interview with us, discussed the prevalent use of controlled inclusion in China's participatory governance.

Click to learn more:
https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2022/05/26/controlled-inclusion-in-participatory-governance-an-interview-with-dimitar-gueorguiev/

How and why is Leninism reconstructed in contemporary Chinese domestic politics? Dr. Dimitar Gueorguiev discussed the prevalent use of controlled inclusion in China's participatory governance.

22/04/2022

Happy Friday, everyone!

What is the history of commercial aircraft manufacturers in China? What are the policies of the Chinese government to promote commercial aircraft manufacturing? Are these policies effective?

Check out this week's article to learn more:
https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2022/04/22/evolution-progress-status-of-commercial-aviation-manufacturing-industry-in-china/

What is the history of commercial aircraft manufacturers in China? What are the policies of the Chinese government to promote commercial aircraft manufacturing?

25/02/2022

Happy Friday, everyone!

What's the rationale behind the Biden Administration's export control policy against China? How did the latest export control policies play out within and outside the United States? What is the role that human rights play in this?

Check out this week's article to gain some fresh insights!
https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2022/02/25/biden-administrations-secret-ingredient-for-china-human-rights-on-export-control/

What's the rationale behind the Biden Administration's export control policy against China? How did the latest export control policies play out within and outside the U.S.?

10/01/2022

Greetings from the China Focus blog! We hope you had a rejuvenating weekend.

We are recruiting five members to join the newly established editorial committee. All GPS students and Ph.D. students from relevant departments are welcome to apply.

The China Focus blog is a student-run publication affiliated with the 21st Century China Center, the China think tank at GPS. We strive to be the town square where China enthusiasts exchange ideas and form long-lasting friendships. Join us if you want to tap into a curious and dynamic group!

These positions are not paid — the experience should be rewarding by themselves. But there are more tangible benefits:

* Connect with 21st Century China Center staff and faculty (we have bi-weekly meetings with the center)
* Make your resume stand apart
* Produce polished writing samples for job application
* Apprenticeships that could convert to future employment opportunities at the blog starting at the Spring quarter

The editorial committee is tasked with managing the weekly publication on the blog and the annual essay contest.

The specific positions are listed below:

* two editors
- Each editor will edit one article every two weeks.
* two writers
- Each writer will write a total of two pieces per quarter.
* one outreach associate
- The outreach associate manages the social media and publicizes the blog.

Please follow the application link to express your interest before the end of week 2 (1/14). Briefly tell us why you want to join us and show us a piece of writing that you are proud of. We look forward to talking with you!
https://ucsd.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cT6gqifaTGqBwUe

Not related to recruitment — we are always here to help you project your voice to a broader audience. If you have writings on China — articles, opinions, research — that you would like to get published, please submit them according to this guideline https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/call-for-submissions/. We host submissions written in Mandarin as well! We are thrilled to read your perspectives.

The China Focus blog team

10/01/2022

Happy Monday, everyone!

What does Didi's delisting mean for other US-listed Chinese stocks and existing shareholders? This week, we invited Tsz Wang Yeung to write an article about Didi's delisting and its implications!

Click the link to learn more:
https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2022/01/10/didis-delisting-implications-for-the-future-of-us-listed-chinese-stocks/

What does Didi's delisting mean for other US-listed Chinese stocks?

08/01/2022

Happy Friday, everyone!

Register for a webinar on 1/13 titled "Twists and Turns of the DOJ's China Initiative." The description of the event and sign-up link is shown below!

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/event/twists-and-turns-of-the-dojs-china-initiative/

Eileen Guo and Jess Aloe, Journalists from MIT Tech Review and Nelson D**g, legal expert from Dorsey & Whitney team up to explain how the U.S. Justice Department’s China Initiative shifted from focusing on economic espionage to procedural research issues, largely targeting ethnic Chinese researche...

05/11/2021

Happy Friday, everyone!

Is a Chinese big tech company being listed in the U.S. really a data security threat to China? Can running the same product in two versions solve a “deep versus broad” dilemma for Chinese tech companies? Will conflicts regarding data regulation result in divided digital markets in digital services? Can data change the authoritarian institutions of China?

This week, our interview with Lizhi Liu, an assistant professor in the McDonough School of Business and a faculty affiliate of the Department of Government at Georgetown University, can shed light on these questions! Click the article to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/11/05/didi-and-chinas-data-regulation/

How should we understand China's iron-fisted regulations on its high-tech sector? What is data's role in these regulations?

08/10/2021

How did government microloan programs help alleviate poverty in China? A field study in Wuding, Yunnan illustrates the effect of these programs on the ground.

The author, Ashley Zhang, conducted fieldwork in Wuding County, Yunnan Province, by interviewing villagers and officials. She explains how some microloan programs successfully connect latent talents of loan applicants to the broader market demand and why some programs fail to play their roles. Read the article to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/10/08/how-do-government-microloan-programs-help-china-to-win-the-battle-against-poverty-field-research-in-wuding-yunnan/

How did government microloan programs help alleviate poverty in China? A field study illustrates the effect of these programs on the ground.

14/09/2021

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

How did the CCP nationalize socialism? This week's article uses a case study to look at an exhibition of the May Fourth Movement to deduce CCP's political theology.

The author Henry Ch'eng finds that the CCP resignifies the May Fourth Movement by putting the spotlight only on nationalism, sidelining other inconvenient socialist thoughts, including anarchism, radicalism, and the demand for democracy and science. Click the article to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/09/14/nationalizing-socialism-the-political-theology-of-the-ccp/

How did the CCP nationalize socialism? The case study looked at an exhibition of the May Fourth Movement to deduce CCP's political theology.

30/08/2021

As the Taliban swept through the country and seized control, how will China respond to a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan? What are China’s security and economic interests in Afghanistan? What are potential barriers to Chinese-Afghan cooperation in the future?

This week, China Focus is glad to have Jack Erickson publish this insightful piece. Read the article to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/08/30/chinas-strategy-in-a-taliban-ruled-afghanistan/

As the Taliban swept through the country and seized control, how will China respond to a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan?

16/08/2021

In western narratives, Chinese motives in Africa are predatory, and Africa is backward. How should we challenge these narratives not fitting the history of Chinese development in Africa and the experiences of migrants in both places?

The author, Kyilah Terry, provides an answer to this question by looking at the trends in migration between China and Africa, the changes in immigration policies of both areas, and Sino-African relations. Click the article to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/08/16/sino-african-migration-challenging-narratives-of-african-mobility-and-chinese-motives/

As Sino-African migration expands, how should we challenge the grossly simplified narrative of a predatory China and a backward Africa?

12/07/2021

Now accepting submissions! Check out our submission guidelines page below.
We welcome any curious minds who want to share their opinions on China with a broader audience, especially those who are affiliated with the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) and Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) schools.
https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/call-for-submissions/

The China Focus Blog is looking for submissions on China-related current events, and especially articles on Chinese relations with countries besides the US.

21/06/2021

Happy Monday, everyone!
In the recent G7 summit, the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was underscored. With China’s growing influence on Taiwan’s economy and frequent use of economic statecraft, how could Taiwan respond to political and economic pressure coming from China?
This week, School of Global Policy and Strategy student TszWang (Sam) Yeung shares with us the economic responses of Taiwan from the perspective of trade policy, “people-centric” policies, and infrastructure programs. Read the article to learn more:
https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/06/21/throwing-a-straw-against-the-wind-how-taiwan-responds-to-chinas-economic-statecraft/

As China's growing influence on Taiwan's economy, how Taiwan responds to China's economic statecraft and counters the political and economic pressure from China?

01/06/2021

As China's demographic transition takes place, what should the central government do to win the war for talent?

This week's article features a policy-focused piece written by Syed Bahadur Abbas and Wendao Liu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. A runner-up in the 2021 China Focus Essay Contest, this article discussed China's talent policies in terms of their social impacts. Check it out below to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/06/01/filling-the-void-a-proposal-to-decelerate-chinas-talent-exodus/

As China's demographic transition takes place, what should the central government do to win the war for talents?

05/05/2021

With increasing competition over global talent, concerns over the potential loss brought by talent flows arise. How should international policymakers think of it in a global context?

This week's article features the final winning essay of the China Focus 2021 Essay Contest. Congratulations to Jimin Park from The University of Kansas! Read his article on US immigration policy and US-China competition over talent:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/05/05/the-war-on-talent-optimizing-immigration-policy-in-us-china-competition/

With increasing competitions over global talent, concerns over the potential loss brought by talent flows arise. How should international policymakers think of it in a global context?

01/05/2021

📢 Current first-year GPSers: The 21st Century China Center (21CCC) is hiring a 2021-2022 Editor in Chief and Digital Media Manager for China Focus! The deadline has been extended to May 10th.

Check out the following link for job descriptions:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/event/employment-opportunity-china-focus-editor-and-digital-media-manager-positions/

If interested, please send a resume and cover letter expressing your qualifications to [email protected]

The 21st Century China Center (21CCC) is seeking to hire an Editor-in-Chief and Digital Media Manager for China Focus! All current first-year GPS students are eligible to apply. The deadline has been extended to Monday, May 10, 2021. Applicants should send a resume and cover letter expressing thei.....

29/04/2021

With growing involvement in international trade, China is seeking to expand its influence in multilateral trade and globalization. Will China's growing engagement reshape international trade rules? How has the US responded?

This week's article features the third winning essay of the China Focus 2021 Essay Contest. Congratulations to William Yuen Yee from Columbia University in the City of New York! Read his article on China and international trade to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/04/28/trading-places-chinas-expanding-influence-in-international-trade-and-the-world-trade-organization/

With growing involvement in international trade, China has been seeking to expand its influence in multilateral trade and globalization. Will China's growing engagement reshape international trade rules? How did the US respond?

21/04/2021

China's engagement with the setting of digital standards has connected closely to its advancement in informational technologies. How should the US adjust its internet governance strategy in the face of China's rise?

This week's article features the second winning essay of the China Focus 2021 Essay Contest. Congratulations to Theo Lebryk from the Yenching Academy of Peking University! Read his article on Chinese digital influence to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/04/21/the-fight-over-the-fate-of-the-internet-the-economic-political-and-security-costs-of-chinas-digital-standards-strategy/

China's engagement with the setting of digital standards has connected closely to its advancement in informational technologies. How should the US adjust its internet governance strategy in the face of China's rise?

14/04/2021

We're excited to announce the China Focus 2021 Essay Contest winners! This week we are featuring the first article of the series, on the topic of US's global talent recruitment.

Congratulations to Shaun Ee from the Yenching Academy of Peking University! Check out his winning submission on retaining the US's top immigrant talent and how that fits into a broader discussion of the US's national interests:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/04/14/student-worker-researcher-spy-how-to-retain-us-top-immigrant-talent/

Retaining top immigrant talent has long been an important goal of US immigration policies. How should policymakers proceed in the interest of attracting foreign talent?

10/04/2021

Happy Friday everyone!

This week we have an insightful piece written by School of Global Policy and Strategy student William Chi Gao about the China-led Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) framework. The intention was to achieve strong international legal norms and enforcement mechanisms. How should the LMC developmental logic be analyzed? While critics may view it as doomed for failure, is this a fair analysis? Read the article to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/04/09/china-and-the-mekong-river-disputes-can-a-new-framework-bring-new-compromises/

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework was initiated in the goal of enforcing stronger international legal norms. Moving forward, the member countries are working toward a more transparent dispute settlement mechanism.

29/03/2021

Happy first day of spring quarter!

The close connection between China's seed breeding and national food security has made seed technology the key to achieve China's goals in grain production and agricultural reforms.

This week, School of Global Policy and Strategy student Alex Schiller shared with us this timely piece about food security as an important focus of the 2021 No.1 Central Document. How does China's structural reform incorporate the seed breeding revolution? Read the article to find out:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/03/29/seed-technology-engrained-in-chinas-food-security-policy/

The close connection between China's seed breeding and national food security has made seed technology the key to achieve China's goals in grain production and agricultural reforms.

10/03/2021

Shenzhen has been pivotal to China’s continued economic rise. With a strategic vision for its future growth, Shenzhen is developing to be the world’s premier hub for innovation. How will this shape China's economic transition?

This week, China Focus is glad to collaborate with The China Guys on publishing this insightful piece. Read the article to learn more:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/2021/03/10/a-glimpse-into-the-past-present-and-future-of-xis-bellwether-city-shenzhen/

Shenzhen has been pivotal to China’s continued economic rise. With a strategic vision for its future growth, Shenzhen is developing to be the world’s premier hub for innovation.