Anglo-Australian Cooperation: Opportunities and pitfalls in the Indo-Pacific

UK USA

As the United Kingdom (UK) increases its strategic and economic engagement in the Indo-Pacific, Australia should continue its advocacy for the UK to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and its further integration into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This will enhance regional stability. But Australia should not advocate … more

Neican: Foreign language, trade and tariffs, Evergrande and YouTube

1. English language in China China may be de-prioritising education requirements on the English language, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Last month, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission issued a notice on measures to reduce the burden of students and to enhance comprehensive all-round education (素质教育 rather than exam-oriented education 应试教育). One of the … more

The illusion of Macau’s integration: Why China’s approach is failing

Macau

Beijing adopted a functionalist approach to the integration of Hong Kong and Macau with Mainland China, hoping that practical cooperation will foster trust and patriotism, and facilitate institutional integration. Our research, however, finds that Macau and its neighboring mainland city of Zhuhai did not make substantive progress towards integration under this approach. Beijing’s approach has, … more

Neican: Gender diversity, Enforced morality, Gig workers

1. Queer China The Chinese leadership is deeply conservative on certain social issues. When it comes to gender norms or “family values”, their stance resembles the Christian right in the West. In the past year, the government has tried to constrain gender expressions and eliminate gender diversity. I have noted previously the renewed push for … more

Neican: Algorithm, Fan circle, Xi Thought in curriculum, Online gaming

1. Regulating algorithms The Cyberspace Administration of China has been busy lately. After its recent work on Data Security Law and Personal Information Protection Law, it has released a draft regulation for consultation on “algorithm recommendations” 互联网信息服务算法推荐管理规定 [China Law Translate]. The draft includes the following provisions: Algorithms that make users addicted or spend large amount … more

What Does it Mean to Be ‘Chinese’? Education and National Belonging in Contemporary China

Since the 1990s, the Chinese party-state has waged a “patriotic education” campaign to teach youth how to think and speak about the nation. In a recent article in The China Quarterly, I explored how young people across different social backgrounds have received these messages by conducting interviews and surveys among Han Chinese high school students … more

Protecting its citizens in the Middle East: China’s expanding interests in the region

China’s policies towards the Middle East region, including policies aimed at protecting its citizens there, have been based on the principle of non-interference. But with growing engagement and the increasing frequency of violence against Chinese nationals and assets in the region, the efficacy of this approach will be increasingly challenged in the coming years. China’s … more

Neican: Common prosperity, AfPak, privacy

1. Common prosperity The Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, China’s highest economic decision-making body, held a meeting to discuss “common prosperity” 共同富裕 (the Chinese term is also the literal translation of “common-wealth”, but Commonwealth means something quite different from common-wealth nowadays). You can find Adam’s take on the topic and his translation of the … more

China’s Publishing Industry: Past as a Mirror to the Present

printing

China’s publishing industry modernized and mechanized in the early twentieth century at a time when China was experiencing seismic sociopolitical changes. The new type of publishing and printing transformed traditional scholars into modern intellectuals. It also brought about cutting-edge technologies and the up-to-date mode of labor organization. Indeed, the revolution in publishing and printing was … more