China and Japan are arguing over an island chain in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and Diaoyu Islands in China. These islands, which are little more than uninhabited rocks, are not valuable on their own. For decades, Tokyo and Beijing had an agreement to keep the islands dispute quiet. [...]
China’s first aircraft carrier was formally commissioned on Sept. 25. China sees the carrier as the end of a long struggle to gain global respect and acceptance as a major military power. The Liaoning enters service at a time when Beijing and Tokyo argue over control of the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. China has spent the [...]
There is a lot of debate about how many politburo standing committee seats will exist after the 18th National Congress scheduled for October. Any change from the current 9 seats would affect the balance of power inside the committee and influence decisions in the coming years. Because each position in the committee has its own [...]
Everyone thinks that the President of the United States can, by himself, solve the problems of this country. If gas prices go up, people blame the President. If the economy is bad, people blame the President. In fact, the President can do very little by himself. The President has no control over other powerful government [...]
The Communist party may downgrade the role of internal security chief due to fears that the position has become too powerful, sources say. Zhou Younkang’s successor, probably Meng Jianzhu, now minister for public security, would remain a member of the less powerful politburo, which has 24 members – returning to a pattern the party kept [...]
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