So to my mind, the question to ask is not whether China will continue to modernize their military -they will and should. The question for us to track in the news is insight into their strategic goals, and the key issue for our security is a lack of transparency.

A small rant.
In an article in yesterday’s New York Times, potential testing of a new stealth fighter by the Chinese Military was featured over the Defense Secretary Gates’ visit to Beijing.  Later editions of the …

One of the biggest challenges that confronts any media professional is getting honest feedback on the content s/he produces. TV journalists at the biggest networks in the world share the same complaint as the lone blogger — constructive criticism of one’s work is extremely hard to come by. So when we received a pair of thoughtful, well-written feedback emails from a reader in Scandinavia and another in the United States, it was immensely appreciated. Although the critiques (below) do sting a bit, their suggestions are valued and, in some cases, have already been incorporated into how we produce content on China Talking Points. We thought it would be great to share their comments as a way to invite other readers to contribute feedback as well. The comments below have been reprinted with the authors’ permission however both individuals did requested anonymity.

Sure, the NYTimes & WSJ carried headlines; there were the ‘usual’ blog posts; one or two nightly news mentions ocurred.  Protest, though? Outrage? Op-eds?
No wreaths laid or candlelight vigels held.  This was just the …

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While tragic, the suicides of the young Chinese workers at Foxconn are also inconsequential.  I say this not to be callous, however it should noted that outside of the Chinese and the broader technology blogospheres/Twitterverse, …

Chinese diplomats in Bangkok are no doubt extremely busy these days sending home reports of the ongoing turmoil roiling the streets of the Thai capital.  With Thai military forces now using live ammunition to disperse …

This brief interview on Bloomberg Television highlights the dramatic differences in worldview between Westerners and Africans when it comes to their view of China.  Journalist Maryam Nemazee asks Adam Mahamat of the China-Africa Business Council …

China is walking down the same path towards empire in Africa as the once former European powers did a century ago writes former New York Times Shanghai and Africa correspondent Howard French in a new …

It’s not often that senior Chinese officials make themselves available for interviews with the international media, especially in English.  So when I first heard that the BBC World Service’s “Business Today” radio program was to …