January 2003, Volume 14, Issue 1
China’s Changing of the Guard: A Volcanic Stability
The outward appearance of a powerful and confident Communist party-state masks a deep crisis.
Country: China
January 2003, Volume 14, Issue 1
China’s Changing of the Guard: Contradictory Trends and Confusing Signals
Political renewal is contending with a process of political decay that has yet to reach an end.
April 2002, Volume 13, Issue 2
Cracks in the Middle Kingdom
A review of Bad Elements: Chinese Rebels from Los Angeles to Beijing. By Ian Buruma.
July 2000, Volume 11, Issue 3
Classical Liberalism Catches On in China
A specter is haunting China-the specter of classical liberalism.
January 1999, Volume 10, Issue 1
Taiwan Gets it Right
Review of The First Chinese Democracy: Political Life in the Republic of China on Taiwan, by Linda Chao and Ramon H. Myers.
October 1998, Volume 9, Issue 4
Liberal Voices from China
The Editors’ introduction to “Liberal Voices from China.”
October 1998, Volume 9, Issue 4
Liberal Voices from China: The Hong Kong Example
Read the full essay here.
October 1998, Volume 9, Issue 4
Liberal Voices from China: A Program for Democratic Reform
Read the full essay here.
October 1998, Volume 9, Issue 4
Liberal Voices from China: Liberalism, Equal Status, and Human Rights
Read the full essay here.
July 1998, Volume 9, Issue 3
Chinese Culture and Democracy
A review of China’s Transition, by Andrew Nathan.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? Disruption Without Disintegration
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? The Road From Socialism
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? The Halting Advance of Pluralism
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? Sources of Resistance
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? Confronting a Classic Dilemma
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? Current Trends and Future Prospects
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? A “Gray” Transformation
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? The End of Communism
Read the full essay here.
January 1998, Volume 9, Issue 1
Will China Democratize? “Even Our Caution Must Be Hedged”
Read the full essay here.
July 1995, Volume 6, Issue 3
Departures from Communism
A review of From Reform to Revolution: The Demise of Communism in China and the Soviet Union, by Minxin Pei and Sowing the Seeds of Democracy in China: Political Reform in the Deng Xiaoping Era, by Merlec Goldman.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: After the Massacre
The following text is based upon remarks presented by Wuer Kaixi in Washington, D.C. on 2 August 1989 at a meeting cosponsored by the Congressional Human Rights Foundation and the National Endowment for Democracy.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: China’s Great Leap Backward
This past spring the world looked on in wonder as millions filled the streets of Beijing and 80 other Chinese cities, defying the Communist regime and demanding democracy.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: The Resurgence of Civil Society in China
The remarkable events of April and May 1989 revealed the degree to which civil society has reemerged in Communist China. The ruthless campaign of suppression that began on June 4 revealed in turn the degree to which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains unwilling and unable to accept the reality of nascent civil society in…
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
Tiananmen and Beyond: Peering Over the Great Wall
Our goal at present is the thorough modernization of China. We all have a compelling sense of the need for this. There is a widespread feeling of dissatisfaction with the status quo among people in all walks of life.
Fighting for Democracy Is a Crime in Hong Kong
A Hong Kong court just handed out heavy sentences to 45 democracy activists. The pro-Beijing government is taking a hard line against anyone who would challenge it.
‘Their Control Cannot Be Flawless’
What are the true lessons from Tiananmen Square? Why does nonviolent resistance offer the best chance of challenging the CCP? Hu Ping, a leading Chinese dissident, reflects on the mistakes that were made and what it will take to succeed next time.
How Civil Society Can Confront the China Challenge — And Win
The CCP is engaged in a sprawling campaign to undermine democracy. Governments too often can be lumbering or weak in response. Look to civil society for the creativity and skill to keep the CCP on its heels.
The World Has Become Flatter for Authoritarian Regimes
They are benefiting from a world that has grown more hostile for democracy and human rights. But it doesn’t need to be the case. Democracies need to double down on their own competitive advantage.
Stop Trying to “Defeat” Russia and China
Moscow and China pose a great danger to the democratic world. But they pose threats that need to be managed, not won. Every great foreign-policy battle doesn’t end with a decisive victory.
What It Takes to Win the New Cold War with China
Our struggle against the Soviet Union offers vital lessons for how to confront the aggressive totalitarian threat that Beijing now represents.
What Mattered to You in 2022
In 2022, we began publishing shorter, exclusively online pieces. No topic mattered more to you than Russia’s disastrous war in Ukraine. We also published essays from the sharpest minds on protests in China and Iran, instability in Pakistan, and more.
Breaking Han Silence
China’s recent protests marked a crucial milestone: The mainstream Chinese public, at home and abroad, finally spoke up for the Uyghurs and their plight.
After a Wave of Protests, China’s Silent Crackdown
Nationwide protests against Xi Jinping’s zero-covid policy caught the Chinese Communist Party off-guard. Expect the Party’s security apparatus to strike back with quiet precision.
Breaking Out of Xi’s Great Prison
Chinese citizens from Urumqi to Shanghai took to the streets, blank sheets of white paper in hand, to denounce the CCP and call for change. Xi Jinping’s repression and zero-covid lockdowns has united the public in empathy and anger.
Why TikTok Is a Threat to Democracy
The popular Chinese-owned app is enabling Beijing to collect data on people nearly everywhere. Not only can such platforms track people’s preferences and whereabouts, but they give the Chinese government control over a powerful tool for shaping people’s worldview.
For Xi Jinping, the Economy Is No Longer the Priority
Beijing’s focus has been on strong and steady economic growth for decades. But China’s leader has just put an end to that era. For Xi, it’s only about power—at home and abroad.
Authoritarianism Goes Global: The Challenge to Democracy
In recent years, as leading authoritarian countries such as China, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela have become emboldened within the global arena, challenging the liberal international political order, the advanced democracies have retreated rather than responding to this threat.
Will China Democratize?
Although China has achieved extraordinary economic success without the CCP regime loosening its authoritarian grip, can the country continue its growth without political reform?