China

6 famous dissidents in China

The surprising escape of a blind legal activist from house arrest is buoying China's embattled dissident community, even as the government cracks down on those who helped him.
Escaped dissident ruffles US-China relations ahead of Clinton visit

The US rushes a top diplomat to Beijing to work out tensions over dissident Chen Guangcheng and a possible US arms sale to Taiwan.
China's Bo Xilai affair: where the case stands

Much about the stunning fall of politician Bo Xilai remains unknown. But the case has fueled Internet rumors and roiled the political waters in China.
Focus
Will Bo Xilai affair open the 'black box' of China's leadership?

Just how politician Bo Xilai's stunning fall from grace might modify the mysterious manner in which power is shared and wielded in Beijing is still hard to discern.
Taiwan set for Chinese invasion - of investors

Taiwan's economy is poised grow significantly this year as the island relaxes barriers to investment from its old rival, mainland China.
Why is North Korea threatening to conduct a nuclear test? (+video)

First, to make up for the embarrassment of the failed missile; second, the regime's past nuclear tests didn't go very well.
Terrorism & Security
Beijing responds calmly to India missile test

The Chinese government has underscored its desire for cooperation with India, rather than an arms race.
What Chinese companies want: intellectual property protection

Chinese-American business relations, long fraught with distrust for China because it was not controlling piracy, appear to be benefiting from a new Chinese respect for intellectual property rights.
Terrorism & Security
China, Philippines dispute raises tensions in South China Sea

With tensions between China and its neighbors over the South China Sea already high, any disagreement runs the risk of becoming militarized.
Africa Monitor
Africa Rising: China steps up production in Ethiopia with drill instructors, investors

Shoemaker Huajian is one of the latest Chinese companies to invest in Ethiopia, which the World Bank believes has the potential to produce clothes and footwear for the world.
Bo Xilai: a stunning and highly public fall from grace in China (+video)

Bo Xilai, a senior Communist Party official, was abruptly dismissed amid scandal, ending his ambition of a top post. His removal could complicate a key year of political transition in China.
China PM Wen Jiabao says political reform 'urgent'

At the end of China’s ritualistic annual parliament session, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao went further than ever before in urging 'reform of the leadership system of our party and country.'
Global News Blog
How to ask China's prime minister a question - and get a real answer

Since China's prime minister approves questions before a press conference, he has time to formulate bland answers. But sometimes a cheeky foreign reporter finds a workaround.
Global News Blog
China's nuclear power plant review: 'problems in 14 areas' found

Should we be concerned? A nuclear official said in passing this weekend that problems in 14 areas need to be resolved. In the wake of Fukushima, a shade more transparency would be welcome.
Chinese envoy to press Syria for cease-fire

China's special envoy to Syria is expected to press authorities for a cease-fire to end the country's crisis. Beijing is opposed to any foreign intervention there.
Is China opening up?

China's highest state body has started to consult the public, opening the door on its secretive legislative process, even if only a crack.
Caribbean nations get caught in China-Taiwan tug of war

More than half the countries with diplomatic ties to Taiwan are in Central America and the Caribbean. Some, like Grenada, are finding that switching allegiances can be expensive.
China plans double-digit boost in military spending

China will raise its military spending by 11.2 percent in 2012 as the Asian giant worries about the US presence in the region.
Global News Blog
In China, reporting on Tibetan and Uighur unrest is nearly impossible

Western China - home to a Muslim Uighur minority and ethnic Tibetans - has been rocked by violence in recent months. Chinese authorities are keeping reporters out of the area.
Violence in Western China underscores uptick in minority unrest

At least 12 people were reported killed Tuesday night in clashes in a Muslim majority Uighur region in western China.
Weibos: China clamps down on popular microblogs

Weibos are the freest place in China to speak. Now Chinese authorities are moving to curb that freedom.
China's Vice President Xi is in town: what 6 international newspapers say

Chinese Vice President and presumed leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping is visiting the United States this week. From the increased US militarization of the Asia-Pacific region to China’s human rights record, newspapers across the globe are chiming in with their opinions and expectations for this high-profile visit. Here are a sample of six:
Valentine's Day with a Chinese twist

Other than red roses and a candlelit dinner for two on Valentine's Day, nothing in Beijing says 'I love you' (vaguely, in Chinese) like an investment offering an annual return of 5.2 percent.
US, China face 'trust deficit' as China's heir apparent visits

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, China's likely leader for the next decade, will meet President Obama this week, as well as make trips to Iowa and California.
A top cop in China disappears. Medical leave or US asylum?

China's rumor mill is ablaze over the whereabouts of Wang Lijun, a top police chief in Chongqing who 'went on vacation-style treatment.' What happens next could be a blow to a top Communist Party contender.